Patent Application
20060081016
Automatic, electronically-controlled dispensing device for dispensing laundry care composition into an automatic laundry washing machine, and methods for use thereof.
Detergent compositions are provided in many forms, of which granular and liquid compositions are the most prevalent. More recently, unit dose forms of detergent have been proposed in the form of compressed tablets of detergent powder or water-soluble packages, which are consumed during a single cleaning application. The unit dose forms are preferred by some consumers, in that the dose is pre-measured and, consequently, the unit dose form is faster, easier and less messy to use. The unit dose forms, however, involve complexities in manufacture. Furthermore, unit dose detergents do not allow for variations in dosing, depending on water fill level in the machine.
Various devices for delivering ingredients in a controllable way to washing machines have been described. See, for instance U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,024, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,666, U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,328, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,520, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,227, EP 0611,159, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,080, US 2003/0116177, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,520, EP 1088927, WO 03/033804, US 2004/088796, WO 03/069043, US 2003/0182732, and GB 2 134 078. The need continues to exist, however, for an improved automatic laundry care dosing device.
The present invention includes, in its first embodiment, a non-intrusive device for automatically dosing at least one liquid laundry care composition to an automatic laundry washing machine, the device located along water supply feed to the washing machine with an incoming water supply feed to the device and outgoing water supply feed out of the device, the device comprising:
In its second embodiment, the invention includes the variation wherein the mechanical pump is employed to dose the detergent, in place of a Venturi tube mechanism.
The inventive device is suitable for residential washing machines, as well as industrial, or commercial washing machines. The inventive device is suitable for use with front-loading or top-loading washing machines.
The following detailed description and the drawings illustrate some of the effects of the inventive compositions. The invention and the claims, however, are not limited to the following description and drawings.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to each other. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the Figures to indicate corresponding elements.
Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about.”
It should be noted that in specifying any range of time or physical conditions, any particular upper limit can be associated with any particular lower limit.
For the avoidance of doubt the word “comprising” is intended to mean “including” but not necessarily “consisting of” or “composed of.” In other words, the listed steps or options or components need not be exhaustive.
“Liquid” as used herein means that a continuous phase or predominant part of the composition is liquid and that a composition is flowable at 20° C. Solids (e.g., suspended or other) may be included. Gels and pastes are included within the liquids as used herein.
“Venturi tube” as used herein means a pipe with a constricted inner surface (throat); fluid passing through the tube speeds up as it enters the tube's throat, and generating a vacuum, which causes the dosing of a laundry care composition from a laundry care container to the washing machine.
“Non-intrusive” as used herein means external to the washing machine; can be fitted to the washing machine machine by the user of the machine, without having to invade the machine housing in any way.
“Laundry care” as used herein means any and all compositions that may be used for the cleaning and care of laundry, including but not limited to detergents, bleach, softening, anti-wrinkling, etc. and any mixtures thereof.
“Along water supply feed” means that the device is connected to the washing machine via incoming and outgoing water supply hoses, into and out of the device, the outgoing water supply hoses then leading to the washing machine.
“Machine-generic algorithm” as used herein means an algorithm that is capable of determining the actual cycle at any duration of wash for various cycle designs from various washing machines, without the input of precise cycle design; and dose the correct products correctly.
“Major water addition” is the water fill with the amount that is sufficient to pre-wash, wash or rinse the articles that to be clean in one time.
“Incoming” and “outgoing” is used herein with reference to the inventive device, to indicate flow to and out of the device.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, electronic and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-know circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention.
Turning now to the drawings,
The machine-generic algorithm is programmed to differentiate between a major water addition and a water pulse and to differentiate among various wash cycles. In the case of a major water addition, the algorithm determines the state of the wash process and passes the signal to open one or more of the solenoid valves corresponding to the correct products. When the solenoid valves are open, the vacuum provided by the flow of water through Venturi tubes allows the flow of one or more of the laundry care compositions to the water stream that is filling the wash machine. The algorithm can also be programmed to open only the solenoid valve which is connected to the Venturi tube with the water flowing through it at that moment in order to prevent the cross-contamination between hot and cold water lines (which happens when both solenoid valves connected to both water lines are open). In other words, only one water supply (hot or cold) might be on, and that is the one that will prompt the appropriate solenoid valve to open.
The length of the throat portion of the Venturi tube is preferably from 1 to 20 cm, more preferably less than 10 cm, most preferably less than 5 cm. The multiple connections from the throat to the containers of laundry products may be distributed along the axial direction or/and the perimeter of the throat.
The preferred inventive devices contain a safety check assembly within the conduit 35. The safety assembly may be assembled in a variety of ways. One of the embodiments is shown in detail in
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ratio of the diameter of the end of the Venturi tube (d1) to the diameter of the throat of the Venturi tube (d2) is greater than 1.65, most preferably greater than 2.5, in order to attain the required vacuum for dosing the products. If the internal diameter of water hoses is less than the diameter of the end of the Venturi tube (d1), then the preferred ratio should be based on the ratio of the internal diameter of water hose to the diameter of the throat of the Venturi tube (d2).
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, laundry care containers visibly protrude above the top surface of the device, and most preferably, the containers are transparent, so that the user may monitor the level of the remaining detergent, and refill or replace the containers at an appropriate time.
Sensor
The sensor senses the flow of water converting a flow signal therefrom into an electronic impulse, and sending the signal that the water flow is on to the processing unit inside the control unit. The preferred sensor is selected from a pressure transducer or a flow or motion sensing devices, or combinations thereof.
The sensor can be placed at a water supply feed, whether the incoming or outgoing feed from the device. The sensor combined with the algorithm may additionally detect other parameters, e.g. water inflow pattern, total water consumed for each cycle. By the use of the sensors, signals can be obtained (and combined with one another) which monitor the wash cycle and the cycle time and provide a trigger for the inventive dispensing device. Other suitable sensors include but are not limited to devices sensing electrical current, sound, temperature, vibration, etc.
Laundry Care Containers
Generally, any laundry care container may be used as long as its spout fits snugly into the conduit leading to the Venturi tube. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, special cartridges, most preferably removable and replaceable, are employed.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, to prevent user mistakes in inserting wrong containers into the slot, the slots and/or containers are clearly labeled and may have an encoded set of information about the container's contents and its use instructions affixed to it, the device further comprising means for retrieving and, optionally, storing said information, and means for executing instructions either received directly from the retrieved information or from the stored information. The instructions may be in the form of a bar code, a magnetic strip, a microchip or any other suitable machine-readable attachment. In another embodiment of the invention, the shape of the containers and the corresponding interlocking slots are shaped differently to prevent misplaced installation of products. Another way of preventing misplaced installation is via color or shape or size differention with common interlocks.
In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the container (containing the spout) is bevelled to enhance the draining of the composition.
Laundry Care Compositions
Any laundry care compositions are suitable for use with the inventive device. The particular advantage of the inventive device is that it pre-mixes the laundry care composition with water, thus diluting the laundry care composition prior to its introduction into the washing machine. Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the laundry care composition is a concentrate. For a laundry detergent composition, it generally means that the composition comprises at least 20%, by weight of the composition, preferably from 40 to 100%, most preferably from 60 to 100% of a surfactant. Generally, concentrate compositions contain little if any water, generally from 0 to 50%, preferably less than 20%, most preferably less than 10%.
Another particularly preferred composition for use with the inventive device is a bleach composition; by virtue of pre-dilution associated with the use of the inventive device such composition may be introduced into the washing machine, without causing the pinpoint damage to the fabrics. The most preferred bleach is a peracid, such as imidoperacid, diperoxydodecanoic acid (DPDA), perlauric acid, perbenzoic and alkylperbenzoic acids. Especially preferred peracid is phthalimido-percaproic acid (PAP). In another embodiment, the inventive device may dose sodium hypochlorite solution, which is generally referred to as chlorine beach. The concentration of hypochlorite solution is in the range between 1.5% to 10%, preferably between 3 to 7%.
In another embodiment, the inventive device may sequentially dose bleach precursors and peroxygen bleach sources. The nonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (NOBS) and tetraacetyl ethylene diamine (TAED) are typical bleach precursors. Other classes of bleach precursors comprise acylated citrate ester, benzoxazin-type and amido derived precusors. Suitable peroxygen bleach bleach sources to be used herein are hydrogen peroxide, percarbonates, persilicates, perborates, peroxyacids, hydroperoxides, and diacyl peroxide. As used herein a peroxygen bleach source refers to any compound, which produces perhydroxyl ions when said compound is in contact with water.
