Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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C7281 (R)
DETERGENT DISPENSING SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a dispensing system to be used for
solid detergent products for institutional washing machines.
The invention also relates to a detergent supply pack and a
dispensing device, which are adapted for use in a dispensing
system according to the invention.Furthermore, the invention
relates to a method of dispensing a solid detergent product
into the wash liquor to be fed to a washing machine.
PRIOR ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hitherto, various products and packs have been developed to
provide institutional washing machines, especially dish-
washing machines, with a supply of detergent material fromwhich measured amounts of detergent product are dispensed to
the wash liquor in the washing machine. These products
include detergent products in powder-form, in liquid-form
and in paste-form, which are generally packed in supply
packs or containers. More recently, solid detergent blocks
for institutional washing machines have been developed,
wh;ch have the advantage of being discretely shaped.
Furthermore, solid detergent blocks can contain more con-
centrated product than the other above-mentioned product
types. These block-form detergent products are generally
dissolved by simply spraying with water in a dispensing
device, and then are delivered to the wash liquor. Since
detergent products which are suitable for use in
institutional washing machines, often have a high alkali
content, contact with the skin should be avoided. Block-form
detergent products appear to be very suitable for avoiding
skin contact.
US-A-4,569,781 (Ecolab) describes a detergent container for
a cast detergent solid suitable for use in dishwashing
machines. The container contains a detergent product
produced from a melt and allowed to solidify. The detergent
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product is subsequently dissolved from the container on
contact with a stream of aqueous liquid from a spray means
when placed in a dispensing device. The advantage of a block
form detergent product and dispensing device of this type is
that, with proper handling, contact with the skin is vir-
tually eliminated. Owing to the shape thereof, however, the
container described in this patent has shown to leave
residues o~ detergent after emptying by spraying. This
s~tuation is unacceptable for economic, safety and environ-
mental reasons. Detergent residues in the container are apotential danger source to the user when a supposedly empty
container is being replaced by a completely full container.
Moreover, from an environmental point of view such a rigid
container is less attractive because o~ its impact to the
environment and non-collapsibility.
US-A-4,426,362 (Ecolab) describes a dishwasher distributor
for a solid block form moulded detergent product. The block
form detergent product of this reference is positioned with
its casting mould in the receiving means of the distributor
so that the casting mould surrounds the detergent blocX
during the flushing out process and touches it on all sides
except for one free face. Once again, contactless handling
of the detergent product is provided, but once again,
complete emptying is not guaranteed.
US-A-4,774,014 (Henkel) discloses a detergent supply pack
~or a cast detergent block which pack is suitable for ready
dissolution of the block in the dispensing device associated
with an institutional dishwashing machine, such that water
consumption is not appreciably higher than in the case of
powder-form detergents, even towards the end of the block.
However, the detergent supply pack has to be opened before
positioning the pack in the dispensing device and therefore
skin contact with the alkaline detergent is possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a deter-
3 C7281 (R)
gent dispensing system comprising a detergent supply packfor a detergent powder or, preferably, a block form deter-
gent product and a dispensing device associated with an
institutional washing machine, preferably a dishwashing
machine, whereby an economic and effective use of the deter-
gent in the dispensing device is ensured.
It is an other object of the invention to provide a deter-
gent dispensing system whereby the detergent supply pack is
adapted to the dispensing device such that the detergent can
be introduced into the device without the need to open the
pack before positioning the pack in the dispensing device
and loading the device. This eliminates the risk of any skin
contact and thus contributes to safety.
It is a further object of the invention that no residue is
left inside the supply pack after emptying and that a
minimal amount of packaging material is to be disposed of
after introducing the detergent product into the dispensing
device.
It was found that these and other objects can be ac-
complished by a detergent dispensing system according to thepresent invention.
DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a dispensing system
comprising a detergent supply pack (4) for supplying solid
state detergent material to a dispensing device (6) as-
sociated with a washing machine and said dispensing device,
which supply pack comprises packaging material for said
solid state detergent material,-said solid state deterqent
material and a closing/release device for promoting release
of the detergent solid from the supply pack into the
dispensing device, whereby the closing/release device essen-
tially consists of two parts (1,2j in between which the
packaging material is fixed and is adapted to the dispensing
device such that the closing/release device can be easily
removed in conjunction with thP dispensing device for
introducing the detergent solid into the dispensing device.
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The invention also provides a detergent supply pack and a
dispensing device which are adapted for use in a dispensing
system according to the present invention. Furthermore, the
invention provides a method of dispensing a sol.id detergent
product into the wash liquor to be fed to a washing machine,
whereby a dispensing system according to the invention is
applied.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a dispensing system comprising a
supply pack for a solid state detergent product, which may
contain detergent powder, deterg~nt briquettes and/or deter-
gent tablets. However, the supply pack pre~erably contains a
compacted detergent block, which is readily dissolvable on
contact with flushing water.
The supply pack includes flexible packaging material which
functions as a protective means against moisture uptake and
also as a handling aid for the introduction of the naked
detergent blocX into the detergent dispensing device of a
washing machine, preferably a dishwashing machine, without
contact with the skin. The packaging material is generally
also collapsible in order to minimize the volume of pack-
aging material to be disposed of after emptying the supply
pack. As packaging material, any material which can perform
the above mentioned functions, may be used, such as
cardboard, coated paper, and laminated material, but plastic
material such as polyethylene and polypropylene is
preferred. The most preferred type of packaging material is
polyethylene.
If a solid detergent block is applied, the supply pacX of
the invention thus comprises flexible packaging material
which confor~s to the shape of the detergent solid, a solid
detergent block which is usually produced by compaction of
dry mixed powder, and release means for releasing the solid
detergent product from the supply pack into the distributing
device.
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C7281 (R)
Generally, solid detergent blocks constitute a non~dusty and
therefore attractive product form in view of the often
aggressive chemicals used. Furthermore, they are economical
in use because they can be manufactured and transported as
5 very concentrated products. In EP-A-375, 022 (Unilever)
information can be found with respect to the type of solid
detergent block which is preferably used with the supply
pack according to the present invention.
In order to eliminate skin contact, the supply pack of the
invention comprises a closinglrelease device essentially
consisting of two parts in between which the flexible pack-
aging material of the pack is fixed. In other words, these
parts act as a sort of closing clamp for the detergent
supply pack.
Preferably, these p~rts have an oblong shape, whereby their
dimensions are such that one of these parts can be placed
inside the other part while leaving just enough room to
fully close the supply pack. Generally, these parts could
have any cross-sectional shapes, but preferably the cross-
section of the inner part is shaped as a triangle and that
o~ the outer part as a hollow tube open to one side.
The inner part is preferably connected to the outer part in
order to ensure simultaneous removal of both parts when
opening the pack. For reasons of easy handling, inner and
outer part are preferably connected by way of a plastic
hinge.
Furthermore, the dispensing system according to the inven-
tion comprises a dispensing device of which the dimensions
are such that solid detergent material, preferably a solid
detergent block, can be effectively and safely introduced
into it from out of a detergent supply pack according to the
present invention. If a solid detergent block is to be
applied, the supply pack contailling the detergent block is
placed on a support to facilitate the introduction of the
detergent block into the dispensing device when opening the
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supply pack by removal of the closing device. Thereafter,
the naked detergent block i~s allowed to fall down onto a
grid-type support provided with a flexible sealiny in the
bottom part of the detergent dispenser, such that only the
bottom side of the block is contacted with water originating
from a spray nozzle situated underneath this support. By
contacting only the bottom part of the detergent block,
excessive degradation of moisture-sensitive components
present in the block is avoided.
This configuration is advantageous as the distance between
the bottom side of detergent block and the spray nozzle will
not vary during the washing operation resulting in a
constant dissolution rate of detergent material and conse-
quently a constant concentration of detergent product in the
wash liquor fed into the washing machine.
In order to ensure that the dispensing device cannot be
opened just after adding fresh solid detergent material, it
is desirable that the device can only be opened after the
detergent solid inside the device has decreased to below a
certain level. For ensuring a continuous operation of the
dispensing device, an indicator or alarm is preferably
provided signalling that the device can be opened and a new
detergent solid introduced.
The invention is further illustrated by Figures 1-7, of
which:
Fig. 1 gives a perspective view of a closing device accor-
ding to the invention;
Fig. 2 gives an illustration of a detergent supply pack
according to the invention;
Fig. 3 shows the supply pack inside the distributing device;
Fig. 4-7 give schematic views of the distributing device of
the invention at consecutive stages when operating the
device.
Referring more in detail to these drawings, in Figure 1 (lj
indicates the tube-shaped outer part of the closing/release
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device, in which the triangle-shaped inner part (2) is
situated. Also means (3a) is shown by which the inner part
is connected to the outer part. As a result, using handle
~3) the entire closing device can be removed from the supply
pack (4), which is depicted in Fig. 2.
As shown in Figure 3, this supply pack can be introduced
into the dispensing device (6) by way of handle (5).
The dimensions of this dispensing device which is
schematically shown in Figure 4-7, are such that the con-
tents of the detergent supply pack can be safely and effec-
tively introduced into it. Before introducing the contents
of supply pack (4), a top lid (12) of the device (6) is
turned from a horizontal into a fixed vertical position (see
Figure 5).
Thereafter the supply pack is placed on top of a spring-
loaded support lid (7) and the handle (5) of the supply pack
is positioned onto hook (11) which is connected to the top
lid (12) (see Figure 6).
By pulling handle (3) in order to remove the entire closing
device and pushing a spring-loaded lever (10) backward, the
detergent material is made to fall into the dispensing
device and to push the support lid (7) into a vertical
position. Thereafter, the lever (10) is pushed back into its
position of preference by action of spring (13).
After the empty supply pack is removed, the top lid (12) can
be closed and the inner part of the hook (11) automatically
fixed by the action of the spring loaded lever (10)~ As a
result, the dispensing device is completely closed and
cannot be opened by unauthorised people (see Figure 7).
During operation, the detergent material (14) is positioned
on a grid-type support (9) provided with a flexible sealing
and being sprayed on by way of spray-nozzle (8). The fexible
sealing connected to th grid-type support is located such
that only the bottom part of the de~ergent material is
contacted with water.
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When the detergent material inside the dispensing device
(14) has been dissolved so far that the spring loaded
support lid (7) has turned back into a horizontal position
(see Figure 4), lever (10) turns such that the fixation of
the top lid hook (11) is released. Support lid (7) thus acts
as an indicator telling the operator that the contents of a
new supply pack can be introduced into the dispensing
device.
For this purpose, support lid (7) may be connected to an
alarm system which is activated when the fixation of the top
lid hook (11) is released.
