EP0382043B1 - Method and container for dispensing a product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for dispensing a filling product, especially liquid washing agent, from a container provided for this into a washing batch during a mechanical washing process, in which the container and filling product are subjected to the washing process and filling product is thereby dispensed from the container. The discharge of filling product from the container is controlled by the effect of force on the container during the washing process. Furthermore, a container suitable for carrying out this method is also provided. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a container according to the preamble of claim 1.

According to US Pat. No. 3,399,806, the dispensing of the contents is controlled by moisture during the washing process. For this purpose, a membrane is arranged over a dispensing opening of a container, which is dissolved by the moisture, be it the filling material or washing water, after appropriate protective measures have been taken to activate the container, with which the premature dissolution or softening of the membrane mentioned is prevented becomes.

Such a procedure is not unproblematic in terms of handling technology, since such a membrane is mechanically less resistant, so that there is a risk that the handling of the container will cause the membrane mentioned to be broken open outside of the washing process and, consequently, if the protective measures mentioned are lifted, the contents immediately afterwards outside occurs.

Furthermore, the provision of a moisture-sensitive membrane is also problematic with regard to storage, because even air humidity or moisture diffusing from the contents to the membrane, despite the protective measure, will lead to the softening of such a membrane after a certain time, if one takes into account that the sealing effort involved in frame of a method of the type mentioned above can not be too large.

Another aim of the technique described in this US patent is to dispense the contents after a predetermined period of time during which the container is subjected to the washing process. For this purpose, the dissolution time of the membrane mentioned is used, and the explanations given above show that a time delay which is only halfway controlled can hardly be realized, for example because of the previously prevailing, undetermined initial conditions with regard to the ambient humidity.

Furthermore, the membrane mentioned, once exposed, is extremely sensitive to selective mechanical loads in the washing process and is likely to break open before its scheduled dissolution time if the items are subjected to specific loads.

According to EP-A-0 152 359, outlets which have been opened beforehand are provided on a container. Expenditures that are already open at the time the container is inserted, however, involve the risk that the contents, in particular the liquid detergent, will flow out before the actual washing process begins and in high concentration will contact the laundry undesirably early. As with laundry as laundry, this can give rise to stains, or the product that is dispensed early can flow to the drain before it has even had an effect.

This is a container for dispensing a filling, in particular of liquid detergent, into the laundry during a machine washing process known with two mutually displaceable housing parts which are displaceable against each other. The first housing part has an opening which is surrounded by a sealing lip.

Furthermore, the previously known container has a control section, namely the filler pipe, which is connected to the sealing lip in such a way that the opening on the first housing part surrounded by said sealing lip is released or blocked by moving the control section with respect to the sealing lip as a dispensing opening for the filling material, wherein the control section in one displacement position of the housing parts blocks the opening surrounded by the sealing lip and can release it in the other.

The control section is formed by a central tube section which, on the one hand, passes through the opening on the first housing part and, with its opposite end, also surrounds a central region facing it on the second housing part. When the housing parts are pulled apart, they are locked together and lie tightly against both ends of the pipe section. If the housing parts are pushed together, the piece of pipe, which is, as it were, overhung, forms an annular gap with the first and / or second housing part, through which the previously filled detergent or product can escape.

The disadvantage of this known container is that it does not coincide exactly with the closed position Locking the housing parts a secure seal is not guaranteed at both sealing points, so that the contents can then escape if necessary. Furthermore, the flying arrangement of the pipe section acting as a control section can lead to irregularities. For viscous agents in particular, it is not synonymous whether a single outlet opening with a given cross-section is released or two outlet openings, even if their cross-sectional area sum is equal to the cross-sectional area of the former one opening.

The poppet-type sealing seats between the pipe section according to DE-U and the housing parts only allow a very limited flow cross-section as a discharge opening for the filling material. Furthermore, in the case of a container of this type which is to be produced in large numbers, the aspect of how many parts are to be produced is of not negligible importance.

Starting from a container of this type, the present invention aims to remedy the disadvantages mentioned. This is achieved according to the characterizing part of claim 1.

The invention is subsequently explained, for example, using figures.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht des erfindungsgemässen Behälters,

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf den Deckelteil eines Behältnisses nach Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

einen Längsschnitt durch das Behältnis nach Fig. 1 in Schliess-Stellung,

Fig. 4

einen Längsschnitt gemäss Fig. 3 durch das Behältnis nach Fig. 1 in Oeffnungsstellung,

Fig. 5

einen Ausschnitt eines erfindungsgemässen Behältnisses gemäss Fig. 4, geschnitten gemäss Linie V von Fig. 4 mit Ausbildung zur Verstellung der zur Ausgabe notwendigen Krafteinwirkung,

Fig. 6

schematisch Steuerschrägen, um die Handhabung des Behältnisses zu erleichtern.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a side view of the container according to the invention,

Fig. 2

2 shows a plan view of the lid part of a container according to FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

2 shows a longitudinal section through the container according to FIG. 1 in the closed position,

Fig. 4

3 shows a longitudinal section according to FIG. 3 through the container according to FIG. 1 in the open position,

Fig. 5

4 a section of a container according to the invention according to FIG. 4, cut according to line V of FIG. 4 with training for adjusting the force required for dispensing,

Fig. 6

schematic tax slopes to facilitate the handling of the container.

The container according to the invention, working according to the method according to the invention, comprises a lower container part 1 and a lid part 2. The lid part 2, which can be screwed onto the lower part 1, in turn comprises a double-walled pot 3 and a base part 4. The inner wall 8 _{i of} the pot 3 has radial ones Openings 5, which lie above a pot base 6, which forms the end of the inner wall 8 _{i of} the pot 3. About a pot edge 7, the inner wall 8 _{i continues} into a downwardly projecting outer wall 8 _a , which is guided axially displaceably in an annular channel 9 in the base part 4. In the in Fig. 3, the illustrated openings, 5-closing relative position of the cover part 2 and lower part 1 is a terminal bead 11 of the outer wall _8a on a bead 10 on the outer, the annular channel 9 forming wall 12a of the base portion 4 at, whereby the lid part 2 is secured against further extension or detachment. The cover part 2 is, as mentioned, slidably axially in the directions shown by x in FIG. 3 and y in FIG. 4. The force K _xy required for this is determined at least primarily by the friction of the edge bead 11 in the channel 9.

The inner wall 12 _{i of} the ring channel 9 on the base part 4 continues into a radially inwardly extending ring flange 13, which has a sealing lip 14 at the end, which lies against the inside of the inner wall 8 _{i of} the pot 3. In the closed position according to FIG. 3, this sealing lip 14 lies approximately at the height of the pot base 6 and thus the openings 5 above the sealing lip, so that through these openings 5 the passage from the interior of the container through the central space of the pot 3 is blocked. If, on the other hand, the pot 3 is moved into the position according to FIG. 4, at least one axial section of the openings 5 comes to lie below the sealing lip 14, which means through this opening section a flow from the inside of the container into the central space of the pot 3 and thus into the environment is opened. In this position of the two container parts 1 and 3, the container can be filled by pouring into the central arch of the pot 3. In this position, the container also empties when it is swung back and forth by the circulating movements of a washing machine drum. Wash water is also run in, which means that the fill and wash water are continuously exchanged.

As has been mentioned, the force which must act in the direction y according to FIG. 4 between the pot 3 and the lower part 1 of the container in order to cause an axial displacement of the two parts 1, 3 is caused by the frictional relationships between the outer wall 8 _{a of} the pot 3 and the bead 10 and the walls 12 _a , 12 _{i of} the channel 9 with bead 11 fixed. These frictional relationships can be predefined in such a way that only certain force effects during the washing process lead to an opening displacement y of the two parts 1, 3, in particular that force effects due to wet laundry only trigger the displacement mentioned.

In the closed state of the container according to FIG. 3, the tightness of the container is exclusively or at least essentially determined by the seat of the sealing lip 14 on the inner wall 8 _{i of} the pot 3. Therefore, there is certainly the possibility according to FIG. 5 that the bead 11, which also determines the friction, does not extend over the entire circumference of the To provide outer wall 8 _a , but only on predetermined segments 11 _s . If, as shown in FIG. 5, the width d (see also FIG. 3) of the channel 9 is designed to vary with the azimuthal angle α or the roughness of the channel walls and / or the wall 8 _{a is} varied azimuthally, then by turning accordingly 5, the bead segments 11 _s are screwed into more or less wide areas of the channel 9 with respect to the base part 1 about the container axis A according to FIG. 5, with which the friction conditions can be adjusted. In this way it can be set at which forces during the washing process the opening movement of pot 3 with respect to base part 1 of the container is to take place.

If force effects occur which are now sufficient to overcome the frictional relationships in the channel 9, and at most also the frictional relationships between the sealing lip 14 and the inner wall 8 _{i of} the pot 3, the pot 3 is pushed in in the direction designated by y in FIG. 4. This insertion takes place only as long as the necessary force is applied. In a washing process, in which, as in a washing machine drum, the force acting on the container subjected to the washing process takes place in stochastically time-varying directions, the forces that are necessary for the displacement will not be permanent from a certain moment, but will occur again and again from a certain moment . By specifying the axial length of the channel 9, ie the displacement path and thus that caused by the action of force work to be performed is thus determined a delay time which, starting from the first occurrence of the force necessary for the displacement, determines how long it takes until a partial, then finally a complete opening of the openings 5 has taken place.

In order to facilitate the retrieval of the container parts from the open position according to FIG. 4 to the closed position according to FIG. 3, there are preferably three control bevels between part 1 and the pot, such that, starting from the position according to FIG. 4, the Pot 3 can be rotated about the container axis A, whereby the meshing of the control inclined surfaces drives the parts 3 and 1 apart. Especially with wet hands, performing a rotary motion is much easier than performing a pull-out motion directly. For this purpose, for example, an inclined surface 16 is machined in the interior of the inner wall 8 _i on its upper region, which adjoins the pot edge 7, which is brought into engagement with an inclined surface 15 on the base part 4 when the pot 3 is rotated accordingly about the container axis A, and only then when the two movable container parts 3, 1 are in the position shown in FIG. 4. By rotating the two control surfaces 15 and 16, the two parts 3 and 4 and thus 3 and 1 are pushed apart.

6 such control inclined surfaces 15 and 16 on the base part 4 and the pot 3 are shown schematically. Are these, accordingly, outstanding Control surface body 17, as shown in dashed lines, is trapezoidal, so there is also the possibility of rotating the pot 3 in such a way that the control surface body 17 associated with it comes to rest on the upper side 18 of the trapezoidal control body on part 4, the two parts 3 and 4 to be locked against engagement.

In order to achieve a better grip on the pot 3, grip grooves 20 are incorporated. If one rotates the pot 3 in the position shown in FIG. 4 by engaging in these grip grooves 20, as mentioned, the inclined surfaces 15 and 16 engage one another (FIG. 6), with which the pot 3 is pushed outward (in the x direction) becomes.

Claims (8)

1. Container for dispensing a product, particularly liquid washing agent, into the washing in the course of a mechanical washing process, with two housing parts (1, 3) which can be displaced with respect to each other, the first (1) of which has an opening on which a sealing lip (14) is arranged, also with a control section (3) which is connected to the sealing lip (14) in such a way that by displacing the control section (3) with respect to the sealing lip (14) part of the opening in the first housing part (1) is released or barred as a dispensing opening for the product, the control section (3) thereby barring the opening in the one displacement position of the housing parts (1, 3) and releasing its part in the other position, characterized in that the control section (3) is a pot which is part of the second housing part and has an opening (5) displaceable along the sealing lip (14) on the first housing part (1), which determines the dispensing opening according to the displacement between the housing parts (1, 3) together with the opening on the first housing part (1).
2. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that the housing parts (1, 3) are displaceable linearly with respect to each other and the opening on the first housing part is provided at right angles to the axial direction, the second housing part (3) comprises a pot (3) displaceable in the opening of the first housing part (1) with a pot bottom (6) and a pot wall (8i) projecting therefrom, the displaceable opening (5) being provided on the pot wall (8i).
3. Container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the second housing part (3) has an outer wall (8a) adjacent to the edge (7) of the pot wall (8i) which is placed on the first housing part (1) so as to be axially displaceable.
4. Container according to Claim 3, characterized in that the first housing part (1) has an annular channel (9) in which the outer wall (8a) is placed so as to be axially displaceable.
5. Container according to Claim 4, characterized in that mutually assigned stops (11, 10) are arranged on the outer wall (8a) and the annular channel wall (12a) to prevent the outer wall (8a) from being pulled out.
6. Container according to one of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the inner wall (12i) of the annular channel (9) continues into the sealing flange (13).
7. Container according to one of Claims 2 to 6, characterized in that control slopes (15 and 16) which push the housing parts apart when a relative rotary movement takes place are provided on the housing parts (1, 3).
8. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the two housing parts (1, 3) can be rotated with respect to each other in rotary positions with different degrees of frictional action in order to set the force required for the displacement of the housing parts (1, 3).

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