MXPA01010571A - Mess free dosing and dispensing devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand held dosing and dispensing device for the pretreatment of fabrics is provided. The dosing and dispensing device has a hollow container for storing a liquid. The hollow container has at least one container wall and an inlet. The inlet includes an opening and an inlet wall which extends into the hollow container from the container wall of the hollow container. The inlet wall substantially encircles the opening of the inlet to prevent liquid discharge through the inlet during pretreatment of a fabric. A discharge is attached to the hollow container for dispensing the liquid therethrough for the pretreatment of fabrics. In addition, the opening can include a plurality of flexible and resilient tabs extending radially toward the center of the opening. The tabs are adapted to engage at least a portion of a bottle to secure the dosing and dispensing device to the bottle.

Description

DOSAGE AND DISTRIBUTION DEVICES THAT DO NOT MESS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of dosing and distribution devices, and more particularly, to the field of handheld devices for dosing and distribution that can be used for the pretreatment of fabrics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dosing and dispensing devices are known in the art. These devices are sometimes used to pre-treat fabrics, where the device is used to distribute a liquid detergent on a fabric to pre-treat a stain, and then the device and the fabric are placed in a washing machine, where the device doses the remaining liquid in the wash water during the wash cycle. Some of these devices are in the form of a hollow hand-held container for storing liquid detergent having an applicator sphere in fluid communication with the hollow container, as described for example in U.S. Patent No. 5,887,753. While these devices work well for the intended purposes, there may occasionally be spillage of the liquid detergent from the hollow container, when the dispensing device moves back and forth, from side to side, and / or in a circular motion during the previous treatment of fabrics. A user sometimes considers this spillage undesirable, and as such, there is a need to provide improved dosing and dispensing devices that reduce liquid spillage during the pretreatment of fabrics. In addition, it is sometimes desirable to provide a mechanism for attaching these dosing devices to a bottle for convenient storage. Said mechanism for joining is described in EP0649934A1, wherein a dispensing and dispensing device is attached in a position adjacent to the neck of a bottle for storage. However, a liquid product sold globally is often sold in bottles of various sizes, depending on the geographical region. For example, 1.5-liter bottles are currently popular in Europe, while 236-ml bottles are popular in North America. As such, there is a need for improved structures for attaching dosing and dispensing devices to a bottle, so that the device can be attached to a plurality of bottle sizes, thus providing a more universal dosing and dispensing device. In addition, there is a need to provide dispensing and dispensing devices that can reduce liquid spillage during pretreatment of fabrics and that can be attached to a plurality of bottle sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A handheld device is provided for dosing and distribution for the pretreatment of fabrics. The dosing and dispensing device has a hollow container for storing liquid. The hollow container has at least one container wall and one inlet. The entrance includes a hole and an entrance wall that extends into the hollow container from the container wall of the hollow container. The inlet wall substantially surrounds the inlet orifice to prevent discharge of the liquid through the inlet during pretreatment of a fabric. A discharge is attached to the hollow container to distribute the liquid therethrough for the treatment of fabrics. In addition, the hole may include a plurality of flexible and elastic appendages extending radially toward the center of the hole. The appendages are adapted to attach at least a portion of a bottle to secure the dosing and dispensing device to the bottle. A liquid treatment system for fabrics is also provided, including a bottle for storing a liquid detergent and a dispensing and dispensing device that is removably attached to the bottle. The dosing and dispensing device can be provided in the same manner as explained above, and preferably fits a neck of the bottle for storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Although the specification concludes with claims that point in particular and claim the invention in a distinctive manner, it is believed that this invention will be better understood from the following description along with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of a preferred dispensing and dispensing device made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the dosing and dispensing device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispensing and dispensing device of Figure 2, taken along line 3-3 thereof; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispensing and dispensing device of Figure 3, wherein the device is filled with a liquid; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispensing and dispensing device of Figure 4, wherein the device is inclined to pre-treat a fabric; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of another preferred dispensing and dispensing device made in accordance with the present invention, wherein the upper and lower portions of the inlet are cylindrical in shape; Figure 7 is a transverse side of another preferred dispensing and dispensing device, made in accordance with the present invention, wherein a portion of the lower portion of the inlet is angled; Figure 8 is a transverse side of another preferred dosing and dispensing device, made in accordance with the present invention, wherein the upper and lower portions of the inlet are frustoconically shaped; Figure 9 is a side view in partial cross section of the dosing and dispensing device of Figure 3, attached to a bottle example; and Figure 10 is an end view in cross section of the dosing and dispensing device and the bottle of Figure 8, taken along line 10-10 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar numbers indicate the same elements in all views, and where the reference numbers of the two last identical digits (for example, 20 and 120) denote similar elements. As will be explained in the following, this invention is directed to a dispensing and dispensing device suitable for use with a washing machine. More preferably, the present invention is directed to a hand-held device for dosing and dispensing that can be used to pretreat fabrics in a manner that substantially does not soil. As used herein, the phrase "fabric pretreatment" and its derivatives are intended to be called a process by which a user of the dispensing and dispensing device applies a liquid, such as a liquid detergent, to a fabric by manipulating the device before placing it in the washing machine. As used herein, the term "manipulation" is intended to refer to manual handling of the dispensing and dispensing device by any movement, including pressure, side-to-side movement, back-to-front movement, circular motion and any combination thereof. In addition, the present invention is directed to a dispensing and dispensing device that can be attached to bottles of various sizes. Figures 1 to 5 illustrate an example of dosing and dispensing device 20, made in accordance with the present invention. With respect to figures 1 and 2, the device 20 comprises a hollow container 22 having an inlet 24 for receiving a liquid and a discharge structure for discharging the liquid directly in a fabric 25 (figure 5) to pretreat the fabric 25 beforehand of washing. The remaining liquid of device 20, after pretreatment of the fabrics, it is preferably discharged through the inlet 24, when the device 20 is placed in the washing liquid of the washing machine during the washing cycle. The discharge structure 26 is in fluid communication with the hollow container 22 and can be provided in a variety of ways. For example, the discharge structure may be provided in the form of a rotating ball or sphere applicator 26, such as one which is described in the co-pending US patent application and commonly assigned Nos. 08 / 732,363 and 08 / 836,663, which they are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. A preferred rotating sphere 28 is illustrated for purposes of explanation in the figures. Another example of a discharge structure could include a brush or brush-like structure. The hollow container includes container walls 30, 32, 34, 35 and 36, and in particular, an upper wall 30, side walls 32, a front wall 34, a rear wall 35 and a bottom wall 36. The inlet 24 is placed in the upper wall 30 and the discharge structure 26 is located in the front wall 34. The container 22 may have one or more filling lines in one, at least one of the side walls 32, the front wall 34 or the rear wall 35. The filling lines visually indicate the preferred liquid levels in the container 22. More preferably, the container 22 has an upper filling line 38 which indicates the upper level at which the container 22 should be filled with a liquid of pretreatment 39. These liquid levels are preferably selected to provide the appropriate amount of dosing of the pretreatment liquid in the washing liquid of the washing machine, depending on the size of the washing load. Although the package 22 is illustrated as having an anterior wall, the side walls and the rear wall which are curvilinear in shape it will be appreciated that the package 22 may be provided in other figures and sizes without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the package 22 may have a plurality of side walls that are more or less curvilinear in shape than illustrated. Or a curvilinear wall that has no ridges, folds or edges, so that it is an essentially continuous wall. The package 22 can be formed from plastic, and more preferably, from a thermoplastic or thermoset plastic suitable for use with a blow molding or injection molding process. Some plastics that can be used include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride. More preferably, the device 20 is formed using a b-injection molding process, wherein two materials are used during the injection molding process for portions other than the device 20. For example, the upper wall 30, the walls side 32, the front wall 34, the rear wall 35 and the bottom wall 36 can be formed from a rigid structural polypropylene, while a gripping structure 41 placed in a portion of the side walls 32 and the bottom wall 36 can be formed from thermoplastic elastomer, such as Bergaflex from Theodor Bergmann Kunststoffwerk GmbH, Adolf-Dambach-Straebe 2-4, D-76571 Gaggenau Germany. The thermoplastic elastomer used to form the grip structure 41 preferably provides a smooth non-slip surface to hold the device 20 during use, while the structural polymer used to form the walls provides the structural rigidity for the device 20. In addition, the portions of the gripping structure 41 positioned adjacent the lower wall 36 provide a non-slippery surface when the device is placed on a flat surface, such as above a washing machine or the like. In addition, the soft grip structure 41 can reduce the noise generated by the device 20 during use in a washing machine. In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the inlet 24 is configured to limit the liquid discharge thereof during the pretreatment process. As already explained, the manipulation of the device 20 during the pre-treatment procedure can cause movement of the liquid inside the container 22. The inlet 24 is configured to prevent (i.e., limit or reduce) the discharge of the pre-treatment liquid. , so it provides a device that substantially does not dirty, which improves the pre-treatment procedure for a user of the device. In general, the inlet 24 is located away from the front wall 34 and adjacent the rear wall 35. The inlet 24 comprises an inlet wall which is downwardly dependent on the upper wall 30 which extends in the hollow container 22 More preferably, the inlet wall substantially surrounds the orifice of the inlet 24, and more preferably, the inlet wall is provided in the form of a funnel having an upper portion 42 and a lower portion 43, as best appreciated in Figure 3. While the orifice of the inlet 24 is illustrated as see circular figure in general, the hole may be provided in other figures, such as elliptical, parabolic and combinations thereof. The upper portion 42 of the inlet 24 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends in the hollow container 22 from the upper wall 30. The cylindrical shape and the inner diameter size of the upper portion 42 of the inlet 22 preferably is sufficient to accommodate through the same the collars and / or caps of bottles of various sizes, when the device 20 is attached to a bottle for storage, as explained in more detail hereinafter. The lower portion 43 of the inlet wall is attached to the upper portion 42 of the entry wall, and further extends into the hollow container 22. The end surface 50 of the lower portion 43 preferably terminates at approximately the filling line upper 38 of the container 22, so that the end surface 50 does not penetrate the upper surface 52 of the liquid 39, when the device 22 is in level, as seen in figure 4. More preferably, the container 22 has figure and size , so that the end surface 50 of the lower portion 43 of the inlet 24 does not penetrate the upper surface 52 of the pretreatment liquid, when the device 20 is inclined during use, as illustrated in Figure 5. The degree inclination a during use in general is the angle complementary to the angle ß (Figure 3) between the anterior wall 34 and the lower wall 36, so that the sum of the angles a and ß is 180 degrees. If the end surface 50 penetrates the upper surface 52 of the pre-treatment liquid 39 when the device 20 is level and / or sloped, a portion of the pre-treatment liquid 39 is more likely to flow or splash on the interior surface 53 of the interior wall of the entrance 24 and exit the entrance during the pre-treatment. The angle ß of preference is between about 110 degrees and about 160 degrees. An angle ß on this scale provides a device 20 that can be easily manipulated by a user of the device with respect to the fabric 25 during the pre-treatment procedure, while still providing a device 20 that does not substantially soil. The lower portion 43 is provided in the form of a frusto and, more preferably, is a frusto-conical figure. More preferably, the lower portion 43 forms an angle? (figure 3) with the inner surface 53 of the entry wall of the inlet 24 between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees. It has been found that the frusto-conical shape of the lower portion 43 can help prevent the discharge or splash of the pre-treatment liquid 39 from the inlet 24, when the device is handled during the pretreatment of fabrics. Although the frusto-conical figure of the lower portion 43 is preferred, other lower portions of figure and size (as well as higher portions) can also be carried out. For example, the upper and lower portions may be cylindrical in shape, as shown in Figure 6. Alternatively, the angle? may increase and / or a lower portion portion 43 may be provided in cylindrical form (ie, without an angle?), as shown in Figure 7. Likewise, the upper and lower portions may be provided in a frustoconical manner, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 8. However, in general, at a greater depth D (Figure 3) of the end surface 50 of the entrance wall of the inlet 24 below the upper wall 30, there will be greater reduction of fouling of the device 20. Preferably , the depth D is between about 20% and about 50% of the height H of the device 20, and more preferably, the depth D is between about 30% and about 40% of the height H of the device 20. The placement of the inlet 24 in a position adjacent to the rear wall 35 and / or inclusion of a wall that depends in a downward manner allows the use of an inlet 24 having a large diameter orifice for joining bottles of varying neck sizes. and to facilitate the distribution of the liquid in the device 20, while avoiding fouling (for example, undesired discharging of the liquid from the device 20), which would otherwise be associated with a large diameter orifice. The inlet 24 of the device 20 may have an orifice having a diameter D (figure 2) that is between about 50% and about 100% of the width W of the container 22, and more preferably, the diameter D is between about 70 % and about 90% of the width W of the container 22.

The inlet 24 preferably includes a plurality of slots 58 extending upwardly from the end surface 50 of the lower portion 43 of the inlet 24 and ending before the upper wall 30. The slots 58 provide a drain for any liquid of pretreatment that could splash on the inner surface 53 of the entry wall of the inlet 24, even, given the depth D of the inlet 24 in the hollow container 22, the slots 58 are useful for draining water (and any other liquid ) of device 20, when held upside down. The device 20 could in an inverted orientation after finishing the washing cycle and remove it from the washing machine to drain the device before storing it in an inverted manner on a bottle, as illustrated in figure 9. Likewise, the slots 58 can help in the discharge of the pretreatment liquid through the orifice of the inlet 24 when the device 20 is centrifuged in a washing machine during the washing cycle. Although the termination point of the grooves 58 is shown aligned with a plurality of appendages 60 (as best seen in Figure 3), it will be appreciated that the grooves 58 may be offset from the appendices 60, and a larger number may be provided. or smaller of slots 58, although it is preferable that approximately 4 slots are placed in the lower portion 43 of the inlet 24. Furthermore, a slit 59 is located in the interior surface 53 of the upper portion 42 of the inlet 24 and in the adjacent position to the upper wall 30. The slit 59 passes through the wall of the upper portion 42 of the inlet 24, so that it communicates with the interior of the hollow container 22. The slit 59 also aids in the draining of any liquid ( for example, wash water, pre-treatment liquid, etc.) of the device 20, when the latter is placed in an inverted position. As will be appreciated, more than one slit 59 may be provided adjacent the top wall 30 to assist in draining liquids. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention and as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the inlet 24 has a plurality of flexible and elastic appendages 60 placed on the inner surface 53 of the upper portion 42 of the inlet 24. appendices 60 extend generally radially inward toward the center of inlet 24. More preferably, appendages 60 are in the form of cantilevered polyhedrons having a skewed end surface 62. Appendices 60 form an angle? (figure 2) between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees with the inner surface 53 of the inlet 24 and have a depth L between about 6 mm and about 15 mm from the inner surface 53 to the biased end surface 62. As best Figure 9 shows the appendages 60 slidably engaging a neck 64 of a bottle 66. In addition, the appendices 60 flex to the interior surface 53 of the inlet 24 at the cantilever point of the appendage on the interior surface 53. The force imparting the flexure of the appendages 60 retains the device 20 with the bottle 66 for convenient storage. Preferably, the bottle 66 includes a spout 68 through which the liquid stored in the bottle 66 can be dispensed, and a screw cap 70 that covers the spout 68 when the bottle 66 is not in use. As will be appreciated, the relatively large orifice of the inlet in combination with the flexible appendages 60 provides a device 20 that can be attached to bottles 66 having neck diameters d of varying size. While the portion of the neck 64 to which the appendages 60 engage to secure the device 20, the bottle 66 is substantially cylindrical in shape, the neck 64 can be provided in other shapes that can conform to the appendices 60. The length of the cylindrical section of the neck 64 to which the appendages 60 are attached is preferably at least equal to the height h (Figure 3) of the appendices 60. The angle? and the depth L of the appendages 60 determines the amount of deflection that the appendices 60 will experience when coupling the neck 64 of the bottle 66. The amount of deflection, in turn determines the amount of force that will be exerted between the appendages 60 and the neck 64 of the bottle 66 to preserve the device 20 attached to the bottle 66. As will be appreciated, the appendices 60 may undergo sufficient deflection to provide a force that fits the collars 64 having a variety of diametral dimensions, so that the same device 20 can be attached to bottles 20 of various sizes. While the appendages 60 are illustrated as being of approximately the same length L, the length L of the appendages 60 may vary from appendage to appendix especially where the hole of the inlet 24 has no cylindrical shape.

Although the device 20 is illustrated coupled to the neck 64 of a bottle 66, it is contemplated that the device 20 may couple other portions of the bottles 20 to be stored if desired. For example, the device 20 could couple a protrusion placed on the body of the bottle 66 (for example, a protrusion placed adjacent a handle of the bottle). As illustrated, the inlet 24 is configured so that the neck 64 and / or the lid 70 of the bottle 66 can pass through the opening of the inlet 24 in the upper wall 30 and preferably can pass through the opening of the opening. the inlet 24 which is defined by the lower edge 50 of the inlet wall. The above description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described. Modifications or variations are possible and are contemplated in light of the above teachings by those skilled in the art, and the embodiments explained were chosen and described to better illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims (20)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A hand-held device for dosing and distribution, characterized in that it comprises: a hollow container for storing a liquid having at least one container wall, said container having an inlet comprising an orifice and an inlet wall extending therein hollow container of said said container wall, the entrance wall substantially surrounds said orifice to prevent discharge of liquid from the inlet during the pretreatment of a fabric; and a discharge structure for the pretreatment of fabrics that is in fluid communication with said hollow container to distribute the liquid therein.

2. The dosing and dispensing device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the hole also comprises a plurality of flexible and elastic appendages extending in the radial direction towards the center of the hole for coupling at least a portion of a bottle to secure the device to the bottle.

3. The dosing and distribution device according to claim 2, further characterized in that the appendices form an angle between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees with the inner surface of the entrance wall.

4. - The dispensing and dispensing device according to claim 2, further characterized in that the appendages are adapted to couple any of a plurality of generally cylindrical bottlenecks of various diameter sizes.

5. The dosing and distribution device according to claim 1, further characterized in that said entrance wall in general cylindrical shape.

6. The dosing and distribution device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the entrance wall has a frusto-conical shape in general.

7. The dosing and dispensing device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the entrance wall comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion has a cylindrical shape in general and the lower portion is frustoconical in shape. general.

8. The dosing and dispensing device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the inlet also comprises a plurality of slits placed in said inlet wall, the slits extending from the lower edge of the inlet wall.

9. The dosing and distribution device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the device is formed by bi-injection molding and wherein said hollow container is formed from a first rigid structure material and wherein the The device also comprises a soft grip surface placed on at least a portion of the exterior of the hollow container and wherein the grip surface is formed from a second material.

10. A liquid treatment system for fabrics, characterized in that it comprises: a bottle for storing a liquid detergent; and a dispensing and dispensing device removably attached to said bottle, the dosing and dispensing device comprises a hollow container for storing liquid having at least one container wall, said container having an inlet comprising a hole, a wall of Inlet extending in said hollow container from said container wall, the inlet wall substantially surrounds the orifice to prevent discharge of the liquid from the inlet during pretreatment of a fabric and said dispensing and dispensing device includes a discharge structure for the pretreatment of fabrics that is in fluid communication with the hollow container to distribute the liquid therethrough.

11. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the orifice also comprises a plurality of flexible and elastic appendages extending in the radial direction towards the center of the orifice to engage at least a portion of the bottle to secure the device to the bottle.

12. The liquid treatment system according to claim 11, further characterized in that the appendices form an angle between approximately 20 degrees and around 70 degrees with the interior surface of the entrance wall.

13. The liquid treatment system according to claim 11, further characterized in that the bottle also comprises a generally cylindrical neck having a spout and wherein the dosing and dispensing device engages the neck.

14. The liquid treatment system according to claim 13, further characterized in that the appendages are adapted to couple any of a plurality of generally cylindrical bottlenecks of varying diametral size.

15. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the entrance wall has a cylindrical shape in general.

16. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the entrance wall has a frusto-conical shape in general.

17. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the entrance wall comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion has a cylindrical shape in general and the lower portion has frustoconical shape in general .

18. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the inlet also comprises a plurality of slits placed in the entrance wall, said slits extending from the lower edge of the entrance wall.

19. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the dosing and dispensing device is formed by bi-injection molding and wherein the hollow container is formed from a rigid first structural material and in wherein the device also comprises a soft grip surface placed on at least a portion of the exterior of the hollow container, wherein the grip surface is formed from a second material.

20. The liquid treatment system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the entrance wall extends in said hollow container at least about 20% of the height of the container.