Laundry liquid mixing apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for providing a laundry product to a wash load based on user input, comprising a dosing unit (2) for placing in a washing machine drum and a dispensing device (1) having a dispensing area (3), a nozzle (4) and a plurality of reservoir cartridges (6a, 6b, 6c) containing various laundry products that are combined by a user and which are dispensed into the dosing unit (2) by said nozzle (4) as soon as said dosing unit (2) is placed in the dispensing area (3) located underneath the nozzle (4).

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing laundry product comprising: a dosing unit configured to be placed in a washing machine drum and a dispensing device having a first reservoir containing a detergent composition and a further reservoir containing an ingredient composition; wherein the device has a computer module programmed configured to cause the device to dispense the detergent composition and optionally the ingredient composition to provide a laundry product in the dosing unit as a result of input by a user, wherein the device is configured to communicate with a user interface whereby the user is able to input data using at least two sets of options to provide user input, and wherein the at least two sets of options are configured to prompt the user to input stain identity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device comprises at least three reservoirs, wherein each reservoir contains a different composition; optionally wherein the device comprises at least four reservoirs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one set of options prompts the user to input fabric colour and/or type.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer module is programmed with an algorithm to select how much product is dosed from each reservoir based on the user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer module is programmed to communicate with an external source to access an algorithm and determine how much product is dosed from each reservoir based on the user input.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device has a further reservoir containing a composition comprising an enzyme.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device has a further reservoir containing a composition containing a protease and a second further reservoir containing a lipase and/or a cellulase.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device has a further reservoir containing a composition comprising a fluorescer and/or a shading dye.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device has a further reservoir containing a composition comprising a disinfectant.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a dispensing device for a washing machine.

11. A dispensing device comprising: a first reservoir containing a detergent composition, and a further reservoir containing an ingredient composition; wherein the device has a computer module programmed to cause the device to dispense the detergent composition and optionally the ingredient composition to provide a laundry product in a dosing unit as a result of input by a user, wherein the device is configured to communicate with a user interface whereby the user is able to input data using at least two sets of options to provide user input, and wherein the at least two sets of options are configured to prompts the user to input stain identity.

Description

DESCRIPTION

(1) The invention will now be described without limitation with reference to the following diagrammatical drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a representative drawing of the apparatus of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partially cut away representative drawing of the apparatus of the invention showing part of the cartridge arrangement.

(4) The apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 1 has a dispensing device 1 and a dosing unit 2. The apparatus is a standalone device, designed to be placed on a countertop or similar. For example, it may be placed on a countertop in a kitchen or utility room, or may be placed on top of a washing machine. It may also be built into a kitchen unit.

(5) As illustrated, the dosing unit is a conventional dosing ball, which is typically made of plastics material. In use, the dosing unit is placed in a dispensing area 3 located underneath a nozzle 4. As illustrated, the dispensing area 3 is a recess provided in the device housing, and the dosing unit 2 is placed on a surface provided in the housing. However, it will be appreciated that the housing may be shaped in different ways such that, for example, the dosing unit is placed directly on the countertop (or other surface on which the device is placed) in use.

(6) Laundry product ingredients are dispensed into the dosing unit 2 via the nozzle 4. As shown, only one nozzle is used. However, it will be appreciated that more than one nozzle may be provided. For example, different reservoirs may be in fluid communication with different nozzles such that a first reservoir is in fluid communication with a first nozzle and a second reservoir is in fluid communication with a second nozzle.

(7) The device has a control/information interface 5. As illustrated, the interface 5 is a touch screen provided in the housing that both displays information and allows selections and information to be inputted to a computer module (not shown).

(8) However, in other embodiments the device may be provided with a panel having buttons, dials or similar for inputting information. In other embodiments, input may be conveyed via command or gesture. It will be appreciated that a display screen in the housing of the device is not essential. The device may be configured for use without a display screen, or an external display screen on for example a phone or tablet may be coupled to the device (for example, via Bluetooth or similar).

(9) FIG. 2 shows a partially cutaway image of the apparatus of FIG. 1. The interior houses three reservoir cartridges 6a, 6b, and 6c. Each cartridge houses an ingredient composition. For example, in this non-limiting illustrated embodiment, 6a houses a detergent formulation, 6b houses an enzyme formulation, and 6c houses a whitening composition (which may include a shading dye or similar). Each cartridge has a valve 7. Each cartridge is in fluid communication with the nozzle via a flow path 8. Flow from the cartridge to the nozzle (where it is dispensed) is controlled by the valve. In this embodiment therefore each valve is a metering valve, with the volume metered controlled by the computer module. It will be appreciated that the valves may be located at any point along the flow path, and other types of valve may be used. It will also be appreciated that metering of the ingredient compositions may be achieved in other ways, for example through generation of pressure in the reservoir to force the liquid out.

(10) The diagram shows individual flows running from each reservoir to the nozzle 4. It will be appreciated that flow paths may meet before the nozzle is reached. For example, the device may have a pre-mixing chamber in which different ingredient compositions meet before they are dispensed into the dosing unit.

(11) In use, the dosing unit is located under the nozzle (such that product dispensed through the nozzle enters a chamber of the doing device). The user inputs information about the laundry load to the computer module. Typically, data may be entered in two or more sets, each set requiring certain information from the user. For example, Set I may be used to input the load type: whites or colours. Set II may be used to input the presence or absence of staining and, optionally, the stain type. The user may therefore select whites, grass stains, mud stains. Other data requirements may include the fabric type (cotton/polycotton/polyester) as optimal fabric care benefit agents and amounts may be different in each case; fragrance selection (different members of the household may prefer different fragrances for their clothing, or it may be desirable to fragrance bedding and towels but not clothes); extent of staining (for example, lots of grass stains, only light mud stains); size of load (small loads may require less product).

(12) An optimised wash composition is then determined and the appropriate amount from relevant cartridges dispensed. The computer module (not shown) controls the amount dispensed.

(13) The recipe used to determine the amounts may be obtained from an internal memory within the device, or may be obtained from an external memory accessed, for example, via the internet. Often, particularly where there is more than one stain type, an algorithm may be employed to determine the optimised formulation, balancing the cleaning needs of certain stains against others.

(14) In the apparatus as illustrated, 6a houses a detergent formulation, 6b houses an enzyme formulation, and 6c houses a whitening composition. Accordingly, if the user selects: 1. Colours.fwdarw.Not stained: the computer module may not dose the contents of 6b and 6c as the memory bank or algorithm may determine they are unnecessary. 2. Whites.fwdarw.Stained: the computer module may dose the contents of all three cartridges as the memory bank or algorithm may determine they are desirable. 3. Whites.fwdarw.Not stained: the computer module may not dose the contents of 6b as the memory bank or algorithm may determine it is unnecessary but may dose the contents of 6c as the memory bank or algorithm may determine it is desirable. 4. Colours stained: the computer module may not dose the contents of 6c as the memory bank or algorithm may determine it better for fabric care, but may dose the contents of 6b as the memory bank or algorithm may determine it is desirable.

Detergent Formulation

(15) Also referred to as base formulation, this composition comprises one or more surfactants.

(16) Example components for a concentrated detergent base include the following:

(17) Anionic surfactants, for example having an anion selected from linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS), primary alkyl sulfate (PAS), alkyl ether sulfate (AES) and mixtures thereof.

(18) Nonionic surfactants, for example which may include primary and secondary alcohol ethoxylates, especially C.sub.8-C.sub.20 aliphatic alcohol ethoxylated with an average of from 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, and more especially the C.sub.10-C.sub.15 primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from 1 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Non-ethoxylated nonionic surfactants include alkyl polyglycosides, glycerol monoethers and polyhydroxy amides (glucamide). Mixtures of nonionic surfactant may be used.

(19) Amine Oxide Surfactants of formula R.sup.1N(O)(CH.sub.2 R.sup.2).sub.2 in which R.sup.1 is a long chain moiety and each CH.sub.2R.sup.2 is a short chain moiety. R.sup.2 is preferably selected from hydrogen, methyl and —CH.sub.2OH. In general R.sup.1 is a primary or branched hydrocarbyl moiety which can be saturated or unsaturated, preferably, R.sup.1 is a primary alkyl moiety having chain length of from about 8 to about 18 and R.sup.2 is H. These amine oxides are illustrated by C.sub.12-14 alkyldimethyl amine oxide, hexadecyl dimethylamine oxide, octadecylamine oxide.

(20) Some zwitterionic surfactant, such as sulphobetaine, may be present. A preferred zwitterionic material is a betaine available from Huntsman under the name Empigen® BB.

(21) Preferably the compositions contain less than 10 wt %, more preferably less than 5 wt % zwitterionic surfactant.

(22) Cationic Surfactants may be included, but are preferably substantially absent from the detergent formulation.

(23) A particularly preferred surfactant system is provided by linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and C.sub.10-C.sub.15 alcohol ethoxylated nonionic surfactant with 2 to 7 EO.

(24) Further Reservoir Laundry Ingredient Compositions

(25) The present invention enables individual ingredients of the laundry product to be segregated in different compositions. Any further reservoir of the device may contain any one of the follow non-limiting examples of suitable compositions.

(26) A suitable laundry ingredient composition may comprise on or more enzymes. Suitable enzymes include for example, lipases, proteases, amylases, mannanases, cellulases, and pectate lyases.

(27) While enzymes are powerful stain removers, for many wash loads some or all enzymes may be omitted. For example, different families of enzymes are effective against different classes of stain, and a large number of laundry loads are not stained at all. Including enzymes in each and every wash may therefore be wasteful.

(28) The inventors have observed that certain enzymes cannot be stored in combination. For example, protease and lipase cannot usually be combined in a single liquid composition because as the protease may digest the lipase on storage. Similarly, protease may digest cellulase on storage in a liquid. However, lipase gives excellent benefits on removal of fats, while cellulase gives improved fabric treatment with colour preservation and pill removal and/or background whiteness benefit (depending on the cellulase used). This means that conventional laundry projects often contain an enzyme mix.

(29) The present invention permits, through use of more than one laundry enzyme ingredient composition, the assorted benefits of these enzymes to be accessed in a single load.

(30) For example, the device may comprise a first further reservoir containing a first ingredient composition comprising a protease (and suitably not containing a cellulase and/or a lipase) and a second further reservoir containing a second ingredient composition comprising a cellulase and/or a lipase (and suitably not containing a protease). Neither, one or both of these compositions may then be supplied depending on, for example, the type of staining.

(31) Accordingly, in some embodiments, the device has a further reservoir containing an ingredient composition comprising a protease. Additionally or alternatively, the device may comprise a further reservoir containing an ingredient composition comprising a cellulase and/or a lipase.

(32) In some embodiments, the device may comprise a further reservoir containing an ingredient composition comprising a bleach. This may be optionally dosed for white loads.

(33) The further ingredients may also be used to top up ingredients that may be present in the base formulation to provide a boost effect. For example, the applicant has observed large benefits for adding extra sequestrant into the wash cycle, over and above the amounts typically able to be formulated in laundry liquid formulations. The present invention enables the use of larger quantities of sequestrant than would normally be accessible by providing all or additional sequestrant in a separate reservoir to be dosed separately into the formulation provided in the dosing unit. Furthermore, the applicant has observed that the apparent benefits of greater sequestrant content are improved at lower pH. It will be appreciated that the present invention permits the provision of multiple liquid compositions, each having a different pH for storage, combined shortly before a wash begins.

(34) In some embodiments, the device may comprise at least one further reservoir containing a fragrance composition. This offers two advantages: firstly, the user may select the fragrance to suit (for example, fresh, floral or musky) rather than being constrained by the sometimes limited options for certain laundry liquid products, and secondly, may optionally chose an unperfumed wash according to inclination.

Advantages of the Present Invention

(35) 1. Active ingredients and benefit agents are dosed only as needed wanted, reducing waste and environmental impact. This may also improve the appearance and longevity of garments. 2. Each wash can be tailored to specific needs for different types and load and for different family members, including: selective non-biological washes hygiene washes for babies, pets and elderly relatives garment care refresh washes for adult work wear tough stain removal for kids' clothes and sportswear fragrance free washes according to preference optionally, the invention may include the facility to store preferred formulations for user-defined groupings such as “bedding”, “school uniform”, “nursery”. 3. In addition to “general” wash categories listed at point 2, each wash can be tailored to the specific type of stain(s), e.g. grass, beef fat, red wine. 4. Incompatible ingredients can be stored separately, and combined only in the wash liquor. Exemplary incompatible ingredient combinations are described herein. 5. Combinations of, and relative ratios of, ingredients can be used that are outside the normal limits of liquid laundry composition stability.

(36) It is to be understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to a person skilled in the art and are included in the spirit and scope of the invention and the appended claims.