Title: Dispensing cartridge and method of dispensing a product from a dispensing cartridge
Abstract: A dispensing cartridge for holding a product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured to utilize the product. A container has a bottom and at least one side wall. The bottom of the container has an opening configured to cooperate with the machine. A removable cover closes the opening in the container and prevents contact with the product before the dispensing cartridge is inserted into the machine.
Patent Number: 6,996,869 Issued on 02/14/2006 to Lancette
| Inventors:
|
Lancette; Christopher J. (Oakdale, MN)
|
| Assignee:
|
Ecolab, Inc. (St. Paul, MN)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
304191 |
| Filed:
|
November 25, 2002 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
8/158; 68/17; 222/542 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
D06F 38/02 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
68/17 R,207
206/05,216
8/159,158
222/196,216,323
|
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Other References
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|
Primary Examiner: Stinson; Frankie L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Merchant & Gould
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dispensing cartridge for holding a dissolvable solid product and adapted
to be inserted into a machine configured to utilize said dissolvable solid product
by dissolving said dissolvable solid product from said dispensing cartridge; a
container having a bottom, a top and at least one side wall, said bottom of said
container having an opening configured to cooperate with said receptacle of said
machine when said dispensing cartridge is inserted into said machine; said bottom
of said container being formed from at least two angled side walls forming an acute
angle at said bottom of said container; said container having a handle for aiding
carrying of said dispensing cartridge before said dispensing cartridge is inserted
into said machine; a removable, adhesive backed label covering said opening in
said bottom of container, hermetically sealing said container and preventing contact
with said dissolvable solid product before said dispensing cartridge is inserted
into said machine.
2. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 1 wherein said handle is formed into said
top of said container.
3. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 1 wherein said container is thermoformed.
4. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 3 wherein said container is a clamshell.
5. A dispensing cartridge for holding a solid detergent product and adapted to
be inserted into a machine configured to utilize said solid detergent product by
dissolving said solid detergent product from said dispensing cartridge; a container
having a bottom, a top and at least one side wall, said bottom of said container
having an opening configured to cooperate with said receptacle of said machine
when said dispensing cartridge is inserted into said machine; said bottom of said
container being formed from at least two angled side walls forming an acute angle
at said bottom of said container; said container having a handle for aiding carrying
of said dispensing cartridge before said dispensing cartridge is inserted into
said machine; a removable, adhesive backed label covering said opening in said
bottom of container, hermetically sealing said container and preventing contact
with said solid detergent product before said dispensing cartridge is inserted
into said machine.
6. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 5 wherein said handle is formed into said
top of said container.
7. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 5 wherein said container is thermoformed.
8. A dispensing cartridge as in claim 7 wherein said container is a clamshell.
9. A method of dispensing a dissolvable solid product into a machine, comprising
the steps of: holding said dissolvable solid product in a dispensing cartridge,
said dispensing cartridge comprising: a container having a bottom and at least
one side wall, said bottom of said container having an opening configured to cooperate
with said machine, and a removable label covering said opening in said bottom of
container preventing contact with said dissolvable solid product; removing said
removable label from said opening in said bottom of said container; inserting said
dispensing cartridge into said machine; and dissolving said dissolvable solid product
from said dispensing cartridge.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to dispensing cartridges and, more particularly to dispensing
cartridges in which a user does not come into contact with the dispensed product
prior to insertion of the dispensing cartridge into a receiving machine, and method therefore.
BACKGROUND
In industrial environments, it is commonly desirable to be able to insert a product,
usable in a machine, into that machine without the user or operator of the machine
coming into direct contact with the product. This is particularly true when the
product is caustic or corrosive, or when it would otherwise be detrimental for
the user or operator to come into direct contact with product.
This is particularly true in industrial laundry or washing environments where
it is common for detergents and other wash aids, such as rinse aids, to be replenished
in washing equipment.
Many detergents products are distributed in solid form and are dissolved in
use in the machine into which the solid detergent product is utilized. Such dissolvable
solid products, of which detergent is just one example, are commonly distributed
in containers.
A thermoformed blister pack or a package with a lid could be used to distribute
dissolvable solid detergents. This would typically require the user to remove the
back or lid from the package and drop the solid detergent block into the machine
utilizing the detergent. Unfortunately, this technique would expose the user of
the machine to direct contact with the solid detergent block which is not desirable.
One solid dissolvable detergent block has been distributed in a shrink wrapped
plastic film. Small pin holes in the film allow the evacuation of otherwise trapped
air as the film shrinks to conform to the shaped of the detergent block as the
detergent block is packaged. Unfortunately, these same pin holes allow moisture
from the atmosphere to enter the package. The addition of moisture to a detergent
block package causes the detergent block package to swell around each of the pinholes
resulting in an unsightly product.
Plastic, blow molded bottles have also been used as dispensers for this
type of material but such plastic, blow molded bottles also suffer from many of
the disadvantages of the other packages discussed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a dispensing cartridge for a product usable in
a machine, particularly a dissolvable solid product, which can not easily contact
the user during insertion, yet is readily usable by the machine. Also, the dispensing
cartridge is economic to construct and is easy to handle by the user.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a dispensing cartridge for
holding
a product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured to utilize the product.
A container has a bottom and at least one side wall. The bottom of the container
has an opening configured to cooperate with the machine. A removable cover closes
the opening in the container and prevents contact with the product before the dispensing
cartridge is inserted into the machine.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a dispensing cartridge for
holding
a product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured to utilize the product.
A container has a bottom and at least one side wall. The bottom of the container
has an opening configured to cooperate with the machine. A removable cover closes
the opening in the container and prevents contact with the product before the dispensing
cartridge is inserted into the machine.
In a preferred embodiment, the removable cover is formed within the bottom of
the container by perforations in the bottom of the container.
In a preferred embodiment, the removable cover is placed over the opening.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a dispensing cartridge
for
holding a product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured to utilize the
product. A container has a bottom and at least one side wall. The bottom of the
container has an opening configured to cooperate with the machine. A removable
label covers the opening in the container and prevents contact with the product
before the dispensing cartridge is inserted into the machine.
In a preferred embodiment, the removable label is adhesive backed.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a dispensing cartridge
for
holding a dissolvable solid product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured
to utilize the dissolvable solid product by dissolving the dissolvable solid product
from the dispensing cartridge. A container has a bottom, a top and at least one
side wall. The bottom of the container has an opening configured to cooperate with
the receptacle of the machine when the dispensing cartridge is inserted into the
machine. The bottom of the container is formed from at least two angled side walls
forming an acute angle at the bottom of the container. The container has a handle
for aiding carrying of the dispensing cartridge before the dispensing cartridge
is inserted into the machine. A removable, adhesive backed label covers the opening
in the bottom of container, hermetically sealing the container, and prevents contact
with the dissolvable solid product before the dispensing cartridge is inserted
into the machine.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a dispensing cartridge
for
holding a solid detergent product adapted to be inserted into a machine configured
to utilize the solid detergent product by dissolving the solid detergent product
from the dispensing cartridge. A container has a bottom, a top and at least one
side wall. The bottom of the container has an opening configured to cooperate with
the receptacle of the machine when the dispensing cartridge is inserted into the
machine. The bottom of the container is formed from at least two angled side walls
forming an acute angle at the bottom of the container. The container has a handle
for aiding carrying of the dispensing cartridge before the dispensing cartridge
is inserted into the machine. A removable, adhesive backed label covers the opening
in the bottom of container, hermetically sealing the container, and prevents contact
with the solid detergent product before the dispensing cartridge is inserted into
the machine.
In a preferred embodiment, the container is thermoformed.
In a preferred embodiment, the container is a clamshell.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle is formed into the top of the container.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of dispensing a
dissolvable solid product into a machine. The dissolvable solid product is held
in a dispensing cartridge. The dispensing cartridge is a container having a bottom
and at least one side wall, the bottom of the container having an opening configured
to cooperate with the machine, and a removable label covering the opening in the
bottom of container preventing contact with the dissolvable solid product. The
removable label is removed from the opening in the bottom of the container. The
dispensing cartridge is inserted into the machine. The dissolvable solid product
is dissolved from the dispensing cartridge.
In a preferred embodiment, the product is a detergent.
In a preferred embodiment, the product is a sanitizer product.
In a preferred embodiment, the product is a caustic product.
In a preferred embodiment, the product is a corrosive product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a dispensing cartridge according
to the present invention with the cartridge open;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the dispensing cartridge of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a dispensing cartridge according
to the present invention with the cartridge closed holding a detergent block;
FIG. 4 is a view of the dispensing cartridge of FIG. 3 closed holding a detergent
block showing an opening through which the detergent block may be dissolved;
FIG. 5 is a view of the dispensing cartridge of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 showing the
opening through which the detergent may be dissolved covered with a label;
FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment of a dispensing cartridge according to the
present invention with an opening created from perforations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of dispensing cartridge
10 of the present
invention open and without holding any product. Dispensing cartridge
10
can be thermoformed from a single piece of polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene
teraphalate (PET) and, preferably, high density polyethylene (HDPE). It is roughly
divided into a first half
12 and a second half
14 along hinge line
16. First half
12 is formed with a first bubble
18 and second
half
14 is formed with a second bubble
20. Dispensing cartridge
10
is designed to be folded along hinge line
16 using location guides
22,
24 as an aid and be sealed around the periphery of dispensing cartridge
10 with the exception of hinge line
16. First bubble
18 and
second bubble
20 form a space, when dispensing cartridge
10 is closed,
for holding a product to be dispensed, preferably a dissolvable solid product,
such as a detergent block or a sanitizer block. A portion of both first half
12
and second half
14 near hinge line
16 is formed with angled sidewalls
30 and
32, respectively, forming an acute angle at hinge line
16.
In this embodiment, first half
12 and second half
14 are about 6.625
inches (16.8 centimeters) by 5.75 inches (14.6 centimeters) and 2.139 inches (5.4
centimeters) deep.
Handle
26 is formed into one side of second half
14 opposite
from hinge line
16. In this embodiment, handle
26 extends about 1.75
inches (4.45 centimeters) beyond second bubble
20 in second half
14
and extends along the long dimension of second half
14. Handle
26
allows dispensing cartridge
10 to be easily carried and to be easily inserted
into a machine (not shown) into which the product is to be dispensed.
An opening
28 is cut into angled sidewalls
30 and
32 at
and
on either side of hinge line
16. Opening
28 is small enough to prevent
the product to be dispensed from falling from dispensing cartridge
10 but
large enough to allow the product to be dispensed from dispensing cartridge
10
when dispensing cartridge
10 is inserted into a receiving machine. In this
embodiment, opening
28 is an oval having a longer diameter of approximately
1.75 inches and a shorter diameter of approximately 1 inch.
In this embodiment, dispensing cartridge
10 is transparent allowing a
user
to visually determine the amount of the product to be dispensed remaining in dispensing
cartridge
10.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment of dispensing cartridge
10 in a closed
position holding solid product
34 to be dispensed. In this condition, dispensing
cartridge
10 has had opening
28 opened by the user and dispensing
cartridge
10 is ready to be inserted into the machine into which solid product
34 is to be dispensed. These figures illustrate the ease with which dispensing
cartridge
10 may be carried and inserted into the machine into which solid
product
34 is to be dispensed. In operation, once inserted, liquid, preferably
water, from the machine is allowed to circulate in the proximity of opening
28.
Solid product
34, such as a detergent block, being dissolvable by such liquid,
is gradually dissolved out of dispensing cartridge
10 and advantageously
utilized by the machine, such as a laundry machine.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of dispensing cartridge
10 having label
36
secured over opening
28. Label
36 is secured in place over opening
28 with adhesive
38. It is preferred that label
36 be adhesive
backed. In this embodiment, solid product
34 is distributed to the end user
with label
36 in place. With label
36 in place, a user can not come
into contact with solid product
34. If solid product
34 were a caustic
or a corrosive product, a user would be spared direct contact with such product.
A user would remove label
36 from dispensing cartridge
10 prior
to
inserting dispensing cartridge
10 into the machine into which solid product
34 is to be dispensed. Even though label
36 has been removed, the
relatively small surface area of dispensing cartridge
10 through which solid
product
34 is exposed and the ease of manipulating dispensing cartridge
10 with handle
26 makes it easy for a user to avoid any direct contact
with solid product
34.
FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of dispensing cartridge
10 in
which a covering for opening
28 is formed with the material used to formed
first half
12 and second half
14. In this embodiment, instead of
directly forming or cutting an opening into angled sidewalls
30 and
32,
a potential opening
40 is created by perforations
42. Distributed
with potential opening
40 still covering solid product
34, a user
may easily tear potential opening
40 into opening
28 by removing
the material of angle sidewalls
30 and
32 by tearing at perforations
42.
Various modifications and alterations of this invention will be apparent
to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this
invention. It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the illustrative
embodiments set forth above.
*
