Attachment means

• US 20040172768A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Aouad, Yousef Georges, Neergaard, Arthur Hampton
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/147
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/024 mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers

Abstract

The invention provides:

A) a three-dimensional structure having at least one structure surface, the structure being adapted to be attached to an apertured surface with the structure surface facing the apertured surface; and

B) a curved hook element having a base and a distal end, the distal end of the hook element being adapted for insertion into an aperture in the apertured surface, and the base of the curved hook element being slidably affixed to the structure surface of the three-dimensional structure such that movement of the base is constrained along a line within the structure surface.

The device can be used in a method of attachment onto an apertured surface, in particular the inner surface of an automatic laundry washing machine drum, and is particularly suitable for dispensing rinse additives into the rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine.

Claims

1. A device adapted for releasable attachment onto an apertured surface, said device comprising:

A) a three-dimensional structure having at least one structure surface, the structure being adapted to be attached to an apertured surface with the structure surface facing the apertured surface; and

B) a curved hook element having a base and a distal end, the distal end of the hook element being adapted for insertion into an aperture in the apertured surface, and the base of the curved hook element being slidably affixed to the structure surface of the three-dimensional structure such that movement of the base is constrained along a line within the structure surface.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the base of the hook element is constrained in a channel provided in the structure surface.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the channel is substantially straight.

4. A device according to claim 1 in which the line along which the movement of the base of the hook element is constrained extends from one edge of the structure surface to a position remote from that edge.

5. A device according to claim 4 in which the line extends to only one edge of the structure surface.

6. A device according to claim 2 in which the channel has a base which is inclined relative to the structure surface in the direction in which movement of the base of the hook element is allowed.

7. A device according to claim 1 in which the structure surface is a substantially planar surface.

8. A device according to claim 1 in which the structure surface is substantially partially cylindrical.

9. A device according to claim 1 in which the structure surface is provided with at least one, protrusion adapted to contact the apertured surface after attachment of the device to the surface.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said structure surface protrusion(s) is/are formed from a material which is relatively more elastically deformable than is the rest of the material of said structure surface.

11. A device according to claim 1 in which the hook is of substantially right-angled configuration having first and second perpendicular elements wherein the first element is attached to the distal end of the hook element and is substantially perpendicular to the structure surface at the point of contact of the base of the hook with the structure surface.

12. A device according to claim 1 which is adapted for releasable attachment onto the inner surface of an automatic laundry washing machine drum.

25. A method for introducing laundry rinse additive material into the rinse water during the rinse cycle which occurs in a fabric laundering operation carried out in an automatic washing machine containing a drum having an apertured wall, which method comprises:

A) providing a unit dose package containing a laundry rinse additive material;

B) inserting said additive-containing unit dose package into a device according to claim 1 in which the three-dimensional structure is a rigid housing structure;

C) before the operation the automatic washing machine releasably attaching the device, with said additive-containing unit dose package therein, to the inner surface of the apertured wall of the drum of said automatic washing machine;

D) running said automatic washing machine through its spin cycle to thereby apply centrifugal force to said additive-containing unit dose package within said housing structure, said centrifugal force serving to activate package opening means associated with said package or said housing structure or both, and to thereby open said package, release the contents thereof, and hold said contents within said rigid housing structure; and

thereafter

E) removing the centrifugal force from said open package by ending the spin cycle during operation of said automatic washing machine; and

thereafter

F) allowing the laundry additive material within said rigid housing structure to pass by gravitational flow through apertures in said housing structure into the rinse water present in the drum during the rinse cycle in the operation of said automatic washing machine.

26. A rinse additive dispensing device suitable for releasable attachment to the inner apertured surface of the drum of an automatic washing machine for fabric laundering and suitable for dispensing laundry rinse additive material from a unit dose insert into the rinse water during the rinse cycle which occurs during a fabric laundering operation carried out in a drum-containing automatic washing machine, wherein the device is a device according to claim 1 in which:

A) the three-dimensional structure is a housing structure suitable for holding an openable unit dose package containing laundry rinse additive material;

B) the device comprises an opening within said housing structure suitable for permitting insertion into said housing of said openable unit dose package containing said rinse additive material;

C) during the spin cycle of washing machine operation said housing is capable of holding and retaining, by virtue of centrifugal force applied during said spin cycle, the rinse additive material released from said openable unit dose package into said housing during said spin cycle; and

D) the device comprises aperture means placed within said housing in such a manner as to permit said released laundry additive material, after cessation of said centrifugal force, to pass by gravitational flow through said aperture means within said housing structure into the rinse water present in said drum during the rinse cycle in the operation of said washing machine.

27. A method for providing sequential dispensing of laundry additive materials into the several stages of the laundering cycle which occur during the operation of an automatic fabric laundering washing machine containing a drum having an apertured wall, the method comprising:

A) attaching to the inner surface of the apertured wall of the washing machine drum a device according to claim 1 in which the three-dimensional structure is a rigid housing structure comprising a base and an openable and closable lid for said base;

B) placing within said housing structure with its lid open at the beginning of the laundering operation, a multi-compartmented insert containing within at least two different compartments thereof at least two different laundry additive materials which are to be added at different times to the contents of the washing machine drum during the laundering cycle;

C) closing the lid of said housing structure with said insert inside to thereby activate means associated with said rigid housing structure to open at least a first compartment of the multi-compartmented insert and to thereby permit dispensing of the material within said opened compartment into said washing machine drum; and

D) running said automatic washing machine through its operational cycle, including through its spin cycle to thereby activate means associated with said housing structure and/or with said multi-compartmented insert to open one or more additional compartments of said insert containing laundry additive material different from that in said previously opened first compartment, said opening of said additional compartment occurring after initiation of the spin cycle of said washing machine operation, and said means for opening said additional compartments being activated by the centrifugal force arising from the spin cycle;

said opening further permitting the dispensing of the material within said opened compartment(s) into said washing machine drum.

28. A device according to claim 1 in which the three-dimensional structure is a rigid housing structure suitable for positioning within the drum of an automatic washing machine for fabric laundering and suitable for dispensing laundry additive material into said drum from an insert to be held within said housing structure, which housing structure comprises a base suitable for holding a multi-compartmented insert containing laundry additive materials to be dispensed and an openable and closable lid for said base, said housing structure further comprising means for opening at least one but not all compartments of said multi-compartmented insert when the lid of said structure is closed with said multi-compartmented insert inside said structure.

29. A kit comprising a device according to claim 1, and at least one unit dose package of laundry additive.

30. A kit according to claim 29 comprising at least 2 unit dose packages of laundry additive.

31. A method of washing laundry in an automatic fabric washing machine containing a drum having an apertured wall comprising providing a device according to claim 1, in which the three-dimensional structure is configured so as to contain a dose of laundry additive, providing a dose of laundry additive, placing the dose of laundry additive within the device, attaching the device to the apertured wall of the drum, and running the automatic fabric washing machine through its operational cycle.

13. A method for releasably attaching a device onto an apertured surface, which method comprises:

A) providing a device comprising a three-dimensional structure having a structure surface with a curved hook element comprising a distal end and a base which is slidably affixed to the structure surface such that movement of the hook base is constrained along a line within the structure surface;

B) positioning the slidably affixed hook element with its base at a first position on the line in the structure surface along which movement is constrained, said first position being such that the center of curvature of the hook is beyond the edge of said structure surface;

C) inserting the distal end of said curved hook element into an aperture in the apertured surface while holding said structure surface perpendicular to or at an oblique angle with respect to said apertured surface at the point of attachment;

D) rotating said structure surface into a generally parallel relationship with respect to said apertured surface at the point of attachment such that said hook is engaged in the aperture and constrains movement of said structure surface relative to said apertured surface in a direction perpendicular to these parallel surfaces; and

E) moving the structure relative to the apertured surface whilst the distal end of the hook element remains inserted into the aperture, thereby sliding the hook element to a second position on the line in the structure surface along which movement is constrained, said second position being such that the center of curvature of said hook has been moved from a position beyond the edge of said structure surface to a position not beyond this edge.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein, as a consequence of moving said structure in Step E, there is at least one point on said structure surface other than the hook which is in contact with said apertured surface such that the structure is held against and constrained in relation to said apertured surface through the hook element and the at least one other point of contact.

15. A method according to claim 14 in which the apertured surface is the inner surface of an automatic laundry washing machine drum.

16. A method according to claim 14 in which the base of the hook element is constrained in a channel provided in the structure surface.

17. A method according to claim 16 in which the channel has a base which is inclined relative to the structure surface in the direction in which movement of the base of the hook element is constrained and in the method sliding the hook element in step (E) results in movement of the base of the hook element deeper into the structure surface.

18. A method according to claim 17 in which the channel is substantially straight.

19. A method according to claim 14 in which the line along which the movement of the base of the hook element is constrained extends from one edge of the structure surface to a position remote from that edge and in the method sliding the hook element in step (E) comprises sliding the hook element from a first position to a second position more remote from the edge than the first position.

20. A method according to claim 19 in which the line extends to only one edge of the structure surface.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein said slidable hook is held in its second position by frictional forces which constrain its movement along said line within said structure surface.

22. A method according to claim 14 additionally comprising inserting into the three-dimensional structure a dose of laundry additive.

23. A system for releasably attaching a structure device onto an apertured surface, which system comprises an apertured surface and a device, said device comprising:

A) a three-dimensional structure having at least one structure surface, said structure being adapted to be attached to said apertured surface with the structure surface facing the apertured surface; and

B) a curved hook element having a base and a distal end, the distal end of the hook element being suitable for insertion into one of the apertures in the apertured surface, and the base of said curved hook element being slidably affixed to said structure surface such that movement of the hook base is constrained along a line in the structure surface; and

wherein said hook element is positioned at or near the edge of said structure surface and at an angle with respect to the structure surface such that when the distal end of the hook is inserted into an aperture in the apertured surface, and when said structure surface is rotated into a position wherein the two surfaces are substantially parallel, the movement of the structure relative to said apertured surface is constrained by the engaged hook in a direction running substantially perpendicular to the two parallel surfaces; and

wherein the base of the hook can be slidably moved from a first position on the line within said structure surface along which movement of the base of the hook is constrained to a second position on that line, said second position being one wherein the center of curvature of the hook is within the edge of said structure surface, which edge the slidable hook had been at or near in its first position.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein when said slidable hook has been moved to its second position, at least one point on said structure surface other than the hook is in contact with said apertured surface, such that the structure is held against and constrained in relation to said apertured surface through the hook and the at least one other point.