CARTRIDGE

• US 20120031930A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Original Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Inventors: Fileccia, Salvatore, Kessler, Arnd, Eichholz, Dieter, Mühlhausen, Hans-Georg, Schmalz, Roland, Jans, Gerold, Nitsch, Christian, Bastigkeit, Thorsten
• Application Number:
  US13/207,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20120031930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/325
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4454 with automatic identification means, e.g. barcodes, RFID tags or magnetic strips
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4463 Multi-dose dispensing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4472 Blister packaging or refill cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/024 mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers

Abstract

The invention relates to a cartridge for coupling to a dosing device which may be positioned within a domestic device for dispensing at least one washing or cleaning agent preparation, the cartridge having at least one chamber for storing at least one free-flowing liquid or powder washing or cleaning agent preparation and the cartridge is protected against ingress of rinsing water into the chamber(s) when coupled to the dosing device. The cartridge is provided with at least one outlet opening on the lower side in gravity direction, in particular for gravity fed dispensing of preparation from at least one chamber and at least one ventilation opening on the underside in the direction of gravity for ventilation of at least one chamber, wherein the ventilation opening is separate from the outlet opening and the ventilation opening has a communicating connection with at least one chamber of the cartridge.

Claims

1. A cartridge for coupling to a dispenser, positionable in the interior of a household appliance, for delivering at least one washing- and/or cleaning-agent preparation,

the cartridge encompassing at least one chamber for stocking at least one flowable or pourable washing- and/or cleaning-agent preparation,

the cartridge being, in the state coupled with the dispenser, protected from the entry of washing water into the chamber(s),

the cartridge encompassing at least one delivery opening, on the bottom side in the direction of gravity, for delivery of preparation out of at least one chamber, and encompassing at least one vent opening, on the bottom side in the direction of gravity, for venting at least one chamber,

the vent opening being separated from the delivery opening, and

the vent opening being communicatingly connected to at least one chamber of the cartridge.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge encompasses at least two chambers.

3. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein a respective vent opening and a respective delivery opening is provided for each chamber.

4. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the chambers of the cartridge are detachable from one another.

5. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the chambers of the cartridge are fastened nondetachably to one another.

6. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the chambers are separated from one another by separating webs.

7. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is embodied in multiple parts.

8. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is constituted from two shell-shaped elements.

9. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is constituted from a shell-shaped element and a cover-shaped element.

10. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the bottom-side vent opening is communicatingly connected to a vent conduit having an end that faces away from the vent opening and that terminates, when the cartridge is coupled to the dispenser and is in a delivery position, above a maximum fill level of the cartridge.

11. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the vent conduit is shaped integrally into or onto walls and/or webs of the cartridge.

12. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein at least one vent conduit is constituted by joining a separating web of the cartridge, shaped in the shell-shaped element, to two webs that enclose the separating web and are arranged on the cartridge element.

13. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the vent conduit is constituted by intermaterially joining a separating web of the cartridge shaped in the shell-shaped element to two webs that enclose the separating web and are arranged on the cartridge element.

14. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the vent conduit is embodied as a dip tube.

15. The cartridge according to claim 10, further comprising a vent conduit orifice, wherein a fluid level of the cartridge does not allow for fluid to be present at the vent conduit orifice when the cartridge is in an unopened, filled state in an oblique position of up to 45°

.

16. The cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the vent conduit orifice (83) is arranged approximately centeredly on and/or in the chamber wall of the cartridge top (10).

17. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the viscosity of a flowable preparation (40), and the vent conduit (82), are configured in such a way that the preparation (40) is not drawn by capillary forces into the vent conduit (81) when the preparation (40) is present at the vent conduit orifice (83).

18. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein a vent chamber (86) is arranged between the vent opening (5) and the vent conduit (82).

19. A dispensing system for delivering at least one washing- and/or cleaning-agent preparation into the interior of a household appliance, made up of a dispenser and a cartridge that can be coupled to the dispenser according to claim 1.

20. A dispensing system for delivering at least one washing- and/or cleaning-agent preparation into the interior of a household appliance, made up of a household appliance and a cartridge that can be coupled to the household appliance, according to claim 1.