Environmentally sensitive multi-use apparatus for administering and dispensing laundry additives

• US 8,460,395 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marc S. Smulowitz
• Original Assignee: Marc S. Smulowitz
• Inventors: Smulowitz, Marc S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyon, Lorna M
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, AMINA S
• Application Number:
  US12/804,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 510/276, 510/294, 510/297, 510/298, 510/438, 510/445, 510/310, 510/367, 813/7
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/024 mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements

Abstract

Devices for delivering reusable environmentally friendly laundry additives to a plurality of wash cycles and drying cycles are provided. The devices include a container that has an inner chamber and a plurality of apertures and protrusions located on an exterior surface thereof. The apertures are configured to allow the laundry additive to leave the inner chamber and interact with clothing during a plurality of wash cycles and drying cycles. The protrusions are configured to make contact with, and soften, clothing during the drying cycles. The container is configured to receive the laundry additive by a user of the device, prior to placing the device in a first wash or drying cycle, and effectively disperse and administer said additives.

Claims

1. A laundry additive disposed in a device for delivering said laundry additive to a plurality of wash cycles and drying cycles, wherein said device comprises a container that comprises an inner chamber and a plurality of apertures and protrusions located on an exterior surface of the container, wherein (i) the apertures are configured to allow the laundry additive to leave the inner chamber and interact with clothing during a plurality of wash cycles and drying cycles;

and (ii) the protrusions are configured to make contact with clothing during the drying cycles, and wherein said laundry additive is a spherical pearl consisting of sodium percarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, nano silver, tea tree oil, and coconut acid monoethanol (CMEA), and optionally a plurality of elongated elements selected from the group consisting of recycled paperboard, soy wax, fragrance, a plant based fabric softener, a vegetable based fabric softener and combinations thereof.

2. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a cap that may be reversibly removed from and attached to the device.

3. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the apertures located on the exterior surface of the container are circular.

4. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the protrusions located on the exterior surface of the container exhibit a convex rounded configuration.

5. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the laundry additive is configured as a solid.

6. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongated elements are present.

7. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the container is comprised of thermoplastic elastomer.

8. The laundry additive disposed in a device of claim 1, wherein the container comprises an egg-shaped dimension, which exhibits a circumference that is greatest in a center area and gradually becomes smaller from the center area to each side of the container.

9. A method for delivering a laundry additive to at least one wash cycle and at least one drying cycle, which comprises (a) placing a laundry additive disposed in a delivery device according to claim 1 and a set of cloths in a wash cycle;

and (b) following the wash cycle, transferring the cloths and said laundry additive disposed in a delivery device to a drying cycle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the container comprises a cap that may be removed from and attached to the container.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the apertures located on the exterior surface of the container are circular.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the protrusions located on the exterior surface of the container exhibit a convex rounded configuration.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the laundry additive is configured as a solid.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of elongated elements are present.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the container is comprised of thermoplastic elastomer.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the container comprises an egg-shaped dimension, which exhibits a circumference that is greatest in a center area and gradually becomes smaller from the center area to each side of the container.