Article

Abstract

This invention relates to container containing a dose of a liquid cleaning composition for use in a ware washing machine, wherein said container is adapted to be disposed in a ware washing machine in a predetermined orientation and wherein said container comprises a low-level opening for permitting egress of the cleaning composition from the container (when disposed in said predetermined orientation), and wherein the container is of a water-insoluble plastics material and wherein the low-level opening is closed by water-soluble plastics closure member. The dosage element and chamber are particularly useful in the context of forming part of a multi-dosing cleaning composition delivery device and/or a refill for such a device.

1 . A container containing a dose of a liquid cleaning composition, wherein said container is adapted to be disposed in a ware washing machine in a predetermined orientation and wherein said container comprises a low-level opening for permitting egress of the cleaning composition from the container when disposed in said predetermined orientation, and wherein the container is formed of a water-insoluble plastics material and wherein the low-level opening is closed by a water-soluble plastics closure member. 
   
   
       2 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the container has a bottom end face, and the low-level opening is provided in the bottom end face. 
   
   
       3 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container comprises a high-level opening for permitting ingress of water into the container (in said orientation), and also closed by a water-soluble plastics closure member. 
   
   
       4 . A container according to  claim 3  wherein the container has an upper end face, and the high-level opening is provided in the upper end face. 
   
   
       5 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble plastics closure member is in the form of a patch which is adhered in face-to-face relationship with the water-insoluble plastics material about the opening, or is in the form of a plug which plugs the opening. 
   
   
       6 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container is only partially filled with the cleaning composition, wherein in use, water enters the container and dilutes the cleaning composition, to the point where the diluted cleaning composition dissolves the water-soluble plastics closure member, whereas the undiluted cleaning composition does not. 
   
   
       7 . An article comprising a plurality of conjoined containers each container being a container according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       8 . An article according to  claim 7  adapted to be formable into a nested form. 
   
   
       9 . A multiple dosing ware washing product comprising an article according to  claim 7 , retained within a holder which is adapted for mounting within a ware washing machine. 
   
   
       10 . A method of making an article according to  claim 8 , comprising the steps of:
 forming a parallel array of empty chambers,   delivering doses of cleaning composition into the chambers using the open low-level openings as fill openings, or when present, using the high-level openings as fill openings,   closing each of the fill openings with a water soluble plastics closure member, and   forming the article into a nested form.   
   
   
       11 . A method of carrying out washing in a ware washing machine, the method comprising the steps of:
 (1) mounting a product according to  claim 9  in the ware washing machine, the article within the holder thereof containing a plurality X of individual doses of cleaning composition;   (2) operating the ware washing machine for one cycle such that the water soluble plastics closure member(s) of one chamber is dissolved and one dose of cleaning composition is released into the ware washing machine;   (3) operating the ware washing machine for X−1 (X minus 1) further cycles such that the water soluble plastics closure member(s) of further chambers are dissolved and X−1 further doses of cleaning composition are released into the ware washing machine chamber by chamber in successive washes, until the article is spent;   (4) removing the spent article from the holder;   (5) introducing a new article into the holder; and   (6) repeating steps (2) to (5) with successive new articles loaded into the same holder.   
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A method of carrying out washing in a ware washing machine, wherein X is an integer having a value of at least 3. 
   
   
       14 . A method of carrying out washing in a ware washing machine, wherein X is an integer having a value of at least 6.