Injection moulded containers

Abstract

The present invention provides a rigid, water-soluble container made of an injection moulded poly(vinyl alcohol) and/or a cellulose ether, which container encases a fabric care, surface care or dishwashing composition.

1 . A rigid, water-soluble container made entirely or in part of an injection moulded water-soluble polymer, which polymer when dissolved in water is active in detergency, in which container is present a fabric care, surface care or dishwashing composition, provided that the polymer is not poly (vinyl alcohol).  
     
     
         2 . A rigid, water-soluble container as claimed in  claim 1  made entirely or in part of an injection moulded water-soluble polymer which polymer when dissolved in water is active as a water softener or as a dye transfer inhibitor.  
     
     
         3 . A rigid, water-soluble container, as claimed in  claim 2 , made entirely or in part of an injection moulded water-soluble polymer which polymer is poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid) or an ester thereof or poly(maleic acid) or an ester thereof, or a copolymer of any thereof.  
     
     
         4 . A rigid, water-soluble container made of at least two water-soluble injection moulded polymers, a first polymer selected from poly(vinyl alcohol), a cellulose derivative, and poly(glycolide), poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactide), poly(lactic acid) or a copolymer of any thereof; and a second water-soluble polymer which polymer when dissolved in water is active in detergency.  
     
     
         5 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 4  wherein the first and additional polymer(s) are simultaneously or sequentially injection moulded.  
     
     
         6 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of the preceding claims which has two or more compartments.  
     
     
         7 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises a polymer selected from at least one of the following; 
 poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid) or an ester thereof or poly(maleic acid) or an ester thereof,or a copolymer of any thereof.    
     
     
         8 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the container is made from a water-soluble receptacle part and is sealed by a water-soluble closure part, preferably in the form of a film or injection-moulded, rigid closure.  
     
     
         9 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 8  wherein the closure part comprises a poly(vinyl alcohol) film or closure.  
     
     
         10 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 8  or  claim 9 , wherein the receptacle part has side walls which terminate at their upper end in an outward flange, to which the closure part is sealingly secured.  
     
     
         11 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 8  wherein the closure part is a plastics film.  
     
     
         12 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the composition comprises a powder, gel, paste or low water liquid formulation.  
     
     
         13 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of  claims 10  to  12  wherein the container comprises a tablet formulated for delayed and/or sustained release of a material.  
     
     
         14 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 8  wherein the receptacle part defines two or more compartments and at least one compartment is made entirely or in part of a water-soluble polymer which when dissolved in water is active in detergency.  
     
     
         15 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 14  wherein the receptacle part comprises an upstanding wall which separates compartments thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 14  wherein the polymer active in detergency is selected from selected from at least one of the following; 
 poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid) or an ester thereof or poly(maleic acid) or an ester thereof,or a copolymer of any thereof.  
 
     
     
         17 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 6  wherein a first compartment is made entirely or in part of a polymer which when dissolved in water is active in detergency.  
     
     
         18 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 14  wherein at least one compartment is made at least partly of a second polymer which is poly(vinyl alcohol), a cellulose derivative, preferably an ether or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, poly(glycolide), poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactide), poly(lactic acid) or a copolymer of any thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 18  wherein the second polymer is poly(vinyl alcohol).  
     
     
         20 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to  claim 18  or. 19  wherein a first compartment dissolves in water at a different rate than a second compartment.  
     
     
         21 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of  claims 8  to  11  wherein the receptacle part comprises an outwardly facing opening into which a tablet is press-fitted.  
     
     
         22 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of  claims 8  to  30  wherein the closure part is a transparent or translucent material.  
     
     
         23 . A rigid, water-soluble container according to any one of  claims 1  to  22  made entirely or in part of polyvinylpyrolidine.  
     
     
         24 . An array of rigid, water-soluble washing containers as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  23  which are joined together but are readily separable from each other for use.  
     
     
         25 . An array according to  claim 24  wherein the array has a line of symmetry extending between capsules, and the two halves of the array are folded together about the line of symmetry, with the closure parts in face-to-face contact.  
     
     
         26 . A process for the manufacture of an array as defined in  claim 24  or  25 , which method comprises: forming an array of receptacle parts, each receptacle part being connected to adjacent receptacle parts, but being separable from them by a snap or tear action; charging the receptacle parts with washing composition; and sealingly securing a sheet of a water-soluble polymer over the top of the array, to form the closure parts for all the receptacle parts of the array.  
     
     
         27 . A process for the manufacture of a container as claimed in any claim from  1  to  23 , which comprises melting the polymer(s), injecting the molten polymer(s) into a mould, removing the rigid water soluble container from the mould and adding the fabric care, surface care, or dishwashing composition into the container.  
     
     
         28 . A process according to  claim 27  wherein a first polymer and an additional polymer(s) are simultaneously or sequentially injected into the mould.  
     
     
         29 . A process according to  claim 28  wherein the first polymer and the additional polymer(s) are sequentially injected into the mould, in any order, by one of the following techniques, multi-component injection moulding or sandwich injection moulding.  
     
     
         30 . A process according to  claim 29  wherein the first polymer and the additional polymer(s) are sequentially injected into the mould, in any order, injection moulding a polymer or molten polymer mix into a mould, removing the solid polymer and inserting into a second mould and injection moulding a second polymer or polymer mix into the second mould.  
     
     
         31 . A process according to  claim 29  wherein the first polymer and the additional polymer(s) are sequentially injected into the mould, in any order, injection moulding a polymer or molten polymer mix into a part of a mould, injection moulding a second polymer or molten polymer mix into a further part of the mould.  
     
     
         32 . A process according to  claim 29  wherein the first polymer and the additional polymer(s) are simultaneously injection moulded into the mould as a molten mix.  
     
     
         33 . A process according to any one of  claims 27  to  32  comprising the additional step of sealing the container.  
     
     
         34 . A rigid, water-soluble container made entirely or in part of an injection moulded water-soluble polymer, in which container is present a fabric care, surface care or dishwashing composition and has bound to the inside or outside of the container or encased within the container a second water-soluble polymer which polymer when dissolved in water is active in detergency.  
     
     
         35 . A rigid, water-soluble container as claimed in  claim 34  wherein the second polymer is polyvinylpyrolidine, polyacrylic acid or an ester thereof, polymaleic acid or an ester thereof, or a copolymer of any thereof.  
     
     
         36 . A rigid, water-soluble container as claimed in  claim 34  or  35  wherein the second polymer is in the form of a shaped article.  
     
     
         37 . A rigid, water-soluble container as claimed in any claim from  34  to  36  wherein the container is made entirely or in part of poly (vinyl alcohol).