The present invention relates to packaging for flowable products which are dispensed by a dispenser.

Packaging incorporating dispensers are known. For example laundry packaging may incorporate a dispenser or 'shuttle' for dispensing the flowable laundry composition into the wash liquor. It is known to locate the 'shuttle' on an upper portion e.g. over the package closure cap.

Despite the prior art there remains a need for improved packaging which incorporates dispensers.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention provides a package comprising a reservoir containing a flowable composition in combination with a dispenser for dispensing the flowable composition, characterised in that the reservoir comprises a reservoir aperture in which the dispenser is releasably retained.

With this arrangement, the dispenser can be contained within the reservoir portion of the package and does not need storing in a position which is inconvenient during handling and storage.

As used herein, the term "aperture" is intended to include a through-hole or a recess.

The package preferably comprises walls, and may comprise a front wall, a rear wall and side walls connecting the front and rear walls. One or more of the walls is preferably rigid. The package may be a bottle, carton, tube etc. The package reservoir preferably has depth (due to the requirement for the reservoir to contain the flowable composition) and in that sense the reservoir aperture will have depth and may be tubular in shape having at least one entrance portion. The reservoir aperture may have a constant diameter or it may vary along its length for example it may increase at entrance portions.

Preferably the package comprises rigid portions such that the reservoir aperture is self supporting and does not collapse. Preferably the rigid portions include at least a portion of the aperture and may contain walls or wall portions such that the reservoir aperture is supported to allow insertion and removal of the dispenser. Most preferably the package or is wholly rigid. Rigidity may arise from the material (by selecting a stiff plastic) and/or by structure. The package may comprise flexible and/or resilient portions to allow squeeze-actuated egress of product.

Preferably the dispenser comprises at least one flexible portion. More preferably the dispenser is wholly flexible and excludes rigid parts.

Flexibility has various advantages. For example laundry dispensers create less noise in the wash cycle if the dispenser is wholly flexible. The combination of the flexible portion and the containment of the flexible dispenser within a reservoir is advantageous as it means the flexible dispenser is not directly loaded when packages are stacked one about another. This is especially advantageous with packages having rigidity such that the reservoir aperture is self supporting and non-collapsing. With the dispenser retained in the reservoir aperture, it effectively removes the aperture from loading calculations, allowing high flexibility.

In this regard the invention provides, in a further aspect, a method of storing and transporting a package comprising a dispensing device using the package as defined herein. Preferably the dispenser is resilient in whole or in part. Dispenser resilience improves retainment in the reservoir aperture, by allowing an interference fit.

Resilience also means that any flexing which results in mis-shaping e.g.

collapsing of the dispenser during a wash process, is not permanent - the dispenser resilience flexes back into the proper e.g. uncollapsed shape.

Preferably the dispenser is, in at least one dimension (height/ width/depth or more generally x/y/z in cartesian co-ordinate system), equal or greater than the diameter of the reservoir aperture, wherein the reservoir aperture diameter is measured at least one transverse plane of the reservoir aperture. This provides the advantage that the dispenser inserts securely by means of size alone.

Preferably the aperture is circular in cross section (when viewed laterally, i.e.

when the package is viewed laterally). This provides an aperture of constant diameter and this does not require specific positioning of a dispenser to obtain a good secure fit.

Preferably the aperture is located within the reservoir such that it is central at least laterally. The aperture may be central lengthwise, or it may be located in an upper part.

Preferably the dispenser comprises a chamber for containing a dose of the composition. The dose may be measured e.g. by a measured dosing device in the bottle or by the user filling the chamber to a predetermined and indicated level.

The flowable composition may be a flowable fabric or hard surface washing or treatment composition. The dispenser can be used to dispense the flowable composition into a washing machine or washing receptacle, and re-stored in the reservoir aperture after use. In the case of certain compositions e.g. liquid compositions, the dispenser may advantageously be rinsed e.g. by leaving the dispenser in the wash so that the rinse part of the cycle rinses the dispenser. In a further aspect the invention provides a method of washing or treating fabrics or hard-surfaced products, such as dishes, using the package of the first aspect of the invention, wherein the flowable composition comprises a fabric or hard surface washing or treatment composition, the method comprising the steps of

i. removing the retained dispenser from the reservoir aperture

ii. filling the dispenser with the flowable composition

iii. dispensing the flowable composition in a washing machine or washing

/treatment receptacle

iv. replacing the dispenser in the reservoir aperture.

As used herein, the term "laundry" is intended to include, without limitation, fabric cleaning, care, and conditioning compositions.

Preferably the package comprises a front face comprising the reservoir aperture entrance portion. The package may comprise an opposing rear face and a second entrance portion may be in the rear face. Various non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the following figures in which:

Exemplary Formulations

Non-Limiting Examples of Laundry Compositions According To

Embodiments of the Invention As Described below.

Unless stated otherwise, all proportions are given in weight percent by weight of the total composition. Exemplary Liquid Fabric Conditioner Compositions 1 , 2 and 3

^* Soft TEA quat is a cationic softener based on triethanolamine with tallow and 15% IPA as solvent. Compositions 1 and 2: (VT-90 ex Stepan)

Composition 3: Soft DEEDMAC (Armosoft DEQ ex Akzo)

^** C16C18 fatty alcohol (Hydrenol D ex Cognis)

Exemplary Liquid Fabric Washing Composition

*Ci2-Ci5 alkoxylated (9EO) chain group Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Package 1 comprises a bottle 1 comprising a reservoir 3 containing 1 litre of flowable laundry composition (indicated by the reference numeral 5 and which can be any of the exemplary formulations above) in combination with a dispenser 7 for dispensing the flowable composition 5. The reservoir 3 comprises a reservoir aperture 9 in which the dispenser 7 is releasably retained. In this case the reservoir 9 aperture is a through-hole.

The package 1 comprises a bottle having a front wall 1 1 , an opposing rear wall 13 and side walls 15, 17 connecting and contiguous with the front wall 1 1 and rear wall (not shown), base 19, top 21 with closure cap 23.

The reservoir aperture 9 has depth and is in fact tubular having two opposing and aligned entrance portions: front entrance 9a in the front wall, rear entrance (not shown) in the rear wall. The reservoir aperture 9 tapers outward in the direction of each entrance portion 9a, 9b. This facilitates insertion of the dispenser 7 into the reservoir aperture 9.

The bottle 1 is rigid in that it is self standing with rigid walls and base and top portion, and the reservoir aperture 9 is self supporting and not collapsible. The package front and rear walls by virtue of increased surface area versus thickness, do have a degree of flexibility to allow squeeze-actuated egress of product into the dispenser 7. Resilience allows the front and rear walls to snap back into position after squeezing.

The dispenser 7 is flexible and excludes rigid parts and so creates little noise in the wash cycle. The combination of the flexible portion and the containment of the flexible dispenser within a reservoir is advantageous as it means the flexible dispenser is not directly loaded when packages are stacked one about another. This is especially advantageous with packages having rigidity such that the reservoir aperture is self supporting and non-collapsing. With the dispenser retained in the reservoir aperture 9, it effectively removes the aperture from loading calculations, allowing high flexibility.

The dispenser 7 is resilient and allows an interference fit in the reservoir aperture 9. Resilience also means that any flexing which results in mis-shaping e.g.

collapsing of the dispenser 7 in a washing machine is not permanent - the dispenser 7 resilience flexes back into the proper e.g. uncollapsed shape.

The dispenser 7 width X is slightly greater than the diameter Y of the reservoir aperture 9, and this together with the flexible resilience ensures the dispenser 7 is retained securely.

The reservoir aperture 9 is circular in cross section (when viewed laterally, i.e. when the package is viewed laterally). This provides an aperture 9 of constant diameter and this does not require specific positioning in order to obtain a good secure fit.

Dispenser 7 comprises generally spherical shell, comprising a chamber (not shown) for containing a dose of the composition. The dose may be measured e.g. by a measured dosing device in the bottle 1 or by the user filling the chamber to a predetermined and indicated level.

The flowable composition is a flowable fabric washing or treatment composition. The dispenser 7 can be used to dispense the flowable composition into a washing machine or washing receptacle, and re-stored in the reservoir aperture 9 after use. In the case of certain compositions e.g. liquid compositions, the dispenser may advantageously be rinsed e.g. by leaving the dispenser in the wash so that the rinse part of the cycle rinses the dispenser.

In use, the user first removes the retained dispenser from the reservoir aperture and fills the dispenser with the flowable composition e.g. by pouring into the dispenser.

The flowable composition is then dispensed by placing the dispenser into the drum of a washing machine and beginning the cycle. At the end of the cycle, the dispenser 7 is removed from the drum and replaced in the reservoir aperture.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.