It is desirable to use tablets of laundry powder to avoid over-dosing. However, the tabletting procedure adds to the cost. Also, it has been found preferable to contain the tablets in a bag so that they disintegrate within the bag and only small readily dispersed particles spread into the wash. Provision of a bag or other container again adds to the cost.

EP-A-343 069 describes a laundry washing system in which a bag is filled or dosed with laundry powder and then put directly into the drum of the washing machine. A closure device is provided on the mouth of the bag. This closure device must be opened to fill the bag and then closed by the user before putting in the washing machine. This can be inconvenient for the user to manipulate, particularly if filling the bag from a large box of powder, and manufacturing a bag with a closure device is relatively expensive.

EP-A-473 532 also shows a bag with a closure device. The bag is to be used with a tablet of detergent powder and incorporates a hard body which will impact with the tablet during the wash to disintegrate the tablet.

EP-A-576 234 shows an elastic sleeve which is stretched about the laundry tablets. This, again, can be difficult to manipulate and could result in crushing of the tablet in the users hands, which is most undesirable.

It also known to provide a flexible bag which has a pull cord for closing the mouth of the bag. This incorporates a cord stopper to hold the mouth of the bag closed, and so, again, the bag is relatively expensive to manufacture, and requires some dexterity to operate. This arrangement is described in GB-A-2 323 606 A first aspect of the present invention provides a method of washing laundry in an automatic washing machine, comprising providing a flexible, inelastic bag of substantially water resistant material and having a wall which is freely water permeable, the bag having an opening at one end which is freely flexible, inserting one or more tablets of laundry detergent into the bag and immediately thereafter placing the bag into the drum of the washing machine.

By using a bag having an opening which is freely flexible, that is to say the opening will flex under the weight of an ounce or so applied sideways to the bag, or preferably under the weight of the material or little more than the weight of the material itself, the mouth of the bag can be easily held open by the user, there is no risk of crushing the tablets as they are inserted in the bag, and there is no need for any action to close the mouth of the bag before placing it in the drum of the machine because the mouth of the bag is not stiffened to retain it open or closed.

Another aspect of the invention provides the combination of a tablet of laundry detergent and a bag of flexible material, the bag having a wall which is freely permeable to water for dispersing and dissolving the detergent in a laundry wash.

No closure device is provided on the bag. By having a mouth which is freely flexible there is no requirement for a positive closing action by the user.

Thus, the invention provides a particularly inexpensive, but useful bag for use with laundry tablets Typically the laundry tablet will be disc shaped, the height being less than the diameter, and preferably the width of the mouth of the bag is about one and one half to two times the diameter of the tablet. Other tablet shapes may require different proportions, and preferably the perimeter of the mouth of the bag is about thirty to about eighty, and more preferably about fifty per cent greater than the maximum perimeter of the of the tablet, to facilitate placing the tablet in the bag whilst inhibiting movement of the tablet out of the bag. Preferably, the bag is deep relative to the tablet size, and the depth is preferably at least three, and more preferably at least four times the major dimension of the tablet, the diameter for a disc shaped tablet. It is particularly preferred that the depth of the bag is from 4 to 6 times the major dimension of the tablet.

The bag may be formed of a mesh like material, such as a medium gauge, polyester, fishnet weave having hexagonal apertures about 4 to 8 mm, preferably about 6 mm across.

Other weaves or knits may be used, and it has been found that a knot or weave giving a very open or water permeable texture, but with a hole or mesh size less than 1 mm, and typically 0. 2 to 0. 8 mm with a fine thread provides good performance. The knit or weave is sufficiently open to allow free flow of water through material, but close enough to prevent clumps of powder particles, form the disintegrating tablet, entering the wash. Suitable material is a polyester fine curtain net. The smaller aperture size will help prevent direct contact of the powder and the clothing and so may help reduce dye bleaching.

The bag material is preferably substantially inelastic, it being appreciated that knitted and woven materials will have some elasticity when pulled out of shape.

Preferably the flexibility and depth of the bag will mean that there is little likelihood of large pieces of the tablets falling from the mouth of the bag during the washing operation.

A flap may be provided at the mouth of the bag. If the flap forms a cover, one wall of the bag being folded over the end of the other wall, the tablets will be held securely in the bag. However, manipulation of the bag opening and insertion of the tablets is more difficult. We have found that the performance of the bag can be enhanced, without impairing its ease of use, by providing a freely flexible layer of material which extends into the bag from the mouth. Thus the tablet is dropped into the bottom of the bag and is further inhibited from leaving the bag by the layer of material which will tend to trap the tablet between the flap and the bag wall.

Thus, yet another aspect of the invention provides a bag for containing a laundry tablet during a washing operation, the bag being of freely flexible material and having an opening at one end, wherein a flap of freely flexible material extends within the bag from the open end thereof.

Preferably the flap of material is in the form of a sleeve which is attached at one end to the bag wall, to be coaxial with the mouth of the bag, and the tablet is dropped through the sleeve to the bottom of the bag.

In one preferred form, the wall of the bag is flared outward away from the sleeve which is preferably of a circumference about equal to the circumference of the bag mouth, for the length of the sleeve.

In another preferred form, the sleeve flares outwardly to an increased diameter inside the bag. In this way, there is less likelihood of the sleeve coming out of the bag during the wash. Conversely, it is desirable to taper the sleeve inwards, so that the bottom end of the sleeve presents only a narrow mouth to a tablet in the bag. Thus, in a particularly preferred form, the sleeve flares outwards away from the mouth of the bag and then tapers inwards nearer the bottom of the bag.

With an inward taper, the bag mouth can be made larger without increasing the risk of the tablet escaping, the tablet being funnelled into the bag through the sleeve.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 illustrates a bag forming an embodiment of the invention ; Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention, partially cut away ; Figure 3 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention, partially cut away ; Figure 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention) Figure 5 illustrates a fifth embodiment of the invention, and Figure 6 illustrates a sixth embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a bag of the invention. The bag 2 is formed of a fishnet weave of polyester material having hexagonal openings about 6 mm across. It will be appreciated that other materials may be used for the bag. Typically a bag will be supplied with a box of tablets and so used many times, but not an unlimited number of times, and so the material and structure are chosen to comfortably exceed this requirement. The bag can be formed from a rectangular cut of material which is hemmed along one edge 4 which forms the mouth 6 of the bag, and then folded and seamed along the other facing edges 8, 10. The drawings illustrate stitch lines 9. Thus the bag, when flat, is generally rectangular. The bag will be dimensioned to suit the size of the tablet and the width of the bag opening (L) is between 1. 5 and 2. 5 times the diameter of a low profile disc shaped tablet. Other shaped tablets may be used, such as oblong and rod shaped. Preferably the perimeter (2xL) is 1. 3 to 1. 8 times the maximum perimeter of the tablet, but if the tablet is elongate, the user may be expected to orient the tablet when placing it in the bag and so 1. 3 to 1. 8 times the smaller perimeter may be suitable. The depth D of the bag is about four times the maximum dimension of the tablet. The edge 4 is hemmed to provide some handleability to the mouth of the bag, whilst allowing it to remain freely flexible.

In the second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, the bag 2 has a flap 12 extending into the bag from the edge 4. The flap preferably extends along the perimeter of the mouth 6 of the bag for between 30 and 70 per cent of the perimeter, and more preferably about half way along the perimeter. The flap may be sewn onto the hemmed edge 4 of the bag, or formed by folding the bag from an L shaped blank, a leg of the L shape forming the flap. The dimensions are similar to the embodiment of figure 1.

In the embodiment of Figures 3, the bag 2 has a sleeve 14 which extends into the bag from the edge 4'defining the mouth 6. The sleeve can be formed separately and sewn to the perimeter of the bag mouth 6, or the bag can be formed from a single blank. The sleeve portion 14 is inverted into the bag and held in place by a line of stitching 9'. Preferably the bag flares away from the mouth 6, so that the sleeve 14 forms a relatively narrow entrance to the bag while the internal volume of the bag 14 can be large enough to allow free access of water to the tablets to dissolve and disperse the detergent through the wash. In the example shown, the sleeve 14 extends about three quarters of the overall depth of the bag, leaving enough clearance for two or three tablets to be dropped into the bag and clear the bottom end 16 of the tube 14. The bag mouth 6 is dimensioned as for the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2.

In use, one or more tablets of laundry detergent are dropped into the bag through the mouth 4 and the bag is placed immediately into the drum of the washing machine. There is no need to fold the bag or tie the mouth of the bag closed.

Two low profile disc shaped tablets having a diameter of 45 mm and a height of 20 mm were placed in a bag constructed according to the embodiment of Figure 3, having a neck width of 80 mm, an overall height of 180 mm, and the outer bag flaring out to 170 mm over the upper 30 per cent of the bag near the neck. The bag and tablets were used in a HOTPOINT AQUARIUS (trade mark) washing machine at 40 degrees centigrade with a three kg woven cotton load. The tablets dispersed well in the wash without falling from the bag, and provided good washing performance in a standard colour cycle wash.

In the embodiment of figure 4, the sleeve 14'flares outwardly in the direction away from the mouth 6. This inhibits any tendency of the sleeve 14'to come out of the bag during the wash. The sleeve is preferably sufficiently flared at its lower end 16 to form a gather which will bulk up the bag, i. e. press against the wall of the bag, without causing the mouth to open. It is ensured that there is a sufficient freedom so that the tablet falls easily through the sleeve into the bottom of the bag.

In the embodiment of Figure 5, the sleeve 14"flares outwardly for about half its length, to inhibit it from passing out through the neck 6, and then flares inwardly, to about the same diameter as the neck 6, thus the bottom end 16 of the sleeve will still serve to inhibit movement of a tablet back through the sleeve. Again the sleeve preferably flares outwardly to a diameter greater than the adjacent bag wall, sufficiently to form a gather in this region.

In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, the mouth 6 is dimensioned as for the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2.

In the embodiments, the sleeve may taper to a provide a mouth close to the tablet size, the sleeve acting as a funnel to allow easy insertion of the tablet into the bag.

Figure 6 shows a bag 2 having a rectangular shape, similar in size to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. A sleeve 14 projects within the bag 2 from the mouth 6. The sleeve is formed an as extension of the bag outer, and inverted into the bag. The sleeve is sewn down one edge 18 by a line of stitching 19 to attach it to the bag outer wall, and it is also stitched to the bag at the diametrically opposite portion 20, but only in the vicinity of the bag mouth 6. Thus the sleeve is held within the bag, but is allowed to move at its lower end 16.

The depth L1 of the sleeve is about equal to, or is greater than, the width L2. With a disc shaped tablet, of diameter about 45mm and height 20mm, the bag depth D is about 180mm, and the width L2 is about 80mm. By having the sleeve of substantial length, the sleeve is able to fold up or wrinkle within the bag during a laundry operation, thus effectively blocking off the mouth 6 to prevent large tablet portions leaving the bag.

Preferably the sleeve is tapered by a diagonal line of stitching 21 sewing together the sides of the flattened sleeve, so that the opening 22 at the bottom end 16 of the sleeve is just big enough to allow a tablet 23 to pass through. The line of stitching 21 can be anywhere on the sleeve, for example it may extend from the line of stitching 19 if desired, but is preferably opposite the line of stitching 19.

The above embodiments have been described in relation to the use of a polyester fish net weave material with hexagonal apertures of substantial size, 4 to 8 mm across. However, as noted above, a smaller aperture, less than 1 mm, may be used to good effect.

Two low profile disc shaped tablets having a diameter of 45 mm and a height of 20 mm were placed in a bag constructed according to the embodiment of Figure 6, having a neck width LI of 100 mm, an overall height of 180 mm, and a sleeve length L2 of 100 mm. The line of stitching 21 was not used. \The material was a polyester fine curtain net of aperture size about 1. 0 mm by about 0. 3 mm at its maximum dimension. The bag and tablets were used in a HOTPOINT AQUARIUS (trade mark) washing machine at 40 degrees centigrade with a three kg woven cotton load. The tablets dispersed well in the wash without falling from the bag, and provided good washing performance in a standard colour cycle wash.

Various modifications may be made to the described embodiments and it is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims.