Abstract: A detergent tablet in order to be readily dispensed from the detergent dispenser of an automatic dishwasher should be of a generally elliptical shape to a modified generally elliptical shape. This is a shape where a cylinder having a rectangular cross-section contained within the tablet shape has a diagonal dimension that is a minimum for such a shape. This is a diagonal of a cross-section along the minor axis of the tablet. This shape can be defined by the equation:
(
x
a
)
p
+
(
y
b
)
p
=
1
where 2a is the length of the major axis, 2b is the length of the minor axis, and p in an exponent having a value of between about 1.5 to about 25 extending to a shape where the sides disposed along the major axis are parallel and the sides defined by the minor axis have a defined radius.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 20, 1998
Date of Patent:
July 8, 2003
Assignee:
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Inventors:
Gary Benjamin Binstock, Bruce Cummings, Divaker Kenkare, Kevin Mark Kinscherf, Steve Mark Phillips