Abstract: The present invention provides an aqueous effervescent liquid detergent composition which upon contact with water provides effervescent action, and which comprises at least 5% by weight of a surfactant and from 0.1 to less than 3% by weight of a volatile organic solvent selected from pentane, hexane, cyclohexane and diethylether. Said solvent is present in sufficient amount to provide the effervescent action, and has a higher solubility in an aqueous surfactant-containing composition than in water, the boiling point of said solvent being lower than the typical temperature during the washing process.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aqueous effervescent liquid cleaning composition which upon contact with water provides effervescent action, and which comprises at least 5% wt of a surfactant and a dissolved gas in a sufficient amount to provide the effervescent action, said gas having a higher solubility in an aqueous surfactant-containing composition than in water. It has been found that this composition is easy to produce at affordable cost and gives consumer perceivable benefits.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing peer ownership of shared objects. In the invention, shared objects are implemented as a shell object with shared object state stored in shared memory. Each process that shares the object is granted a shell object within their process space which points to the object state in shared memory. All processes share equal access to the shared object, with no single process determining the lifetime of the shared object. The shutdown of any single process results in the termination of that process's respective shell object, without the necessary termination of the shared object state in shared memory. There is therefore no shutdown problem. Further, performance is enhanced because all processes access the shared object state in shared memory in what is essentially an in-process call. In an embodiment of the invention, a peer ownership manager acts as the object server for all shared objects whose object state resides in shared memory.

Abstract: In a method of separating carbon dioxide from a gas mixture, a liquid solvent flows down an array of vertical wires with the gas mixture flowing over the liquid. Once on the wire, the liquid quickly breaks up into drops of varying sizes, with each size moving down the wire at a different velocity. Large, faster moving drops overtake the small, slower moving drops to form even larger drops. As the drops fall, new drops are created behind the falling drops. Consequently, drops of a large range of sizes are forming, colliding, and mixing as they travel down the wire. During this process, gas molecules that have adsorbed onto the liquid surface are mixed into the interior of the solvent, resulting in highly effective mass transfer and gas absorption. This enhanced mass transfer allows greater flexibility in the choice of solvent and in the system design.

Abstract: A unit dose cleaning product comprising a capsule formed of a material capable of dissolving, disintegrating or dispersing in a wash liquor, the capsule being filled with a substantially non-aqueous liquid cleaning composition in an amount sufficient to clean a single wash load, said composition including an organic substance with forms of a complex with a transition metal, the complex being capable of catalysing bleaching of a substrate by atmospheric oxygen.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.

Abstract: A water soluble package in the form of a horizontal form-fill-seal envelope formed from a plastics film, the package containing a substantially non-aqueous liquid detergent composition having a viscosity of from 25 to 10,000 mPaS.

Abstract: The invention provides the ability to interactively select and configure a product among a set of related products based on availability and compatibility of features and options. It does not impose an order in the selection of products, features or options; only valid selections can be made at any time. To create an electronic representation of the product information to achieve the above goal, the invention provides a framework for defining a systems by defining the components of the system using elements contained in a parts catalog and defining relationships between the components of a system. A configuration system validates a configuration using the system definition, the current state of the configuration and user input.