Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Heterogeneous arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2003-04-01
Gupta, Yogendra N. (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Heterogeneous arrangement
C510S367000, C510S375000, C510S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541439
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In recent years all-purpose liquid detergents have become widely accepted for cleaning hard surfaces, e.g., painted woodwork and panels, tiled walls, wash bowls, bathtubs, linoleum or tile floors, washable wall paper, etc. Such all-purpose liquids comprise clear and opaque aqueous mixtures of water-soluble synthetic organic detergents and water-soluble detergent builder salts. In order to achieve comparable cleaning efficiency with granular or powdered all-purpose cleaning compositions, use of water-soluble inorganic phosphate builder salts was favored in the prior art all-purpose liquids. For example, such early phosphate-containing compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,839; 3,234,138; 3,350,319; and British Patent No. 1,223,739.
In view of the environmentalist's efforts to reduce phosphate levels in ground water, improved all-purpose liquids containing reduced concentrations of inorganic phosphate builder salts or non-phosphate builder salts have appeared. A particularly useful self-opacified liquid of the latter type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,840.
However, these prior art all-purpose liquid detergents containing detergent builder salts or other equivalent tend to leave films, spots or streaks on cleaned unrinsed surfaces, particularly shiny surfaces. Thus, such liquids require thorough rinsing of the cleaned surfaces which is a time-consuming chore for the user.
In order to overcome the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art all-purpose liquid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,409 teaches that a mixture of paraffin sulfonate and a reduced concentration of inorganic phosphate builder salt should be employed. However, such compositions are not completely acceptable from an environmental point of view based upon the phosphate content. On the other hand, another alternative to achieving phosphate-free all-purpose liquids has been to use a major proportion of a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents with minor amounts of glycol ether solvent and organic amine as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,130. Again, this approach has not been completely satisfactory and the high levels of organic detergents necessary to achieve cleaning cause foaming which, in turn, leads to the need for thorough rinsing which has been found to be undesirable to today's consumers.
Another approach to formulating hard surfaced or all-purpose liquid detergent composition where product homogeneity and clarity are important considerations involves the formation of oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions which contain one or more surface-active detergent compounds, a water-immiscible solvent (typically a hydrocarbon solvent), water and a “cosurfactant” compound which provides product stability. By definition, an o/w microemulsion is a spontaneously forming colloidal dispersion of “oil” phase particles having a particle size in the range of 25 to 800 Å in a continuous aqueous phase.
In view of the extremely fine particle size of the dispersed oil phase particles, microemulsions are transparent to light and are clear and usually highly stable against phase separation.
Patent disclosures relating to use of grease-removal solvents in o/w microemulsions include, for example, European Patent Applications EP 0137615 and EP 0137616—Herbots et al; European Patent Application EP 0160762—Johnston et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,991—Herbots et al. Each of these patent disclosures also teaches using at least 5% by weight of grease-removal solvent.
It also is known from British Patent Application GB 2144763A to Herbots et al, published March 13, 1985, that magnesium salts enhance grease-removal performance of organic grease-removal solvents, such as the terpenes, in o/w microemulsion liquid detergent compositions. The compositions of this invention described by Herbots et al. require at least 5% of the mixture of grease-removal solvent and magnesium salt and preferably at least 5% of solvent (which may be a mixture of water-immiscible non-polar solvent with a sparingly soluble slightly polar solvent) and at least 0.1% magnesium salt.
However, since the amount of water immiscible and sparingly soluble components which can be present in an o/w microemulsion, with low total active ingredients without impairing the stability of the microemulsion is rather limited (for example, up to 18% by weight of the aqueous phase), the presence of such high quantities of grease-removal solvent tend to reduce the total amount of greasy or oily soils which can be taken up by and into the microemulsion without causing phase separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,319 teaches a water soluble sachet containing a cleaning composition containing an alcohol and hexylene glycol.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,541 teaches a dishwashing composition disposed in a water soluble film, wherein the water soluble film is coated with a water dissolvable glue.
UK Patent Application GB2355269A teaches a pouched liquid cleaning composition containing an alkoxylated amine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,776 teaches a pouched liquid cleaning composition containing a quaternary ammonium compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,319 teaches a pouched liquid cleaning composition containing an alkylene glycol.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a cleaning system comprising a water soluble sachet containing a powdered cleaning composition having excellent high foaming properties and excellent grease cutting property which, when diluted in a bucket, is suitable for cleaning hard surfaces such as plastic, vitreous and metal surfaces having a shiny finish, oil stained floors, automotive engines and other engines. More particularly, the improved cleaning compositions, with excellent high foaming properties and excellent grease cutting property exhibit good grease soil removal properties due to the improved interfacial tensions, when used diluted and leave the cleaned surfaces shiny without the need of or requiring only minimal additional rinsing or wiping. The latter characteristic is evidenced by little or no visible residues on the unrinsed cleaned surfaces and, accordingly, overcomes one of the disadvantages of prior art products.
In one aspect, the invention generally provides a stable, water soluble sachet made of a water soluble thermoplastic wherein the sachet contains a powdered cleaning composition which comprises approximately by weight:(a) 10% to 20% of an anionic surfactant;(b)0.1% to 5% of a nonionic surfactant;(c)5% to 15% of a salt;(d)15% to 30% of an alpha hydroxy aliphatic acid such as citric acid;(e)0.1% to 1.5% of a perfume;(f)20% to 40% of an alkali metal bicarbonate; and(g)1% to 15% of a bleach compound, wherein the composition does not contain more than 7 wt. %, more preferably 5 wt. % of water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a water soluble sachet containing a unit dose of a powdered cleaning composition wherein the water soluble sachet is formed from a single layer of film water soluble thermo plastic such as a polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the inner layer of the film is in contact with the cleaning composition and the external layer of the film does not have a water soluble glue disposed thereon.
The powdered cleaning composition contained in the water soluble sachet comprises approximately by weight:(a)10% to 20%, more preferably 12% to 18% of an anionic surfactant;(b)0.1% to 5%, more preferably 0.2% to 3% of a nonionic surfactant; (c)5% to 15%, more preferably 7% to 13% of a multivalent salt;(d)15% to 30%, more preferably 18% to 27% of an alpha hydroxy aliphatic acid such as citric acid;(e)0.1% to 1.5%, more preferably 0.3% to 1.3% of a perfume;(f)20% to 40%, more preferably 25% to 35% of an alkali metal bicarbonate; and(g)1% to 15%, more preferably 4% to 14% of a bleach compound.
As used herein and in the appended claims the term “perfume” is used in its ordinary sense to refer to and include any non-water soluble fragrant substance or mixture of substances including natural (i.e., obtained by extraction of flower, herb, blossom or plant), artificial (i.e., mixture of natural oils or oil constituents) and
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Gupta Yogendra N.
Nanfeldt Richard E.
Petruncio John M.
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