Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-24
2004-04-27
Douyon, Lorna M. (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S120000, C510S220000, C510S406000, C510S439000, C424S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06727215
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Great Britain Application No. 0018055.4, filed Jul. 24, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an article comprising a first pouch made from a water-soluble film. The present invention also relates to an article for providing sequential release of at least two different compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cleaning products and fabric care products can be found on the market in various forms, such as granular compositions, liquid compositions and tablets. It is also known to put cleaning products in unit dose sachets, which can be water-soluble or water-permeable, to release the product when added to water. Such sachets, for example laundry sachets, may have two compartments, which each comprise different ingredients, typically ingredients which are not compatible with one another. These compartments are typically attached to another.
We have found an improved way of delivering a sachet comprising two compartments or more with for example different compositions per compartment. This new sachet or article of the invention comprises a first pouch made from a water-reactive (soluble) film, which comprising in its interior a first composition and an another pouch made also made from a water-reactive (soluble) film, containing a second composition. The second pouch is completely enclosed by the first pouch.
The article of the invention combines all advantages of single compartment pouches with the advantages of dual (or more) compartment pouches. The advantages of the article of the invention and the way of making it, include for example: the second pouch is not in contact with the external environment (air) and is thus better protected; the first pouch and first composition dissolve before the second pouch and second composition, which provides an easy way to deliver ingredients sequentially to the (wash) water; the article has reduced seals on the outside surface, so reduced chance of leakage through the seals; ease of making these new articles; reduced process complexity (compared to attaching compartments to one another); and it is even possible to reduce the amount of pouch material needed. Also, the second pouch and also the articles as a whole are much more impact robust, as compared to pouches with separate compartments attached to another (for example, the compressive force required to expel liquid from the second pouch in such an article is much higher, e.g. 50% or more, depending on the execution).
Also, in the case of a second pouch containing a liquid which is contained within a first powder-containing pouch, the powder can easily absorb any small amount of liquid leaking from the second pouch, and/or the resulting article is much less susceptible to minor leaking from second pouch. In the case of a liquid-containing pouch within a liquid containing pouch, only the first pouch is susceptible to leaking to the external environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an article comprising a first pouch made of a water-reactive material which comprises in its interior
a) a first solid or liquid composition; and
b) a second pouch made of a water-reactive material comprising in its interior a second solid or liquid composition.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a first pouch contains therein a first composition and a second pouch contains therein a second composition. The first pouch is made of a material which releases the first composition significantly earlier than the second pouch releases the second composition. Preferably, the first composition is a builder composition, while the second composition is a fabric care composition, fabric cleaning composition, or hard surface cleaning composition. Such an embodiment preferably employs a first pouch which quickly dissolves and/or ruptures to release the first composition, and a second pouch which dissolves and/or ruptures more slowly to release the second composition. This arrangement provides especially useful benefits, such as allowing sequential water softening and subsequent cleaning. Furthermore, as the first pouch dissolves and/or ruptures before the second pouch, in this embodiment the first pouch need not contain therein the second pouch; and yet this embodiment also provides for sequential release of the contents of the first composition and then the second composition.
The invention also relates to a process for making such an article; this process preferably comprises the step of making the first and/or second pouch by vacuum-forming or thermoforming.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Article and Pouches
The article of the invention, comprises at least two pouches, and in a preferred embodiment, at least one pouch completely encloses at least one other pouch. The pouches herein are a closed structure, each having an interior (a volume space) comprising therein a liquid or solid composition. These pouches can be of any form, shape and material which is suitable to hold the composition, e.g. without allowing the release of the composition from the pouch prior to contacting the pouch with water. The first and/or second pouch may comprise, in addition to the second pouch, additional (third and further) pouches containing a third and further composition. The exact execution of the article will depend on, for example, the type and amount of the composition in each pouch, the number of pouches, the characteristics required from the article or pouches to hold, protect and deliver or release the compositions.
Each pouch comprises a liquid or solid composition, which may be any composition, to be delivered to form a solution (typically in water) and which can benefit from this article arrangement or delivery form, but preferred are fabric care, or cleaning compositions, as described herein after. Typical are either compositions having actives to be delivered to water at different moments (sequential release) and/or actives to be separate from one another for any reason, such as chemical or physical stability of these actives or the composition as a whole.
The article may be of such a size that it conveniently contains either a unit dose amount of the composition herein, suitable for the required operation, for example one wash, or only a partial dose, to allow the consumer greater flexibility to vary the amount used, for example depending on the size and/or degree of soiling of the wash load. The second pouch contained in the first pouch is of course smaller than this first pouch. Exact sizes will depend on how much each pouch need to contain and thus how much volume is required. Because the invention is useful for delivering a specific active at a later stage or protecting a specific active form the external environments (air) or from other actives in the other pouch, the second pouch typically has a relative small volume, for example less than 50% or even less than 30% or even less than 20% of the volume of the first pouch, and typically more than 3%, preferably more than 5%. Of course, this equally applies for any further pouches contained in the first pouch, and the same volume ratio applies preferably for further pouches contained in the second pouch. When the article is for use in a washing or dish washing machine and may need to be dispensed to the water via a dispensing drawer, it is useful that the second pouch is of such a size that it can dispense into the wash water through the small holes in the drawer, in particular when the article is for sequential release of product and is made such that the first pouch dissolves in the dispensing drawer and the second pouch does not dissolve in the drawer, but is dispensed completely in to the wash water.
The pouches are made from a water-reactive material. For the purpose of the invention, water-reactive material means material which either dissolves, ruptures, disperses or disintegrates (or mixtures thereof) upon contact with water, releasing thereby the composition. Preferably, the material is water-soluble.
The
Liu Derek Dasong
Roberts Nigel Patrick Somerville
Song James
Tan Xiao Liang
Douyon Lorna M.
Dressman Marianne
Matth ws Armina E.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
William Zerby Kim
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