Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Liquid composition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2002-08-27
Kopec, Mark (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Liquid composition
C510S120000, C510S123000, C510S125000, C510S127000, C510S131000, C510S135000, C510S140000, C510S158000, C510S403000, C510S426000, C510S439000, C424S070240, C424S070190, C424S070210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06440923
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to detergent compositions suitable for topical application for cleansing the human body, such as the skin and hair. In particular, it relates to self foaming gel compositions, conveniently propellant driven and of the “bag-in-can” variety, which are suitable for use as cleansing compositions, and in particular for use as shower gels, which are formulated to give mild cleansing and optionally conditioning of the skin, and which are dispensed as a gel but generate a foam which is rich and feels luxurious to use.
Self foaming gel compositions formulated to cleanse the skin are well known. Such products may be considered superior to mousse type cleaning products, which suffer from the disadvantage that when applying a pre-formed mousse onto the skin, the mousse tends to break down and dissipate quickly, without providing substantive lather. In contrast, self-foaming compositions are dispensed initially as viscous liquids or gels, which generate copious amounts of lather as they are spread over the skin and optionally rubbed.
It is also known to formulate products which provide in particular a cleansing benefit, which are in the form of a bag in can gel composition. For example, WO 97/03646 discloses a bag in can cleansing composition which contains a base composition which has a viscosity of at least 9,500 cps, which in practice is achieved by the use of a specified thickener. The composition is said to have superior properties by virtue of the relatively high viscosity, in terms of improved stability and the ability to incorporate higher levels of volatile self foaming agent.
A variety of problems have been found to be associated with such bag in can gel compositions. A particular problem relates to the manufacture of such compositions, and especially how to dose into a bag in can arrangement a gel composition which is not so viscous so as to cause problems in the dosing of that composition, and/or to require the use of specialist equipment to dose the composition. In particular, it is clear from the teaching of WO97/03646 that the composition is required to have a minimum viscosity of 9,500 cps. As such, the composition is difficult to process and dose on conventional filling lines.
An associated problem is that in preparing surfactant based gel compositions which subsequently have a self foaming volatile component (such as a liquifiable propellant gas) dosed into them, a number of these compositions experience a drop in viscosity when the self foaming volatile component is dosed into them. This can be disadvantageous, since it is desirable that the product as dispensed has a good, relatively viscous gel structure. This in turn is so that the dispensed product will not only have good manipulation properties for the user, but also so that the relatively rigid gel structure is able to accommodate a relatively high amount of self foaming agent (e.g. liquifiable propellant gas), and to entrap it relatively well. This is so that the resulting product foams well when lathered (by virtue of the relatively high content of volatile component), but also so that it does not foam prematurely after being dispensed.
It is thought that because of the phenomena described of thinning when the propellant gas is dosed that it is necessary for the base composition to have a relatively high initial viscosity, such that any thinning of the product when propellant gas is dosed which does occur is not too deleterious to the properties of the final product as dispensed.
GB-A-2,213,160 describes a soap free post foaming gel composition comprising a major amount of water, 3-23% of a water soluble anionic alkali metal alkyl ether sulphate surfactant, 1-24% of dispersible nonionic ethoxylated fatty alcohol or fatty ester, and 5-20% saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon foaming agent, with the anionic surfactant and the ethoxylated fatty alcohol or ester being present in pre-determined ratios. Compositions according to this teaching are based on the specific combination of the anionic and nonionic surfactants, i.e. the alkyl ether sulphate and the nonionic ethoxylated fatty alcohol or fatty ester, and the criticality of each ingredient in the composition is clearly referred to.
A further problem which may be encountered relates to the stability of such cleansing compositions, especially those compositions which are based on non-soap surfactants. Regarding scap-based compositions, post foaming shaving gels employing soap based formulations are well known in the art. However, fundamentally it is desirable to create a cleansing composition based on non-soap surfactants, since by eliminating or reducing any soap to a low level the mildness of the composition may be improved. However, the inclusion of only a low level of soap means that it can be relatively difficult to structure and stabilise the cleansing composition.
We have found a way of formulating such self foaming gel or viscous liquid compositions such that they can deliver effective cleansing and optionally conditioning of the skin, are relatively easy to manufacture, and also have the desired stability and structure characteristics.
Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a packaged aqueous self foaming liquid cleansing composition comprising a base composition comprising a surfactant selected from anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, zwitterionic or cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, a hydrophobic component, and a post foaming agent, wherein the composition is substantially free of soap and thickens on the addition of the post foaming agent to the base composition.
Compositions according to the invention may conveniently be packaged in a so-called bag in can package, in which the cleansing composition is packaged inside a flexible bag, which is itself disposed in a can, with a suitable propellant gas located between the can and bag which pressurises the composition in the bag to a degree where it can be dispersed from suitable hardware.
Alternatively, the composition can be packaged in a pressurised bladder type package, in which the composition is packaged in what amounts to an elasticated bladder, which bladder maintains the contents of the bladder under positive pressure. This pressure is sufficient to cause the contents of the bladder to be dispensed via a closure mechanism located in the package.
In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the aqueous composition, shortly prior to being mixed with the self foaming agent, and subsequently being dosed into the product package, has a viscosity of less than 9,000 mPa.s, preferably less than 8,000 mPa.s, more preferably less than 5,000 mPa.s, and even more preferably less than 3,000 mPa.s. It is also highly preferred that packaged composition is prepared by preparing the aqueous base portion of the composition as a somewhat viscous liquid, but excluding the post foaming agent. Just prior (say within 1 minute, preferably with in 10 seconds, preferably within 1 second) to dosing the aqeuous composition into the package of the arrangement (which in the case of a bag in can package is conveniently already located within the can), the post foaming agent is dosed into the aqueous composition, which is then rapidly dosed into a suitable container, such as e.g. a bag within the dispensing package.
However, compositions according to the invention typically thicken on the addition of self foaming agent to form a viscous gel, such that the dispensed composition has good handling and sensory properties, and also such that it retains the post foaming agent well after being dispensed.
By manufacturing the composition in this manner, it is possible to make the aqueous base such that it has a relatively low viscosity, and is therefore easy to process. However, introduction of the post foaming agent into the composition just prior to dosing the composition into the container ensures that any thickening of the composition, which is desirable bearing in mind that the form of the dispensed composition is as a viscous liquid or gel, does not occur until the
Lyle Ian Gardner
Salmon Tom Matthew
Schopper-Martens Margrit
Winterot Elisabeth
Koatz Ronald A.
Kopec Mark
Mruk Brian P.
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA , division of Conopco, Inc.
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