Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – With nondrying treating of material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-17
2003-08-12
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
With nondrying treating of material
C034S331000, C034S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604297
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device for freshening fabrics inside a tumble dryer, in particular a device which is reusable and attaches to the inside of the tumble dryer door.
In the treatment of fabrics in a tumble dryer it is known to add one or more conditioning agents. For instance, for imparting a softening benefit to fabrics it is known from CA 1,005,204 to co-mingle fabrics in a tumble dryer with a flexible substrate carrying a normally solid fabric conditioning agent. In co-mingling fabrics with impregnated substrates, however, there is a risk that the conditioner may not be evenly distributed. Furthermore, the co-mingling of the fabrics with impregnated substrates requires the separation of the substrate from the fabrics after the completion of the tumble dryer treatment. Especially in using flexible substrates, this separation is often time-consuming in that the substrates cannot readily be located. Other disadvantages of such products include uneven product distribution following entanglement of the substrate with fabrics and the tendency of such substrates to “post” over the tumble dryer vent, thus giving virtually no benefit to the fabrics during a tumble drying cycle. Furthermore, these products are designed for single use only and therefore need to be replaced after every cycle.
For overcoming these problems it has been suggested, for instance in GB 2,066,309 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,947, to use conditioner dispensing articles, comprising means for attachment of the substrate to the tumble dryer wall. Other proposals, such as for instance disclosed in GB 1,399,728 involve the use of separate means for attaching the conditioning article to the tumble dryer wall.
EP-B-361593 concerns an alternative approach in which a fabric conditioning article comprises a combination of a substrate and a fabric conditioning composition, the substrate being a porous material with a specified void volume and cell count. The article of EP-B-361593 is designed to adhere to the tumble dryer wall.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved article suitable for freshening fabrics in a tumble dryer.
According to the present invention, there is provided a device for freshening fabrics in a tumble dryer during multiple tumble drying cycles comprising: a reservoir for storing a fabric freshening composition having at least a perfume component, means to expose fabric freshening composition from the reservoir to airflow generated inside the tumble drier thereby transferring a portion of the fabric freshening component into contact with fabrics in the tumble dryer during a tumble drying cycle and means for attaching the device to the inside of the tumble dryer door.
Optionally the fabric freshening composition may also provide conditioning and/or other benefits to the fabrics inside the tumble dryer during a tumble drying cycle.
The device of the present invention has a number of advantages over prior art devices. It is easier for a user to affix a device to the inside of the tumble dryer door, which swings open to face the user during loading and unloading of the tumble dryer, than it is to affix a device inside the tumble dryer drum as is the case with prior art devices. Once affixed to the inside of the tumble dryer door the device of the invention is clearly visible to the user during loading and unloading of the tumble dryer. The device of the invention preferably comprises means for indicating to the user when the fabric freshening composition is used up, thus enabling the user to determine when the fabric freshening composition or the device itself needs replacing. Attachment of the device to the tumble dryer door makes it easier to replace or refill the device when the fabric freshening composition is used up than is the case with prior art devices attached to the tumble dryer drum.
The device according to the invention may comprise a reservoir which is designed to be replaced when the fabric freshening composition is used up. For example, the reservoir may be provided in the form of a disposable plastic pot or carton with a peelable lid.
Alternatively, the reservoir may be designed to be recharged with a new fabric freshening composition when required. In this case the reservoir has an openable portion for charging and, if necessary, discharging the fabric freshening composition. For example, the reservoir may be provided in the form of an openable compartment into which may be placed a block or semi-permeable sachet of fabric freshening composition. Suitable materials for the reservoir include polypropylene.
The fabric freshening composition may be in the form of a liquid, solid or gel. The composition essentially comprises a perfume and may also comprise one or more perfume solubilisers.
Suitable perfume solubilisers include surfactants, particularly nonionic surfactants such as alcohol ethoxylates, but also anionic, cationic, zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactants which may be used either alone or in combination with each other or with nonionic surfactants.
Other suitable perfume solubilisers include semi-polar solvents such as dipropylene glycol, butyl digol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol monobutyl ether and combinations thereof.
However, it is also possible to use a soluble perfume in the fabric freshening composition, in which case it may not be necessary to use a perfume solubiliser.
Optional ingredients in the fabric freshening composition (which may provide conditioning or other benefits) include:
Antistatic Agents:
e.g. surfactants, particularly cationic, phosphate esters, silicones, polymers
Garment Care Agents:
Softening agents e.g. cationic, Quaternary salts, particularly Di long chain ester quats, nonionics, fatty acids, alcohols and amines, clays.
Shape retention e.g. thermoplastic elastomers, (e.g. PMMA—polymethylmethacrylic acid), cationic, quaternary salts, polymers, cross-linked polymers.
Easy Iron Agents:
Anti wrinkle agents e.g. silicones, polyolefin dispersions, starch, hydrophilic polymers, cross-linked polymers
Iron glide agents e.g. silicones, ester oils, hydrocarbons, lubricants
Improved Cleaning Performance Agents:
Anti redeposition agents e.g. SCMC (sodium carboxymethylcellulose), PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, PET/POET (polyethylene terephthalate/polyoxyethylene terephthalate (e.g. Aquaperle)
Soil/stain agents release e.g. Cellulose ethers, SCMC, Fluorocarbons
Fluorescers e.g. Tinopal DMS-X- Tinopal CBS-X
Colour Care Agents:
Reduced fibrilation agents e.g. quaternary salts, cationic polymers, cellulosic polymers enzymes (e.g. cellulose type)
Anti Dye transfer agents e.g. PVP, PVI (polyvinyl imidazoline), PVP-NO (polyvinyl pyridine-N-oxide
Dye fixers e.g. amino functional polymers, polymeric quats, metal ions
Anti ash agents e.g. polyacrilates, sequestrants (e.g. EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid), EDDS (ethylene diamine disuccinic acid), EHDP (ethane 1-hydroxy,1,1-diphosphonic acid))
UV absorbants e.g. Parsol MCX, Uvinul, Tinuvin 871
Sequestrants e.g. heavy metals sequestrants (e.g. Copper), Dequest 2047, EDDS
Chlorine scavengers e.g. ammonium salts, thisulfate
Hygiene Agents:
Antibacterials/antifungals e.g. Triclosan, Diclosan, TCC (trichlorocarbanilide)
Antioxidants e.g. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Odour Neutralization e.g. cyclodextrins, deo perfumes, activated charcoal, bicarbonate, zeolites, vermiculites
Machine Care Agents:
Corrosion inhibitors e.g. silicates, BTA (Benzotriazole), lubricants
Skin Care Agents:
Moisturising/Humectants ingredients e.g. silicones, ester oils, glycerol, polyols, urea, cationic polymers
Ancillary ingredients:
Preservatives e.g. Kathon, BIT (1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one), Miacide, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyetol, Parabens, Glydant
Thickening polymers/agents e.g. Polyacrilates, Carbomer, Cellulose ethers, CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), Xantham Gum, Guar Gums, electrolytes
Hydrotropes e.g. ethanol, IPA (isopropyl alcohol), Propilene Glycol DPG (dipropylene glycol), Glycerol, SXS (sodium xylene sulphonate), SCS (sodium cumen (isopropylbenzene)sulphonate), urea
Solvents
Hagemann Uwe
Hayes Steven
Honey Raymond
Kerr Colin Watt
Lazarus Ira S.
Rinehart K. B.
Stein Kevin J.
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA , division of Conopco, Inc.
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