Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – With oxygen – halogen – sulfur – or nitrogen containing or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2003-05-13
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
With oxygen, halogen, sulfur, or nitrogen containing or...
C510S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06562770
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a fragrance-containing gel capable of being mixed with and delivering fragrance from an aqueous structured liquid detergent composition. More importantly, this invention relates to a stable fragrance-containing gel and to a fragrance-containing homogeneous aqueous structured liquid detergent composition which contains said gel and which is characterized by its ability to provide enhanced deposition of such fragrance upon fabrics laundered therewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The addition of perfume to a liquid detergent composition to impart a pleasing aroma or fragrance to such detergent composition is well-known in the art. The presence of perfume provides an aesthetic benefit to the consumer upon use of the detergent composition and generally serves as a signal of freshness and cleanliness for laundered fabrics which contain a pleasing fragrance. However, notwithstanding the enhanced aroma of the detergent composition itself, relatively little of the perfume fragrance is imparted to fabrics during laundering. Primarily, this is because the perfume ingredients in the liquid composition are rapidly dispersed and diluted during laundering in the aqueous wash and rinse waters. Consequently, only a relatively limited amount of the perfume is available to contact the fabrics during washing, the major portion of the perfume being drained from the washing machine with the wash solution. There remains, therefore, a need in the art to improve the effectiveness of delivering perfume from a detergent composition to washed fabrics and to enhance the longevity of such fragrance on the fabrics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a stable fragrance-containing gel capable of being mixed with a fragrance-free base composition comprised of a homogeneous aqueous structured liquid detergent composition to form a pourable fragrance-containing homogeneous aqueous structured detergent composition which is characterized by being able to provide enhanced deposition and retention of said fragrance upon fabrics laundered with such fragrance-containing detergent composition as compared to laundering with an otherwise identical composition containing the same level of fragrance but in the absence of said fragrance-containing gel, said fragrance-containing gel comprising:
(a) a polyacrylic acid polymer having an average particle size below about 1 mm;
(b) water in an amount sufficient to form a gel with said polymer;
(c) a fragrance dispersed within said gel; and
(d) a nonionic surfactant in an amount sufficient to emulsify said fragrance and enhance its dispersion within said gel to provide a stable fragrance-containing gel.
There is also provided in accordance with the present invention a fragrance-containing homogeneous aqueous structured liquid detergent composition which is capable of providing enhanced deposition of fragrance upon fabrics laundered with such detergent composition comprising:
(a) a homogeneous structured liquid detergent composition; and
(b) a stable fragrance-containing gel comprising (i) a polyacrylic acid polymer having an average particle size below about 1 mm; (ii) water in an amount sufficient to form a gel with said polymer; (iii) a fragrance dispersed within said gel; and (iv) a nonionic surfactant in an amount sufficient to emulsify said fragrance and enhance its dispersion within said gel to provide a stable fragrance-containing gel, whereby said liquid detergent composition is able to provide enhanced deposition of fragrance upon laundered fabrics as compared to laundering with an otherwise identical composition containing the same level of fragrance but in the absence of said fragrance-containing gel.
The polyacrylic acid polymer is preferably at least partly neutralized either in-situ or during preparation.
In accordance with the method aspect of the invention there is provided a method of laundering fabrics comprising the step of contacting such fabrics with an effective amount of the fragrance-containing homogeneous aqueous structured liquid detergent composition defined above.
There is also provided a method of preparing a fragrance-containing gel comprising in sequence the steps of:
(a) providing a polyacrylic acid polymer having an average particle size below about 1 mm;
(b) adding said polyacrylic acid polymer to water with mixing to form a uniform dispersion of said polymer in water;
(c) adding a fragrance oil or a perfume with mixing to the aqueous uniform dispersion of step (b) to form a homogeneous dispersion of said fragrance oil or perfume in the water phase;
(d) adding a nonionic emulsifier with mixing to the homogenous dispersion of step (c) to emulsify said fragrance oil or perfume; and
(e) adding a basic solution with mixing to the homogeneous dispersion of step (d) in an amount sufficient to at least partially neutralize the polyacrylic acid and to sufficiently thicken the composition.
The present invention is predicated on several unexpected discoveries: principally, (1) that a stable fragrance-containing gel can be prepared in accordance with the invention, which gel remains stable upon addition to and mixing with a fragrance-free homogeneous structured liquid detergent composition; and (2) that the resultant fragrance-containing structured detergent composition remains stable and pourable and is capable of effectively delivering perfume to washed fabrics such that the intensity and longevity of fragrance upon washed fabrics is significantly enhanced as compared to laundering with an otherwise identical composition containing the same level (percentage) of fragrance, but in the absence of said fragrance-containing gel.
The term “perfume” as used herein refers to odoriferous materials which are able to provide a pleasing fragrance to fabrics, and encompasses conventional materials commonly used in detergent compositions to counteract a malodor in such compositions and/or provide a pleasing fragrance thereto. The perfumes are preferably in the liquid state at ambient temperature, although solid perfumes are also useful. Included among the perfumes contemplated for use herein are materials such as aldehydes, ketones, esters and the like which are conventionally employed to impart a pleasing fragrance to liquid and granular deterent compositions. Naturally ocurring plant and animal oils are also commonly used as components of perfumes. Accordingly, the perfumes useful for the present invention may have relatively simple compositions or may comprise complex mixtures of natural and synthetic chemical components, all of which are intended to provide a pleasant odor or fragrance when applied to fabrics. The perfumes used in detergent compositions are generally selected to meet normal requirements of odor, stability, price and commercial availability. The term “fragrance” is often used herein to signify a perfume itself, rather than the aroma imparted by such perfume.
The term “structured liquid detergent composition” as used herein refers to detergent compositions in which the aqueous base, the detergent active material (surfactant) and electrolyte form a structuring system with solid suspending properties while remaining pourable. One particular form of such a structuring system is where the detergent active materials are dispersions of lamellar droplets in an aqueous phase which contains a building electrolyte. These lamellar droplets are often referred to as an onion-like configuration or layering of surfactant molecules. A more complete description of structured liquid detergents may be found in the publication “Liquid Detergents” by J. C. van de Pas et al., Tenside Surf. Det. 28 (1991) at pages 158-162, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Structured liquid detergent compositions are typically opaque (non-transparent) compositions containing electrolyte builders, one or more surfactants in the form of a multi-lamellar structure (or a layering of surfactant molecules), and which compositions are highly viscous at room temperature, typical, Brookfield viscosities being in the range o
Farooq Amjad
Heibel Marija
Mastrull Jeff
Mehreteab Ammanuel
Miller Lynne
Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Hardee John
Lieberman Bernard
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