Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-20
2004-09-14
Mruk, Brian P. (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S238000, C510S239000, C510S240000, C510S226000, C510S362000, C510S392000, C510S413000, C510S421000, C510S475000, C510S492000, C510S499000, C510S523000, C134S025200, C134S025300, C134S038000, C134S039000, C134S040000, C134S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06790818
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to hand dishwashing composition designed and formulated to dissolve at a faster rate than previous composition of similar viscosity.
BACKGROUND
Liquid compositions are often designed to be used in diluted form. It is therefore necessary that the composition dissolves in water. In some cases, especially detergent compositions, the composition are thickened. Thickened compositions have several benefits, including: easier dispensing because they permit better control and accuracy of the dispensing process; improved dispersion of the composition over a surface; improved cling on non-horizontal surfaces. In addition to the technical reasons for using a thickened composition, consumers tend to equate composition thickness with richness and quality of cleaning performance.
Liquid compositions, especially thickened compositions can have the problem of poor mixing and dissolution in water. A composition that does not dissolve sufficiently quickly will give poorer cleaning and sudsing performance until the product has dissolved. This is not desirable, especially in the context of hand dishwashing where consumers rely on the appearance of suds to signal that the composition is active. In addition, poorly dissolving compositions do not rinse well from the hard surfaces such as dishware, especially glassware, leaving the surface feeling slippery or slimy. The consumer is therefore forced to use greater quantities of water to remove the residual composition from the surface.
Thickened hand dishwashing compositions are known in the prior art for example: Pril Gel sold by Henkel; Persil sold by Unilever; Palmolive Pots and Pans sold by Colgate and Palmolive, Power Max sold by Colgate and Palmolive. However these compositions dissolve more slowly and demonstrate the problems discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a composition which dissolves in water at a faster rate that compositions described in the prior art having similar viscosity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a composition suitable for use as a foaming hand dishwashing composition comprising a hydrophobic polymer having molecular weight of at least 500 and comprising alkylene oxide moieties, with the proviso that the composition does not comprise greater than 5% by weight of the composition of a builder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The compositions of the present invention may be suitable for use in cleaning hard surfaces such as dishware including dishes, cups, cutlery, glassware, food storage containers, cutlery, cooking utensils, sinks and other kitchen surfaces. Dishwashing compositions are designed so as to foam, since consumers have been found to use the signal of foam as an indicator that the composition is active and ready to be used.
The cleaning composition, may be in any suitable form for example gel, paste or liquid. The cleaning composition may be in liquid form. Moreover the cleaning composition may be in liquid aqueous form. Where present water can be present at a level of from 30 to 80% by weight of the cleaning composition and/or from 40 to 70% and/or from 45 to 65%. The composition may have any suitable pH. In another embodiment, the pH of the composition can be adjusted to between 4 and 14. In even another embodiment, the composition can have a pH of between 7 and 13, and/or between 7 and 10. The pH of the composition can be adjusted using pH modifying ingredients known in the art.
The composition of the present invention may be thickened and can have a viscosity of greater than 300 and/or greater than 500 cps when measured at 20° C. The present invention excludes compositions which are in the form of microemulsions.
Hydrophobic Polymer
The hydrophobic polymer of the present invention can be defined as a polymer having alkylene oxide moieties and an average molecular weight of at least 500 and/or at least 800. In one embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer has an average molecular weight of less than 10,000 and/or less than 5000 and/or less than 2000. In one embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer of the present invention can be defined as a polymer having alkylene oxide moieties and an average molecular weight of from 800 to 5000. In another embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer of the present invention can be defined as a polymer having alkylene oxide moieties and an average molecular weight of from 900 to 2000. In yet another embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer of the present invention can be defined as a polymer having alkylene oxide moieties and an average molecular weight of from 1000 to 1500. Nonlimiting examples of such hydrophobic polymers are polymeric glycols, which comprise alkylene oxide moieties, embodiments of which include, but are not limited to alkylene oxide moieties selected from ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PrO), butylene oxide (BO), pentylene oxide (PeO) and hexylene oxide (HO) moieties and mixtures thereof. However where ethylene oxide moieties are present they may be present in combination with another more hydrophobic moiety, for example propylene oxide or butylene oxide. In one embodiment, these hydrophobic polymers can be formed by adding blocks of alkylene oxide moieties to the ends of polypropylene glycol chains or other suitable alcohol. For example the polymer can be formed by reacting methanol with the alkylene oxide. In another embodiment, these hydrophobic polymers can be formed by reacting a mixture of alkylene oxide moieties with a suitable alcohol in a random fashion. Alternatively, these polymers can be made by polymerization of alkylene oxide groups, preferably PrO groups, or EO and PrO, or BO groups, with initiators that are commonly used for this reaction as known in the art.
In one embodiment, the polymeric glycol can be a polyproylene glycol. In one embodiment, the polypropylene glycol has an average molecular weight of at least 500 and/or from 500 to 10 000 and/or from 1000 and 5000 and/or from 1000 to 2500 and/or from 1500 to 2500. In another embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer can be a polybutylene glycol. In one embodiment, the polybutylene glycol has an average molecular weight of at least 500 and/or from 500 to 5000 and/or from 1000 to 4000 and/or from 1500 to 2500. In yet another embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer can be a polyhexylene glycol. In one embodiment, the polyhexylene glycol has an average molecular weight of at least 500 and/or from 800 to 5000 and/or from 1000 to 4000 and/or from 1500 to 2500.
The hydrophobic polymers of the present invention when incorporated into foaming liquid hand dishwashing compositions of the present invention prevent and/or reduce gelling and/or thickening of the liquid detergent compositions taught herein. Gelling has previously been observed in liquid detergent products prepared without the hydrophobic polymer as defined in the present invention, when the products are first contacted and diluted with water. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that this gelling phenomenon results from the surfactant system forming viscous surfactant phases (typically lamellar, spherulitic or hexagonal phases) at certain concentrations of surfactants and water. Alkylene oxide-containing compounds, especially butylenes oxide-containing compounds, have traditionally been used as non-foaming surfactants or suds suppressers. However the Applicants of the present invention have found that the polymers as described herein can be used in foaming hand dishwashing compositions to improve dissolution of the composition without significantly affecting the sudsing ability of the composition.
Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the hydrophobic polymers described above prevent the formation of the viscous surfactant phases formed upon dilution, because they can effectively interact with the ordered, structured layers of surfactant molecules, disrupt them and promote the formation of isotropic low-viscosity surfactant phases.
The hydrophobic polymers of the present invention may comprise on aver
Bodet Jean-Francois
Borgonjon Patrice Mark Luc
Pommiers Baptiste
Sivik Mark Robert
Cook C. Brant
Mruk Brian P.
Procter & Gamble Company
Wei-Berk Caroline
Zerby Kim W.
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