Method of removing wrinkles from fabric

Details Method of removing wrinkles from fabric Method of removing wrinkles from fabric

2002-12-02

2003-11-11

Green, Anthony J. (Department: 1755)

Compositions

Compositions for enhancing the appearance of consumer...

C038S144000, C252S008610, C427S370000, C427S393200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06645392

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to utilizing dispensers with optimal spray patterns for reducing staining and the drying time associated with aqueous wrinkle spray compositions. The present invention also relates to aqueous compositions suitable for use in such sprayers, articles of manufacture optionally including a set of instructions and a method of use for removing and/or reducing wrinkles using optimal sprayers and wrinkle removing compositions
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wrinkles in textile fabrics are caused by the bending and creasing of the textile material which places an external portion of a filament in a yarn under tension while the internal portion of that filament in the yarn is placed under compression. Particularly with cotton fabrics, the hydrogen bonding that occurs between the cellulose molecules contributes to keeping wrinkles in place. The wrinkling of fabric, in particular clothing and certain household fabrics, is therefore subject to the inherent tensional elastic deformation and recovery properties of the fibers which constitute the yarn and fabrics.
In the modern world, with the increase of hustle and bustle and travel, there is a demand for a quick fix which will help to diminish the labor involved in home laundering and/or the cost and time involved in dry cleaning or commercial laundering. This has brought additional pressure to bear on textile technologists to produce a product that will sufficiently reduce wrinkles in fabrics, especially clothing and household fabrics, and to produce a good appearance through a simple, convenient application of a product.
To further enhance the convenience of such a product, the product should not have a tendency to stain fabrics or this will detract from acceptability of the product and the aspect of convenience. Low dry time is also essential to the convenience of the product. If dry time, is too long consumers tend not to use the product to full advantage. When a wrinkle control product has long dry time, consumers must plan ahead to choose what they will wear and treat the article of clothing well in advance of when they plan to wear it. With a short dry time, consumers can choose what they will wear at a convenient time e.g. when they perform their grooming ritual for the day. The garment can be treated and worn after a short drying time, such as for instance, after the time it would take a consumer to shower. Short dry times are also convenient for wrinkle control products that are taken on trips. Typically, consumers do not have a lot of space or time to dry clothes when traveling, so short dry times are especially important for wrinkle control products to be taken on trips.
In prior art, staining and dry time are generally controlled by maintaining a low level of non-aqueous, non-volatile components in the formulation or controling the structure of such compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,268, Jacobson, J. A., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,695, Targosz, E. F.). It is not always desirable to control staining and dry time by limiting the composition, because this limits the performance as well. Many surfactants, especially a preferred silicone surfactant can contribute to softness and wrinkle release. Optional fabric care polysaccharides can provide enhanced wrinkle performance, reduction and prevention of fabric damage, and give fabrics body.
The prior art cites small particles sizes (typically less than 100 micron) and ‘fine’ mists as ways to control staining and reducing dry time (U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,688, Schwart, L.; et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,268, Jacobson, J. A. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,254, Church, J. A.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,695, Targosz, E. F.). Surprisingly, it is discovered that dispensers that generate similar size particles of sizes less than 100 microns with finely divided particles and generating ‘fine’ mists can have very significant differences in their tendencies to stain and in their dry times. Surprisingly, it is found that staining and dry times are both minimized by controlling the uniformity of distribution on the fabric. Not to be bound by theory, but some sprayers with particle sizes about or below about 100 microns and producing ‘fine’ mists also deposit a high volume of produce in a small surface area and this is generally termed a ‘hot spot’. Some prior art is cited that does imply that uniform distribution is important for wrinkle control sprays (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,708,107 and 5,532,023, both by Vogel, A. M., et al.). This art relates to the combination of silicone and film-forming polymer to provide wrinkle contol.
It is suprisingly found in the present invention that water alone provides acceptable wrinkle control benefits and that even for water alone, uniform distribution is important for reducing dry time. It is found for the present invention that limiting the volume deposited per unit of surface area and the standard deviation in volume per unit of surface area will significantly minimize staining and reduce dry time of such compositions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to selecting dispensers with acceptable spray patterns for use with wrinkle control compositions to minimize staining and reduce drying time. The present invention also relates to wrinkle control compositions for use in said dispensers, articles of manufacture together with an optional set of instructions for using said wrinkle control compositions in said dispensers and methods of using said wrinkle control compositions in said dispensers.
Dispensers that are useful in the present invention produce a spray that provides uniform distribution on the surface which can be described by the parameters of volume dispensed per unit of surface area and the standard deviation in the volume dispensed per unit of surface area as follows: volume per unit surface area of less than about 0.07 ml/inch
2
(0.011 ml/cm
2
); preferably less than about 0.05 ml/inch
2
(0.0078 ml/cm
2
); more preferably less than about 0.035 ml/inch
2
(0.0054 ml/cm
2
); even more preferably less than about 0.025 ml/inch
2
(0.0039 ml/cm
2
); and most preferably less than about 0.02 ml/inch
2
(0.0031 ml/cm
2
); with a standard deviation in the volume per unit surface area of less than about 0.056 ml/inch
2
(0.0087 ml/cm
2
); preferably less than about 0.05 ml/inch
2
(0.0078 ml/cm
2
); more preferably less than about 0.03 ml/inch
2
(0.0047 ml/cm
2
); even more preferably less than about 0.022 ml/inch
2
(0.0034 ml/cm
2
); still more preferably less than about 0.02 ml/inch
2
(0.0031 ml/cm
2
); most preferably less than about 0.018 ml/inch
2
(0.0028 ml/cm
2
).
The compositions suitable for the present invention should have acceptable levels of extensional viscosity. Not to be bound by theory, it is believed that to distribute the product well from a dispenser, the product must be able to form distinct small droplets and adequate-size spray pattern. Both spray characteristics, i.e., droplet size distribution and spray pattern, depend strongly on the extensional viscosity of the product, and to a lesser extent on shear viscosity, density and surface tension. The effect of product density on the spray characteristics is minimal since for most products the density varies only slightly (e.g. between 0.8 and 1.2 g/cm
3
). On the other hand, the surface tension of the product affects the droplet size distribution (i.e., higher surface tension causes formation of larger droplets), but not the size of the spray pattern for pressure swirl atomizers. Finally, as the shear viscosity increases the size of the droplets increases, and in pressure swirl atomizers the spray pattern decreases. The extensional viscosity of the product is typically denoted as the Trouton ratio, which is the ratio of the extensional viscosity to the shear viscosity. The Trouton ratio of Newtonian fluids is constant and equal to 3 (e.g. water and glycerin; regardless of the extensional and shear rates), whereas that of solutions of flexible polymers is much greater than 3 (e.g. polyacrylamide; dependent on the extensional and shear rates). The Tro

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