Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Heterogeneous arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-26
2004-05-25
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Heterogeneous arrangement
C510S101000, C512S004000, C424S451000, C424S458000, C424S485000, C424S486000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06740631
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved controlled release carrier system that can be incorporated into fabric care products, such as fabric softener, laundry detergents, tumble dryer sheets, and other fabric care products, that enhances deposition of active ingredients as well as fragrances onto fabric and which provides prolong release of active ingredients and fragrances from the dry laundered fabric over an extended period of time, or yields a high impact fragrance “burst” upon ironing the fabric.
2. Description of the Related Art
The household industry has searched for many years for ways to enhance the performance of fabric care products and make them more aesthetically pleasing for the consumers. Consumer acceptance of laundry products is determined not only by the performance achieved with these products but the aesthetics associated therewith. Fragrance is an important aspect of the successful fabric care products and they are being utilized, in addition to imparting an aesthetically pleasing odor, to convey to the consumer the product performance and effectiveness (i.e., the fabric is clean, freshly washed, etc.).
Fragrances are typically added to fabric care products to provide a fresh, clean impression for these products as well as the laundered fabric. While the fragrance does not add to the performance of fabric care products, it does make these products more aesthetically pleasing and the consumer has come to expect such products to have a pleasing odor. The fragrance plays a major, and often determining, role for the consumer in selecting and purchasing the fabric care product. Consumers are becoming increasingly educated and expect a high level of sophistication in their fabric care products. Many consumers would prefer for the fragrance present in these products, to be deposited on the fabric and remain there for an extended period of time to convey a lasting impression of freshness. Consumers are also interested in fabric care products that deposit high level of fragrance onto the fabric and release the fragrance upon ironing. Fragrance creation for fabric care products is restricted not only by considerations such as availability and cost, but also by compatibility of the fragrance ingredients to deposit onto the fabric and survive the wash and rise process. Furthermore, large amount of fragrance is being lost during the drying process, even when the fabrics are line dried. Practice has shown that when currently available fabric care products are used, a large fraction of the fragrance is lost during the rinse process due to the solubility of certain fragrance ingredients in aqueous washing compositions, and the fraction of the fragrance which was deposited, quickly evaporates, due to the volatility of fragrance ingredients.
Typical fabric care products such as laundry detergent compositions and fabric softener compositions contain 0.5% to 1% by weight fragrance in their formulations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,540, issued to the inventor of this disclosure, disclosure, discloses that in the course of the washing process wherein clothes are washed with the standard powdered laundry detergent, or fabric softener rinse, a very small fraction of the fragrance that is contained in these fabric care products is actually transferred to the clothes. Tests are described showing that the amount of fragrance that is left as a residue on the clothes can be as low as 1% of the original small amount of fragrance that is contained in these products formulation itself.
Attempts have been made to increase fragrance deposition onto fabric and to hinder or delay the release of the perfume so that the laundered fabric remains aeshtetically pleasing for a prolonged length of time. One approach used a carrier to bring the fragrance to the clothes. The carrier is formulated to contain a fragrance and to attach itself to the clothes during the washing cycle through particle entrainment or chemical change.
Perfumes have been adsorbed onto various materials such as silica and clay to deliver perfume in detergents and fabric softeners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,285 discloses perfume particles especially for use in dryer released fabric softening/antistatic agents. The perfume particles are formed, by adsorbing the perfume onto silica. The particles have a diameter of greater than about one micron. The particles can be used to reduce the shiny appearance of visible softener spots, which occasionally are present on fabrics treated with said fabric softening compositions and to maintain a relatively constant viscosity of the molten softening composition. The perfume particles are especially adapted for inclusion in dryer activated solid fabric softener compositions including coated particles of fabric softener, which are added to a detergent composition for use in the washing of fabrics. The compositions release softener to the fabrics in the dryer and improve the aesthetic character of any fabric softener deposits on fabrics. The perfume particles can also be admixed with detergent granules and can either be coated or uncoated. This system has the drawback that the fragrance oil is not sufficiently protected and is frequently lost or destabilized during processing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,624, 5,112,688, and 5,126,061 disclose microcapsules, prepared by a coacervation process. The microcapsules have a complex structure in which there is a large central core of encapsulated material, preferably perfume, and the walls contain small wall inclusion particles of either the core material or some other material that can be activated to disrupt the wall. The microcapsules that are prepared by coacervation and contain perfume are incorporated into fabric softener compositions that have a pH of about 7 or less and which contain cationic fabric softener. The encapsulated perfume preferably does not contain large amounts of relatively water-soluble ingredients. Such ingredients are added separately to the fabric softener compositions. Ingredients that have high and low volatilities as compared to desired perfume, can either be added to, or removed from, the perfume to achieve the desired volatility. These type of controlled release system have the limitation of not working with all type of fragrance ingredients, especially not with fragrance ingredients that are relatively water-soluble and do not deposit into the fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,856 describes the use of coacervation technique to create perfume particles for fabric care products composed of gelatin or a mixture of gelatin with gum arabic, carboxymethylcellulose and/or anionic polymers. The gelatin is hardened with a natural and/or synthetic tanning agent and with a carbonyl compound. According to the invention, the particles adhere to the fabric and are carried over to the dryer. Diffusion of the perfume out of the capsules occurs only in heat-elevated conditions of the dryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,272 teaches incorporating perfume into wax particles to protect the perfume during storage and through the laundry process. The perfume/wax particles are incorporated into an aqueous fabric conditioner composition. The perfume then diffuses from the particles onto the fabric in the heat-elevated conditions of the dryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,841 discloses wax encapsulated actives based on emulsion process for household applications including fabric. The process for preparing encapsulated active particles comprises the steps of: dispersing active materials in molten wax; emulsifying the active/wax dispersion in aqueous surfactant solution; quenching the capsules by cooling; and retrieving solidified capsules. The active materials may be selected from chlorine or oxygen bleaching agents, bleach precursors, enzymes, perfumes, fabric softening agents, and surfactants. The resultant capsules are in a form of dispersion (liquid) and have utility for cleaning compositions such as automatic dishwashing detergent formulations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,603 describes composite microcapsules that are incorporated into
Shefer Adi
Shefer Samuel David
Hardee John
Mathews, Collins Shepherd & McKay, P.A.
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