Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-22
2003-10-28
Webb, Gregory E. (Department: 1764)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
C239S318000, C222S340000, C134S040000, C510S365000, C510S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637671
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION(S)
Not applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in hazard reduction in the dispensing of petroleum distillate based household products by means of a spray means, such as a trigger spray or pump activated spray bottle.
2. Background Information
Petroleum distillate products are known for use in any number of products, including such common household products as baby oil and furniture polish, and in combination with other chemicals as a vehicle or solvent, but are also known to possess highly dangerous properties if ingested or aspirated. Accordingly, restrictions have been placed upon such products as petroleum distillate based furniture polishes, such that non-emulsion liquid furniture polish products containing greater than 10 percent petroleum distillate essentially may not be legally marketed in a trigger sprayer at the present time. Since consumers are known to prefer to apply such liquids as cleaning compositions by means of trigger sprayers or pump bottles, it may be anticipated that consumers would welcome such petroleum distillate containing household products as furniture polish, tanning oil, baby oil, after-bath spritz, or insect repellent, in a non-pressurized spray bottle. However, to date, no such products are available which meet the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (hereinafter CPSC) that the petroleum distillate composition exhibit a viscosity of greater than 100 SUS (Saybolt Universal Seconds) at 100° F. [16 CFR 1700.14 (a) (2)]. Further, it has been announced that the CPSC has approved regulations which require child-resistant packaging for most oil-based household products, including baby oils, body oils, massage oils, sunscreens, cleaning solvents, water repellents, automotive cleaners, and cosmetics such as makeup removers and bath oils. These new regulations of the CPSC would apply to thin, watery products containing more than 10 percent hydrocarbon by weight, which flow freely and can be inhaled or aspirated when swallowed. Since thicker, more viscous liquids are less likely to be inhaled, these requirements will apparently not apply to such liquids. Therefore, it is considered desirable to provide thickened petroleum distillate based household products which exceed the minimum viscosity requirements of the CPSC, but which are capable of being dispensed as a spray or fine mist by means of a spray or pump dispensing means in combination with a non-pressurized container. To further protect the public, and especially children, from ingestion of such petroleum distillate containing household products, it is also preferred that the dispensing means be capable of dispensing only a small amount of the product per actuation, and the neck closure of the spray unit as attached to the container be such that the spray unit may not be readily removed, and the container may not be readily opened. Still further, it is preferable that the product to be dispensed incorporate a bittering agent or aversion agent such as to strongly discourage a child or other person from ingestion of the product.
Although reduced volume trigger spray mechanisms are known, and neck closures such as those of a staked or ratcheted nature have been used in the past, no petroleum distillate based household products have been proposed wherein the product is provided in a non-pressurized container incorporating these devices, and wherein the product further incorporates a viscosity modification agent to permit spray delivery of a thickened product, and an aversion agent to further inhibit or prevent ingestion thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention provides for the dispensing of a liquid phase petroleum distillate product from a non-pressurized container by spray application to a surface. To achieve the appropriate degree of hazard reduction desirable for such spray distribution of such materials as furniture oil, baby oil, or other petroleum distillate containing liquids, the viscosity of the liquid composition is modified so as to exceed 100 SUS at a temperature of 100° F. In addition, the spray means comprise a neck closure inhibiting the opening of the spray bottle, and means to limit the amount of product sprayed per actuation to a limited volume of material thought to be less than an aspirable quantity. Thus, the dispenser utilized in the present invention comprises an actuation means which prevents spraying an aspirable volume of petroleum distillate material, and the neck closure is selected so as to prevent or at least inhibit opening of the bottle and potential ingestion of large quantities of product containing the petroleum distillate.
To increase the safety of dispensing petroleum distillate products such as furniture oil, the composition utilizes a thixotropic thickener to provide a liquid of elevated viscosity when at rest, but which thins down to form a mist when sprayed. The liquid then thickens after spraying to a higher viscosity before coming in contact with the surface toward which it has been sprayed. By providing such a modified petroleum distillate product, the present invention also overcomes several problems inherent in conventional products such as mineral oil or mineral spirits, often used in such products as furniture polish. Conventional products of this nature tend to run down vertical surfaces, due to low viscosity, making wiping more difficult. More importantly, such lower viscosity petroleum distillate products are harmful if swallowed. The modified products of the present invention, however, run more slowly down vertical surfaces, and thicken before contacting the back of a person's throat if sprayed in that direction. Moreover, whereas most thin mineral oils are difficult to dispense as a spray from a non-pressurized container, because they can form a stream rather than a mist when dispensed, the thickened mineral oils of the present invention form a spray upon dispensing through a trigger spray or pump dispenser mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention extends to any petroleum distillate or oil based household product, but particularly to those comprising more than 10 percent by weight of the petroleum distillate. The petroleum distillate may be present as a solvent, or as a carrier for other materials. Household products of particular interest are such products as furniture oil, baby oil, and various oil based cleaning compositions.
The petroleum distillates to which the present invention pertains include such commonly utilized materials as mineral oil, mineral spirits, naphthenic oil, silicone oil, isoparaffinic hydrocarbon solvents, kerosene, and the like, and mixtures thereof.
The thickeners found to be of value in respect to the present invention comprise thickeners which provide shear-thinning attributes to a petroleum distillate, wherein there is essentially no water present. Thus the present invention is not intended for use with oil-in-water, or water-in-oil emulsions employing petroleum distillates, all though it is theorized that such thickeners may be effective with water-in-oil emulsions wherein the water phase is entirely encapsulated in the oil phase.
While it is possible that any shear-thinning thixotropic thickener compatible with a non-aqueous petroleum distillate composition would be effective, a very limited number of such thickeners have been found to be of value in the present invention. One such shear-thinning thixotropic thickener is Versagel™ M 1600, a mineral oil/Kraton® block terpolymer available from Penreco. Kraton® is a commercially available thermoplastic rubber type polymer, sold by Shell Chemical Company. This oil/copolymer material, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,694, (incorporated herein by reference) has been used in the past for the manufacture of gel candles, but has now been found to act as a thixotropic thickener when mixed with pe
Moodycliffe Timothy I.
Swanson Judith E.
White Benjamin T.
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Webb Gregory E.
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