Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Patent
1998-06-11
2000-09-26
Douyon, Lorna M.
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
510192, 510381, 510446, 510465, 25218733, 4223, 42271, 134 2, 134 42, C11D 728, C11D 1700
Patent
active
061242519
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to formulations for cleaning toilet bowls, and in particular to an in-tank toilet bowl tablet providing metered release of an active cleaning agent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are numerous compositions known to the art which can be compressed or tableted, providing a tablet, block or similar article which may be placed in the tank of a toilet and dispense cleaning active over a period of time. Such tablets may consist of, or include various cleaning agents such as bleaches, surfactants, disinfectants, and mixtures thereof. A particularly preferred disinfecting agent is an organic halogen source, and a particularly preferred family of organic halogen sources include halohydantoins. Halohydantoins are particularly preferred for the purpose as they are well suited to tableting and consequent slow release of halogen. Numerous prior art discloses halohydantoin based cleaning tablets for various uses, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,427,692; 4,537,697 and 4,560,766, all to Girard.
One of the difficulties associated with toilet bowl cleaning tablets of the art has been to establish a uniform release of active halogen over a commercially feasible term, for example, of two to four months. While dichloro, methylethyl or dimethyl hydantoins can be compressed sufficiently to permit such a long term release, for reasons of formulation efficacy and economics, pure dichloro, methylethyl or dimethyl, or other halohydantoins are not preferred. However sufficient tablet longevity is hindered when such tablets are not pure halohydantoin.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite tablet having longevity comparable to a pure halohydantoin tablet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a composite tablet having cleaning performance comparable to that of a pure halohydantoin tablet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a cleaning formulation, in tablet form, capable of providing a metered release of cleaning active while immersed in the tank of a toilet.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a cleaning tablet comprising a halohydantoin and boric acid wherein the halohydantoin comprises greater than about 85% (wt) to about 99% (wt) of the cleaning tablet.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of dispensing uniform amounts of active halogens into a reservoir containing about 6 to 19 liters of water which is periodically flushed and replaced with fresh water which includes the steps of: into said reservoir wherein the halohydantoin comprises greater than about 85% (wt) to about 99% (wt) of the cleaning tablet and wherein active halogen is released from the tablet until the concentration of active halogens in the water is at a desired level of about 0.5 to 5 ppm; fresh water thereby activating the release of the active halogen from the tablet until the concentrate of active halogens in the water reaches said desired level; and wherein the method is characterized in that the boric acid has a dissolution time of about 0.08 to 0.3 of the total tablet dissolution time.
Preferred halohydantoins are selected from the group consisting of N,N'-dichloro-dimethyl-hydantoin, N-bromo-N-chloro-dimethyl-hydantoin, N,N'-dibromo-dimethyl-hydantoin, 1,4dichloro, 5,5-dialkyl substituted hydantoin, wherein each alkyl group independently has 1 to about 2 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof.
Preferably, the cleaning tablet has a density of about 1.1 to 1.6 g/cm.sup.3. In addition, the cleaning tablet has a superficial surface area to weight ratio of about 1:1 to 2:1 (cm.sup.2 /g).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a graph of tablet dissolution rate for various ratios of hydantoin to boric acid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The toilet cleaning tablet or block of the present invention is a generally homogenous solid comprising an active halogen-releasing agent and a longevity aid. The halogen releasing agent releases the halogen when the block is in contact with water. Any such agents know
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Mainquist William K.
Rader James E.
Douyon Lorna M.
The Clorox Company
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