Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-31
2002-12-17
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S297000, C510S327000, C510S329000, C510S330000, C510S334000, C510S391000, C510S439000, C510S501000, C510S515000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06495505
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to wash cycle unit dose laundry compositions for softening or conditioning fabrics. More particularly, this invention relates to unit dose fabric softening compositions which is contained in a water soluble container suitable for use in the wash cycle of an automatic washing machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Detergent compositions manufactured in the form of compacted detergent powder are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,100, for example, describes a tablet of compacted powder comprising an anionic detergent compound which will adequately disperse in the wash water.
Although detergent compositions in the form of compacted granular tablets of various shapes have received much attention in the patent literature, the use of such tablets to provide a unit dose fabric softener which will soften or condition fabrics in the wash cycle without impairing detergency or otherwise compromise the cleaning benefits provided by the detergent composition is not known.
Another possible option for providing a unit dose softener apart from the wash cycle is to introduce the softening ingredients directly into the rinse cycle. But, for this type of product to be effective several practical requirements must be met. To begin with, the size and shape of the unit dose container must be readily compatible with the geometry of a wide variety of rinse cycle dispensers designed for home washing machines in order to insure its easy introduction into the dispenser. Moreover, in common with the general use of rinse cycle softeners, it is necessary to clean the rinse dispenser on a regular basis to avoid residue from accumulating within the dispenser or even, at times, prevent bacterial growth from occurring.
Still further, a unit dose composition for the rinse cycle must be formulated to readily dispense its contents upon contact with water in a period of time corresponding to the residence time of the unit dose in the dispenser, namely, the period of time during which water enters and flows through the rinse cycle dispenser. The aforementioned practical requirements have to date not been successfully met with any commercially available product and hence there remains a need in the art for a unit dose softener capable of activation in the rinse cycle.
Laundry detergent compositions which further include a fabric softener to provide softening or conditioning of fabrics in the wash cycle of the laundering operation are well-known in the art and described in the patent literature. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,506 to Wixon; U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,421 to Boris et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,773 to Ramachandran et al., all assigned to Colgate-Palmolive Co., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,138 assigned to Akzo. U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,870 to Anderson describes a multi-layered laundry tablet for washing which may include a detergent in the outer layer and a fabric softener, or water softener or fragrance in the inner layer. But, these type of multi-benefit products suffer from a common drawback, namely, there is an inherent compromise which the user necessarily makes between the cleaning and softening benefits provided by such products as compared to using a separate detergent composition solely for cleaning in the wash cycle and a separate softening composition solely for softening in the rinse cycle. In essence, the user of such detergent softener compositions does not have the ability to independently adjust the amount of detergent and softener added to the wash cycle of a machine in response to the cleaning and softening requirements of the particular wash load.
Some attempts have been made in the art to develop wash cycle active fabric softeners, typically in powder form. But, these type products are characterized by the same inconvenience inherent with the use of powered detergents, namely, problems of handling, caking in the container or wash cycle dispenser, and the need for a dosing device to deliver the desired amount of active softener material to the wash water.
The use of a unit dose wash cycle fabric softening composition contained in a water soluble container such as a sachet offers numerous advantages. To be effective, the unit dose fabric softening compositions, contained in a sachet, must be able to disperse in the wash liquor in a short period of time to avoid any residue at the end of the wash cycle.
Typically, the wash cycle time can be as short as 12 minutes and as long as 90 minutes (in typical European washers) depending on the type of washer and the wash conditions. Therefore, the water soluble sachet must be soluble in the wash liquor before the end of the cycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unit dose wash cycle fabric softening composition contained in a water soluble container for softening or conditioning fabrics in the wash cycle of an automatic washing machine, said unit dose comprising (a) a water soluble container; and (b) disposed in the water soluble container is granular fabric softener composition, the amount of composition being sufficient to form a unit dose capable of providing effective softening or conditioning of fabrics in the wash cycle of said washing machine, wherein said fabric softener composition comprises a treated clay, a perfume and a colorant.
The term “granular” as used herein in describing the fabric softener is intended to encompass relatively coarser granules varying in size from about 150 to 2,000 microns as well as finer powder having a size as small as 30 to 50 microns.
The term “fabric softener” is used herein for purposes of convenience to refer to materials which provide softening and/or conditioning benefits to fabrics in the wash cycle of a home or automatic laundering machine.
The granular fabric softener composition of the invention is preferably comprised of a fabric softening clay optionally in combination with an organic fatty softening material. Especially preferred fabric softeners comprise a clay mineral softener, such as bentonite, in combination with a pentaerythritol ester compound as further described herein. Useful combinations of such softener may vary from about 80%, to about 90%, by weight, of clay, and from about 10% to about 20%, by weight, of fatty softening material such as a pentaerythritol compound (often abbreviated herein as “PEC”).
The present invention is predicated on the use of a treated montmorillonite-containing clay, preferably a treated bentonite, as herein defined, as an active softening ingredient in a unit dose softening composition for the wash cycle. The resultant unit dose composition has reduced tendency to gel on contact with water so that when used in conjunction with laundry detergent compositions it manifests improved dispersion properties in the wash water without having any adverse effect on its softening properties.
In accordance with the process aspect of the invention there is provided a process for softening or conditioning laundry which comprises contacting the laundry with an effective amount of the unit dose laundry composition defined above.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a water soluble sachet containing a unit dose of a fabric softener composition, wherein the water soluble sachet is formed from a single layer of water soluble thermo plastic film such as a polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the inner surface of the film is in contact with the fabric softener composition.
The fabric softener composition contained in the water soluble sachet comprises approximately by weight:
(a) 87% to 98% of a clay mineral based softener comprising a bentonite clay and an organic fatty softening material;
(b) 0 to 10%, more preferably 0.5% to 6% of a perfume; and
(c) 0 to 0.5%, more preferably 0.05% to 0.3% of a dye, wherein the composition contains less than 10 wt. %, preferably less than 8 wt. % water and the composition does not contain an anionic sulfate surfactant, an anionic sulfonate surfactant, a fatty acid, hexylene glycol or an amine oxide surfactant.
As used herein and in the appended claims t
Cao Hoai-Chau
Epp Jeffrey T.
Farooq Amjad
Gourgue Alain
Jacques Alain
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Ogden Necholus
Wanfeldt Richard E.
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