Wrinkle reducing composition

Details Wrinkle reducing composition Wrinkle reducing composition

2000-10-27

2004-06-29

Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)

Compositions

Compositions for enhancing the appearance of consumer...

C510S287000, C510S289000, C510S322000, C510S327000, C510S329000, C510S330000, C510S342000, C510S432000, C510S504000, C510S515000, C252S008610

Reexamination Certificate

active

06755987

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to fabric care compositions and to a method for treating fabrics in order to improve various properties of fabrics, in particular, reduction or removal of unwanted wrinkles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wrinkles in 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, 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 to produce a good appearance through a simple, convenient application of a product.
The present invention reduces wrinkles from fabrics, including clothing, dry cleanables, and draperies, without the need for ironing. The present invention can be used on damp or dry clothing to relax wrinkles and give clothes a ready to wear look that is demanded by today's fast paced world. The present invention also essentially eliminates the need for touch up ironing usually associated with closet, drawer, and suitcase storage of garments.
When ironing is desired however, the present invention can also act as an excellent ironing aid. The present invention makes the task of ironing easier and faster by creating less iron drag. When used as an ironing aid, the composition of the present invention produces a crisp, smooth appearance.
An additional benefit of the composition of the present invention is an improved garment shape, body and crispness.
A further additional benefit to invention composition is the variety of fabric that can be treated from the more resistant to the more delicate including fabric made of cotton, polycotton, polyester, viscose, rayon, silk, wool, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wrinkle reducing composition, comprising:
A. a wrinkle reducing active, comprising a nonionic polyhydric alcohol humectant and a water-soluble wetting agent selected from a cationic surfactant, a non-alkoxylated nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant; and
B. a liquid aqueous carrier.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a packaged composition comprising the composition of the invention in a spray dispenser.
Still in a further aspect of the invention, there is a method of reducing the wrinkles on fabrics which comprises the steps of contacting the fabrics with a composition of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A. Wrinkle Reducing Actives
1-Water-soluble wetting agent
The present invention, in one aspect uses a water-soluble wetting agent. The wetting agent for use herein are selected from a cationic surfactant, a non-alkoxylated nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant. Further suitable wetting agents are the zwiterrionic surfactants such as the betaine or sulphobetaine surfactants commercially available from Seppic and Albright & Wilson respectively, under the trade name of Amonyl 265® and Empigen® BB/L. These wetting agent facilitates the action of water. Indeed, the water penetrates into the fabric where it breaks hydrogen bonds between fibers resulting in fiber relaxation. By use of the wetting agent, the water action is further facilitated via the wetting properties of the water soluble surfactant.
By “water-soluble wetting agent”, it is meant that the wetting agent forms substantially clear, isotropic solutions when dissolved in water at 0.2 weight percent at 25° C.
Water-soluble Cationic Surfactant
Any type of water-soluble cationic surfactant can be used to impart the wetting property. However, some water-soluble cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof are more preferred. Hence, it is preferred that the cationic surfactant is a surface-active molecule with a linear or branched hydrophobic tail and a positively charged hydrophilic head group, more preferably, the cationic surfactant for use in the present invention is a quaternary ammonium salt of formula:
[R
1
N
+
R3]X
−
wherein the R
1
group is C
10
-C
22
hydrocarbon group, preferably C
12
-C
18
alkyl group or the corresponding ester linkage interrupted group with a short alkylene (C
1
-C
4
) group between the ester linkage and the N, and having a similar hydrocarbon group, e.g., a fatty acid ester of choline, preferably C
12
-C
14
(coco) choline ester and/or C
16
-C
18
tallow choline ester. The hydrocarbon group may be interrupted by further groups like COO, OCO, O, CO, OCOO, CONH, NHCO, OCONH and NHCOO. Each R is a C
1
-C
4
alkyl or substituted (e.g., hydroxy)alkyl, or hydrogen, preferably methyl, and the counterion X
−
is a softener compatible anion, for example, chloride, bromide, methyl surface, etc.
The long chain group R1, of the single-long-chain-alkyl surfactant, typically contains an alkylene group having from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably from 12 to about 16 carbon atoms, more preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. This R1 group can be attached to the cationic nitrogen atom through a group containing one, or more, ester, amide, ether, amine, etc., preferably ester, linking groups which can be desirable for increased hydrophilicity, biodegradability, etc. Such linking groups are preferably within about three carbon atoms of the nitrogen atom. A preferred cationic surfactant of this type is N,N dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-dodecyl/tetradecyl ammonium bromide.
If the corresponding, non-quaternary amines are used, any acid (preferably a mineral or polycarboxylic acid) which is added to keep the ester groups stable will also keep the amine protonated in the compositions.
Typical disclosure of these cationic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention are the choline ester surfactants of formula:
wherein R
1
is a C
10
-C
22
linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl or alkaryl chain or M
−
. N
+
(R
6
R
7
R
8
)(CH
2
)
s
; X and Y, independently, are selected from the group consisting of COO, OCO, O, CO, OCOO, CONH, NHCO, OCONH and NHCOO wherein at least one of X or Y is a COO, OCO, OCOO, OCONH or NHCOO group; R
2
, R
3
, R
4
, R
6
, R
7
, and R
8
are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl and hydroxy-alkenyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and alkaryl groups; and R
5
is independently H or a C
1
-C
3
alkyl group; wherein the values of m, n, s and t independently lie in the range of from 0 to 8, the value of b lies in the range from 0 to 20, and the values of a, u and v independently are either 0 or 1 with the proviso that at least one of u or v must be 1; and wherein M is a counter anion.
Preferably M is selected from the group consisting of halide, methyl sulfate, sulfate, and nitrate, more preferably methyl sulfate, chloride, bromide or iodide.
A preferred choline ester surfactant is selected from those having the formula:
wherein R
1
is a C
10
-C
22
, preferably a C
12
-C
14
linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl or alkaryl chain; X is selected from the group consisting of COO, OCO, OCOO, OCONH and NHCOO; R
2
, R
3
, and R
4
are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl and hydroxyalkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and R
5
is independently H or a C
1
-C
3
alkyl group; wherein the value of n lies in the range of from 0 to 8, the value of b lies in the range from 0 to 20, the value of a is either 0 or 1, and the value of m is from 3 to 8.
More preferably R
2
, R
3
and R
4
are independently sel

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