Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions

Details Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions

2002-04-24

2002-12-31

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...

C510S360000, C510S513000, C510S466000, C510S475000, C510S437000, C510S353000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06500793

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
When textiles, such as clothing, linens and the like, are laundered, it is typically desired that wrinkles be eliminated or minimized after the cleaning and drying process. Mechanical wrinkle reduction techniques, such as heat and pressure (for example, ironing), have been used but can be time consuming and inconvenient.
Known attempts to reduce wrinkles by means of chemical ingredients in the wash include the use of zwitterionic surfactants, aminosilicones, curable aminosilicones, cellulase enzymes and alkyl amides. However, each of these ingredients have one or more drawbacks. For example, zwitterionic surfactants are believed to work best in cold water. Aminosilicones can cause yellowing and can be difficult to formulate. Curable aminosilicones require the heat of an iron to reduce wrinkles. Cellulase enzymes generally require several wash cycles before anti-wrinkle benefits become noticeable. Alkyl amides are not very effective relative to other wrinkle reducing agents.
Therefore, there is a need for an effective and efficient means for eliminating or reducing wrinkles in textiles. To be effective and efficient, the ingredient should preferably work across a broad range of water temperatures, not require the use of an iron, have little to no discoloration effect on the laundered item and/or provide a noticeable wrinkle reducing benefit after relatively few wash cycles.
SUMMARY
The present application relates to the inclusion of one or more wrinkle reducing ingredients in a laundry detergent product. The benefits are delivered to the laundered item during the cleaning step and, therefore, reduces the need for further wrinkle reducing steps when the items are taken from the dryer or after hang drying.
The ingredients that facilitate the benefit of wrinkle reduction are believed to lubricate fiber surfaces. By lubricating the fiber surfaces of garments, for example, the fibers slide more easily relative to each other and are less likely to entangle, resulting in less wrinkles. The preferred fiber lubricants disclosed herein have been shown to noticeably reduce the number of wrinkles. The preferred embodiments also overcome one or more of the above noted disadvantages of prior wrinkle reducing agents or methods.
While it is known that lubricants can be used to reduce wrinkles in textiles, it was surprisingly found that these materials work from a main wash detergent. More particularly, main wash detergents are highly diluted and are subject to one or more rinse cycles. Such high dilution and rinsing would be expected to diminish or eliminate the desired wrinkle reduction effect of the lubricant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Several molecules have been identified for wrinkle reduction benefits when included in known liquid detergent formulations. Using the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) method # 124 (described in greater detail, below), the following molecular classes were found to reduce the number of wrinkles on test cloths: polyalkyleneoxide modified polydimethylsiloxane; linear aminopolydimethylsiloxane polyalkyleneoxide copolymers; sulfated/sulfonated vegetable oils, such as sulfated canola oil or sulfated castor oil; high molecular weight polyacrylamides; betaine siloxane copolymers; and alkylactam siloxane coplymers. Of the foregoing, a most preferred wrinkle reducing agent is a polyalkyleneoxide modified polydimethylsiloxane, sold under the name Silwet L-7622, available from Witco, Greenwich, Conn. Other most preferred wrinkle reducing agents are sulfated canola oil and/or castor oil available from Freedom Chemical Co., Charlotte, N.C.
One or more of the molecules/compounds from the above-identified classes are preferably included in known detergent formulations in an effective amount sufficing to reduce the occurrence of wrinkles as compared to clothing laundered and dried in a similar manner with a detergent formulation that excludes the wrinkle reducing agents. An effective amount of the wrinkle reducing ingredient is preferably from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % and most preferably from about 0.3 wt % to about 1.5 wt %. However, sulfated/sulfonated vegetable oils can be used at even higher levels, such as from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % due to their ease of formulation and relatively low cost. Suitable liquid detergent formulations are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,261,868; 4,322,308; 4,959,179; 5,089,163; 5,147,576; and 5,205,957, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
An additional advantage of the above-identified wrinkle reducing ingredients is that the molecules/compounds do not have a net positive charge in a neutral or alkaline medium, i.e. a medium having a pH greater than or equal to about 6.5. Lack of a net positive charge makes their inclusion in liquid detergents containing anionic surfactants much easier. More specifically, they are less likely to precipitate with negatively charged surfactants.
A further advantage is the likelihood of “yellowing” fabrics with the above wrinkle reducing molecules is less than with amine-containing ingredients. In addition, some of the above wrinkle reducing ingredients, such as sulfated vegetable oils, are relatively inexpensive.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3619115 (1971-11-01), Diehl et al.
patent: 3864475 (1975-02-01), Willard, Sr.
patent: 3874927 (1975-04-01), Willard, Sr.
patent: 3915738 (1975-10-01), Willard, Sr.
patent: 3918983 (1975-11-01), Papalos
patent: 3931031 (1976-01-01), Willard, Sr.
patent: 3992332 (1976-11-01), Zenon
patent: 4237155 (1980-12-01), Kardouche
patent: 4238531 (1980-12-01), Rudy et al.
patent: 4261868 (1981-04-01), Hora et al.
patent: 4322308 (1982-03-01), Hooper et al.
patent: 4327133 (1982-04-01), Rudy et al.
patent: 4400266 (1983-08-01), Dhanani et al.
patent: 4421792 (1983-12-01), Rudy et al.
patent: 4639321 (1987-01-01), Barratt et al.
patent: 4652392 (1987-03-01), Baginski et al.
patent: 4698178 (1987-10-01), Huttinger et al.
patent: 4784799 (1988-11-01), Petroff
patent: 4846982 (1989-07-01), Madore et al.
patent: 4911852 (1990-03-01), Coffindaffer et al.
patent: 4911853 (1990-03-01), Coffindaffer et al.
patent: 4959170 (1990-09-01), Aronson et al.
patent: 4978471 (1990-12-01), Starch
patent: 5064544 (1991-11-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5089163 (1992-02-01), Aronson et al.
patent: 5094761 (1992-03-01), Trinh et al.
patent: RE34062 (1992-09-01), Wells
patent: 5147576 (1992-09-01), Montague et al.
patent: 5171476 (1992-12-01), Bloodworth et al.
patent: 5205957 (1993-04-01), Van de Pas
patent: 5234610 (1993-08-01), Gardlik et al.
patent: 5271868 (1993-12-01), Azechi et al.
patent: 5288417 (1994-02-01), Bauer et al.
patent: 5348667 (1994-09-01), Bacon et al.
patent: 5360571 (1994-11-01), Kilgour et al.
patent: 5376287 (1994-12-01), Borcher, Sr. et al.
patent: 5403499 (1995-04-01), Kiefer et al.
patent: 5411671 (1995-05-01), Bauer et al.
patent: 5441667 (1995-08-01), Dauderman et al.
patent: 5449609 (1995-09-01), Paszek
patent: 5460736 (1995-10-01), Trinh et al.
patent: 5490948 (1996-02-01), Klier et al.
patent: 5545350 (1996-08-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5562849 (1996-10-01), Wahl et al.
patent: 5645751 (1997-07-01), Haley
patent: 5648327 (1997-07-01), Smerznsak et al.
patent: 5681355 (1997-10-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5686404 (1997-11-01), Jeuniaux
patent: 5714453 (1998-02-01), Neumiller
patent: 5731278 (1998-03-01), Nair et al.
patent: 5741760 (1998-04-01), Mondin et al.
patent: 5759208 (1998-06-01), Zhen et al.
patent: 5759983 (1998-06-01), Mondin et al.
patent: 5762647 (1998-06-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5805544 (1998-09-01), Powell et al.
patent: 5977045 (1999-11-01), Murphy

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2919649