Fabric conditioning dispenser and methods of use

• US 20050229653A1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Schumacher, Lawrence Andrew, Morris, Samuel James III, Smith, John William, Trinh, Toan
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/237
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 Quaternary ammonium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/041 Compositions releasably affixed on a substrate or incorporated into a dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/047 Arrangements specially adapted for dry cleaning or laundry dryer related applications
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/502 Protected perfumes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/505 encapsulated or adsorbed on a carrier, e.g. zeolite or clay
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/507 Compounds releasing perfumes by thermal or chemical activation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements

Abstract

Fabric conditioner dispensers capable of being maintained with one hand.

Claims

1. A fabric conditioner dispenser comprising:

a composition carrier capable of releasing a fabric conditioning composition wherein the fabric conditioning composition can be operatively attached to the composition carrier; and

a docking member, wherein the docking member capable of being releasably attached to an inner surface of a clothes dryer, and wherein the composition carrier is operatively attached to the docking member;

wherein said docking member is releasably attached to said inner surface of the dryer using one hand, and/or wherein said composition carrier is operatively attached to said docking member by using one hand.

2. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1, wherein the composition carrier is operatively attached to the docking member by adhesive, glue, double sided tape, hook and loop fasteners, reclosable fasteners, magnets, snap fits, fin/fin receiving members, mating members, or combinations thereof.

3. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1, wherein the docking member is operatively attached to the composition carrier by lip, hole plug, segment, securing tap, fin/fin receiving members, or combinations thereof.

4. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1, wherein the docking member is releasably attached to the inner surface of a clothes dryer by adhesive, glue, double sided tape, hook and loop fasteners, reclosable fasteners, magnets, snap fits, or combinations thereof.

5. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1 wherein the composition carrier has one or more apertures.

6. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 5 wherein the one or more apertures have an individual surface area from about 2 mm² to about 300 mm².

7. The fabric conditioning dispenser of claim 6 wherein the one or more apertures have an individual surface area from about 4 mm² to about 150 mm².

8. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 5 wherein the one or more apertures have a shape selected from circular, ovoid, elliptical, triangular, square, rectangular, parallelepiped, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, and decagonal.

9. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1, wherein the docking member is made from a plastic selected from nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

10. The fabric conditioner dispenser of claim 1, wherein the composition carrier is made from a plastic selected from nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein said composition carrier comprises an indicium.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein said indicium is chosen from a word, phrase, letter, character, brand name, company name, company logo or symbol, description, logo, icon, perfume name, design, designer name, symbol, motif, insignia, figure, mark, signal, color, texture, shape, token, advertisement, and combinations thereof.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein said indicium is chosen from a word, phrase, brand name, company name, description, perfume name, designer name, advertisement, and combinations thereof, and wherein said indicium is in one or more than one language.

18. An article of manufacture comprising a multiple use fabric conditioner dispenser comprising the composition carrier and the docking member of claim 1, in a package, and a set of instructions associated with the package,

wherein the set of instructions comprises at least one instruction to direct a user to perform with one hand at least one task selected from:

attaching the docking member to the inner surface of the dryer;

attaching a composition carrier to the inner surface of the dryer;

replacing a spent fabric conditioning block with a new fabric condition block, or combinations thereof.

14. A method of performing general maintenance on a fabric conditioner composition comprising:

a. opening a dryer to expose an inner surface of the dryer,

b. attaching a fabric conditioner dispenser to the inner surface of the dryer, and

c. providing instructions to communicate to a user to perform the attaching of the fabric conditioner dispenser to the inner surface of the dryer with one hand.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing instructions to communicate to the user to use a second hand to stabilize and/or support the user.

16. A method of performing general maintenance on a fabric conditioner composition comprising:

a. opening a dryer to expose an inner surface of the dryer containing the fabric conditioner dispenser having a first composition carrier and a docking member,

b. removing the first composition carrier from the docking member, and

c. inserting a second composition carrier into the docking member, and

d. providing instructions to communicate to a user to perform the removing and inserting with one hand.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing instructions to communicate to the user to use a second hand to stabilize and/or support the user.