Articles containing enclosed compositions

• US 6,727,215 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Roberts, Nigel Patrick Somerville, Song, James, Tan, Xiao Liang, Liu, Derek Dasong
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyon, Lorna M.
• Application Number:
  US09/911,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 510/296, 510/439, 510/120, 510/220, 510/406, 424/400
• US Class Current: 510/296
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/38 Articles or materials enclosed in two or more wrappers disposed one inside the other for shock absorbing purposes B65D81/03; for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3893
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/042 Water soluble or water disintegrable containers or substrates containing cleaning compositions or additives for cleaning compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/045 Multi-compartment
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/39 Organic or inorganic per-compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3947 Liquid compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to an article comprising a first pouch made of a water-reactive material, which comprises

a) a first solid or liquid composition; and

b) a second pouch made of a water-reactive material, comprising in its interior a second solid or liquid composition. Also provided are processes for making such article. Alternatively, the second pouch is preferably joined to the first pouch side-by-side. Preferred articles comprise fabric cleaning compositions for laundry, dish washing or hard surface cleaning or fabric care compositions.

Claims

1. An article comprising a first pouch made of a water-soluble material comprising a polyvinyl alcohol polymer, which comprises in its interior

a) a first solid or liquid composition;

and

b) a second pouch made of a water-reactive material, comprising in its interior a second liquid composition;

whereby the first pouch and the second pouch are made by thermo-forming or vacuum-forming.

2. An article as in claim 1 whereby the first and second pouch are made of the same or different water-soluble material, comprising a polyvinyl alcohol polymer.

3. An article as in claim 1 whereby the second pouch is made of a material which dissolves slower in water than the material of the first pouch.

4. An article as in claim 3 whereby the first pouch is made of a different material than the second pouch, the difference being selected from the group consisting of the thickness of the film, the degree of stretching of the film, the composition of the film, and mixtures thereof.

5. An as in to claim 3 wherein the first composition comprises an enzyme and the second composition comprises a bleach.

6. An article as in claim 3 wherein the first composition is released at least from about 60 seconds to about 5 minutes earlier than the second composition.

7. An article as in claim 3 wherein the first pouch has a soluble seal.

8. An article as in claim 1 wherein the first pouch has an elasticity recovery of from about 20% to about 100%.

9. An article as in claim 1 wherein the first composition is in solid form.

10. An article as in claim 1 whereby the first composition is liquid.

11. An article as in claim 1 whereby the first composition is a fabric cleaning composition, comprising at least one or more surfactants and a builder, chelant and/or enzyme and the second composition comprises a bleaching agent.

12. An article as in claim 1 whereby the first composition is a fabric cleaning composition comprising at least one or more surfactants, a builder, chelant and/or enzyme and the second composition comprises a non-cleaning, fabric care agent.

13. An article as in claim 1 whereby the first composition is a fabric care composition selected from the group consisting of softening agents, perfumes, anti-wrinkling agents or mixtures thereof.

14. An article as in claim 1 whereby the second composition comprises a nonionic surfactant and/or fabric softener, dye or opacifier and perfume.

15. An article as in claim 1 whereby one composition comprises a bleach catalyst and/or peroxygen bleach and the other composition comprises a peracid and/or a precursor thereof, or whereby one composition comprises a peroxygen bleach and/or peracid precursor and the other composition comprises a peracid.

16. Process for making the article of claim 1 comprising the steps of

a) formation of the second pouch in open form, adding the second composition in said open second pouch and closing this to obtain the second pouch;

b) formation of the first pouch in open form, adding the second pouch and the first composition to the open first pouch and closing this first pouch to obtain the article.