Laundry system having unitized dosing

• US 7,091,171 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Deckner, George Endel, Dodd, Malcolm McClaren, Dihora, Jiten Odhavji, Diersing, Steven Louis, York, David William, Trinh, Toan, Wahl, Errol Hoffman, Baker, Ellen Schmidt, Littig, Janet Sue, Dufton, Daniel James, Caswell, Debra Sue, Welch, Robert Gary, Murphy, Ruth Anne, Eshuis, Johan, Howe, Simon, Laudamiel-Pellet, Christophe, Hoffmann, Wundriari, Schroeder, Timothy James, Pena-Romero, Angelina, Gallon, Lois Sara, Sayers, Edward, Ridyard, Mark William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hardee, John R.
• Application Number:
  US11/121,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 510/101, 510/439, 510/441, 512/4
• US Class Current: 510/439
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/08 dispensing from bottom
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0039 Coated compositions or coated components in the compositions, (micro)capsules
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/041 Compositions releasably affixed on a substrate or incorporated into a dispensing means
• 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 17/043 Liquid or thixotropic (gel) compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/046 Insoluble free body dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/12 Soft surfaces, e.g. textile
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0015 liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0021 Dye-stain or dye-transfer inhibiting compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0026 Low foaming or foam regulating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0036 Soil deposition preventing compositions; Antiredeposition agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0052 Gas evolving or heat producing compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0068 Deodorant compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/373 containing silicones
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/42 Brightening agents ; Blueing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/48 Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/50 Perfumes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/505 encapsulated or adsorbed on a carrier, e.g. zeolite or clay

Abstract

Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing. The fabric care compositions preferably have less than about 5% detergent surfactants, more preferably less than 3%, even more preferably less than 1% and are most preferably free of detergent surfactants. Similarly, the fabric care compositions preferably have less than about 5% fabric softener actives, more preferably less than 3%, even more preferably less than 1% and are most preferably free of detergent surfactants. The laundry articles can take a variety of forms in a variety of physical states all of which will rapidly dispense a unitized amount of one or more selected fabric care agents to a wash and/or rinse bath solution during the laundering process under a variety of conditions. The invention also pertains to laundry kits that contain a variety of such articles and instructions concerning their use. Likewise, methods for preparing a customized laundry solution to obtain a specific fabric care benefit selected based on the user'"'"'s personal preferences and/or the fabric care needs of the fabrics being laundered are also provided. Further, the present invention also concerns methods for assisting a consumer in identifying the unitized articles to be used in preparing a laundry solution that will impart desired fabric care benefits as well as merchandising displays for dispensing the articles, assembling customized laundry kits and instructing the consumer on the selection and use of laundry articles.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

(i) a unitized dose of a fabric care composition; and

(ii) a water soluble film, wherein the fabric care composition comprises;

(a) from about 1% to about 99% by weight of the composition of a perfume microcapsule; and

(b) from about 1% to about 99% by weight of the composition of a hydrophilic plasticizer;

the article having less than about 5% detergent active and less than about 5% fabric softener active; and

wherein the water soluble film encases said unitized dose of the fabric care composition.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic plasticizer is a short chain polyhydric alcohol.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the article is free of a detergent surfactant and free of a fabric softening active.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein the water soluble film comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic plasticizer is chosen from at least one of the following:

glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, sorbitol, eryzhritol, or mixture thereof.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the article is free of a detergent surfactant and free of a fabric softening active.

7. The article of claim 6, wherein the water soluble film comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is free of a detergent surfactant and is free of a fabric softening active.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the dose comprises a weight from about 0.05g to about 60g.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the water soluble film comprises a material selected from a polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. polyvinyl pyrrolidone, sugar derivative or a mixture thereof.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the water soluble film comprises a polyvinyl alcohol.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the perfume comprises a mixmre of organic compounds of which at least 50% by weight of the perfume have a ClogP of at least about 2.7.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the perfume comprises a mixture of organic compounds of which at least 75% by weight of the perfume have a ClogP of at least about 2.7.

14. The article of claim 10, wherein the composition further comprises a perfume carrier material.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein the perfume microcapsule comprises a microcapsule that releases oerfume by pressure.

16. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is packaged in a package.

17. The article of claim 1, wherein the article comprises less than 3% by weight of the article of a fabric softener active.

18. The article of claim 1, wherein the article comprises less than 3% by weight of detergent surfactant and comprises less than 3% by weight of the article of a fabric softener active.

19. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is chosen from a capsule, bead, or pouch.

20. A method of treating fabric comprising the step of delivering the article of claim 1 to a laundry washing machine.