Soluble unit dose articles comprising a cationic polymer

• US 8,889,610 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Labeque, Regine, Van Ginderen, Peter Jos Emma, Jennewein, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyon, Lorna M
• Application Number:
  US13/159,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 510/296, 510/321, 510/336, 510/338, 510/393, 510/404, 510/407, 510/418, 510/473, 510/437, 510/475
• US Class Current: 510/296
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/008 Polymeric surface-active agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 10/04 based on mixtures of surface-active non-soap compounds and soap
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0004 Non aqueous liquid compositions comprising insoluble particles
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/043 Liquid or thixotropic (gel) compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2079 Monocarboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/227 with nitrogen-containing groups
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3723 Polyamines or polyalkyleneimines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3773 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 9/225 Polymers

Abstract

The need for a stable, quick dissolving unit dose article delivering good fabric care benefit is met by combining a cationic polymer with a fatty acid or salt in a non-aqueous composition, that is comprised within a water-soluble or dispersible film. By combining the cationic polymer with the fatty acid, the cationic polymer is prevented from reducing the solubility of the encapsulating film.

Claims

1. A unit dose article containing a non-aqueous liquid composition comprising:

a) from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of a cationic polymer, wherein the cationic polymer is cationic hydroxyethylcellulose and is present in a particulate form;

b) from about 0.2% to about 40% by weight of a fatty acid or its salt;

c) from 0.01% to 10% by weight of an external structuring system selected from the group consisting of non-polymeric crystalline hydroxy-functional structurants, polymeric structurants, and mixtures thereof;

d) from 10% to 70% by weight of an anionic and/or nonionic surfactant; and

e) a non-aqueous solvent;

wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition comprises less than about 15% by weight of water and is enclosed in a water-soluble or dispersible film.

2. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition comprises less than about 12% by weight of water.

3. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition comprises less than about 8% by weight of water.

4. The unit dose article according to claim 1, comprising from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of the fatty acid or its salt.

5. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble or dispersible film comprises resin selected from the group consisting of:

polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and mixtures thereof.

6. The unit dose article of claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition comprises anionic surfactant.

7. The unit dose article of claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition comprises nonionic surfactant.

8. The unit dose article of claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous solvent comprises a polyalkylene glycol.

9. The unit dose article of claim 8, wherein the polyalkylene glycol is polyethylene glycol.

10. The unit dose article of claim 1, wherein the external structuring system is a crystallisable glyceride.

11. The unit dose article according to claim 1, comprising from about 0.6% to about 10% by weight of the cationic polymer.

12. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 10.5.

13. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous composition has a pH of from about 6.5 to about 9.

14. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the non-aqueous composition has a pH of from about 7 to about 8.

15. The unit dose article according to claim 1, wherein the unit dose article is a multi-compartment unit dose form.

16. A process for preparing the unit dose article of claim 1, characterized in that the process comprises the steps of:

a. premixing the cationic polymer with the fatty acid or salt to form a premix of the cationic polymer and fatty acid premix;

b. combining the cationic polymer/fatty acid or salt premix with a non-aqueous liquid feed to form the non-aqueous liquid composition; and

c. encapsulating the non-aqueous liquid composition in a water soluble or dispersible film.