Methods and compositions for treating laundry items

• US 10,011,935 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Fulmer, Gregory R., Ghosh, Kaustav, Klein, James W., Leep, Nicholas E., Murch, William L., Quddus, Mir A., Schneemann, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cormier, David G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/160,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 8158, 8159, 8137, 81493, 811551, 81491, 8618, 8102, 68 17 R, 68 1202, 68207, 68 1204, 68 1212, 68 58, 68 1219, 68 1218, 68 235, 68 5 R, 134 18, 134 56 R, 1341041, 134109, 134 11
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 Quaternary ammonium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/835 Mixtures of non-ionic with cationic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/12 Soft surfaces, e.g. textile
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0021 Dye-stain or dye-transfer inhibiting compositions
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/04 Quantity, e.g. weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/395 Isocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/402 Amides imides, sulfamic acids
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A reduced dye transfer cycle of operation for a laundry treating appliance having a treating for receiving laundry for treatment includes a treating chemistry application phase where a treating chemistry is supplied to the treating chamber, the treating chemistry including at least one water soluble cationic dye absorber, a surfactant system, and an emulsifier.

Claims

1. A method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment, the method comprising:

a treating chemistry application phase where a treating chemistry is supplied to the treating chamber along with water to form a laundry treating solution, with the treating chemistry comprising;

at least one water soluble cationic dye absorber;

a surfactant system comprising at least one surfactant; and

an emulsifier comprising particulates;

a dye dispersion phase where a Pickering emulsion is formed by the interaction of the particulates with dye present in the laundry treating solution to disperse the dye within the laundry treating solution; and

a rinse phase, following the treating chemistry application phase, where rinse liquid is supplied to the treating chamber to rinse the laundry of the treating chemistry.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a load amount determining phase where a determination is made of an amount of the laundry in the treating chamber, and an amount of treating chemistry supplied to the treating chamber is based on the load amount.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the load amount determining phase is based on a load amount selected by a user or an automatic determination of a load amount by the laundry treating appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein during the treating chemistry application phase a predetermined amount of liquid is supplied to the treating chamber and an amount of the treating chemistry supplied to the treating chamber is based on the predetermined amount of liquid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the treating chemistry is at least one of the following:

supplied directly to the treating chamber, recirculated through the treating chamber, or supplied as a component of a water mixture.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the treating chemistry is passed through a dye filter as the treating chemistry is recirculated.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the treating chamber is rotated during the supplying of the treating chemistry.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the treating chemistry application phase occurs contemporaneously with at least one of a pre-wash phase or a wash phase.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a wash phase preceding the rinse phase.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising a dye fixative phase where a dye fixative is supplied to the treating chamber prior to the treating chemistry application phase.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one water soluble cationic dye absorber comprises a zwitterionic dye absorber that is cationically charged during at least a portion of a cycle of operation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one surfactant in the surfactant system comprises a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, or combinations thereof.