METHOD OF SIGNALLING TEMPERATURE AND/OR BENEFIT AGENT RELEASE USING BAR COMPOSITION COMPRISING THERMOCHROMIC PIGMENT OR DYE

• US 20080259996A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mold-Masters Limited
• Original Assignee: Conopco (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Subramanian, Vivek, Lee, Christine Marie Nixon, Brennan, Michael Augustine
• Granted Patent: US 7,829,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/162
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/006 containing mainly surfactants, but no builders, e.g. syndet bar
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/40 Dyes ; Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 9/444 Dyes; Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/00 Application of thermometers in household appliances

Abstract

The invention relates to method of signaling temperature and/or benefit agent release using bar compositions comprising thermochromatic pigment or dye. In a preferred embodiment, the pigment is introduced in the form of a separate domain (e.g., separate chips) which separate chip or chips is combined with a surfactant-containing chips to form the final bar.

Claims

1. Method of signaling that a defined temperature is obtained and/or that a benefit agent is released which method comprises

(1) preparing a solid bar composition comprising:

(a) 5 to 85% by wt. of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, cationic surfactant and mixtures thereof;

(b) 0 to 50% by wt. bar structurant;

(c) 0 to 30% by wt. free fatty acid;

(d) 0.1 to 10% by wt. thermochromatic pigment or dye; and

(e) 0 to 25% benefit agent; and

(2) identifying or notifying a person or persons who may use said bar that use of said bar will result in a visual cue that said temperature will be obtained and/or said benefit will be released.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein, in said bar composition, said pigment is dispersed uniformly throughout the bar.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein, in said bar composition said pigment is found in localized or concentrated regions or domains through the bar.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein, said bar composition additionally comprises 1-25% mildness enhancer.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said enhancer is alkali metal isethionate.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein said concentrated regions are in the form of one or more dye-containing chips used in the production of said bar.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said bar composition is made by combining chip compositions comprising:

(a) 5 to 40% by wt. chips comprising concentrated amounts of dye; and

(b) 95 to 60% chips comprising surfactant, wherein said chips (a) and (b) are combined to form a final bar composition in which the dye is found in the final bar in concentrated regions defined by the chips of (a).

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the chip of subparagraph 7(a) comprises:

(a) 40 to 99.9% by wt. chip composition soluble structurant material;

(b) 0 to 40% by Vt. chip composition of a benefit agent;

(c) 0.1 to 25% by wt. chip composition thermochromatic pigment (dye); and

(d) 0 to 10% by wt. chip composition water.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the surfactant-containing chips of subparagraph 7(b) comprise substantially no thermochromatic pigment surfactant-containing.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method of signaling comprises a change in color of product when the pigment reaches a defined temperature.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein notification is accomplished through labeling or packaging or through written instructions made inside the packaging.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein notification is through media outlets.