U.S. patent application number 12/434846 was filed with the patent office on 2010-09-16 for fabric care products.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. Invention is credited to Christopher Robert Kopulos, Nathaniel David Thulin.
Application Number | 20100230000 12/434846 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40707881 |
Filed Date | 2010-09-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100230000 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kopulos; Christopher Robert ;
et al. |
September 16, 2010 |
Fabric Care Products
Abstract
Laundry care products comprising a plastic container containing
a laundry care composition, wherein the container comprises a self
venting tap functionally attached to the container, provides for a
product that is free of a venting chimney and/or the container's
fill volume to be maximized.
Inventors: |
Kopulos; Christopher Robert;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Thulin; Nathaniel David;
(Cincinnati, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;Global Legal Department - IP
Sycamore Building - 4th Floor, 299 East Sixth Street
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
The Procter & Gamble
Company
Cincinnati
OH
|
Family ID: |
40707881 |
Appl. No.: |
12/434846 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/2 ;
220/745 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/2 ;
220/745 |
International
Class: |
B65B 3/04 20060101
B65B003/04; B65D 25/00 20060101 B65D025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 16, 2009 |
CA |
2658247 |
Claims
1. A laundry care product comprising: a plastic container
containing a laundry care composition, wherein the container
comprises a self venting press tap functionally attached to the
container that is capable of dispensing the contained laundry care
composition from the container, and wherein the container is free
of a venting chimney.
2. The product of claim 1, where the product is free of a venting
closure releasably attached to the venting chimney.
3. The product of claim 2, wherein the laundry care composition
comprises a volume of from about 4 liters to about 6 liters.
4. The product of claim 3, wherein the composition is a laundry
detergent composition.
5. The product of claim 3, wherein the composition is a fabric
softening composition.
6. A laundry care product comprising a plastic container containing
a contained volume, wherein the contained volume is: (i) a void
volume and; (ii) a fluid volume of a liquid laundry care
composition; wherein the void volume comprises about 8% or less by
volume of the contained volume and wherein the fluid volume
comprises about 92% or more by volume of the contained volume; and
wherein the plastic container is free of a venting chimney; and
wherein the container further comprises a self venting press tap
functionally attached to the container which is capable of
dispensing the laundry care composition contained by the
container.
7. The product of claim 6, wherein the container is free of a
venting chimney and free of a venting closure releasably attached
to the venting chimney.
8. The product of claim 7, wherein the liquid laundry care
composition is a liquid laundry detergent composition.
9. A method of manufacturing a laundry care product comprising the
steps: (i) providing a plastic container containing a contained
volume and single opening accessing the contained volume (ii)
filling the plastic container with a liquid laundry care
composition through the single opening until the composition
occupies at least 92% of the contained volume; (iii) functionally
attaching a self venting press tap to the single opening of the
container;
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of
functionally attaching a measuring cup to the self venting press
tap.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to fabric care products having
a self-venting press tap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Laundry care products having press taps are well known.
These products are typically characterized by larger sizes, i.e.,
about four liters or greater. These products typically have plastic
containers that may have venting chimneys to allow air to enter
into the container to release a vacuum that may be created when the
composition is dispensed from the container via the dispensing tap.
Venting chimneys may require a significant amount of plastic when
containers are blow-molded (e.g., 6-11% by weight of the blow
molded plastic container). Venting chimneys may also require
manufactures not to fill container completely full. Consumer may
find it undesirable to releasably open a venting chimney and to
have fabric care composition come out through the opened venting
chimney.
[0003] There is a need to provide a laundry care product that is
free of venting chimneys and allows manufacturing to completely
fill container with fabric care product, and yet still provide the
convenience of a dispensing tap for larger sizes of fabric care
products.
[0004] See e.g., WO 2007/108025; U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,744; U.S. Pat.
No. 6,029,858; U.S. Pat. No. D429,643.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention attempts to address these and other
needs be providing, in a first aspect of the invention, a laundry
care product comprising: a plastic container containing a laundry
care composition, wherein the container comprises a self venting
tap functionally attached to the container that is capable of
dispensing the contained laundry care composition from the
container, and wherein the container is free of a venting
chimney.
[0006] Another aspect of the invention provides a laundry care
product comprising a plastic container containing a contained
volume, wherein the contained volume is: (i) a void volume and;
(ii) a fluid volume of a liquid laundry care composition; wherein
the void volume comprises about 8% or less by volume of the
contained volume and wherein the fluid volume comprises about 92%
or more by volume of the contained volume; and wherein the plastic
container is free of a venting chimney; and wherein the container
further comprises a self venting tap functionally attached to the
container that is capable of dispensing the laundry care
composition contained by the container.
[0007] Another aspect of the invention provides a method of
manufacturing a laundry care product comprising the steps: (i)
providing a plastic container containing a contained volume and
single opening accessing the contained volume; (ii) filling the
plastic container with a liquid laundry care composition through
the single opening until the composition occupies at least 92% of
the contained volume; (iii) functionally attaching a self venting
tap to the single opening of the container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One aspect of the invention provides a laundry care product
that comprises a self venting tap functionally attached to the
container of the product. "Self venting tap" means a tap suitable
for dispensing liquids, preferably of varying viscosities, wherein
the tap itself capable of venting, i.e., allowing air to pass from
the outside of the container to inside the container to release a
vacuum that is produced from when the liquid laundry care
composition is dispensed from the container. In a preferred
embodiment, the self venting tap is a self venting press tap. A
non-limiting example of a self venting press tap includes one from
Vitop Moulding S.R.I, Italy. Such a self-venting tap is described
in WO 2007/108025 and the Canadian equivalent CA 2,646,575. The U.S
patent publication or patent grant equivalent thereof is hereby
incorporated by reference when it becomes available.
[0009] One aspect of the invention provides a laundry care product
that is free of a venting chimney. The term "venting chimney" means
an opening in the container, typically releasably sealed with a
venting closure, for the purposes of filling the container with a
laundry composition and/or venting the container (i.e., introducing
air into the container to release the vacuum that is otherwise
created from dispensing the composition contained in the
container). The venting chimney typically has an inner diameter
from about 2 cm to about 3 cm. The venting chimney may be integral
to the container (e.g., formed as part of blow molding process).
The venting closure is typically functionally attached to the
venting chimney. Non-limiting examples of venting closures includes
a screw cap, snap cap, pull cap, venting cap, or any sealing
mechanism known in the art for removably sealing a venting
chimney.
[0010] There are typically instructions, on containers that have a
venting chimney, that state, "Twist cap for quicker flow," or
"Twist cap to vent" with an arrow directed the consumer which
direction (e.g., counterclockwise). A non-limiting example of a
venting chimney and venting closure includes one described in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,631,744, so called "vent 56" and "venting cap 58,"
respectively. In one embodiment, the product of the present
invention is free of any venting closure (i.e., independent from
the self venting tap). In another embodiment, the product is free
of any other venting mechanism other than what is integral to the
self-venting tap, such as, but not limited to, venting membranes or
the like.
[0011] Another aspect of the invention is directed to maximizing
the fill volume of the container with fabric care composition. The
container of the fabric care product of the present invention
contains fabric care composition. The volume (irrespective of what
occupies the volume) that is contained by the container may be
described by a contained volume. In turn, the contained volume may
have a fluid volume of laundry care composition occupying the fill
volume of the container (i.e., contained by the container) with the
remainder as a void volume. Void volume is the volume (of the
overall fill volume of the container) not occupied by the laundry
care composition, e.g., air. In one embodiment, the fluid volume is
about 92%, or more than about 92%, by volume of the contained
volume; alternatively 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more
than 99% by volume of the contained volume. The void volume is
about 5%, or less than about 3%, by volume of the contained volume;
alternatively 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or less than about 1% of
volume of the contained volume.
[0012] Without wishing to be bound by theory, the absence of a
venting chimney allows the contained volume to be maximized with
laundry care composition. In one embodiment, the volume of the
fabric care composition contained in the container is from about 2
liters to about 8 liters, alternatively 3 liters to about 7 liters,
alternatively from about 4 liters to about 6 liters, alternatively
combinations thereof.
[0013] The containers of this invention can be made of plastic,
preferably of a rigid plastic. Non-limiting examples of plastic
includes thermoform plastics and thermoset plastics, such as high
density polyethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate,
diethyleneglycol bisarylcarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate,
polyethylene naphthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, epoxy
resin, polyamide-based resins, low density polyethylene, styrene
butadiene copolymers, acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene
copolymer, cellulose acetate butyrate and mixtures thereof. The
container may also comprise a handle, suitable for grasping by a
consumer (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,744 so called "handle 46").
The container may also comprise a measuring cup (see e.g., U.S.
Pat. No. 6,631,744 so called "closure/measuring cup 44"). The
container may be made by blow-molding the plastic.
[0014] The fabric care composition of the present invention are
preferably liquid, preferably water comprising compositions. In one
embodiment, the fabric care composition comprises a liquid laundry
detergent; preferably comprising detersive levels of anionic
surfactant, ionic surfactant, or combinations thereof; preferably
comprising a basic pH. A non-limiting example of a laundry
detergent composition is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,705;
4,537,706; 4,537,707; 4,550,862; 4,561,998; 4,597,898; 4,968,451;
5,565,145; 5,929,022; 6,294,514; and 6,376,445. In one embodiment
the fabric care composition is a liquid fabric softening
composition; preferably comprising a cationic fabric softening
agent; preferably comprising an acid pH. A non-limiting example of
a fabric softening composition is described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,797,688.
[0015] Methods of using the products of the presenting invention
include dosing a fabric care composition from the products of the
present invention to an automatic laundry washing machine.
[0016] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims
all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of
this invention.
[0017] All documents cited are, in relevant part, incorporated
herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be
construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the
present invention.
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