JP2007510813A - Fabric article processing system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

  A system and method useful for treating fabric articles with a composition comprising a polyol-based fabric care material and a dispersion medium. The dispersion medium is liquid at room temperature and has a flash point greater than about 65 ° C. In particular, the composition may be dispensed and the fabric article may be processed in the device during the fabric article drying process.

Description

  The present invention relates to systems and methods useful for treating fabric articles with a composition comprising a polyol-based fabric care material and a dispersion medium. The dispersion medium is liquid at room temperature and has a flash point greater than about 65 ° C. In particular, the composition may be dispensed during the fabric article drying process to treat the fabric article in an appliance.

  Fabric article processing methods and / or devices have evolved over the past 20 years. For example, techniques relating to fabric treatment compositions and / or dispensing devices suitable for use in tumble dryers are described in US Pat. No. 4,207,683, US Patent Publication No. 2003 / 0200674A1, US Patent Publication No. 2003 / No. 0213145A1 and PCT International Publication No. WO03 / 087286A1.

  Development of fabric article processing methods and / or systems continues, particularly for household fabric article processing applications in drying cycles that improve and / or improve the adhesion of fabric article actives on the fabric article to be treated. is needed. There is a continuing need for the development of fabric treatment compositions having characteristics (viscosity-temperature profile, flash point, odor, etc.) suitable for use in these fabric article treatment methods and / or systems. Furthermore, there is a continuing need for the development of fabric treatment compositions that are comfortable when in contact with the skin and do not turn yellow upon repeated use.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a fabric article processing system,
(A) a fabric article drying implement;
(B) a fabric article processing device removably attached to the drying implement, wherein the processing device is a source for containing a fabric treatment composition and means for dispensing the composition to the drying implement. And the means comprises a fabric article processing apparatus in liquid communication with the supply source,
The composition includes a polyol-based fabric care material and a dispersion medium.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a method for treating a fabric article with a composition comprising a polyol-based fabric care substance in a fabric article drying device is also provided.

  The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are as follows.

(Definition)
As used herein, “fabric article” means an article made of fabric and / or fibers. Such articles include, but are not limited to, clothing, towels and other bath linen, bed linen, tablecloths, carpets, curtains, covers for upholstery, sleeping bags, tents, shoes, and interior decorations (car seats) Cover, car floor mat, etc.).

  As used herein, “during the drying cycle” means the period during which the dryer is operating.

  As used herein, “fabric care substances” have the following benefits: softening, crispness, water repellency and / or stain repellency, refreshment, antistatic, shrinkage prevention, antibacterial, permanent press It means a substance or combination of substances capable of supplying one or more of anti-mold, anti-odor, abrasion resistance, anti-felting, fuzz prevention, appearance improvement, and mixtures thereof to a fabric article.

  As used herein, “fabric treatment composition” means a composition comprising one or more fabric care substances, or one or more perfume substances, or combinations thereof. Suitable forms of the treatment composition include, but are not limited to, flowable materials such as liquids or gases, and solid compounds such as particles or powders.

  As used herein, the terms “treatment composition”, “fabric treatment composition” and “beneficial composition” are synonymous.

  As used herein, the articles “a” and “an”, when used in the claims, are understood to mean one or more substances claimed or described.

  Unless otherwise stated, all concentrations of a component or composition relate to the activity level of the component or composition and exclude impurities that may be present in commercial sources, such as residual solvents or by-products. The

  Unless otherwise indicated, all percentages and percentages are calculated based on the total weight of the composition.

(Processing system and supply method)
In one aspect of Applicants' invention, the fabric treatment composition applied to the fabric article by a method that includes, but is not limited to, spraying comprises one or more polyol-based fabric care materials.

  In one aspect of Applicants' invention, the treatment composition applied to the fabric article by a method including, but not limited to, spraying comprises a polyol-based fabric care material, a dispersion medium, and optionally a fabric. It may be a composition comprising one or more adjuvant substances such as care substances or other adjuvants.

  In a further aspect of Applicants' invention, the treatment composition is supplied to the receiving volume, which may be a drum (or other chamber) of a clothes drying device, such as by spraying, or Applied to the fabric article by a processing system configured to release in another manner.

  The treatment system includes a drying device comprising a drum on which the fabric article is placed and treated; a reservoir containing a source of fabric treatment composition or in communication with an external source of fabric treatment composition, etc. A housing or enclosure; a dispensing device that provides means such as a nozzle for discharging or dispensing the fabric treatment composition; a control device such as an electronic controller having processing circuitry and input / output circuitry; a temperature sensor or steam and / or Or one or more sensors such as gas sensors; one or more input devices such as start switches and / or keypads; one or more indicating devices such as colored lights or LEDs; and before the fabric treatment composition is supplied (or Optionally, a charging system is typically provided if it is electrostatically charged during that time. Details of the electrostatically charged spraying apparatus and method are disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2004 / 0025368A1 (filed Apr. 17, 2003).

  Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of a processing system for performing fabric processing, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. Show. Other processing systems suitable for use with the present invention include US Patent No. 4,207,683, US Patent Publication No. 2003 / 0200674A1, US Patent Publication No. 2003 / 0213145A1, US Patent Publication No. 2004 / 0025368A1, and U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 697,685 and U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 697,736.

  1-4 illustrate one embodiment of a representative fabric article processing system for use with the present invention, and FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred controller and other electrical and electronic devices for use with the present invention. 1 depicts an embodiment.

  Referring now to the embodiment of FIG. 1, an “independent” controller and dispenser unit (ie, as a self-contained device), generally designated by the reference numeral 10, has two main enclosures (or housings) 20. And 50. In this embodiment, the enclosure 20 serves as an “inner housing” disposed within a fabric article drying implement (eg, a clothes dryer), and the enclosure 50 is disposed external to the fabric article drying implement. Acts as an “outer housing”. The enclosure 50 may be mounted on the exterior surface of the door of the fabric article drying apparatus, but may instead be mounted on any external surface, such as a non-limiting example of such an external surface, including the fabric article drying apparatus. Including the wall surface away from the wall or other domestic structures, the side wall, the upper wall, the outer surface of the upper lid, etc. Further, the enclosure 20 may be mounted on any internal surface of the fabric article drying device, examples of such internal surfaces include, but are not limited to, the internal surface of the door, the fabric article drying device. Drum, rear wall, and inner surface of the upper lid.

  Enclosure 50 may be permanently attached to the external surface, or preferably removably attached to the external surface. Similarly, the enclosure 20 may be permanently attached to the internal surface or may be removably attached to the internal surface. One such mounting arrangement is shown in FIG. 6, in which the door of the drying apparatus is generally indicated by reference numeral 15.

  For example, when mounted on the interior surface of a door, the enclosure 20 is constructed to have a “permanently” mounted appearance, without actually being built as part of a fabric article drying implement, It may appear to be “built into” the door of the dryer unit (or other type of fabric article dryer). On the other hand, the enclosure 20 is “slung” along the vertical door of the instrument, much like the embodiment 10 depicted in FIGS. 1-4, looser in the vicinity of the door or parallel to the inner surface of the door. It may be attached. As used herein, the term “door” refers to a movable closure structure that allows contact with the interior volume of a person's dryer apparatus, and virtually any physical that allows such contact. It will be understood that it may be in the form. The door “closure structure” can be a lid on the top surface of the dryer device, or some form of hatch or the like.

  The processing apparatus 10 may be grounded through contact with a grounding part of the fabric article drying apparatus, such as by a spring, patch, magnet, screw, or other attachment means and / or arc corona discharge, or through the dissipation of residual charge. Should be noted. Non-limiting examples of suitable methods for dissipating charge are disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2004/0025368.

  In FIG. 1, a discharge nozzle 24 and a “door sensor” 22 can be seen on the inner housing 20, which also includes a beneficial composition holding reservoir 26 that is within the inner volume of the inner housing 20. It is. The reservoir 26 may be used to hold a beneficial composition. The discharge nozzle 24 can act as a fluid spray nozzle using pressurized spray or can function as an electrostatic nozzle in conjunction with any high pressure power supply (not shown in FIG. 1). One suitable example of a fluid spray nozzle is a pressure swirl spray nozzle. Non-limiting examples of suitable nozzles include the Cosmos 13 NBU nozzle from Precision Valve Corporation, Marietta, Georgia, the City of Industry, California. WX12 and WD32 nozzles made by Saint-Gobain Calmar USA, Inc. in Industry, and Seaquist Dispensing in Cary, Illinois ) Sequist Model No. DU-3813 (Seaquist Model No. DU-3813). The nozzle may be permanently attached to the processing apparatus or may be removably attached. One non-limiting example of a nozzle that is removably attached is a threaded nozzle that can be easily removed from or placed in the processing apparatus. The nozzle may be disposable.

  Spray nozzles or fluid spray nozzles typically have an average droplet diameter of less than about 1000 microns, typically from about 100 microns to about 1000 microns, or from about 120 microns to about 500 microns, or from about 150 microns to about 300 microns. To provide. This average droplet diameter is measured by a Malvern particle analyzer. The spray nozzle is covered with a fine grid or film and produces a finer mist of droplets having an average particle diameter of 100 microns.

  Devices such as nebulizers and atomizers are well known to those skilled in the art. A suitable device for use in the present invention is an atomizer having at least one ultrasonic sonotrode or ultrasonic vibration cell. A typical of such nebulizers is commercially available from Sono Tek Corporation, Milton New York, under the trade name Acu Mist®. Yet another example of such a device is available from Omron Health Care, GmbH, Germany, or from Flaem Nuove, S.P.A, Italy. Similarly, aerosol release systems well known in the art can be used to release detergents and / or finishing compositions. The beneficial composition can include a flowable material such as a liquid or gaseous compound, or can include a solid compound in the form of particles such as a powder or solid particles in solution with a liquid. it can.

  The reservoir 26 can be of essentially any size and shape, for example, can take the form of a pouch or cartridge, or the reservoir can possibly have a desired viscosity within the reservoir. And / or can be connected to a source of dispersion medium (eg, domestic water if the beneficial composition includes tap water) so that it can be diluted to obtain surface tension.

  The inner housing 20 and the outer housing 50 are usually in electrical communication. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a flat cable 40 (sometimes referred to as a “ribbon cable”) passes between the two housings 20 and 50 and is on the door 15 of the fabric article drying implement (see, eg, FIG. 6). Proceed along the inner surface, go over the top of the door 15 and descend the outer surface of the door 15.

  FIG. 2 shows the same fabric article processing apparatus 10 from the opposite angle, and the outer housing 50 is provided with an ON-OFF switch at 56. The flat cable 40 can also be seen in FIG. 2, and the door mounting strap 21 can be seen along the surface of the inner housing 20 that can be seen in FIG. The end of the attachment strap can also be seen in FIG. Certainly, other arrangements for attaching the inner housing 20 to the dryer door 15 (or other internal surface) can be utilized without departing from the principles of the present invention.

  Referring now to FIG. 3, the fabric article processing apparatus 10 is shown so that the reservoir 26 appears as an internal volume of the inner housing 20. In the outer housing 50, in addition to a set of batteries 52, a printed circuit board with electronic components at 54 locations can be seen. The electronic components of one embodiment are described in further detail below. It will be appreciated that any type of power source may be used with the present invention, including standard household line voltage or even solar energy. A battery may be used if it is desirable to make the device 10 easily portable, but any suitable power adapter may be provided to allow AC power to be used with electronic components on the PC board 54. Convert to a DC voltage (s) or a DC power source (including a battery or solar panel) to a suitable DC voltage (s) used by the electronic components on the PC board 54 can do.

  Referring now to FIG. 4, several other hardware devices are shown with respect to the inner housing 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the discharge nozzle 24 acts as an electrostatic nozzle and is therefore coupled to the high voltage power supply 28 using a conductor not shown in this figure. A quick disconnect switch 34 is included for safety purposes so that the high voltage power supply 28 can be turned off instantaneously if necessary. In FIG. 4, the pump 30 and the corresponding electric motor 32 can be seen. Regardless of whether the discharge nozzle 24 is producing only a pressurized spray or an electrostatic spray using a high voltage power supply 28, some type of pumping device is used.

  FIG. 5 provides a block diagram of several electrical and mechanical components included in a fabric article processing apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In this example embodiment, the inner housing 20 is provided with a high voltage power supply 28 that is used to charge the fluid dispensed through the discharge nozzle 24, which is an electrostatic nozzle system. Inner housing 20 uses a typical body or enclosure to house the devices required in the drying appliance, and such components are generally relatively high during the drying appliance processing cycle. It will be appreciated that it is exposed to temperature. Therefore, more sensitive electronic components are generally (although not always) mounted at different locations, such as within the outer housing 50.

  The flat cable 40 carries certain command signals and power to the inner housing 20 and further receives electrical signals from sensors mounted in the inner housing 20 and transmits those sensor signals back to the outer housing 50. . The power control signal proceeds according to the wiring 70, passes through the quick disconnect switch 34, and reaches the high voltage power source 28. This signal may include a constant DC voltage, a constant AC voltage, a variable DC voltage, a variable AC voltage, or some type of pulse voltage, depending on the type of control method selected by the designer of fabric article processing apparatus 10. it can.

  In one embodiment, the signal at 70 is a variable DC voltage, and as this voltage increases, a conductor 39 (eg, a wire) attached to electrode 38 that carries a high voltage to nozzle 24 or to reservoir 26 as it increases. Along with this, the magnitude of the output voltage of the high-voltage power supply 28 also increases. The voltage applied to electrode 38 is then transferred to the beneficial composition. Instead of the variable output voltage power supply 28 of the exemplary embodiment, a constant output voltage DC high voltage power supply can optionally be used.

  Once the beneficial composition is charged in reservoir 26, it travels through tube or passage 42 to the inlet of pump 30, after which the beneficial composition is pressurized and passes through the outlet of the pump to another tube (or passage). ) 44 to the discharge nozzle 24. When used in the present invention, the actual details of the type of piping used, the type of pump 30 and the type of electric motor 32 driving the pump are easily configured for almost all types of pressure and flow requirements. can do. Also, the voltage and current requirements of the electric motor 32 to provide the desired pressure and flow at the outlet of the pump 30 can be easily configured for use in the present invention. Virtually any type of pump and electric motor combination can be used in a wide variety of forms to create useful devices that fall within the teachings of the present invention, or as described below, independent A mold pump can be used (ie without an associated electric motor).

  Some types of pumps, such as peristaltic pumps, that extend through the pump inlet opening and then the continuous tube through the pump discharge opening, have separate input and output lines or tubes. Note that it does not need to be connected to it. This arrangement is particularly useful for use with electrostatically charged fluids or particles that are pumped toward the discharge nozzle 24 because the tubing can electrically insulate the pump from the charged beneficial composition. is there. It should also be noted that alternative pump devices such as spring-operated pump mechanisms can be used if desired. A non-limiting example of a suitable peristaltic pump is a model 10/30 peristaltic pump, obtainable from Thomas Industries, Louisville, Kentucky.

  The type of control signal used to control the electric motor 32 can be varied according to the design requirements of the device 10, such signal traveling along the conductor 72 via the flat cable 40, The motor 32 is controlled. If the motor 32 is a DC variable speed motor, a variable “stable” DC voltage can be applied, and the motor speed increases as the voltage magnitude increases. In one embodiment, the electrical signal traveling along the conductor 72 can be a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal controlled by a microprocessor or microcontroller. Needless to say, such a pulse width modulated signal can also be controlled by discrete logic including analog electronic components.

  The fabric article processing apparatus 10 can be enhanced using specific sensors, examples of such sensors include, but are not limited to, a door (or lid) sensor 22, a motion sensor 36, humidity. Sensor 46 and / or temperature sensor 48 are included. An analog output temperature sensor can be used to provide an analog signal along the conductor 86 back to the controller in the outer housing 50.

  The main components of the outer housing 50 typically include an electronic component 54 and a power source 52. For example, if the power source 52 includes four single batteries connected in series, a +6 volt DC voltage is supplied to a set of DC power sources, generally represented by reference numeral 58. It is assumed that more than one DC power supply voltage is required by the control circuit in the outer housing 50. One of the DC power supply voltages provides energy for the high voltage power supply 28 via a conductor 70 that passes through the flat cable 40. The microcontroller 60 is supplied with another output voltage, which in the exemplary embodiment requires a +3.3 volt DC power supply. In an exemplary embodiment, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 62 is used and the device (part number AD5301) provided by Analog Devices, Norwood, Mass. Is +5 volts. DC power supply is required. All of these power sources are provided by a “set” of DC power sources 58.

  A portion of the outer housing 50 includes an input to the microcontroller 60. One important element that can be used as a user interface to the microcontroller 60 is a keypad 66, such as a set of bubbles or membrane switches with the numbers 0-9 and the “ENTER” key. Other keys, including a “CANCEL” key or a decimal point key, can be included as part of the keypad 66.

  FIG. 6 schematically shows the overall arrangement of several components of one stand-alone embodiment of the fabric article processing apparatus 10 of the present invention. As described above, the electronic component 54 and the battery 52 are disposed in the outer housing 50, and the outer housing 50 is a flat cable that transmits power and input / output signals between the outer housing 50 and the inner housing 20. 40 is electrically connected.

  Within the inner housing 20 are a reservoir 26, a pump 30, an electric motor 32, an optional high voltage power supply 28, a discharge nozzle 24, and various types that may or may not be included in certain types of processing apparatus 10. A sensor is accommodated. A conductor 39 is depicted that conducts a high voltage to the nozzle 24, which is an alternative that can be used instead of delivering a high voltage to the reservoir 26. In addition to piping 42 to the pump inlet, piping 44 from the pump outlet providing the beneficial composition to the nozzle 24 is shown. It should be noted that the high voltage power supply 28 is completely optional within the scope of the teachings of the present invention, and if the spray droplets / particles emitted from the nozzle 24 are not electrostatically charged, the inner housing 20 There is no need for a high-voltage power supply.

  FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment for use with the present invention depicting a fabric article drying implement, generally designated by reference numeral 110. In this mode of the invention, the control device depicted in the figures of the previous stand-alone embodiment is here integrated into the electronic control system of the drying apparatus 110. In FIG. 7, a door 15 is shown, which is a standard point where a human user contacts the drum volume inside the drying apparatus 110. Nozzle 24 is used to direct the beneficial composition into the drum area, and the drum is generally designated by reference numeral 114. The supply tube 44 carries the beneficial composition through the control valve 120 to the nozzle 24, which can be provided with an ON / OFF push button 56 if desired.

  10-14, like reference numerals indicate like elements, and a beneficial composition dispensing device 1100 configured in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is shown. Apparatus 1100 includes two enclosures or housings 1120 and 1150. The enclosure 1120 defines an “inner housing” that is disposed within a fabric enhancement device, such as, for example, a fabric article drying apparatus such as a clothes dryer (not shown in FIGS. 10-14). Defining an “outer housing” that is disposed external to the fabric article drying implement. The fabric enhancing device may also comprise a washing device or a washing and drying device. The enclosure 1150 may be placed on the outer surface of a fabric enhancer door (not shown), such as by pressure sensitive, heat stable adhesive foam strip (not shown). Alternatively, the enclosure 1150 may be placed on other outer surfaces of the fabric enhancing device, non-limiting examples of which include the side walls, the upper wall, the outer surface of the upper lid, and the like. The enclosure 1150 may also be installed on a wall or other residential structure away from the fabric enhancement device. Further, the enclosure 1120 may be installed on any inner surface of the fabric enhancement device, such as by pressure sensitive, heat stable adhesive foam strips (not shown), such as the inner surface of a door. , The drum of the apparatus, the back wall, the inner surface of the upper opening lid, and the like.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inner housing enclosure 1120 is secured to the main portion 1122 via a front / side integral main portion 1122 and screws, adhesives, snap-fit elements, and the like. And a main body 1121 including a back plate portion 1123. Portions 1122 and 1123 are preferably molded from a polymeric material. Contained within the body 1121 are the following elements: a discharge nozzle 24; for sensing ambient light when the fabric enhancer door is opened, thereby exposing the sensor 22 to ambient light Door sensor 22; (contained within main body 1121 and not visible from outside of main body 1121) motion sensor 36; humidity sensor 46; and temperature sensor 48. In this embodiment, the nozzle 24 is not combined with a high voltage power source. The nozzle 24 functions as a fluid spray nozzle and generates a pressurized spray.

  The enclosure 1150 includes a back wall 1151a, a first inner compartment 1151b (see FIG. 8) for storing various lengths of unused cable 1140 described below, a fluid pump 1130, and a drive for driving the pump 1130. The main body 1151 includes a motor 1132, a battery 52, a tube 1142 (described below), and a second compartment 1151 c (see FIG. 9) for storing a portion of the tube 1144 (described below). The enclosure 1150 further includes a cassette door 1152 pivotally connected to the body 1151 by pins 1152a (only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 10), a printed circuit board 1160a, and a face plate 1162. . The printed circuit board 1160a is accommodated between the main body 1151 and the face plate 1162. The face plate 1162 is connected to the body 1151 via screws, adhesive, snap-fit elements or similar connecting elements. The pivotable door 1152 includes a pocket 1152b for receiving a fluid reservoir defined by a removable container 1170 filled with a beneficial composition, which composition is discussed in this document or the documents described herein. Any one of the beneficial compositions may be included. Container 1170 may be formed from a polymeric material, paper, foil, a combination of these materials, or similar materials. The door 1152 is removably held at a closed position in the main body 1151 via the first and second bent arm portions 1153, and these arm portions are connected to the main body 1151.

  Passing through corresponding openings in the faceplate 1162 are an ON-OFF switch 1266c, a “refluff” key or switch 266d, and a dial 266a, which may be equipped with an electrometer, The dial 266a is rotated to dial the desired one of the strong, normal, or weak setting that corresponds to the strong, normal, or weak benefit level to be imparted by the beneficial composition during the drying process.

  Cable 1140 is coupled to and extends between enclosures 1120 and 1150. The cable 1140 extends along the inner surface of the door of the fabric enhancer and descends the outer surface of the door beyond the top of the door. Any unused length of cable 1140 can be manually inserted into the first compartment 1151b for storage.

  The cable 1140 carries the beneficial composition from the fluid pump 1130 in the outer enclosure 1150 to the nozzle 24 of the inner enclosure 1120 (see FIG. 14) and provides electrical signals to the sensors 36, 22, 46, and 46 installed in the inner enclosure 1120. 48 to the microcontroller 1160 installed on the printed circuit board 1160a in the outer enclosure 1150.

  The first metal fitting 1172 is installed on the main body 1151 via the first and second installation shelves 1155a and 1155b (see FIGS. 10 and 11), and is connected to a tube or passage 1142 (not shown in FIG. 11). And then connected to pump 1130. The first and second shelves 1155a and 1155b are disposed on both sides of the flange 1172a of the first metal fitting 1172, and are snap-fitted together, adhesively fixed or bolted together, and surround the flange 1172a. The assembly including the shelves 1155a and 1155b and the metal fittings 1172 is installed in the main body 1151, so that the shelves 1155a and 1155b are received in the slots 1151d defined in the main body 1151. The fitting 1172 is inserted into a second fitting 1170a that forms part of the fluid container 1170 when the door 1152 is pivoted to its closed position, so that the container 1170 is pierced or otherwise penetrated. It functions and provides a path for the beneficial composition to travel from the container 1170 to the tube 1142. From the tube 1142, the beneficial composition proceeds to the inlet of the pump 1130, after which the beneficial composition is pressurized and conveyed through the tube or passage 1144, which passes through the cable 1140 through the discharge nozzle 24. Where the beneficial composition is discharged. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump 1130 and motor 1132 comprise a single assembly, ie, a piezoelectric pump, one of which is commercially available from Par Technologies, LLC under the product name LPD-30S. Yes.

  The type of control signal used to control the electric motor 1132 can vary according to the design requirements of the device 1100, and such signal is transmitted to the motor 1132 via the conductor 1172. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical signal traveling along conductor 1172 includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal that is controlled by microcontroller 1160. Of course, such a pulse width modulated signal can also be generated by any suitable control or processing unit or suitable discrete logic.

  As described above, the enclosure 1150 includes a second compartment 1151c for storing the battery 52, which may be two AA batteries.

  A preferred microcontroller 1160 is a microprocessor manufactured by Atmel Corporation and sold under the product name Atmega48-16Al. Alternatively, the microcontroller 1160 may include a microprocessor manufactured by Atmel Corporation and sold under the product name Atmega48-16AJ. Of course, other microcontrollers, microprocessors, controllers or processing units, or discrete digital logic made by different manufacturers can alternatively be used.

  The microcontroller 1160 includes on-board memory and input / output lines for analog and digital signals. The microcontroller 1160 also has a serial port that can interface with any programmer interface using an RS-232 communication link. As described above, the ON-OFF switch 1266c and the refluff key 266d are connected to the microcontroller 1160 (see FIG. 12). In addition, as described above, the motion sensor 36, the door sensor 22, the humidity sensor 46, and the temperature sensor 48 send a signal to the microcontroller 1160. Further, as described above, the microcontroller 60 issues a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to the pump motor 1132 via the conductor 1172. Audio indicator 1300 is further coupled to microcontroller 1160 to indicate that the drying cycle has been completed, the garment has been treated with the beneficial composition, a failure has occurred during the beneficial composition administration cycle, or the beneficial composition dispensing device. Functions to indicate that the fluid is out of fluid. The audio indicator 1300 is installed on the printed circuit board 1160 (see FIG. 10).

  Further coupled to the microcontroller 1160 are first, second, third, fourth and fifth light emitting diodes 1400a-1400e (see FIGS. 9-11). The diode is connected to the face plate 1162 and is therefore visible to the operator at startup (see FIG. 9). The first diode 1400a is activated by the microcontroller 1160 when the device 1100 is activated via the ON-OFF switch 1266c. The second diode 1400b is activated by the microcontroller 1160 when the pump 1130 is delivering the beneficial composition to the nozzle 24. The third diode 1400c is activated by the microcontroller 1160 when the refluff key 266d is activated. The fourth diode 1400d is activated by the microcontroller 1160 when the spraying operation is completed during the corresponding fabric improvement operation cycle. The fifth diode 1400e is activated by the microcontroller 1160 to issue a warning signal when the container is out of fluid or when the fabric enhancement cycle is interrupted. The latter event may be detected by the door sensor 22 sensing light or the motion sensor 36 not sensing motion. The microcontroller 1160 can sense that the container 1170 is out of fluid by sensing the change in current drawn by the pump motor 1132.

  Further, a beneficial composition dispensing device constructed in accordance with the present invention is similar to that disclosed in US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 762,152 entitled “Volatile Material Delivery Method”. It is envisioned that a “single housing” stand-alone unit may be provided. In such an embodiment, the device comprises a single housing in which all electrical, electronic and mechanical components are housed. For example, such a single housing stand-alone unit may comprise the components illustrated in FIG. 5 or the components illustrated in FIG. 12 of this application, all of which are housed in a single housing. ing. The single housing is adapted to be placed in an apparatus for achieving a fabric enhancement operation.

  In most conventional dryers, whether home or commercial, the heating element is a binary device, so it is always on at full power and completely off at zero power. More expensive dryers may use, for example, a proportional controller to control the heating element, but the normal results of proportional control still show undershoot and overshoot around the temperature set point. become. The principles of the present invention can be used with such proportional control devices.

  For this example, assuming that the heating element is a binary device, the temperature tends to increase continuously in the drying chamber while energy is supplied to the heating element. When the heating element is turned off, the temperature begins to drop (but may overshoot somewhat). During a single drying cycle, the heating element can be switched on and off many times, in which case the temperature vs. time graph will have a saw-toothed waveform appearance and the rising slope (temperature Y-axis, time is taken as X-axis) occurs when the heating element is turned on, and the descending gradient occurs when the heating element is turned off. In this sawtooth waveform interval, the overall temperature vs. time chart has the appearance of a plateau, where the chart shows a relatively long ascending slope at the beginning of the drying cycle and then the plateau region ( At the end of the drying cycle, the gradient continues to fall on the “beyond” side of the plateau.

  If the fabric treatment composition contains volatile materials (such as certain fragrances), typically the temperature of the drying chamber is below a certain level that may not occur until the heating cycle is complete. It is better not to release such volatile materials into the drying chamber. One way to detect this is to know when the heating element is actually energized or not supplied, and an integrated control device connected to the heating element controller of the dryer is Will recognize its state of the heating element, and thus until the energy supply to the heating element is stopped at the end of the heating cycle (the heating element can be turned off, but can also be turned back on later) Dispensing or application of the fabric treatment composition can be easily prevented, not during the plateau region of the heating cycle.

However, if the heating element control state is not known to the fabric treatment composition distribution control device, this may occur when the distribution device is a self-contained unit that is not in communication with the dryer control device. However, other means of determining the end of the heating cycle are required. One way to determine the end of a heating cycle (or “heating event”) is to measure the minimum and maximum temperatures that occur during the sawtooth waveform portion of the heating cycle (also referred to as the “plateau region” as described above). That is. For example, when the internal temperature of the dryer chamber rises to a maximum temperature T _MAX and falls to an instantaneous “minimum” temperature that is about 10-15 ° C. below T _MAX , the controller for the dispensing device may It can be determined when the composition should begin to be applied (this is after the dryer's internal temperature is below the maximum temperature T _MAX and below the “minimum” temperature of 10-15 ° C.). These serrated minimum and maximum temperature values can be considered as a single temperature difference value, and such temperature difference is referred to herein as the variable “T _DIFF ”. T _DIFF may be provided with some extra tolerance in value, as a result, for example, if the most home dryer for about 15 ℃ vertically between the plateau region of the drying cycle, 20 ° C. The value of T _DIFF Can be set to

  One optional aspect of the present invention is that during the drying cycle, as described in co-pending US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 762,152 (filed Jan. 21, 2004), It is to provide a fabric treatment composition at different time intervals.

(Fabric treatment composition)
One aspect of Applicants is a fabric treatment composition that may include a polyol-based fabric care material, a dispersion medium, and optionally one or more adjuvant materials.

  In one embodiment, the fabric treatment composition comprises a polyol-based fabric care material such as sucrose ester; a dispersion medium such as water, alcohol, diol; and optionally a softening agent, a fragrance, a wetting agent, an emulsifier, an emulsion stabilizing agent. One or more auxiliary substances selected from the group consisting of agents, viscosity modifiers, pH buffering agents, antibacterial agents, antioxidants, radical scavengers, chelating agents, antifoaming agents and combinations thereof (fabric care agents and auxiliary agents) Substance).

  In another embodiment, the fabric treatment composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 95% by weight of the polyol-based fabric care material treatment composition and from about 1% to about 99% by weight of the dispersion medium. A treatment composition.

  In another embodiment, the fabric treatment composition comprises a polyol-based fabric care material and a dispersion medium in a weight ratio of about 1: 1000 to about 90: 1, or about 1:40 to about 1: 4.

  In another embodiment, the fabric treatment composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 95% by weight of the polyol-based fabric care material treatment composition and from about 1% to about 99% by weight of the dispersion medium. A treatment composition and the balance of one or more auxiliary substances are included.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the treatment composition applied to the fabric article comprises a polyol-based fabric care material having a boiling point at 101 kPa (1 atm) of 250 ° C. or less. Suitable polyol-based fabric care materials and sources for obtaining such materials are described in the following portions of the specification.

  In another aspect of the invention, the treatment composition applied to the fabric article is at least about 65 ° C., or at least about 75 ° C., or at least about at least when measured according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) method D93-02a. A dispersion medium having a flash point of 95 ° C, or about 65 ° C to about 400 ° C, or about 80 ° C to about 300 ° C, or about 90 ° C to about 232 ° C.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the viscosity of a processing composition suitable for use in the processing system of the present invention is 0.001 to 0 as measured at 20 ° C. by Brookfield viscometer model number LVDVII +. 20 Pa · s (about 1 to about 200 cps) or 0.002 to 0.15 Pa · s (about 5 to about 150 cps) or 0.01 to 0.1 Pa · s (about 10 to about 100 cps). The spindle used for these measurements is LV1 with an appropriate rotational speed to measure compositions of different viscosities; for example, viscosity from 0.5 Pa · s (500 cps) to 1 Pa · s (1000 cps). 3.14 rad / s (30 rpm) for measuring compositions having 6.28 rad / s (60 rpm) for measuring compositions having a viscosity of less than 0.5 Pa · s (500 cps).

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the electrostatic surface tension of a processing composition suitable for use in the processing system of the present invention is measured using the Kruss K12 Processor Tensiometer using the Wilhemy test method. When measured at room temperature with a Tensiometer), it is 0.03 to 0.7 mN / cm (about 3 to about 70 dynes / cm) or 0.05 to 0.5 mN / cm (about 5 to about 50 dynes / cm) at room temperature. Or 0.1 to 0.4 mN / cm (about 10 to about 40 dynes / cm).

(Polyol-based fabric care substance)
As used herein, the term “polyol” means an aliphatic or aromatic compound containing at least two free hydroxyl groups. In practicing the methods disclosed herein, the selection of suitable polyols is merely a matter of choice. For example, suitable polyols may have a backbone selected from the following classes: saturated and unsaturated, linear and branched, cyclic (including heterocyclic), aliphatic Or aromatic (including mononuclear or polynuclear aromatics). Exemplary polyols include carbohydrates (eg, saccharides), glycols (eg, glycerin), and derivatives thereof (eg, sugar alcohols). Monosaccharides suitable for use herein include mannose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, ribose, apiose, rhamnose, psicose, fructose, sorbose, tagitose, ribulose, xylulose, glucose, and erythrulose. Including, but not limited to. Suitable oligosaccharides for use herein include, but are not limited to, maltose, cordobiose, nigerose, cellobiose, lactose, melibiose, gentiobiose, turanose, rutinose, trehalose, sucrose, and raffinose. Suitable polysaccharides for use herein include, but are not limited to, for example, amylose, glycogen, cellulose, chitin, inulin, agarose, xylans, mannan, and galactans. Suitable sugar alcohols for use herein include, but are not limited to, sorbitol, erythritol, arabitol, xylitol, threitol, pentaerythritol, mannitol and galactitol.

  Also suitable for use herein are other types of polyol-based materials, including sugar ethers, alkoxylated polyols such as polyethoxyglycerol, pentaerythritol, and other polyols containing amines such as glucosamine. It is.

  These polyol-based materials have the ability to modify the fabric surface and provide fabric care benefits. The derivatization or functionalization of the polyol is designed to be effective for different fabric care applications. Examples of functionalization techniques include, but are not limited to, esterification, etherification, alkylation, amidation, amination, and other linking chemistries.

  Typical fabric care benefits include, but are not limited to, improved fabric feel such as flexibility, hand and comfort; reduced wrinkle or rust resistance; ease of ironing; improved fabric color Abrasion resistance; fabric shape retention (elastic, non-shrinkable; non-extensible); static reduction; lint reduction; faster drying; whitening;

Suitable polyol-based materials for use herein have the general formula:
P (OH) _w-s (OC (O) R ¹ ) _x (OR ² ) _y R ³ _z (LR ⁴ ) _u X _v
In the formula, P _{(OH) w} is a polyol as defined above,
R ¹ , R ² , R ³ and R ⁴ are independently selected from linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl or C1-C30 alkoxy Is the part to be
L is a linkage of atoms selected from O, S, N, P;
X is a heteroatom-containing functional group, the heteroatom is independently selected from O, N, S, P, Si and F;
w is an integer selected from 2 to 20,
x, y, z, u and v are integers independently selected from 0 to w;
s is the sum of x, y, z, u and v and should be less than or equal to w;
s = x + y + z + u + v ≦ w.

In one embodiment, the polyol-based fabric care substance is sucrose derivatized by esterification and has the following formula:
P (OH) _8-x , (OC (O) R ¹ ) _x,
Where P (OH) ₈ is sucrose;
x is an integer selected from 1 to 8, or 2 to 8, or 3 to 8, or 4 to 8,
R ¹ is independently selected from linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl or C1-C30 alkoxy.

In one embodiment, some R ¹ moieties may include straight chain alkyl or alkoxy moieties having various chain lengths. For example, R ¹ is a mixture of straight chain alkyl or alkoxy moieties in which about 20% of the straight chain is C18, or about 50% of the straight chain is C18, or about 80% of the straight chain is C18. May be included.

In another embodiment, some of the R ¹ moieties may comprise a mixture of saturated and unsaturated alkyl or alkoxy moieties, the degree of unsaturation being referred to as “iodine number” (hereinafter “IV” Measured by standard AOCS methods). Suitable polyol based fabric care materials for use herein have an IV in the range of about 1 to about 150, or about 2 to about 100, or about 5 to about 85. The R ¹ moiety may be hydrogenated to reduce the degree of unsaturation.

In further embodiments, some of the R ¹ moieties may contain unsaturated alkyl or alkoxy moieties, which are a mixture of “cis” and “trans” bodies around the unsaturated site. May be included. The “cis” / “trans” ratio is from about 1: 1 to about 50: 1, or from about 2: 1 to about 40: 1, or from about 3: 1 to about 30: 1, or from about 4: 1 to about 20 : 1 range.

  The polyol-based fabric care material is present in the treatment composition of the present invention from about 0.1% to about 95%, or from about 1% to about 50%, or from about 2% to about 30% of the composition. Present in a concentration by weight.

(Dispersion medium)
The fabric treatment composition of the present invention also contains a dispersion medium. Suitable dispersion media include, but are not limited to, water-soluble solvents selected from the group consisting of water, polyethers such as C4-C10 glycol ethers, C2-C7 glycols, glycerin, and mixtures thereof. .

  The treatment composition may comprise from about 1% to about 99%, from about 10% to about 95%, or from about 30% to about 90% by weight of the dispersion medium, based on its weight percent. Typically, water is greater than about 40%, or greater than about 60%, or greater than about 80%, or greater than about 90% by weight of the treatment composition, and the remainder of the dispersion medium is water soluble solvent. Including.

  When the fabric treatment composition includes water, the pH of the composition is in the range of about 2 to about 10, about 3 to about 9, about 4 to about 8, or about 5.5 to about 7.5. It's okay. In order to adjust and / or control the pH of the composition, generally known pH buffering agents such as those described in the “Adjunct Materials” below can be used.

(Auxiliary substance)
The treatment composition may also include optional adjuvant materials. Adjuvant materials include, but are not limited to, wetting agents, emulsifiers, emulsion stabilizers, viscosity modifiers, pH buffers, antibacterial agents, antioxidants, radical scavengers, chelating agents, antifoaming agents, and softening agents. Fabric care agents such as, perfumes, and mixtures thereof.

  When present, each adjuvant material is at least about 0.5%, at least about 2%, about 4% to about 90%, about 4% to about 50%, based on the total weight of the composition. It is present at a concentration of 1% by weight, or from about 4% to about 10% by weight.

  The composition of the present invention may optionally comprise one or more fabric care substances. These fabric care substances include, but are not limited to, flexibility, fragrance, stain re-adhesion prevention, stain repellent properties or water repellency, improved color or whiteness, improved absorption, antistatic properties, antibacterial properties Provide one or more fabric benefits including fabric or abrasion resistance of the fabric. Some examples of representative but non-limiting fabric care substances such as softeners are described below.

  Exemplary softening agents include, but are not limited to, diester quaternary ammonium compounds (DEQA); polyquaternary ammonium compounds; carboxylic acid esterified and quaternized triethanolamine ( Aminoesterquats; Cationic diesters; Betaine esters; Betaines; Silicones or silicone emulsions containing aminosilicones, cationic silicones, quats / silicone mixtures; functionalized PDMS; amine oxides; And mixtures thereof.

  Non-limiting examples of quaternary ammonium type softeners include N, N-dimethyl-N, N-di (tallowoyloxyethyl) ammonium methyl sulfate, N-methyl-N-hydroxyethyl-N, N-di. (Canoyloxyethyl) ammonium methyl sulfate, N, N-ditallow N, N-dimethylammonium chloride, N, N-ditaloylethanol N, N-dimethylammonium chloride and mixtures thereof Good.

  Further examples of non-silicone fabric softeners and deposition aids are: EP902009; PCT International Publication No. WO 99/58492; US Patent No. 4,137,180; PCT International Publication No. WO 97/08284; PCT International Publication No. WO 00 / PCT International Publication Patent WO 00/70005; PCT International Publication Patent WO 01/46361; PCT International Publication Patent WO 01/46363; PCT International Publication Patent WO 99/64661; PCT International Publication Patent WO 99/64660; JP 11-350349; JP 11-081134; And JP 11-043863. Further examples of silicone fabric softeners and deposition aids are given in US Pat. No. 4,448,810; US Pat. No. 4,800,026; US Pat. No. 4,891,166; US Pat. No. 593,611; EP459821; EP530974; PCT International Publication Patent WO92 / 01773; PCT International Publication Patent WO97 / 32917; PCT International Publication Patent WO00 / 71806; PCT International Publication Patent WO00 / 71807; International Patent Publications WO01 / 23394; JP2000-64180; JP2000-144199; JP2000-178583; and JP2000-192055.

式中、添字ｍは０、１、２、又は３であり；添字ｎは１、２、３、又は４であり、好ましくはｎは２又は３であり、より好ましくはｎは２であり、各Ｒは、Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２アルキル、Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２ヒドロキシアルキル又はベンジル基から独立して選択され；各Ｒ^１は、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖アルキル、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の分枝状アルキル、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖アルケニル、又はＣ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の分枝状アルケニルから独立して選択され；各Ｑは、カルボニル、カルボキシル、又はアミド部分を含んでよい。 Some of the softening agents are described in detail below. Suitable protonatable amines include protonatable amines having the following formula I:

Wherein the subscript m is 0, 1, 2, or 3; the subscript n is 1, 2, 3, or 4, preferably n is 2 or 3, more preferably n is 2. Each R is independently selected from C ₁ -C ₂₂ alkyl, C ₁ -C ₂₂ hydroxyalkyl or benzyl groups; each R ¹ is a C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ linear alkyl, C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ moiety Independently selected from branched alkyl, C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ straight chain alkenyl, or C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ branched alkenyl; each Q may comprise a carbonyl, carboxyl, or amide moiety.

式中、添字ｍは０、１、２、３、又は４であり；添字ｎは１、２、３、又は４であり、好ましくはｎは２又は３であり、より好ましくはｎは２であり、各Ｒは、Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２アルキル、Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２ヒドロキシアルキル又はベンジル基から独立して選択され；各Ｒ^１は、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖アルキル、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の分枝状アルキル、Ｃ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖アルケニル、又はＣ_１１〜Ｃ_２２の分枝状アルケニルから独立して選択され；Ｘ⁻は、クロライド、ブロミド又はメチルサルフェートのような水溶性のアニオン種であり、Ｑは、カルボニル、カルボキシル、又はアミド部分を含んでよい。 Suitable alkylated quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) include mono-alkyl quats, di-alkyl quats, tri-alkyl quats, and tetra-alkyl quats, as well as certain cationic surfactants. Suitable mono-alkyl quats, di-alkyl quats, tri-alkyl quats, and tetra-alkyl quats typically have the following formula II:

Where the subscript m is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; the subscript n is 1, 2, 3, or 4, preferably n is 2 or 3, more preferably n is 2. Each R is independently selected from C ₁ -C ₂₂ alkyl, C ₁ -C ₂₂ hydroxyalkyl or a benzyl group; each R ¹ is a C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ linear alkyl, C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ Independently selected from: branched alkyl, C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ linear alkenyl, or C ₁₁ -C ₂₂ branched alkenyl; X ⁻ is a water-soluble such as chloride, bromide or methyl sulfate An anionic species, Q may include a carbonyl, carboxyl, or amide moiety.

式中、Ｒ^１は、Ｃ_８〜Ｃ_１８ヒドロカルビル、好ましくはＣ_８〜１４アルキル、より好ましくはＣ_８、Ｃ_１０又はＣ_１２のアルキルであり、Ｘ⁻は、クロライド、ブロミド又はメチルサルフェートのような水溶性のアニオン種である。 Suitable cationic surfactants include quaternary ammonium surfactants selected from the group consisting of mono-C ₆ -C ₁₆ , preferably C ₆ -C ₁₀ N-alkyl or alkenyl ammonium surfactants. The remaining N position is substituted with a methyl, hydroxyehthyl or hydroxypropyl group. Another preferred cationic surfactant, such as quaternary choline esters, C ₆ -C ₁₈ alkyl or alkenyl ester of a quaternary ammonium alcohol. More preferably, the cationic surfactant has the following formula III:

Wherein R ¹ is C ₈ -C ₁₈ hydrocarbyl, preferably C _8-14 alkyl, more preferably C ₈ , C ₁₀ or C ₁₂ alkyl, and X ⁻ is as chloride, bromide or methyl sulfate. Is a water-soluble anionic species.

Suitable cationic silicones include silicones functionalized with amine-derived compounds, and cationic silicone polymers. Suitable silicones functionalized with amine-derived compounds include aminosilicones having the following formula IV:
(R ¹ R ² R ³ SiO _1/2 ) _p (R ⁴ R ⁴ SiO _2/2 ) _m [R ⁴ Si (L—NR ⁵ R ⁶ ) O _2/2 ] _a [Si (K—NR ⁷ R) ⁸ ) O _3/2 ] _b [R ⁴ SiO _3/2 ] _c
Formula IV
Wherein m, a, b, and c are independently selected from an integer from 0 to 6000; p is 2 + b + c; R ¹ , R ² , R ³ , R ⁴ , R ⁵ , R ⁶ , R ⁷ , R ⁸ , L, K are various side chains attached to the silicone or nitrogen atom in the molecule. In the above formula IV, R ¹ , R ² , R ³ , R ⁴ are independently selected from:
_{1) C} 1 ~C ₂₂ straight or branched chain, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety; or ^{2) -O-R 11, -O} -R 12, -O-R 13 and ^{-O-R 14,} wherein R ¹¹ , R ¹² , R ¹³ and R ¹⁴ are independently selected from H, or a C ₁ -C ₂₂ linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety.

In Formula IV above, L and K are independently selected from C ₁ -C ₂₂ linear or branched substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moieties. Preferably, L and K are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety, straight or branched chain C ₁ -C _12. More preferably, L and K are independently selected from C ₁ -C ₄ linear or branched substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moieties. Most preferably, L and K are independent of methylene, ethylene, propylene, 2-methylpropylene, butylene, octadecylene, or 3- (2,2 ′, 6,6′-tetramethyl-4-oxy-piperidyl) propyl. To be selected. In the above equations ^{IV, R 5, R 6,} R 7, and ^{R 8,} H, or _C 1 independently from linear or substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety branched _{-C 22} is selected.

As used in Formula IV above, “SiO _{n / 2} ” means the ratio of oxygen atoms to silicon atoms, ie, SiO _1/2 is one oxygen atom between two silicon atoms. Means sharing.

式中、［ＣＡＰ］は、主鎖の末端又はトランケーション（truncation）ユニットであり；ｍは、１〜５０の整数であり、各Ｚユニットは、以下の式ＶＩを有しており：

ここで、式ＶＩにおいて：
ｘは、０又は１であり；
Ｗは、以下の式ＶＩＩを有するシロキサンユニットであり：

ここで、式ＶＩＩにおいて、各Ｒ^１ユニットは、Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖又は分枝鎖の置換又は非置換ヒドロカルビル部分であり；
ここで、式ＶＩにおいて、上記Ｒは、以下の式ＶＩＩＩを有しており：
−［（Ｌ）_ｙ−（Ｒ^２）_ｙ−（Ｌ）_ｙ］−Ｂ−［（Ｌ）_ｙ−（Ｒ^２）_ｙ−（Ｌ）_ｙ］−
式ＶＩＩＩ
上式ＶＩＩＩにおいて：
ｙは、０又は１であり；
Ｌは、連結ユニットを含有する好適な炭素であり、好適な連結ユニットとしては、これらに限定するものではないが、アルキレン部分、アクリレート部分、及びアミド含有部分が挙げられ；
各Ｂは、少なくとも１つの第二級、第三級、又は第四級アミノ部分を含むユニットであり；
Ｒ^２は、以下の式ＩＸを有する連結ユニットであり：

上式ＩＸにおいて：
各Ｒ^３は、Ｃ_２〜Ｃ_１２の直鎖又は分枝鎖アルキレン部分から独立して選択され、好ましくは各Ｒ^３は、独立して、エチレン、１，３−プロピレン、又は１，２−プロピレンであり；
各Ｒ^４は、水素、又はＣ_１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖若しくは分枝鎖の置換若しくは非置換ヒドロカルビル部分から独立して選択され、好ましくは各Ｒ^４は、水素、又はＣ_１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖若しくは分枝鎖アルキル部分；Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２シクロアルキル部分；Ｃ_１〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖若しくは分枝鎖フルオロアルキル部分；Ｃ_２〜Ｃ_２２の直鎖若しくは分枝鎖アルケニル部分；Ｃ_６〜Ｃ_２２アリール部分；又はＣ_７〜Ｃ_２２アルキレンアリール部分から独立して選択され；最も好ましくは、各Ｒ^４は、水素、又はＣ_１〜Ｃ_１０の直鎖若しくは分枝鎖アルキル部分であり；
ｚは、０〜５０の整数である。 Suitable cationic silicone polymers include cationic silicone polymers having the following formula V:

[CAP] is the end of the main chain or truncation unit; m is an integer from 1 to 50 and each Z unit has the following formula VI:

Where in Formula VI:
x is 0 or 1;
W is a siloxane unit having the following formula VII:

Where in formula VII each R ¹ unit is a C ₁ -C ₂₂ linear or branched substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety;
Here, in Formula VI, R has the following Formula VIII:
_{^{- [(L) y - (}} R 2) y - (L) y] -B - [(L) y - (R 2) y - (L) y] -
Formula VIII
In the above formula VIII:
y is 0 or 1;
L is a suitable carbon containing a linking unit, suitable linking units include, but are not limited to, alkylene moieties, acrylate moieties, and amide-containing moieties;
Each B is a unit comprising at least one secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino moiety;
R ² is a linking unit having the following formula IX:

In the above formula IX:
Each R ³ is independently selected from C ₂ -C ₁₂ straight or branched alkylene moieties, preferably each R ³ is independently ethylene, 1,3-propylene, or 1,2- Propylene;
Each R ⁴ is independently selected from hydrogen or a C ₁ -C ₂₂ linear or branched substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl moiety, preferably each R ⁴ is hydrogen or C ₁ -C ₂₂ straight or branched chain alkyl _moiety; C 1 _{-C 22} cycloalkyl _moiety; straight or branched fluoroalkyl moiety of C 1 _{-C 22;} straight or branched chain alkenyl moiety C 2 _{-C 22;} C _{6 to} C ₂₂ aryl moieties; or independently selected from C _{7 to} C ₂₂ alkylene aryl moieties; most preferably, each R ⁴ is hydrogen, or a C _{1 to} C ₁₀ straight or branched alkyl moiety. Yes;
z is an integer of 0-50.

  Other suitable fabric materials may be polymeric materials such as polyacrylates, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and derivatives or copolymers of the aforementioned materials.

Non-limiting examples of suitable silicone copolyols are silicone copolyols having the following formula X:
^{_{R 1 - (CH 3) 2}} SiO - [(CH 3) 2 SiO] a - [(CH 3) (R 1) SiO] b -Si (CH 3) 2 -R 1
Formula X
In Formula X above, a + b is an integer from 1 to about 50, preferably a + b is an integer from about 3 to about 30, and more preferably a + b is an integer from about 10 to about 25; One R ¹ is a poly (ethyleneoxy / propyleneoxy) copolymer group having the following formula XI, and the remaining R ¹ moiety consists of methyl and a poly (ethylene oxide / propylene oxide) copolymer group having the following formula XI: Selected independently from the group:
_{- (CH 2) n O (} C 2 H 4 O) c (C 3 H 6 O) d R 2
Formula XI
In the above formula XI, n is 3 or 4, preferably n is 3; c is an integer from 1 to about 100, preferably c is an integer from about 6 to about 100; An integer of about 14, preferably d is an integer from 1 to about 3; the sum of c + d is an integer from about 5 to about 150, preferably the sum of c + d is an integer from about 9 to about 100; Each R ² is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl moiety containing up to 4 carbon atoms, or an acetyl group.

  Non-limiting examples of emulsifiers include amine oxides, alkyl polyglucosides, cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl ethoxylates, alkyl ethoxy sulfates, and mixtures thereof.

  Non-limiting examples of emulsion stabilizers are selected from ethoxylated terephthalate, arabinogalactan, ethoxylated polyethyleneimine, and mixtures thereof.

Non-limiting examples of viscosity modifiers include salts such as CaCl ₂ , MgCl ₂ , NaCl, guar gum, polysaccharides, and mixtures thereof. Other salts and other alkali or alkaline earth metal cations and halogenated anions are also suitable.

  Non-limiting examples of pH buffering agents include citric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof.

  Antibacterial agents include didecyldimethylammonium chloride available under the trade name Uniquat® (from Lonza), as the trade name Proxel® (Zeneca Inc. 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one available from), dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin available under the trade name Dantoguard® (from Lonza), and trade name 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one / 2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3 available as Kathon® (from Rohm and Haas) -ON.

  Antioxidants include, but are not limited to tocopherol acetates, quinine, polyphenols and mixtures thereof.

  Radical scavengers include, but are not limited to, propyl gallate, polyimine, trimethoxybenzoic acid, and mixtures thereof.

  Chelating agents include, but are not limited to, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentamethylethylenephosphonic acid, citric acid, and mixtures thereof.

  Antifoaming agents include, but are not limited to, silicone oils, ethoxylated surfactants, Tetronics® (available from BASF) and mixtures thereof.

Other examples of ethoxylated surfactants include, but are not limited to, carboxylated alcohol ethoxylates, ethoxylated quaternary ammonium surfactants, and ethoxylated alkyl amines. The following non-limiting examples of ethoxylated surfactants are provided:
a) C ₉ -C ₁₈ alkyl ethoxylates such as NEODOL® nonionic surfactant from Shell;
b) alkoxylate units are a mixture of ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy units, C ₆ -C ₁₂ alkyl phenol alkoxylates,
c) C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ alcohol and C ₆ -C ₁₂ alkylphenol condensates with ethylene oxide / propylene oxide block polymers, such as PLURONIC® from BASF,
d) a C ₁₄ -C ₂₂ medium chain branched alcohol, BA, as discussed in US Pat. No. 6,150,322,
e) C ₁₄ -C ₂₂ medium chain branched alkyl as discussed in US Pat. No. 6,153,577, US Pat. No. 6,020,303, and US Pat. No. 6,093,856. Alkoxylates, BAE _x , where x is 1-30,
f) ether end-blocked poly (oxyalkylated) alcohol surfactants as discussed in US Pat. No. 6,482,994 and PCT International Publication No. WO 01/42408 and PCT International Publication No. 01/42408,
g) fatty _{(C 12 to 18)} sorbitan esters, Span (Span) (registered trademark), and their ethoxylated _{(EO 5-100)} derivatives, polysorbates; for example, Span (Span) (R) 20, Tween (Tween (R) 20), Tween (R) 60, Tween (R) 80 (commercially available from Uniqema).

  Other examples of ethoxylated surfactants include carboxylated alcohol ethoxylates, ethoxylated quaternary ammonium surfactants, and ethoxylated alkyl amines.

  Suitable nonionic materials include certain surfactants produced by condensation of alkylene oxide groups with organic hydrophobic moieties (which can be aliphatic or alkylaromatic in nature); silicone copolyols; And mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable nonionic surfactants include, but are not limited to, alkylphenol ethoxylates, polyethylene glycol / polypropylene glycol block copolymers, fatty alcohol and fatty acid ethoxylates, long chain tertiary amine oxides, Examples include alkyl polysaccharides, polyethylene glycol (PEG), glyceryl fatty acid esters, and mixtures thereof.

  Perfume substances include the following perfume substance suppliers: Firmenich (Geneva, Switzerland), Givaudan (Argenteuil, France), IFF (Hazlet, NJ), Quest (Quest) (Mount Olive, New Jersey), Bedoukian (Danbury, Connecticut), Sigma Aldrich (St. Louis, Missouri), Millennium Specialty Chemicals (Illinois) Olympia Fields, Polarone International (Jersey City, NJ), Fragrance Resources (Keyport, NJ), and Aroma & Flavors Can be obtained from one or more of the Aroma & Flavor Specialties (Danbury, Connecticut).

  Suitable particulate materials include inorganic or organic particulates such as polymer particles, clays, talc, zeolites and mixtures thereof. Suitable polymer particles typically have an average particle size of less than about 10 microns, preferably less than 5 microns, more preferably less than about 1 micron. Such particles may include polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and mixtures thereof. Suitable clay materials include smectite clays, such as phyllosilicate clays with a 2: 1 layer structure, such as phyllite, montmorillonite, hectorite, saponite and vermiculite, and mica. Particularly suitable clay materials include smectite clays described in US Pat. No. 4,062,647. Other disclosures of clay materials suitable for fabric softening purposes include European Patent Specification EP 26528-A1, US Pat. No. 3,959,155, and US Pat. No. 3,936,537.

  Other suitable adjunct materials include, but are not limited to, preservatives such as benzyl alcohol, methyl paraben, propyl paraben and imidazolidinyl urea; suspending agents such as magnesium / aluminum silicate; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid diacetate Sequestering agents such as sodium; and some triglycerides, some synthetic or naturally derived oils and / or fats such as mineral oil, and mixtures thereof. Specific examples of fats suitable for use herein as adjunct materials include, but are not limited to: triglycerides from beef tallow, palm oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and soybean oil (all with various hydrogenations). A paraffinic oil, as well as mixtures thereof.

  Additional adjunct materials include, but are not limited to, wrinkle mitigating / preventing agents, antistatic agents, crystal modifiers, soil release / preventing agents, colorants, brighteners, odor reducing / removing agents, Further examples include deodorants / coolants, stain repellents, color enhancers, perfume release agents and / or supplies, shape retention agents, fiber restructuring agents, fiber repair agents, and mixtures thereof.

  Further examples of suitable adjuvants and use concentrations are found in US Pat. No. 6,653,275.

  Suitable adjuvant materials are Mazer Chemicals (Gurnee, Illinois, USA), Clariant Corporation (Glattbrugg, Switzerland), Rhodia Incorporated (New Jersey, USA) Cranberry), Scher Chemicals, Inc. (Clifton, New Jersey, USA), Dow Corning Corporation (Midland, Michigan, USA), and General Electric Company (Connecticut, USA) State Fairfield), Witco Corporation (Middlebury, Connecticut, USA), Degussa-Huls (Marl, Germany), BASF (Mount Olive, New Jersey, USA), Sigma-Aldrich (Sigma- Aldrich) (rice St. Louis, Mo.), 20 Mikuronzu Inc. (Microns Ltd.) (India, Baroda (Baroda) are commercially available from), and Twin Rivers Technologies (Twin Rivers Technologies) (Massachusetts, USA Quincy (Quincy)).

(Method for producing fabric treatment composition)
The fabric treatment composition of the present invention can be formulated into any suitable form and can be prepared by any method selected by the formulator, a non-limiting example of which is described in US Pat. No. 6,653,275. In the issue.

ａ．ＤＴＤＭＡＣ＝ジ−タロージメチルアンモニウムクロライド
ｂ．ＤＴＤＭＡＭＳ＝ジ−タロージメチルアンモニウムメチルサルフェート
ｃ．ＤＥＥＨＭＡＭＳ＝ジ−（タローオキシエチル）ヒドロキシエチルメチルアンモニウムメチルサルフェート
ｄ．ＣＴＭＡＣ＝セチルトリメチルアンモニウムクロライド
ｅ．プロクセル（Proxel）（登録商標）＝１，２−ベンズイソチオゾリン−３−オン
ｆ．ダントガード（Dantoguard）（登録商標）＝ジメチロール−５，５−ジメチルヒダントイン
ｇ．ＴＭＢＡ＝トリメトキシ安息香酸
ｈ．ＤＴＰＡ＝ジエチレントリアミン五酢酸ナトリウム The following compositions are examples of fabric treatment compositions useful in the present invention:

a. DTDMAC = di-tallowdimethylammonium chloride b. DTDMAMS = di-tallowdimethylammonium methyl sulfate c. DEEHMAMS = di- (tallowoxyethyl) hydroxyethylmethylammonium methyl sulfate d. CTMAC = cetyltrimethylammonium chloride e. Proxel® = 1,2-benzisothiozoline-3-one f. Dantoguard (R) = dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin g. TMBA = trimethoxybenzoic acid h. DTPA = sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate

  Any maximum numerical limitation set forth throughout this specification should be understood to encompass any lower numerical limit as such lower numerical limit is expressly set forth herein. The minimum numerical limits set forth throughout this specification include all higher numerical limits as if such large numerical limits were expressly set forth herein. The numerical ranges set forth throughout this specification are intended to include any numerical range narrower than that falling within such broader numerical ranges, and all such narrower numerical ranges being explicitly set forth herein. Including.

  All cited documents are incorporated herein by reference in relevant portions; the citation of any arbitrary document should not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

  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. Accordingly, it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a stand-alone fabric article processing apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The perspective view which looked at the fabric article processing apparatus of FIG. 1 from the opposite angle. The elevation view which looked at the partial cross section of the fabric article processing apparatus of FIG. 1 which showed the inner housing and outer housing which were joined together by the flat cable from the end. FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a partial cross section of an inner housing portion of the fabric article processing apparatus of FIG. 1 as viewed from one side. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of several electrical and mechanical components used in the fabric article processing apparatus of FIG. The fragmentary sectional view of the fabric article processing apparatus of FIG. 1 when attached to the door of the clothes dryer apparatus. 1 is a perspective view of a fabric article drying apparatus having a nozzle that sprays a beneficial composition into a drum portion of a dryer when constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stand-alone unit for dispensing beneficial compositions constructed according to the principles of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view from the opposite angle of the apparatus of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the unit illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. It is an exploded view of a fluid container, the 1st and 2nd metal fittings, and the 1st and 2nd installation shelf. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of at least some of the electrical and mechanical components utilized in the units of FIGS.

Claims (12)

A fabric article processing system comprising:
(A) a fabric article drying implement;
(B) A fabric article processing device removably attached to the drying device, wherein the processing device contains a source for receiving a fabric processing composition and means for dispensing the composition to the drying device. Wherein the means is in fluid communication with the supply source, preferably the dispensing means comprises a fabric article processing device including a nozzle,
The composition comprises a polyol-based fabric care material and a dispersion medium, preferably the dispersion medium is water or a water soluble selected from C4 to C10 glycol ethers, C2 to C7 glycols, polyethers and mixtures thereof. A fabric article processing system, wherein the dispersion medium is a solvent, preferably the dispersion medium is liquid at room temperature, and preferably the flash point of the dispersion medium is at least about 65 ° C. The polyol-based fabric care substance has the following formula:
P (OH) _w-s (OC (O) R ¹ ) _x (OR ² ) _y R ³ _z (LR ⁴ ) _u X _v
Where P (OH) _w is a polyol;
R ¹ , R ² , R ³ and R ⁴ are independently selected from linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl or C1-C30 alkoxy Is the part to be
L is a linkage of atoms selected from O, S, N, P;
X is a heteroatom-containing functional group, wherein the heteroatom is independently selected from O, N, S, P, Si and F;
w is an integer selected from 2 to 20,
x, y, z, u and v are integers independently selected from 0 to w;
s is the sum of x + y + z + u + v and s ≦ w, preferably, the polyol-based fabric care substance is a sucrose ester having the formula:
_{P (OH) 8-x,} (OC (O) R 1) x,
Where P (OH) ₈ is sucrose;
x is an integer selected from 1 to 8,
The system according to claim 1, wherein R ¹ is independently selected from linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl or C1-C30 alkoxy. . The composition comprises
(A) a wetting agent, preferably a wetting agent selected from the group consisting of silicone copolyols, dioctyl sulfosuccinates, acetylene surfactants and mixtures thereof;
(B) an emulsifier, preferably an amine oxide, alkyl polyglucoside, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, alkyl sulfate, alkyl sulfonate, alkyl ethoxylate, alkyl ethoxy sulfate and mixtures thereof,
(C) an emulsion stabilizer, preferably an emulsion stabilizer selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated terephthalate, arabinogalactan, ethoxylated polyethyleneimine and mixtures thereof;
(D) a viscosity modifier, preferably, _CaCl2, MgCl 2, NaCl, guar gum, polysaccharides and viscosity adjusting agent selected from the group consisting of mixtures,
(E) a pH buffer, preferably a pH buffer selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof;
(F) Antibacterial agent, preferably didecyldimethylammonium chloride, 1,2-benzisothiozoline-3-one, 1,3-bis (hydroxymethyl) -5,5-dimethylhydantoin, 5-chloro-2methyl An antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of -4 isothiazolin-3-one and mixtures thereof;
(G) an antioxidant, preferably an antioxidant selected from the group consisting of tocopherol acetate, quinine, polyphenols and mixtures thereof;
(H) a radical scavenger, preferably a radical scavenger selected from the group consisting of propyl gallate, trimethoxybenzoic acid (TMBA), polyimine and mixtures thereof;
(I) a chelating agent, preferably selected from the group consisting of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentamethylenephosphoric acid and mixtures thereof;
(J) an antifoaming agent, preferably an antifoaming agent selected from the group consisting of silicone oils, ethoxylated surfactants, ethylenediamine polyglycol ethers, ethylene oxide / propylene oxide block copolymers and mixtures thereof;
(K) a softening agent, preferably selected from the group consisting of N, N-ditallow N, N-dimethylammonium chloride and N, N-di-taloylethanol ester N, N-dimethylammonium chloride and mixtures thereof A softening agent which is a dialkyl quaternary ammonium compound,
(L) perfume, and (m) a mixture thereof,
The system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising one or more auxiliary substances selected from the group consisting of:   The composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 95% by weight of the composition of the polyol-based fabric care material, from about 1% to about 99% of the composition by weight of the dispersion medium, and the balance 4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising one or more auxiliary substances.   The composition further comprises wrinkle reducing / antifungal agents, antistatic agents, crystal modifiers, soil release agents / inhibitors, colorants, brighteners, odor reducing / removing agents, deodorizing agents / cooling agents, stains. 5. An auxiliary agent selected from the group consisting of repellents, color enhancers, perfume release agents and / or supplies, shape retention agents, fiber restructuring agents, fiber repair agents and mixtures thereof. The system according to any one of the above.   6. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition has a viscosity of from about 1 to about 200 cps at room temperature.   7. The system of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the electrostatic surface tension of the composition is 0.03 to 0.7 mN / cm (about 3 to about 70 dynes / cm) at room temperature.   8. The system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the composition is dispensed in the form of droplets, preferably the droplets have an average particle diameter of about 0.1 to about 1000 microns. A method for applying a fabric treatment composition to a fabric article in a fabric article drying device comprising:
(A) providing a drying apparatus comprising a processing chamber and a fabric article processing apparatus;
(B) providing a fabric treatment composition comprising a polyol-based fabric care substance and a dispersion medium, preferably the dispersion medium is liquid at room temperature and has a flash point greater than about 65 ° C;
(C) placing a fabric article in the treatment chamber; and (d) dispensing the composition into the treatment chamber so that the dispensed composition contacts the fabric article, preferably The composition is distributed in the form of droplets having an average particle diameter of about 0.1 to about 1000 microns, and the fabric treatment device is removably attached to the drying implement, Configured to dispense into the chamber. The dispersion medium is water or a water-soluble solvent selected from the group consisting of C4-C7 glycol ethers, C2-C7 glycols, polyethers and mixtures thereof, and the polyol-based fabric care substance has the following formula:
P (OH) _w-s (OC (O) R ¹ ) _x (OR ² ) _y R ³ _z (LR ⁴ ) _u X _v
Where P (OH) w is a polyol,
R ¹ , R ² , R ³ and R ⁴ are independently selected from linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl or C1-C30 alkoxy Part to be done;
L is a connection selected from O, S, N, and P;
X is a heteroatom-containing functional group, and the heteroatom is independently selected from O, N, S, P, Si and F;
w is an integer selected from 2 to 20,
x, y, z, u and v are integers independently selected from 0 to w;
The method according to claim 9, wherein s is the sum of x + y + z + u + v and s ≦ w.   12. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the composition has a viscosity of from about 1 to about 200 cps at room temperature. A method of applying a fabric treatment composition to a fabric article comprising:
(A) providing a source of a fabric treatment composition comprising a polyol-based fabric care substance and a dispersion medium;
(B) providing a drying apparatus comprising a processing chamber;
(C) providing a dispensing device removably attached to the drying apparatus and configured to be in fluid communication with the source;
(D) placing a fabric article in the treatment chamber; and (e) dispensing the composition into the treatment chamber so that the dispensed composition contacts the fabric article. A method characterized by.

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