Patents Assigned to Lever Brothers Company
  • Patent number: 6171345
    Abstract: There is provided a detergent composition comprising one or more surfactants and a compound capable of binding to coloured substances which may occur as stains on fabrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Convents, Cornelis Theodorus Verrips
  • Patent number: 6169065
    Abstract: There is provided a process for enhancing the activity of an oxidoreductase, comprising adding to the enzyme, as an enhancer for the activity of said enzyme, a compound having the formula: wherein X represents (—O—) or (—S—) and R1, R2 and R3 may each independently represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, nitroso, formyl, carboxyl, and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo, and esters and salts hereof, sulfamoyl, nitro, amino, phenyl, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C8 alkoxy, carbonyl-C1-C6-alkoxy, aryl-C1-C6-alkyl, whereby: the carbamoyl, sulfamoyl and amino groups may be unsubstituted or substituted once or twice with hydroxy, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-alkoxy, in which C1-C6-group may be saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched and may be substituted once or twice with halogen, nitroso, hydroxy, formyl, carboxy, and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo, and esters and salts hereof, sulfamoyl; and the phenyl group may be substituted with once or twice with halogen, nitr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company division of Conopco Company
    Inventors: Willem Antheunisse, Ronald Hage, Jiri Hora, Ton Swarthoff, Robin Stefan Twisker
  • Patent number: 6162781
    Abstract: Foam control granules, for use in particulate laundry detergent compositions, comprise a mobile hydrophobic foam control agent, preferably silicone oil in admixture with hydrophobic silica, optionally combined with a mixture of a hydrocarbon such as petroleum jelly and an alkylphosphoric acid salt, sorbed onto a porous absorbent inorganic carrier comprising or consisting of anhydrous sodium carbonate, preferably light soda ash. When such granules are prepared by mixing and granulating in a high shear mixer/granulator, the addition of from 1 to 10 wt % water after mixing and granulation results in granules having improved flow properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, div. of Conopco Inc.
    Inventors: Marinela Buscan, Francois Delwel, Angela Di-Pietro
  • Patent number: 6148644
    Abstract: A system for dry cleaning soils from fabrics comprising densified carbon dioxide and a surfactant in the densified CO.sub.2. The densified carbon dioxide is in a temperature range of about -78.5.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and a pressure range of about 14.7 to about 10,000 psi. At least 0.1% by volume of a modifier is preferably present. The surfactant has a polysiloxane, a branched polyalkylene oxide or a halocarbon group which is a functional CO.sub.2 -philic moiety connected to a CO.sub.2 -phobic functional moiety. The surfactant either exhibits an HLB of less than 15 or has a ratio of siloxyl to substituted siloxyl groups of greater than 0.5:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon Harriott Jureller, Judith Lynne Kerschner, Dennis Stephen Murphy
  • Patent number: 6143704
    Abstract: A bar composition comprising about 50-80% soap, about 4 to 35% by wt. free fatty acid and less than 5% synthetic surfactant. Addition of 1% to 10% organic salt has been found to allow use of little or no surfactant while maintaining consumer desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Andrew Van Gunst, James Joseph Corr, John Gerard Sheehan
  • Patent number: 6140298
    Abstract: A bleach composition and a method for bleaching stains is provided, the composition including a C.sub.7 -C.sub.20 aromatic aldehyde and a transition metal salt. Air is employed as source of oxygen which combines with the aldehyde to form the bleach active species. Peroxides, inorganic persalts and bleach precursors are unnecessary elements for the bleach systems of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Uday Shanker Racherla, Robert Charles Vermeer
  • Patent number: 6133226
    Abstract: Tumble dryer articles having a fabric conditioning composition providing anti-static softening, stain removal, stain guard and anti-active build-up benefits in an automatic clothes dryer are described. The composition comprises 3 to 80 wt. % of a nonionic surfactant having an HLB value of greater than 11, 3 to 50 wt. % of an anionic surfactant, 0 to 80 wt. % of a non-surfactant release aid and up to 25 wt. % of an aqueous ingredient provided the total amount of the nonionic and anionic surfactant is 20 wt. % or more and the ratio of the aqueous ingredient to the anionic surfactant is less than 2:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Nathaniel Knowlton, Nancy Pergament, Feng-Lung Gordon Hsu
  • Patent number: 6131421
    Abstract: A system for dry cleaning soils from fabrics comprising densified carbon dioxide and a surfactant in the densified CO.sub.2. The densified carbon dioxide is in a temperature range of about -78.5.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and a pressure range of about 14.7 to about 10,000 psi. At least 0.1% by volume of a modifier is preferably present. The surfactant has a polysiloxane, a branched polyalkylene oxide or a halocarbon group which is a functional CO.sub.2 -philic moiety connected to a CO.sub.2 -phobic functional moiety. The surfactant either exhibits an HLB of less than 15 or has a ratio of siloxyl to substituted siloxyl groups of greater than 0.5:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon Harriott Jureller, Judith Lynne Kerschner, Dennis Stephen Murphy
  • Patent number: 6133223
    Abstract: A granular detergent product is made by contacting a liquid binder and a solid neutralizing agent. The binder has an acidic component comprising an anionic surfactant acidic precursor and an inorganic acid. The inorganic acid is at least 2.5% by weight of the acidic component. The neutralizing agent and at least some of the binder are granulated in a low-shear granulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernardete Barreto Sampaio, Lazaro Valli
  • Patent number: 6121216
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic bar compositions comprising amphoteric surfactants (e.g., betaine) in which, by using floor levels of fatty acid soap and floor ratios (minimum amounts) of saturated to unsaturated soap, enhanced processing (i.e., measured as rates of extrusion) is obtained at higher levels of amphoteric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: William Narath, Gregory Ornoski, James Corr
  • Patent number: 6121223
    Abstract: A detergent composition having excellent color care properties when used to launder colored fabnrics. The composition comprises a dye transfer inhibiting polymer comprising one or more monomeric units containing at least one .dbd.N--C(.dbd.O) with the proviso that the dye transfer inhibiting agent does not comprise an -oxide group and a water soluble sunscreen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Dixon, Timothy David Finch, Jonathan Frank Warr
  • Patent number: 6117833
    Abstract: A bleach composition and a method for bleaching stains is provided, the composition including a C.sub.7 -C.sub.20 aromatic aldehyde and an imide, the latter being particularly N-hydroxyphthalimide. Air is employed as a source of oxygen which combines with the aldehyde to form the bleach active species. Peroxides, inorganic persalts and bleach precursors are unnecessary elements for the bleach systems of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company
    Inventors: Uday Shanker Racherla, Robert Charles Vermeer
  • Patent number: 6114290
    Abstract: An aqueous cleansing and oily soil removing composition comprising a surface active agent and an agent for removing oily soil from skin, in which the surface active agent and agent for removing oily soil are separate but combinedly dispensable from a single packaging means as discrete domains, preferably in a predetermined ratio. Separating the agent for removing oily soil from the surface active agent results in improved removal of oily soil from skin, and a clean, fresh feel which is appreciated by the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Gardner Lyle, Mavis Claire Pereira, Jason Richard Williams
  • Patent number: 6114295
    Abstract: A system for dry cleaning soils from fabrics is described which contains densified carbon dioxide combined with a selected surfactant. The densified carbon dioxide is used in a temperature range of about -78.5.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and a pressure range of about 14.7 psi to about 10,000 psi. The surfactant is selected from one of two groups of compounds having a formula ##STR1## as described in the text or a second group of siloxane compounds having a formula [AB].sub.y as described. A process for using the dry cleaning system is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company
    Inventor: Dennis Stephen Murphy
  • Patent number: 6114291
    Abstract: The present invention relates to skin cleansing bar composition in which polyalkylene glycols of very specific molecular weights are used to define compositions which are mild, foam well and provide consumer-desired sensory profiles. A significant amount of these specific PEGs must be incorporated into the bar to deliver these desired effects. To properly process such a bar composition, the cast-melt method is the preferred technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Mengtao He, James Joseph Dalton, Kennard Daniels, Georgia Shafer, Michael Massaro
  • Patent number: 6105857
    Abstract: A carton having one or more closure flaps with a delaminating window formed by lines which are not substantially straight in a direction parallel to the fold line separating the flap from the panel of the carton. Preferably, the delaminating window is formed from an undulating curve. The lack of straight lines tends to minimize the risk that bending will occur and interfere with the sealing of the carton. The invention also includes a process of sealing the cartons by adhering the delaminating window to another flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Markey, Ronald Milio, Alan Fontaine
  • Patent number: 6107264
    Abstract: There is provided an enzymatic bleach composition comprising one or more surfactants and an enzyme of extracellular origin, capable of oxidizing substrates by the build-in of one or more oxygen atoms into the substrate using molecular oxygen, in particular a dioxygenase from extracellular origin, and a process for bleaching stains present on fabrics comprising treating the stained fabrics with said composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel van der Helm, Monique van der Heiden, Dirk Herman Hondmann, Annelies Smits, Ton Swarthoff, Cornelis Theodorus Verrips
  • Patent number: 6089369
    Abstract: A carton particularly adapted to house both a container of cleansing agent and a washing implement. The carton of the invention includes front, rear and side panels and a compartment within the carton having at least three compartment walls which are free of attachment to, and do not form a part of, the carton panels. A particular advantage of the present carton is that it can be packed on automatic cartoning equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Markey
  • Patent number: 6090372
    Abstract: An aqueous liquid detergent composition is substantially transparent in the absence of opacifier contains a sunscreen together less than 5 wt. % of detergency builder and/or comprises a water-miscible polar organic solvent. The solvent and fluorescer or ultraviolet absorbing agent are mixed together as a premix prior to incorporation in the composition as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy David Finch, Philippus Cornelis van der Hoeven, David Alan Reed, Helena Maria de Roo, Jonathan Frank Warr
  • Patent number: D434327
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Carmelo Di Bartolo, Marco Valente, Monica Ferrigno, Giorgio Zecchi, Claudia Moglia