Abstract: A diagnostic article and method is disclosed wherein the article includes a mirror, a plurality of attribute selection sites arranged along or associated with the mirror with each of the sites having a plurality of choice selectors, and an output for recommending at least one personal care product based upon input from the choice selectors. A diagnostic for skin includes attribute selection sites hosting questions related to a customer's age, skin coloration, dryness, sunburn susceptibility, pimple breakout affinity, wrinkle formation and pore size. Hair, dental and underarm products may also be personalized by the diagnostic system. The mirror allows a customer in-store to more accurately answer attribute questions through reference to the customer's mirror reflection.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 7, 2003
Date of Patent:
September 12, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Carlos Ortiz-Valero, John Depiano, Mark Dieter Dziersk, Miles Hugh Eddowes, Gail Eileen Gibford, Christine Elizabeth Kennedy, Anthony Pannozzo
Abstract: A container including a fitment having an outer wall and a pour spout. The fitment outer wall includes a first product exit aperture. A bottle finish includes one or more locking surfaces abutting the outer wall of the fitment, and the finish locking surface includes a channel which directs product trapped between the outer wall of the fitment and the inner wall of the finish to the first product exit aperture and then to the exterior of the container or directly to the exterior of the container. This permits egress of residual drops of product from the container. Alternatively, the channel can extend to the top of the finish.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 11, 2000
Date of Patent:
August 29, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Edward John Giblin, Corinne Saso, George Albright
Abstract: A personal care product is provided which includes a composition a quaternary ammonium salt wherein a cation of the salt is a dihydroxypropyltri(C1–C3 alkyl)ammonium monosubstituted polyol in a carrier. The cation should have a molecular weight no higher than about 450 and the salt have a Tg no higher than about 10° C. Particularly preferred are hydroxypropyltrimonium sorbitol salts. These salts operate as humectants to moisturize both in high and low relative humidity environments.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 25, 2004
Date of Patent:
August 8, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Richard Loren Mc Manus, Michael Charles Cheney, Alessandro Luigi Spadini, Bijan Harichian, Philip Edward Miner
Abstract: A device for treating fabrics in a tumble dryer during multiple tumble drying cycles, the device comprising a support member attachable to a reservoir for storing fabric treatment composition, the support member including attachment means for attachment of the device to the tumble dryer interior, preferably the door, wherein the device, preferably the support member, includes one or more flexible portions which contact the dryer interior and allow positional adjustment of the device relative to the tumble dryer interior, during attachment by the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 6, 2003
Date of Patent:
June 27, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
Abstract: A foam dispensing article is provided which includes a reservoir for receiving a liquid product and an operating unit for dispensing foam as an air-liquid mixture. The unit includes an air pump, a liquid pump concentrically surrounded at least partially by the air pump, an operating component positioned above the pumps containing a foam forming screen device, and a spring system. The spring system functions to return pistons of the air and liquid pumps to an unactivated position and includes an inner spring positioned internally concentric to the air piston. The improvement of the present invention is characterized in the spring device having a return force greater than 4 lbs. (17.8 N). In one embodiment, the spring device includes both an outer spring conically tapered and surrounding an inner spring. The outer spring provides the required force in excess of 4 lbs. (17.8 N). Less liquid drip and piston stickage is achieved with the improvement to the spring system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 25, 2003
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
Abstract: A disposable substantially damp cleansing article is disclosed having a cleansing composition impregnated onto a flexible substrate such as a non-woven cloth. The impregnated compositions include lathering surfactants and water, and a water-binding agent resulting in a composition having a water activity less than 0.977 but no lower than 0.001. Amounts of water range from greater than 15% to no higher than about 40% by weight of the total article. Speed of lather formation and foam volume increases within the window of the stated water activity and water range.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 2001
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
G Jae Lee, Robert Edward Gott, Craig Stephen Slavtcheff, Michael Charles Cheney
Abstract: A cosmetic composition is provided which includes an alpha- or beta-hydroxycarboxylic acid at least partially neutralized and a taurate copolymer in a low pH system. The taurate copolymer improves skinfeel and provides viscosity to the system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 24, 2002
Date of Patent:
January 17, 2006
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pour spout fitment that has an enlarged spout opening thereby making it less susceptible to double pouring and advantageous for dispensing new flowable product forms such as gels. The pour spout opening is large relative to the bottle opening which is equated with the fitment's circumscribing wall. Accordingly, the pour spout fitment is less susceptible to double pouring and may also be useful for pouring more viscous product forms such as gels.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 30, 2003
Date of Patent:
November 29, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Edward John Giblin, Philip Andrew Tarrant, Alyson Leigh Garcia, Jaimee Terese Simone
Abstract: The invention provides a bottle having at least three layers in which the outer and inner layers contain a metallocene polyethylene polymer and the middle layer comprises virgin high density polyethylene, regrind and post-consumer recycled resin, with the bottle having at least 10% light transmittance in the visible spectrum.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 27, 2003
Date of Patent:
November 1, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Edward John Giblin, John Michael Paulovich
Abstract: A method kit is provided for demonstrating the effects of a cosmetic product on a consumer's body, especially effects over a period of time. The method includes applying a cosmetic product to the body, capturing an image of the consumer, displaying the image on a monitor and digitally transforming the image to reflect the effect of using the selected cosmetic over the period of time. Among transformed attributes of the body are those of glow/color, sags/wrinkles, pores and combinations thereof. The original and transformed images are juxtaposed on a screen. Consumers are required to select between transformed and displayed images, preferably repetitively, until the consumer has chosen their most appealing transformation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 4, 2001
Date of Patent:
October 25, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA
Inventors:
Stacy Susan Hawkins, Jeremy James Andrew, Richard Iwao Murahata
Abstract: A cosmetic skin lightening product delivered from a dual-chamber package is provided wherein separate first and second compositions are filled into the respective compartments. Both compositions contain stearic acid and a skin lightening agent, except that the first composition contains a higher amount of stearic acid than the second composition. Preferably, the second composition will have a higher viscosity than that of the first. A more effective skin lightening is achieved by the sequential application to an effected area of these physically different compositions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 2002
Date of Patent:
September 6, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
Abstract: A cosmetic product system is provided which includes a cosmetic composition for combating signs of aging, and a test device packaged with the composition. The device includes a mechanism for evaluating progress of the combat against the signs of aging occurring over a period of time within which the composition is applied to an area of skin being monitored.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 2001
Date of Patent:
August 9, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
Inventors:
Craig Stephen Slavtcheff, Liam Anthony Murray, Josephine Telesca, Robert Edward Gott
Abstract: An article is provided for cleansing surfaces, the article includes a curvilinear pouch formed from a plurality of walls, at least one of the walls being water permeable, and at least one of the walls being formed from at least one web of non-woven entangled fibers, the fibers being entangled in a direction perpendicular to a major longitudinal axis of the web. An effervescent cleanser composition which is an anhydrous dry solid activatable by water to generated gases is held within the pouch, and upon generation of gases the pouch walls billow outwardly. Orientation of the entangled fibers in the direction of the minor axis minimizes puckering of the article in use.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 10, 2002
Date of Patent:
July 19, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
Abstract: A process and equipment for manufacture of a swab article is provided wherein a stick is placed onto a conveyor, adhesive is applied to one or both ends of the stick, a portion of cotton coil is attached to the adhesive bearing end, and a shaper bar or similar means forces the cotton to assume a teardrop profile by applying force parallel to the stick, wherein the shaper bar or similar means moves in a direction perpendicular to the stick at a different rate of speed than that of the stick. Differences in the rate of speed reduce tailing of cotton normally associated with drag.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 10, 2003
Date of Patent:
June 14, 2005
Assignee:
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.