Patents Assigned to Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
  • Fabric care composition
    Patent number: 7026277
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of polysaccharide grafted latex particles wherein the polysaccharide has ?-1,4 linkages, wherein the process comprises core/shell emulsion polymerisation. Preferably, the process comprises a single step of preparing the latex particles by emulsion polymerisation of latex monomers with the simultaneous grafting of the polysaccharide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Ferguson, Christopher Clarkson Jones, David Richard Arthur Mealing
  • Cross-polarized imaging method for measuring skin ashing
    Patent number: 7024037
    Abstract: A process for measuring skin ashing is provided. The process comprises selecting a desired skin testing area and acguiring an image of the area using x-polarization technique. The image is analyzed by obtaining a light distributing image, storing the difference between this image and the original image and using a differential in intensity to define ashing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaodong Zhang, Liang Sheng Tsaur, Helene Santanastasio, Pravin Shah, Srinivasan Krishnan
  • Gel laundry detergent composition
    Patent number: 7022657
    Abstract: The present invention provides a shear thinning, transparent, gel laundry detergent composition, comprising a surfactant system containing surfactant material selected from an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, and from 1 to 8% by weight of a fatty alcohol gelling agent having the formula wherein R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen and saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C1–C16 alkyl groups, whereby the total number of carbon atoms in the gelling agent is between 8 and 17. It has been found that this gel laundry composition can stable suspend particles or capsules either for improving visual appearance or for practical reasons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Hines, Feng-Lung Gordon Hsu, Yun-Peng Zhu
  • Process for the production of detergent granules
    Patent number: 7018971
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of detergent granules, the process comprising: (i) a first step of admixing in a mechanical granulator, an aluminosilicate and a first liquid binder comprising at least one surfactant, to produce a powder; and (ii) a second step of admixing in a low shear granulator, the powder produced in step (i), a water soluble salt and a second liquid binder, to produce the said detergent granules; wherein in step (ii), no more than 2%, preferably 0% by weight of the aluminosilicate based on the weight of the detergent granules is introduced into the low shear granulator of step (ii).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes Hendrikus Akkermans, Remy Antal Verburgh
  • Process for the production of detergent granules
    Patent number: 7018972
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of detergent granules, the process comprising: (i) a first step of admixing in a mechanical granulator, a solid component and a first liquid binder, to produce a powder; and (ii) a second step of admixing in a low shear granulator, the powder produced in step (i), and a second liquid binder, to produce the detergent granules; the second liquid binder having a different composition from the first liquid binder and the weight ratio of the first liquid binder to the second liquid binder being from 15:1 to 1:1, preferably from 10:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 5:1 to 1:1, most preferably from 3:1 to 2:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes Hendrikus Maria Akkermans, Roland Wilhemus Johannes van Pomeren, Remy Antal Verburgh
  • Process of making fatty alcohol based gel detergent compositions
    Patent number: 7018970
    Abstract: According to the inventive method of making gels, the main mixture comprising most of the ingredients with the exception of a fatty alcohol is mixed, using at least one in-line mixer, with the gelling post-mix comprising the fatty alcohol. The preferred process includes the mixing of the main mixture and the gelling post-mix just prior to either filling or storing the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng-Lung Gordon Hsu, Yun-Peng Zhu, Charles Ebert, Agnes Boudou, Ronald Frederick Vogel, John David Hines
  • Perfume composition
    Patent number: 7015186
    Abstract: A pouch comprising perfume particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Emmanuel Julien Aussant, Vidyadhar Sudhir Ranade
  • Fabric conditioning compositions
    Patent number: 7015188
    Abstract: A fabric softening composition comprises a cationic fabric softening compound comprising 2 or more long hydrocarbyl chains, an oil comprising from 8 to 40 carbon atoms, a nonionic stabiliser comprising a nonionic alkoxylate having an average alkoxylation number of from 10 to 40 wherein the composition is in the form of a macroemulsion. A method for softening fabrics comprises adding the fabric softening composition to a laundry operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Amanda Jane Adama, Craig Warren Jones, Marie Anne Maxwell
  • Fabric detergent compositions
    Patent number: 7012059
    Abstract: A liquid detergent formulation comprising: a) an effective amount of a nonionic/cationic surfactant system, and, b) not more than 10% wt of a lubricant oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Fiona Louise Baines, Timothy David Finch, Emily Jane Peckham, Stephane Patrick Roth
  • Detergent bars comprising radiation curable resins
    Patent number: 7012057
    Abstract: The invention concerns solid shaped detergent compositions comprising 0.5–95% by weight detergent active and 0–90% by weight of inorganic particulates and/or other conventional ingredients and wherein the external surface of said shaped detergent composition comprises at least one polymer film obtained by radiation curing or a radiation-curable resin composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Bir Kapoor, Samiran Mahapatra, Kamsu Venkatasatyanarayana Murthy
  • Softening laundry detergent
    Patent number: 7012054
    Abstract: The present invention relates to fabric and textile conditioning compositions with improved particulate soil cleaning, containing particular combinations of cationic polymers and anionic surfactants in combination with a polyvinylpyrrolidone/amphiphilic carboxy containing polymer anti-redeposition system. The cationic polymers are preferably below a particular molecular weight to afford optimal cleaning and conditioning, and must be present in an effective amount to yield a substantial conditioning benefit. A method of conditioning articles using the inventive compositions is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: David Alan Binder, Dennis Stephen Murphy, Michael Orchowski
  • Fabric treatment compositions comprising organically modified particles
    Patent number: 7012055
    Abstract: Fabric treatment compositions comprising a textile compatible carrier and particles having a layered structure comprising oxygen atoms and silicon and/or phosphorus atoms and comprising organic functional groups which are bonded to silicon and/or phosphorus atoms by direct covalent bonds between the silicon and/or phosphorus atoms and a carbon atom. The functional groups are selected to impart lubricating properties to the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Hugh Findlay, Joseph Edward Hunter, Laxmikant Tiwari, Nicola Whilton
  • Photobleach speckle and laundry detergent compositions containing it
    Patent number: 7002051
    Abstract: A colored speckle composition for use in particulate laundry detergent compositions comprising a porous granular carrier and at least 0.01 wt % photobleach, preferably at least 0.05 wt %, more preferably at least 0.1 wt %, based on the active ingredient, the composition having an average bulk density of at most 600 g/l, preferably at most 500 g/l, most preferably at most 400 g/l. The carrier system reduces the staining tendency of the photobleach. The most preferred carrier is spray dried detergent base powder. The most preferred photobleach is a blend of Zn and Al sulphonated phthalocyanine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Juan Jose Bonelli, Marcio Henrique Perissinotto Bonfa, Rudolf Govert Van Driel, Paulo-Enrique De Gusmao, Mario Jovelino Del Nunzio, Paulo Cesar Puelle Andrade
  • Dosing system
    Patent number: 7000656
    Abstract: There are practical difficulties in dosing a component of a composition into its container, such as a personal care product into a hand-holdable dispenser on a filling line, due in part to the short time that is available for the operation. The difficulties can be ameliorated or overcome by employing dosing apparatus in which a metering pump feeds a flowable material such a liquid through a dosing nozzle positioned above a container intended to receive a charge, the nozzle having a plurality of individual spouts spaced apart from each other so as to prevent their individual streams coalescing and the spouts extending sufficiently below its support to prevent droplets from adjacent spouts coalescing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home and Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Todd
  • Process for making perfume containing surfactant compositions having perfume burst and enhanced perfume deposition when diluted
    Patent number: 6998382
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing or selecting compositions having a fragrance burst of at least 20% relative to a product before dilution as well as enhanced deposition. The composition is selected such that perfume and surfactant in said composition yields a calculated “Perfume Burst Index” (PBI) value of less than 3 as per algorithm defining the PBI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Lin Yang, Judith Lynne Kerschner
  • Fabric treatment composition
    Patent number: 6998380
    Abstract: A heat activated fabric treatment composition comprises from 3 to 75 wt % of one or more fabric treatment active ingredients, from 5 to 60 wt % of a nonionic surfactant and from 10 to 50 wt % of water. The composition is provided in a dispensing device which, in use, is attached to the internal panel of a tumble dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan John Fry, Mansur Sultan Mohammadi
  • Electrochemical method and system for dyeing and highlighting hair
    Patent number: 6994733
    Abstract: A method for electrochemically dyeing, highlighting or tinting hair is provided which includes first applying to the hair an oxidative dye precursor mixture containing a primary intermediate having a standard Redox potential that is less than about 1V. This precursor mixture on the hair in then contacted with an electrode system that has sufficient voltage to electrochemically oxidize the primary intermediate to produce a colored dye through a coupling reaction. A system or kit for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brian Bartolone, Padmaja Prem, Katherine Jacobs-Dube
  • Wall mountable personal care products using stretch release adhesives
    Patent number: 6991133
    Abstract: A container which is adhered, in an inverted orientation, to a vertical surface (such as a wall or other vertical surface) of a kitchen, sink, or bath room by a stretch release adhesive, wherein said stretch release adhesive is resistant or substantially resistant to water and humidity, which container comprises: a) one or more side surfaces, an end surface and a surface comprising an orifice; b) a self-sealing valve which covers said orifice; c) a construction or coating that is resistant or substantially resistant to external corrosion; and wherein said container is dispensed by hand through the application of a force whose principal component acts perpendicularly or approximately perpendicularly to the vertical surface; is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Leslie Rutherford, Guy Thompson, Mark Neuhalfen
  • Non-sticky cosmetic moisturizer for skin and hair
    Patent number: 6991799
    Abstract: A non-sticky moisturizing cosmetic composition containing a relatively high level of a humectant, such as glycerol or sorbitol, and a polymeric wetting agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Quynh T. Pham, Tak Yu Lam, Norman Kramer Richardson, Prem Chandar, Alexander Lips
  • Aerosol container
    Patent number: D513995
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Masuo Miwa