Patents Assigned to Unilever
  • Patent number: 7198708
    Abstract: An electrochemical biosensor for quantifying one or more redox species in a liquid sample comprising a background electrochemical activity, wherein said biosensor comprises: (i) an electrode system; (ii) a filter means comprising a sample loading position; and (iii) a charge transfer surface between said filter means and said electrode system; wherein said filter means separates said sample loading position from said charge transfer surface by an amount of filter material capable of providing a tangential peak height for said background electrochemical activity of less than 30% of the tangential peak height for said redox species; and said biosensor comprises an intermediate layer between said filter means and said charge transfer surface, wherein said intermediate layer has a lower energy requirement to transfer said liquid sample to said charge transfer surface than said filter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Anne Louise Atkinson, Brian Jeffrey Birch, Robert Andrew Porter
  • Patent number: 7196187
    Abstract: An expression library comprising a repertoire of nucleic acid sequences cloned from a non-immunised source, each nucleic acid sequence encoding at least part of a variable domain of a heavy chain derived from an immunoglobulin naturally devoid of light chains (VHH) wherein the extent of sequence variability in the library is enhanced compared to the corresponding naïve expression library by introducing mutations in one or more of the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of the nucleic acid sequences or by generating alternative combinations of CDR and framework sequences not naturally present in the naïve library repertoire. Also disclosed is the use of such a library in preparing antibodies, more particularly antibody fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Patent Holdings B.V.
    Inventors: Leon Frenken, Cornelis P. van der Logt
  • Patent number: 7192451
    Abstract: A method of treating finished garments comprising cellulosic material so as to cause cross-linking, which comprises the step of treating fabrics with an effective amount of a blocked cross-linking agent for cellulose, the cross-linking agent being thermally activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Shameem Bhatia, Robert John Carswell, Paul Johnathon Evans, Paul Hugh Findlay
  • Patent number: 7192598
    Abstract: The invention provides wet skin treatment compositions for use during bathing. The compositions are activated by water and retained efficiently on skin. The compositions impart desirable benefits to skin, are perceived to absorb quickly on wet skin, and leave the skin feeling clean, but non-greasy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Paul Aronson, Liang Sheng Tsaur
  • Patent number: 7192574
    Abstract: An aqueous leave-on hair conditioning composition which comprises: a.) about 0.01 percent to about 10.0 percent of a quaternary ammonium compound; b.) about 0.0 percent to about 10.0 percent of a silicone oil; c.) about 0.00001 to about 0.05% of a polyoxyethylene polymer; and d.) about 0.01 to 10% of a non-ionic surfactant wherein said composition is substantially free of hair hold enhancing agents and which is substantially free of cationic cellulosic resins containing tetra-substituted nitrogen moieties, is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Shimei Fan, Tirucherai V Vasudevan
  • Patent number: 7191959
    Abstract: A domestic spray device comprising a liquid reservoir (1), a continuous feed gas pump (3) with a control means (5) for activation thereof, and a means of transferring liquid (2) from the liquid reservoir (1) to a nozzle unit (12), the nozzle unit (12) comprising a means of forming a film of liquid, a means of injecting bubbles of gas into said film of liquid, said gas being forced into the nozzle unit (12) by the continuous feed gas pump (3), and a section of hardware defining an exit orifice (19) for the spray generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan Michelle Kutay, Guy Richard Thompson
  • Patent number: 7189387
    Abstract: Translucent anhydrous formulations containing particulate commercially available activated aluminium chlorohydrate (AACH) have a perceptible yellowness. The yellowness of translucent anhydrous compositions containing AACH can be ameliorated or eliminated whilst retaining the improved antiperspirant efficacy of AACH by controlling its water content to the range of 9 to 18%. The appearance of yellow formulations in or on a dispensing package, prior to application to the body, can appear to be neutralised to the human eye by employing a dispenser having a complementary colour in wall contacting the formulation, to promote achromicity. The complementary colour of the wall is dark green for yellow formulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Beng Sim Chuah, Kevin Ronald Franklin, Gordon Charles Hough
  • Patent number: 7186434
    Abstract: Liquid margarines and other pourable dispersions which contain a hardstock fat derived from plant waxes. The fat consists of a mixture of triglycerides, which fat is non-hydrogenated and contains less than 10 wt. % of fatty acid residues with a chain length of 6–10 carbon atoms, of which less than 50 wt. % of the triglycerides consist of monoacyl triglycerides and which fat is characterized in that its content of fatty acid residues which are saturated and contain at least 20 carbon atoms is at least 30 wt. %, preferably at least 40 wt. % and more preferably at least 50 wt. % calculated on total fatty acid residues. Such fat can be obtained by a process comprising the steps: selecting a plant wax, reacting the wax esters from the wax or a reactive derivative of those wax esters with glycerol or with a reactive glycerol derivative, purifying and recovering the obtained triglycerides, optionally admixing the product with a triglyceride fat such that the mixture complies with the above fat definition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Gude, Johannes Arie Laan, Eckhard Flöter
  • Patent number: 7183243
    Abstract: Hair washing compositions are disclosed which comprise cleansing surfactant, water, first and second cationic polymers having at pH7 a charge density from 0.2 to 1 meq/gm and from 1.3 to 3 meq/gm respectively, and droplets of a water-insoluble conditioning oil of diameter 4 micrometres or less. The compositions provide cleansing with conditioning and low friction and ease of combing for wet and dry hair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas John Ainger, Anand Ramchandra Mahadeshwar, Neil Scott Shaw
  • Patent number: 7181934
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for dispensing a unit dose water-soluble pouch containing a laundry additive during the spin cycle of a washing machine process having a spinning wash drum. The device is attached to the vertical center post of a washing machine and holds a water-soluble pouch above the high water level. During the spin cycle, the spinning center post will create sufficient centrifugal force so that the water-soluble pouch is released from the device. The water-soluble pouch will then fall into the laundry where the water-soluble pouch will dissolve when rinse water fills the machine thereby releasing the laundry additive to treat the washed articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng-Lung Gordon Hsu, Daniel Joseph Fox, Edward John Giblin, Ronald Frederick Vogel, Gary Hsu, Mohammad Hosseini-Nejad
  • Patent number: 7179451
    Abstract: The composition comprises: (a) less than about 1.5% active of one or more holding polymers, (b) one or more saccharides, having monomeric units greater than two, and (c) a carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Loralei Marie Brandt, Paul Howard Neill, John Edward Wydila
  • Patent number: 7179772
    Abstract: A personal care cleansing article is provided which includes a cleansing composition having a lathering surfactant and a water absorbing material capable of accepting at least ten times the weight of the material of water, the composition being held within a water-insoluble sachet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Diane Marie Keenan, Filomena Augusta Macedo, Gregory Aaron Grissett, David Robert Williams, Shauna Mary Lagatol
  • Patent number: 7179782
    Abstract: Incorporation in a laundry detergent composition of a graft polymer having a locust bean gum backbone and grafts of an aromatic sulphonic acid improves antiredeposition properties. The preferred polymer is locust bean gum—graft—poly (4-styrenesulphonic acid).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher David Gibbs, Alyn James Parry, Susanne Henning Rogers
  • Patent number: 7179777
    Abstract: A laundry treatment composition comprising at least one polymeric material comprising a cationic polymer moiety and a polydialkylsiloxane moiety, and at least one other component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilfried Blokzijl, Robert John Carswell, Dominique Charmot, Robert Alan Hunter, Mingjun Liu, Paul Mansky, Victor Nava-Salgado, Giovanni Francesco Unali
  • Patent number: 7178672
    Abstract: A package is provided with usefulness particularly for dispensing of towelettes. The package is constructed as a unitarily formed tub including a floor panel, a pair of opposite side panels, first and second end panels opposite one another and separating the side panels, the first and second end panels having different curvature one from another. An open mouth is formed opposite the floor panel. An outwardly projecting lip at least partially surrounds the open mouth. A cover is arranged over the open mouth and sealed against the lip. The package is capable of standing erect via support contact between a portion of the second end panel and a section of the lip. Graphics are printed on the cover. The asymmetric arrangement of the end panels and adjacent sections of the lip allow the package to stand erect preferentially on one of the end panels thereby orienting right-side up the graphics of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Daniel Arkins
  • Patent number: 7176172
    Abstract: A personal care product is provided which includes a package filed with a personal care composition and instructions printed on or associated with the package indicating topical use of the composition on skin for purposes of controlling the signs of aging. The composition includes a quaternary ammonium compound selected from (a) salts of hydroxypropyltri(C1–C3 alkyl)ammonium mono-substituted mono-saccharide; (b) salts of hydroxypropyltri(C1–C3 alkyl)ammonium mono-substituted polyols, the salts having a cation of an average molecular weight no higher than about 450 and the salt having a Tg no higher than about 10° C.; (c) dihydroxypropyltri(C1–C3 alkyl)ammonium salts; (d) chlorohydroxypropyltri(C1–C3 alkyl)ammonium salts; and (e) mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Clive Roderick Harding, Bijan Harichian
  • Patent number: 7169426
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of a frozen vegetable or part thereof, wherein said process comprises the steps: (i) heat-treating a vegetable or part thereof; (ii) under-cooling to a maximum core temperature of less than or equal to ?5° C.; (iii) reducing the core temperature to less than or equal to ?18° C.; The invention also provides a frozen vegetable or part thereof comprising a core ice content, characterised in that at least 40% of said core ice content is located within a plurality of cellular structures, wherein the perimeter of each cellular structure is defined by a cell wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America division of Conopco. Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Harry Asquith, Elliott Kirk, Mark Kirkland, Stephen Matthew Morrey, Andrew Paul Ormerod, Julie Debra Ralfs, David George Sharp, Christopher Michael Sidebottom
  • Patent number: 7169427
    Abstract: Compositions of a water in water emulsion having a first phase of gelled particles with specific aspect ratio and width, are suitable for application in products. The compositions impart a creamy impression to the final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: William James Frith, Ian Timothy Norton, Bettina Wolf
  • Tub
    Patent number: D536608
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Daniel Arkins
  • Patent number: D539665
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Hamilton Haubert, Michael Edward Ross