Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2180608 c3 ~ ~t~
PACKAGED CLEANING COMPOSITION
The present invention relates to packages for a
liquid product from which the product can be dispensed as
a spray.
As is well-known, many liquid cleaning products are
supplied in a package which allows them to be dispensed
for use as a spray. Particular difficulties arise where
the product is expensive. For such products, it is
important that a user can aim the spray accurately so as
to minimise wastage of the product. Further problems
arise where the product is highly active and it is
undesirable for it to come into contact with a user's
skin. For such products, it is preferable that the spray
is emitted from a part of the container remote from that
which the user must touch in order to operate it.
In EP-A-0475094 there is disclosed a container for
a liquid product having a cap for operating a product
dispensing valve which, on actuation, dispenses a spray
of product in a forward direction. The cap carries a
lever, pivoted close to one of its ends end about an axis
disposed to a first side of the valve below its upper
extent the axis extending generally parallel to the
forward direction. The lever extends transversely in an
arch over the valve to its opposite side, whereupon an
end portion of it projects from the cap. A downward
transverse movement of the said end portion will thus
actuate the valve.
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This arrangement allows the user to avoid contact
with the product. It has, however, been found that some
users find difficulty in aiming the spray accurately
while effecting the required transverse movement of the
lever.
Further known packages provide a cap in which a
lever is pivoted forwards of an actuator and extends
rearwardly over it. However, it has been found in
practice that the range of movement that a user's hand
must undergo is somewhat awkward and uncomfortable,
particularly in repeated use as might typically occur in
a cleaning operation, and particularly with pump
dispensers (as opposed to pressurised containers) where
the stroke through which the pump must be displaced is
much larger than the stroke required to operate a
pressure dispensing valve.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a
package which overcomes or at least ameliorates
disadvantages of known packaged cleaning products.
According to a first of its aspects, the invention
provides a packaged product comprising an aqueous or
solvent-containing non-ionic cleaning composition having
a pH of > 10 in a package adapted to produce a spray in
a forward direction when a trigger is actuated by a user,
said package comprising a spray actuator which has an
operating member that varies in vertical height to
generate a spray, wherein actuating force is applied to
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the trigger forward of the operating member, the trigger
is pivoted about an axis rearward of the operating
member, and the spray is delivered through a spray
aperture in the trigger.
It has been found that the trigger of this
arrangement requires an actuating movement that is
comfortable for most users, even where the required
displacement is relatively large, as is the case where
the package is a pump dispenser to allow the cleaning
composition to be conveniently and efficiently dispensed.
Preferably, the axis is generally transverse of the
spray direction. This has been found to give rise to a
particularly favourable movement of the trigger which, it
will be appreciated, is generally in a rearward
direction.
Most favourably, the spray actuator is a pump, the
operating member being a pump chamber or a formation
connected thereto. Alternatiuely, the spray actuator
might be a valve for emitting spray form a pressurised
container, the operating member typically being a spray
head. In either case the spray will typically be emitted
from a spray orifice of the spray actuator. Suitable
pumps include model PZ2 of Perfect-Valois and model M300
of Colmar.
In a preferred arrangement, the trigger has an
opening through which spray from the actuator is
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directed. This arrangement helps to ensure a free and
uninterrupted path for the spray.
Formations are preferably provided on the operating
member and the trigger in the region of their
interengagement to resist rotational movement of the
operating member relative to the trigger. This ensures
that the direction of the spray remains predictable,
particularly where it is emitted from the operating
member. Alternatively, the spray actuator may have
internal means to prevent rotation of the operating
member.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the trigger
~`~ 15 extends from a pivotal axis rearwardly of the operating
member, forward across the operating member to curve
-downwardly in front of it to form a generally vertical
portion. Actuation of the spray by a user is accomplished
by a generally rearward movement of the vertical portion,
such a movement being found to be particularly convenient
and comfortable.
Most typically, the package will comprise a vessel
in which the product is contained and on which the spray
actuator is mounted, and a cap mounted on the bottle
surrounding the actuator, the trigger being carried on
the cap. In embodiments according to the last-preceding
paragraph, the trigger may constitute a hood for the cap,
and the cap may be open upwardly.
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Preferably, the product package is adapted to
deliver the composition to a surface in a spray of
droplets wherein the average droplet size is in the range
30-300 microns and the spray angle and dosage are such
that in the centre of the spray pattern more than 20~ of
the surface is covered but the area over which a
continuous film of liquid is formed is minimised. A
package such as this has been found to be particularly
well suited to use with a cleaning composition.
The spray actuator is typically adapted to dispense
a predetermined volume of product on actuation.
Preferably, the dispensed volume is in the range 0.15ml
to 0.5ml and more preferably it is in the range 0.2ml to
0.4ml. Dosages of 0.3ml to 0.35ml are particularly
preferred. (Conventional sprays for hard-surface cleaners
typically dispense up to 0.7ml per spraying operation.)
The preferred cone angles of the spray are such that
0.15-0.5ml of product is delivered over a circular region
of 7-17cm diameter from a spraying distance of 15cm. The
preferred droplet pattern on the surface is such that,
for each pump cycle, 10-150ml of product are delivered
over each square metre of surface. The most preferred
levels of application during the cleaning operation are
10-20ml/m2. Typical prior art sprays might deliver three
times as much product over a given area as compared with
a package of the present invention.
Typical cone angles in embodiments of the present
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invention are 25-75 degrees.
The preferred droplet size distribution is such that
for a lOg discharge less than 350mg of product is present
in droplets having a particle size of less than 7
microns. Preferably, less than 700mg of product is
present in droplets having a particle size of less than
30 microns.
Typically, the mean particle size will lie in the
range 50-100 microns. It is believed that this avoids the
problem of respirable particles whilst ensuring that
produce is delivered to the surface rather than rem~;n;ng
suspended in air. The droplet size range for a typical
product presently on the market (CIF multiuso trigger
pack) appears to be 30-700 microns with a peak at around
250 microns.
It has been found advantageous to provide the spray
actuator with an extension post. That is to say, a short
annular passage having an inlet end at which product is
received and an outlet end at which is disposed the spray
orifice. Prior to the spray orifice, there is disposed a
swirl chamber in which the dispensed product undergoes
highly turbulent flow. The extension post may suitably be
in the range of 3 to lOmm in length, and 7 to 7.5mm in
diameter. Lengths of 4 to 47mm have been found to be
particularly favourable. The particular advantage in such
an arrangement is that it is effective in reducing the
amount of respirable particles produced in the spray.
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It may be that use of an extension post in a spray
may constitute an independent invention optionally in
combination with one or more of the features discussed
hereln .
In another of its aspects, the invention provides a
packaged product comprising an aqueous or solvent-
containing non-ionic cleaning composition in a package
according to the first aspect of the invention.
The product must have a viscosity such that it can
be delivered in the form of spray. It is also believed
essential that the composition comprises at least one
nonionic surfactant. The compositions of such products
'~ 15 can be a simple solution or in a more complex form such
as a microemulsion.
Particularly preferred product compositions comprise
2-30~ of nonionic surfactant, more preferably 3-13~
nonionic. Anionic surfactant is optional. Preferred
nonionic surfactants include, alkoxylated alcohols,
particularly ethoxylated C8-C18 alcohols having 3-8 moles
of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Other nonionic
surfactants may be employed, a plurality of said
surfactants are disclosed in `Nonionic Surfactants' by
Schick (Arnold: surfactant science series, volume 1).
The preferred concentrations of surfactant fall into
the range 5-15~wt total surfactant, with levels of around
10~wt being particularly preferred.
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Hydrophobic oils are optional components of
compositions according to the present invention. Suitable
oils include oils which rapidly dissolve troglyceride.
When oils are present preferred oils include limonene,
para-cymene, dibutyl ether and butyl butyrate.
Solvents are preferably present at levels of 3-
20~wt, with levels of 5-10~ being particularly preferred.
Glycol ether and/or lower alcohols having 1-5 carbons are
preferred as solvents although the use of short alkyl
chain esters including ethyl acetate is also envisaged.
Preferably, the solvent is selected from: propylene
glycol mono n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono n-
butyl ether, propylene glycol mono t-butyl ether,
dipropylene glycol mono t-butyl ether, diethylene glycol
hexyl ether, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol,
ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, di-ethylene glycol
monobutyl ether and mixtures thereof.
Particularly preferred solvents are selected from
the group comprising ethanol (preferably as industrial
methylated spirits), propylene glycol mono n-butyl ether
(available as `Dowanol PnB' [RTM] and di-ethylene glycol
monobutyl ether (available as `Butyl Digol' [RTM] or
`Butyl Carbitol' [RTM]). These solvents are preferred due
to cost, availability and safety factors. We have
determined that this selection of solvents gives enhanced
cleaning performance as regards inks and dyestuffs.
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While the compositions of the present invention can
be alkaline, acidic or neutral, it is preferred that the
composition are alkaline, having preferred pH of ~10.
It is particularly preferred that the composition
comprises 1-10% of an alkanolamine, with levels of 2-6~wt
being particularly preferred.
Particularly suitable alkanolamines include: 2-
amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, mono-ethanolamine and di-
ethanolamine.
It may be particularly advantageous to include a
polymer in a composition for use in the second aspect of
the invention. This serves to reduce the level of
formation of extremely fine droplets in the spray e~ected
form the package. Suitable polymers include PVP,
available in the marketplace as Polymer PVP K-90.
Suitable levels of PVP in such embodiments range upwards
from 200ppm. Levels of 300-700ppm are particularly
preferred.
Particularly preferred compositions have a pH , 10
and comprise, in admixture with water:
a. 3-13% Nonionic surfactant (preferably,
C10-EO5 nonionic surfactant)
b. 5-10% Solvent (preferably, diethylene
glycon mono-n-butyl ether
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c. 2-6~ Alkanolamine (preferably, 2-amino-2-
methyl-1-propanol)
d. 1-5~ Buffer/Alkali (preferably, sodium
carbonate)
e. 300-700ppm PVP
The above composition constitutes a particularly
preferred product within the second aspect of the
invention when packaged in a container according to a
first aspect of the invention adapted to produce a spray
of 0.15-0.5ml of product per spraying operation, the
spray having an average drop size in the range 30-300
mlcrons .
An embodiment of the invention will now be described
in detail, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a part sectional side view of a liquid
dispensing package embodying the invention;
Figure 2 is a part sectional top view of the liquid
dispensing package of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a detailed side view of interengaging
parts of a trigger and operating member of the package in
the region of their interengagement; and
Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between
droplet size and cleaning efficiency of a cleaning
composition dispensed from a package embodying the
invention.
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With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a liquid
dispensing package embodying the invention comprises a
container body 10 for containing a liquid product. The
container body 10 has a neck portion 14 uppermost, on
which is mounted a pump assembly 16, the latter
constituting a spray actuator. A cap 12 is mounted on the
container body 10 to surround the neck portion 14 and the
pump 16. A trigger 18 is carried on the cap 12. These
components will all be described in further detail below.
The container body 10 is formed as a hollow plastics
moulding. The container body has a generally flat base 20
on which it can stand upright. References to "up", "down"
and associated terms should be understood to refer to the
container in this upright disposition.
The base 20 is of generally triangular section, with
rounded corners, having major and minor axes directed,
respectively, in longitudinal and transverse directions,
the longitudinal dimension being about twice the
transverse dimension. A first direction of the major
axis, indicated by arrow A in Figures 1 and 2, is defined
as a forward direction.
From the base 20, the container body 10 extends
upwardly, having a rear wall 22, and two side walls 24,
26 connected thereto at rounded edges. The side walls 24,
26 extend from the rear wall tapering generally towards
one another to meet at a convex curved front region 27.
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A handling region, shown generally at 28, is
constituted by a curved depression in the side and front
region 27. Thus, the container body can conveniently by
grasped at this region 28.
s
The neck portion 14 is formed uppermost on the
container body 10. The neck portion 14 is largely
conventional, having a vertically extending cylindrical
opening into the container, and an external thread. The
pump 16 is mounted on the neck portion 14 by attachment
of a ferrule 17 thereof to the thread and has a dip tube
30 extending into the container body through which liquid
in the container body 10 can be withdrawn. This
arrangement, it will be appreciated, is also well known.
The pump 16 has an upwardly extending plunger 40
which constitutes an operating member thereof. A downward
displacement of the plunger 40 causes liquid to be pumped
from the container body.
The plunger carries an extension post 41. The
extension post 41 comprises a tube approximately 4mm in
length extending forwardly from the plunger 40, into
which liquid is pumped. At its forward end, the extension
post 41 is closed by a plate in which is formed a spray
orifice 42 from which a spray of droplets is produced
when the plunger 40 is displaced downwardly. The spray
orifice 42 is directed to spray generally forwardly.
The cap 12 comprises a plastics moulding having a
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rear wall 32 and two side walls 34, 36. These extend
respectively to the rear and to opposite sides of the
neck portion 14 from a lower edge 38. The rear wall has
a lower portion which extends from the lower edge 38 with
an approximately quarter-circular section, such that a
region 33 of the rear wall is directed approximately
downwardly. In use, this region 33 can rest on a user's
hand in order that the weight of the package and its
contents can be supported easily. The remaining portion
of the rear wall 32 is vertical, and extends upwardly to
just below the height of the pump plunger 40 in its
released condition. The side walls 34, 36 are shaped
complementarily with the rear wall 32 and extend
forwardly therefrom to meet one another at a curved front
region. The upper boundaries of the side walls 34, 36
curve downwardly in approximately a quarter circle from
the rear wall 32.
The cap carries retention formations 31 shaped and
dimensioned to locate below the ferrule 17 of the pump
16. The retention formations 31 comprise upwardly angled
resilient plastics projections which can be deflected to
allow the cap 12 to be pushed into place and which
subsequently spring back to their natural state to secure
the cap 12 in place. It may be that retention formations
of this type constitute a separate aspect of the
invention, optionally in combination with other features
described herein.
Additionally or as an alternative, retention
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14
formations may be provided on lower edge portions of the
walls of the cap 18 which are shaped and dimensioned to
interengage with complementary formations provided upon
adjacent regions of the container body 10.
The trigger 18 is formed as a plastics moulding. In
this embodiment, it is formed integrally with the cap 12
and is connected thereto by a living hinge 44. However,
it is also envisaged that the cap may be formed as a
separate moulding, and attached to the cap 12 by a
conventional hinge. For example, a pin could be passed
the through holes in the side walls of the cap and within
the trigger to pivotally interconnect these components.
ii 15 The trigger 18 has an upper wall 43 which extends
forwardly form the hinge 44. The upper wall 43 is of
- arcuate cross-section, such that immediately adjacent the
hinge it is approximately vertical, while at its forward
extent it is approximately horizontal. Side walls 45, 46
of the trigger 18 extend downwardly from the upper wall
43. Under normal conditions, the lower edges of the side
walls 45, 46 overlap by a small distance the upper edges
of the side walls 34, 36 of the cap 12, such that the
side walls 34, 36 of the cap 12 pass between the side
25 walls 45, 46 of the trigger 18. A front wall 47 of the
trigger extends between the front edges of the side walls
34, 36 and extends upwardly to meet the upper wall 43.
The front wall has a curved cross-section. Thus, the
trigger 18 forms a hood for the cap, pivoted about a
3 0 horizontal axis.
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In use, a user will apply finger pressure to the
front wall 47 of the trigger. Accordingly, the front wall
47 has a curved depression formed therein in which a
user's finger may be comfortably received.
A through-hole 50 is formed in the front wall 47
forward of the spray orifice 42. The hole is oval, its
long axis extending vertically.
10As best illustrated in Figure 3, the upper wall 43
of the trigger 18 carries, on its lower surface, a pair
of projections 80 having generally semi-circular lower
sections. Each projection 80 is received in a respective
longitudinal groove 82 formed in an uppermost surface of
- 15the plunger 40. The plunger 40 is thus prevented from
rotation with respect to the trigger 18.
In order to use the container, a user grasps the
front wall 47 of the trigger 18 and pulls it generally
20 rearwardly, such that it pivots about its axis. This
brings the projections 80 to bear against the plunger 40
so urging it downwardly, so as to cause a spray of
product to be dispensed. The range of movement thus
occasioned is shown in Figure 1, the initial (normal)
25 position of the trigger 18 being shown in continuous
lines and the final position of the trigger 18' (after
the spray of product has been emitted) being shown in
broken lines.
30It will be appreciated that the through hole 50 must
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16
be shaped and ~lm~n.~ioned so as to allow clear passage of
the spray. Most particularly, the relative vertical
positions of the spray orifice 42 and the hole 50 change
during movement of the trigger 18. Thus, the hole 50 must
have sufficient vertical extent to accommodate this
change. The relative movement occurring between the spray
orifice 42 and the hole 50, 50' can be clearly seen from
Figure 1.
An examples of a cleaning compositions particularly
suited for dispensing by a container as described above
will now be described. Such compositions within the
container described above constitute an exemplary
embodiment of the second aspect of the invention.
Cleaning performance was determined on soiled
DECAMEL (eg. FORMICA [RTM]) sheets. 0.5mg/cm2 (based on
non-volatiles) of soil were deposited on an `A4' sized
area of `DECAMEL' test surface by spraying. The soil
comprised 1% glycerol tripalmitate, 0.5% glycerol
trioleate, 0.5% kaolin, 0.2% liquid paraffin, 0.1%
palmitic acid, 0.02% carbon black in methylated spirits.
The soil was allowed to age for 24 hours at room
temperature prior to cleaning.
The effort used to remove the soil from the test
surface using a cellulosic sponge cloth was measured.
Example 1
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Compositions were prepared by mixing the components
given in Table 1 below.
Table 1
10~ Imbentin 91-35 (C10-E05 nonionic surfactant)
8~ Butyl Digol (diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl
ether)
4% AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-l-propanol)
2~ Buffer/alkali (sodium carbonate)
water to 100~
From Table 1 it can be seen that the composition is
a concentrate (as regards surfactant) as compared with
conventional spray cleaning compositions which comprise
around 4~wt surfactant, 5~ solvent.
Table 2 and figure 1 shows results for six sprays
using the composition described above. The compositions
were sprayed onto unbaked soiled DECAMEL tiles prepared
as described above using a variety of pumps.
In the table and the figure, `DS' is the mean
particle concentration averaged over a 5 minute period
from spraying, in air, of particles per cc of a diameter
less than 7 microns. Higher figures for the `DS'
correspond to lower average droplet diameters in the
spray.
More extensive data were obtained for various pumps
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and these being reproduced in Table 3 below. From this
data, it can be seen that there is a correlation between
the drop size `DS' as measured above and the mean
particle size produced by the sprays, in microns: i.e. as
the value of `DS' falls, more particles are found in the
larger particle size bands. Low average particle sizes in
the spray are therefore associated with high values of
`DS'.
Table 3
Particle Diameter in Microns
`DS' 260-85 85-30 30-5.8
952 38.9% 50.1% 11~
,~ "
627 45.8% 44.7% 9.5%
417 50.4% 43.6% 6%
Returning to Table 2, cone diameter is as measured
at 15cm, i.e. it is the diameter of the spray pattern at
15cm from the spray head.
The dose is the dose applied to the tiles over the
area sprayed with product. In all instances more than one
cycle of the spraying apparatus was used.
Effort is the total effort required to clean a tile
completely, measured in terms of the total effort applied
by a human operator.
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Table 2
Dose `DS'Cone diam Effort
0.59 952 14.Ocm 205
0.64 627 10.2cm 326
0.62 417 7.6cm 349
0.61 745 9.5cm 277
0.62 551 8.Ocm 392
0.83 130 7.Ocm 410
From the figures given in Table 2 it is possible to
calculate the dose per unit area and thus the cleaning
efficiency in terms of the effort required per dose of
product per unit area sprayed. Figure 4 plots this
.
efficiency against the `drop size' (DS) expressed in
terms of the quantity of fine droplets. From the figure
it is clearly apparent that efficiency is higher for
higher values of `DS' i.e. the same quantity of product
distributed in finer drops allows the surface to be
cleaned with less effort.
