Patent Application
20170297770
The present disclosure relates to instructional systems related to providing a recommended dosage amount of a fabric care treatment composition to a fabric load. The present disclosure further relates to a container system with such instructional systems. The present disclosure further relates to automatic washing machines that include such instructional systems. The present system further relates to methods of using such instructional systems.
To achieve optimal performance benefits when washing or otherwise treating laundry, the recommended dosage of fabric care treatment composition, such as a conventional detergent, is typically dependent on the size of load to be treated. Small loads require smaller amounts of a treatment composition, while larger loads require larger amounts. However, modern developments in laundry practices and technologies have removed some of the traditional cues that users have used to estimate load sizes and dosage levels, thereby leading to mis-dosing and suboptimal performance.
Changes in modern automatic washing machines have contributed to this problem. For example, traditional machines often require a user to actively select a load size before starting the machine; however, modern machines may automatically sense the size of a load, thereby removing the necessity to proactively assess load size. Consumers who grew up with top-loading washing machines may be accustomed to using the agitator and/or the inner wall of the drum of the machine as a visual yardstick when assessing laundry loads from a top-view perspective; however, front-loading machines are becoming more popular and do not offer the same visual cues. Additionally, the inner volume of laundry machines have, on average, become larger, so that a half-full machine today may actually contain a greater amount of laundry than a half-full machine of yesteryear.
Packages of fabric care treatment compositions often include graphical indicia that guide a user to use the recommended dose for a particular load size. Compared to textual instructions, graphical indicia may be easier to understand for a variety of users, such as those who do not speak or read a local language. These graphical indicia often illustrate laundry load size in terms of a traditional wide-mouthed laundry basket. However, it may be challenging for a user to properly correlate his or her actual load size to the load size (and consequent dose) shown on the graphical indicia. For example, commercially available baskets do not have a standardized volume. Additionally, modern consumers may not even use a traditional basket. Instead, they may use collapsible containers, flexible bags, or taller baskets with a smaller footprint, as such containers may be preferred for space, cost, and/or aesthetic reasons.
Finally, modern forms of fabric care compositions may contribute to dosing problems as well. For example, water-soluble pouches that encapsulate fabric care compositions offer the no-mess convenience of a pre-measured unitized dose. However, the dosing options offered by such pouches are digital—a consumer can add one, two, three, etc., pouches—and do not allow for intermediate volumes, whereas a consumer who used a traditional liquid detergent with a dosing cap could add a little more or a little less than the recommended dose of detergent, depending on his/her assessment of the load size. Furthermore, a user may be uncertain as to whether he or she is “allowed” to use more than one pouch for a load, particular in modern high-efficiency washing machines, which employ lower water volumes than traditional machines.
Given the challenges above, there is a need for systems and methods that improve a user's ability to assess laundry load size and provide the appropriate dosage of a fabric care composition.
The present disclosure relates to instructional systems, where the instructional systems include a plurality of indicia, where each indicia includes a washing machine feature, a fabric load level, and a dosage amount.
The present disclosure further relates to a container systems that include: a container including an interior volume; and an instructional system located on the container, where the instructional system includes a first indicia and a second indicia; where the first indicia includes a first washing machine feature, a first washing machine load level relative to the first washing machine feature, and a first dosage amount of a fabric care treatment composition; where the second indicia includes a second washing machine feature, a second washing machine load level relative to the second washing machine feature, and a second dosage amount of the fabric care treatment composition; where the second machine load level is greater than first machine load level; and wherein the second dosage amount is more than the first dosage amount. The instructional system may include a third indicia that includes a third washing machine feature, a third washing machine load level relative to the third washing machine feature, and a third dosage amount of the fabric care treatment composition. The third washing machine load level may be greater than the second machine load level, and the third dosage amount may be greater than the second dosage amount.
The present disclosure further relates to automatic laundry machines that include a washing machine feature and an instructional system located on the automatic laundry machine. The instructional system may include indicia that include washing machine features corresponding to the washing machine features of the automatic laundry machine.
The present disclosure further relates to processes of treating a fabric load and selecting a fabric care treatment composition dosage amount using the instructional systems disclosed herein.
The drawings are intended to be illustrative in nature only and are not intended to be limiting.
The subject matter of the present disclosure meets one or more of the challenges described above by providing a container with an instructional system. The instructional system may provide improved “real-life” indicators of load size. It is believed that consumers who are presented with instructional system that correspond to “real life” markers of load sizes are more likely to provide the recommended dose of fabric treatment composition to the load, thereby improving the performance benefits of the composition and consumer satisfaction with the product.
As described above, a graphic of a laundry basket may not be relevant to a user's laundry routine. Instead, the present disclosure relates to instructional systems that include indicia that correspond to visual cues present in an automatic laundry machine as used by a consumer. More specifically, the indicia may illustrate a load size as viewed by the consumer after the load has been placed in an automatic laundry machine. The load size is correlated with a recommend dose of a fabric care treatment composition that is appropriate for that particular load size. A plurality of indicia, each of which includes a washing machine feature, a fabric load level relative to the washing machine feature, and a dosage amount appropriate for each fabric load level, may be provided to the user, who can visually match his or her actual load size to the indicia and add the recommended dosage amount.
Additionally, the instructional system may be placed in a location that attracts a user's attention and/or interrupts her usual laundry routine, thereby providing the user with a cue or reminder to affirmatively assess load size, which in turn is likely to make her more mindful of dosage amount.
As used herein, articles such as “a” and “an” when used in a claim, are understood to mean one or more of what is claimed or described.
As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “comprises,” “include,” “includes,” and “including” are meant to be non-limiting. The term “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of” are meant to be limiting, i.e., excluding any components or ingredients that are not specifically listed except when they are present as impurities.
The term “substantially free of” as used herein refers to either the complete absence of an ingredient or a minimal amount thereof merely as impurity or unintended byproduct of another ingredient. In some aspects, “substantially free” means that the composition comprises less than about 0.1%, or less than 0.01%, or even 0% of an ingredient.
As used herein, the term “solid” includes granular, powder, bar, and tablet product forms.
As used herein, the term “fluid” includes liquid, gel, paste, and gas product forms.
As used herein, the term “liquid” refers to a fluid having a viscosity of from about 1 mPa*s to about 2000 mPa*s, preferably from about 40 mPa*s to about 1000 mPa*s, more preferably from about 70 mPa*s to about 600 mPa*s at 25° C. at a shear rate of 1000 s−1. In some embodiments, the viscosity of the liquid may be in the range of from about 50 mPa*s to about 200 mPa*s at 25° C. at a shear rate of 1000 s−1. In some embodiments, the viscosity of the liquid may be in the range of from about 250 mPa*s to about 500 mPa*s at 25° C. at a shear rate of 1000 s−1. The liquids may be Newtonian or non-Newtonian (shear thinning) liquids.
As used herein, “fabric care treatment compositions” include fabric detergents, fabric softeners, 2-in-1 detergent and softening, pre-treatment compositions and the like. Fabric care compositions may comprise typical fabric care adjuncts, including surfactants, builders, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dispersants, enzymes, and enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, polymeric dispersing agents, clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, additional perfume and perfume delivery systems, structure elasticizing agents, fabric softeners, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids, pigments, and mixtures thereof. The composition may be a laundry detergent composition comprising an adjunct selected from the group comprising a shading dye, surfactant, polymers, perfumes, encapsulated perfume materials, structurant, and mixtures thereof. The fabric detergent composition may be used during the main wash process or could be used as pre-treatment or soaking compositions.
All temperatures herein are in degrees Celsius (° C.) unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise specified, all measurements herein are conducted at 20° C. and under the atmospheric pressure.
In all embodiments of the present invention, all percentages are by weight of the total composition, unless specifically stated otherwise. All ratios are weight ratios, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Turning now to
The present disclosure, on the other hand, relates to containers 200 having instructional systems 400 that provide improved “real-life” indicators of load size, such as a volume or relative height of a load in an automatic washing machine 300. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to container systems, where the container system includes a container 200 and an instructional system located thereon 400.
The container 200 may be any container that is suitable for containing a fabric care treatment composition 500. The container may have an interior volume. The container may be a bag, box, or tub.
As shown in
As shown in
The container 200 may include other indicia 250, such as branding indicia, safety indicia, and/or instructional indicia. The container 200 may be transparent, transluscent, opaque, or a combination thereof. For example, the majority of the container 200 may be opaque, and the container may include a window. A portion of the contents of the container may be able to be seen through the window, which may be useful to show consumers what the actual product looks like, or how much is left in the container.
The container may have a lid 230. The lid may be formed partially or wholly of a moldable thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, acrylonitryl butadiene styrene (ABS), polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate or elastomer, or a blend of these materials. The instructional system 400 may be located on the lid 230. As shown in
As shown in
The present disclosure also relates to automatic washing machines 300 that have instructional systems 400 located on the machines. Suitable automatic washing machines 400 include front-loading washing machines 302 and top-loading washing machines 304. Machines may be traditional machines or high efficiency machines. Automatic washing machines 300 typically have an interior volume in the form of a drum 310 which is sized and configured to receive the fabric to be treated. The machines 300 may have a recloseable door 320 that provides access to the drum 310. Top-loading washing machines 304 may include an agitator 315, which typically rises vertically from a bottom floor of the drum 310 along an axis of rotation.
The instructional system 400 may be located on an exterior surface of an automatic washing machine. The exterior surface may be any surface visible to a user, such as a front surface 306 or a top surface 308 of the washing machine 300.
The instructional system 400 may be located on an interior surface 325 of an automatic washing machine 300, such as on an interior surface 325 of a door 320 or a drum 310.
The instructional systems 400 of the present disclosure may be located on a container 200 or washing machine 300, typically in a location that may be seen in the course of ordinary use. The instructional system 400 may be affixed to the container or machine, printed directly onto the material of the container or machine, integrally formed as part of the container or machine, or a combination thereof. The instructional system 400 may be part of a sticker, which may be affixed to the container by an adhesive, or part of a magnet. The instructional system 400 may be printed directly onto the material 215 of a bag 210 or a tub 220. The instructional system 200 may be integrally formed as the container 200, for example molded or etched into the material 215, 225 of the container 220 or onto a surface 306, 308 of machine 300.
The instructional system 400 may contain at least two portions, such as a first indicia 410 and a second indicia 420. Typically, each portion or indicia 410, 420 includes at least three parts: a washing machine feature 412, a washing machine load level 414 relative to the washing machine feature 412, and a dosage amount 416.
The indicia 410 may include a washing machine feature 412. The washing machine feature 412 of the indicia may be shown in isolation, or it may be displayed as part of an automatic washing machine 411. The washing machine feature 412 may be a washing machine window, a washing machine agitator, a washing machine drum, a washing machine wall, a washing machine door, or combinations thereof. The washing machine feature 412 of the present instructional systems 400 may be stylized and/or simplified; for example, a window may be drawn as a circle, and an agitator may be drawn as a simple post or rectangle.
The indicia 410 may include a washing machine load level 414. The machine feature 412 may provide a frame of reference for the load level size 414. Therefore, the washing machine load level 414 may be coupled with, or relative to, the washing machine feature 412. For example, the machine feature 412 may be a window, for example the window of a front-loading washing machine, and the window may have an area or a height. As more laundry is added to the machine, the laundry takes up a greater area of the window, or is present at a greater fraction of the window height. Therefore, the relative window area or height taken up by the laundry to be treated is an indication of load size, and the instructional systems 400 disclosed herein may correlate such a load level to a recommended dose of a fabric care treatment composition.
The load level 414 may be illustrated as a point, as a line, as an area, or a volume. The load level 414 may also be graphically represented, such as by differently sized graphics (such as differently sized articles of clothing—small, medium, large, etc.) or by different numbers of articles of clothing (one shirt, two shirts, etc.).
The indicia 410, 420 of the instructional systems 400 described herein may also include a dosage amount 416. The dosage amount 416 may be an amount of a fabric care treatment composition 500. The dosage amount 416 may represent a recommended amount of a fabric care treatment composition 500 that is appropriate for a load level of a given size. Therefore, a dosage amount 416 may be coupled with a washing machine load level 414. The dosage amount 416 may be measured and/or represented in any suitable manner, such as by volume, mass, number, amount of unitized dose articles, or a combination thereof.
The machine features 412, 424 and load levels 414, 424 of
The instructional systems 400 disclosed herein may include a machine 411 with a machine feature 412.
The first and second washing machine features 412, 424, e.g., windows, may each have a height H1, H2. The heights H1, H2 of the first and second features 412, 422 may be equal. The first load level 414 may be a first fraction FF of the height H1. The second load level 424 may be a second fraction SF of the height H2. The first load level 414 may be a first fraction that is from about 0% to about 50%, or from about 10% to about 40%, of the height H1 of the washing machine feature 412. The second load level 424 may be greater than the first load level 414 and/or a second fraction that is from about 50% to 100% of the height H2 of the washing machine feature 422. The first load level 414 may be less than half of the height, area, or volume of the machine feature 412, and the second load level 424 may be about half or greater than half of the height, area, or volume of the machine feature 424.
The instructional systems 400 described herein may include a third portion or indicia 430, which may include a third washing machine feature 432, a third washing machine load level 434 relative to the third washing machine feature 432, and a third dosage amount 436.
For example,
The first load level 414 may be a fraction that is from about 5% to about 40% of the height of the washing machine feature 412; the second load level 424 may be a fraction that is from about 40% to about 60% of the height of the washing machine feature 422; and the third load level 434 may be a fraction that is from about 60% to about 100% of the height of the washing machine feature 432. The first load level 414 may be about one-third of the height, area, or volume of the machine feature 412; the second load level 424 may be from about half to about two-thirds, or about two-thirds, of the height, area, or volume of the machine feature 422; and the third load level 434 may be from about 90% to about 100%, or from about 95% to about 100% of the height, area, or volume of the machine feature 432.
The instructional system 400 shown in
The instructional system 400 shown in
The instructional systems 400 described herein may include other indicia, such as text, branding, or ornamentations.
The container 200 may include a fabric care composition that is contained in an interior volume of the container 200. The fabric care treatment composition may be a laundry detergent composition. The composition may be in the form of a unitized dose article. The composition may be a pouch, where the composition is encapsulated by a water-soluble film, which may include polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The pouch may be a mono-compartment pouch, or the pouch may be a multi-compartment pouch. The pouch may have two, or three, or four, or five, or more compartments. One or more of the compartments may have a color. The compartments may be side-by-side, in a tire-and-rim configuration, and/or superposed on another compartment. At least one, or at least two smaller compartments may be superposed on a larger compartment. Suitable compositions include liquid TIDE®, granular TIDE®, and pouched compositions such as TIDE® PODS and GAIN® FLINGS, each available from The Procter & Gamble Company (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA).
The fabric care treatment composition contained in the container 200 may correspond with the first and second dosage amounts 416, 426 illustrated in the first and second indicia 410, 420, respectively, of the instructional system 400 described herein. For example, if the fabric care treatment composition is in the form of a unitized dose article, the first and second dosage amounts 416, 426 may be represented as unitized dose articles 419, 429. When the unitized dose articles have a design, shape, and/or color, the first and second doses of the indicia may have a similar or same design, shape, and/or color. When the composition is a flowable material such as a liquid or a powder, the container system may include a dosing cap or scoop. In such cases, the first and second dosage amounts 416, 426 of the first and second indicia 410, 420 may include a dosing cap or scoop that is similar or the same as the dosing cap or scoop of the container system.
In order to create a unified product impression, the container, the composition, and/or the first and second dosage amounts of the first and second indicia, respectively, may each comprise the same color, such as orange, blue, white, green, and/or purple.
The present disclose further relates to processes of using the instructional systems 400 described herein to treat a fabric load with a fabric care treatment composition. In particular, the instructional systems 400 are useful for determining what dosage amount of a composition should be added to an automatic washing machine.
The present disclosure relates to a process for treating a fabric load with a fabric care treatment composition. The process may include the step of placing a fabric load into an interior volume of an automatic washing machine, such as the drum, where the automatic washing machine includes a machine feature, such as a window or an agitator.
The user may determine or estimate an actual washing machine load level by comparing the fabric load to the machine feature. This may include making a visual estimate of the area or height of a washing machine window occluded by the fabric load. The actual load level may also be relative to the height of an agitator or volume of a washing machine drum.
The user may compare the actual load level to an instructional system described herein 400. The instructional system 400 may be provided as part of a container system, which may include a container 200 with an interior volume. The container system may include a fabric care treatment composition contained in the interior volume. The instructional system 400 may be located on an automatic washing machine 300.
The instructional system 400 may include a plurality of indicia 410, 420, where each indicia 410, 420 includes a washing machine feature 412, 422 that corresponds to the washing machine feature of the user's actual washing machine. Each indicia 410, 420 may further include a fabric machine load level 414, 424, which may be coupled to, or relative to, the washing machine feature 412, 414. Each indicia 410, 420 may further include a dosage amount 416, 426 coupled to the fabric load level 414, 424. The plurality of indicia may include first and second, and optionally third, indicia 410, 420, 430 as described herein.
The user may choose a selected indicia from the plurality of indicia 410, 420 of the instructional system. Typically, the selected indicia will include a fabric machine load level 414, 424 that approximates or corresponds to the actual washing machine load level. Put another way, the user selects the indicia 410, 420 that displays a load level 414, 424 most closely resembling the user's actual load level.
The user may provide a fabric care treatment composition to the actual fabric load. The composition, which may be a heavy duty laundry detergent, may be provided in an amount that corresponds to the dosage amount displayed in the selected indicia. This may be recommended volume or amount of unitized dose articles, such as one or more pouches.
Once the fabric care treatment composition has been combined with the fabric load in the drum of the automatic washing machine, the user may start a treatment cycle. The cycle may include soaking, washing, and/or rinsing the fabric load. It is understood that the fabric load may be treated with additional compositions, such as fabric softeners. The fabric load may also be dried, for example in an automatic dryer or by line drying.
The following numbered paragraphs provide examples of the subject matter described herein. The examples are intended to be illustrative and non-limiting.
1. A container system comprising: a container comprising an interior volume; and an instructional system located on said container, said instructional system comprising a first indicia and a second indicia, wherein said first indicia comprises a first washing machine feature, a first washing machine load level relative to said first washing machine feature, and a first dosage amount of a fabric care treatment composition; wherein said second indicia comprises a second washing machine feature, a second washing machine load level relative to said second washing machine feature, and a second dosage amount of said fabric care treatment composition; wherein said second machine load level is greater than first machine load level; and wherein said second dosage amount is more than said first dosage amount.
2. The container system according to paragraph 1, wherein said first and second washing machine features are selected from the group consisting of a washing machine window, a washing machine agitator, and combinations thereof.
3. The container system according to any of paragraphs 1-2, wherein said first and second washing machine features are washing machine windows.
4. The container system according to any of paragraphs 1-3, wherein said first and second washing machine features are the same size.
5. The container system according to any of paragraphs 1-4, wherein said first dosage amount is a first amount of unitized dose articles, and wherein said second dosage amount is a second amount of unitized dose articles.
6. The container system according to any of paragraphs 1-5, wherein said dosage amount is one unitized dose article.
7. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-6, wherein said container further comprises a fabric care treatment composition contained in said interior volume.
8. A container system according to claim 7, wherein said fabric care treatment composition is in the form of a unitized dose article.
9. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-7, wherein said instructional system further comprises a third indicia, wherein said third indicia comprises a third washing machine feature, a third washing machine load level relative to said third washing machine feature, and a third dosage amount of said fabric care treatment composition.
10. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-9, wherein said instructional system is located on a label, wherein said label is affixed to said container.
11. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-10, wherein said instructional system is printed directly onto said container.
12. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-11, wherein said instructional system is located on an internal surface of said container.
13. A container system according to claim 12, wherein said internal surface is selected from the group consisting of an interior surface of a lid said container, a curtain at least partially occluding an opening of said container, and combinations thereof.
14. A container system according to any of paragraphs 1-13, wherein said container is a tub or a bag.
15. An automatic laundry machine, said machine comprising a washing machine feature and an instructional system located on said automatic laundry machine, said instructional system comprising a first indicia and a second indicia, wherein said first indicia comprises a first washing machine feature, a first washing machine load level relative to said first washing machine feature, and a first dosage amount of a fabric care treatment composition; wherein said second indicia comprises a second washing machine feature, a second washing machine load level relative to said second washing machine feature, and a second dosage amount of said fabric care treatment composition; wherein said second machine load level is greater than first machine load level; and wherein said second dosage amount is more than said first dosage amount.
16. An automatic laundry machine according to paragraph 15, wherein said washing machine features are each a window.
17. An automatic laundry machine according to any of paragraphs 15-16, wherein said first dosage amount is a first amount of unitized dose articles, and wherein said second dosage amount is a second amount of a unitized dose articles.
18. A process for treating a fabric load, said process comprising the steps of: (a) placing a fabric load into an interior volume of an automatic washing machine, wherein said automatic washing machine comprises a machine feature; (b) determining an actual washing machine load level by comparing said fabric load to said machine feature; (c) providing a container system, wherein said container system comprises a container with an interior volume, a fabric care treatment composition contained in said interior volume, and an instructional system located on said container, said instructional system comprising a plurality of indicia, wherein each indicia comprises: said washing machine feature, a fabric load level coupled to said washing machine feature, and a dosage amount coupled to said fabric load level; (d) choosing a selected indicia from said plurality of indicia, wherein said fabric load level of said selected indicia approximates said actual washing machine load level; (e) providing said fabric care treatment composition to said fabric load, wherein said fabric care treatment composition is provided in an amount corresponding to said dosage amount of said selected indicia; and (f) starting a treatment cycle of said automatic washing machine.
19. The process according to paragraph 18, wherein said machine feature is a window.
20. The process according to any of paragraphs 18-19, wherein said dosage amount is an amount of unitized dose articles.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
