Method and system for reducing auto-dosing fluctuation of an automatic cleaning machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11668043-B2
Application number	US-202217735412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A method for reducing auto-dosing fluctuation of a washing machine equipped with an automatic dosing device, by using a liquid detergent with a relatively low high-shear viscosity. A cleaning system including a washing machine equipped with an auto-dosing device, in combination with a liquid detergent characterized by a relative low high-shear viscosity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating an article with an automatic cleaning machine where auto-dosing fluctuation is reduced, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a liquid detergent composition, which is characterized by:
i. a total surfactant level of at least about 25 wt %, by total weight of said liquid detergent composition, wherein said liquid detergent composition is free of linear or branched alkylethoxy sulfates; and
ii. a high-shear viscosity ranging from about 10 mPa·s to about 300 mPa·s when measured at 20° C. at a relatively high shear rate of 20 s −1 ;

b. using said liquid detergent composition in an automatic cleaning machine, which comprises:
i. a cleaning chamber for receiving an article for cleaning; and
ii. a liquid detergent dispenser fluidly coupled to the cleaning chamber, wherein said liquid detergent dispenser comprises a bulk cartridge for storing multiple doses of said liquid detergent composition and an automatic dosing device for automatically dispensing a single dose of said liquid detergent composition from said bulk cartridge into the cleaning chamber during a cleaning cycle, wherein said automatic dosing device, when operating, is characterized by an operating flow rate ranging from about 0.1 ml/second to about 10 ml/second and an operating shear rate ranging from about 10 s −1 to about 250 s −1 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating flow rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 0.5 ml/second to about 2 ml/second; wherein the operating shear rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 15 s −1 to about 200 s −1 ; wherein the high-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 20 to about 300 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 20 s −1 ; and wherein said liquid detergent is further characterized by a low-shear viscosity ranging from about 2,000 mPa·s to about 40,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operating flow rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 0.75 ml/second to about 1.5 ml/second.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operating shear rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 50 s −1 to about 150 s −1 .

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the high-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 50 to about 300 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 20 s −1 .

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the low-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 3,000 mPa·s to about 30,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the low-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 5000 mPa·s to about 20,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said liquid detergent composition is further characterized by a low-shear viscosity ranging from about 500 mPa·s to about 50,000 mPa·s when measured at 20° C. at a relatively low shear rate of 0.5 s −1 .

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating flow rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 0.75 ml/second to about 1.5 ml/second.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating shear rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 50 s −1 to about 150 s −1 .

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the high-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 50 to about 300 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 20 s −1 .

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said liquid detergent composition is further characterized by a low-shear viscosity ranging from about 3,000 mPa·s to about 30,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said liquid detergent composition is further characterized by a low-shear viscosity ranging from about 5000 mPa·s to about 20,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

14. A method of treating an article with an automatic cleaning machine where auto-dosing fluctuation is reduced, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a liquid detergent composition, which is characterized by:
i. a total surfactant level of at least about 25 wt %, by total weight of said liquid detergent composition, wherein said liquid detergent composition is free of linear or branched alkylethoxy sulfates; and
ii. a high-shear viscosity ranging from about 10 mPa·s to about 500 mPa·s when measured at 20° C. at a relatively high shear rate of 20 s −1 ;

b. using said liquid detergent composition in an automatic cleaning machine, which comprises:
i. a cleaning chamber for receiving an article for cleaning; and
ii. a liquid detergent dispenser fluidly coupled to the cleaning chamber, wherein said liquid detergent dispenser comprises a bulk cartridge for storing multiple doses of said liquid detergent composition and an automatic dosing device for automatically dispensing a single dose of said liquid detergent composition from said bulk cartridge into the cleaning chamber during a cleaning cycle, wherein said automatic dosing device, when operating, is characterized by an operating flow rate ranging from about 0.1 ml/second to about 10 ml/second and an operating shear rate ranging from about 10 s −1 to about 250 s −1 .

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said liquid detergent composition comprises from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % anionic surfactant.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operating flow rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 0.5 ml/second to about 2 ml/second; wherein the operating shear rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 15 s −1 to about 200 s −1 ; wherein the high-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 20 to about 350 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 20 s −1 ; and wherein said liquid detergent is further characterized by a low-shear viscosity ranging from about 2,000 mPa·s to about 40,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operating flow rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 0.75 ml/second to about 1.5 ml/second.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operating shear rate of said automatic dosing device ranges from about 50 s −1 to about 150 s −1 .

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the high-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 50 to about 300 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 20 s −1 .

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the low-shear viscosity of said liquid detergent composition ranges from about 3,000 mPa·s to about 30,000 mPa·s, when measured at 20° C. and 0.5 s −1 .

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Tang Ming
• Yang Xiaolin

Classifications

• C11D17/0008

  aqueous liquid non soap compositions (C11D3/0015, C11D3/3947, C11D3/3956 take precedence) · CPC title

• D06F39/022 Primary

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C11D1/37

  Mixtures of compounds all of which are anionic · CPC title

• C11D1/22

  derived from aromatic compounds · CPC title

• C11D17/0026

  Structured liquid compositions, e.g. liquid crystalline phases or network containing non-Newtonian phase · CPC title