Fabric treatment compositions

Claim 1

fatty acid esters of polyols selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerine, pentaerythritol, trimethylol propane and xylitol, wherein the fatty acyl groups contain from 8 to 24 carbon atoms; 2. polyglycerol esters of the formula wherein R1 is a C9 to C23 sliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group, and R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C8 to C24 fatty acyl groups and n is from about 2 to about 20; and 3. the acetate, lactate and succinate derivatives of (1) and (2); the weight ratio of (i) and (ii) being greater than 0.67:1; and (b) A dispensing means which provides for release of said softening composition within an automatic laundry dryer at dryer operating temperatures, and wherein when said dispensing means is a flexible substrate in a sheet configuration, the softening composition is impregnated or coated onto the substrate so as to provide a weight ratio of softening composition to dry substrate ranging from about 10:1 to about 0.5:1.

Claim 13

A method for imparting a softening and anti-static effect to fabrics in an automatic laundry dryer comprising co-mingling pieces of damp fabrics by tumbling said fabrics under heat in an automatic clothes dryer with an effective amount of a fabric softening composition, said composition having a melting point from about 38°C to about 100°C and comprising: i) from about 40% to about 95% by weight of the composition of a cationic fabric softener material; and ii) from about 5% to about 60% by weight of the composition of a fatty polyol ester selected from the group consisting of 1. fatty acid esters of polyols selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerine, pentaerythri-tol, trimethylol propane and xylitol, where-in the fatty acyl groups contain from 8 to 24 carbon atoms; 2. polyglycerol esters of the formula wherein R1 is a C9 to C23 aliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group, and R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C8 to C24 fatty acyl groups and n is from about 2 to about 20; and 3. the acetate, lactate and succinate derivatives of (1) and (2); the weight ratio of (i) and (ii) being greater than o.67:1; wherein said tumbling takes place at a temperature equal to or above the melting point of said fabric softening composition.

Claim 14

A method for imparting a softening and anti-static effect to fabrics in an automatic laundry dryer comprising co-mingling pieces of damp fabrics by tumbling said fabrics under heat in an automatic clothes dryer with an effective amount of a fabric softening composition, said composition having a melting point from about 38°C to about 100°C and comprising: i) from about 40% to about 95% by weight of the composition of a cationic fabric softener material; and ii) from about 5% to about 60% by weight of the composition of a fatty polyol ester selected from the group consisting of 1. fatty acid esters of polyols selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerine, pentaerythri-tol, trimethylol propane and xylitol, where-in the fatty acyl groups contain from 8 to 24 carbon atoms; 2. polyglycerol esters of the formula wherein R1 is a C9 to C23 aliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group, and R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C8 to C24 fatty acyl groups and n is from about 2 to about 20; and 3. the acetate, lactate and succinate derivatives of (1) and (2); the weight ratio of (i) and (ii) being greater than o.67:1; wherein said tumbling takes place at a temperature equal to or above the melting point of said fabric softening composition.