Fabric treatment compositions

Claim 1

An article of manufacture adapted for providing fabric softening within an automatic clothes dryer, said article comprising: (a) a fabric softening amount of softening composition containing a fatty alkyl sorbitan ester softener component selected from the group consisting of C 10 to C 26 fatty esters of sorbitan which contain free --OH groups and ethoxylates of said esters wherein one or more of the --OH groups in said esters contain from one to about six oxyethylene moieties, said composition having a melting point above about 38° C and being flowable at dryer operating temperatures; and (b) a dispensing means which provides for release of said softening composition within an automatic laundry dryer at dryer operating temperatures, said dispensing means being selected from the group consisting of: (1) a flexible absorbent substrate in a sheet configuration wherein the softening composition is affixed to the substrate to provide a weight ratio of softening composition to dry substrate ranging from about 10:1 to 1:1; (2) A suction cup for attachment to the interior of the door of a dryer, said suction cup having a cylindrical body including a rib, and said cylindrical body having force-fitted thereon a cardboard tube coated with the fabric softening composition; (3) A device which is attachable to a dryer drum, comprising an elongated container having an opening for filling said container with the fabric softener, a removable closure for said opening, and a plurality of spaced U-shaped clip means for attaching said container to said drum, said clip means embracing said container, said container having a surface, said container having a series of fluid discharge apertures extending through said surface, and a porous felt like nonmetallic covering secured to said container and overlying said apertures serving as a wick; (4) A device comprising a body of synthetic plastic foamed material having a hollow center for containing a core of the fabric softening composition, and a plurality of openings in said body, communicating with said hollow center, the core of the fabric softening composition extending integrally into said openings; (5) A device held to the interior wall of a dryer drum in form-retaining relationship therewith, said device comprising a base having the fabric softening composition disposed on the exterior surface thereof, wherein on contact with tumbling fabrics in the dryer, the softening composition is removed from the base and deposited onto the fabrics, the said base comprising a flexible material and having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the opposite surface thereof to effect said form-retaining relationship; (6) A hollow sponge releasably enclosing enough softening composition to impart fabric softness during several cycles of clothes, and (7) A bag made from a material selected from the group consisting of cloth and paper, said bag releasably enclosing said softening composition and being sealed with said sorbitan ester component of said softening composition.

Claim 15

A method for imparting a softening and anti-static effect to fabrics in an automatic laundry dryer comprising commingling 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 greater than about 38° C and being flowable at dryer operating temperatures, said composition comprising a fatty alkyl sorbitan ester material selected from the group consisting of C 10 to C 26 fatty esters of sorbitan containing free --OH groups and ethoxylates of said esters wherein one or more of the unesterified --OH groups contain from one to about six oxyethylene moieties.

Claim 16

A method for imparting a softening and anti-static effect to fabrics in an automatic laundry dryer comprising commingling 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 greater than about 38° C and being flowable at dryer operating temperatures, said composition comprising a fatty alkyl sorbitan ester material selected from the group consisting of C 10 to C 26 fatty esters of sorbitan containing free --OH groups and ethoxylates of said esters wherein one or more of the unesterified --OH groups contain from one to about six oxyethylene moieties.