Rinse-added fabric conditioning compositions containing fabric sofening agents and cationic polyester soil release polymers and preferred cationic soil release polymers therefor

Claim 1

Compound useful as cationic polymeric soil release agent having the generic empirical formula: (AO).sub.x (T).sub.y (CAT).sub.z (En).sub.q (L).sub.r (FCG).sub.s wherein: (I) Each (AO) represents an oxyalkyleneoxy group, excluding oxyalkyleneoxy groups of (E n ), containing from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, and each "x" is from about 1 to about 80. (II) Each (T) represents a terephthaloyl group and each "y" is from about 1 to about 80; (III) Each (CAT) represents a cationic group comprising at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of: (R) m N (-) 3-m wherein each "m" is from 0 to 2; ##STR42## wherein each R group is selected from the group consisting of C 1-4 alkyl groups, C 1-4 hydroxyalkyl groups, C 2-4 alkylene groups, C 2-4 oxyalkylene groups, phenyl, phenyl C 1-4 alkyl groups, hydrogen, wherein two R groups can be joined to form cyclic structures, and wherein each A.sup.⊖ is any compatible anion, and each "z" is selected from 1 to about 100 to provide the cationic charge to the polymer; (IV) Each (E n ) represents a poly(oxyethylene)oxy group --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) n O-- wherein each "n" is from 2 to about 200, and each q is less than about 25; (V) Each (L), when present, represents a linking group comprising at least one hydrocarbylene group having from 2 to about 4 covalent bonds and containing from one to about 10 carbon atoms and 0 to 4 groups selected from the group consisting of: ##STR43## and mixtures thereof and each "r" is a number from 0 to about 40; and (VI) Each Formula Completing Group (FCG), when present, is selected from the group consisting of: (a) H--; (b) --OH; (c) C 1-18 alkyl, alkoxy, or hydroxy alkyl groups, except that when the molecular weight of the compound is above about 10,000, the maximum number of carbon atoms that is in each FCG is about 4; (d) --C(O)OH, and (e) anionic groups neutralized with a compatible cation, and each "s" is a number from to a number sufficient to complete the formula; and wherein the molecular weight of the compound is less than about 50,000, the net cationic charge of the compound is at least about one per 15,000 molecular weight units and the compound is essentially free of hydrazide groups.