United States Patent Office
3,488,287
Patented Jan. 6, 1970
3,488,287
METHOD OF PRODUCING WARM LATHER Leonard Seglin, New York, N.Y., and Borivoj R. FrankoFilipasic, Lower Makefield Township, Pa., assignors to FMC Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware
Continuation-in-part of applications Ser. No. 410,959, Nov. 13, 1964, and Ser. No. 442,063, Mar. 23, 1965. This application Sept. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 488,088
Int. CI. did 9/42, 17/06 U.S. CI. 252—96 11 Claims
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Warm lather is produced by contacting a soap formulation with the water, oxygen and heat formed from the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
This is a continuation-in-part of applications Ser. No. 410,959, now abandoned filed Nov. 13, 1964 and Ser. No. 442,063, now abandoned filed Mar. 23, 1965.
This invention relates to a method of producing warm lather, and more particularly to a method of producing warm lather in which the expanding gas and the heat are provided by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The invention also relates to dispensers and to peroxide-soap compositions which are used to produce warm lather.
Mechanical and electrical devices for dispensing lathers have been available for many years. However, these devices are relatively expensive and thus have not found widespread use; their use being largely limited to shaving lather dispensers in barbershops. The most successful of these lathering devices have been the electrically operated ones which are capable of dispensing a warm shaving lather.
In recent years the need for an inexpensive and convenient lather dispensing device for home use has been supplied by the aerosol-type dispenser. These dispensers operate by use of a liquefied gaseous propellant which foams a soap formulation. Although these lather dispensers have been widely accepted for home use, complete acceptance has been limited because of two inherent adverse factors, namely, the low temperature of the lather produced and the dangerous nature of the pressurized dispenser. Since these dispensers rely upon vaporization of the liquefied propellant to produce the lather, the resulting lather is cooled below room temperature by the loss of heat of vaporization. This cool lather has an uncomfortable feel to the face and does not soften the beard as in the case of a warm lather. Also, much publicity has been given to the potential danger of explosion resulting from heating or puncturing aerosol-type dispensers. Accordingly, there is a real need for an inexpensive lather dispenser for home use which produces a warm lather and does not necessarily require the use of a high pressure system.
It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive method of producing warm lather. Another object is to provide a method of producing warm lather in which it is not essential that a high pressure system be used. Still another object is to provide an inexpensive dispenser for producing warm lather. A further object is to provide peroxide-soap compositions useful in the production of warm lather. These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of this invention.
We have now developed a method of producing warm lather which comprises rapidly decomposing hydrogen peroxide thereby generating water and oxygen with considerable heat of decomposition, and allowing the resulting hot decomposition products to contact a soap formula
tion thereby forming a warm lather. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide provides a suitable ratio of oxygen gas and heat of decomposition for producing warm lathers. By foaming soap formulations with hydrogen
g peroxide decomposition products, warm lathers having temperatures in the range of about 80-140° F. and preferably about 90-125° F. are produced. We have also developed dispensers for producing these warm lathers. Additionally, we have developed peroxide-soap composi
10 tions which are useful in one embodiment of the method, and dispensers for producing these warm lathers. Although the warm lathering method of this invention is especially suitable for producing warm shaving lathers, it is contemplated that it could also be used to provide
15 other types of warm lathers such as warm shampoo lathers. FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a dispenser for the batch-wise production of warm lather by decomposing hydrogen peroxide in the absence of the soap component. FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a dispenser for con
20 timiously producing warm lather by decomposing hydrogen peroxide in the absence of the soap component.
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a dispenser for continuously producing warm lather by decomposing the hydrogen peroxide contained in a preformed peroxide
25 soap composition.
FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a dispenser for continuously producing warm lather by contacting hydrogen peroxide with a composition containing the soap formulation and a decomposition catalyst for hydrogen peroxide.
30 FIGURE 5 is a graphic illustration of the effect of the ratio of hydrogen peroxide to soap formulation on the temperature of the lather.
FIGURE 6 is a graphic illustration of the effect of the ratio of hydrogen peroxide to soap formulation on the
35 density of the lather.
In operation of the dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 1, dispensing container 1 is first inverted thereby opening gravity-operated check valves 2 and 3 and closing gravityoperated check valves 4 and 5. A portion of the hydrogen
40 peroxide from peroxide storage reservoir 6 passes into peroxide measuring chamber 7 through connecting tube 8. Simultaneously the soap component from soap storage reservoir 9 passes to soap measuring chamber 10 through connecting tube 11. Container 1 is then uprighted thereby
45 closing check valves 2 and 3 and opening check valves 4 and 5. Excess hydrogen peroxide from measuring chamber 7 returns to peroxide reservoir 6 through overflow tube 12, while excess soap from measuring chamber 10 returns to soap reservoir 9 through overflow tube 13.
50 Warm lather is produced by holding down plunger 14 thereby introducing valve stem 15, which is coated with a peroxide decomposition catalyst into the body of hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide in peroxide measuring chamber 7 then decomposes thereby produc
55 ing oxygen gas and steam. The decomposition products containing essentially all of the heat of decomposition pass through open valve 4 via tube 16 into the bottom of soap measuring chamber 10. The soap component in measuring chamber 10 is heated and foamed by the
go sparging action of the hot decomposition products emanating from tube 16 thereby producing a warm lather. The increase in pressure resulting from the generation of oxygen during decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide forces the warm lather in soap measuring chamber
g5 10 through open valve 5 into tube 17 from whieh it is discharged from the container. Leakproof vent 18 is a safety device which prevents build-up of pressures greater than those normally encountered in proper operation of this dispenser. Peroxide storage reservoir 6,
70 peroxide measuring chamber 7 and other parts of the dispenser which are in contact with hydrogen peroxide should be constructed of materials which do not cause
