Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
  • A47K10/16—Paper towels; Toilet paper; Holders therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a roll of paper tissue separated into a plurality of tissue segments by means of lines of weakness, and to the use of such a roll, particularly for toilet tissue.
• Paper tissues or sheets such as paper towels, facial tissues, and toilet tissues, are a staple of everyday life.
• the large demand and constant usage for such consumer products has created a demand for improved versions of these products
• Softness is the tactile sensation perceived by the consumer as he/she holds a particular product, rubs it across his/her skin, or crumples it within his/her hand. This tactile sensation is a combination of several physical properties.
• One of the more important physical properties related to the softness is generally considered by those skilled in the art to be the stiffness of the paper tissue from which the product is made. Stiffness, in turn, is usually considered to be directly dependent on the dry tensile strength of the web.
• Strength is the ability of the product to maintain physical integrity and to resist tearing, bursting, and shredding under use conditions.
• Absorbency is the measure of the ability of a product to absorb quantities of liquid
• Toilet tissue is most commonly supplied to the consumer in the form of a roll. Usually the roll is separated into a plurality of tissue segments by means of lines of weakness in order to facilitate the tearing off of a length of paper tissue for use. Each tissue segment has a width between opposite side edges, and a length between lines of weakness, each line of weakness being essentially straight, and extending orthogonally relative to the side edges of the paper tissue.
• US-A-4 687 153 issued on August 18 th , 1987, discloses an apparatus suitable for making tear-separable multi-sheet rolls of toilet tissue, in particular by perforating the paper tissue.
• sheet length i.e. length between the perforations
• sheet count i.e. the number of sheets in a roll
• the object of the present invention is to maintain the utility of lines of weakness in order to tear off a given length of paper tissue, whilst at the same time to improve the overall strength of the given length of paper tissue.
• tissue segments having a basis weight of at least 40 g/m 2 , and wherein the ratio of the length of a tissue segment to the width of the tissue segment is at least 1.7:1, preferably at least 1.9:1, and more preferably at least 2.5:1.
• the roll of paper tissue according to the present invention may be used for dispensing tissue segments, in particular for dispensing toilet tissue.
• the habit of most of these consumers is to fold the tissue once, giving a double thickness of tissue, although some consumers fold more than once.
• the result is a piece of tissue two or more sheets thick, having an essentially planar cleaning zone.
• a perforation in any part of the cleaning zone represents a weakness, and increases the likelihood of failure during use. By failure it is meant that the tissue tears, breaks or bursts resulting in impaired cleaning performance, and, in the case of toilet tissue, in unpleasant messiness for the consumer.
• toilet tissue has a length roughly equivalent to the distance from the tip of the middle finger to the base of the thumb (i.e. just above the wrist), or slightly greater than this length. Commonly, for adults, this length is from 160 to 200 mm. Furthermore the standard width of toilet tissue is about 100mm to 120mm (which corresponds roughly to the width of the hand from thumb to smallest finger when the fingers are held together, side by side).
• Another common habit amongst consumers is to use the cleaning zone of the tissue paper for a first cleaning operation, then subsequently to fold the tissue paper again, with the soiled first cleaning zone to the inside, and reuse the tissue paper for a second cleaning operation. This may even be repeated by folding the soiled second cleaning zone to the inside, and reusing the tissue paper for a third cleaning operation.
• the present invention enables the high proportion of consumers who have either or both of these habits to tear off multiple segments of tissue from a roll, and fold them in such a way that presents a cleaning zone which is completely free of perforations. This means that the risk of product failure during use is significantly reduced. Furthermore, for the consumers who use the first cleaning zone, and then refold and reuse the tissue paper at least one more time, the benefit of always having a cleaning zone which is free of perforations is even more important. These consumers are less likely to experience leakage of soil through the tissue paper during the second and subsequent cleaning operations.
• each tissue segment is long enough for the consumer to tear of one segment, and only one segment, at a time.
• These consumers will benefit from economies by using, for example a single segment of 190mm length per cleaning operation, compared to standard tissue where the same consumer would habitually have required two sheets of, for example, 140mm length, i.e. 280mm length of tissue in total.
• the consumer can tear off two tissue segments from the roll, and can use the perforation which is at the junction of these two segments as an assistance to folding the segments.
• the tissue paper should have a basis weight of at least 40 g/m 2 , and even more preferably at least 50 g/m 2 , in order to provide sufficient tissue paper material when cleaning with only one or two tissue segments.
• length it is meant herein the length of paper tissue measured in the direction which corresponds to the direction around the circumference of the paper tissue roll; and by width it is meant herein the width of paper tissue measured across the roll, from side to side, parallel to the axis of the roll.
• direction around the paper tissue roll i.e. the length
• the direction across the roll i.e. the width
• line of weakness it is meant herein that the tissue paper has a means of tearing, wherein the means of tearing makes it easier for the consumer to tear along the line of weakness than to tear along some other line.
• a highly preferred line of weakness is a perforated line.
• a perforated line is a plurality of spaced, elongated slits, each axially aligned to one another, and each one being separated from the next by a piece of the tissue extending between adjacent slits.
• dispensing it is meant herein that the product of the invention can be removed from a roll of paper tissue, and the required length can be torn off by tearing along a preformed line of weakness in the paper tissue.
• the product of the present invention can be used for various cleaning tissues and wipes including facial tissues, and absorbent tissues and wipes for cleaning hard surfaces.
• the preferred use of the present invention is the use of a roll of tissue for dispensing toilet tissue.
• Tissue paper useful in the present invention may be made by common methods well-known to the person skilled in the art, such as by dewatering suitable pulp using, for example, papermakers felt. This process may be carried out in batch, but commercially it is usually carried out on continuous papermaking machines. Highly preferred tissue paper may be made by the processes described in US-A-3 301 746, published on January 31 st 1967, or EP-A-0 140 404, published on May 8 th 1985.
• Paper made according to EP-0 140 404 is composed of first and second regions, the first region having a macroscopically monoplanar, patterned, continuous network having a high density and a low basis weight relative to the second region, and the second region being composed of a high basis weight and plurality of discrete domes having low densities relative to the first region.
• the preferred average density of the first, network, region is from 0.4 to 0.8 gram per cubic meter and the average density of the domes of the second region is from 0.04 to 0.15 gram per cubic centimeter.
• Optional steps for the process of making the web, or for subsequent processing include foreshortening, or creping; embossing and printing.
• a roll of tissue was manufactured using the apparatus and method disclose in US-A-4 687 153.
• the apparatus was set up in order to provide a roll of single-ply tissue paper, the roll being divided into segments by perforated lines, each segment being 194 mm long and 100 mm wide.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Sanitary Thin Papers (AREA)
• Paper (AREA)
• Replacement Of Web Rolls (AREA)
• Registering, Tensioning, Guiding Webs, And Rollers Therefor (AREA)

Priority Applications (17)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8231924

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (16)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (7)

• 1998
  • 1998-05-13 EP EP98108674A patent/EP0956804A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 1999
  • 1999-02-08 GB GB9902769A patent/GB2334210B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-05-08 DE DE29908294U patent/DE29908294U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-05-13 CN CN99806005A patent/CN1300198A/zh active Pending
  • 1999-05-13 EP EP99922979A patent/EP1077631A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-05-13 BR BR9910390-7A patent/BR9910390A/pt unknown
  • 1999-05-13 JP JP2000547895A patent/JP2002514446A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-05-13 KR KR1020007012629A patent/KR20010043526A/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-05-13 AR ARP990102282A patent/AR015781A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-05-13 NZ NZ507593A patent/NZ507593A/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-05-13 AU AU39851/99A patent/AU749835B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-05-13 WO PCT/US1999/010435 patent/WO1999058039A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-05-13 PE PE1999000397A patent/PE20000597A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-05-13 CA CA002329799A patent/CA2329799A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-05-13 MX MXPA00011146A patent/MXPA00011146A/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-05-28 TW TW088108852A patent/TW386024B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2000
  • 2000-10-19 ZA ZA200005838A patent/ZA200005838B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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