GB2542122A

GB2542122A - Sanitary device & process for making it

Info

Publication number: GB2542122A
Application number: GB1515864.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Milne Downie Donald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-09-08
Filing date: 2015-09-08
Publication date: 2017-03-15
Also published as: GB201515864D0

Abstract

A cleaning device comprises a cleaning head formed as a biodegradable pocket 10. The pocket 10 is formed with a biodegradable outer layer 14 and a biodegradable inner layer 13, with an opening 11 to the pocket. The inner layer 13 is formed of high wet-strength (HWS) paper and/or polymer and the outer layer 14 is formed of lower wet-strength (LWS) paper and/or polymer. The device further comprises a handling tool 16 having an end portion (47, Fig 7) which is expandable within the pocket 10 to grip and manipulate the pocket or pouch. The device is preferably made by aligning strips of LWS and HWS paper and/or polymer and heat-sealing or welding at intervals across the strips to form a series of pockets 10 in a strip, and cutting each pocket from the series upon the strip. A process of making a sanitary device is also disclosed.

Description

Sanitary Device & Process for Making It

The present invention relates to a sanitary device and to a process for making it.

Sanitary devices in the form of "wipes" are known. In some forms, they are hand-held and applied by hand when used for cleaning. When the cleaning involves the removal of soil, the use can be unpleasant for the user and can bring the user's hand into contact with the soil, which could be a health hazard. In other forms, the wipes are clipped or affixed by hand to a handling implement sufficiently firmly to ensure that they are securely retained during a cleaning operation. This requires manual handling of the wipe, which might be undesirable, and manual removal of the wipe after the cleaning operation, which might be unpleasant and/or a hazard to health. Moreover, some wipes presently available are not readily disposable after use.

The present invention provides a sanitary device as defined in claim 1 of the set of claims which follow this description. Optional and/or desirable features of the device are the subject of other claims of the set of claims. The present invention also provides a process for making a sanitary device as defined in the process claims of the set of claims following this description.

The invention is now further described with reference to some illustrative embodiments, given by way of non-limitative examples only, and with reference to the diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wipe in the form of a pouch with part of a manipulating tool inserted into the normally top opening;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the wipe of Fig. 1 taken on line A-A;

Figure 3 is a representation of one method of making pouches of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of wipe;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line B-B of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 shows a method of making wipes of Figs. 4 and 5;

Figure 7 shows a manipulating tool being inserted into the normally top opening of a wipe;

Figure 8 shows the tool fully inserted into and retained relative to the wipe;

Figures 9 & 10 show the stages of Figs. 7 & 8 using a different tool;

Figure 11 shows a container of wipes and part of a tool;

Figure 12 is a schematic cross-section through the device of Fig. 11.

Reference is first made to Figs. 1 and 2. The wipe, indicated by 10, comprises a rectangular pouch with an open top 11, and preferably a flap 12 extending beyond the opening 11, so that the wipe has some resemblance to a conventional postal envelope. The walls forming the wipe 10 comprise and inner layer 13 of biodegradable high wet strength (HWS) paper and/or polymer and an outer layer 14 of biodegradable low wet strength (LWS) paper and/or polymer. The terms "HWS" and "LWS" are well-known in the fields of paper and/polymer materials and such materials are commercially available. The edge regions 15 of the wipe 10 are adhered together in any convenient manner. Suitable ways of adhering the edge regions 15 include heat-sealing and welding. The adhering of biodegradable paper and/or polymer materials by heat-sealing and welding is well-known in the art. Figs. 1 and 2 show part of a manipulating tool 16 being inserted into (or withdrawn from) the wipe 10. The paper and/or polymer of the outer layer may be absorbent, as may also be that of the inner layer. One or both layers may be impregnated with sanitising chemicals and/or perfume.

Figure 3 shows schematically wipes 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 being made. Reels or drums 17,18 of biodegradable HWS paper and/or polymer 13 and reels or drums 19, 20 of biodegradable LWS paper and/or polymer 14 are so arranged that the two strands of HWS material are sandwiched between respective strands of LWS material. The strands are brought together and edge regions 15 are heat-sealed or welded at lateral intervals and along one longitudinal edge region. Known techniques can be employed for the lateral and longitudinal heat-sealing or welding steps. The heat-sealing or welding results in a strip 22 of longitudinally-adjoined wipes 10. The strands from the reels 18 and 20 are wider than those from the reels 17 and 18 so that a flap 12 is formed during the heat-sealing or welding step. The flap 12 is an optional feature which may be preferred as it facilitates the entry of the tool 16 into the open end of the wipe. Individual wipes 10 are formed from the strip 22 by cutting through the lateral heat seals or welds 15 using a suitable guillotine or other suitable cutting implement.

Figs. 4 to 6 refer to another embodiment. It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 that the wipe 30 is generally rectangular and has a lateral fold 31 forming the bottom of the wipe and welds along the two sides 32, 33, the remaining side being open and having a flap 34. The flap 34 is an optional feature, which may be preferred. The wipe 30 is formed of an internal layer 35 of biodegradable paper and/or polymer and an outer layer 36 of biodegradable paper and/or polymer, which may be absorbent. Part of a manipulation tool 37 is shown entering the open end of the wipe.

Fig. 6 illustrates a method of making wipes 30. A reel or drum 38 bears a roll of HWS paper and/or polymer 40 and a reel or drum 39 bears a roll of LWS paper and/or polymer 41. The rolls 40 and 41 are of the same width and are drawn off their respective reels 38, 39 by any suitable means so as to be parallel and adjacent to each other. The HWS and LWS sheets are pulled around a suitable mandrel (not shown) so as to be longitudinally folded, as indicated by reference 42, with the HWS sheet 40 on the inside and the LWS sheet 41 on the outside. The fold is such the width of the combined sheets 40, 41 on the lower side of the fold is greater than the width of the combined sheets on the upper side of the fold to form flaps 34 on the finished pouches. The folded sheets 40, 41 are then heat-sealed or welded at periodic intervals along their lengths. The heat-seals or welds 32, 33 are made across the widths of the folded sheets in any suitable manner, and each pouch 30 is separated from the sheet by a suitable cutting means such as a guillotine (not shown).

Fig. 7 shows a manipulating tool entering a pouch 10 (shown in broken lines). In Fig. 8, the handles 45, 46 have been squeezed together (usually by hand) making the head 47 of the tool wider so that it grips the inside of the pouch 10 by friction. The pouch can then be used for cleaning, such as cleaning sanitary ware. When the squeezing of the handles 45, 46 ceases, the head 47 returns to its narrower state (as shown in Fig. 7), and the pouch 10 is no longer fictionally retained on the head of the tool. The pouch can then be disposed of, for example by exposing it to flush-water of a wc whereupon the pouch will fill with flush water and will be flushed away by the water stream. It will be appreciated that the use of the pouch and tool avoids contact of the hands with the pouch and soil, and thereby facilitates the cleaning of soil from soiled surfaces with reduced exposure of the cleaning staff.

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar to Figs. 7 and 8 except that the head of the tool is in the form of a calliper. The calliper of Figs. 9 and 10 acts in much the same way as the tool of Figs. 7 and 8.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a box 50 for containing a stack of pouches 10. The box may be formed of folded card or cardboard and has a lid 51 and an opening at the top exposing the top-most pouch in the box enabling the end of a tool 37 to enter the open top 11 of the topmost pouch of the stack so as to be able to remove it from the box within touching the pouch by hand. A spring 52 is disposed in the box 50 beneath the stack of pouches so that the stack is urged upwards towards the open top of the box.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A sanitary device comprising a biodegradable pocket or pouch, the pocket or pouch having an open top and comprising a biodegradable outer layer and a biodegradable inner layer, the inner layer being formed of high wet strength (HWS) paper and/or polymer and the outer layer being formed of lower wet strength (LWS) paper and/or polymer.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the pocket or pouch has a substantially closed bottom region and an open top region defined by a rim, wherein a part of the rim is further from the bottom region than the remainder of the rim.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the said part of the rim defines a flap of the pouch or pocket.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the flap is of substantially rectangular or triangular form.

5. The device of any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the pocket or pouch is of substantially rectangular or triangular form.

6. The device of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the LWS paper and/or polymer is adsorbent.

7. The device of any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the pouch comprises cleaning and/or sanitising materials.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the cleaning and/or sanitising materials are impregnated in and/or between the LWS paper and/or polymer and/or the HWS paper and/or polymer.

9. The device of any preceding claim wherein the LWS paper and/or polymer and/or the HWS paper and/or the HWS paper and/or polymer comprise a moistening and/or scented material.

10. The device of any of claims 1 to 9 comprising a handling tool having a first end region formed and/or adapted for use as a handle, the other, second, end region being formed and/or adapted to be received in the pocket or pouch and to be expandable within the pouch for retaining the pouch for a sanitary cleaning operation and to be contractible to release the pouch upon completion of a sanitary cleaning operation.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the first end region of the tool comprises means for operating the expansion and contraction of the second end region.

12. The device of any of claims 10 or 11 wherein the second end region comprises tongs which are openable when received in the pocket or pouch to retain the pocket or pouch during a sanitary-cleaning operation and closable to release the pocket or pouch therefrom on completion of the sanitary cleaning operation.

13. The device of any of claims 1 to 12 comprising a stack of pockets or pouches arranged with their open sides facing in the same direction, a container in which the stack is received or disposed, the container having a closed end adjacent to one end of the stack and an open or openable end at the other end of the stack, and biasing means (such as a spring) between the closed end of the container and the said one end of the stack which urges the stack towards the open(able) end of the container, so that a handling tool can be inserted into the pocket or pouch at the open(able) end of the container.

14. A process for making a sanitary device comprising the steps of providing two lengths of high wet strength (HWS) biodegradable sheet material arranged in adjacent parallel planes, and providing two lengths of lower wet strength (LWS) biodegradable sheet material arranged in parallel planes on respective opposite faces of the planes of the HWL sheets, arranging one edge region of each sheet contiguous with the corresponding edge regions of the adjacent sheet(s), adhering said contiguous edge regions of the sheets together, adhering crossregions of the sheets to each other across the widths of the sheets at spaced-apart intervals to form a series of pockets or pouches, and cutting each pocket or pouch from the series.

15. The process of claim 14 in which one length of HWS sheet material and the adjacent length of LWS material have substantially the same width which is wider than the other length of HWS material and the adjacent length of LWS material whereby the resultant pockets or pouches have openings defined on one side thereof by a flap portion.

16. A process for making a sanitary device comprising providing a length of high wet strength (HWS) biodegradable sheet material and a length of low wet strength biodegradable sheet material, the sheets being arranged in adjacent substantially parallel planes with one edge region of one sheet being adjacent to one edge region of the other sheet, folding the HWS and LWS sheets lengthways with the HWS sheet inwards of the LWS sheet to a form having a cross-section which is substantially V-shaped or U-shaped with the LWS sheet on the outside, adhering regions across the widths of the thus-folded sheets at spaced-apart intervals along the lengths of the sheets to form a series of pockets or pouches connected by the adhered regions, and cutting through the adhered regions to form a plurality of separated pockets or pouches.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the folding of the sheets is effected in such a manner that one limb of the V-shape or U-shape is longer than the other limb whereby the resulting pockets or pouches each have a flap defining part of the opening thereto.

18. The process of any of claims 14 to 17 wherein the LWS sheet is of adsorbent material.

19. The process of any of claims 14 to 18 wherein the HWS sheet is of adsorbent material.