GB2582389A - A gel applicator and method for creating a cleansing wipe - Google Patents

Abstract

A gel applicator 10 suitable for applying a gel to toilet paper, the applicator comprises an applicator body 12 having a vessel 16 containing gel which comprises at least one cleansing agent, and a roll-on applicator 20, 22 connected to said vessel for transferring said gel to said toilet paper. The roll-on applicator may comprise a ball 20 and a cage 22 for containing the ball whilst allowing rotation thereof. The applicator may also comprise a rotation limiter for substantially limiting the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis 44. Also included is a method of creating a cleansing wipe, and further a method of cleaning a part of the human body.

Description

A Gel Applicator and Method for Creating a Cleansing Wipe The present invention relates to a gel applicator used in 5 a method for creating a cleansing wipe and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to an applicator and method for creating a cleansing wipe for use instead of "flushable moist wipes".

Toilet tissue is a paper product generally formed from 95% dry cellulose by weight that is designed for self-cleaning after using a toilet. The wet-strength of toilet paper, that is the ability of the paper to resist damage when wet, is deliberately very low. This is because the crystalline structure within the pulp of fast-growing Northern Hemisphere trees used in the production of toilet paper is loose enough to allow hydrogen bonding with water. This allows toilet tissue to be flushed down the toilet as it is easily broken up once wet in the sewage system and is biodegradable in the short term. During sewage treatment cellulose is easily screened out and settled and assists in biological treatment before being used for purposes such as the creation of fertilisers, gasification, or for disposal, if necessary, to landfill. Dry cellulose holds together mainly by hydrogen bonding to its own molecules. However, in the presence of water, these hydrogen bonds are disrupted, preferably bonding with the hydrogen in water, causing the paper to swell and to disintegrate. Other paper tissue products, such as kitchen paper and paper towels, have a significanLly higher weL-sLrengLh due Lo Lhe inclusion of resins or glues to bind the cellulose fibres together even when wet.

Increasingly, dry tissue alone is not regarded as performing adequately for faecal wiping. Factors involving lower fibrous diets and an ageing population are creating faecal content with extra oils and fats. Taken together with increased health fastidiousness, consumer demand for cleansing products -2 -is growing rapidly. As a result in recent years, a new range of bathroom products have been introduced. These products, known as "flushable moist wipes" can be used in conjunction with standard toilet tissue to provide additional cleaning after using the toilet. In this instance, however, the term "flushable" can be considered to have two possible meanings. A first meaning can be that the moist flushable wipe is capable of being flushed down the toilet without much likelihood of causing a blockage to the sewage outlet pipe immediately associated with the toilet. However, this is in contrast to an alternative meaning to the term "flushable", that a wipe which is acceptable or desirable to be flushed by way of disposal.

The so-called flushable moist wipes are formed from materials which do not easily disperse in water, such as resin 15 bound cellulose, polyester or cotton which result in a series of problems not associated with the flushing of standard toilet tissue. Wipes formed from significant amounts of polymer materials, such as polyester, are a particular problem because they do not biodegrade and are strong, making them unlikely to rip in use, but also making then unlikely to disperse in water. As a result, high polymer content wipes form a focus for oils, greases and other elements in the sewage stream, which can then congregate together, forming so-called "fat-bergs". In recent years, fat-bergs have become an increasing problem for sewage companies causing blockages in main sewers, as is well documented.

In addition to polymer-based wipes, cotton-based wet wipes have been introduced which utilise the longer fibre lengths of cotton to produce a paper like material which has sufficient wet strength to be premoistened. Because these wipes are primarily formed from biodegradable cotton fibres they will, given sufficient time, biodegrade. However, this time period is significantly longer than paper-based products, -3 -typically 6 months. It is important to note that cotton, which is also 95% cellulose, gets stronger when wet because its molecules, being closer together, join more aggressively when swollen. Furthermore, when sewage systems become overwhelmed at times of high rainfall, and the use of storm drains are instigated, these cotton-based wipes are flushed through the sewage system to be dispersed onto river banks and beaches where they will remain for a period of months before biodegrading. This is leading to alarming levels of damage to the aquatic environment being recorded by authoritative sources. Furthermore, the capacity of the cotton-based wipes to survive for several months before biodegrading means that they also contribute to the creation of fat-bergs.

It is therefore the case that the production of premoistened wipes from non-cellulose materials is undesirable. The use of Viscose is also common. This is a semi synthetic cellulose derived from treatment of bamboo pulp by dangerous chemicals (carbon disulphide, sodium hydroxide and sulphuric acid) producing a honey like liquid which is spun to produce a fibre used in the clothing trade and as a spunbond base for wet wipes. Although Viscose is derived from a natural product it can take years to biodegrade even in favourable degradation conditions.

It has been previously proposed to use liquids and gels to 25 moisten standard toilet paper immediately prior to use to create a flushable moist wipe. However, this causes problems because, as previously mentioned, purely cellulose paper cannot be premoistened as it disintegrates. By using standard toilet tissue these in situ created wipes are not only capable of being flushable but it is also desirable that they are flushed as they decompose easily in the sewage systems and during the sewage treatment process. However, the spraying of liquid on to toilet tissue creates the problem that the tissue is wet and, as -4 -previously described, having little wet strength is easily torn during the process of cleaning. The greater viscosity of a gel results in less wetting impact from the application of the gel to the toilet paper because less free Hydrogen is available, than in a liquid, having already bonded within the gel. However, the use of pump dispensers deposits a relatively large volume in a small portion of the toilet tissue, making it ineffective for cleaning and also concentrating the wetting effect of the gel to one area, making this part of the toilet tissue more likely to tear.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome or alleviate the above described disadvantages of the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is 15 provided a gel applicator for applying a gel to toilet paper, the applicator comprising an applicator body having: a vessel containing gel comprising at least one cleansing agent; and a roll-on applicator connected to said vessel for transferring 20 said gel to said toilet paper.

By applying a gel with a cleansing agent to toilet paper using a roll-on applicator the advantage is provided that a thin layer of gel is applied that is sufficient to undertake the cleaning process, but limits the wetting of the paper, thereby ensuring the integrity of the paper during use. As a result, much less dry paper can be used when the user needs extra cleansing. Furthermore, gel application of the prior art, such as pump dispensers create significant waste with up to 20% gel still remaining on the pipe and in the bottle when apparently empty. In additional, a metal spring activated pump is needed to deliver the gel. Less paper is also needed to reinforce the wetted toilet paper when compared to the use of gel applicators and liquid sprays of the prior art. As a result of the -5 -successful use of the gel for cleaning the amount of paper used is reduced and the use of the less biodegradable wipes is eliminated.

In a preferred embodiment the roll-on applicator comprises a ball and a cage for containing said ball whilst allowing rotation thereof, said cage having a first open portion allowing a portion of a surface of said ball to contact said gel and a second open portion allowing another portion of said surface of said ball to apply said gel to said toilet paper.

The applicator may further comprise a rotation limiter for substantially limiting the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis. Conventionally a roller balls zig zags in all directions despite efforts to maintain linearity. The human forces deployed directionally vary and the ball experiences frictional resistance at unpredictable points within its cage. The toilet tissue sheet is commonly 2 to 3 times stronger in the machine direction by which it was made, which is perforation to perforation, and force to the sheet in cross directions is undesirable.

By including a rotation limiter to restrict rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis, that is a back and forth movement, the advantage is provided that gel is applied more evenly. Because the ball can only rotate over on itself, the gel is removed from the ball by contact with the paper on every rotation and not overly deposited in an edge concentrated or wandering fashion. As a result, gel is unable to build up on the ball, which would result in depositing of larger volumes of gel onto the paper. These larger volumes would risk excess wetting of the paper destroying its structural integrity.

Furthermore, allowing rotation around a single axis encourages a back-and-forth motion of the rollerball which helps to ensure that gel is applied parallel to the non-perforated edges of a -6 -sheet of paper which is the direction of greater strength of the paper.

In a preferred embodiment a surface area of the ball exposed by the first open portion is less than a surface area of the 5 ball exposed by the second open portion.

By having the first open portion smaller than the second open portion, the advantage is provided that the gel which contacts the ball from within the vessel is coating a small portion of the ball than the open side on which the gel is removed. This further decreases the likelihood of excess gel being applied to the paper. This also allows flattened areas of the ball and cage inducing single axis rotation with no interference of gel pick up.

In another preferred embodiment the rotation limiter comprises at least one first surface portion formed in said ball and at least one corresponding second surface portion formed in said cage, said first and second surface portions cooperating to limit the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis.

In a further preferred embodiment the first and second surface portions are planar.

By having surface portions of the ball and cage being shaped differently from the spherical shape of the ball, and in particular by providing planar surface portions, the advantage is provided that the rotation about a single axis is easily achieved. The planar surfaces are particularly easy to align ensuring effective creation of the single axis rotation.

The rotation limiter may comprise at least one at least partially annular channel on one of said ball and said cage and 30 at least one at least partially annular protrusion on the other of said ball and said cage said at least one channel and said at least one protrusion cooperating to limit the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis.

Alternatively, the rotation limiter may comprise at least one axle extending into at least one of said cage and said ball and rotationally connected to the other of said cage and said ball to limit said rotation of said ball to said rotation about said single axis.

The apparatus may further comprise at least one lid for enclosing said other portion of said ball extending through said 10 second open portion of said cage.

In a preferred embodiment the lid comprises a first engaging portion for engaging a substantially planar surface so that in use said applicator body can engage said lid with said ball extending downwards below said vessel and said lid further comprises a second engaging portion for engaging said ball and a third engaging portion for engaging another part of said applicator body other than said ball, such that when said first engaging portion engages said substantially planar surface and said applicator body engages said lid, said second engaging portion presses said ball such that said ball engages an inner surface of said cage adjacent to said first open portion thereof.

By providing a lid, and in particular a lid which engages the ball so as to press the ball into engagement with an inner surface of the cage adjacent to the first open portion provides the advantage that the engagement of the ball against the cage seals the vessel, ensuring that gel does not fill any gaps beLween Lhe ball and cage during Lhe Lime LhaL Lhe applicator is not in use. At the same time, the orientation of the ball applicator face down ensures that gel is in constant contact with the ball in turn, ensuring that the applicator is always ready for use. This also helps to maximise the use of the gel minimising waste. -8 -

In another preferred embodiment the third engaging portion comprises mutually engaging threads on said lid and on said applicator body.

The application may further comprise at least one 5 intermediate portion located between said vessel and said cage.

In a further preferred embodiment the intermediate portion comprises at least one substantially transparent material.

By providing an intermediate portion, and in particular one that is made from a substantially transparent material, the 10 advantages provided that a user can easily tell when the vessel is nearly empty and requires replacement. Furthermore, the vessel can be sold separately, allowing the cage, ball and intermediate portion to be reused thereby reducing waste.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of creating a cleansing wipe comprising applying a cleansing gel to at least one sheet of toilet tissue paper using a roll-on gel applicator containing said cleansing gel.

According to a further aspect of the present invention 20 there is provided a method of cleaning a part of the human body, comprising the steps: taking a length of toilet paper and creating at least one fold therein; applying a cleansing gel to one surface of said toflet tissue 25 paper using a roll-on gel applicator containing said cleansing gal; applying said surface of said toilet tissue paper to a portion of a body for the purposes of cleaning; and disposing of said toilet tissue paper in a toilet by flushing said toilet. _ 9 _

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side and partial sectional view of an applicator 5 of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the applicator of figure 1; Figure 3 is an isometric view of a component of the applicator of figure 1; Figures 4a and 4b are isometric views of two versions of a 10 component of another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional view of the component of figure 4, together with a further component of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring initially to figures 1 to 3, a gel applicator 10 is provided to apply a cleansing gel to toilet paper. The applicator 10 includes an applicator body 12 and a lid in the form of a pedestal 14. The applicator body 12 includes a vessel in the form of a bottle 16 which contains the gel which includes at least one cleansing agent or component. Ingredients of the gel include, but are not limited to, moderate and mild elements of surfactants such as soaps with lanolins, skin moisturisers, solvents, alcohol, preservatives and fragrances. Connected to the vessel is a roll-on applicator, which includes a ball 20 and a cage 22 for containing the ball whilst allowing it to rotate. The cage 22 provides a first open portion 24 located close to the bottle 16 which allows the gel contained in the bottle to contact the ball 20. The cage 22 also has a second open portion 26 which allows an opposing surface of the ball to apply the gel to the surface of the toilet paper. As can be seen from additional reference to figure 5, the diameter Dl of the circle which defines the first open portion 24 is greater than the diameter D2 of the second open portion 26.

-10 -The cage 22 can connect directly to the bottle 16. However, it is preferable to provide an intermediate portion 28, which is formed from a substantially transparent material, such as glass or transparent thermoplastic, to which the cage 22 is fixed. The intermediate portion 28 is provided with an internal thread 30 which engages an external thread 32 on the bottle 16. As a result, the bottle 16 can be replaced once empty by refilling the bottle with gel or by purchasing a replacement bottle containing the gel thus making the applicator replenishable. This allows the cage, and in particular the ball, to be made from more expensive and more reusable materials than the disposable plastics used as standard in roll-on applicators of the prior art. For example, the ball 20 can be formed from glass or ceramic materials, glass being particularly effective as it is generally hydrophilic, therefore attracting the water in the gel and reducing the likelihood of the gel from dripping when the applicator is not in use as gel tends to stick to the glass ball.

Although not essential, it is desirable that the ball and cage are provided with a rotation limiter which restricts the rotation of the ball to being rotation around a single axis 46. This means that the ball acts as though having an axle extending through it and is able to rotate either clockwise or anti clockwise about that axle. As well as using an axle extending from the cage through, or partially through the ball, it is possible to use other means to control the rotation of the ball. The example shown in figures 1 and 3 utilises a channel 34 extending around the circumference of the ball 20. A pair of protrusions 36 are formed into the internal part spherical surface 38 of the cage 22 which engages the ball 20. When the protrusions 36 sit in the channel 34 the ball 20 is forced to rotate about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the annular channel 34.

An alternative embodiment is shown in figures 4 and 5 in which the ball 20 and cage 22 are provided with corresponding and cooperating first and second surface portions 40 and 42 which operate together to control and limit the rotation of the ball 22 rotation about a single axis 46. In the embodiment shown in figures 4 and 5 the first and second surface portions are planar, therefore differing from the spherical or part spherical surfaces of the ball and cage.

Where the ball is formed from a solid material, for example, formed from glass or ceramic, then the first surface portion 40 can be formed by removal of a part of the spherical surface by, for example, grinding. In the examples shown in figures 4a and 4b, the second surface portion 42 are formed by the addition of tabs, having the planar surface 42, which is adhered to the part spherical surface 38 of the cage 22.

The formation of the cage with a smaller first open portion 24 than the second open portion 26 is of particular advantage in this embodiment. Specifically, the gel is applied to the portion of the ball 20 extending through the first open portion 24, which then rotates around the axis 46 and is exposed as it passes through the second open portion 26. Because the first open portion is smaller the full width of the ball is not exposed to the gel and as it enters the second open portion it is a stripe, approximately the width of the diameter Dl, which carries the gel for transfer onto the toilet paper. The gel therefore never contacts the edges of the ball 20 outside the diameter Dl, meaning that excess gel does not build up on the edges of the ball. As a result, the gel is applied evenly without the depositing of larger volumes of gel that have built up due to uneven rotation of the ball or leakage of gel down the sides during rotation around the axis 46.

To encourage the user of the applicator 10 to apply the gel so that the ball 20 rotates around the axis 46, the bottle -12 - 16 is shaped to encourage holding in a particular orientation. The horizontal dimensions of the uppermost part of the bottle 16 are shown on figures 1 and 2 as the width W1 and W2. By making W1 significantly less than W2, the user is encouraged to hold the opposing flat surfaces 46 and 48 between fingers and thumb, thereby ensuring that the axis 46 extends perpendicular to those two planar surfaces 46 and 48. To ensure that the cage 22 is correctly aligned with the bottle 16, the intermediate portion 28 engages the bottle 16, via the mutually engaging threads 30 and 32, with a click and stop action. This can, for example, be a quarter turn thread with mutually engaging notch and protrusion fixing the rotation and closed position of the bottle 16 on intermediate portion 28.

The pedestal 14 is provided with a planar surface 50 which 15 is designed to contact a flat surface 52 onto which the applicator 10 is placed. The pedestal 14 acts as a pedestal, into which the body 12 can be placed when not in use. The pedestal 14 covers the ball 22 to stop any gel thereon from drying out. With the pedestal and body shown in the orientation of figures 1 and 2 the gel contained within the bottle 16 will tend towards the ball 20, ensuring that the surface of the ball, extending through the first open portion 24 is always coated with gel and ready for immediate use. The pedestal 14 is provided with a ball engaging portion 54 which, when the applicator body 12 is located in the pedestal 14, engages the ball 20 so as to press the ball slightly upwards into engagement with the uppermost edge 56 of the partially spherical surface 38 on the inside of the cage 22. This engagement of the ball 20 with the part spherical surface 38 acts to seal the gel within the bottle 16, leaving no space between the ball and the partially spherical surface. This in turn ensures that no gel can creep through a gap between that part spherical surface 38 and the ball 20. This further ensures that gel only contacts the part of the ball 20 which extends through the first open -13 -portion 24 further reducing the likelihood of droplets of gel being formed and transferred onto the paper.

The manufacturing tolerance of the part spherical surface 38 of cage 22 and of ball 20 ensure that a gap of approximately 1 mm is present between these components being sufficient to ensure easy movement of the ball within the cage but not too much to allow the gel to leak or form larger droplets.

Operation of the applicator 10 will now be described. The user takes their preferred number of sheets of toilet paper and 10 folds them to an orientation to allow gel to be applied using the applicator 10. This folding is preferably such that the length of exposed paper on the uppermost sheet extends from one set of perforations in the paper to the next, so that the gel can be applied along a line perpendicular to the perforations and, therefore, in line with the stronger direction of the paper. The applicator body is lifted from the pedestal which remains in contact with the surface 52. This disengages the ball 20 from the ball engaging portion 54 thereby allowing the ball 20 to drop within the cage 22. When the ball 20 is applied to the surface of the sheet of paper and the applicator 10 moved, the resultant rotation of the ball 20 causes gel from within the bottle 16 to form a thin layer on the paper. Multiple lines of gel can be applied to the sheet of toilet paper by repeated movement of the ball, preferably using a backward and forward motion. Once a few lines of gel have been applied, the paper can be used for cleaning and then disposed of in a toilet by flushing. Typically, a bottle holding 50m1 of gel and used to apply three stripes of gel to the toilet paper would last for 100 uses.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope -14 -of the protection which is defined by the appended claims. For example, the cleansing product contained within the bottle can be any suitable cleanser for any purpose, including cleaning other parts of the body, such as for make-up removal.

Furthermore, the cleaning product may be something stronger than those suitable for use on the human body and be more suitable for cleaning bathroom surfaces including but not limited to toilets. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the applicator described above can be used to apply cleaning gel to other materials than toilet paper including, but not limited to, other paper cleaning products, cloths of paper and other materials and cotton wool based products, although many of these are not suitable for flushing into the sewage system.

The first and second surface portions 40 and 42 of the ball 20 need not be flat and other formations can be used, including concave part spherical surfaces or part spherical surfaces having a larger diameter than the diameter of the ball 20. Furthermore, the ball need not be perfectly spherical, for example, a prolate spheroid having an elliptical cross-section teamed with a correspondingly shaped cage will operate to rotate around the major axis of the spheroid.

In a further alternative, the ball engaging portion 54 in the pedestal 14 can be formed as an upstanding fin or as a flexible web formed into the moulding of the pedestal. Such a flexible web can be formed to act as a spring ensuring that the ball remains engaged with the part spherical surface 38 but also allowing another part of the applicator body 12, other than the ball, to engage the pedestal 14 helping the body remain stable when resting in the storage position in the pedestal.

Claims (15)

1. -15 -Claims 1. A gel applicator for applying a gel to toilet paper, the applicator comprising an applicator body having: a vessel containing gel comprising at least one cleansing agent; 5 and a roll-on applicator connected to said vessel for transferring said gel to said toilet paper.
2. 2. An applicator according to claim 1, wherein said roll-on applicator comprises a ball and a cage for containing said ball whilst allowing rotation thereof, said cage having a first open portion allowing a portion of a surface of said ball to contact said gel and a second open portion allowing another portion of said surface of said ball to apply said gel to said toilet paper.
3. 3. An applicator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising 15 a rotation limiter for substantially limiting the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis.
4. 4. An applicator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a surface area of the ball exposed by the first open portion is less than a surface area of the ball exposed by the second open portion.
5. 5. An applicator according to claim 4, wherein said rotation limiter comprises at least one first surface portion formed in said ball and at least one corresponding second surface portion formed in said cage, said first and second surface portions cooperating to limit the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis.
6. 6. An applicator according to claim 5, wherein said first and second surface portions are planar.
7. 7. An applicator according to claim 4, wherein said rotation limiter comprises at least one at least partially annular 30 channel on one of said ball and said cage and at least one at least partially annular protrusion on the other of said ball and -16 -said cage said at least one channel and said at least one protrusion cooperating to limit the rotation of the ball to rotation about a single axis.
8. 8. An applicator according to claim 4, wherein said rotation limiter comprises at least one axle extending into at least one of said cage and said ball and rotationally connected to the other of said cage and said ball to limit said rotation of said ball to said rotation about said single axis.
9. 9. An applicator according to any of claims 2 to 8, further comprising at least one lid for enclosing said other portion of said ball extending through said second open portion of said cage.
10. 10. An applicator according to claim 9, wherein said lid comprises a first engaging portion for engaging a substantially planar surface so that in use said applicator body can engage said lid with said ball extending downwards below said vessel and said lid further comprises a second engaging portion for engaging said ball and a third engaging portion for engaging another part of said applicator body other than said ball, such that when said first engaging portion engages said substantially planar surface and said applicator body engages said lid, said second engaging portion presses said ball such that said ball engages an inner surface of said cage adjacent to said first open portion thereof.
11. 11. An applicator according to claim 10, wherein said third engaging portion comprises mutually engaging threads on said lid and on said applicator body.
12. 12. An applicator according to any preceding claim, further comprising at least one intermediate portion located between 30 said vessel and said cage.
13. -17 - 13. An applicator according to claim 12, wherein said intermediate portion comprises at least one substantially transparent material.
14. 14. A method of creating a cleansing wipe comprising applying 5 a cleansing gel to at least one sheet of toilet tissue paper using a roll-on gel applicator containing said cleansing gel.
15. 15. A method of cleaning a part of the human body, comprising the steps: taking a length of toilet paper and creating at least one fold therein; applying a cleansing gel to one surface of said toilet tissue paper using a roll-on gel applicator containing said cleansing gel; applying said surface of said toilet tissue paper to a portion 15 of a body for the purposes of cleaning; and disposing of said toilet tissue paper in a toilet by flushing said toilet.