JP3359345B2 - Folding and stacking structure for multiple wet wipes - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a stack of multiple wet wipes provided with an improved fold and pinch configuration so that each wipe can be immediately separated from the wet wipe stack by a customer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wet wipes are typically pre-moistened disposable taurettes used in a variety of applications, both domestic and industrial, that perform a variety of functions. Wet wipes are typically used to wipe both living and inanimate surfaces and will provide a number of benefits, such as cleaning, cleansing, disinfecting, and skin care benefits.

One application is the use of wet wipes to wipe parts of the human body, especially when wash water is not available, for example, when traveling. Wipes are generally referred to as close hygiene wipes (eg, women's wet wipes).
As a timate hygiene wipe, it is used for human cleansing and wiping, such as anal, perineal and genital cleansing and face and hand cleansing. Wet wipes include makeup, skin conditioners,
And the application of substances to the body, including the removal and application of pharmaceuticals. Another application of wet wipes is in the treatment of dermatitis in adults and infants, partially caused by changing diapers and by using diapers and incontinence devices. In addition, wet wipes can wipe and / or clean other surfaces, such as, for example, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, eyeglasses, shoes, and other surfaces that require cleaning in the industry, such as, for example, mechanical and automotive surfaces. It can be applied to: Also, the wet wipe is
Includes articles used for cleaning or grooming pets.

Wet wipes are generally composed of a combination of synthetic and natural fibers, such as polyolefin fibers, viscose fibers, and cotton fibers, which generally include surfactants, preservatives, oils, and aromas, among others. Wet with aqueous composition. Thereafter, the wet wipe is typically provided in a folded and stacked configuration in a covered container, such as a trough having a lid. Or,
The wipe may be provided in a tub having a dispensing opening. In both cases, this allows for easy transport and storage of the wipe.

However, a problem with current stacks of folded wet wipes is that they lack easy distribution of a single wipe from the stack. This problem is particularly acute in usage situations, such as when a customer is holding an infant while changing diapers. Under such circumstances, the customer needs to be able to pick up and separate the wipe from the stack with only one hand. This has not been fully achieved with current products.

The problem of lack of sufficient distribution of wet wipes from stacks and containers is due to several reasons. First, wet wipes are typically folded, one on top of the other, or sandwiched between adjacent wipes. However, the exact location of the leading edge of the top wipe of the current stack is not easily identified either visually or tactilely. This is because the substrate material of the wipe is typically homogeneous, and especially when folded, the leading edge of the wipe cannot be distinguished from the wipe substrate material on which it is placed. In addition, the leading edge of the wipe has a tendency to adhere to the underlying wipe substrate material on which it is placed. Thus, even tactile identification of an edge by moving or dragging a finger across the surface of the wipe does not immediately result in identifying the location of the edge.

Second, once the location of the leading edge is found, it is difficult for the customer to grip and maintain sufficient substrate material to separate a single wipe from the stack in which it was placed. Have difficulty. The customer often can only grip a small portion of the leading edge, such that its firm grip is not established and the wipe slides easily from the customer's finger.

These problems associated with the distribution of wet wipes have been recognized in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 332 describes the dispensability of wet wipes and the method of making these wipes. Improved distributability is achieved by providing at least a portion of one of the ends of the wipe with a non-linear repeating pattern, such as a sinusoidal structure. However, the problem of dispensing a single wet wipe is neither described nor overcome by the use of non-linear leading edges.

Another solution to the dispensing problem is described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,778,048, which discloses a wet wipe that is tilted on an edge in a container for improved access, distribution, and equal liquid distribution. A product with a stack is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the edge of each wipe has a Gurley stiffness greater than the stiffness of the body of the wipe. However, the preparation of a hard edge is itself an undesirable feature of a wet wipe. Wet wipes, especially those intended to be used on sensitive areas of the skin such as baby wipes, require some softness. The edge of the cured wipe is, in fact, no longer suitable for use, as recognized by the patent itself, and therefore the wipe will have a reduced substrate surface suitable for use . Care must also be taken to reduce or avoid contact of this edge with the skin, as it may cause irritation. Moreover, edge stiffness does not solve the problem of dispensing a single wipe. In addition, the provision of such non-linear edges on nonwoven substrates using current manufacturing techniques results in very undesirable edge fraying.

Alternatively, it has been proposed to provide a specially designed dispensing container with a dispensing orifice to assist the customer in identifying the leading edge. These containers are designed such that upon removal of the top wipe from the container, the adjacent wipe is lifted from the stack and partially protrudes from the orifice when the top wipe is removed. . In such a manner, the top wipe is positioned so that it is more easily grasped by the customer. However, the disadvantage of such an approach is that too much substrate material of adjacent wipes is exposed from the orifice. Therefore, the wipes become dry and unsuitable for use and must be disposed of. EP 747313 proposes a means to address this problem and discloses a multiply folded paper such as a wet tissue paper for continuous disposal from a container orifice.
In this method, the maximum adjacent wipe length of 4
One part is exposed from the distribution orifice. However,
Such paper tissue products cannot be used for all wet wipe applications, such as baby wipes, because moistened tissue paper is not flexible or strong enough. In particular, such moistened tissues suffer from a tendency to shred during use and are therefore not suitable for use as wet wipes.

Another important contributing factor to the problem of dispensing a single wet wipe from a wet wipe stack, which is not addressed by any of the aforementioned prior art, is the tendency of the wipe substrate material to adhere to itself. In particular, this is
It is due to the compression of the wipe stack during manufacture and storage, the actual weight of the wipe itself, and the presence of an attractive force intermediate the substrate material and the lotion of the wipe. As a result, when the wipes are folded to form a stack,
The substrate material tends to adhere to itself and to the substrate material of the adjacent wipe. Thus, once the customer lifts the wipe from the stack, the wipe tends to retain its folded configuration. In addition, the wipe typically remains at least partially adhered to the adjacent wipe on which it is placed. Therefore, in addition to the wipe removal operation from the stack, adjacent wipes are at least partially separated from the stack. As a result, the customer is not only required to deploy the wipe before starting the desired application of the wipe, but also separates it from adjacent wipes in the stack and transfers this wipe to the stack in the container. You are required to return. this is,
Obviously, it is particularly inconvenient for customers who use baby wipes when changing diapers.

The problem of adhering wipe substrates has been recognized in the prior art. Attempts to solve this problem are typically made by JP
For the example described in 08089439, it is in preparation for a pinched wipe. In fact, the entrapment is described in U.S. Pat.
No. 1 and US Pat. No. 3,330,553, which are known in the prior art for dry tissue products. However, it is known that the folded structure commonly used in dry tissue products cannot be reapplied to wet wipes due to the complex interactions that exist between the substrate material and the lotion in wet wipe products.

In addition, many of the proposed pinch structures have problems associated with them. In particular, where the degree of substrate material overlap between adjacent wipes as a result of pinching is large, the problem of substrate adhesion is only exacerbated by the fact that the wipes are always completely separated in pairs, Even if the wipes were dispensed one by one, after removing the upper wipe, a significant portion of the adjacent wipe would remain exposed from the dispensing orifice and the wipe would dry. On the other hand, if the overlap between adjacent wipes is minimized so that the distribution of a single wipe is guaranteed, the adjacent wipes do not separate appreciably from the stack, and the problem of identifying the leading edge is reduced. Reappear.

Further, in addition to poor distribution of wipes, other problems with prior art pinch structures will also occur. For example, as a result of the pinch structure, the substrate material is unevenly distributed in the container, which may result in some undesirable distribution, such as uneven distribution of the lotion across the stack of wipes and within the individual wipes themselves. May lead to an effect, resulting in a concentrated lotion in a particular area of the stack. Moreover, many of the sandwich structures result in the formation of ridges and grooves in the substrate material, both of which tend to reduce strength and flexibility in addition to being aesthetically undesirable.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a wet wipe substrate that is suitable for many applications, such as strong, flexible, absorbent baby wipes. In addition, it facilitates easy dispensing of a single wipe from the wipe stack. It would be desirable to provide a stacked structure for such wet wipes.

The present invention provides a stack of wet wipes having an improved fold and pinch structure,
Address these issues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention therefore relates to wet wipes for wiping parts of the human body as well as other surfaces, such as baby wipes. In particular, the present invention relates to a stack of wet wipes that facilitates the ease of dispensing and separating a single wipe from a stack of wet wipes, especially for applications using containers and dispensing orifices.

Therefore, the wet wipe stacking structure of the present invention includes a first wipe assembly and a second wipe assembly, and each wipe of the first wipe assembly and each wipe of the second wipe assembly. Are alternately arranged, continuously combined, and vertically stacked. Each of the plurality of wipes comprises a substrate and a liquid composition, each of the plurality of wipes has at least two folds, thereby providing a leading edge panel, a center panel, and a trailing edge panel; The central panel has an upper side and a lower side, the leading edge panel lying adjacent to and above a portion of the upper side of the central panel, and the trailing edge panel is disposed below the central panel. Lying below and adjacent to part of the side. At least a portion of the central panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and at least a portion of the trailing edge panel are at least one of the leading edge panels of each wipe of the second wipe assembly. And at least a part of the central panel. At least a portion of the central panel of each wipe of the second wipe assembly and at least a portion of the trailing edge panel are at least one of the leading edge panels of each wipe of the first wipe assembly. And at least a part of the central panel. The at least two folds of each wipe of the first wipe assembly include a first panel fold located at a boundary between the leading edge panel and the center panel, and a first panel fold located at a boundary between the leading edge panel and the center panel. And a second panel fold located at the boundary.
The at least two folds of each wipe of the second wipe assembly include a first panel fold located at a boundary between the leading edge panel and the center panel, and a first panel fold located at a boundary between the leading edge panel and the center panel. And a second panel fold located at the boundary. The second panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly is not in direct contact with the first panel fold of each wipe of the second wipe assembly and the second wipe assembly The second panel fold of each wipe of the body is not in direct contact with the first panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wet wipe folded in a Z-shape.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a stack of wet wipes folded and sandwiched in a dispensing container.

FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view along the line XX of FIG. 1 showing a folded wipe of a Z-shaped structure having a leading edge panel 2, a center panel 4, and a trailing edge panel 3. FIG.

FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of a folded wipe having a lip 36 on the leading edge panel.

4a, 4c and 4d are cross-sectional views showing various embodiments of the folding and sandwiching structure of the wet wipe according to the present invention.

FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a wet wipe folding and sandwiching structure according to the reference example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, a wet wipe comprises a substrate coated or impregnated with a liquid composition. The substrate may be woven or non-woven, foam, sponge,
It may be a ball, puff, or film, most preferably non-woven, and may be composed of natural or synthetic fibers or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the fiber formulation comprises from 20% to 80% by weight of a hydrophilic fiber material such as viscose, cotton or flax and a hydrophobic fiber material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP). A mixture of a hydrophilic material and a hydrophobic material of 80% to 20% by weight. Two particularly preferred formulations are 50% viscose / 50% PP and 50% viscose / 50% PET. The substrate is preferably at least 20 gm- ² and preferably
It has a basis weight of less than 150 gm- ² , more preferably the basis weight is in the range of 20 gm- ^{2 to} 70 gm- ² , most preferably
It is in the range of 50 gm ^{-2 to} 65 gm ^-2 . The substrate may have any caliper. Typically, when the substrate is made by a hydroentangling process, the average thickness of the substrate is less than 0.8 mm. More preferably, the average thickness of the substrate is between 0.1 mm and 0.4 mm. Substrate thickness is measured according to the standard EDANA nonwoven industry methodology, reference method # 30.4-89. The bulk density of the substrate is preferably 1.0 g / cm ³ or less, preferably 0.9 g / c
m ³ or less, and most preferably 0.7 g / cm ³ or less.

In addition to the fibers used to make the substrate, the substrate can have other components or materials added to it, as known in the art. The type of additive desired will depend on the end use of the substrate being considered. For example, in wet wipe products such as wet toilet paper, paper towels, decorative paper, baby wipes, and other similar air laid products, high wet strength is a desirable attribute. Therefore,
Particularly for cellulosic substrates, it is often desirable to add chemicals known in the art, such as a wet strength resin.

A general paper on the types of wet strength resins used in paper technology can be found in TAPPI Monograph Series No. 29, Wet Strength in Paper and Paperboard, Techn.
ical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (New York, 1965). In addition to the wet strength resin, it may also be desirable to include certain dry strength and lint control additives known in the art, such as starch binders. In addition, the substrate may contain an agent that improves the optical properties of the substrate material, such as an opacifier such as titanium dioxide.

According to the present invention, the substrate may be manufactured by any method known in the art. For example, the nonwoven substrate may be formed by a dry forming technique such as vapor deposition or wet deposition as performed on a paper machine. Other nonwoven manufacturing techniques such as melt blowing, spunbonding, needle punching, and spunlacing may also be used. A preferred method is hydroentangling.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a stack of wet wipes, which provides improved ease of dispensing and separating a single wipe from a wet wipe stack and easy identification of the location of the leading edge of each next wipe. And come back.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
Provides a perspective view of the single-folded wet wipe 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a stack of folded and pinched wipes 23 according to the present invention contained in a container 20. The container 20 includes a tub 21 and a lid 22 that is rotatably connected to the tub by a hinge mechanism, for example, and a distribution orifice.
Includes 24 and. In an alternative embodiment, the wipes are stacked and then packaged in an impermeable wrapper such as foil or a laminated polymeric film wrapper to form a refill package used to refill the container. Can provide.

According to the invention, the stacked structure comprises a first and a second wipe assembly sandwiched between each other. With reference to FIGS. 1-3 b, each folded wipe 1 in each assembly extends lengthwise from a first leading end edge 2 to a second trailing end edge 3. Also, the folded web is the first
Side edges 4 and 5 extending longitudinally from the leading end edge 2 to the second trailing end edge 3. Each folded wipe 1 has at least two folds, thereby providing three panels. As used herein, a panel is a portion of a wipe that extends between two folds or between a fold and an edge end.

The first panel fold 6 is generally parallel to the leading edge 2 and generally perpendicular to the side edges 4,5. The first panel fold 6 is longitudinally spaced from the leading edge 2 to provide a leading edge panel 9 extending between the first panel fold 6 and the leading edge 2. The second panel fold 7 is generally
The panel fold 6 is parallel and longitudinally spaced such that the first panel fold 6 is joined to the leading edge panel 9 and the first panel fold 6 and the second panel fold 6
A central panel 8 extending between the panel folds 7 is provided. The trailing edge panel 10 is joined to the central panel 8 at a second panel fold 7 and extends between the second panel fold 7 and the trailing end edge 3. According to the present invention, the wipe is folded at the first and second panel folds 6 and 7 to provide a leading edge panel, a center panel, and a trailing edge panel 9, 8 and 10. The wipe may be folded into several structures prior to pinching. This is clearly demonstrated for each surface of each panel, as suggested in FIG. 3a.

In FIG. 3a, each wipe comprises a first upper surface leading edge panel 30, a second lower surface leading edge panel 31, a first upper surface trailing edge panel 32,
It has a second lower trailing edge panel 33, a first upper center panel 34, and a second lower center panel 35. A leading edge panel and a trailing edge panel may be provided by a first panel fold and a second panel fold, respectively, such that the panel leans on the upper surface of the central panel or on the lower surface of the central panel. 1 and 3a, the leading edge panel 9 is adjacent to and overlies a portion of the upper surface of the central panel 8, and the trailing edge panel is adjacent to the lower surface of the central panel 8. And lying beneath it, thereby providing a so-called inverted Z-shaped folded wipe. Alternatively, the wipes may be folded to provide a Z-fold configuration. Preferably, the wipes of the first and second assemblies are folded to provide mirror images of each other-for example, the wipes of the first assembly are folded in a Z-shape and the wipes of the second assembly Are folded in an inverted Z-shape.

In addition, the leading edge panel described above,
In addition to the center panel and the trailing edge panel, each wipe may have additional panels. In particular, the leading edge panel and / or the trailing edge panel may additionally be provided with a fold to provide a leading edge panel lip or a trailing edge panel lip as shown in FIG. 3b. Such a lip provides the leading edge or trailing edge panel with a fold of the panel lip adjacent and spaced from the leading or trailing edge of the folded substrate, and the lip of the panel lip and the end edge Formed by providing a lip extending between them. The fold of the panel lip may be folded onto the lower surface of the leading edge panel such that the leading end edge is below the leading edge panel. This structure is particularly advantageous for promoting gripping of the edge. Alternatively, the leading edge panel may be folded such that the leading end edge leans on the top surface of the leading edge panel. Also, the lip may be located above or below the trailing edge panel. The lip is typically 4 cm to 0.1 cm from the leading or trailing edge to the leading edge panel lip fold or trailing edge panel lip fold.
cm, preferably 2 cm to 0.25 cm.

According to the present invention, the overall dimensions of the substrate material and its panel depend on the intended application of the wipe and can be selected accordingly. Preferably, the ratio of the lengths of the leading edge panel, the center panel and the trailing edge panel is from 1: 2: 1 to 1: 5: 1, most preferably the ratio is
1: 3: 1. More preferably, the ratio of the panel lengths of the wipes of the first and second wipe assemblies is the same, and most preferably, both the leading and trailing edge panels are approximately one quarter of the total wipe length. . In a non-limiting illustrative example in which a wipe may be used as a baby wipe, each folded wipe 1 has a lengthwise measurement from the leading end edge 2 to the trailing end edge 3, 10cm ~ 30
It may have an unfolded length of cm. For each folded wipe 1, a first panel fold 6
The gap between the first and second panel folds 7 can be between 2 cm and 7 cm, while the length of the leading edge panel 9 and the trailing edge panel 10 can be between 2 cm and 7 cm. In a preferred embodiment, the gap between the first panel fold 6 and the leading end edge 2 is more preferably between 3 cm and 6 cm, even more preferably about 3 cm
The gap between the first panel fold 6 and the second panel fold 7, which is between 5 cm and 5 cm, is more preferably between 3 cm and 12 cm, even more preferably between about 10 cm and 12 cm. The gap between the second panel fold 7 and the trailing end edge is more preferably between 3 cm and 6 cm, and even more preferably between about 3 cm and 5 cm.

According to the present invention, and referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d (FIG. 4b is a reference example), the essential feature of the stacked structure is that the first folded wipe assembly
That is, each of the 40 is sandwiched between each of the second folded wipe assemblies 50.

For example, the wipe x of the first wipe assembly is folded in a Z-shape and sandwiched between the inverted x-shaped wipes x of the second wipe assembly. Similarly, the wipe x of the second wipe aggregate is sandwiched between the wipes y of the first wipe aggregate, and the wipe y of the first wipe aggregate is sandwiched between the wipes y of the second wipe aggregate. . In this method, starting with the first aggregate wipe x, at least a portion of the central panel 42x and at least a portion of the trailing edge panel 43x of each of the first wipe aggregates 40 is the second wipe x. Between the at least a part of the leading edge panel 51x and at least a part of the central panel 52x of the wipe assembly 50 of the second wipe assembly. Similarly, the central panel 52x of each of the second wipe assemblies 50
At least a portion of said trailing edge panel 53
At least a portion of x is sandwiched between at least a portion of each of the leading edge panels 41y of the first wipe assembly 40 and at least a portion of the central panel 42y.

According to the invention, another essential feature of the stacking structure relates to the relative length of the panel of wipes of each of the first and second assemblies. Thus, the length of the leading edge panel or trailing edge panel of each wipe, for example wipe x of the first wipe assembly, is less than 50% of the length of the corresponding central panel. Similarly, the length of the leading or trailing edge panel of each wipe of the second wipe assembly is 50% of the length of the corresponding central panel.
It is as follows. Therefore, if the sum of the length of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edge panel of any wipe is less than or equal to the length of the central panel of the corresponding wipe, each leading of the first and second wipe aggregates And the trailing edge panels can be of any length. Preferably, however, the panel length of all wipes in each assembly is more preferably the corresponding panels in both the first and second assemblies are of substantially the same dimensions.

Wet wipes stacked as described herein above provide better dispensing than wipes stacked according to the prior art. While not wishing to be bound by theory, the improved distribution is a combination of a particular sandwiched fold structure between the first and second wipe assemblies and a particular overlap area between the wipe panels. It has been found to be related to alignment.

Here, by using the sandwiching structure described above, removal of the top wipe from the sandwiched stack, for example, wipe x of the first cluster, is accomplished by stacking the leading edge panel of adjacent wipe x of the second cluster. Will cause an agitation. This in turn helps the customer identify the location of the leading edge of an adjacent wipe. Further, the overlapping of the leading edge panel of an adjacent wipe (ie, wipe x of the second wipe assembly) and the center panel or trailing edge panel of the top wipe (ie, wipe x of the first wipe assembly). The area ensures that the required length of substrate material of the second mass of wipes x is lifted and separated from the stack. The area of overlap between the center panel of adjacent wipes (x of the second mass) and the trailing edge panel or center panel of the top wipe (x of the first wipe) may be less significant. Seem. Therefore, the location of the first and second panel folds and the relative lengths of the leading and trailing edge panels with respect to the center panel are critically important. However, the improved partitioning provided by the present invention may involve other effects and interactions in addition to or instead of the given hypothesis and therefore should not be relied upon.

Furthermore, in addition to improved distribution, the sandwich structure of the present invention, particularly the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4a, ensures that the majority of the substrate material of each wipe in the stack lies in a horizontal plane. . This reduces the tendency of the stack to create ridges or grooves in the substrate material. Moreover, the sandwich structure also reduces the tendency of the liquid composition to become unevenly distributed across the stack.

In the following, further details of the present invention will be described with reference to the respective embodiments of FIG.

FIG. 4a depicts the most preferred stacking structure of the present invention. The structure comprises a first set of wipes 40 folded in a Z-shaped configuration, which is sandwiched by a second set of wipes folded in an inverted Z-shaped configuration. Thus, a portion of the central panel 42x (42y) of each wipe of the first assembly 40 becomes a leading edge panel 51x (51y) of each wipe of the second assembly 50.
The central panel of substantially the entire first surface of the first assembly 40
The leading edge panel 51x (51x) of each wipe of the second mass 50 so as to contact a part of the 42x (42y).
y) is in contact with a part of In this embodiment, the first
Leading edge panel 41x (41y) and trailing edge panel 43x (43y) of each wipe assembly 40
Together with its corresponding central panel 42x (42y) length
Not more than 50% and substantially equal in length. Similarly, the leading edge panel 51x (51y) and the trailing edge panel 53x (53y) of each of the second aggregates 50 of the wipes together have a corresponding central panel 52x (5y).
2y) not more than 50% of the length and substantially equal in length. Further, the lengths of the leading edge panel 41x (41y), the trailing edge panel 43x (43y), and the center panel 42x (42y) of each wipe of the first assembly 40 are the same as those of the second wipe assembly 50. Corresponding leading edge panel 51x (51y), trailing edge panel 52x (5
3y) and the length of the central panel 52x (52y). In particular, in the present embodiment depicted in FIG. 4a, the leading edge of each of the first wipe assembly and each of the second wipe assembly is approximately one quarter of the total length of each of the wipes. .

FIG.4b relates to a reference example of the present invention, and the embodiment depicted in FIG.4b is a diagram with respect to the length of each panel.
This is the same as the embodiment of 4a. However, in this aspect, the wipes of both the first and second assemblies are prior to pinching so that the leading and trailing edge panels of the wipe are adjacent to the upper surface of the central panel of the corresponding wipe. Can be folded. Therefore, after folding according to the invention, the first aggregate 40
A portion of the central panel 42x (42y) of each wipe of the second aggregate 50
y), and a portion of the trailing edge panel 53x (53y) of the second aggregate wipe is in contact with the leading edge panel 41y of the wipe of the first aggregate 40. Similarly, a portion of the trailing edge panel 53x of each wipe of the second assembly contacts a portion of the leading edge panel 41y of each wipe of the first assembly and each of the second aggregates Wipe center panel 52
A portion of x is in contact with a portion of the central panel 42y of each wipe of the first wipe assembly.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 4c and 4d shows a stacked structure in which the wipes of the first aggregate 40 are folded in a Z-shaped configuration and sandwiched in a second aggregate 50 of wipes folded in an inverted Z-shape. ing. However, in these embodiments, the length of the leading edge panel and the trailing edge panel of each wipe of each assembly are not equal. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4c, the length of the trailing edge panel of the wipes of both the first and second assemblies is greater than 50% of the length of the central panel, and in fact,
It is about 60% of the length of the central panel of each wipe of both the first and second assemblies. As a result, the first and second
The length of the leading edge panel of each of the wipes on both sides of the assembly is less than 50% of the length of the central panel and is about 30%. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4d, the first
The length of the leading edge panel of the wipes of both the first and second assemblies is greater than 50% of the length of the central panel, and the length of the central panel of the respective wipes of both the first and second assemblies. About 60% of the length. Similarly, the length of the trailing edge panel of each wipe is less than 50% of the length of the central panel, and is about 30%.

In a particularly preferred embodiment according to the present invention, for example, FIG.
, The second panel fold 45x of each wipe of the first assembly should not directly contact the first panel fold 54x of each adjacent wipe of the second wipe assembly. Similarly, the second panel fold 55x of each wipe of the second assembly should not directly contact the first panel fold 44y of the adjacent wipe of the first assembly. Preferably, between the fold lines, at least 1 mm,
Preferably there should be a distance between 1 mm and 5 mm, most preferably between 1 mm and 3 mm. This is because the contact between the two adjacent folds of two adjacent wipes (x of the first and second aggregates) hinders the ability of the top wipe to be separated from the adjacent wipe, and the adjacent wipe Is believed to cause too much of the substrate material to separate from the stack.

In another preferred aspect of the present invention, it is also preferable to provide visual and / or tactile indicators on the leading edge or panel. Such indicators further assist the customer in locating the leading edge. The visual indicator may be provided, for example, in the form of a colored strip or band printed on the surface of the leading edge panel near the edge.

Particularly preferred means of providing an edge indicator are:
This is due to the use of non-linear edges, such as repeating sinusoids or repeating zigzag patterns. Such non-linear patterns may extend continuously or discontinuously partially along the length of the edge, and more preferably may extend substantially along the entire length of the edge of the wipe. . Such edge measures provide visual and tactile edge position indicators. Such a mechanism further facilitates the ease of dispensing the wipe.

According to the present invention, the substrate material is typically impregnated or coated with a liquid composition. An advantage of the present invention is that its stacked structure allows a variety of compositions to be used with the substrate material without significant effects on the distribution mechanism. This is useful not only to allow the properties of the composition to be varied, but also to ensure that the addition of the composition throughout the stack prevents the composition from settling to the bottom of the stack. It is also possible to become. According to the present invention, the term liquid composition means any composition that is in liquid form when the wipe is in contact with the surface. Typically, the composition may be an aqueous, alcoholic, or emulsion such as a water-in-oil, oil-in-water or multiple emulsion, preferably the emulsion is an oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsion may have a liquid phase that can be broken by applying minimal pressure, such as by wiping the skin. Typically, the composition comprises 2% by weight
From about 50% to about 50% by weight of the composition contains the active species and 50% to 98% by weight of water, which is preferably deionized or distilled. Preferably 2% of the active ingredient
-20% is in the oil phase and the rest is in the aqueous phase.

According to the present invention, the wet wipe is one of the compositions
An emulsion composition is provided which contains an oil phase in the range of from 20% to 20%, preferably from 2% to 10% by weight. Advantageously, the oily phase is obtained from natural resources, such as from vegetable or animal oils, or may be synthetic or a mixture thereof. Suitable vegetable and animal oils for use herein include waxes such as beeswax, lanolin, candelilla, and glycerin esters and glycerin ethers such as caprylic and capric glycerides and octyl palmitate, fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, and fatty acid ethers. Including oil. Suitable mineral oils include mineral oil based oils such as paraffin and petroleum jelly. The synthetic oil used here includes, for example, an ethylene-based polymer such as polyethylene wax or silicone-based oil. Preferred silicone oils include polydimethylsiloxane and volatile cyclomethicones.
And dimethiconols, siloxysilicates, amino- and phenyl derivatives of siloxanes, and mixtures thereof. An example is Dimethicone (Do
w Corning 200 Fluids), cyclomethicone and dimethicone (Dow Corning 1401 Fluid), cetyl dimethicone (Dow Corning 2502 Fluid), dimethicone and trimethylsiloxysilicate (Dow Corning 593 Flui)
d), cyclomethicone (Dow Corning 244,245,344 or 345 Fluid), phenyltrimethicone (Dow Corn)
ing 556 Fluid), or a combination thereof.

Oil-in-water emulsions typically require an emulsifier. The emulsifier that may be used in the present invention is preferably capable of primary emulsification, mainly of an oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsifier is present in the range from 0.02% to 5.0%, preferably from 0.02% to 3.0% by weight of the composition.

In a preferred embodiment, the emulsifier is a C10-C30 alkyl acrylate, acrylic acid, methyl acrylic acid,
Or a polymeric type emulsifier such as a copolymer of one or more of their simple esters cross-linked with an allyl ether of saccharose or allyl ether of pentaerythritol. Emulsifiers useful in the present invention are Ceteareh-12, Ceteareth-2
0, or Pemulen TR1 and TR2, which are
Commercially available from BFGoodrich. However, other known emulsifiers such as ethoxylated fatty alcohols, glycerin esters of fatty acids, soaps, sugar derived agents are also suitable for use herein. Other useful emulsifiers include those specifically disclosed in EP-A-328 355.

According to the present invention, the composition may contain stabilizers or preservatives. Stabilizers suitable for use herein include phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, methylparaben, propylparaben, preferably present in the range of 0.1 to 1.0%.
Ethyl paraben, butyl paraben, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, benzalkonium chloride, and disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (hereinafter referred to as EDTA) or other EDTA salts (Sequestrene) are included. Seq
uestrene is generally a complexing agent and metal complex of the series ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and salts. The total amount of stabilizer is
It should be in the range of 0.1% to 4.0% by weight of the composition.

The composition of the present invention comprises from 0.02% to 5.0% by weight of the composition.
An emollient or moisturiser by weight may also be included. Preferably, the emollient is water-soluble and comprises polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, glycerin, and water-soluble lanolin derivatives.

Further, optional components that may be used in the present invention include antifungal agents, antibacterial agents, skin protective agents, oily cleansing agents, preferably nonionic or amphoteric water-soluble surfactants or detergents, pH adjusters, Includes perfume and fragrance.

For the emulsion to provide good cleaning performance for wet wipes, the derived viscosity is less than 500 mPas, preferably in the range of 300 to more than 100 mPas, and most preferably in the range of 180 to 120 mPas.

In preparing a wet wipe product according to the present invention, the composition is applied to at least one surface of a substrate material. The composition may be applied at any time during the manufacture of the wet wipe. Preferably, the composition can be applied to the substrate after the substrate has been dried. Any application method that evenly distributes the slimy material having a molten or liquid consistency can be used.
Suitable methods include spraying, printing (eg, flexographic printing),
Coating (e.g., gravure or flow coating), extrusion wherein the composition is passed through the tube and into contact with the substrate while the substrate is traversing the tube;
Alternatively, a combination of these coating techniques is included. For example, spraying the composition onto a rotating surface, such as a calendar roll, then transfers the composition to the surface of the substrate. The composition may be applied to one or both surfaces of the substrate, preferably to both surfaces. The preferred method of application is extrusion coating.

The composition can be applied unevenly to the surface of the substrate.
Non-uniform means, for example, that the amount and distribution pattern of the composition can vary across the surface of the substrate. For example, somewhere on the surface of the substrate may have a higher or lower amount of the composition, including surface portions that do not have any composition. The composition typically comprises a substrate 1
It is applied in an amount of about 0.5 g to 10 g per gram, preferably 1.0 g to 5 g per gram of substrate, most preferably 2 g to 4 g per gram of dry substrate.

Preferably, the composition can be applied to the substrate at any time after it has been dried. For example, the composition can be applied before calendering or after calendering and before being wound up on a parent roll. Typically, the application will be performed on a substrate unwound from a roll having a width equal to the substantial number of wipes intended to be manufactured. The substrate coated with the composition is then sequentially cut to produce individual wipes.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References Japanese Utility Model Sho 52-17140 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Sho 58-3897 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Sho 55-49038 (JP, Y2) US Patent 3,207,360 (US U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,553 (US, A) U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,082 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47K 7/00 A47K 10/42

Claims (15)

(57) [Claims] 1. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes, said structure comprising a first wipe assembly and a second wipe assembly, wherein each wipe of said first wipe assembly and said wipe The wipes of the second wipe assembly are alternately arranged and continuously combined and vertically stacked, wherein each of the plurality of wipes includes a substrate and a liquid composition, and the plurality of wipes are Each has at least two folds, thereby providing a leading edge panel, a central panel and a trailing edge panel, wherein the central panel has an upper side and a lower side, and wherein the leading edge panel is provided on the central panel. The trailing edge panel lies adjacent to and under the portion of the lower surface of the central panel. At least a portion of the central panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and at least a portion of the trailing edge panel are the leading edge of each wipe of the second wipe assembly. At least a portion of the central panel and at least a portion of the trailing edge panel of each wipe of the second wipe assembly are sandwiched between at least a portion of a panel and at least a portion of the central panel. , Sandwiched between at least a portion of the leading edge panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and at least a portion of the central panel, the at least one of each wipe of the first wipe assembly. Two folds are located at the boundary between the leading edge panel and the center panel. A first panel fold, and a second panel fold located at a boundary between the trailing edge panel and the central panel, wherein the at least two folds of each wipe of the second wipe assembly are: A first panel fold located at a boundary between the leading edge panel and the central panel, and a second panel fold located at a boundary between the trailing edge panel and the central panel; the first wipe assembly Said second of each wipe of the body
The panel fold is not in direct contact with the first panel fold of each wipe of the second wipe assembly;
The second wipe of each of the second wipe assemblies
A stacked structure in which the panel fold is not in direct contact with the first panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly. 2. The distance between the second panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and the first panel fold of each wipe of the second wipe assembly is at least 1 mm. The second wipe of each wipe of the second wipe assembly
The distance between the panel fold and the first panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly is at least 1 mm
The wet wipe stacking structure according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The distance between the second panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and the first panel fold of each wipe of the second wipe assembly is 1 m.
m to 5 mm, wherein said second wipe of each wipe of said second wipe assembly
The wet wipe stacking structure according to claim 2, wherein a distance between a panel fold and the first panel fold of each wipe of the first wipe assembly is 1 mm to 5 mm. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in each wipe, the sum of the length of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edge panel is less than or equal to the length of the corresponding central panel. Stacked structure of multiple wet wipes. 5. The length of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edge panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly are no more than 50% of the length of the corresponding central panel. Wherein the length of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edge panel of each wipe of the second wipe assembly are no more than 50% of the length of the corresponding central panel. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The wipe assembly of claim 2, wherein the length of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edge panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly are substantially equal. The structure of claim 1, wherein a length of the leading edge panel and a length of the trailing edge panel of each wipe are substantially equal. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the leading edge panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly is substantially equal in length to the leading edge panel of each wipe of the second wipe assembly. 7. A stacked structure of the wet wipes according to any one of 6. 8. The ratio of the length of the leading edge panel, the length of the central panel, and the length of the trailing edge panel in each wipe is between 1: 2: 1 and 1: 5: 1. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. The leading edge panel of each wipe of the first wipe assembly and each wipe of the second wipe assembly is approximately one quarter of a total length of each of the plurality of wipes. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein each wipe of said first wipe assembly is folded in a Z-shaped configuration and each wipe of said second wipe assembly is folded in an inverted Z-shaped configuration. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes according to any one of claims 9 to 10. 11. The plurality of wipes are contained in a container,
A structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container has a distribution orifice. 12. The structure for stacking a plurality of wet wipes according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is nonwoven. 13. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises hydrophobic fibers selected from polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, or a mixture thereof. 14. A stacked structure of a plurality of wet wipes according to claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a hydrophilic fiber selected from cotton, viscose, flax, and a mixture thereof. . 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid composition is an oil-in-water emulsion, and the wet wipe comprises 0.5 g to 10 g of the emulsion per gram of dry weight of the substrate. A stacked structure of a plurality of the described wet wipes.