MXPA99010826A - Folding and stacking configuration for wet wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to wet wipes (1) for use in wiping surfaces in the home and in industry, in addition to their use on the human body such as for baby wipes, make-up removal and other skin care applications. The wet wipes are folded and interleaved with one another (40, 50) to provide an improved stacking configuration whereby each wipe can be readily singly separated from the wet wipe stack by the consumer.

Description

CONFIGURATION OF BENDING AND STACKING FOR HUMID TOWELS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to wet towel stacks that are provided with an improved "interleaved and interleaved" configuration, so that the consumer can easily separate each towel from the pile of wet towels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wet towels are typically pre-moistened disposable tortoises that can be used in a variety of both domestic and industrial applications and can perform a variety of functions. Typically, wet towels are used to clean both animate and inanimate surfaces and can provide many benefits such as, for example, cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting and skin care benefits. A particular application is the use of wet towels to clean human body parts, particularly when there is no water available for cleaning, for example on a trip. The towels are commonly used for human cleansing and rinsing, such as anal, perianal and genital cleansing, P9 cleaning of the face and hands, for example as intimate hygiene towels such as wet wipes for feminine hygiene. Also, wet towels can be used for the application of substances in the body that include both the removal and application of makeup, conditioners and skin medications. Another application of towels is during the diaper change and also in the treatment of dermatitis in adults and babies caused, in part, by the use of diapers and incontinence devices. In addition, wet towels can also be used to clean and rinse other surfaces or for the application of compositions on surfaces, for example, surfaces of bathrooms and kitchens, eyeglasses, shoes and surfaces that require cleaning within the industry, for example surfaces of machinery or -automobiles. Wet towels also include items used for cleaning or caring for pets. Commonly, wet towels are constructed of combinations of natural and synthetic fibers, such as polyolefin fibers, viscose fibers and cotton fibers, which are generally wetted with an aqueous composition containing, among others, surfactants, preservatives, oils and essences. Typically, wet towels are provided in a configuration P94 stacked, folded into a covered container such as a tube-type container with a lid. Alternatively, the towels may be provided in tube containers with a supply opening. In both cases this allows easy transportation and storage of the towels. However, a problem with the current stack of folded wet towels is the lack of ease, of providing a single towel from a stack of towels. This problem is particularly delicate in circumstances of use such as when the consumer is holding a baby during the diaper change. Under these conditions, the consumer will need to be able to remove and separate the towel from the stack using only one hand. This is not satisfactorily achieved with current products. The problem of the lack of satisfactory supply of a wet towel from the stack and container is due to several reasons. First, typically, the wet towels are folded and placed either on top of each other or interspersed with an adjacent towel. However, it is not easy to identify - visually or by touch - the exact location of the leading edge of the upper towel of the stack used at that time. This is because the substrate material of the towel is typically homogeneous and thus the front edge of the towel, particularly when folded, can not be distinguished from the material of the substrate on which it rests. In addition, the front edge portion of the towel also has a tendency to adhere to the underlying substrate material on which it rests. Hence,even with the tactile identification of the edge when sliding or dragging the fingers across the surface of the towel does not result in immediate identification of the edge location. Secondly, once the leading edge has been located, it is difficult for the consumer to take enough material from the substrate and maintain the grip thereof, so that only one towel is separated from the stack on which it rests. Frequently, the consumer is only able to take a small portion of the leading edge so that a firm grip of the same is not established and therefore, the towel slides easily from the consumer's fingers. These problems associated with the supply of wet towels has been detected within the art. For example, US 5 540 332 indicates the supply of wet towels and a method for producing these towels. The improved delivery is achieved by providing at least a portion, of one of the edges of the end of the towel with a non-linear repeat pattern such as a sine wave configuration. However, the problem of supplying a single towel is not signaled or exceeded * with the use of a non-linear leading edge. Another proposed solution for the supply problem is described in US 4 778 048, which discloses a product consisting of a stack of wet towels tipped at the edge inside a container for improved access and supply and a uniform distribution of liquids. In a preferred embodiment, the edge of each towel has a Gurley Rigidity greater than the stiffness of the main body of the towel. However, the provision of the rigid edge has itself inconvenient characteristics. Wet towels, particularly those that are intended for use on sensitive areas of the skin such as baby towels, require a certain degree of softness. The edge of the towel that is rigid is not suitable for use as already noted in the patent itself and therefore the towels have a reduced surface area of the substrate suitable for use. Caution should also be exercised to reduce or avoid contact of this portion of the rim with the skin, as it may cause irritation. In addition, the stiffness of the edge again does not solve the problem of supplying a single towel. Also, by providing the non-linear edge on a non-woven substrate using current manufacturing techniques would result in the unraveling of the edges of the substrate, which is not at all convenient. Alternatively, it has also been proposed to provide specifically designed supply containers with supply ports to assist the consumer with the identification of the leading edge. These containers are designed so that during the removal action of the upper towel of the container, the adjacent towel is raised from the stack so that it partially protrudes through the hole, once the upper towel has been removed. In this way, the upper towel is placed for easy grip by the consumer. However, a disadvantage with these devices is that most of the substrate material of the adjacent towel is exposed through the hole. Therefore, the towel dries and is not suitable for use and has to be discarded. EP 747 313 proposes a means to deal with this problem and exposes a paper with multiple folds, such as a wetted tissue paper, for a continuous supply through the orifice of the container. In this way, a quarter of the length of the adjacent towel is exposed through the supply orifice. However, tissue paper products can not be used to P94. all applications of wet towels, such as baby towels, since moistened tissue paper is not satisfactory in terms of softness or strength. In particular, these moistened tissue papers suffer from the tendency to break during use and are therefore not suitable for use as wet towels. Another key factor contributing to the problem of supplying a single wet towel from the wet towel stack that is not signaled by any prior art is the tendency of the substrate material of the towel to adhere to itself. In particular, this is due to the compression of the towel stacks during manufacture and storage, the actual weight of the pile of the towels themselves and the existence of attractive forces between the substrate material and the lotion of the towels . As a result, when the towels are folded to form a pile, the substrate material tends to adhere to itself and to the substrate material of the adjacent towels. Accordingly, once the consumer has removed the towel from the pile, the towel tends to keep its configuration bent. In addition, typically, the towel remains at least partially adhered to the adjacent towel on which it rested. Therefore, in addition, during the action of removing a towel from the pile, the adjacent towel is also separated P944 at least partially of the stack. As a result, the consumer is required not only to unfold the towel before starting with the desired application of the towel, but also to separate it from the adjacent towel in the stack and return that towel to the stack inside the container. This is obviously, particularly inconvenient for consumers who use baby wipes during a diapering. The problem of adhesion of the towel substrate has been pointed out in the prior art. Attempts have been made to solve this problem, which lie in the provision of interleaved towels such as those described in JP 08 089 439. Certainly, the interleaving is also known from the prior art related to the use of dry tissue products such as those disclosed in US 2 772 021 and US 3 330 553. However, due to the complex interactions that exist between a substrate material and the wet towel product lotion, it is known that of folded generally used in the products of dry scarves can not be applied to wet towels. In addition, many of the proposed interleaved configurations have problems associated with them. In particular, when as a result of interleaving, the degree of overlap of the substrate material between the adjacent towels is wide, then the problem of adhesion of the substrate is only exacerbated so that the towels are always effectively released in pairs or even if dispensed A single towel, a large proportion of the adjacent towel can still be exposed through the supply orifice after removal of the upper towel, whereby the towel is dried. On the other hand, if the overlap between the adjacent towels is minimized so as to guarantee the supply of a single towel, there is no identifiable separation of the adjacent towel from the stack, so that the problem of the identification of the leading edge. Also, in addition to the inconvenient supply of the towels, other problems related to the interleaving configurations of the prior art may arise. For example, as a result of interleaving configurations, the substrate material may be unevenly distributed within the container, leading to a number of undesirable effects such as uneven distribution of the lotion through the stack of towels and within the individual towels themselves, resulting in the concentration of the lotion in specific areas within the pile. further, many of the interleaving configurations also result in the formation of edges and grooves in the substrate material, both with the tendency to reduce the strength and softness of the towel in addition to not being aesthetically convenient. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a wet towel substrate that is suitable for multiple applications such as baby towels, which are tough, soft and absorbent. It is also desirable to provide a stacking configuration for wet towels that facilitates the supply of a single towel in the stack. The present invention addresses these problems by providing a stack of wet towels having an improved interleaving and bending configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, the present invention relates to a wet towel for cleaning human body parts and other surfaces, such as baby towels. In particular, the present invention relates to a stacking configuration for wet towels to provide ease of supply and separation of a single towel from the pile of wet towels, especially for applications using a container and a supply orifice. Accordingly, the stack configuration for wet towels consists of a first arrangement of towels and a second arrangement of towels, each of the towels consists of a substrate and a liquid composition. Each of the towels extends along its length from a first leading edge to a second trailing end edge and has at least two folds therein, which provides a front edge panel, a central panel and a rear edge panel. According to the present invention, the first arrangement of towels is interleaved between the second arrangement of towels and vice versa, so that at least a portion of the front edge panel and at least a portion of the central panel of each of the towels of the second arrangement are interspersed between at least a portion of the rear edge panel and at least a portion of the central panel of a towel of the first array of towels. Similarly, at least a portion "of the central panel and at least a portion of the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the second array of towels is sandwiched between at least a portion of the rear edge panel and by at least a portion of the central panel of a towel of the first arrangement of towels.In addition, the towels are interspersed with P944 so that the length of the front edge panel or rear edge panel of each of the towels of the first arrangement is not greater than 50% of the corresponding center panel length, so that the length of the front edge panel or panel of the rear edge of each of the towels of the second arrangement is not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a wet towel folded into a z-shape. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional drawing of a stack of wet towels folded and interspersed in a supply container. Figure 3a is a cross-sectional drawing taken along the line xx of Figure 1, showing a towel with a front edge panel 2, a central panel 4 and a rear edge panel 3 in a fold configuration in Z. Figure 3b is a cross-sectional drawing of a folded towel with a flange 36 on the front edge panel. Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are cross-sectional drawings of 4 modes of folding and interleaving configurations for wet towels of P944 in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, the wet towel consists of a substrate that is coated or impregnated with a liquid composition The substrate can be woven or non-woven, foam, sponge, fibrous material, beads, swabs or films, preferably a non-woven material and may be composed of synthetic or natural fibers or mixtures thereof Preferably, the fiber compositions are a mixture of hydrophilic fiber material such as viscose, cotton or linen and a hydrophobic fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP) in a proportion of 20% -80% by weight of hydrophilic material and 80% -20% by weight of hydrophobic material Two particularly preferred compositions are 50% viscose / 50% PP and 50% viscose / 50% PET Preferably, the substrate has a basis weight of at least 20 gm "2 and preferably less than 150 gm" 2 and more preferably the weight or base is within the range of 20 gm "2 to 70 gm" 2, more preferably 50 gm "2 to 65 gm" 2. The substrate can have any caliber. Typically when the substrate is made by a hydro-coiling process, the average gauge of the substrate is less than 0.8 mm. More preferably the P944 average gauge of the substrate is 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm. The size of the substrate is measured according to the EDANA industrial methodology standard of non-woven material, reference method # 30.4-89. The mass density of the substrate is preferably not greater than 1.0 g / cm3 ', preferably not greater than 0.9 g / cm3 and more preferably not greater than 0.7 g / cm3. In addition to the fibers used to make the substrates, the substrate may have other components or materials added thereto as is known in the art. The types of desirable additives will depend on the particular end use of the substrate contemplated. For example, in wet towel products such as wet toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissues and baby wipes, and other products spread out in the air, high wet strength is a desirable attribute. Thus, it is often desirable, particularly for cellulose-based substrates to add chemicals known in the art as wet strength resins. A general dissertation on the types of wet strength resins used in the paper technique can be found in the TAPPI monograph. series 29, Wet Resistance in Paper and Cardboard, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (New York, • 1965). In addition to the additives of P944 wet strength, 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 also contain agents for improving the optical characteristics of the substrate material as well as opacifying agents, for example titanium dioxide. In accordance with the present invention, the substrate can be manufactured by any method known in the art. For example, nonwoven substrates can be formed by dry forming techniques, such as laying with air or wet laying in a papermaking machine. Other techniques for manufacturing non-woven materials such as meltblown, spunbonded, punched or spin-linked methods can also be used. A preferred method is hydro-coiling. In accordance with the present invention, a pile configuration for wet towels is provided, which results in greater ease of delivery and separation of a single towel from the wet towel stack and easy recognition of its location and ease of grip of the towel. front edge of each subsequent towel. The present invention will now be described with P944 reference to the figures. Figure 1 provides a perspective view of a single folded wet towel 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of a stack of towels 23 folded and interleaved in accordance with the present invention, housed in a container 20. The container 20 includes a tube portion 21 and a lid 22, pivotally attached to the container. the tube portion, by means of, for example, an articulated mechanism and a supply orifice 24. In an alternative embodiment, the towels may also be stacked and then packaged in a moisture-tight wrapper, such as a laminated or polymeric film coated wrap, to provide a refill package used to replenish the package. In accordance with the present invention, the stacking configuration consists of a first and a second array of towels that are interleaved with one another. With reference to Figures 1-3, each towel 1 folded in each array extends along its length from a first leading end edge 2 to a second trailing edge 3. The folded canvases also have lateral edges 4 and 5 that extend along their length from the first leading edge edge 2 to the second trailing edge edge 3. Each folded towel 1 has at least two folds, which P944 provides three panels. As used herein, a panel is a portion of a towel that extends between two folds, or between a fold and an end edge. The first fold 6 of the panel is generally parallel to the leading edge 2 and generally perpendicular to the lateral edges 4, 5. The first fold 6 of the panel is separated along its length from the front edge 2 to provide a front edge panel 9, which extends between the first fold 6 of the panel and the front edge 2. The second fold 7 of the panel is generally parallel to the first fold 6 of the panel and is spaced along it, which provides a central panel 8 attached to the panel 9 of the leading edge in the first fold 6 of the panel and which is extends in the first fold 6 of the panel and the second fold 7 of the panel. The panel 10 of the trailing edge is attached to the central panel 8 in a second panel fold 7 and extends between the second fold 7 of the panel and the rear edge 3. In accordance with the present invention, the towels are folded in the first and second folds 6 and 7 of the panel to provide a front edge panel, a center panel and rear edge panels 9, 8 and 10. In this way, the towels can be folded in a number of configurations before interleaving. This is clearly shown with reference to the corresponding surfaces of each of the panels P944 as indicated in Figure 3. In Figure 3a, each towel has a first upper surface leading edge panel 30, a second lower surface leading edge panel 31, a first upper surface rear edge panel 32, a second lower surface rear panel 33, a first upper surface panel 34 and a second lower surface central panel 35. The front edge panel and the rear edge panel can thus be provided by the first fold of the panel and the second fold of the panel, respectively, so that the panel rests on the upper confronting surface of the center panel or the panel. lower confronted surface of the central panel. As exemplified in Figures 1 and 3a, the front edge panel 9 is adjacent to a portion of the upper facing surface of the central panel 8 and lies thereon, and the rear edge panel is adjacent to a portion of the surface confronted bottom of the central panel 8 and lies on it, which provides a folded towel called inverse Z. Alternatively, the towels may be folded to provide a Z-fold configuration. Still, in another alternative, both the front edge panel and the back edge panel of each towel may be P944 bent so that both are adjacent and lie on a portion of the upper surface of the center panel. Preferably, the towels of the first and second arrangements are bent to provide mirror images to each other, for example, whereby the first towel arrangement is folded into a Z-fold and the towels of the second arrangement are folded with a fold of Inverse Z Also, in addition to the front edge panel, the center panel and the rear edge panel described hereinbefore, each towel may have additional panels. In particular, the front edge panel or the rear edge panel may also be provided with an additional fold to provide a front edge panel rim or a rear rim panel rim as illustrated in Figure 3b. The flange is formed by providing the front edge panel or the back edge panel with a fold of the panel flange that is adjacent to the front or rear edge of the folded substrate and separated therefrom, to provide a flange extending between Fold the panel flange and end edge. The fold of the panel flange may be folded over the lower surface of the front edge panel so that the leading end edge lies below the front end edge panel. This configuration is particularly beneficial P944 to facilitate the grip of the edge. Alternatively, the front edge panel may be bent so that the leading end edge rests on the upper surface of the front edge panel. The flange can also be located on the top or bottom surface of the rear edge panel. Typically, the flange extends from the leading or trailing edge between 4 cm to 0.1 cm, preferably 2 cm to 0.25 cm from the fold of the edge of the front edge panel or the fold of the flange of the rear edge panel. In accordance with the present invention, the total dimensions of the substrate material and the panels thereof depend on the desired application for the towel and can be selected accordingly. Preferably, the ratio of the lengths of the front edge panel to the center panel and the rear edge panel is from 1: 2: 1 to 1: 5: 1, more preferably the ratio is 1: 3: 1. More preferably, the proportion of the lengths of the towel panels of the first and second towel arrangements is identical and preferably, the front and rear edge panels are approximately one quarter of the total length of the towel. In an illustrative, non-limiting example where the towel can be used as a baby towel, each folded towel 1 can have a length without bending __de P944 10 cm to 30 cm measured along its length from the front end edge 2 to the rear end edge 3. For each folded towel 1, the separation between the first fold 6 of the panel and the second fold 7 of the panel can be from 2 cm to 7 cm, while the lengths of the panel 9 of the leading edge and the panel 10 of the trailing edge can be from 2 cm to 7 cm. In a preferred embodiment, the separation between the first fold 6 of the panel and the front end edge 2 is, more preferably, from 3 cm to 6 cm, and even more preferably between about 3 cm and 5 cm. "More preferably, the separation between the first fold 6 of the panel and the second fold of the panel is from 3 cm to 12 cm, and preferably superlative of between approximately 10 cm and 12 cm. The separation between the second fold 7 of the panel and the trailing edge is, more preferably from 3 cm to 6 cm, and more preferably between approximately 3 cm and 5 cm In accordance with the present invention and with reference to the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, an essential feature of the stack configuration is that each of the folded towels 40 of the first array is interspersed with each of the folded towels 41 of the second array.For example, the towel x of the first towel arrangement is folded with a _ reverse bend in Z e P944 sandwiched between a towel x with a Z-inverse fold of the second towel arrangement. Similarly, the towel x of the second towel arrangement is sandwiched between the towel and the first towel arrangement and the towel and the first towel arrangement is interspersed with the towel and the second towel arrangement and so on. In this way, when starting with the towel x of the first arrangement, at least a portion of the central panel 42x and at least a portion of the panel 43x of the leading edge of each of the towels 40 of the second arrangement are interspersed with the towel x of the second towel arrangement between at least a portion of the panel 51x of the rear edge panel and at least a portion of the panel 52x of the central panel of each of the towels 50 of the second arrangement. Similarly, at least one portion of the central panel 52x and at least a portion of the panel 53x of the trailing edge of each of the towels 50 of the second array are interspersed between at least a portion of the panel 41and the edge rear and at least a portion of the panel 42 and central of each of the towels 40 of the second arrangement. In accordance with the present invention, another essential feature of the stack configuration is related to the lengths of the panels of each of the towels of the first and second arrangements. Agree With this, it has been found that the length of the front edge panel or the back edge panel of each towel, for example the towels x of the first towel arrangement is not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length. Similarly, the length of the front edge panel or rear edge panel of each towel of the second towel arrangement is not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length. Therefore, the front and rear edge panels of each of the towels of the first and second arrangements can be of any length, as long as the sum of the length of the front edge panel and the length of the rear edge panel of any towel is not greater than the length of the central panel corresponding to the towel. However, preferably, the lengths of the panels of all the towels in each arrangement and more preferably of the corresponding panels in both the first and second arrangements are essentially identical in size. Wet towels stacked as described hereinbefore result in a better supply than towels stacked according to the prior art. While it is not desired to be bound by theory, it has been found that the improved supply is related to the combination of a configuration of P944 folded and interleaved specific between the first and second towel arrangements and the specific area of overlap between the towel panels. When using the interleaving configuration described above, the removal of the upper towel, for example the towel x of the first array, from the interleaved stack will cause the agitation of the front edge panel of the adjacent towel x of the second stack array. Therefore, it facilitates the consumer to identify the location of the leading edge of the adjacent towel. In addition, it has been found that the overlap area between the front edge panel of the adjacent towel (i.e., the towel x of the second towel arrangement) and the center panel or rear edge panel of the upper towel (i.e. the towel x of the first towel arrangement), ensures that the required amount of material length of the towel substrate x is lifted from the second array and separated from the stack. The area of overlap between the central panel of the adjacent towel (x of the second arrangement) and the rear edge panel or center panel of the upper towel (x of the first arrangement) seems to be minor. Therefore, the location of the first and second folds of the panel and the relative lengths of the front and rear edge panels with the center panel is considered very important. Without However, the improved delivery provided by the present invention may also involve other effects and interactions in addition to the given hypotheses or in place thereof, and therefore should not be relied upon. In addition to the improved supply, the interleaving configuration of the present invention, particularly the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4a, also ensures that the majority of the substrate material of each towel in the stack is located in the horizontal plane. This reduces the tendency of the pile to produce edges or grooves in the substrate material. Also, the stack configuration also reduces the tendency for the liquid composition to distribute unevenly through the stack. The other details of the invention will now be described with reference to each of the embodiments 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d. Figure 4a illustrates the most preferred stacking configuration of the present invention. The configuration consists of a first arrangement of folded towels 40 in a Z configuration interspersed with a second array of folded towels in a reverse Z-fold configuration. Therefore, a portion of the central panel 42x (42y) of each towel of the first array 40 is in contact with a portion of the panel 51x (52x) of the leading edge of each towel of the second array 50, so P94. that essentially one of the 51x panel surfaces (51y) of the leading edge of each of the towels of the second array 50 is in contact with a portion of the central panel 42x (42y) of each of the towels of the first array 40. In this embodiment, the panel 41x (41y) of the leading edge and the panel 43x (43y) of the trailing edge of each of the towels of the first array 40 are both not more than 50% of the length of the 42x panel (42y) corresponding central and are essentially equal in length. Correspondingly, the panel 51x (51y) of the leading edge and the panel 53x (53y) of each of the towels of the second array 50, both, 1 are not greater than 50% of the panel length 52x (52y) corresponding central and are essentially equal in length. In addition, the lengths of the panel 41x (41y) of the leading edge, the panel 43x (43y) of the trailing edge and the central panel 42x (42y) of each of the towels of the first array 40 are essentially equal in length to the lengths of the panel 51x (51y) of the front edge, panel 53x (53y) of the rear edge and central panel 52x (52y) of the second arrangement of towels 50. In particular, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4a, the leading edge of each of the towels of the first arrangement and of each of the towels of the second arrangement is approximately one quarter of the total length of each of the towels.

P944 The embodiment shown in Figure 4b is identical to that of the 4a in terms of the length of its respective panels. However, in this embodiment, the towels of both the first and the second array are bent so that the front edge panel and the back edge panel of the towels are adjacent to the bottom surface of the corresponding towel center panel before of the interleaved. Therefore, after interleaving according to the present invention, a portion of the panel 42x (42y) of each towel of the first array 40 is in contact with a portion of the central panel 52x (52y) of each of the towels of the second arrangement 50 and a portion of panel 53x (53y) of the trailing edge of the towels of the second array is in contact with panel 41y of the front edge of the towels of the first array 40. Similarly, a portion of the 53x panel of the trailing edge of each towel of the second array is in contact with a portion of the panel 41 and the leading edge of each towel of the first array and a portion of the central panel 52x of each towel of the second array is in contact with a portion of the panel 42nd center of each towel of the first arrangement of towels. The embodiments according to Figures 4c and 4d, illustrate a stacking configuration wherein the towels of the first array 40 are bent in one P944 reverse Z configuration and are interspersed with a second array of towels 50 folded with a Z-fold. However, in these embodiments, the lengths of the front and rear edge panel of the towels of each of the respective arrangements is not same. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4c, the length of the rear edge panel of the towels of both the first and the second array is greater than 50% of the length of the center panel and is in fact about 60% of the length of the central panel of each of the towels of both arrangements. Accordingly, the length of the front edge panel of each of the towels of the first and second arrangements is less than 50% of the length of the center panel and is about 30%. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4d, the length of the front edge panel of each of the towels of both the first and second arrays is greater than 50% and is approximately 60% of the length of the central panel of each One of the towels of the first and second arrangements Correspondingly, the length of the rear edge panel of each of the towels is less than 50% and is about 30% of the length of the center panel. particularly preferred in accordance with the present invention, as illustrated, for example in Figure 4a, the second fold 44x of the P94 each of the towels of the first arrangement should not be in direct contact with the first 54x fold of the panel of each of the adjacent towels of the second array of towels. Similarly, the second fold 55x of the panel of each of the towels of the second array should not be in contact with the first fold 44y of the panel of adjacent towels of the first array. Preferably, there should be a distance between the fold lines of at least 1 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 5 mm, and more preferably between 1 mm and 3 mm. This is because the contact between two adjacent folds of two adjacent towels (x of the first and second arrangements) is believed to impede the ability of the upper towel to separate from the adjacent towel and cause a large amount of material to separate from the substrate. of the adjacent towel in the pile. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is also preferable to provide the leading edge or panel with a visual or tactile indicator. These indicators help the consumer with the location of the leading edge. The visual indicators may be provided, for example, in the form of a thin strip of color or a band printed on the surface of the front edge panel near the edge itself. A particularly preferred medium for P944 providing an edge indicator is by using a non-linear edge such as a repetitive sine wave or a repetitive zigzag pattern. These non-linear patterns may extend partially along the length of the edge in a continuous or intermittent manner or more preferably extend essentially along the entire length of the edge of the towel. With the provision of this type of edge a visual and tactile edge location indicator is provided. These mechanisms also promote the ease of supply of towels. In accordance with the present invention, typically the substrate material is impregnated or coated with a liquid composition. An advantage of the present invention is that the stacking configuration allows a large variety of compositions to be used with the substrate material without significantly influencing the delivery mechanism. This is not only useful in allowing the variation in the nature of the composition, but also allows the loading of the composition through the stack to be varied to prevent the composition from being fixed at the base of the stack. According to the present invention, the term "liquid composition" refers to any composition that is in liquid form when the towel is in contact with the surface. Typically, the P944 composition can be aqueous, alcohol-based or an emulsion, either a water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsion or a multiple emulsion, preferably, the emulsion is an oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsion may also consist of a lipid phase which can be fractured with the application of minimal pressure, for example, by cleaning the skin. Typically, the composition will consist of 2% to 50% by weight of the active composition and 50% to 98% of water, preferably deionized or distilled. Of the active component, preferably 2% to 20% is present in the oil phase and the rest is present in the aqueous phase. In accordance with the present invention, wet towels are provided with an emulsion composition consisting of an oil phase within the range of 1% to 20%, preferably 2% to 10% by weight of the composition. Advantageously, the oil-based phase is derived from natural sources such as vegetable or animal oils or can be synthetic, or any mixture thereof. Among the vegetable and animal oils suitable for use herein, are waxes, such as beeswax, lanolin, candelilla and oils such as glycerin esters and glycerin ethers, fatty acid alcohols, fatty acid esters and ethers of fatty acids such as caprylic and capric triglycerides and P944 octilpal itato. Suitable mineral oils include petroleum-based oils, such as paraffin and petroleum jelly. Synthetic oils that can be used therein are ethylenic polymers, for example, polyethylene wax or silicone-based oils. Suitable silicone oils include the polydimethylsiloxanes, volatile cyclomethicones, dimethiconols, siloxysilicates and amino and phenyl derivatives of siloxanes and mixtures thereof. Examples include dimethicone (Dow Corning Fluids 200), cyclomethicone and dimethiconol (Dow Corning Fluid 1401), cetyldimethicone (Dow Corning 2502 Fluid), dimethicone and trimethylsiloxysilicate (Dow Corning 593 fluid), cyclomethicone (Dow Corning 244, 245, 344 or 345), phenyltrimethicone (Dow Corning Fluid 556) or combinations thereof. Typically, oil-in-water emulsions require emulsifying agents. The emulsifying agents that can be used in the present invention are preferably capable of a primary emulsification of the oil-in-water emulsions. The emulsifying agent is present in an amount of 0.02% to 5.0%, preferably 0.02% to 3.0% by weight of the composition. In a preferred embodiment, the emulsifying agent is an emulsifying agent of type P944 polymeric, such as an alkyl acrylate copolymer of < -? o_ ^ 3rd and one or more monomers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or one of its individual cross-linked esters with a sucrose allyl ether or a pentaerythritol allyl ether. The emulsifying agents that are, thus, useful in the present invention are Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20 or Pemulen TR1 and TR2, which are available from B.F. Goodrich Company of the United States. However, other known emulsifying agents are suitable, such as ethoxylated fatty alcohols, glycerin esters of fatty acids, soaps, sugar-derived agents. Other useful emulsifying agents include those set forth in detail in EP-A-328 355. According to the present invention, the composition may consist of a stabilizing or preservative agent. Suitable stabilizing agents for use herein include phenoxyethanol, preferably present in an amount of 0.1% to 1.0%, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, chloride. of benzalkonium and ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid of disodium salts (hereinafter referred to as EDTA) or other EDTA salts (sequestrants). The hijackers are a series of P944 complexed agents and general metal complexes of salts and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The total amount of the stabilizing agents should be within the range of 0.1% to 4.0% by weight of the composition. The composition of the present invention may also consist of 0.02% to 5.0% by weight of the composition of an emollient or humectants. Preferably, the emollient is soluble in water and includes polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, glycerin and water soluble lanolin derivatives. Other additional ingredients that may be employed in the present invention are anti-fungal agents, antibacterial agents, skin protectants, oil-soluble cleaning agents, surfactants or water-soluble detergents, preferably non-ionic or amphoteric, pH regulators. , perfumes, fragrances and their peers. In order for the emulsion to provide the wet towel with a good cleaning performance, the viscosity provided should be less than 500 mPas, preferably within the range of 300 to more than 100 mPas and more preferably within the range of 180 to 120 mPas . In preparing the wet towel products according to the present invention, the composition is applied to at least one surface of the P944 substrate. The composition can be applied at any time during the manufacture of wet towels. Preferably, the composition can be applied to the substrate after the substrate has dried. Any variety of application methods that uniformly distribute the lubricating materials with a liquid or molten consistency can be used. Suitable methods include spraying, printing (eg, flexographic printing), coating (eg, plate coating or waterborne coating), extrusion, wherein the composition is forced through tubes in contact with the substrate while] the substrate passes through the tube or combinations of any of these application techniques. For example, spray the composition on a rotating surface such as a satin roller which then transfers the composition to the surface of the substrate. The composition can be applied on either a surface of the substrate or on both surfaces. The preferred method of application is extrusion coating. The composition can also be applied non-uniformly on the surfaces of the substrate. "Non-uniform" means that for example, the amount, the distribution pattern of the composition may vary over the surface of the substrate. For example, a certain part of the P944 substrate surface may have more or less of the composition, including portions of the surface that do not have any composition in them. Typically, the composition is applied in an amount of about 0.5 g to 10 g per gram of the substrate, preferably 1.0 g to 5 g per gram of the substrate, more preferably 2 g to 4 g per gram of dry substrate. Preferably, the composition can be applied to the substrate at any point after it has dried. For example, the composition can be applied to the substrate before or after calendering and before being rolled on a precursor roll. Typically, the application will be carried out on a substrate not rolled from a roll with a width equal to the substantial number of towels that will be produced. The substrate with the composition applied thereto is cut to produce individual towels.

P944

Claims (13)

1. CLAIMS. 1. A stacking configuration for wet towels, the configuration consists of a first arrangement of towels and a second arrangement of towels; each of the towels consists of a substrate and a liquid composition and each of the towels extends along its length from a first edge of front end to a second edge of rear end and each of the towels has two folds in it, which provides a front edge panel, a center panel and a rear edge panel; and wherein the first array of towels is interleaved with the second array of towels, so that: at least a portion of the central panel and at least a portion of the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the first array are interleaved between at least a portion of the front edge panel and at least a portion of the central panel of a towel of the second array of towels; and at least a portion of the central panel and at least a portion of the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the second array of towels is sandwiched between at least a portion of the front edge panel and at least a portion thereof. of the central panel of a towel of the first towel arrangement, so P944 that: the length of the front edge panel or the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the first array is not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length; and the length of the front edge panel or rear edge panel of each of the towels of the second towel arrangement is not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length.
2. 2. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 1, wherein the lengths of the front edge panel and the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the first array are not greater than 50% of the length of the panel corresponding central and wherein the front edge panel and the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the second arrangement are not greater than 50% of the corresponding central panel length.
3. 3. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lengths of the front edge panel and the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the first array are essentially equal in length and where the lengths of the front edge panel and the rear edge panel of each of the towels of the second P944 arrangement are essentially equal in length.
4. 4. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 3, wherein the front edge panel of each of the towels of the first array is essentially equal in length to the front edge panel of each of the towels of the second array.
5. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 4, wherein the proportion of the lengths of the front edge panel of each of the towels of the first arrangement and each of the towels of the second arrangement with respect to the length of the edge of each of the towels of the first arrangement and each of the towels of the second arrangement is in the ratio of 1: 2: 1 to 1: 5: 1.
6. 6. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 4, wherein the front edge panel of each of the towels of the first array and each of the towels of the second array is approximately one quarter of the total length of each of the towels.
7. 7. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to claim 6, wherein each of the towels of the first towel arrangement is folded into a reverse Z-fold configuration and each of the P944 towels of the second towel arrangement is folded in a Z configuration.
8. 8. A stacking configuration for wet towels according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each towel of the first towel arrangement and each towel of the second towel arrangement has a first fold of the panel and a second fold of the panel and where the distance between the first fold of the panel of each towel of the first arrangement and the second fold of the panel of a towel of the second arrangement of towels is between 1 nm and 5 mm; and wherein the distance between the second fold of the panel of each towel of the first arrangement of towels and the first fold of the panel of a towel of the second arrangement of towels is between 1 mm and 5 mm.
9. 9. A stacking configuration for wet wipes according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the towels are housed in a container, the container has a supply orifice.
10. 10. Wet towels according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate is a non-woven material.
11. 11. Wet towels according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate consists of hydrophobic fibers selected from terephthalate of P944 polyethylene, polypropylene or mixtures thereof.
12. 12. Wet towels according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate consists of hydrophilic fibers selected from cotton, viscose, linen or mixtures thereof.
13. 13. Wet towels according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid composition is an oil-in-water emulsion and the wet towel consists of 0.5 g to 10 g of emulsion per gram of substrate in dry weight. P944