WO1998048684A1 - Produits cellulosiques jetables dans les toilettes, procedes et systemes permettant de jeter ces produits dans les toilettes - Google Patents
Produits cellulosiques jetables dans les toilettes, procedes et systemes permettant de jeter ces produits dans les toilettes Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1998048684A1 WO1998048684A1 PCT/US1998/008529 US9808529W WO9848684A1 WO 1998048684 A1 WO1998048684 A1 WO 1998048684A1 US 9808529 W US9808529 W US 9808529W WO 9848684 A1 WO9848684 A1 WO 9848684A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- article
- external additive
- toilet
- toilet system
- cellulosic
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H27/00—Special paper not otherwise provided for, e.g. made by multi-step processes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
- A47K10/16—Paper towels; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
- A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
- A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
- A47K2010/3266—Wet wipes
Definitions
- the present invention is directed to the field of cellulosic articles, such as hand towels, pre-moistened wipes and towelettes, wipers, and the like, that are disposable in toilet and sewer systems.
- cellulosic articles such as hand towels, pre-moistened wipes and towelettes, wipers, and the like, that are disposable in toilet and sewer systems.
- toilet tissues are made for being discarded in toilets because they are composed of cellulosic materials having only a minimal wet strength. Toilet and bathroom tissues easily disintegrate and disperse upon being agitated with the water contained in conventional toilet and sewage systems. Such tissues are not designed, however, for applications where substantial liquids will be encountered during use.
- Hand towels, wipes and towelettes, and other wipers are generally much stronger than toilet tissues. They are formed from cellulosic materials in a manner that provides sufficient strength when wet to be used for various uses such as wiping one's hands, wiping the bottoms of babies, absorbing liquid spills, cleaning surfaces, and the like. Due to their lack of strength, toilet tissues are generally unsuitable for such uses. Because of their additional strength, however, paper towels, wipes and towelettes (both dry and pre- moistened), and wipers are sometimes a problem when flushed through a conventional toilet system. Often, such products will remain intact even when subjected to the agitation action of the toilet and sewer system. Even products having "temporary" wet strengths often require 20 or more minutes to reach a flushable wet strength.
- flushable refers to the capability of a product to be flushed in a conventional toilet and introduced into a municipal sewage or residential septic system without causing an obstruction or blockage in the toilet or sewage system.
- Flushable products would include those whose binding materials disassociate so that the cellulosic web forming the paper product is dispersed, as well as products whose dimensions become non-restrictive to transport throughout the plumbing system without clogging.
- toilet refers to conventional toilets as well as all other plumbing fixtures which are connected to a sewage system such as urinals, sinks, etc.
- paper towels and the like would be flushable in conventional toilets as are most toilet tissues. Unlike toilet tissue, however, such flushable paper products must have sufficient strength for their intended uses, which generally involve the absorbing of liquids and the wiping of a body part or other surface.
- flushable products such as infant diapers, child care products such as training pants, adult care products such as adult diapers and adult incontinence pads, feminine pads, wound dressings, household wipes, fabrics, tapes, yarns, etc., that will disperse on contact with ordinary tap water.
- U.S. Patent No. 5,509,913 discloses such articles which are flushable in ordinary toilet and sewer system waters at temperatures below approximately 23°C, but insoluble in the presence of body fluids having temperatures above approximately 25°C.
- U.S. Patent No. 5,252,332 discloses a pre-moistened towelette comprising a polyvinyl alcohol binder which is wet-packaged in a solution containing borate ions and bicarbonate ions. The towelette retains a certain wet strength while packaged and during at least a part of use, but disintegrates in water.
- U.S. Patent No. 5,085,736 discloses the use of wet strength resins in paper products which only temporarily maintain a suitable wet strength for the product (so called "temporary wet strength agents").
- 4,242,408 discloses a non- woven web having enhanced wet strength and easy disposability in an environment with a high pH.
- the invention described therein uses a pH-sensitive binder in forming the web which will disperse at a high pH.
- Some fabrics and films have been developed which exhibit water-barrier properties and which are dispersible in or lubricated by certain solutions.
- U.S. Patent No. 4,035,540 discloses a polymeric composition having a silane crosslinked interpolymer that imparts water barrier properties to films produced therefrom. The films are solubilizable in aqueous alkaline or acidic solutions with pHs of about 12 or higher or about 3 or lower.
- 4,868,024 discloses a sheet material for making a toilet-disposable article, such as a bag for body waste products, that is unaffected by contact with water of a neutral pH, but which is degraded on contact with an alkali added to the toilet bowl.
- a toilet-disposable article such as a bag for body waste products
- U.S. Patent No. 5,417,677 discloses a flushable ostomy pouch composed of pH-sensitive material capable of dissolving when exposed to an aqueous fluid in a toilet having a pH substantially above or below a neutral pH level.
- U.S. Patent No. 4,930,942 is directed to the formation of articles such as ostomy pouches, wound dressings, bandages, diapers, etc., that can be flushed by wrapping or enclosing the article within a material that rapidly becomes slimy or exudes a slimy material on contact with the water in a toilet bowl or by adding such materials directly to the toilet bowl.
- the articles do not appear to disintegrate, but instead are lubricated or softened to ensure passage of the article through the plumbing system.
- toilet-dispersible products Although pH-controlled, toilet-dispersible products are known, many of such products are water-impermeable articles, unlike the water absorbent products of the present invention. Most of the toilet- dispersible paper products similar to the present invention are tissues which are dispersible merely by being agitated by the water in a toilet/sewer system. Summary of the Invention
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a flushing system that allows for a paper product to be flushed in a conventional toilet system with the human addition of an external additive.
- the external additive for triggering the disintegration of the paper product may be, for example, a chemical agent that adjusts the pH of the toilet system, an enzyme that attacks a starch, or some other binding agent in the paper product; a salt that "unzips" a polymer binder used in the paper product; or a halogen-containing composition that attacks a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin used in the paper product.
- the external additive may also include ultrasonic vibrations or electric currents that assist in disintegrating the paper product once in the toilet system.
- An advantage of the present invention is that products made from cellulosic webs, such as towels and towelettes, which are typically absorbent if dry or moisture-providing if pre-moistened, can be provided with sufficient wet strength to serve their wiping purposes, while still being flushable to prevent clogging of the toilet system when discarded.
- Another advantage of the present invention exists in the ability for one manufacturer to provide a specific product to work with a specific additive system.
- the dispersible paper product could be made additive-specific so that the particular chemical additive or additive system sold by the manufacturer of the paper product would be the only means of sufficiently breaking down that manufacturer's paper product. This would enable bathroom owners to be assured that the paper products they purchase will be effectively dispersed if they also purchase the specifically matched additive system.
- Use of the present system in one case avoids the need for human intervention to unclog the toilet system or plumbing if an external additive-dispersible towel is disposed of in the toilet, while another embodiment allows for the manual addition of the triggering additive.
- Figure 1 is a plan view of a toilet having a drip mechanism for supplying the claimed external additive to the toilet system.
- the present invention is directed to a paper article having an adequate strength when wet for its intended uses but which is capable of sufficiently disintegrating into a flushable article in a conventional toilet system when an additive is supplied to the system.
- the invention includes a method for flushing a paper product in a conventional toilet system by adding the external additive to the toilet system and further includes the flushing system itself wherein an additive is supplied to a conventional toilet system to disperse a paper product.
- the term “external additive” is meant to include external processes or devices such as ultrasonic vibration emitters and electric current discharge devices as well as products that are added to the toilet bowl water such as chemicals.
- the additive may be, for example, a chemical agent that adjusts the pH of the toilet system, an enzyme that attacks a starch or some other binding agent in the paper product; a salt that "unzips" a polymer binder used in making the paper product; or a halogen-containing composition that attacks a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin used in the paper product.
- the additive may be the use of ultrasonic vibrations or electric currents to disperse the paper product once in the toilet system. More specifically, the present invention utilizes the external additive to increase the rate of degradation of the wet strength of the tissue or towel disposed of in the toilet. Unlike many of the known temporary wet strength agents, the present invention is designed to begin the disintegration process upon contact with the external additive and to quickly result in a flushable paper product.
- the flushable products of the present invention can be a non-woven cellulosic web composed of from 0% to 100% virgin cellulosic fibers, or 0% to 100% recycled fiber, with the remainder of the web being composed of from 0% to 30% non-cellulosic fibers which may be obtained from a variety of sources.
- Typical cellulosic webs useful in the present invention are composed of one or more plies that have a total basis weight of from about 20 to about 100 grams per square meter.
- the machine direction wet tensile strength of the web will be no less than 100 grams per 3 inch-wide sample and the machine direction wet tensile strength to machine direction dry tensile strength ratio will be no less than about 10%.
- the cellulosic webs for making paper products according to the present invention may be made by several processes known to those having ordinary skill in the art.
- exemplary processes are light weight dry creping; heavy weight dry creping; light weight wet creping; heavy weight wet creping; uncreped through air drying; creped through air drying, single re-creping, double re-creping, air lay forming, wet lay forming, carded web forming, and coforming.
- Many post treatments, such as embossing, laminating, microcreping, or perfembossing may also be performed on the webs in order to achieve desired properties.
- Various of these known paper product-making techniques are disclosed in the following patents which are all incorporated herein by reference thereto: U.S.
- Patent No. 4,883,564 single recreping
- U.S. Patent No. 3,879,257 double recreping
- U.S. Patent No. 5,048,589 uncreped through air drying.
- the key to the present invention is the matching of a specific external additive to a paper product so that dispersion of the paper product in a toilet system is triggered upon contact with the specific additive to result in a flushable product.
- an alkalinity control agent is used.
- the alkalinity control agent can be either an acidic or a basic composition which alters the pH of the toilet bowl water (or sewer plumbing system water) when added thereto.
- Such compositions include any of the alkalis, such as lithium, sodium and potassium hydroxides, sodium carbonate solutions, ammonia solutions, calcium or barium hydroxides, as well as any of the acids such as sulfuric, hydrochloric, sodium acid sulfate, potassium acid sulfate, and the like.
- These control agents could include buffers.
- the present invention is not to be limited by the particular basic or acidic composition utilized as the alkalinity control agent in this embodiment.
- the paper product is designed so that it will have the desired wet strength at a relatively neutral pH but will disperse and achieve flushability when subjected to the altered alkalinity of the toilet system water. Obviously, the range of alkalinity adjustment should be maintained within safe levels to prevent harm to users of the toilet. Thus, a close-to-neutral pH range is preferred.
- the binding agents used in producing such towel products will generally be subject to breakdown at either low or high alkalinity.
- the binding agents When subjected to the toilet bowl water with the modified alkalinity, the binding agents will disfunction and cause the cellulosic webs to disperse and disintegrate.
- an organic binder such as a starch or a modified starch
- a chemical additive such as an enzyme, may then be used as the agent to cause the binder to disfunction and the paper product to disperse.
- a polymeric binder may be used in forming the paper product and a corresponding salt that disassociates or "unzips" the polymer may be used to trigger dispersion.
- a binder that is sensitive to certain compositions may also be used.
- a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin such as Kymene® (a product sold by Hercules, Inc.), may be used to form the product and a halogen-containing additive, such as hypochlorite, may be used as the triggering external additive.
- a halogen-containing additive such as hypochlorite
- Surfactants that change the toilet bowl conditions sufficiently to allow dispersion of the particular paper products utilized may also be used as the external additive in this system.
- products may be utilized which are dispersed by contact with cleaning solutions currently being provided to the toilet system.
- Such exemplary chemical additives can be supplied to the toilet bowl or plumbing system in various ways.
- the chemical may be supplied as part of an existing drip system attached to the toilet for supplying cleaning solutions, odor suppressing solutions, or other refresher products to the toilet bowl.
- a toilet 10 is arranged with a tube 20 connected to additive storage container 50 and directed to emit the external additive directly into toilet bowl 30.
- Tube 20 can be made of any of the well-known constructions for such drip mechanisms, including flexible plastic materials.
- the periodic discharge of the external additive (as well as other cleaners, odor suppression agents, and the like) into the toilet bowl is managed in the embodiment shown by a timing mechanism 40.
- a photosensitive detector mechanism could be used to regulate the periodic discharge of the external additive when toilet users are present. Again, such mechanisms are well known in the art.
- the chemical may be supplied through a separate drip system to the toilet, the plumbing, or the sewage system.
- the chemical additives could be supplied as separately packaged additives so that they could be added manually before or during each flush by the toilet users.
- Such separate packaging could be pouches holding solid forms of the additive, a toilet tank tablet comprising the additives, or syringes, bottles, sachets, or other containers holding liquid forms of the additive.
- the separately packaged additives could also be added manually to the toilet/sewer system after a clog has already developed so that it could be alleviated and normal passage flow returned.
- external forces are substituted for the chemical additives.
- An example of such an external force is the use ultrasonic vibrations acting on the water in the toilet system. Paper product binders in this embodiment are specifically designed to disintegrate when subjected to such vibrations.
- a wet strength agent may be used in forming the paper product which disfunctions after being subjected to a mild ionization so that a slight electric current applied to the toilet/sewer system causes the paper product to become flushable.
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Detergent Compositions (AREA)
- Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
- Paper (AREA)
- Sanitary Thin Papers (AREA)
Abstract
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU72622/98A AU7262298A (en) | 1997-04-30 | 1998-04-30 | Flushable cellulosic products and processes and systems for flushing such products |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US84677197A | 1997-04-30 | 1997-04-30 | |
US08/846,771 | 1997-04-30 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1998048684A1 true WO1998048684A1 (fr) | 1998-11-05 |
Family
ID=25298903
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1998/008529 WO1998048684A1 (fr) | 1997-04-30 | 1998-04-30 | Produits cellulosiques jetables dans les toilettes, procedes et systemes permettant de jeter ces produits dans les toilettes |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU7262298A (fr) |
SA (1) | SA98190349A (fr) |
WO (1) | WO1998048684A1 (fr) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1099751A2 (fr) * | 1999-11-02 | 2001-05-16 | Smiths Industries Public Limited Company | Moyens de rebut |
US6783826B2 (en) | 2001-12-21 | 2004-08-31 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Flushable commode liner |
US6814974B2 (en) | 2000-05-04 | 2004-11-09 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Ion-sensitive, water-dispersible polymers, a method of making same and items using same |
US6828014B2 (en) | 2001-03-22 | 2004-12-07 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Water-dispersible, cationic polymers, a method of making same and items using same |
US6835678B2 (en) | 2000-05-04 | 2004-12-28 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Ion sensitive, water-dispersible fabrics, a method of making same and items using same |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4242408A (en) * | 1979-06-25 | 1980-12-30 | The Dow Chemical Company | Easily disposable non-woven products having high wet strength at acid pH and low wet strength at base pH |
US4868024A (en) * | 1986-08-28 | 1989-09-19 | Smiths Industries Public Limited Company | Medico-surgical and sanitary articles and materials |
JPH0282925A (ja) * | 1988-09-19 | 1990-03-23 | Kinpou Seishi Kk | フラッシヤブルウエットテイツシユ |
US4930942A (en) * | 1986-12-22 | 1990-06-05 | E. R. Squibb & Sons, Inc. | Method of disposal of articles by flushing |
US5252332A (en) * | 1992-07-24 | 1993-10-12 | Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. | Pre-moistened flushable towlette impregnated with polyvinyl alcohol containing binders |
US5509913A (en) * | 1993-12-16 | 1996-04-23 | Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Flushable compositions |
-
1998
- 1998-04-30 AU AU72622/98A patent/AU7262298A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1998-04-30 WO PCT/US1998/008529 patent/WO1998048684A1/fr active Application Filing
- 1998-07-27 SA SA98190349A patent/SA98190349A/ar unknown
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4242408A (en) * | 1979-06-25 | 1980-12-30 | The Dow Chemical Company | Easily disposable non-woven products having high wet strength at acid pH and low wet strength at base pH |
US4868024A (en) * | 1986-08-28 | 1989-09-19 | Smiths Industries Public Limited Company | Medico-surgical and sanitary articles and materials |
US4930942A (en) * | 1986-12-22 | 1990-06-05 | E. R. Squibb & Sons, Inc. | Method of disposal of articles by flushing |
JPH0282925A (ja) * | 1988-09-19 | 1990-03-23 | Kinpou Seishi Kk | フラッシヤブルウエットテイツシユ |
US5252332A (en) * | 1992-07-24 | 1993-10-12 | Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. | Pre-moistened flushable towlette impregnated with polyvinyl alcohol containing binders |
US5509913A (en) * | 1993-12-16 | 1996-04-23 | Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Flushable compositions |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 014, no. 275 (C - 0728) 14 June 1990 (1990-06-14) * |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1099751A2 (fr) * | 1999-11-02 | 2001-05-16 | Smiths Industries Public Limited Company | Moyens de rebut |
EP1099751A3 (fr) * | 1999-11-02 | 2001-08-01 | Smiths Industries Public Limited Company | Moyens de rebut |
US6814974B2 (en) | 2000-05-04 | 2004-11-09 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Ion-sensitive, water-dispersible polymers, a method of making same and items using same |
US6835678B2 (en) | 2000-05-04 | 2004-12-28 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Ion sensitive, water-dispersible fabrics, a method of making same and items using same |
US6828014B2 (en) | 2001-03-22 | 2004-12-07 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Water-dispersible, cationic polymers, a method of making same and items using same |
US6783826B2 (en) | 2001-12-21 | 2004-08-31 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Flushable commode liner |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
SA98190349A (ar) | 2005-12-03 |
AU7262298A (en) | 1998-11-24 |
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