Wet wipe and wipe dispensing arrangement

• US 4,741,944 A
• Filed: 07/30/1986
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Inventors: Jackson, David M., Vogler, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US06/891,716
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 428/152, 428/171, 428/172, 428/198, 428/219, 428/284, 428/286, 428/296, 428/298, 428/903, 428/905, 428/913, 428/297, 428/340, 604/358, 604/359, 604/360, 15/104.93
• US Class Current: 428/152
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/428 Details of the folds or interfolds of the sheets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00991 for treating webs, e.g. for moisturising, coating, impregnating or applying powder
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/049 Cleaning or scouring pads; Wipes
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/06 strengthened or consolidated by welding-together thermoplastic fibres, filaments, or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/045 with polyolefin or polystyrene (co-)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/903 Microfiber, less than 100 micron diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/905 Odor releasing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24446 Wrinkled, creased, crinkled or creped
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24603 Fiber containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/27 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified weight per unit area [e.g., gms/sq cm, lbs/sq ft, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/601 Nonwoven fabric has an elastic quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/62 Including another chemically different microfiber in a separate layer

Abstract

A wet wipe which is elastic in at least one direction, and includes an elastic sheet having at least one non-elastic non-woven web joined thereto at least at two areas. The non-elastic web is gathered between said two areas and a liquid is distributed within the sheet and/or the web. The sheet is preferably a nonwoven web of meltblown ethylene vinyl acetate fibers and the non-elastic web is preferably a nonwoven web of spunbonded fibers. The liquid may include a fragrance and/or a preservative. An arrangement for dispensing an interleaved stack of the wet wipes is also provided.

Claims

1. A wet wipe which is elastic in at least one direction, said wet wipe comprising:

an elastic sheet;

at least one non-elastic non-woven web joined to said elastic sheet at least at two areas, said non-elastic web being gathered between said two areas; and

a liquid distributed within at least one of said sheet and said web.

2. The wet wipe of claim 1, wherein said liquid consists of at least one material selected from the group of materials including preservatives, fragrances, emollients, humectants, detergents and soaps.

3. The wet wipe of claim 1, wherein said elastic sheet is an elastic non-woven web of meltblown fibers and the non-elastic web is a web of spunbonded fibers.

4. The wet wipe of claim 3, wherein said meltblown fibers are comprised of ethylene vinyl acetate and said spunbonded fibers are comprised of polypropylene.

5. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein said liquid consists of at least one material selected from the group of materials including preservatives, fragrances, emollients, humectants, detergents and soaps.

6. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein the basis weight of the polypropylene web is from about 10 to about 30 grams per square meter.

7. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein the basis weight of the elastic nonwoven web is from about 30 grams per square meter to about 50 grams per square meter.

8. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein said ethylene vinyl acetate comprises from about 10 percent, by weight, to about 50 percent, by weight, of vinyl acetate monomer.

9. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein said meltblown fibers are meltblown microfibers.

10. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein said spunbonded fibers are spunbonded microfibers.

11. The wet wipe of claim 4, wherein said polypropylene has a polydispersity of from about 1 to about 5.

12. The wet wipe of claim 11, wherein said polypropylene has a melt flow of about 35 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 230 degrees C. and under a 2,160 gram load.

13. The wet wipe of claim 8, wherein said ethylene vinyl acetate comprises about 26 percent, by weight, to about 30 percent, by weight, of vinyl acetate monomer and has a melt flow of about 180 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 190 degrees C. and under a 2,160 gram load.

14. A palindromic stretch-bonded elastic wet wipe adapted to stretch from at least about 30 percent to about 50 percent in at least one direction, said wipe comprising:

an inner elastic nonwoven web having a basis weight of from about 35 grams per square meter to about 40 grams per square meter, said elastic web comprising meltblown microfibers of ethylene vinyl acetate having from about 26 percent, by weight, to about 30 percent, by weight, of vinyl acetate monomer and a melt flow rate of about 180 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 190 degrees C. and under a 2,160 gram load;

two outer non-elastic nonwoven webs having a basis weight of from about 10 grams per square meter to about 20 grams per square meter, said non-elastic webs comprising spunbonded microfibers of polypropylene having a polydispersity of from about 1 to about 5 and a melt flow rate of about 35 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 230 degrees C. and under a 2,160 gram load; and

from about 80 percent, by weight, to about 160 percent, by weight, based on the combined weight of the elastic and non-elastic webs, of a liquid comprising at least one material selected from the group of materials consisting of fragrances, preservatives, soaps, humectants and emollients.

15. A stretch-bonded palindromic elastic nonwoven wet wipe adapted to stretch at least about 40 percent in at least one direction, said wipe consisting essentially of:

an inner elastic nonwoven web of meltblown ethylene vinyl acetate microfibers, said elastic web having a basis weight of about 37 grams per square meter;

two outer nonwoven non-elastic webs of spunbonded polypropylene microfibers bound to said elastic web by thermal pin embossment, said non-elastic webs each having a basis weight of about 12.5 grams per square meter; and

about 120 percent, by weight, based on the combined weight of the elastic and non-elastic webs, of a liquid consisting essentially of about 94.475 percent, by weight, of water;

about 0.20 percent, by weight, of benzalkonium chloride;

about 0.10 percent, by weight, of citric acid;

about 0.60 percent, by weight, of disodium phosphate;

about 0.10 percent, by weight, of trisodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid;

about 1.20 percent, by weight, of polyethylene glycol-75 lanolin;

about 0.50 percent, by weight, of cocoamphocarboxyglycinate;

about 2.00 percent, by weight, of propylene glycol;

about 0.10 percent, by weight, of methylparaben;

about 0.05 percent, by weight, of propylparaben;

about 0.05 percent, by weight, of butylparaben;

about 0.825 percent, by weight, of polysorbate 20 and about 0.45 percent, by weight, of a fragrance

wherein the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer of the elastic web has about 28 percent, by weight, of vinyl acetate monomer and a melt flow rate of about 180 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 190 degrees C. when under a 2,160 gram load and the polypropylene of the non-elastic webs has a polydispersity of about 4.5 and a melt flow rate of about 35 grams per 10 minutes when measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238 at 230 degrees C. and under a 2,160 gram load.