Sterilizing wet wiper and apparatus for supplying sterilizing wet wipers

• US 6,231,747 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omega S.A. (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: T.R.P. Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shinichi, Fukuzuka, Kunihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US09/292,010
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 204/232, 204/271, 204/278, 204/275.1, 204/237, 204/278.5, 205/500, 205/701
• US Class Current: 205/500
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4674 with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4615 Time

Abstract

An absorbent base material is impregnated with electrolyzed water containing hypohalogenous acid which is obtained by supplying water containing at least halogen ions between an anode plate and cathode plates and electrolyzing the water, whereby the occurrence of rough skin caused by a remaining liquid medicine and the like can be reduced or prevented.

Claims

1. A sterilizing wet wiper, comprising:

an absorbent skin wiping base material that is disposed outside of a liquid environment and is impregnated with electrolyzed water containing hypohalogenous acid to form said sterilizing wet wiper.

2. A sterilizing wet wiper according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyzed water, has a hydrogen ion concentration (pH) of 5.8-8.6.

3. A sterilizing wet wiper according to claim 2, wherein the halogen ions comprise chlorine ions and bromine ions mixed at a prescribed mixing ratio.

4. A sterilizing wet wiper according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyzed water is prepared from fresh water containing at least 5 ppm of chlorine ions and having conductivity of at least 100 μ

s/cm.

5. An apparatus for supplying sterilizing wet wipers comprising:

a device for creating electrolyzed water containing hypohalogenous acid, said device including a supplier that supplies water containing at least halogen ions between an anode plate and cathode plates, and an electrolyzer that electrolyzes the water;

an impregnator that impregnates an absorbent base material with the electrolyzed water supplied from said electrolyzed water creating device; and

an opening through which at least a part of said base material, impregnated with the electrolyzed water, is removed from said apparatus.

6. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a supply that supplies said base material outside of the apparatus after said impregnator impregnates the absorbent base material with the electrolyzed water.

7. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a control for maintaining the pH of the electrolyzed water from 5.8-8.6.

8. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least an anode in said electrolyzed water creating device comprises ferrite and said electrolyzed water creating device further comprises a service water supply port capable of supplying water.

9. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said electrolyzed water creating device further comprises a circulation passage to permit water to be electrolyzed at least two times.

10. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the absorbent base material is a rolled continuous sheet.

11. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said base material is a continuous sheet, and wherein said impregnation means comprises:

a base material supply unit for supplying the base material at an approximately constant speed; and

a supply nozzle for discharging the electrolyzed water supplied from said electrolyzed water creating device to the base material in an approximately constant discharge amount.

12. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a read/write unit for reading numeric data corresponding to remaining capability of said apparatus to supply sterilizing wet wipers, from a portable recording medium;

determination means for determimng whether a sterilizing wet wiper can be supplied or not from the numeric data; and

subtraction means for subtracting a prescribed numeric value from the data when a sterilizing wet wiper is supplied from the apparatus, and

wherein renewed numeric data is obtained by subtracting the prescribed numeric value and stored to the recording medium.

13. A sterilizing wet wiper supply apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a supply port through which said absorbent base material is supplied; and

a proximity sensor disposed in the vicinity of said supply port to sense the approach of a body or object accepting said wet wiper.

14. A method of providing sterile wet wipers, which comprises the steps of:

providing an absorbent base material in a container;

electrolyzing a supply of water containing halogen ions by providing said supply of water between anode and cathode plates, thereby producing electrolyzed water containing hypohalogenous acid; and

impregnating said absorbent base material in said container with said electrolyzed water after said electrolyzing step.

15. A method according to claim 14, which further comprises the step of:

maintaining said electrolyzed water at a pH of 5.8-8.6 before said impregnating step.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein said halogen ions in said supply of water comprise chlorine ions and bromine ions at a prescribed mixing ratio.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein said supply of water is fresh water containing at least 5 ppm of chlorine ions and having a conductivity of at least 100 μ

s/cm.

18. A method according to claim 14, which further comprises the step of:

supplying said absorbent base material outside of said container after said impregnation step.

19. A method according to claim 14, which further comprises the steps of:

circulating said electrolyzed water in said container; and

re-electrolyzing said electrolyzed water by providing said electrolyzed water between said anode and cathode plates.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein said absorbent base material is provided using a supply unit that supplies the absorbent base material at an approximately constant speed.

21. A method according to claim 14, wherein said impregnating step includes discharging said electrolyzed water through a supply nozzle and onto said absorbent base material.

22. A method according to claim 14, which further comprises:

automatically reading numeric data corresponding to a remaining supply of said base material using a read/write unit of a recording medium;

automatically determining whether another sterile wet wiper can be supplied based on said numeric data;

automatically subtracting a prescribed numeric value from said numeric data when a first sterile wet wiper is supplied from the container; and

renewing the numeric value by storing the subtracted prescribed numeric value in the recording medium.