Dispensable oil absorbing skin wipes

• US 6,645,611 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Seth, Jayshree
• Primary Examiner(s): RAYFORD, SANDRA M
• Application Number:
  US09/780,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20020110655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 428/304.4, 428/311.11, 428/359, 428/397
• US Class Current: 428/311.11
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249962 Void-containing component has a continuous matrix of fibers only [e.g., porous paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2904 Staple length fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2973 Particular cross section

Abstract

There is provided a package of multiple oil absorbing wipes suitable for wiping a users skin or hair. The wipes are arranged in an overlying arrangement and comprise an oil absorbing porous film-like substrate of a thermoplastic material having a transparency of less than 65 percent. The porous substrate changes transparency by at least 10 percentage points when loaded with oil. The porous substrate has an embossing pattern over from 1 to 50 percent of at least a portion of the of the wipe material surface area, which area is in contact with an adjacent wipe in the package.

Claims

1. A package of multiple oil absorbing wipes suitable for wiping a users skin or hair, the wipes being arranged in an overlying arrangement and the wipes comprising an oil absorbing porous film-like substrate of a thermoplastic material having a transparency of less than 65 which porous substrate changes transparency when loaded with oil, said porous substrate having an embossing pattern having a higher transparency than the nonembossed portions of the wipe, over from 1 to 50 percent of at least a portion of the of the wipe material surface area which area is in contact with an adjacent wipe in the package wherein the oil absorbing wipe comprises a porous stretched film or a consolidated meltblown web of thermoplastic fibers.

2. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the embossing pattern is over from 2 to 25 percent of the embossed portion of the wipe material surface area.

3. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the embossing pattern is formed of embossing elements which are 0.1 to 10 mm wide at their narrowest dimension.

4. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 3 wherein the embossing elements are discrete elements.

5. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 3 wherein the embossing elements are connected elements.

6. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the embossed pattern has a transparency at least 10 percentage points greater than the nonembossed portion of the wipe.

7. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the embossed pattern embossing elements are 0.2 to 5 mm wide at their narrowest dimension.

8. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 7 wherein the wipe is embossed over substantially its entire surface.

9. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the package contains at least 2 wipes.

10. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the package contains at least 10 to 1000 wipes.

11. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the individual wipes are from 10 to 100 cm².

12. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein interstitial volume per unit area of said porous stretched film is in the range of 0.0001-0.005 cm³ as calculated by the following equation:

13. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the void content of said porous stretched film is in the range of 5-50% and the film thickness is in the range of 5-200 μ

m.

14. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the porous film comprises thermoplastic porous film containing from 20 to 60 percent filler.

15. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 14 wherein the porous film contains a non-particulate filler.

16. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 15 wherein the non-particulate filler is mineral oil.

17. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the porous film voids have an average size is in the range of from 0.2 to 5.0 microns (μ

m).

18. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 12 wherein the interstitial volume per unit area is from 0.0002 to 0.001 cm³.

19. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the porous oil absorbing sheet has an opacity value of about 65 or less when oil free, and which web changes transparency by at least 30 when loaded with about 6 grams or less of oil per square centimeter.

20. The oil absorbing wipe material claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic fibers are polyolefin microfibers.

21. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic fibers are polypropylene microfibers.

22. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic fibers have an average diameter of about 10 micrometers or less, and the wipe has a basis weight of about 40 gm/m² or less.

23. The package of oil absorbing wipes claim 19 wherein the wipe, when it has changed transparency, has a transparency of about 90 or greater.

24. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 19 wherein the web changes in transparency by 35 or more when loaded with about 6 grams or less of oil per square meter.

25. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 19 wherein the wipes have a void volume of from 40 to 80 percent.

26. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 19 wherein the wipes have a void volume of from 45 to 75 percent.

27. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the wipes have a void volume of from 50 to 70 percent.

28. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the average pore size of the wipe material is from 3 to 15 microns.

29. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the average pore size of the wipe material is from 3 to 12 microns.

30. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the average pore size of the wipe material is from 4 to 8 microns.

31. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the wipes have an oil absorption capacity of from 0.7 to 6 mg/cm².

32. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the wipes have a basis weight of from 10 to 30 gm/m².

33. The package of oil absorbing wipes of claim 1 wherein the wipes have a Hand of 8 grams or less.

34. The oil absorbing wipe material claim 1 wherein the wipes have a Hand of 1 to 6 grams or less.