Oil absorbent wipe with rapid visual indication

• US 6,773,718 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Seth, Jayshree, Katagiri, Hiroto, Sakurai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Shengjun
• Application Number:
  US10/001,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20030091618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 424/443, 424/402, 424/401
• US Class Current: 424/443
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/00 Devices for washing the hair or the scalp; Similar devices for colouring the hair
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/16 Paper towels; Toilet paper; Holders therefor dispensers A47K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/42 Colour properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0208 Tissues; Wipes; Patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/008 Preparations for oily skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/10 Washing or bathing preparations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/365 using pumps, e.g. piston pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/385 using two or more serially arranged screws in separate barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/387 using a screw extruder and a gear pump
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/005 characterised by the choice of materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2525 Coating or impregnation functions biologically [e.g., insect repellent, antiseptic, insecticide, bactericide, etc.]

Abstract

There is provided an oil absorbing wipe material suitable for wiping a users'"'"' skin or hair and a method for their manufacture. The wipes comprise at least an oil absorbing porous film-like substrate of a thermoplastic material. Generally, the wipe changes transparency or color (a change in L* of about 10 or more) when loaded with oil to provide an oil absorption indication functionality. The wipe is formed by (a) providing a porous film-like substrate of a thermoplastic material capable of absorbing facial or body oils and changing transparency or color, and (b) coating the porous substrate with oil, either continuously or in regions, wherein the oil coating is not sufficient to change the transparency or color of the substrate such that it loses its oil absorption indication functionality. This oil coating being of a nature such that the coated porous substrate has an increased oil absorption indicating functionality.

Claims

1. An oil absorbing wipe suitable for wiping a users skin or hair comprising an oil absorbing porous film-like substrate formed of a thermoplastic film or consolidated nonwoven web of a thermoplastic material which porous substrate changes color when loaded with oil by a change in the L* value of 10 units or more when loaded with oil at 6 mg/cm² or less, the porous substrate having an oil based coating on at least 1 percent of the wipe material surface area, wherein the oil based coating is a vegetable-based or mineral based oil or blends thereof.

2. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 1 wherein the oil based coating is a continuous coating.

3. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 1 wherein the oil based coating is a discontinuous coating.

4. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 1 wherein the oil based coating is a vegetable-based or mineral based oil or blends thereof.

5. The oil absorbing wipes of claim 4 wherein the oil coating is coated at a level of from 1 to 5 g/m².

6. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 4 wherein the oil coating is coated at level of from 1 to 4 g/m².

7. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 4 wherein the oil coating is a vegetable oil or blend.

8. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 4 wherein the wipe is provided in a package which package contains at least 2 wipes.

9. The oil absorbing wipes of claim 8 wherein the package contains at least 10 to 1000 wipes.

10. The oil absorbing wipes of claim 8 wherein the individual wipes are from 10 to 100 cm².

11. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 4 wherein the oil absorbing wipe comprises a porous stretched film made of a thermoplastic material.

12. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 11 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 oil absorbing wipe of claim 11 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 oil absorbing wipe of claim 11 wherein the porous film comprises thermoplastic porous film containing from 20 to 60 percent filler.

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

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

17. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 11 wherein the porous film voids have an average size in the range of from 0.2 to 5.0 microns (μ

m).

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

19. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 4 wherein the porous oil absorbing wipe comprises a consolidated melt-blown web of thermoplastic fibers.

20. The oil absorbing wipe of claim 19 wherein the wipe has a void volume of from 40 to 80 percent.

21. A method of forming an oil absorbing wipe suitable for a user'"'"'s face or skin comprising providing an oil absorbing porous film-like substrate formed of a thermoplastic film or consolidated nonwoven web of a thermoplastic material which porous substrate changes transparency or color when loaded with oil, coating the porous substrate with an oil based coating on at least 1 percent of the wipe material surface area.

22. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 21 wherein the oil based coating is a continuous coating.

23. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 21 wherein the oil based coating is a discontinuous coating.

24. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 21 wherein the oil based coating is a vegetable-based or synthetic based oil or blends thereof.

25. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 23 wherein the oil coating is coated at a level of from 1 to 5 g/m².

26. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 23 wherein the oil coating is coated at a level of from 1 to 4 g/m².

27. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 23 wherein the oil coating is a vegetable oil or blend.

28. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 23 wherein the oil absorbing wipe comprises a porous stretched film made of a thermoplastic material.

29. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 28 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:

30. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 28 wherein the void volume 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.

31. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 28 wherein the porous film comprises thermoplastic porous film containing from 20 to 60 percent filler.

32. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 31 wherein the porous film contains a non-particulate filler.

33. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 32 wherein the non-particulate filler is mineral oil.

34. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 28 wherein the porous film voids have an average size in the range of from 0.2 to 5.0 microns (μ

m).

35. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 29 wherein the interstitial volume per unit area is from 0.0002 to 0.001 cm³.

36. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 28 wherein the porous oil absorbing wipe comprises a consolidated melt-blown web of thermoplastic fibers.

37. The method of forming an oil absorbing wipe of claim 36 wherein the wipes have a void volume of from 40 to 80 percent.