Anti-microbial hand towel with time-delay chromatic transfer indicator and absorbency rate delay

• US 8,388,992 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luu, Phuong Van, Awofeso, Anthony O., Yardley, Craig D., Yeh, Kang Chang, Janda, Bruce W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sullivan, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRAZIER, BARBARA S
• Application Number:
  US11/728,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 424/414
• US Class Current: 424/414
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application , e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/34 Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/45 Colour indicators, e.g. pH- or Redox indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/075 Ethers or acetals
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/14 Quaternary ammonium compounds, e.g. edrophonium, choline betaines A61K31/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/32 Manganese; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0208 Tissues; Wipes; Patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/068 Microemulsions
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 17/005 Antimicrobial preparations
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/28 Colorants ; Pigments or opacifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/36 Biocidal agents, e.g. fungicidal, bactericidal, insecticidal agents

Abstract

A disposable paper towel with an anti-microbial lotion and is provided with a chromatic transfer indicator which undergoes a delayed, visually perceptible color change at a predetermined time after the towel is wetted. An anti-microbial lotion on the towel increases water absorbency times (WAR) to further promote lotion transfer to the skin and increase lotion transfer effectiveness.

Claims

1. An antimicrobial paper towel with a chromatic transfer indicator comprising:

a) a cellulosic web;

b) a transferable lotion composition comprising an emollient and anti-microbial agent, the lotion composition being immobilized on the cellulosic web in a semi-solid or solid form and selected and applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption rate delay of at least about 25% to the cellulosic web,

wherein the transferable lotion composition is selected from lotion compositions which are transferable upon contact with water or lotion compositions which are transferable upon application of heat;

c) a water soluble pH balancing agent disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete pH balancing agent locations; and

d) a pH-sensitive transfer indicator disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete indicator locations which are apart from the pH balancing agent locations, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator is chromatically responsive to the pH balancing agent in aqueous form;

wherein the pH balancing agent and the pH-sensitive transfer indicator are selected and applied to the web such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a gradual color change upon contact of the paper towel with water to indicate effective transfer of the lotion, wherein the initiation of said color change is determined by the wicking time of the pH balancing agent.

2. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the lotion composition comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight anti-microbial agent.

3. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the lotion composition comprises from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight anti-microbial agent.

4. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, comprising an anti-microbial agent selected from:

2,4,4′

-trichloro-2′

-hydroxydiphenyl ether;

3,4,4′

-trichlorocarbanilide;

3,4,4′

-trifluoromethyl-4,4′

-d-ichlorocarbanilide;

5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one;

iodopropynlbutylcarbamate;

8-hydroxyquinoline;

8-hydroxyquinoline citrate;

8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate;

4-chloro-3,5-xylenol;

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol;

diazolidinyl urea;

butoconazole;

nystatin;

terconazole;

nitrofurantoin;

phenazopyridine;

acyclovir;

clortrimazole;

chloroxylenol;

chlorhexidine;

chlorhexidine gluconate;

miconazole;

terconazole;

butylparaben;

ethylparaben;

methylparaben;

methylchloroisothiazoline;

methylisothiazoline;

a mixture of 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate;

oxyquinoline;

EDTA;

tetrasodium EDTA;

p-hydroxylbenzoic acid ester;

alkyl pyridinum compounds;

coco phosphatidyl PG-dimonium chloride;

chlorhexidene digluconate;

chlorhexidene acetate;

chlorhexidene isethionate;

chlorhexidene hydrochloride;

benzalkonium chloride;

benzethonium chloride;

polyhexamethylene biguanide, and mixtures thereof.

5. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the anti-microbial agent is 2,4,4′

-trichloro-2′

-hydroxydiphenyl ether.

6. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the anti-microbial agent comprises a benzalkonium chloride.

7. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the anti-microbial agent comprises a zinc salt.

8. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH balancing agent comprises an organic acid.

9. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH balancing agent comprises an organic acid and a buffer combination.

10. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 9, wherein the buffer combination comprises citric acid and disodium phosphate.

11. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 9, wherein the buffer combination comprises disodium citrate and sodium hydroxide.

12. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH balancing agent is applied to the web in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the lotion composition.

13. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH balancing agent is applied to the web in an amount of from about 1% to about 2% by weight of the lotion composition.

14. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH balancing agent comprises an alpha hydroxy acid, an alpha di-hydroxy acid, a beta hydroxy acid or combinations thereof.

15. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 14, wherein the pH balancing agent is selected from glycolic acid, alpha-acetyl glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, alpha-acetyl lactic acid, alpha-hydroxy isobutyric acid, salicylic acid, mandelic acid, ortho-acetyl mandelic acid, benzilic acid, ortho-acetyl benzilic acid, malic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, pyruvic acid, sorbic acid and combinations thereof.

16. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 14, wherein the pH balancing agent is citric acid.

17. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 14, wherein the pH balancing agent is lactic acid.

18. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 14, wherein the pH balancing agent is glycolic acid.

19. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator comprises thymol blue, bromo cresol purple, methyl red, cresol red, phenolphthalein, thymolphthalein, or Alizarin yellow R.

20. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator is thymol blue.

21. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web is predominantly softwood fiber.

22. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the web comprises a wet strength agent.

23. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 22, wherein the wet strength agent is selected from aldehyde-containing polyols, aldehyde-containing cationic starch, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, dialdehydes, boric acid carbonate, zirconium ammonium carbonate, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, polyamide-epichlorohydrin, polyamine-epichlorohydrin, urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, polyethyleneimine, and latex emulsions.

24. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion composition disposed on the web is selected and applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption rate delay to the cellulosic web of at least about 50%.

25. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion composition disposed on the web is selected and applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption delay to the cellulosic web of at least about 75%.

26. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion composition disposed on the web is selected and applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption delay to the cellulosic web of at least about 100%.

27. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the unlotioned cellulosic web has substantially the same SAT value as the lotioned paper towel.

28. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a SAT value of at least about 2 g/g.

29. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a SAT value of at least about 3 g/g.

30. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a SAT value of at least about 4 g/g.

31. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a SAT value of at least about 4.5 g/g.

32. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a SAT value of from about 2 g/g to about 5 g/g.

33. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value of at least about 40 seconds.

34. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value of at least about 50 seconds.

35. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value of from about 55 seconds to about 75 seconds.

36. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value of at least about 100 seconds.

37. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value of at least about 120 seconds.

38. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the paper towel has a WAR value between bout 75 seconds and 200 seconds.

39. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion is applied to the cellulosic web in an amount of from about 3 weight percent to about 20 weight percent.

40. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion is applied to the cellulosic web in an amount of from about 5 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight.

41. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the transferable lotion is applied to the cellulosic web in an amount of from about 8 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight.

42. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the unlotioned cellulosic web has a basis weight of from about 15 g/m² to about 65 g/m².

43. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the unlotioned cellulosic web has a basis weight of from about 25 g/m² to about 50 g/m².

44. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the unlotioned cellulosic web has a basis weight of from about 30 g/m² to about 40 g/m².

45. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least about 65 percent by weight softwood fiber.

46. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least about 70 percent by weight softwood fiber.

47. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises from about 70 percent by weight softwood fiber to about 90 percent by weight softwood fiber.

48. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web is predominantly comprised of fiber selected form softwood fiber, recycle fiber and mixtures thereof.

49. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least 50 percent by weight recycle fiber.

50. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least 60 percent by weight recycle fiber.

51. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least 70 percent by weight recycle fiber.

52. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least 80 percent by weight recycle fiber.

53. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least 90 percent by weight recycle fiber.

54. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the fiber in the cellulosic web is 100% recycle fiber.

55. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web consists predominantly of Douglas fir fiber.

56. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the towel has an eight sheet caliper of from about 35 to about 90 mils, consists predominantly of softwood fiber and is in the form of a single ply towel.

57. The absorbent cellulosic sheet according to claim 1, wherein the cellulosic web comprises at least about 70 percent by weight Douglas fir fiber.

58. An anti-microbial paper towel comprising:

a) a cellulosic web;

b) a waterless micro-emulsion which is substantially liquid at room temperature immobilized on the web in a semi-solid or solid state and selected and applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption rate delay of at least about 75% to the cellulosic web;

c) wherein, the waterless mien-emulsion comprises an anti-microbial agent, a polar emollient, a non-polar emollient and a surfactant composition including a nonionic surfactant; and

wherein further the waterless micro-emulsion is capable of forming an aqueous micro-emulsion upon contact with water;

d) a water soluble balancing agent disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete pH balancing agent locations; and

e) a pH-sensitive transfer indicator disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete indicator locations which are apart from the pH balancing agent locations, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator is chromatically responsive to the balancing agent in aqueous form; and

wherein further the pH balancing agent and the pH-sensitive transfer indicator are selected and applied to the web such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a gradual color change upon contact with water to indicate effective transfer of the lotion, wherein the initiation of said color change is determined by the wicking time of the pH balancing agent.

59. A paper towel with a chromatic transfer indicator comprising:

a) a cellulosic web;

b) a water soluble pH balancing agent disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete pH balancing agent locations;

c) a pH-sensitive transfer indicator disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete indicator locations which are apart from the pH balancing agent locations, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator is chromatically responsive to the pH balancing agent in aqueous form; and

d) a transferable lotion composition immobilized on the cellulosic web in a semi-solid or solid form and imparting a water absorption rate delay to the cellulosic web;

wherein the pH balancing agent and the pH-sensitive transfer indicator are selected and applied to the web such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a gradual color change upon contact of the paper towel with water, wherein the initiation of said color change is determined by the wicking time of the pH balancing agent.

60. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH balancing agent is selected from glycolic acid, alpha-acetyl glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, alpha-acetyl lactic acid, alpha-hydroxy isobutyric acid, salicylic acid, mandelic acid, ortho-acetyl mandelic acid, benzilic acid, ortho-acetyl benzilic acid, malic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, pyruvic acid, sorbic acid and combinations thereof.

61. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH balancing agent is citric acid.

62. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH balancing agent is lactic acid.

63. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH balancing agent is glycolic acid.

64. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator comprises thymol blue, bromo cresol purple, methyl red, cresol red, phenolphthalein, thymolphthalein, or Alizarin yellow R.

65. The paper towel according to claim 59, wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator is thymol blue.