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

• US 8,920,823 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• 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): Blanchard, David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRAZIER, BARBARA S
• Application Number:
  US13/679,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 424/405
• 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 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 25% to the cellulosic web;

c) wherein the waterless micro-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 pH 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 pH 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 of the paper towel with water to indicate effective transfer of the waterless micro-emulsion, 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 waterless micro-emulsion comprises polar emollient in an amount of from about 2% to about 40% by weight of the lotion emulsion.

3. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the waterless micro-emulsion comprises a polar polyhydroxy emollient selected from propylene glycol, glycol, glycerol, diethylene glycol, methylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and sorbitol.

4. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 3, wherein the polar emollient is propylene glycol.

5. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the waterless micro-emulsion comprises non-polar emollient in the amount of from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the waterless micro-emulsion.

6. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the waterless micro-emulsion comprises the non-polar emollient selected from aromatic or linear esters, Guerbet ester, mineral oil, squalane, liquid paraffin, and mixtures thereof.

7. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 6, wherein the non-polar emollient is isopropyl myristate.

8. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 6, wherein the non-polar emollient is C₁₂-C₁₅ alkyl benzoate ester.

9. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 6, wherein the non-polar emollient is tri-octyldodecyl-citrate.

10. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 6, wherein the non-polar emollient is a mixture of C₁₂-C₁₅ alkyl benzoate ester and carnation oil.

11. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant composition comprises nonionic surfactant and a fatty alcohol, and the surfactant composition is present in the amount of from about 40% to about 70% by weight of the waterless micro-emulsion.

12. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant composition comprises the non-ionic surfactant selected from PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, ethoxylated methyl glucose having from about 10 to about 20 repeating ethoxy units, a mixture thereof and the like.

13. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 12, wherein the non-ionic surfactant comprises PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate.

14. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 12, wherein the non-ionic surfactant comprises PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate.

15. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant composition comprises a co-surfactant in the amount of from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the waterless micro-emulsion.

16. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 15, wherein the surfactant composition comprises the co-surfactant selected from C₁₂-C₁₈ fatty alcohols, behenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, iso-cetyl alcohol, and iso-stearyl alcohol.

17. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 15, wherein the co-surfactant is myristyl alcohol.

18. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 15, wherein the co-surfactant is a mixture of cetyl alcohol (C₁₆) and stearyl alcohol (C₁₈).