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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603360-B2
Application number	US-201414522800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2006
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-microbial paper towel with a chromatic transfer indicator comprising:
a) a cellulosic web;
b) a transferable lotion composition comprising an emollient and an 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 pH-sensitive transfer indicator disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete indicator locations; and
d) a water soluble indicator triggering agent disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete triggering agent locations which are apart from the pH-sensitive transfer indicator locations, wherein the water soluble indicator triggering agent is a non-toxic organic acid, inorganic acid, or a buffer solution;
wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator and indicator triggering agent are selected and applied to the web such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a visually perceivable color change upon contact of the towel with water after a characteristic time delay of at least about 5 seconds, wherein the initiation of said color change is determined by a wicking time of the indicator triggering agent.

2. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1 , wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator and the indicator triggering agent are selected such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a visually perceivable color change upon contact with water after a characteristic time delay of at least about 10 seconds.

3. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1 , wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator and the indicator triggering agent are selected such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a visually perceivable color change upon contact with water after a characteristic time delay of at least about 15 seconds.

4. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 1 , wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator and the indicator triggering agent are selected such that the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a visually perceivable color change upon contact with water after a characteristic time delay of at least about 20 seconds.

5. An anti-microbial paper towel comprising:
a) a cellulosic towel web;
b) a lotion emulsion including an anti-microbial agent disposed on the web, the lotion emulsion including a polar emollient and a non-polar emollient as well as a surfactant composition comprising a nonionic surfactant, wherein the lotion emulsion is substantially liquid at room temperature, the emollients and surfactant composition are selected such that the lotion emulsion is 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, wherein further the lotion emulsion is capable of forming an aqueous gel upon contact with water;
c) a pH-sensitive transfer indicator disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete indicator locations; and
d) a water soluble indicator triggering agent disposed on the web at a plurality of discrete triggering agent locations which are apart from the pH-sensitive transfer indicator locations, wherein the water soluble indicator triggering agent is a non-toxic organic acid, inorganic acid, or a buffer solution;
wherein the pH-sensitive transfer indicator undergoes a gradual color change upon contact of the cellulosic towel web with water to indicate effective transfer of the lotion, wherein the initiation of said color change is determined by a wicking time of the indicator triggering agent.

6. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the lotion emulsion comprises polar emollient in an amount of from about 2% to about 40% by weight of the lotion emulsion.

7. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the lotion emulsion comprises a polar polyhydroxy emollient selected from propylene glycol, glycol, glycerol, diethylene glycol, methylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and sorbitol.

8. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 7 , wherein the polar emollient is propylene glycol.

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

10. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the lotion emulsion comprises a non-polar emollient selected from aromatic or linear esters, Guerbet ester, mineral oil, squalane, liquid paraffin, and mixtures thereof.

11. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 10 , wherein the non-polar emollient is isopropyl myristate.

12. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 10 , wherein the non-polar emollient is C 12 -C 15 alkyl benzoate ester.

13. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 10 , wherein the non-polar emollient is tri-octyldodecyl-citrate.

14. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 10 , wherein the non-polar emollient is a mixture of C 12 -C 15 alkyl benzoate ester and carnation oil.

15. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises non-ionic surfactant including a fatty alcohol in the amount of from about 40% to about 70% by weight of the lotion emulsion.

16. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises a 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.

17. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 16 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant comprises PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate.

18. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 17 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant comprises PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate.

19. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises a co-surfactant in the amount of from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the lotion emulsion.

20. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 19 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises a co-surfactant selected from C 12 -C 18 fatty alcohols, behenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, iso-cetyl alcohol, and iso-stearyl alcohol.

21. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 19 , wherein the co-surfactant is myristyl alcohol.

22. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 19 , wherein the co-surfactant is a mixture of cetyl alcohol (C 16 ) and stearyl alcohol (C 18 ).

23. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 5 , wherein the lotion emulsion is substantially waterless.

24. An anti-microbial paper towel comprising:
a) a cellulosic towel web;
b) a transferable lotion composition disposed on the web comprising an emollient, an anti-microbial agent, and a retention/release agent such that the lotion has a ΔH above about 37° C. of more than about 10 calories/gram, a total heat

Assignees

• Georgia Pacific Consumer Products Lp

Inventors

• Luu Phuong Van
• Awofeso Anthony O
• Yardley Craig D
• Yeh Kang Chang
• Janda Bruce W

Classifications

• A61K31/075

  Ethers or acetals · CPC title

• A61K8/068

  Microemulsions · CPC title

• A61K2800/45

  Colour indicators, e.g. pH- or Redox indicators · CPC title

• D21H21/36

  Biocidal agents, e.g. fungicidal, bactericidal, insecticidal agents · CPC title

• A61K31/14

  Quaternary ammonium compounds, e.g. edrophonium, choline (betaines A61K31/205) · CPC title