Anti-microbial hand towel with time-delay chromatic transfer indicator and absorbency rate delay
View Patent ↗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.
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 of melting of above about 25 calories/gram, and an onset of melting temperature of at least about 30° C., the transferable lotion applied in amounts such that it imparts a water absorption rate delay of at least about 25% to the cellulosic web;
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 apart from the pH-sensitive transfer indicator 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.
25. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the lotion composition further comprises a surfactant composition in the amount of from about 10% to about 15% by weight of the lotion composition.
26. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the lotion composition further comprises a surfactant selected from methyl glucoside sesquistearate, ethoxylated methyl glucoside sesquistearate containing 20 moles of oxyethylene units, or combinations thereof.
27. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 25 , wherein the surfactant comprises a mixture of PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate and methyl glucose sesquistearate.
28. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the lotion composition comprises an emollient in the amount of from about 5% to about 75% by weight of the lotion composition.
29. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 28 , wherein the emollient comprises an aromatic ester emollient, a fatty alcohol ester of a non-fatty organic acid emollient, or mixtures thereof.
30. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 29 , wherein the aromatic ester emollient is a benzoate ester emollient selected from C 12 -C 15 alkyl benzoate, stearyl benzoate, octyl dodecyl benzoate, isostearyl benzoate, methyl gluceth-20 benzoate, stearyl ether benzoate, poloxamer 182 dibenzoate, poloxamer 105 benzoate, or mixtures thereof.
31. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 29 , wherein the fatty alcohol ester of a non-fatty organic acid emollient comprises C 12 -C 15 octanoate.
32. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 29 , wherein the emollient is a mixture of C 12 -C 15 alkyl benzoate.
33. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the lotion composition comprises a retention/release agent in the amount of from about 25% to about 95% by weight of the lotion composition.
34. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the retention/release agent comprises a C 12 -C 18 fatty alcohol.
35. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 34 , wherein the fatty alcohol is selected from dodecanol, tridecanol, tetradecanol, pentadecanol, hexadecanol, heptadecanol, octadecanol, or mixtures thereof.
36. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 34 , wherein the fatty alcohol is a mixture of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol.
37. The anti-microbial paper towel according to claim 24 , wherein the lotion composition is substantially waterless.