U.S. patent application number 09/944385 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for wipe.
Invention is credited to Gustafsson, Anders, Johansson, Kerstin, Widlund, Urban.
Application Number | 20020026678 09/944385 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27354588 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020026678 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gustafsson, Anders ; et
al. |
March 7, 2002 |
Wipe
Abstract
A wipe (100), especially for hygiene purposes, has a first
surface (102) and a second surface (103), with a hydrophilic drying
material (101) arranged on the first surface (102). A tab-shaped
gripping member (104) is arranged on the second surface (103),
which gripping member (104) has a length direction and a width
direction, the length of the gripping member being at least 10
millimeters and the width of the gripping member not exceeding 5
millimeters, and the gripping member allows the wipe (100) to be
held by securely gripping it longitudinally between two fingers of
the hand.
Inventors: |
Gustafsson, Anders;
(Billdal, SE) ; Johansson, Kerstin; (Ulricehamn,
SE) ; Widlund, Urban; (Pixbo, SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Ronald L. Grudziecki
BURNS, DOANE, SWECKER & MATHIS, L.L.P.
P.O. Box 1404
Alexandria
VA
22313-1404
US
|
Family ID: |
27354588 |
Appl. No.: |
09/944385 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60234158 |
Sep 20, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/209.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 2200/1018 20130101;
A47L 13/16 20130101; A47K 7/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/209.1 |
International
Class: |
A47L 013/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 4, 2000 |
SE |
0003114-6 |
Claims
1. A wipe comprising: a drying layer having a first surface and a
second surface, and a gripping member arranged on the second
surface, the gripping member is in the form of a tab projecting
from the second surface and has a length and a width, the length of
the gripping member being at least 10 millimeters and the width of
the gripping member not exceeding 5 millimeters, and in that the
gripping member allows the wipe to be held securely by gripping the
gripping member longitudinally between two fingers of a hand.
2. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the gripping member
projects from the drying layer by at least 5 millimeters.
3. The wipe according to claim 2, in which the gripping member
projects from the drying layer by 10-40 millimeters.
4. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the gripping member is
formed by a material fold.
5. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the gripping member is
formed by a separate material section which is fixed to the second
surface of the drying layer.
6. The wipe according to claim 1, in which at least two tab-shaped
gripping members are arranged on the second surface.
7. The wipe according to claim 6, in which the distance between the
two gripping members is from 2 centimeters to 8 centimeters.
8. The wipe according to claim 7, in which the distance between two
adjacent gripping members is from 2.5 centimeters and 6
centimeters.
9. The wipe according to claim 5, in which an outer contour of the
gripping member coincides with an outer contour of the drying layer
of the wipe.
10. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the drying layer
comprises a liquid-absorbing material.
11. The wipe according to claim 1, in which a protective layer is
arranged between the gripping member and the drying layer of the
wipe.
12. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the gripping member has
an extent in the longitudinal direction which is at least 1.5
centimeters.
13. The wipe according to claim 1, in which the gripping member has
an extent in the longitudinal direction which is at least 3
centimeters.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the priority of Swedish
Patent Application No. SE 0003114-6, filed in Sweden on Sep. 4,
2000. The present application also claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 06/234,158, filed in the United States
on Sep. 20, 2000. The contents of Swedish Patent Application No. SE
0003114-6 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/234,158 are
hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The invention relates to a wipe having a first surface and a
second surface, with a hydrophilic material layer arranged on the
first surface and a gripping member arranged on the second
surface.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] For cleaning the genital and anal region, for example when
visiting the toilet, or for washing/drying of infants or of
incontinent bedridden adults, it has until now been customary to
use toilet paper, wipes, towelettes or the like. However, the known
drying means are associated with a number of disadvantages. For
example, when using toilet paper or wipes for drying, an
unnecessarily large amount of material is used up in order to form
a "handle" to secure the drying material in relation to the hand
and to ensure that the hand which is holding the drying material is
protected from contamination. Moreover, toilet paper and wipes
afford poor precision during the drying procedure and, especially
in the nursing context, result in ineffective and unhygienic
handling of the drying material.
[0006] Another problem arises in connection with wiping cloths for
polishing purposes. Such cloths have to be moved at great speed
across the surface which is to be polished and, as a result of the
friction between the polished surface and the polishing cloth, it
is easy for the polishing cloth to slip out of the user's hand.
Polishing does not always require that the drying material be
hydrophilic, since polishing is often carried out on dry or oily
surfaces. In the latter case, it may be expedient to use a drying
material which absorbs hydrophobic liquids, such as oils.
[0007] To make drying easier, to save material and to provide
better protection against contamination, it has been proposed, for
example in DE 4117827 and WO 96/16217, to design wipes as pockets
or mitts into which the user can insert a hand. However, such mitts
or pockets still require a relatively large amount of material. In
addition, there is a considerable risk of the mitt or pocket
slipping off the hand, or slipping round the hand during use. Thus,
the known drying mitts do not afford satisfactory protection
against contamination or sufficient precision and control during
the drying procedure.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved wipe for cleaning the genital and anal region, for
polishing purposes, or similar uses.
[0009] A wipe designed according to the invention may include a
first drying surface and a gripping member in the form of a tab
projecting from a second surface. The gripping member has a length
direction and a width direction, the length of the gripping member
preferably being at least 10 millimeters and the width of the
gripping member preferably not exceeding 5 millimeters. The
gripping member can be held securely by gripping it longitudinally
between two fingers of the hand. The length direction of the
gripping member is the direction which coincides with the length
direction of the user's fingers when the wipe is being used. The
width direction is at right angles to the length direction of the
gripping member, and the width of the gripping member is the extent
in the width direction when the gripping member is held securely
between two fingers. Thus, the gripping member should preferably
not be so wide that it becomes uncomfortable or difficult to hold
securely between two fingers.
[0010] To obtain a good hold and to facilitate gripping of the
tab-shaped gripping member, it is preferable for the latter, at
least somewhere along its length, to project from the second
surface by at least 5 millimeters, and more preferably for the
tab-shaped gripping member to project from the second surface by
10-40 millimeters. The upper limit for the height of the tab-shaped
gripping member or for its width is not critical for the gripping
function, but for reasons of material consumption, and from the
point of view of handling, it is preferable that the gripping
member is not too wide.
[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the tab-shaped
gripping member is formed by a material fold in a material layer.
Such a gripping member thus comprises double plies of the material
layer. It is also possible to use laminated material layers, for
example a laminate of nonwoven material and a plastic film, by
which means the gripping member comprises a liquid barrier. The
separate material section can be in the form of a material band or
a layer which after folding has substantially the same planar
extent as, or a different planar extent than, the hydrophilic
material layer. Laminating several layers of material also
increases the stiffness and thus the stability and grippability of
the gripping member.
[0012] The separate material section is fixed to the second surface
of the hydrophilic material layer, either directly against this
surface, or against an intermediate material layer which is
arranged across the second surface of the hydrophilic material
layer. Examples of such intermediate material layers are
liquid-tight material layers, bacteria-tight material layers,
strengthening layers, or similar layers. The separate material
section forming the gripping member can be arranged across the
whole of the second surface of the hydrophilic material layer or
over just part of this surface.
[0013] According to another embodiment of the invention, at least
two tab-shaped gripping members are arranged on the second surface.
By adapting the distance between the tab-shaped gripping members so
that it corresponds to the width of one or two fingers, it is
possible to grip both gripping members at the same time. Such dual
holding permits a secure hold and a high level of control over the
wipe during the drying procedure. Two or more gripping members
additionally afford the user the possibility of choosing to use
either one or two gripping members. By choosing different gripping
members, it is also possible to determine the position of the wipe
in relation to the hand, and to move the wipe in relation to the
hand, so that different parts of the wipe can be used for drying.
The distance between two adjacent tab-shaped gripping members
should preferably be from 2 centimeters to 8 centimeters and more
preferably from 2.5 centimeters to 6 centimeters.
[0014] The hydrophilic material layer advantageously comprises a
liquid-absorbing material, for example cellulose pulp, cotton
fibers, peat, or similar material, so that body fluids can be
absorbed by the wipe.
[0015] To facilitate cutting of the wipes according to the
invention, the outer contour of the gripping tabs, when the
gripping tabs are folded down against the gripping surface, can be
designed to at least partially coincide with the outer contour of
the hydrophilic material layer of the wipe. When the gripping tabs
are formed by a folded material section, it is also possible, after
the gripping tabs have been formed, to cut their outer contour to
match the outer contour of the rest of the wipe.
[0016] It can also be expedient to arrange a protective layer
between the gripping member and the hydrophilic material layer of
the wipe in order to protect the user's hand against soiling. Such
a protective layer can, for example, be a plastic film or a
hydrophobic nonwoven material which reduces movement of liquid to
the user's hand. It is also conceivable to use a bacteria-tight
material, material with bactericidal properties, material with high
absorbency, or similar material. It is of course possible for the
tab-shaped gripping member or gripping members to be made of the
same material as the protective layer, or to let the tab-shaped
gripping member be part of the protective layer.
[0017] The stability and control of the wipe, during drying, and
its grippability increase as the length of the gripping member
increases, at least to a length approximately corresponding to the
length of a finger. It is therefore advantageous if the gripping
member has an extent in the longitudinal direction which is at
least 1.5 centimeters and preferably at least 3 centimeters.
[0018] Since at least one finger is situated on each side of the
tab-shaped gripping member during use of the wipe according to the
invention, the material of the gripping member can be secured
firmly between the fingers on both sides of the gripping member.
This means that the wipe is prevented from slipping off the hand
during the drying procedure. In addition, the wipe can be held in a
predetermined position, as a result of which soiled parts of the
wipe are prevented from inadvertently coming into contact with
surfaces outside the drying location. The fact that the wipe can be
locked in a defined position in relation to the user's hand also
means that the user has greater control over the wipe during the
drying procedure, as a result of which drying is made easier and
can be done with greater precision and with a better end result
than has been possible with the previously known wipes. In
accordance with the invention it is thus possible to achieve
greater protection against soiling of the user's hand, better
holding of the wipe, and greater precision and accuracy in the
drying procedure.
[0019] The invention thus makes available a wipe with a drying
surface which is designed to offer optimum drying properties and a
gripping member which is designed to offer reliable and hygienic
holding of the wipe during the drying procedure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0020] The invention will now be described in greater detail with
reference to the figures shown in the attached drawings. Of
these:
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a wipe according to a first embodiment of the
invention, seen from the side which, during drying, is intended to
be directed away from the drying area;
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of how the wipe in FIG. 1
can be held securely during use;
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a wipe according to a second embodiment of the
invention, seen from the side which, during drying, is intended to
be directed away from the drying area;
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV through the wipe
in FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of how the wipe in FIGS. 3
and 4 can be held securely during use;
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a wipe according to a third embodiment of the
invention, seen from the side which, during drying, is intended to
be directed away from the drying area;
[0027] FIG. 7 shows a section through a wipe according to a fourth
embodiment of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 8 shows a section through a wipe according to a fifth
embodiment of the invention, and
[0029] FIG. 9 shows a wipe according to a sixth embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The wipe 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is shown from the side which
is intended to be gripped during use and comprises a first layer,
the drying layer 101, made of a liquid-absorbing or at least
hydrophilic material. Suitable materials in this case are layers of
tissue, thin flexible layers of absorbent foam and textiles or
textile-like material, preferably so-called nonwoven material
comprising absorbent or at least hydrophilic fibers. Examples of
fibers that can be used in this connection are cellulose fibers,
regenerated cellulose, polyester, polyolefin fibers which have been
rendered hydrophilic, or similar fibers. The drying layer 101 can
comprise absorbent material together with nonabsorbent binding
fibers, strengthening fibers, or similar fibers. For example,
nonwoven material consisting of fiber mixtures with absorbent and
nonabsorbent fibers can be used. However, it is preferred that the
fibers used are primarily fibers which are hydrophilic or which
have been treated in order to obtain a hydrophilic surface, for
example with wetting agents or by chemical or physical modification
of the fibers. The drying layer 101 can comprise one or more plies
of material and can also be provided with a cover sheet, preferably
of nonwoven material on the drying surface 102, which is the
surface intended to be directed towards the surface to be dried.
The drying layer 101 also has a gripping surface 103 on which a
gripping member 104 is arranged.
[0031] The gripping member 104 can be formed by a second layer 105
which is fixed to the drying layer 101 by adhesive bonding,
welding, or similar means. The join between the drying layer 101
and the second layer 105 can be made continuous over the entire
mutually facing surfaces of the drying layer 101 and the second
layer 105, or can be in the form of discrete attachment points or
attachment areas arranged between the layers.
[0032] The second layer 105 can consist of the same material as the
drying layer or of some other layer material suitable for this
purpose. The second layer 105 can be chosen from a larger group of
materials, since no requirements in terms of absorption properties
are placed on this layer. Thus, the second layer 105 can be a layer
of tissue, a nonwoven layer, a plastic film, a layer of paper, or
similar material. However, the second layer 105 is preferably
liquid-tight, or at least hydrophobic, so that it resists
penetration of liquid during the drying procedure. Protection
against soiling of the user's hand during drying is achieved in
this way.
[0033] The wipe 100 has a trapezoid shape with a longitudinal
direction and a transverse direction and with two equal long side
edges 108, 109 extending in the longitudinal direction and two end
edges 110, 111 extending in the transverse direction, of which one
end edge 110 is slightly shorter than the other end edge
[0034] The gripping member 104 is formed by a gripping tab
projecting from the gripping surface 103 of the drying layer and
with an essentially rectangular shape and is formed by a fold in
the second layer 105 which extends in the longitudinal direction of
the wipe. The fold can be closed, for example by adhesive bonding
or welding, or can be an open material fold.
[0035] During use of the wipe 100, the gripping member 104 is held
securely between two fingers, for example between the middle finger
117 and the index finger 118, as is shown in FIG. 2. To protect the
fingers against soiling, the wipe 100 should have a width which at
least exceeds the width of two fingers and preferably should have a
width which exceeds the width of three fingers, as is shown in FIG.
2.
[0036] The wipe 300 shown in FIGS. 3-5 is again seen in FIGS. 3 and
5 from the side which is intended to be gripped during use. The
wipe 300 comprises a drying layer 301 with a drying surface 302 and
a second surface, the gripping surface 303, which is directed away
from the drying surface 302. A further material layer, the
protective layer 321, is arranged on the second surface 303 of the
drying layer. The protective layer 321 is preferably a layer of
tissue, a nonwoven layer, or a liquid-tight layer such as a plastic
layer, or a hydrophobic nonwoven layer. Alternatively, the
protective layer 321 can be a laminate of an absorbent or
hydrophilic layer and a liquid-tight layer, for example a layer of
tissue and a plastic layer.
[0037] Two gripping members 304 are formed by a material layer 305,
fixed to the surface of the protective layer 321 directed away from
the drying layer 301, along two parallel attachment lines 306, 307,
for example by adhesive bonding, stitching or welding. The join can
be in the form of a continuous seam along the whole of each
attachment line 306, 307 or can be discontinuous, consisting of two
or more attachment areas.
[0038] The attachment lines 306, 307 are preferably arranged at a
distance from each other which approximately corresponds to the
width of one finger. Alternatively, the distance between the
attachment lines and thus between the gripping members 304 can
correspond to approximately two finger widths. It is also possible,
but less preferable, to arrange the gripping members 304 at any
other distance from each other. In the latter case, only one
gripping member 304 can generally be used for holding the wipe 300.
However, the user has the possibility of choosing which of the
gripping members to use and can in this way control the position of
the wipe in relation to the hand, which is of course an advantage.
Also, in the alternative embodiments in which the distance between
the gripping members 304 corresponds to one or two finger widths,
the user can of course choose only to use one of the gripping
members 304.
[0039] Like the wipe shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wipe 300 has a
trapezoid shape with a longitudinal direction and a transverse
direction and with two equal long side edges 308, 309 extending in
the longitudinal direction and two end edges 310, 311 extending in
the transverse direction, of which one end edge 310 is slightly
shorter than the other end edge 311. In the examples shown in FIGS.
1-5, the gripping members 304 extend the whole distance between the
end edges 110, 111; 310, 311. However, it is not necessary for the
gripping member or members to extend the whole distance between the
end edges 110, 111; 310, 311.
[0040] All the layers included in the wipe 300 have essentially the
same shape and planar extent, which is an advantage from a
manufacturing point of view, since wipes can be cut out directly
from a co-laminated web comprising all the layers 301, 305,
321.
[0041] The wipe shown in FIGS. 3-5 is used in a similar way as the
wipe in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, one or two fingers are arranged
between the gripping members 304, preferably from the shorter end
edge 310 of the wipe, and one or more gripping members 304 are held
securely between one finger introduced between the gripping members
304 and at least one adjacent finger between the respective
gripping member 304 and the corresponding side edge. As is shown in
FIG. 5, the wipe 300 can be held securely using three fingers when
the distance between the gripping members 304 is adapted to one
finger width, in which case one gripping member 304 is held
securely between the ring finger 319 and the middle finger 317 and
one gripping member 304 is held securely between the middle finger
317 and the index finger 318.
[0042] Unlike the wipes shown in FIGS. 1-5, the wipe 600 shown in
FIG. 6 has an oval shape and comprises a drying layer 601 with a
drying surface 602 and a gripping surface 603, and with a
protective layer 621, for example a plastic film arranged across
the gripping surface 603. A strip-shaped material layer 605 is
arranged on the surface of the protective layer 621 directed away
from the drying layer and is fixed to the protective layer 621 in
folded form, so that two tab-shaped gripping tabs or members 604',
604" are obtained. The strip-shaped material layer 605 can consist
of a plastic film, a nonwoven material, a laminate of plastic film
and nonwoven, or similar materials. By arranging a plastic film
inside a nonwoven material, gripping members 604', 604" are
obtained with a liquid-tight and bacteria-tight barrier between the
user's hand and the wipe. At the same time, the nonwoven material
can be chosen such that the friction between the user's hand and
the gripping members is greater than for a plastic film, as a
result of which the securing properties of the gripping members are
improved.
[0043] FIG. 7 shows a cross section of a wipe 700 with a gripping
member 704 according to the invention. The gripping member 704 is
in the form of a folded tab and comprises an outer cover material,
for example a plastic film, or a hydrophobic, preferably
liquid-resistant, nonwoven material, and an inner material which is
part of the drying layer 701 of the wipe. By letting the drying
layer 701 extend into the gripping member 704, a stronger and more
stable gripping member is obtained which is easier to grip and
secure. The wipe in FIG. 7 is further provided with a
liquid-permeable cover sheet 723, which is fixed to the drying
surface 702 of the drying layer 701. Such liquid-permeable cover
sheets can of course be used together with any of the wipes
disclosed herein.
[0044] A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 8. Like the wipe in
FIG. 7, the wipe 800 is shown in cross section and, like the wipe
700 shown in FIG. 7, comprises a liquid-permeable cover sheet 823
arranged across the drying surface of a drying layer 801. The
surface of the drying layer opposite the cover sheet, namely the
gripping surface 803, is covered by a protective layer 821 which is
fixed to the drying layer in a conventional manner.
[0045] The gripping members include two gripping tabs 804', 804"
which are fixed at a distance from each other, as in the embodiment
shown in FIGS. 3-5. In contrast to the previously described
embodiment, however, the gripping tabs 804', 804" are fixed with
their free ends 824, 825 directed in towards the longitudinal
centre line of the wipe 800. In the example shown, the free ends
824, 825 overlap slightly, which facilitates gripping of the tabs.
The variant shown in FIG. 8 is advantageous since it is easy to
lift the gripping tabs 804', 804" up from the protective layer 821
by bending the wipe along the longitudinal centre line, so that the
free ends 824, 825 of the gripping tabs 804', 804" can be easily
gripped. Depending on the size of the wipe and the distance between
the gripping tabs 804', 804", it is of course possible to arrange
gripping tabs 804', 804" which overlap each other to a greater
extent than is shown in FIG. 8, or which do not overlap each other
at all.
[0046] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a wipe 900 with a
relatively stiff material section 905, such as stiff plastic, with
two pre-formed gripping tabs 904', 904". The stiff material section
905 is fixed to the wipe with the gripping tabs 904', 904"
projecting from the gripping surface 903 of the drying layer 901.
As the gripping tabs 904', 904" are not formed by a material fold,
they can be given any expedient shape, for example rounded, as is
shown in FIG. 9.
[0047] Although the wipes in several of the illustrative
embodiments shown have a trapezoid shape, it is of course possible,
within the scope of the invention, to use a number of other shapes.
For example, square, rectangular, circular, oval or triangular
wipes can be used. The size of the wipe can of course be varied
according to the area of use. However, the wipe should have a width
which at least corresponds to two finger widths. Moreover, the
drying layer can be made up of one or more layers of different or
similar composition. The absorption capacity of the drying layer
can of course be adapted according to the area of use. The wipe can
of course be of the towelette type. The use of the different
protective layers and cover sheets described is of course
applicable to all the various embodiments. It is likewise possible
to provide a wipe according to the invention with more than one
tab-shaped gripping member.
[0048] Although only preferred embodiments are specifically
illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that many
modifications and variations of the present invention are possible
in light of the above teachings and within the purview of the
appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended
scope of the invention.
* * * * *