Treated Paper And Non-woven Material For Wiping Surfaces And Method Therefor

Abstract

Tissue type paper and non-woven material are uniformly impregnated with a non-aqueous liquid carrier selected from liquid hydrocarbons, glycols, and pine oils containing an agent uniformly distributed therein automatically, by applying a predetermined quantity of treating fluid to any portion of the non-treated material. The agent is selected from waxes, silicones, and materials producing a predetermined odor. The agent does not separate from the carrier until at least the treated material is substantially impregnated, and the carrier and agent remain in the material substantially as when it was impregnated and are deposited in the same proportions as a thin film on a surface wiped by the material.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 843,223, filed July 18, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,280, which in turn is a continuation of application for Ser. No. 475,234, filed July 27, 1965, now abandoned.

Description

This invention relates to a disposable treated tissue and non-woven material. More particularly, it relates to a treated tissue or non-woven material, which may be used as is, to wipe a predetermined surface and deposit a thin, invisible film on such surface, and which material is then discarded; and a process for treating the tissue and material. The treated tissue and material may be used for a variety of personal and cleaning purposes, such as toilet tissue, facial tissue, and dusting and polishing cloths, and wipers.

Treated paper is old. However, all of the treatments to these materials are directed solely to affecting the paper or material. Hence, paper has been treated with ingredients that inhibit mold growth, bacteria growth, sticking of candy and the like on or to the treated paper. These treated materials are incapable of transmitting that treatment to another surface, since the treating material is dried or hardened after application. Further, the manner of treatment for paper on one hand, and tissue or non-woven material on the other hand, is entirely different. Heretofore, paper, cloth, or the like was treated with the desired ingredients by coating the surface by rollers or other mechanical means, or the paper or cloth was pulled through the treating liquid. While this method is feasible for strong papers and cloths, it is not practical, or is too expensive, for thin materials or multiple tissue paper. Similarly, for certain purposes an agent, such as a water-repellant, was distributed over the surface of cloth by dissolving the agent in a solvent, spreading the solution on the surface, and evaporating the solvent, thereby leaving the agent attached to the surface. This treatment also was with respect to the cloth itself, i.e., water-proofing it.

The present invention is directed to treating relatively weak paper materials, such as tissue papers and non-woven materials. These materials are inexpensive and are intended to be disposable. The paper and non-woven materials are treated not for affecting the properties of the paper and material, but to apply the treating fluid in the same proportions as originally applied to the paper, to another surface that is wiped with the treated paper or material, in a thin layer, in which the agent is uniformly distributed. In effect, the treated tissue or material acts as an applicator for the treating fluid, even while performing its primary function as a facial tissue or wiper or toilet tissue or duster.

The different end uses of the material treated in accordance with the present invention require different agents, all of which are completely dispersed in a non-aqueous carrier. The total quantity of treating fluid is applied to any portion of the tissue paper and distributes itself throughout the paper uniformly, in the same proportion of agent to carrier as originally applied, so that a surface wiped with one portion of the treated paper will have the same quantity of agent remaining on it as another surface wiped with a different portion of the treated paper.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable treated tissue or non-woven material, which is useful for many purposes, including personal, toilet, and dusting and polishing of furniture and glass surfaces, and which is simple and convenient to use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a treated paper, which is disposable, economical and effective in polishing delicate surfaces, such as furniture, cars, metal, plastic and glass, when wiped with any part of this treated paper. The treated paper applies a non-drying film in a thin layer, so as to provide a maximum polish and high gloss without leaving any smearing film.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a treated tissue, which is dry to the touch and having an emollient feel, which is usable as toilet tissue by sufferers of piles and other irritations of the anus.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a treated tissue having an emollient feel and a long shelf life, which can be applied to the nose by sufferers of colds and other respiratory afflictions, which provides a desired characteristic odor to relieve the distress caused by these ailments, as well as applying a soothing film for preventing chapping and irritation of the skin.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing such treated paper in a simple manner.

Treated paper and non-woven material prepared in accordance with the present invention is useful for many purposes, such as cleaning, polishing and dusting various types of surfaces, including furniture, automobiles, glass, mirrors and the like. The treated paper besides polishing collects and retains the dust in the air with resulting respiratory dangers, as well as the resettling of the dust on the surfaces cleaned. The treated tissue made in accordance with the present invention is emollient and can be used dry on the most delicate and fine wood finishes, and deposits an invisible thin film on the surface wiped without the need of further additional material, liquid, or additional polishing or rubbing. The present treated paper is easy to use and provides a high gloss on the wiped surface.

Additionally, tissue paper may be treated in accordance with the present invention with a non-aqueous liquid carrier vehicle and a chemical which produces an odor, which alleviates the distress occasioned by nasal, throat or bronchial ailments. One such chemical is menthol, represented by the formula C.sub.10 H.sub.19 OH and its homologues. Other chemicals are thymol, represented by the formula CH.sub.3 (C.sub.3 H.sub.7)C.sub.6 H.sub.3 OH and its homologues, and camphor, represented by the formula C.sub.10 H.sub.16 O and its homologues. Menthol and thymol and their homologues have properties in common and may be classified under the broad group of phenols and their corresponding carbocyclic products of varying degrees of saturation. The chemical homogenously mixed with the carrier retains its odorforming properties, even for a long period of shelf life, and produces a slow, continuous release of the odor for a relatively long period of time, much longer than if the chemical were applied directly, and the present invention not used.

In use the treated tissue is used in the conventional manner in wiping the nose. The odors of the chemical used provides relief to the user and the pliable treated tissue deposits a thin film of oil and odor-producing chemical on the sensitive skin about the nose and lips of the user, which oil prevents irritation and chapping of the skin, and the odor remains for a relatively long period. After use the tissue is discarded.

Also, other chemicals can be used to provide desired odors to the impregnated paper, including "essential oils" and artificial scents, which produce animal, tree, plant, flower, astringent and medicinal odors, which are well-known in the cosmetic and perfumery field. "Essential oils" are volatile oils derived from the selected plants and flowers carrying the characteristic odor or flavor of the plant or flower used. (See "The Condensed Chemical Dictionary"- 7th Edition, Reinhold Publishing Corp. 1961, 1966.)

Similarly, toilet tissue may be impregnated with a liquid hydrocarbon and a silicone, in accordance with the present invention, which will sooth the irritated skin by depositing a thin layer of oil on the skin of the user without any greasy feeling.

Heretofore, in the manfuacture of treated facial and toilet tissues and polishing and dust cloths made of paper, cotton and the like, it has been customary to impregnate the material with an aqueous solution containing the treating ingredients by spraying, soaking and the like, which ingredients were then air-dried on the material. Because of the nature of the structure of the cloth or special types of paper, these could be subjected to treatment with an aqueous solution for long periods of time without deleterious effect. In attempting to apply these aqueous processes to the treatment of conventional paper, such as tissue paper, it was found that the results were not satisfactory. It was found that paper treated with an aqueous solution could not absorb more than one percent of water without altering its structure. The absorption of this small amount of water would not result in the deposition of adequate amounts of the treating material, such as polishing agents on the paper. It was thus necessary to devise a method to deposit an adequate amount of the treating material on the paper without altering the structure of the paper. Also, the dried paper required wetting in some manner from an outside source before using, in order to be effective.

In accordance with the present invention, the paper being treated will absorb sufficient treating material, such as a polishing agent, menthol or other ingredients, to render the paper useful for the purpose intended, such as polishing and dusting, a toilet tissue or a facial type of tissue, without altering the structure of the paper if the paper is treated with a non-aqueous liquid vehicle, in which the treating material is substantially uniformly distributed. The treating liquid is self-spreading throughout the entire sheet and is spread evenly over the entire surface of the paper. No separate drying operation is required, as was necessary previously.

A variety of non-aqueous liquid vehicles are known, which are useful for the purpose of the present invention. Among these may be mentioned liquid hydrocarbons, glycols and pine oils. The preferred liquid vehicles are the normally liquid hydrocarbons, e.g., normally light liquid hydrocarbon oils, aliphatic naphthas, Stoddard solvents, kerosenes (refined), paraffinic hydrocarbons, natural mineral oil and white mineral oil.

Since the products of the present invention generally come in contact with the skin, the non-aqueous liquid vehicles generally employed are those that are non-toxic or non-irritating when the paper contacts the skin.

All of the ingredients are preferably completely dispersible in the non-aqueous vehicle, and remain so, so that subsequent agitation is not needed to redisperse the ingredients in the vehicle before use. By using the proper percentage of liquid vehicle, a total all-side surface treatment is assured. This is especially important when tissue paper is being used, which comes in one-, two-, three-, four-ply, or more.

For some purposes, certain agents should be incorporated in the paper. Thus, for example, there may be added to the liquid vehicle a silicone, wax or menthol, scent, perfume or other agent or combination of these, which will be absorbed by the paper when the paper is processed in accordance with this invention.

With the present invention, waxes, scents, pine alcohols, essential oils and/or silicones can be added to the required degree and the resulting admixture remains clear indefinitely without separation. This will permit the production of the treated paper for the many different purposes intended in the invention.

Some waxes, which are suitable for use, are carnauba, beeswax, candelilla, paraffin, ceresin, esparto, ouricuri, rezowax and other known waxes.

A feature of the present invention is the fact that no separation of the essential constituents of the treating composition occurs. This is true of the treating liquid before it is applied to the non-woven material or tissue, as well as the treating composition disposed on the paper or tissue. Since the treatment of the paper in accordance with the present invention may involve contacting the paper with a treating solution for several days, it is very important that the components of the treating liquid do not separate out during this period. Furthermore, since it may take several days for the treating fluid to reach the deeper plies of paper, it is essential for the proper treatment of these deeper plies that the constituents of the treating fluid do not separate out.

The relative proportions of the ingredients contained in the impregnating liquid may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of this invention. In the preferred practice of the invention, the ratio of the treating liquid to the weight of treated paper will vary in the range of from about 10 to 70 parts by weight of the treated paper. For example, a multiple of paper sheets, size 12 .times. 24", requires for end use a 25 percent treatment. The weight of the paper unit untreated is 10 grams; therefore, 2.5 grams of the solution is applied to any part of this paper unit, which distributes itself throughout the paper evenly in a relatively short time.

The range of wax or combination of waxes added can vary from 1 percent to 40 percent of the impregnating liquid, with about seven percent to fifteen percent (7-15 percent) being preferred; the silicone added should not be less than one-tenth of a percent and the range of the odor-producing chemical can vary from about fifteen-hundredth of a percent to about seven-tenths of a percent, all percentages being by weight of the impregnated sheet.

The following examples are further illustrative of the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that this invention is not limited thereto.

Example 1

The percentages of the materials indicated below in this example, are based on the total weight of the treating liquid made in accordance with the present invention.

7 percent of carnauba wax and 3 percent paraffin wax was mixed with a solution containing 87 percent hydrocarbon distillate.sup.(1) and 3 percent silicones.sup.(2) until fully and uniformly dispersed. Paper treated with this liquid is useful in dusting and polishing.

Example 2

A solution was prepared by mixing 1 percent menthol and 1 percent lavender with 97 percent of hydrocarbon distillate.sup.(1) and 1 percent cosmetic silicones.sup.(3) . This solution is used in treating facial tissues. The percentages of materials indicated above in this example, are

The above solutions were affixed onto two test samples of paper. The treating solutions were free-flowing and a predetermined amount was applied locally to one spot or part of the surface of the paper to be treated. Within a few days, the solution penetrated every part of its corresponding paper to provide a uniform distribution of the treating solution throughout the paper and over the entire surface. For the purpose of this invention, a permanently dispersed and uniform distribution of the vehicle throughout the paper is necessary.

In preparing the treated sheet constituting the product of this invention, the sheet is treated in any convenient manner with a predetermined quantity of the non-aqueous treating solution from about 71/2 percent to about 70 percent of the weight of the treated paper product applied locally to any spot or part of the surface thereof. The entire quantity of treating liquid applied to the paper is absorbed and retained by the paper. Advantageously, the treated paper or tissue is packaged in the normal manner and within a relatively short time, i.e., several hours to a few days, the treating solution spreads by itself to penetrate every part of the paper without any further act being necessary to provide a uniform and homogeneous distribution of the treating solution throughout the paper. The treated paper feels dry to the touch.

An impregnated paper sheet made in accordance with the present invention is soft and cloth-like, so that it covers all of the areas or surfaces to be wiped or contacted. The treated paper is pliable and soft, so that the most sensitive skin surface or furniture surface rubbed with it will not be irritated, marred or scratched. Dust or loose dirt on the furniture adheres to the surface of the treated sheet when the furniture is wiped by the sheet used as a polishing or dusting cloth. In view of the large surfaces of the sheet, a large amount of dust can be collected. If smearing or transferring a heavy layer of oil to the surface wiped is to be avoided, care should be taken as to how much treating liquid is applied to the paper. Further, the added agents, especially the odor-producing compounds, such as menthol, are retained on the sheets and on the surface wiped, for long periods of time, with little or insignificant loss of effective power. Thus, the present invention provides long shelf life for the treated paper.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wiping and polishing pad for wiping surfaces as is, without the addition of water or other substances, and which remains permanently in a condition such that it can deposit a thin film on the wiped surfaces, comprising tissue paper or a non-woven material uniformly impregnated with a fluid consisting essentially of a non-aqueous liquid carrier and a composition uniformly distributed in said carrier, said carrier and composition comprising at least about 7.5 to about 70 percent by weight of said impregnated tissue paper or non-woven material, there being no separation of the carrier and composition until at least the paper is substantially impregnated, said carrier being selected from the class consisting of a liquid hydrocarbon, a glycol, and a pine oil which are substantially nonvolatile at room temperature, said composition consisting essentially of a wax and a silicone, said wax comprising about 1 to 40 percent by weight of said carrier, and said silicone comprising at least 0.1 percent by weight of said impregnated tissue paper or nonwoven material, said carrier and composition releasably remaining in said tissue paper or non-woven material during the normal life of the article in the state substantially as when said tissue paper or non-woven material was impregnated and capable of being deposited as a thin film on a surface wiped by said tissue paper or non-woven material, said impregnated tissue paper or non-woven material being dry to the touch.

2. A wiping and polishing pad according to claim 1 wherein said wax comprises about 7 to about 15 percent by weight of said fluid impregnated in said paper and said silicone comprises about 2 to about 8 percent by weight of said fluid impregnated in said paper.

3. A wiping and polishing pad according to claim 2 wherein said wax is selected from the class consisting of carnauba, beeswax, candelilla, paraffin, ceresin, esparto, ouricuri, and rezowax.

4. A method for impregnation of a tissue paper useful in polishing and/or cleaning which comprises applying to only one spot or part of a surface of said tissue paper at ambient temperature, a fluid consisting essentially of a non-aqueous liquid carrier containing a composition uniformly distributed in said carrier, said carrier and composition comprising about 7.5 to about 70 percent by weight of said impregnated tissue paper, said carrier being selected from the class consisting of a liquid hydrocarbon, a glycol, and a pine oil which are substantially non-volatile at room temperature and said composition consisting essentially of a wax and a silicone, said wax comprising about 1 to about 40 percent by weight of said carrier and said silicone comprising at least about 0.1 percent by weight of said impregnated tissue paper, and letting said tissue paper with said fluid stand so that said fluid penetrates every part of said tissue paper to provide a uniform distribution of said fluid throughout said tissue paper.