High utility towel

Details High utility towel High utility towel

1998-07-15

2003-06-03

Thibodeau, Paul (Department: 1773)

Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)

Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which...

Coating or impregnation specified as water repellent

C428S485000, C428S534000, C428S535000, C428S536000, C442S081000, C442S084000, C442S153000, C442S159000, C604S378000, C604S381000, C604S382000, C162S112000, C162S113000, C162S123000, C162S125000, C162S127000, C162S134000, C162S135000, C162S164400, C162S172000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06573203

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the field of paper making, and more specifically, to a high utility towel.
BACKGROUND
After hand washing, typically a paper-based hand towel is used to dry one's hands, particularly in public restrooms. Often, a towel is used until its outer layers are wet. At that point, the wet towel is disposed and another towel may be dispensed to continue drying. Unfortunately, this practice fails to use the full absorptive capacity of the hand towel. Although the outer layers of the used towels are wet, they may still have absorptive capacity. Consequently, the failure to utilize this capacity wastes towels.
Accordingly, a hand towel that remains dry on its surface will reduce hand towel use by allowing the utilization of substantially the entire absorbency capacity of the towel, thereby reducing towel consumption rates and waste.
Definitions
As used herein, the term “comprises” refers to a part or parts of a whole, but does not exclude other parts. The term “comprises” has the same meaning and is interchangeable with the terms “includes” and “has ”.
As used herein, the term “repellant agent” refers to an agent that resists absorption of a liquid, desirably an aqueous liquid. The repellant agent may be hydrophobic and includes materials such as sizing agents, silicon, waxes, and latexes.
As used herein, the term “latex” refers to a colloidal water dispersion of high polymers from sources related to natural rubber, such as Hevea tree sap, or synthetic high polymers resembling natural rubber. Synthetic latexes are made by emulsion polymerization techniques from styrene-butadiene copolymer, acrylate resins, polyvinyl acetate, and similar materials.
As used herein, the term “silicon” refers to a nonmetallic element or any compounds incorporating this element, such as the organosiloxane. Organosiloxane is any of a large group of siloxane polymers based on a structure consisting of alternate silicon and oxygen atoms with various organic radicals attached to the silicon. An exemplary silicon material is sold under the trade designation DOW 929 by Dow Chemical of Midland, Mich.
As used herein, the term “layer” refers to a single thickness, course, stratum, or fold that lays or lies over or under another. An exemplary several layered structure is depicted in
FIG. 1
, where a towel
10
includes five layers
14
,
18
,
22
,
30
and
34
.
As used herein, the term “ply” refers to a material produced from a headbox having one or more layers. An exemplary towel having a two-ply structure is depicted in
FIG. 2
, where a towel
50
includes two plies
54
A and
54
B.
As used herein, the term “wax” refers to an aqueous emulsion of small particles held in suspension by an emulsifying agent. Exemplary waxes include paraffin waxes, microcrystalline wax, or other waxes. An exemplary wax compound that may be printed onto paper products is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,601,871, 5,614,293, and 5,665,426, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
As used herein, the term “sizing agent” refers to any chemical inhibiting liquid penetration of cellulosic fiber structures. Suitable sizing agents are disclosed in a text entitled “Cellulosic and Paper Board Making,” second edition, Volume III, edited by R. G. MacDonald, and J. N. Franklin, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Particularly suitable sizing agents are acid or alkaline sizes such as acid rosin, alkenyl succinic anhydride, alkyl ketone dimers and alkenol ketene dimers of the formula:
wherein R
1
and R
2
are based on C
16
-C
18
, aliphatic carbon chains, which can be the same or different. Exemplary commercially available sizing agents of this type are HERCON 79, HERCON 1332, and PRECIS 3000 from Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Del.
As used herein, the term “cellulose” refers to a natural carbohydrate high polymer (polysaccharide) having the chemical formula (C
5
H
10
O
5
)
n
and consisting of anhydroglucose units joined by an oxygen linkage to form long molecular chains that are essentially linear. Natural sources of cellulose include deciduous and coniferous trees, cotton, flax, esparto grass, milkweed, straw, jute, hemp, and bagasse.
As used herein, the term “pulp” refers to processed cellulose.
As used herein, the term “absorbency” refers to the rate material completely soaks up a given quantity of a liquid over a specified time period. The absorbency rate of unsized papers may be measured using test procedure ASTM number D 824-94 and sized papers may be measured using test procedure ASTM number D 779.
As used herein, the term “absorbency gradient” refers to the different absorbency capacity of various layers or plies in a towel product. Desirably, the inner layers or plies of the towel have greater absorbency than the outer layers.
As used herein, the term “wicking” refers to the rate at which a liquid is absorbed into a material as a result of capillary action. Results are typically reported as centimeter per minute. During testing, an about 25 millimeter by about 200 millimeter sample free of folds, wrinkles, and distortions is vertically and partially suspended in liquid, typically oil or water, at about 23 degrees Celsius and 50 percent relative humidity. Often, about 25 millimeter of the 200 millimeter sample length is immersed in the liquid. A weight may be attached to this end to prevent curling. The height of the leading edge of the liquid to the liquid surface is recorded at various time intervals, such as 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 minute, to determine the wicking rate.
As used herein, the term “wicking gradient” refers to the different wicking capacity of various layers or plies in a towel product. Desirably, the inner layers or plies of the towel have greater wicking than the outer layers.
As used herein, the term “sulfite pulp” refers to pulp processed chemically with a mixture of sulfurous acid and bisulfite ion, which attack and solubilize the lignin in the pulp feedstock.
As used herein, the term “bleached-chemical-thermo-mechanical pulp” refers to processing cellulosic material with steam, pressure and sodium sulfite or hydrogen peroxide to soften wood lignin between and within cell walls. Furthermore, alkaline peroxide bleaching is added to further soften and brighten the cellulose fibers. The term bleached-chemical-thermo-mechanical pulp may be hereinafter abbreviated as “BCTMP”.
As used herein, the term “basis weight” (hereinafter may be referred to as “BW”) is the weight per unit area of a sample and may be reported as gram-force per meter squared (hereinafter may be abbreviated as “gsm”). The basis weight may be measured using test procedure ASTM D 3776-96 or TAPPI Test Method T-220.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problems and needs described above are addressed by the present invention, which provides a towel desirably including first and second layers having cellulosic fibers and a repellant agent. The first and second layers may substantially sandwich a third layer having cellulosic fibers with higher absorbency than the first and second layers. All three layers may form a single ply.
Furthermore, the towel may also include fourth and fifth layers positioned between, respectively, the first and third layers and the second and third layers. The fourth and fifth layers may have cellulosic fibers with higher wicking than the first and second layers.
In addition, the repellant agent may be wax, latex, a sizing agent, and/or silicon. Moreover, the repellant agent may be printed and/or sprayed onto at least one of the first or second layers. Furthermore, the repellant agent may be mixed with the fibers of at least one of the first or second layers in a headbox. What is more, the first or second layers may include sulfite pulp or BCTMP and the towel may have a basis weight from about 8 gsm to about 59 gsm. Furthermore, the third layer may have higher absorbency and wicking than the fourth and fifth layers.
Another embodiment of a towel may include a first ply further including a first layer having cellulosic fibers and a repellant agent, a second layer having cel

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