Method of making fragrance containing fiber

Details Method of making fragrance containing fiber Method of making fragrance containing fiber

2000-10-10

2003-02-11

Tentoni, Leo B. (Department: 1732)

Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes

Forming continuous or indefinite length work

Shaping by extrusion

Reexamination Certificate

active

06517759

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Our invention is directed to a fragrance-emitting fiber useful in the creation of a controllably releasable or permanently fragrance-emitting dry or wet wipe laminar fabric article which optionally has efficacious antimicrobial properties. The article comprises a non-woven fabric lamina having woven therethrough and substantially throughout at least a finite portion of the laminar surface, such fragrance-imparting component-emitting fiber, which controllably and continuously releases fragrance and optionally (i) contains antimicrobial agent and/or (ii) at least one compatible coloring material or color-forming material which is useful for ascertainment of the exhaustion or substantial reduction of fragrance, at least for the time period of use of said dry or wet wipe laminar fabric article. Our invention is also directed to a process for the production of such fragrance-emitting fiber.
Fragranced fiber materials are well known in the prior art. Thus. U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,118 issued on Mar. 2, 1971 discloses composite fiber materials which are adapted for odorizing, deodorizing, sanitizing and cleansing purposes by treating the fibrous material with a coating of a hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate containing an appropriate essence, bactericide, cleansing agent or the like. It is indicated in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,118 that both natural and synthetic fibers can be treated with a solution of the hydrophilic polymer, and that entrapment of the chemical agent can be prolonged by using a copolymer of the hydrophilic monomer with a minor amount of a hydrophobic monomer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,118 does not set forth the creation of a permanently, continuously fragrancing wet wipe or dry wipe. By the same token, U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,119 issued on Mar. 2, 1971 discloses methods for the incorporating of fragrance compounds or oil bouquets and/or topical antifungal or antibacterial agents, insect repellent compounds and certain odoriferous medicaments into polymeric or natural materials so that the fabricated product possesses the properties imparted by the additive or additives for a long period of time. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,119, it is indicated that the efficiency of incorporating additives such as fragrance materials into the articles of the invention is improved by the use of surfactants and the effectiveness and duration of the additive or additives in the fabricated product is enhanced by employing antioxidants and/or ultraviolet radiation absorbers.
Additional perfumed fibers and antimicrobial product-containing fibers described by the prior art are as follows:
Japan Published Application No. 63/135573 published on Jun. 7, 1988 (perfumed fiber production by applying perfume emulsifier including spinning oil to fiber and heating in steam), assigned to Takasago Perfumery Company, Ltd.;
Japan Published Application No. 111/17174 published on May 27, 1999 discloses an antimicrobial fiber made up of polyester resin having a surface layer containing an antimicrobial agent. The antimicrobial agent consists of a quaternary phosphonium salt group which bonds ionically with an acid component of a hydrophilic resin (assigned to Toyobo KK); and
Japan Granted Patent No. 29/26446 published on Jul. 28, 1999 entitled “Deodorizing Fibers, Manufacturing Method for the Fibers and Application Method for the Fibers” assigned to Suzuki Sogyo KK.
Neither U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,118 nor U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,119 discloses the creation of fragrance-emitting fibers which can be used to form efficacious, continuous and permanent fragrance-emitting dry or wet wipe articles which have woven therethrough such fragrance-emitting fiber which is thermoplastic and substantially water-insoluble. Furthermore, none of the Japanese patent applications or granted patents disclose fibers which are fragrance-emitting and can be used to form fragrance-emitting dry or wet wipe articles which have woven therethrough such fragrance-emitting fibers.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,291 issued on Dec. 15, 1987 discloses fragrant fiber wherein a fragrant sheath-core composite fiber “suitable for bedding” and having a cross section including a sheath and a core including a hollow portion wherein an aromatic perfume having a boiling point higher than 150° C. under normal pressure is incorporated and dispersed in an amount 0.1 to 10.0% by weight in a thermoplastic polymer constituting the core. The core component in U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,291 is preferably a polyethylene-type polymer, and the sheath component is preferably a polyethylene terephthalate polymer. One of the typical compositions of the aromatic perfume of U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,291 is an essential oil mixture including (i) 10 to 20% of lemon oil; (ii) 5 to 15% of bergamot oil; (iii) 2 to 8% of lavender oil; (iv) 2 to 8% of lemongrass oil; (v) 2 to 8% of cedarwood oil and (vi) 0.5 to 1.5% of jasmine absolute. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,291 is incorporated by reference herein. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,291 does not disclose the use of such fragranced fibers as an essential component of a dry wipe or a wet wipe. Antimicrobial component-containing fibers which can be sewn into textile prostheses for insertion into the body, and epidermal pads and bandages are disclosed in PCT Published Application No. 99/21507 published on May 6, 1999. However, PCT Published Application No. 99/21507 does not disclose the creation of fibers which can be used in conjunction with wet wipes or dry wipes and, furthermore, does not disclose the incorporation into such fibers of fragrance materials.
European Published Patent Application No. 930,488 published on Jan. 18, 1999 discloses a time-temperature indicator device comprising a polymeric layer with first and second surfaces and dye composition adhered to the first surface comprising a dye which diffuses into the polymeric layer due to the cumulative time-temperature exposure wherein the dye is invisible by visible radiation and is detectable as a result of absorption of non-visible radiation.
However, the use of such color-indicating systems in fragranced fibers in European Patent Application No. 930,488 or any other prior art is neither disclosed nor inferred.
The entire specifications of PCT Published Application No. 99/21507, European Published Patent Application No. 930,488 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,567,118 and 3,567,119 are incorporated by reference herein.
In summary, although the prior art shows fragranced fibers, nothing in the prior art sets forth the creation of such fibers which have unexpected properties which permit them to be used in wet wipes or dry wipes which are permanently and continuously fragrance-emitting and optionally antimicrobial substance-emitting.
THE INVENTION
Our invention is directed to fragrance-imparting component-emitting fiber which controllably and continuously releases fragrance and which optionally also releases antimicrobial agent and which optionally contains at least one compatible coloring material or color-forming material which is useful for ascertainment of the exhaustion or substantial reduction of fragrance, at least for the time period of use of an article into which the fiber is woven.
Thus, for example use of such fiber involves a permanently and continuously fragrance-emitting dry or wet wipe laminar fabric article comprising a non-woven fabric larmina having woven therethrough and substantially throughout at least a major portion of the lamina surface the continuous fragrance-containing thermoplastic substantially water-insoluble fiber of our invention which controllably and continuously releases fragrance (which may also have antimicrobial properties) at least for the time period during which the fabric article is in use. Optionally, one or more antimicrobial substances may also be releasably contained in the fiber containing the fragrance or in a fiber apart therefrom. Optionally, the fiber may also contain at least one compatible coloring material or color-forming material which is useful for ascertainment of the exhaustion or substantial reduct

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