Flushable Fibrous Structures

Abstract

Flushable fibrous structure products, including sanitary tissue products, are described. As discussed in the background section, there is a relatively narrow desirable range of floatation / sink time that can be predicative of flushability success. Fibrous structures that float can have difficulty exiting a toilet bowl. And fibrous structures that sink too fast can cause a plug at the exit point of a toilet bowl. Thus, fibrous structures and sanitary tissue products comprising the same that do not float but sink sufficiently slow when placed into a toilet so as not to cause a plug are provided.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to flushable fibrous structure products.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Flushable fibrous structures, such as toilet tissue and flushable wet wipes, are well known. There are numerous characteristics that affect how well the products exit a toilet bowl. On one hand, fibrous structures that sink too quickly can form a temporary plug at the exit of the toilet bowl, which can in turn affect the ultimate flushability of the structures. On the other hand, fibrous structures that float or take a significant amount of time to sink may not experience a sufficient level of forces during a flush to draw the fibrous structure toward and through the exit of the toilet bowl. The present invention illustrates fibrous structures that strike an appropriate balance in view of this dichotomy.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS[0003]The following detailed description of specific aspects of the present invention can be best understood when read i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]The inventors have discovered that the addition of a percentage of relatively hydrophobic fibers to the fiber blend can improve flushability. “Relatively hydrophobic” as that term is used herein includes fibers that are generally considered hydrophobic, fibers that are less hydrophilic than hardwood and softwood fibers, and naturally hydrophilic fibers that have been treated to be less hydrophilic. In one aspect of the present invention, trichome fibers (discussed in greater detail below) can be included into the fiber blend as a relatively hydrophobic fiber that can improve flushability of the fibrous structure. In one example, the hydrophobic fibers comprise fibers harvested from a plant. Other relatively hydrophobic fibers include synthetic fibers, such as, for example, wet spun fibers, dry spun fibers, melt spun (including melt blown) fibers, synthetic pulp fibers and mixtures thereof. Synthetic fibers may, for example, be comprised of cellulose (often referred to as “rayon”); cellulose derivatives such as esters, ether, or nitrous derivatives; polyolefins (including polyethylene and polypropylene); polyesters (including polyethylene terephthalate); polyamides (often referred to as “nylon”); acrylics; non-cellulosic polymeric carbohydrates (such as starch, chitin and chitin derivatives such as chitosan); polylactic acids, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactones, and mixtures thereof

[0019]Trichome fibers are one exemplary relatively hydrophobic fiber type that can be utilized to improve flushability of a fibrous structure. Fibrous structures according to this invention may contain from about 0.1% to about 100% and / or from about 0.5% to about 90% and / or from about 0.5% to about 80% and / or from about 0.5% to about 50% and / or from about 1% to about 40% and / or from about 2% to about 30% and / or from about 5% to about 25% by weight on a dry fiber basis of trichome fibers.

Problems solved by technology

On one hand, fibrous structures that sink too quickly can form a temporary plug at the exit of the toilet bowl, which can in turn affect the ultimate flushability of the structures.

On the other hand, fibrous structures that float or take a significant amount of time to sink may not experience a sufficient level of forces during a flush to draw the fibrous structure toward and through the exit of the toilet bowl.

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