Cleaning wipes system having particular performance characteristics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning wipes often fail to provide effective microefficacy and mileage due to rapid composition depletion and uneven composition release, particularly when using synthetic or blended fiber substrates, which also suffer from issues like streaking and hand feel problems with cationic biocide release agents.
Innovation Solution
The use of pulp substrates with greater than 70% wood pulp fibers, characterized by larger pore sizes and a specific microstructure, which allows for a controlled release of quaternary ammonium compounds without cationic biocide release agents, enhancing microefficacy and mileage while maintaining hand feel and composition retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If synthetic or blended fiber substrates are used, then the wipes provide good overall cleaning and disinfection characteristics, but they suffer from rapid composition depletion and uneven composition release
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous pulp substrate with specifically engineered pore size distribution (predominantly 300-400 μm pores) to control the release of cleaning composition. The porous structure enables uniform composition delivery across the wipe surface while preventing rapid depletion, thereby extending the effective duration of action (mileage) without compromising microefficacy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the substrate by using pulp fibers with specific pore size distribution and lower density (less than 0.1 g/cm³) compared to synthetic substrates. This parameter change modifies the release kinetics of the cleaning composition, achieving uniform release over extended periods rather than rapid depletion
2Reliability
If cationic biocide release agents are used to enhance composition release, then microefficacy is improved, but hand feel and streaking problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes cationic biocide release agents from the system entirely. Instead, it relies on the intrinsic properties of the porous pulp substrate to control composition release, thereby achieving effective microefficacy without the harmful streaking and hand feel problems associated with cationic release agents
3Stability of the object's composition
If smaller pore sizes are used in the substrate, then the structure is more compact, but composition release becomes uneven and mileage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pore size parameter from typical small pores (less than 200 μm) to larger pores (predominantly 300-400 μm). This parameter change creates a more open structure that facilitates uniform composition release across the substrate, extending mileage while maintaining adequate structural integrity for wipe functionality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pulp substrate-based wipes achieve a 3-log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus within minutes, provide uniform composition delivery, and exhibit higher mileage absorbency/desorbency factor (MABDF) values, ensuring effective disinfection and sanitization without the drawbacks of synthetic substrates.
Implementation Method 1
The substrate may have a distribution which is characterized by pores sized greater than 200 μm, such as 300 to 400 μm. Such larger pore sizes may account for at least a plurality, if not a majority of the pores.
Implementation Method 2
the wipe may release the quaternary ammonium compound to a target surface so as to provide at least a 3-log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus or other target microbe within 10 seconds to 5 minutes
Data Source
AI summary
Systems including a resealable container and pre-moistened wipes packaged therein, the wipes including one or more characteristics correlated to desired properties, such as high durability, mileage, cleaning composition retention, efficacy, or the like are described. Pulp substrates typically include an anionic charge, which can result in binding or retention of a cationic biocide such as a quaternary ammonium compound while the remainder of the composition is released from the wipe (e.g., through squeezing, wiping or other compression). The present wipes may be specifically tailored to provide efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus population within 10 seconds to about 5 minutes, to include particular pore size distribution characteristics, and/or to include a mileage absorbency/desorbency factor (“MABDF”) value that is greater than 50. High MABDF values are indicative of good handfeel characteristics, improved more uniform dosing of composition loaded in the wipe, good microefficacy characteristics, and the like.