Dry Wipe with Biodegradable Packaging and Water-Activated Additives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable wipes, particularly wet wipes, require plastic packaging due to their wet state, which contributes to environmental pollution, and existing dry wipes lack the convenience of ready-to-use wet wipes without requiring liquid application for each use.
Innovation Solution
A dry wipe comprising a biodegradable non-woven fabric with entangled biodegradable fibers and covalently bonded pulp fibers, impregnated with additives like biocides and surfactants, is packaged in a biodegradable material and activated by adding water in a reusable dispenser container to become a wet wipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wet wipes are packaged in plastic to maintain barrier function and prevent bacterial growth, then shelf life and hygiene are improved, but plastic contamination of the environment worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the wipe from wet to dry, which fundamentally alters the requirements for packaging and preservation. Dry wipes do not require plastic barrier packaging to prevent bacterial growth or evaporation, as the absence of liquid eliminates the medium for bacterial proliferation. This parameter change enables the use of biodegradable packaging materials while maintaining shelf life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the liquid component from the wipe system, separating the absorbent substrate from the liquid solution. The dry wipe substrate is packaged without plastic, and the liquid solution is applied separately at the point of use. This extraction eliminates the need for plastic packaging to maintain a sterile, liquid-containing environment.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If biodegradable substrates are used for wet wipes, then environmental friendliness is improved, but the need for plastic packaging with barrier function worsens due to evaporation and bacterial protection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the moisture content parameter from wet to dry state, the invention eliminates the need for complex plastic barrier packaging. Dry biodegradable substrates can be packaged in simple, biodegradable materials without requiring advanced barrier functions to prevent evaporation or bacterial contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid solution is pre-prepared and stored separately in a dispensing system, and the dry wipe substrate is prepared in advance in simple biodegradable packaging. At the point of use, the liquid is applied to the dry substrate, transforming it into a functional wet wipe. This preliminary separation of components simplifies the packaging requirements for the biodegradable substrate.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If dry wipes are supplied with lotion in a separate dispenser, then plastic packaging for ready-to-use wipes is reduced, but user experience and convenience worsen due to requiring liquid addition
Solution Approach 1:
The dry wipe substrate is designed with inherent properties that enable it to automatically absorb and distribute the liquid solution when applied. The substrate's capillary structure and material composition allow it to self-activate upon contact with liquid, eliminating the need for user manipulation or mixing actions while maintaining the dry supply format.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material design in the dry wipe substrate, combining hydrophilic fibers and pulp with specific structural characteristics that enable rapid liquid absorption and uniform distribution. This composite structure ensures that when liquid is applied, it is quickly and evenly distributed throughout the wipe, providing immediate ready-to-use functionality.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional spunlaced substrates are used for dry wipes, then biodegradability is improved, but liquid distribution capability worsens due to too open structure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite material system combining hydrophilic fibers (such as viscose or lyocell) with pulp fibers in a wetlaced structure. This composite construction provides both biodegradability and optimized liquid distribution properties, as the pulp fibers create a more refined structure compared to conventional spunlaced substrates, enabling better capillary action and uniform liquid spread.
Solution Approach 2:
The wetlaced substrate structure creates local variations in fiber density and pore size, with regions of different porosity that optimize liquid absorption and distribution. The entangled fiber network provides localized capillary channels that guide liquid flow, ensuring uniform distribution across the wipe surface while maintaining biodegradable composition.
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 solution provides a plastic-free, environmentally friendly wet wipe that maintains convenience and efficacy by distributing liquid evenly throughout the stack, eliminating the need for plastic packaging and ensuring bacterial resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The wipe substrate with pore structure provides wicking properties homogenously distributing the water in the stack of wipes
Implementation Method 2
The wipe substrate is configured for allowing a distribution of liquid, even when a dry wipe comprising the wipe substrate impregnated with at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a biocide, a surfactant and a care product is stacked in a dispenser container
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a dry wipe, a biodegradable packaging containing the dry wipe, an arrangement comprising the dry wipe and a dispenser container, and a process for providing a wet wipe. The dry wipe comprises a wipe substrate impregnated with at least one additive to be activated by addition of water, wherein the at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of a biocide, a surfactant and a care product, wherein the wipe substrate is configured for allowing a distribution of liquid, even when the dry wipe is stacked in a dispenser container.