Multilayer Wet Wipe Structure for Strength and Water Disintegration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wet tissues that exhibit both wet strength and water disintegratability often rely on chemical agents, and there is a demand for alternatives that achieve these properties without using chemical agents or through different methods.

Innovation Solution

A multilayer sheet comprising a first sheet and a second sheet, both including hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers, with connected sections that have specific spacing and area ratios to ensure wet strength and water disintegratability, where the spacing between connected sections is 0.6 times or more than the mean fiber length, and the area ratio of connected sections is between 0.5% and 12% to balance wet strength and disintegratability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If chemical agents are added to achieve wet strength and water disintegratability, then both wet strength and water disintegratability are achieved, but chemical agents are used which are undesirable for skin contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewet strength and water disintegratabilityVSAvoidchemical agent content
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes chemical agents from the wet tissue formulation. Instead of using chemical binders or disintegrants, the patent relies solely on the physical structure of the fibrous material and water to achieve both wet strength and controlled disintegration, thereby eliminating harmful chemical substances while maintaining functional performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical parameters of the fibrous material, specifically using fibers with a mean length of 1mm or more and controlling the water content to 5-50 mass%. By adjusting these physical parameters rather than chemical composition, the patent achieves the desired balance between wet strength and water disintegratability without chemical additives

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If wet strength is increased for use, then the tissue maintains structural integrity during use, but water disintegratability may be compromised for toilet flushing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewet strengthVSAvoidwater disintegratability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by using fibers with specific characteristics (mean length ≥1mm) that provide strength where needed while allowing controlled disintegration in water. The uniform distribution of these fibers throughout the tissue creates localized strength zones that maintain structural integrity during use but dissolve appropriately during flushing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent achieves the balance between strength and disintegratability by changing the fiber length parameter to 1mm or more and controlling water content to 5-50 mass%. These parameter changes enable the tissue to exhibit sufficient wet strength for wiping while maintaining the ability to disintegrate in toilet water for proper flushing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 wet tissue achieves both wet strength and water disintegratability without chemical agents, with disintegratability of 100 seconds or less and a bending resistance suitable for use in flush toilets, ensuring effective performance and user experience.

Implementation Method 1

each of the first sheet and second sheet includes hydrophilic fibers and hydrophobic fibers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrophilicity: Hydrophile

Implementation Method 2

A multilayer sheet comprising a first sheet and a second sheet, both including hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers, with connected sections that have specific spacing and area ratios to ensure wet strength and water disintegratability

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical disintegration:

Data Source

PatentEP3123914B1Wet wipe and method for manufacturing wet wipe
Publication Date: 2019.04.03 UNI CHARM CORP
  • EP3123914B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3123914B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3123914B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a wet wipe which achieves both wet-strength and water-dissolvability. The wet wipe of the present disclosure comprises the following configuration. This water-dissolving wet wipe (1) comprises a multi-layer sheet (4) provided with a first sheet (2) and a second sheet (3), said wet wipe (1) being characterized in that: each of the first sheet (2) and the second sheet (3) comprises hydrophilic fibers and hydrophobic fibers; the multi-layer sheet (4) has a plurality of junction parts (5); intervals between the plurality of junction parts (5) are greater than or equal to 0.6 times the average fiber length of the hydrophobic fibers of the first sheet (2) and greater than or equal to 0.6 times the average fiber length of the hydrophobic fibers of the second sheet (3); the plurality of junction parts (5) occupy 0.5% to 12.0% of the surface area of the multi-layer sheet (4); each of the first sheet (2) and the second sheet (3) when separated from the multi-layer sheet (4) has, in a separability test, has a separability of less than or equal to 100 seconds; the multi-layer sheet (4) has a bending resistance of less than or equal to 150 mm; and the wet wipe (1) has a tensile strength of greater than or equal to 1.0 N per width of 25 mm.