Wet wipe concentrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wet wipe concentrates contain significant amounts of water, requiring preservatives and leading to instability and limited flexibility in use, as well as being less cost-effective and aesthetically unappealing due to haziness.
Innovation Solution
A concentrate composition comprising a polyglyceryl fatty ester emulsifier, a polyol humectant, and an ester or ether oil emollient, with a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) between 8 and 16, and minimal water content, allowing for preservative-free, highly dilutable, and stable formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If water is added to increase dilutability, then the concentrate becomes more flexible for end use, but preservatives are required and stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by selecting specific emulsifiers with HLB values between 8-16 and using minimal water (less than 7%), which allows the concentrate to remain stable while maintaining high dilutability. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Reliability
If preservatives are added to prevent microbial growth, then product safety is improved, but the end use becomes limited and customer flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates preservatives from the concentrate formulation by achieving microbial protection through alternative means - specifically through the emulsifier system and minimal water content that creates an environment unfavorable for microbial growth. This allows end users to add their own preservatives based on specific customer requirements, thereby improving both reliability and adaptability.
3Ease of manufacture
If more water is added to reduce production cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the concentrate becomes less concentrated and less cost-effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water content parameter to be less than 7%, which maintains high concentrate concentration while still allowing for cost-effective production. This parameter control ensures that the concentrate remains highly concentrated and cost-effective, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing cost and substance quantity.
4Device complexity
If conventional emulsifiers are used, then formulation is simpler, but the concentrate becomes hazy and unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selecting emulsifiers with specific properties (HLB values between 8-16) that provide both clarity and stability. This targeted selection of emulsifier characteristics resolves the contradiction between formulation simplicity and stability, achieving both goals simultaneously.
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 clear, stable, and cost-effective wet wipe concentrate that can be customized with any preservative, offering flexibility in end-use applications and extended shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
a concentrate composition comprising (a) an emulsifier having an HLB between 8 and 16... (c) an emollient... wherein the emulsifier consists of a polyglyceryl fatty ester
Implementation Method 2
an emulsifier having an HLB between 8 and 16... the emulsifier consists of a polyglyceryl fatty ester
Implementation Method 3
the humectant consists of a polyol selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, polyglycerol, sorbitol
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a wet wipe concentrate composition which may be blended with water or another fluid to form a wet wipe impregnating formulation. The present invention also relates to said wet wipe impregnating formulation and a wet wipe comprising a wipe substrate and the wet wipe impregnating formulation.