GB2460761A - Disposable wet towels or wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of preparing a wet towel or wipe for immediate use includes adding a quantity of water to a dry sheet of rapidly degradable non-woven material. The way in which the water is applied and/or the construction of the sheet creating a moisture gradient across the sheet for a time to enable the wipe to be used before it becomes uniformly wet. The water may be applied from one side of the sheet by an applicator 3a and presented to the user by supports 7. The apparatus may include a scent or moisturiser applicator 4a. In an alternative aspect, an apparatus primes and steams a wipe, and includes a treatment chamber (121, fig 30), a priming water applicator (128b fig 30), and a heating element (111, fig 30) to evaporate a further quantity of water into steam. In a further aspect, an apparatus includes a base unit and a reservoir and treatment chamber unit. In a yet further aspect, a predominantly cellulosic sheet material includes two or more layers.

Description

S

DISPOSABLE WET TOWELS OR WIPES

This invention relates to methods of producing disposable wet towels or wipes.

More particularly, it relates to methods of processing a dry sheet towel or wipe material for presentation as either a hot or cold wet towel intended for immediate use as a refreshing and/or health and beauty aid.

"Wet wipes" are well-known in commerce. They are normally nonwoven web materials (typically produced by a spunlace process) engineered to strike a balance between strength, absorption, softness, cost and disposability. The sheets are stored in retail packs in intimate contact with a refreshing solution. The sheets are often interleaved to enable them to be dispensed one by one from a closed flexible or rigid plastics container via an aperture which can be sealed so that the remaining wipes do not dry out in between uses. Such "wet wipes" have achieved widespread commercial success and, in addition to hygiene applications, are used for skin care, for soothing, moisturising, cleansing and refreshing. The material has to retain its strength when wet during storage, is not designed to be flushable, and can take some time to degrade, for example, when composted or in landfill.

We have now found that dry nonwoven, bio-degradable materials that are wetted in a controlled manner prior to use may be used to provide disposable wet wipes or wet towels suitabJe for use in skin care and hygiene applications and which, while retaining the ease of use of conventional wet wipes, can be engineered to blo-degrade more easily after disposal than materials that are designed to retain their wet strength for substantially longer periods.

The present invention is based on the discovery that if the material of the wipe or towel is appropriately designed, and the quantity of liquid used to wet the dry material is modest, the dry material may be converted into a wet wipe or towel which may be used immediately with ease and comfort, but which, with the passage of time, degrades in strength and is more easily biodegraded.

According to a first feature of the invention, there is provided a method of preparing a wet towel or wipe for immediate use which comprises applying a quantity of water to a dry sheet of a rapidly bio-degradable nonwoven material, the mode and quantity of application of the water and/or the construction of the sheet being chosen so that a moisture gradient exists across the sheet for a sufficient time to enable the wet towel or wipe to be used before it becomes uniformly wetted across its thickness.

The application of the water gives rise to a moisture gradient across the thickness of the sheet. The water primes and softens the wetted surface of the sheet, while the opposing, dry surface of the sheet retains much of its dry tensile strength, and does so for a sufficient time to support the softened, wetted face during use. The sheet remains biodegradable as the mechanical strength derives from the low moisture content in the drier face of the degradable nonwoven web, rather than from a material more resistant to decomposition. The structure and method of manufajture of the sheet material can be designed to enhance the maintenance of the moisture gradient when one side of the sheet has been wetted. This may be achieved by using different formulations and/or layers in a composite sheet structure, or by rendering the layer which is to be wetted more absorbent than the one which will remain unwetted, or by rendering the layer(s) away from the side which is going to be wetted more resistant to wetting, e.g. by weakening the mechanical connection between layers, by the addition of polymeric fibres, or by surface sizing. The same principle of creating a moisture gradient in a sheet constructed of more rapidly biodegradable nonwoven material can be applied to sheets that are wetted on both outside faces; in this case, the central core of the sheet will remain dryer, imparting short term strength to the sheet when wetted, and two moisture gradients will be established in the sheet.

The sheet material used in practising the invention should be made of ecologically sustainable, cost-effective, more rapidly bio-degradable materials, formulated to provide sufficient quality and strength to be suitable for skin care and hygiene applications, though the use of the towel or wipe is not so restricted -it can be used for any convenient use, for example cleaning an article or surface in a domestic or industrial context.

Preferred materials are advanced nonwoven predominantly cellulose substrates.

Nonwovens are already widely used in the hygiene and wipes sector. The selected blends and formulations are relatively inexpensive and are expected to be biodegradable. They can be manufactured in a variety of thicknesses and densities with surface textures which are pleasant to the skin. A typical structure can be made by the airlaid, neediepunch or spunlace process. The airlaid process is preferred for sheet materials for use in the present invention as it creates products with a soft, open, fibrous, multilayer structure which is extremely helpful in achieving the desired complex balance of properties including strength, softness, and water absorption.

Airlaid cellulose nonwovens rapidly lose tensile strength when water is added to the sheet as the hydrogen bonds that hold the fibres forming the non-woven cellulose sheets loosen. To remain strong for a sufficient period of time to be usable, the amount of water added to the sheet and the method of applying the moisture has to be carefully controlled -too little water and the cellulose is neither softened nor moist, too much and the sheet loses its strength. By wetting one side of the sheet to create a moisture gradient across the thickness of the sheet, which is maintained for a short period of time as the water migrates from the wet side of the sheet to the dry, enables a wet towel or wipe to be produced which will last long enough to be used satisfactorily. Wet strength can be similarly maintained by a sheet with a drier central core sandwiched between two wetter outer faces.

In a development of the invention, in addition to the water, additives such as scent or moistu riser may be applied to the sheet. Other additives may be used, for example a cleansing agent, moisturising agent, emollient or antiseptic agent, or a solvent. More than one agent may be applied. The material itself may also carry additives in the dry condition, for example an odorant or fragrance material. Liquid additives may be applied to the sheet immediately prior to use, for example by being sprayed on or otherwise applied to the wetted or to be wetted surface of the sheet.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for carrying out the method above which includes means for applying to a dry sheet of non-woven material, from one side of the sheet, a quantity of water, and for presenting the sheet to the user in a fashion enabling the dry side of the wetted sheet to be grasped by the user, for example by presenting the sheet semi-folded, wet side in.

Preferably the device processing the sheet offers the wetted sheet to the user in a way that enables the user to apply any additive carried by the wetted surface of the sheet, or even to apply lotion or ointment which has been placed on the wetted surface of the sheet, topically, with dry hands and minimum contamination.

The apparatus may be designed to enable the water applied to one side of the nonwoven sheet to soften and wet it separately from applying any additive. The apparatus may include a bulk water reservoir that can be refilled from the domestic water supply. Additives may be supplied in one or more separate bottles or refills, which may be fitted into the apparatus to enable the additive to be applied automatically at the correct time, either before, during or after the application of the water, the choice depending on how the additive reacts with the water or affects the nonwoven sheet. The apparatus may include mounting means for selectively activating the dispensing of such additives as desired by the user. The apparatus may be configured to enable the sequence of application to be chosen automatically, e.g. by suitably configuring the mechanical arrangement of the refill and its co-operation with a converting/dispensing device mechanism. The volume of an additive bottle or the refill may be appropriate to the additive type, and a dispensing or dosing mechanism may form part of the refill, or of a cartridge, rather than being a permanent part of the apparatus.

Providing additive refills with dispensing nozzles rather than having the nozzles from part of the apparatus means that the additive can be dispensed in the correct quantity and manner according to its viscosity, as the refill rather than the machine includes the dispensing means. Different additives/treatment regimes may require different amounts of water to be sprayed onto the dry sheet prior to additive being applied, It is possible to control the amount of water being delivered, e.g. from a bulk water tank by providing a stop or like feature on the additive refill which is designed, when the refill is being used, to coact with part of the apparatus, e.g. to limit the travel of an actuating plunger.

I

Apparatus for use in the present invention may include mechanical means for wetting one side of the dry sheet and for adding additive. In order to minimise cost and power consumption and render the device suitable for use in a bathroom, the dosing of the sheets with water and additive is preferably effected by manual means rather than by electric power. It is important in the detailed design of such apparatus to ensure that the dosing (the amount applied and the pattern and sequence of application of the water and the additive) is the same regardless of the speed or force of manual operation. A first approach which may be adopted to achieve this is to design the machine such that one user action mechanically applies both the water and the additive to the sheet in the appropriate sequence. A second approach which may be adopted is to use potential energy to deliver the water and additive consistently. In such an embodiment, the conversion/delivery device is operated by moving a button, lever, openable cover or actuator on the device a certain distance to store energy in a potential energy mechanism and subsequently triggering the priming action once the potential energy device is charged. The priming action may be triggered by moving the actuator beyond where the potential energy device is fully charged to a point where the priming action is initiated or by operating a separate triggering lever or button. The sequence of application of water and additive will then be driven by the potential energy device rather than the lever/actuator, ensuring a consistent result regardless of how the device is operated.

It is known that skin is soothed and softened by re-hydration, that both excessive cold and excessive heat tend to dehydrate the skin and that moisture and moisturisers are most effective when applied warm. In the skin treatment sector, the invention accordingly enables the production of wet, hot towels with enhanced refreshing effects which are manufactured from cheap, sustainable materials and which will decompose relatively rapidly after use, in a way suited to widespread retail consumer use, provided that during the method described above, the sheet is not only wetted but also heated.

Dry cellulose is a thermal insulator and sheets of the types described above have low thermal mass. Steaming a dry sheet made predominantly from cellulose does not soften or moisten it quickly as the steam tends to pass through the sheet rather than condensing on it. We have found that if the predominantly cellulosic sheet is first wetted, the fibre mixture becomes largely hydrophilic and its thermal mass increases. Steam will then condense on the wetted fibres, the fibres and other materials in the sheet core will absorb high temperature moisture from the steam, rapidly raising the moisture content of the structure e.g. from a typical 6-8% up to over 12-20% (by weight). If the ratio of priming and steaming water is chosen correctly, the surface temperature of the sheet material will initially increase to a temperature of approximately 65-70°C. At the time of use the temperature will have decreased to a level that is comfortable on skin contact.

This process has some important benefits. During heating/wetting the structure becomes warm (but not excessively hot) and moist to the touch, but not saturated with water. The wetted surface is softened and pleasant against the skin. The web structure of the material becomes more drapable and conformable and can form itself more readily to the contours of the skin, particularly of the face. The moisture deposited by the steam causes the structure to swell, its thickness increasing typically by 10-15%, which creates a tactile structure more akin to a conventional woven or knitted face towel. The nonwoven structures will be selected to meet individual applications; a typical example is a composite airlaid material consisting of at least 80% by weight cellulose pulp, formed to a sheet having a basis weight in the range of 45 to 300 gsm, preferably 60 to 100 gsm, with an untreated thickness in the range of 200-800 microns, a dry tensile strength of 0.5 to 2.5 KN/m, a density range from 80 to 130 kg/rn3.

This two-stage process constitutes a further aspect of the present invention. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out a two stage process for first priming and then steaming a wipe or towel sheet in the form of a converting/dispensing apparatus for treating a sheet of cellulosic towel material, the apparatus including a treatment chamber, means for applying a small quantity of priming water to the surface of a sheet of cellulosic towel material in the chamber, and a heating element arranged to evaporate a further quantity of water to steam and release it into the treatment chamber to deposit moisture onto the sheet, soften the sheet and raise its temperature through the latent heat of condensation. The amounts of water, the size of the sheet and the size of the chamber are so chosen that, shortly after the application of the water on to the sheet material in the chamber which conditions the sheet of material and of a quantity of steam discharged into the chamber, the sheet may be extracted from the chamber at the desired temperature and in the correct condition for use.

It has been found that by processing the sheet in this way it is possible to produce a warm/hot moistened towel sheet rapidly and effectively from a dry, airlaid, largely cellulosic, nonwoven starting material sheet. By varying the amounts of priming water and steam, the final degree of total wetness, surface moisture, and the final temperature may be controlled as desired.

In accordance with a particularly preferred feature of the invention, the sheet is wetted on one side only, steam is applied predominantly to the wetted side and the sheet is presented for removal from the processing device semi-folded (C folded), dry face out, hot wet face in. The user can remove the sheet towel from the converting/dispensing device by grasping the insulated, dry face of the sheet. This is more comfortable and the wet, hot face of the sheet, with or without additive applied, is contained within the folded sheet.

As noted above, the sheet of nonwoven towel material may be treated on the wetted face with a skin treatment agent of some type. This may vary widely, for example being a cleansing agent, moisturising agent, emollient or antiseptic agent.

More than one agent may be applied. It should be noted that in the case of producing warm or hot wipes or towels, the additive may be applied separately from the flow of water to the water heating element, so that the additive does not come into contact with the heating element, which could give rise to problems of cleaning or of additive degradation. The temperature of the cold primed sheet with additive applied will readily be raised through the latent heat of the steam condensing on the surface of the sheet. This occurs irrespective of whether the steam is applied directly to the side of the sheet that has been primed and to which all additive has been applied or to the other side; in the latter case, the steam passes through the sheet and then condenses on the cold primed side, so heating it up.

The design of apparatus for producing hot wet towels or wipes in accordance with the invention may vary widely. One preferred form is to configure the apparatus as a base unit including a heating element having an upper surface with a recess therein for the receipt of a quantity of water, and a reservoir and treatment chamber unit comprising a water reservoir, a portion-dispensing element and, laterally adjacent the reservoir, a treatment chamber having an aperture in its base which, when the reservoir and treatment chamber unit is placed on the base unit, lies above the recess in the upper surface of the heating element. Preferably the base of the chamber includes means for distributing steam flowing through that aperture throughout the treatment chamber. Preferably the reservoir and the treatment chamber have lids.

In another aspect, the present invention provides predominantly cellulosic sheet materials particularly suited to treatment in apparatus of the type described above and which consist of a two or more layered material, one being a soft open fibrous structure designed for application to the skin or other surface, and the other being a fibrous fabric structure designed to give strength to the material. The strength-imparting layer may be a non-woven predominantly cellulosic web and the other layer(s) may consist of an air-laid predominantly cellulosic fibre layer.

The size of the sheet should be such that it may be loosely folded, for example in a series of undulating pleats (e.g. C or Z folds) and placed in the chamber in a loose configuration so that water sprayed into the chamber can easily wet one side of the sheet.

By using the features of the invention identified above, it is possible to produce domestic apparatus which can be used quickly and easily to provide a cold, warm or hot wet towel essentially on demand. The apparatus is simple to construct and use and the separation between base unit and reservoir/treatment chamber unit means that the latter may easily be removed from the base unit e.g. for cleaning. If it is made of appropriate material, for example a suitable plastics material, it may be, for example, simply placed in a domestic dishwasher for cleaning when desired.

A major advantage of the present invention is that a supply of sheets may be provided essentially dry", i.e. they do not need to be packaged in a water-impermeable container. Rather, they may simply be produced in an appropriate pack containing a desired number of sheets. Each time one needs to be used, it may be extracted, loosely folded and placed in the treatment chamber.

Alternatively, a set of sheets may be pre-folded and packed in compressed fashion so that, when each is removed from the pack, it expands to a loose folded configuration which may simply be dropped into the treatment chamber and then steamed. In a further alternative, a plurality of dry sheets may be stored in some form of cassette which may be fitted into apparatus and from which sheets may be individually extracted when required for use. Instead of sheets, a role of material, if desired pre-perforated for easy separation into individual sheets to be dispensed, may be provided in some sort of cassette or similar container.

Purely by way of example, various types of apparatus according to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a hot moist towel dispenser unit in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a similar diagram of the unit with its lid open and showing a supply of dry sheets in a box adjacent to it; Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 2 showing how a dry sheet is placed on it; Figure 5 shows the unit shortly after its lid has been closed and Figure 6 shortly after the position shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is an end view and section along lines A-A showing certain details of the apparatus; Figure 8 is an exploded view of the apparatus showing base unit, water tank and additive tank; Figure 9 shows details of the unit with the lid removed; Figures 10 and 11 show different stages in the operation of the unit; Figures 12 and 13 are used from above and below of the water tank; Figure 14 is a perspective view of a refill; Figures 15 to 21 show details of the trigger actuation mechanism forming part of the apparatus; Figures 22 to 24 show diagrammatically one form of alternative apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figures 25 to 27 show a further alternative apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 28 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a further hot or warm sheet treatment apparatus; Figure 29 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 28 with its lid raised; Figure 30 is an end view of the device shown together with a diagrammatic section along the fines A-A shown in the end view; Figure 31 is an exploded view of the apparatus of Figure 28; Figures 32 to 34 are diagrammatic perspective views of an alternative construction with an additive refill, and Figure 35 shows yet a further possible construction diagrammatically.

Referring to Figures 1 to 21, these show an apparatus for dispensing a heated folded wet towel.

Figure 1 shows the closed unit. The visible components are a base enclosure 1, an additive refill 4, a lid 2, an actuating lever 5 and a power cord 10. The heater is first switched on and the sequence of Figures shows the apparatus in use.

Figure 2 shows the lid 2 open -note that the actuating lever 5 has to open with the lid. A bulk water tank 3 has four bosses into which two towel wipe supports 7 are inserted (permanently fixed). A pusher 8 is located in the.body and driven by actuating lever 5 in a manner described below. Half folded towel wipes 9a and 9b are bought in carton 11. Towel wipe 9a is removed ready for dropping onto supports 7.

Figure 3 shows the towel wipe 9 about to be placed in supports 7, and Figure 4 shows it in position draped over the supports.

Figure 5 shows the lid 2 closed (the lid hinges freely and can be opened and closed at will). Lever 5 is drawn towards the lid against a spring charging the potential energy device.

The actuating lever 5 mechanism has an over-centre action (see later) and pulls in towards the closed lid at the end of its travel, holding both closed. As soon as the actuating lever 5 is fully closed, the spray action is initiated, driven by the potential energy device.

Figure 7 shows a section through A-A. Section A-A shows base enclosure 1, within which is bulk water tank 3. In this embodiment, this tank contains about 300cc water. The section also passes through trigger spray pump 3a, which forms part of bulk water tank 3 and will, if depressed, spray water upwards onto the towel wipe above (not shown) and also downwards onto heater 6 (pre-heated). The section also cuts through the additive trigger spray 4a.

Figure 8 is an exploded view and shows additive tank 4, additive tank spray nozzle 4a, base enclosure 1, heater 6, pusher 8, lid 2, bulk water tank 3, bulk water trigger spray 3a and towel wipe supports 7.

It can be seen from this exploded view that the bulk water tank can be lifted vertically from the base unit, as can the additive refill. The bulk water tank covers the majority of the inside surface of the base unit and can be removed for washing, as can the lid. Removing the bulk water tank reveals the heating element which can also be cleaned.

Figure 9 is a three quarter view with the lid removed and shows the same components as Figure 8 and the bulk water tank refill closure 3c. Figures 9, 10 and 11 show the sequence of events once lever 5 has been fully actuated. In Figure 9, plunger 8 is at the start of its travel and trigger spray nozzles 3a and 4a have not moved.

In Figure 10, plunger 8 has moved and partially depressed the bulk water trigger spray, releasing water onto the underside of the towel wipe 9 (not shown).

Plunger 8 has reached the additive trigger spray (in this case shorter than the bulk water trigger spray) but not yet moved it.

In Figure 11, plunger 8 has moved to the end of its travel and trigger sprays 3a and 4a have delivered water and additive onto the underside of towel wipe 9 (not shown). It can be seen that the length of the additive trigger spray nozzle will control whether the additive spray is delivered concurrently with the water spray or towards the end of the water spray delivery. Some water from the bulk water tank will have been directed on to heater 6 below trigger spray 3a and will boil off as steam, heating the towel wipe.

Figures 12 and 13 show the bulk water tank 3 from above and below. In Figure 12, trigger spray body 3a, trigger spray nozzle 3d, bulk water refill cap 3c, plunger port 3e and towel wipe support locations 3f are all visible.

In Figure 13, plunger port 3e, trigger spray body3a and the port 3g through which water from the trigger spray can drop onto heater 6 are all visible.

Figure 14 shows the additive refill 4, the additive refill trigger spray body 4a and the additive refill trigger spray nozzle 4b.

The next set of drawings illustrates one embodiment of the potential energy device. It is shown in these drawings actuated by the actuating lever 5; however, it will be clear that it can also be actuated by lid 2, which rotates about the same axis and through the same angle as lever 5. The interlocks would be altered if the potential energy device was charged by rotating the lid in such a way as to prevent the lid springing back.

Figures 15 to 17 show the potential energy device from a number of angles; refer to all three drawings for the numbering. In Figures 15 and 16, the device is fully charged with lever 5 brought forwards and is about to be released. In Figure 17, the potential energy device has been released and completed its full travel.

Lever 5 rotates about fixed axis 5a. Spring 22 is compressed between spring cup 20, which is pivoted on actuating ever arm pivots 5a and spring cup 21, which is pivoting on lower crank 23. Lower crank 23 pivots about fixed axis 23a. Crank 23 drives pusher 24 (shown in earlier drawings as pusher 8) which can slide horizontally back and forth. Notch 24a in pusher 24 co-operates with pawl 25c on pawl lock 25, which pivots around fixed axis 25b. Pawl 25c prevents the forward movement of pusher 24 until it is rotated by lug 5b on actuating lever 5 during the final rotation of lever 5.

The next Figures show the movement of the actuation mechanism.

Figure 18 shows the position of the lever 5 with the lid 2 (not shown) full open.

The lid 2 can be opened and closed with the lever in this position. Spring cups 20 and 21 are telescopic and there is a limit on the distance they can be apart; moving lever 5 to its fully open position pulls plunger 24 back and re-engages pawl 25c in notch 24a (pawl lock 25 is gently sprung loaded to latch when pusher 24 is withdrawn).

Figure 19 shows lever 5 at a point where the force generated by spring 22 pushing spring cups 21 and 20 apart are nearly over-centre. This is better shown in drawing 19a; spring axis 26 has moved over-centre past lever axis 5a. Pawl 25c is engaged in notch 24a. Lug 5b is about to push pawl lock lug 25a and release plunger 24.

Figure 20 shows lever 5 fully rotated and pawl lock 25 rotated such that pusher 24 is now released ready to move forward driven by crank 23 and spring 22.

Figure 21 shows pusher 24 moved forward to the full extent of its travel.

Figures 22 to 24 show very diagrammatically an alternative type of towel dispensing device with a stack of towel wipes 9c to the left. Towel wipe 9 is being withdrawn from the stack in Figure 20. A base unit/processing device 30 and lid 32 define the processing space 31. In Figure 23, towel wipe 9 is advanced into the processing space. In Figure 24, towel wipe 9 is fully in the processing space and spray process 34 occurs, for example driven mechanically in a similar manner to previously described. The lid is then lifted to remove the processed towel wipe.

Figures 25 to 27 show the same process with the towel wipe being drawn under the processing device. This has the advantage that the spray is downwards, but the disadvantage that the heat also has to travel downwards.

Referring to Figures 28 to 31 of the drawings, the apparatus consists of a base unit 101 and a reservoir/treatment chamber unit 102 which simply sits on top of the base unit 101 when the apparatus is in use. Power is supplied via an electrical lead 103 and this is connected to a heating element 111 located at one end of base unit 101. The internal wiring and circuitry is omitted for the sake of clarity, but it consists essentially of a switching unit which can be actuated to allow current to pass through heating element 111 in order to evaporate any water which is located in a recess 130 on the top of the heating element 111. The circuit arrangement is such that when the temperature of the heating element 111 rises above a certain level, as will occur when there is no water left to evaporate, the supply of current cuts off automatically.

The left-hand side of the reservoir/treatment chamber unit 102, as shown in the drawings, consists of a water reservoir 120 which is surmounted by a first lid portion 124. Hinged about a hinge axis 123 (shown only in Figure 30) in lid portion 124 is an extending lid second portion 122 which extends, when in the position shown in the drawings, across the whole of unit 102, forming a cover for the right-hand portion of the unit which consists of a treatment chamber 121.

There is an aperture in lid 122 through which an actuation button 129 protrudes when the lid is in the down" position.

Actuation button 129 sits at the top of a push rod 127 at the base of which is a plunger which is located in a cylinder 128. Push rod 127 and cylinder 128 are surrounded by a generally vertical cylindrical casing 126, which forms part of the reservoir/treatment chamber unit 102. The arrangement is such that when the push rod is actuated, a quantity of water which is located in reservoir 120 may be pumped via a short pipe located at the bottom of cylinder 128 to be divided into a first flow of water into spray tube 128a and thence via spray port 128b to wet the inside face of the sheet material placed for processing in chamber l2land a second flow via port 128c which passes into recess 130 on top of heating element 111.

At the base of treatment chamber 121 is a conical diffuser 125 which is located above recess 130.

As shown in Figure 30, the base unit 101 consists of a base plate 110 and a cover portion 11 3 which are fixed together and hold heater element 111 in position at the right-hand end of the base unit 1 as shown in the drawings. A sealing member 112 is located around the periphery of heater unit 111 so that water cannot enter into the base unit from above.

In use of the apparatus, lid 122 is first lifted to enable reservoir 120 to be filled with water. The reservoir/treatment chamber unit 102 is then placed on top of the base unit 101 and lead 103 plugged in and the heating element switched on. The temperature of the heating element increases to approximately 140°C; the power to the heating element is controlled such that it will switch off again after approximately 10 minutes. A loosely-folded dry (at this stage) sheet of material is then inserted into treatment chamber 121 and the lid 122 closed. Pressing on button 129 moves push rod 127 downwards and causes a fixed quantity of water to be sprayed via port 128b to wet the inside face of the sheet material placed in chamber 121 and a further small quantity of water to be ejected into the recess 130 on top of heating element 111. The heater rapidly heats the quantity of water to boiling point and the water then evaporates passing into treatment chamber 121 via the conical diffuser 125, which serves to spread the steam out so that the whole of the pie-wetted surface of the sheet of material is exposed to the steam which condenses on to the wetted face of the material heating it. The treatment cycle for a sheet of material can occur within a space of 10 to 20 seconds. The lid 122 is then raised and the warm or hot towel simply extracted and used. If the sheet material is of the preferred construction indicated above, i.e. with a strength-imparting layer and a loose soft open fibrous structured layer, the latter layer is preferably arranged to be inwards relative to the strength-imparting layer.

The apparatus shown in Figures 32 to 34 operates in the same way as the apparatus of Figures 28 to 31, but with an additive refill 131 having a nozzle 131a mounted on a pump head 131b. The refill 131 looks like a conventional liquid soap dispenser but has a more energetic and finer spray. It can be operated by the same button/actuator as operates the bulk water spray.

Referring now to Figure 35, this shows diagrammatically an alternative arrangement which overcomes any potential disadvantages of having the nozzles arranged underneath the sheet and on the same side as the steam outlet, where it can be difficult to ensure that all the desired additive, for example a cream, lands on the sheet and does not, as overspray, fall on to the heater.

As shown in Figure 35, a sheet 79 taken fiom a roll 79c is arranged horizontally for treatment, i.e. portion 79b, and water and additive are applied from above from a bulk water container 73 and nozzle 73a and an additive refill 74 with nozzle 74a.

Sheet 79 may be separated from roll 79c by a row of perforations 79d. As shown in the drawing, sheet 79 forms a barrier between these dispensers and a steam outlet/heater 76 which is placed below. Steaming a top-wetted sheet 79a from below, with the steam 35 rising, results in the steam passing through the dry, lower layer of the nonwoven sheet 79 condensing in the upper layer, which is wetted.

The upper layer heats while the lower layer remains relatively dry and cool.

The arrangement shown in Figure 35 thus results in the wetted layer heating and the unwetted layer remaining cool, the water and additive dispensing and the heating being arranged optimally to exploit the forces of gravity and convection.

Following the treatment with water, additive and steam, the sheet 79 may be detached from the rest of the roll and folded to C-form for dispensing with the outside cool and inside hot if desired.

Claims (20)

1. CLAIMS1. A method of preparing a wet towel or wipe for immediate use which comprises applying a quantity of water to a dry sheet of rapidly degradable nonwoven material, the mode and quantity of application of the water and/or the construction of the sheet being chosen so that a moisture gradient exists across the sheet for a sufficient time to enable the wet towel or wipe to be used before it becomes uniformly wetted across its thickness.
2. 2. A method according to Claim 1 wherein the quantity of water is applied to one side of the sheet only.
3. 3. A method according to Claim 1 012 wherein one or more additives are applied to the sheet prior to or immediately after the wetting of the sheet.
4. 4. A method according to Claim 3 wherein the additives are selected from scents, odorants, moisturisers, cleansing agents, emollients and antiseptics and solvents.
5. 5. A method according to Claim 3 or 4 wherein the additive is applied to the sheet surface by spraying.
6. 6. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the sheet is heated as well as wetted.
7. 7. A method according to Claim 6 wherein the heating is effected by steaming immediately after the sheet has been wetted.
8. 8. A method according to any one of the preceding Claims where the nonwoven sheet material consists entirely or substantially of cellulose.
9. 9. Apparatus for carrying out the method of any one of the preceding Claims which includes means for applying to a dry sheet of nonwoven material, from one side of the sheet, a quantity of water, and for presenting the sheet to the user in a fashion enabling the dry side of the wetted sheet to be grasped by the user.
10. 1 0.Apparatus according to Claim 9 and designed to enable the water applied to one side of the sheet to soften and wet it separately from applying an additive.
11. 11.Apparatus according to Claim 10 and including means to enable at least one additive to be supplied in a separate bottle or refill, which may be fitted into the apparatus to enable the additive(s) to be applied automatically, either before, during or after the application of the quantity of water to the sheet.
12. 12.Apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to 11 and including a refillable main tank from which a quantity of water may be withdrawn and applied to the sheet.
13. 13.Apparatus according to any one of Claims 90112 and including mechanical means for effecting wetting of one side of the dry nonwoven sheet and for applying one or more additives thereto.
14. 14. Apparatus according to Claim 13 wherein the mechanical means include a mechanism for storing mechanical potential energy and to trigger the release thereof to ensure the application of water and additive is consistent regardless of how a user actuates the storage of the potential energy.
15. 15.Apparatus according to any one of Claims 9to 14 and including a heating element designed to vaporise a portion of the quantity of water and to enable itto condense on the surface of the sheet.
16. 16. Apparatus for carrying out a two-stage process for first priming and then steaming a wipe or towel sheet, in the form of a converting/dispensing apparatus for treating a sheet of nonwoven towel material, the apparatus including a treatment chamber, means for applying a small quantity of priming water to the surface of a sheet of non-woven towel material in the chamber, and a heating element arranged to evaporate a further quantity of water to steam and release it into the treatment chamber to deposit moisture onto the sheet, soften the sheet and raise its temperature through the latent heat of condensation.
17. 17.Apparatus according to Claim 16 and configured such that the sheet is wetted on one side only, steam is applied predominantly to the wetted side and the sheet is presented for removal from the processing device semi-folded (C folded), dry face out, hot wet face in.I
18. 18.Apparatus for producing hot wet towels or wipes in accordance with the method of Claim 1 and including a base unit including a heating element having an upper surface with a recess therein for the receipt of a quantity of water, and a reservoir and treatment chamber unit comprising a water reservoir, a portion-dispensing element and, adjacent the reservoir, a treatment chamber having an aperture in its base which, when the reservoir and treatment chamber unit is placed on the base unit, lies above the recess in the upper surface of the heating element.
19. 19. Predominantly cellulosic sheet materials for use in the method of Claim 1 which consist of a two or more layered material, one or more layers having a soft open fibrous structure designed for application to the skin or other surface, and the other(s) being fibrous fabric structures designed to give strength to the material.
20. 20. Predominantly cellulosic sheet materials for use in the method of Claim 1 which consist of a two or more layered material, the construction of the material layers and the bonds between them being designed to limit the flow of water between layers and encourage the formation of moisture gradients across the thickness of the sheet.