K-C issued US patent for stain-discharging and removing system; patent filed on Aug. 21, 2013

Nevin Barich

Nevin Barich

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia , July 16, 2014 () – From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Cunningham, Corey (Larsen, WI); Wenzel, Scott W. (Neenah, WI); Decker, Chris (Neenah, WI); Seidling, Jeffrey R. (Appleton, WI), filed on August 21, 2013, was published online on July 8, 2014 (see also Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.).

The patent's assignee for patent number 8772218 is Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (Neenah, WI).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Traditionally, blood is regarded as among the most difficult kinds of stain, along with ink and grease, to clean and remove. Removing blood stains, for example, from clothing is an arduous and timely process where care has to be used so as not to set the stain into the fabric permanently. The typical process involves rinsing the fabric with cold salt water (not hot water as this would set the stain into the fabric making it almost impossible to remove). Next, the fabric is soaked in cold water containing an enzyme-based detergent or meat tenderizer for about 30-60 minutes. One would then apply a laundry pre-soak and then launder with enzyme-based detergent. (See e.g., FIELD GUIDE TO STAINS, pp. 199-202, Quirk Publications, Inc. .COPYRGT.2002) This course of treatment can be truly a time consuming process and is not conducive to portable, or outside the home, use.

"Recent stain removers use an oxidizing method for removing blood stains, for example, applying an oxidizing agent to the stained area. U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,819 claims the use of oxidizing agents, including oxides, peroxides, ozonides, and superoxides. Most of these agents are irritants or caustic to human skin and therefore not suitable for use in various consumer products, such as feminine hygiene pads or other applications that contact skin. In a series of studies, Consumer Reports, a leading U.S. publication for consumer products, evaluated currently available commercial spot and stain-removers and found that they either do not work effectively against or are not recommended for blood, ink or grease spots or stains. (See, CONSUMER REPORTS, 'Seeing Spots? Don't Rely on Quick Stain Removers,' p. 9, August 2006; CONSUMER REPORTS, 'Stain Removers: Which are Best,' p. 52, March 2000; and CONSUMER REPORTS 'On-the-Spot Cleanup,' p. 10, June 1998.) Some of the commercial spot and stain removers state explicitly on their packaging 'not effective on blood, ink and grease.'

"Currently, given the absence of a viable composition or commercial product, a need exists for a better kind of stain remover, especially one that works well on blood, ink, or grease, among other colorants or stains. Workers in various different industries, such as relating to household or industrial cleaning, laundry, textiles, cosmetics, or health and hygiene, will appreciate a stringent, but less caustic stain removing formulation that can neutralize or discharge various kinds of colorants at a relatively rapid rate. The formulation may be applied to articles that can contact bare skin or on a variety of different materials and in a variety of products without harmful effects."

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "The present invention pertains to a method and product system for actively removing or discharging an organic colorant or stain, such as blood or menstrual fluid. The method involves providing a textile substrate that has an organic colorant or stain on a first facing; applying an absorbent substrate against a side of the textile substrate, either directly in contact with the stain on the first facing or on a second facing behind or opposite from the stain; treating with a stain-discharging composition the side of the textile substrate opposite of the absorbent substrate, such that the stain-discharging composition and stain are drawn through the textile substrate into the absorbent substrate. The stain-discharging composition decolorizes and solvates the stain material to allow it to be drawn through the fibers of the textile into the absorbent substrate. As the stain-discharging composition is placed on the stain, the wicking action of the stained textile draws the solution horizontally across the textile substrate, creating a wet spot on the textile. At the same time, the solution is being drawn along the vertical axis through the plane of the textile sheet by the capillary action of the absorbent substrate. It is believed that capillary action of the absorbent substrate draws the stain-discharging composition through the stained textile fibers and the plane of the textile sheet, into the absorbent substrate. Typically, the stain undergoes a detectable change in color within about 30 minutes or less after contact with the decolorizing composition.

"In another aspect, the present invention also pertains to a stain-removing kit that can be used to practice the method outlined above. The kit or assembly includes a number of absorbent substrates that are adapted to draw moisture away from a treated stain area, a dispenser containing a stain-discharging composition with an aqueous based or polar solvent medium; and a stain-agitating device, which is configured either separately from or as an integrated part of the dispenser. The solvent medium can be in any form that easily dispenses from the dispenser, but typically could be in the form of a liquid, gel, or semi-solid. The absorbent substrates are formed from at least one or a combination of the following: a paper toweling material, an absorbent cellulose-based fabric, an absorbent sponge or foam, a nonwoven fabric basesheet material, or a superabsorbent material, or an absorbent with a non-liquid permeable backing, or any other absorbent substrate. Alternatively, the absorbent substrates can be formed from at least one of the following or combinations thereof in a laminated form: a) a cellulose airlaid fabric with about 50-60% of a superabsorbent homogeneously mixed therein, b) a cotton cellulose spunlace fabric, or c) cotton quilted squares. One may further physically agitate the stained area either during or after the treating step, either manually by rubbing or using a scrubbing device, tool or other mechanism. The stain may be situated between the absorbent substrate and a direction from which treatment is applied.

"In yet another aspect, the present invention includes an aqueous based stain-discharging composition that has a viscosity of between about 10 cP and about 150,000 cP. The stain-discharging composition has an oxidizing agent, at least one cell-lysing agent, at least one chelating agent, at least one antioxidant, a thickening agent, and a polar solvent. The oxidizing agent can be hydrogen peroxide or any other compound capable of controlled release of hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide is in an amount from about 0.10 wt. % to about 10 wt. %. The composition also includes from about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of the cell lysing agent, such as a surfactant, from about 0.05 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of the chelating agent, from about 0.0005 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of the antioxidant, and from about 50 wt. % to about 99.9 wt. % of the polar solvent, such as water. Additionally, the composition includes a thickening agent from about 0.001 wt. % to about 10 wt. % to control the flow rate and dispersion of the stain-discharging composition when applied to a stain on either woven or nonwoven textile substrate. The composition, for example, may maintain about 70% or more, in some embodiments about 80% or more, and in some embodiments, about 90% or more of its initial hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2) content subsequent to being aged at ambient temperature (.about.25.degree. C.) for 2 weeks.

"According to another embodiment, the present invention relates to a wipe that comprises a nonwoven web and an aqueous based stain-discharging composition, such as listed above, that constitutes from about 150 wt. % to about 600 wt. % of the dry weight of the wipe. The wipe material may, according to certain embodiments, be used as a scrubbing substrate to mechanically agitate against a stain and also be applied as a blotter-like absorbent substrate material.

"Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below."

For additional information on this patent, see: Cunningham, Corey; Wenzel, Scott W.; Decker, Chris; Seidling, Jeffrey R.. Stain-Discharging and Removing System. U.S. Patent Number 8772218, filed August 21, 2013, and published online on July 8, 2014. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8772218.PN.&OS=PN/8772218RS=PN/8772218

Keywords for this news article include: Ions, Hygiene, Chemistry, Electrolytes, Hydrogen Peroxide, Inorganic Chemicals, Reactive Oxygen Species, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc..

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