Appeal 2006-2400
Application 10/051,814
I. APPEALED SUBJECT MATTER
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a method of making a
moist wipe (a wet wipe) for delivering a cationic functional agent. See
Specification at 1. The method involves conventionally forming a bonded
non-woven web comprising cellulosic fibers. See Specification at 10. The
components employed, including fibers and binder used, are selected such
that the web has an anionic surface charge not greater than 1.2 meq per
kilogram. Id. According to the Appellants:
The constituent wood pulp fibers used to manufacture the
nascent web will often exhibit substantial anionic surface
charge, which may be in excess of that specified above. The
anionic surface charge of the nascent web can vary depending
on such factors as the type of wood in the pulp, the pulping
bleaching process used, the type of cellulosic and/or re-
generated cellulosic fibers used, or the particular combination
of cellulosic and synthetic fibers chosen. Also the presence of
wood pulp fines can impart a significantly higher surface
charge than long fibers. However[,] we find that in many cases
the consolidated web will exhibit an anionic surface charge
considerably reduced from the charge on the constituent fibers.
Therefore, the combination of furnish and binder is selected to
compensate for the surface charge on the fibers so that the form
dry web has a surface charge within the specified range. The
surfactant in the binder should be non-ionic, cationic or a
mixture of the two in order to produce a web having the desired
surface charge of not greater than about 1.2 milli-equivalents
per kilogram, dry weight. Specification at 10-11.
To the resulting dry non-woven web, “about one to three times the dry
weight of the web an aqueous imbuement carrying a cationic function agent
at a concentration of about 6 mili-equivalents per liter or less” is introduced.
See Specification at 12-13 and claim 24. Details of the appealed subject
2
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