BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tissue products, such as facial tissue, bath tissue, paper towels, napkins, and the like, have traditionally been marketed in a variety of forms such as stacks of tissue sheets treated with additives to provide the sheets with a soft feel, improved absorbency, or a soothing effect. These additives have attempted to satisfy a number of criteria to be acceptable to consumers, including wiping effectiveness, skin feel, skin mildness and absorbency. Ideal tissue products should be absorbent and soft, cause little or no irritation, and not leave the skin overly dry after frequent use. In addition to providing these benefits, manufacturers have sought to provide consumers with ascetically pleasing tissue products and in certain instances have attempted to combine function and appearance.

Visual indicators such as color have been used to denote the distinction of active zones and the depletion of active substances associated with various substrates. For example, US Patent No. 4,311 ,479 discloses an antimicrobial composition in a cloth to provide visual evidence of the activity of the composition. Portions of the cloth are dyed with an indicator dye which bonds preferentially to the antimicrobial composition so that when the antimicrobial composition is exhausted, the dye will disappear from the cloth.

US Patent No.4,678,704 discloses a fabric having an active cationic composition and an anionic indicator dye in combination with a further cationic component, wherein the dye bonds to the second cationic component more readily than to the fabric. The second cationic component competes with the active cationic composition for bonding to the dye. The dye acts as an indicator by disappearance, which indicates depletion of the active component with use.

US Patent No. 4,987,632 discloses a dry wiping article which is suitable for use in cleaning soiled surfaces in the presence of water. A water absorbing layer is treated with a detergent active compound and a water-soluble dyestuff, the disappearance of which can signal exhaustion of the material.

While the foregoing wiping products attempted to denote specific active zones and/or the depletion of active substances associated with various substrates their applicability is limited, particularly with respect to cellulosic substrates and hydrophobic additives commonly used in tissue products. What is needed is colorant that is compatible with cellulosic substrates and existing tissue additives, particularly hydrophobic additives, and is compatible with existing tissue manufacturing processes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now surprisingly been discovered that hydrophobic additives can be applied to a cellulosic tissue web in a pattern and the pattern may further be defined by a colorant. The hydrophobic additive, which may be a non-aqueous lotion comprising a wax and an oil, may be combined with a colorant and applied to the cellulosic tissue web using existing manufacturing processes. Preferably the colorant is dispersible in the additive and is well suited for printing on tissue substrate using conventional printing techniques such as gravure printing. The resulting tissue product has a colored pattern that provides a visual indication to a user that an additive is present on the tissue surface.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the present invention provides a patterned tissue product defining a major surface having a planar surface area, the tissue product comprising an additive composition comprising an oil and a wax and a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern covering less than about 80 percent of the planar surface area and more preferably less than about 75 percent, and still more preferably less than about 70 percent, such as from about 30 to about 80 percent and more preferably from about 30 to about 70 percent.

In another embodiment the present invention provides patterned tissue product defining a major surface having a planar surface area, the tissue product comprising an additive composition and a colorant disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern, wherein the additive composition comprises an oil and a wax and the colorant comprises a pigment and a wetting agent, wherein the add-on amount of the additive composition ranges from about 2 to about 5 grams per square meter of planar surface area.

In still another embodiment the present invention provides a patterned treated tissue product having a major surface having a planar surface area, the product comprising an additive composition consisting essentially of one or more oils selected from the group consisting of mineral oil, petroleum oil, plant oil and silicone oil, and a wax and optionally a fatty alcohol and a colorant comprising a pigment selected from the group consisting of consisting of carbon black, organic barium, strontium, calcium or aluminum lakes, lakes based on cochineal carmine, diketopyrrolopyrroles, FD&C Yellow No. 5 aluminum lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 1 aluminum lake, FD&C Red No. 40 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake and FD&C Green No. 3 aluminum lake and combinations thereof, a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, cobalt oxide, cerium oxides, nickel oxides, chromium oxide, and zinc oxide and a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of talc, mica, kaolin, bismuth oxychloride, stainless steel and graphite and a wetting agent selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene, paraben, and combinations thereof, on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern covering from about 30 to about 80 percent of the planar surface area.

In yet another embodiment the present invention provides a method of making a patterned lotion treated tissue product; providing a tissue web having one or more tissue plies; providing a dispersion comprising an additive composition comprising a wax and an oil and a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent; applying the dispersion to the tissue web using a rotogravure process comprising an engraved roll; and recovering from the rotogravure process a tissue product having the additive composition and the colorant substantially disposed in a first pattern. In this manner a single printing step may be used to apply the additive and colorant in substantially identical patterns to yield a tissue product having an additive disposed in a visually discernable pattern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a process of manufacturing a tissue base sheet in which an additive composition and colorant are applied to a creped tissue sheet during manufacture using a heated rotogravure printer;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a process similar to FIG. 1 , in which the web to be treated is sourced from a parent roll;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a process in which the additive composition and colorant are applied to both sides of the tissue;

FIG. 4 is a further schematic of a process in which both sides of the tissue product are printed with an additive composition and colorant using a combination of heated offset gravure printing and heated direct gravure printing;

FIG. 5 illustrates one primary pattern applied to the surface of a tissue product according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates another primary pattern applied to the surface of a tissue product according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

It has now been discovered that tissue products comprising an additive adapted to reduce skin irritation, such as a lotion, and a colorant may be manufactured with relatively low total add-on amounts of the additive without reducing effectiveness. Additionally, the additive and colorant may be added simultaneously and in the same pattern so as to provide a tissue product having a distinct aesthetic appearance. Additionally, the ability to apply the lotion and colorant in the same pattern provides a visual cue to the user that the product comprises a soothing additive. Further, the visual cue may reinforce the benefits of the product, enabling lower additive add-on levels without degrading the user experience.

In one embodiment the present invention provides a patterned treated tissue product having a major surface having a planar surface area. The tissue product comprises an additive composition and a colorant disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern. In certain embodiments the first pattern may cover less than about 80 percent of the planar surface area and more preferably less than about 70 percent, such as from about 30 to about 80 percent and still more preferably from about 30 to 70 percent, such as from about 30 to about 50 percent. The colorant may provide a visual cue to a user and reinforce the soothing effect of the additive composition. Thus, in certain embodiments the tissue product may comprise less additive composition compared to a similar non-colored product, yet provide the same sensory experience to a user.

In other embodiments the tissue product comprises an additive composition and a colorant disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern, wherein the additive composition is a non-aqueous, hydrophobic lotion comprising an oil and a wax, and the add-on amount of the additive composition ranges from about 1.0 to about 6.0 grams per square meter of tissue surface area, such as from about 2.0 to about 5.0 per square meter of tissue surface area. The colorant may be add-on on amount is generally dependent upon the additive composition add-on and may be from about 1 to about 15 percent of the additive add-on, such as from about 2 to about 12 percent and more preferably from about 3 to about 10 percent. The add-on amounts, and the number, size, shape, and position of the first pattern can be selected to maximize the graphical appearance and the overall benefit provided to the consumer while minimizing the total add-on amount. The term "add-on amount” refers to the basis weight of the additive composition and/or colorant in the first pattern, typically measured in grams per square meter of planar tissue surface area.

In still other embodiments the present invention provides a tissue product comprising an additive composition and a colorant disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical primary pattern and an additive composition and a colorant disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical secondary pattern. Generally the add-on amount of additive composition in the primary pattern is greater than the add-on of additive composition in the secondary pattern. Thus, for any given tissue product having an additive composition disposed on the tissue surface in a primary and a secondary pattern having different add-on amounts, the pattern having higher add-on amounts is deemed the primary pattern and the pattern having lower add-on amounts is deemed the secondary pattern. The primary and secondary patterns may be used on one or both surfaces of the tissue. Further, the additive composition and colorant may be the same in each of the primary and secondary patterns, or they may be different.

In those embodiments where the tissue product comprises a primary and a secondary pattern, the number, size, shape and position of the primary pattern on a particular tissue may be selected so as to obtain the same or substantially the same consumer benefit as would be obtainable from a tissue product having similar amounts of additive uniformly applied to the tissue product. One or more secondary patterns are provided on the tissue product so as not to detract from the benefit delivered by the primary pattern. The secondary patterns allow for a reduction in the cost of the tissue product compared to what would result if the total coverage area included the additive composition at the primary add-on amount. It should be readily appreciated that a wide variety of configurations of the number, size, shape, and position of the primary and secondary patterns may be possible. The specific size of the primary pattern and the secondary pattern will depend upon the desired effect of the additive composition and the specific additive composition.

The specific area coverage of the primary pattern, and in certain embodiments the primary and secondary patterns, and the void areas, i.e., the areas of the tissue surface that do not consist of a primary or secondary pattern, will depend upon the desired effect of the composition and the specific composition. The tissue coverage of the primary pattern may range from about 30 to about 90 percent, more specifically from about 40 to about 80 percent, and more specifically from about 50 to about 75 percent, based on the simple planar view surface area of the tissue. The void areas that may be present will generally represent from about 0.5 to about 50 percent, more specifically from about 1 to about 25 percent, and still more specifically from about 1 to about 12 percent. Correspondingly, the primary and secondary patterns desirably have a combined surface area of at least about 30 percent, more particularly at least about 50 percent, such as from about 30 to about 80 percent and more preferably from about 40 to about 70 percent, of the planar surface area. The total tissue area coverage of the primary patterns, secondary patterns, and the void areas represent, by definition, 100 percent of the tissue surface area, based on the simple planar view surface area.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of making a tissue product. The method comprises the steps of providing an additive composition, particularly a non-aqueous hydrophobic lotion comprising an oil and a wax, providing a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent, dispersing the colorant in the additive composition to form a dispersion, providing a tissue web, applying the dispersion to the tissue web using a gravure printing process comprising an engraved roll having a primary pattern. Generally the foregoing method results in a tissue product having both an additive composition and a colorant disposed in a primary pattern having a primary add-on level. One particularly beneficial method is to uniformly apply the dispersion, which comprises both an additive composition and a colorant, to the surface of the tissue web by rotogravure printing, either direct or indirect (offset), because it is a very exact printing process and offers maximum control of the composition distribution and transfer rate. However, other application methods, such as flexographic printing, spraying, extruding, and the like can also be used.

Typical of gravure printing, the additive composition and colorant within the primary or secondary patterns may actually be present in a large number of small, spaced apart deposits on the tissue surface. These deposits are desirably uniformly positioned within each pattern but only cover part of the surface in each pattern. When viewed by the naked eye, the large number of small spaced-apart deposits appear to cover the entire surface, but in fact do not. The actual surface area coverage of the deposits can be from about 30 to about 80 percent, more specifically from about 40 to about 75 percent and still more specifically from about 50 to about 70 percent. For purposes of the present invention, the surface areas of the primary and secondary patterns include the complete area circumscribed by the pattern of deposits, and not just the actual surface area coverage of the deposits.

Gravure printing is ideally suited to such an application by providing, for example, from about 10 to about 1 ,000 deposits per lineal inch of surface, or from about 100 to about 1 ,000,000 deposits per square inch. Each deposit results from an individual cell on a printing roll, so that the density of the deposits corresponds to the density of the cells. Gravure printing encompasses several well-known engraving techniques, such as mechanical engraving, acid-etch engraving, electronic engraving and ceramic laser engraving. A suitable electronic engraved example for a primary delivery zone is about 200 deposits per lineal inch of surface, or about 40,000 deposits per square inch. By providing such a large number of small deposits, the uniformity of the deposit distribution is very high. Also, because of the large number of small deposits applied to the surface of the tissue, the deposits more readily resolidify on the surface of the tissue where they are most effective in benefiting the user. As a consequence, a relatively low amount of the additive composition can be used to cover a large area.

The add-on rate is also determined by the volume of the gravure roll engraving. Typically, this is expressed in terms of the volume of the cells per square inch of engraved area. The volume in the primary delivery regions will deliver more additive composition than the volume in the supplementary delivery regions. The range of liquid cell volume for a primary delivery region, described in terms of cubic billion microns (CBM) per square inch, is suitably from about 0.5 to about 15 CBM per square inch, more specifically from about 1 to about 10 CBM per square inch, and still more specifically from about 1.5 to about 8 CBM per square inch. The range of liquid cell volume for a supplementary delivery region is suitably from 0.1 to about 10 CBM per square inch, more specifically from about 0.5 to about 8 CBM per square inch, and still more specifically from about 0.75 to about 6 CBM per square inch.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a method of carrying out this invention will be described in greater detail. FIG. 1 illustrates a tissue sheet 1 approaching a Yankee dryer 2 and being dislodged from the dryer with a creping blade 3. The dried creped tissue sheet 4 is passed to a heated rotogravure printing station comprising a backing roll 6 and an engraved roll 7, at which point the additive composition and colorant are applied to one surface of the tissue sheet to provide a treated and patterned tissue product. The treated and patterned tissue product is then wound into a roll 8 for subsequent converting operations.

In certain embodiments the additive composition comprises an oil and a wax, which are heated prior to application to the tissue web by rotogravure printing. In such embodiments the additive composition is supplied by a heated supply tank 10 and pumped to a heated doctor application head 11 by a suitable metering pump. It is desirable to maintain constant temperature in the process. Accordingly, the melted composition, which is preferably a dispersion comprising the additive composition and colorant, may be continually circulated between the supply tank 10 and the application head 11 while maintaining an adequate amount in the reservoir. The heated doctor applicator head supplies the melted composition to the engraved roll 7, the surface of which contains a plurality of small cells to form the primary pattern on the final tissue product.

In operation the engraved roll 7 is loaded to the backing roll 6 to force the tissue web or sheet into contact with the engraved roll. The backing roll 6 can be any material that meets the process requirements such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber or other compressible surfaces.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 , differing only in that the tissue sheet to be printed with additive composition and colorant is supplied from a parent roll 15. This is intended to depict off-line printing, in which the printing operation is carried out independently of the tissue sheet manufacturing process. The sheet 17 being printed with the additive composition and colorant can be a single ply or it can be multiple plies. The resulting sheet is then wound into a roll 16 for further converting operations.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates two-sided direct heated rotogravure printing of the sheet using two printing stations in sequence. Two-sided printing is desirable when the effect of the composition is desired on both sides and/or the tissue sheet consists of two or more plies.

FIG. 4 represents two-sided printing of the tissue sheet using an offset heated gravure printing method on one side of the sheet and a direct heated gravure printing method on the other side of the sheet. In this method, the engraved roll and the backup roll 6 (now doubling as an offset applicator roll) can be the same as the rolls used for the previously described methods. Flowever, a second engraved roll 20 requires different liquid delivery characteristics and thus is engraved slightly differently. For such rolls, for example, the direct engraving specifications for the primary pattern may be selected to provide a first add-on amount and the engraving specifications for the secondary pattern can be adapted to provide relatively lower add-on amounts.

The additive composition generally comprises an oil based, non-aqueous and hydrophobic composition. In certain preferred embodiments the additive composition comprises an oil and a wax. In other embodiments the additive composition may comprise an oil, a wax and optionally a sterol or sterol derivative, a humectant, an emollient and a fatty alcohol. Suitable additive compositions are disclosed in US Patent Nos. 5,601 ,871 and 5,665,426, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in a manner consistent with the present specification. Non-limiting examples of suitable additive compositions are provided in the Table 1 , below. All weights are based upon the total weight of the additive composition.

TABLE 1

The amount of oil in the composition can be from about 30 to about 90 weight percent, more specifically from about 40 to about 70 weight percent, and still more specifically from about 45 to about 60 weight percent. Suitable oils include, but are not limited to, the following classes of oils: petroleum or mineral oils, such as mineral oil and petrolatum; or animal oils, such as mink oil and lanolin oil.

In certain embodiments the additive composition may comprise from about 30 to about 90 weight percent oil, and from about 10 to about 40 weight percent wax, preferably also containing from about 5 to about 40 weight percent fatty alcohol, wherein the additive composition has a melting point from about 30 to about 70°C, more specifically from about 40 to about 60°C. For purposes herein, "melting point” is the temperature at which the majority of the melting occurs, it being recognized that melting actually occurs over a range of temperatures.

The amount of wax in the composition can be from about 10 to about 40 weight percent, more specifically from about 10 to about 30 weight percent, and still more specifically from about 15 to about 25 weight percent. Suitable waxes include, but are not limited to the following classes: natural waxes, such as beeswax and carnauba wax; petroleum waxes, such as paraffin and ceresine wax; silicone waxes, such as alkyl methyl siloxanes; or synthetic waxes, such as synthetic beeswax and synthetic sperm wax.

The amount of fatty alcohol in the composition, if present, can be from about 5 to about 40 weight percent, and more specifically from about 10 to about 30 weight percent. Suitable fatty alcohols include alcohols having a carbon chain length of C14-C30, including acetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and dodecyl alcohol.

Preferably the additive composition is a solid or a semi-solid at room temperature and is melted prior to application to the tissue product after which it re-solidifies to form a distribution, preferably a uniform distribution, of solid deposits on the surface(s) of the tissue product. Because the composition is a solid at room temperature and rapidly solidifies after deposition, it has less tendency to penetrate and migrate into the sheet. Compared to tissues treated with liquid formulations, this leaves a greater percentage of the additive composition on the surface of the tissue where it can contact and transfer to the user's skin to provide enhanced skin health benefits. Furthermore, a lower add-on amount can be used to deliver the same benefit at a lower cost because of the efficient placement of the composition substantially at the surface of the product.

In certain preferred embodiments the additive composition comprises from about 20 to about 50 weight percent mineral oil and from about 10 to about 30 weight percent ceresin wax having a melting point from 64 to 67°C and from about 10 to about 30 weight percent fatty alcohol selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and dodecyl alcohol and optionally one or more oils selected from the group consisting of plant oils, such as aloe extract, sunflower oil and avocado oil; and silicone oils, such as dimethicone and alkyl methylsilicones.

The total tissue add-on amount of the additive composition and colorant can be from about 1 to about 40 weight percent, more specifically from about 3 to about 15 weight percent, and still more specifically from about 5 to about 10 weight percent, based on the weight of the tissue. The add-on amount for each of the additive composition and the colorant will depend upon the desired effect of the composition on the product attributes and the specific composition. Generally, though, with respect to an additive composition of the foregoing type comprising a wax and an oil, the add-on amount is suitably from about 1 to about 35 weight percent, more specifically from about 3 to about 15 weight percent, and still more specifically from about 4 to about 10 weight percent, based on the weight of the tissue.

In addition to an additive composition disposed in a pattern, such as a hydrophobic non-aqueous lotion comprising a wax and an oil, the tissue products of the present invention comprise a colorant disposed on the tissue product in a substantially identical additive pattern. Generally colorants useful in the present invention are hydrophobic and are dispersible in the non-aqueous additive compositions described above. As used herein, the term "colorants” generally refers to a "pigment,” which generally refers to a material capable of providing tint or color to a cellulosic substrate, such as a tissue web, and a wetting agent. In particularly preferred embodiments, discussed further below, the colorant may further comprise a modifying agent.

Suitable pigments may include, for example, a color extender, a dye, an inorganic pigment, a lake, a toner, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments the pigment may comprise an organic lake such as for example, any one of the FD&C or D&C lakes. Among the organic lakes, the lake may be selected from the group consisting of carbon black, organic barium, strontium, calcium or aluminum lakes, lakes based on cochineal carmine, diketopyrrolopyrroles, FD&C Yellow No. 5 aluminum lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 1 aluminum lake, FD&C Red No. 40 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake and FD&C Green No. 3 aluminum lake and combinations thereof.

In other embodiments the pigment may comprise inorganic pigments such as, but not limited to, metal oxides such as iron oxides, titanium dioxide (Ti02), titanium lower oxides, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxides, cobalt oxides, cerium oxides, nickel oxides chromium oxide (chromium green), zinc oxide and composite metal oxides; metal hydroxides such as calcium hydroxide, iron hydroxides, aluminum hydroxide, chromium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide and composite metal hydroxides. Optionally, the colorant may comprise, besides the mixture of iron oxides, titanium dioxide, for the purpose of providing any desired final color or shade of color to the composition. Preferably, titanium dioxide is used in any one of its mineral forms such as, but not limited to, anatase, brookite or rutile, or mixtures thereof.

In certain embodiments the colorant may include a substrate responsible for imparting additional optical or visual properties to the material, referred to herein as a "modifying agent.” For example, the modifying agent can include, but is not limited to talc, mica, kaolin, bismuth oxychloride, stainless steel, graphite, platy metals such as bronze, copper and aluminum or a combination thereof.

In addition to the foregoing components, which will generally be referred to herein as pigments or modifying agents, the colorant comprises a wetting agent. In certain embodiments the pigment may be a particulate solid having a non-hydrophobic core that has been treated with a wetting agent to yield a particle with a hydrophobic outer surface. Suitable wetting agents may comprise a natural or synthetic oil, hydrolyzed protein, fatty acid, fatty acid ester, fatty acid-amino acid peptide dimer, p-hydroxybenzoic acid ester or phenoxy alcohol. Particularly preferred wetting agents include phenyl trimethicone, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated polyisobutene, lauroyl lysine, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, palmitic acid, stearic acid, caprylic/capric triglyceride, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, hydrolyzed oat protein, octyl palmitate or isopropyl isostearate. The foregoing wetting agents can be used alone or in various combinations. In general, the amount of wetting agent will by about 1.0 to 10 percent, and more preferably from about 4.0 to about 6.0 percent, based on the total weight of the colorant and wetting agent.

In certain instances stearic acid and stearate salts may be particularly useful for rendering a pigment surface hydrophobic. Fatty acids suitable for use as wetting agents in the present invention include Hystrene® or Industrene® products commercially available from PMC Biogenix (Memphis, TN) or Emersol® products commercially available from Emery Oleochemicals LLC (Cincinnati, OH). In other instances it may be useful to use a blend of two or more wetting agents selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene and paraben.

In particularly preferred embodiments the colorant comprises a finely divided particulate inorganic solid treated with two or more wetting agents such as, for example, palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene and paraben, to render their surfaces hydrophobic. In this manner the treated particles will wet out and disperse better in the additive composition, such as a lotion comprising oil and wax described above. Suitable finely divided particulate solids include minerals, such as calcium carbonate, mica, talc, kaolin, bentonites, clays, attapulgite, pyrophyllite, wollastonite, silica, feldspar, sand, quartz, chalk, limestone, precipitated calcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth and barytes; functional fillers such as microspheres (ceramic, glass and organic), aluminum trihydrate, pyrogenic silica, ceramic fibers and glass fibers; and inorganic pigments. The term "finely divided" when utilized herein means that the individual particles have a median particle size less than about 50 microns and more preferably less than about 30 microns as measured by standard sedigraphic or laser light scattering methods. Preferably, the particulate solid material has a particle size distribution wherein 95 percent of the particles have a particle size from 5 to 50 microns.

Certain preferred combinations of pigments and wetting agents useful in the application of colored pattern to the planar surface of a tissue product according to the present invention are set forth below in Table 2. The compositions listed below are merely for illustrative purposes and are non-limiting. All weights are based upon the total weight of the colorant.

TABLE 2

The three components - additive composition, pigment and wetting agent - may be combined in any order and in a single blending step or in a series of sequential blending steps. It has been found that best results are generally achieved when the pigment and wetting are blended separately from the blending and heating of the additive composition and then the colorant is dispersed in the heated additive composition.

The colorant and additive composition are preferably added to the tissue product in a single step, by rotogravure printing, either direct or indirect (offset), as described above. The additive composition may be heated and then the colorant may be dispersed in the heated additive with further heating prior to application to the tissue web by rotogravure printing. In such embodiments the additive composition and colorant may be supplied by a heated supply tank and pumped to a heated doctor application head.

The colorant and additive composition may be added in a variety of patterns. As used herein the term "pattern” generally refers to the arrangement of one or more design elements. Within a given pattern the design elements may be the same or may be different, further the design elements may be the same relative size or may be different sizes. For example, in one embodiment, a single design element may be repeated in a pattern, but the size of the design element may be different from one design element to the next within the pattern.

For example, the pattern may comprise a plurality of line elements. The line element may be of any suitable shape such as straight, bent, kinked, curled, curvilinear, serpentine, sinusoidal, and mixtures thereof that may form a regular or irregular, periodic or non-periodic lattice work of structures wherein the line element exhibits a length along its path of at least 10 mm. In one embodiment, the pattern may comprise regular and repeating, continuous, curvilinear line elements that intersect one another to form enclosed areas, such as the pattern illustrated in FIG. 5. The total surface area of the tissue sheet printed with such patterns may range from about 30 to about 80 percent, such as from about 40 to about 75 percent and more preferable from about 50 to about 70 percent.

In other embodiments the pattern may comprise a plurality of discrete elements, such as geometric elements like circles, such as the pattern illustrated in FIG. 6. In addition to discrete elements the pattern may comprise dots or dashes, which may be spaced so as to have the appearance of being continuous. The total surface area of the tissue sheet printed with such patterns may range from about 30 to about 80 percent, such as from about 40 to about 75 percent and more preferable from about 50 to about 70 percent.

The tissue product of this invention can be one-ply, two-ply, three-ply or more. In all cases, the additive composition is desirably applied to the outer surface(s) of the product. The composition can be applied after the plies are brought together or prior to bringing the plies together. The individual plies can be layered or non-layered (homogeneous).

For purposes herein, "tissue sheet” and "tissue web” generally refer to a single ply cellulosic web suitable for use in tissue products, such as facial tissue, bath tissue, towels, napkins, or the like. Cellulosic tissue sheets of paper-making fibers are preferred, although synthetic fibers can be present in significant amounts.

Tissue products having a pattern applied lotion and colorant according to the present invention may have a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 500 grams per 76.2 mm (g/76.2 mm), such as from about 500 to about 1 ,500 g/76.2 mm and more preferably from about 800 to about 1 ,100 g/76.2 mm. Further the tissue products may have a basis weight of greater than 10 grams per square meter (gsm), such as from about 10 to about 80 gsm, more preferably from about 15 to about 60 gsm and still more preferably from about 20 to about 50 gsm, such as from about 30 to about 45 gsm. At the foregoing basis weights the webs may have a sheet bulk greater than about 5.0 cc/g, such as from about 5.0 to about 20.0 cc/g and more preferably from about 8.0 to about 12.0 cc/g.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the present invention provides multi-ply tissue product comprising two or more creped tissue plies joined in facing arrangement with one another and defining a major first outer surface having a planar surface area, the tissue product comprising an additive composition comprising an oil and a wax and a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern, the product having a basis weight from about 30 to about 45 gsm and a GMT from about 500 to about 1 ,500 g/76.2 mm.

While the inventive tissue webs, tissue products and non-aqueous dispersions have been described in detail with respect to the specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalents thereto and the following embodiments:

In a first embodiment the present invention provides a patterned tissue product defining a major surface having a planar surface area, the tissue product comprising an additive composition comprising an oil and a wax and a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent disposed on the major surface in a substantially identical first pattern covering less than about 80 percent of the planar surface area.

In a second embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of the first embodiment wherein the tissue product comprises two or more cellulosic plies and has a basis weight from about 10 to about 60 grams per square meter (gsm) and a tensile strength from about 500 to about 2,000 grams per 76.2 mm.

In a third embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of the first or second embodiments wherein first pattern covers from about 30 to about 70 percent of the planar surface area.

In a fourth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through third embodiments wherein the oil is a petroleum or a mineral oil, or a combination thereof.

In a fifth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through fourth embodiments wherein the oil of the additive composition is a mineral oil and the additive composition further comprises a plant oil selected from the group consisting of aloe extract, sunflower oil and avocado oil and silicone oil selected from the group consisting of dimethicone and alkyl methylsilicones.

In a sixth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through fifth embodiments wherein the additive composition comprises from about 30 to about 90 weight percent oil and from about 10 to about 40 weight percent wax and the composition has a melting point of from about 30 to about 70°C.

In a seventh embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through sixth embodiments wherein the additive composition further comprises from about 5 to about 40 weight percent of a fatty alcohol.

In an eighth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through seventh embodiments wherein the pigment comprises a lake selected from the group consisting of carbon black, organic barium, strontium, calcium or aluminum lakes, lakes based on cochineal carmine, diketopyrrolopyrroles, FD&C Yellow No. 5 aluminum lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 1 aluminum lake, FD&C Red No. 40 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake and FD&C Green No. 3 aluminum lake and combinations thereof, a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, cobalt oxide, cerium oxides, nickel oxides, chromium oxide, and zinc oxide and a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of talc, mica, kaolin, bismuth oxychloride, stainless steel and graphite.

In an ninth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through eighth embodiments wherein the wetting agent is selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene, paraben, and combinations thereof. In a tenth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the first through ninth embodiments further comprising a second pattern consisting of an additive composition comprising an oil and a wax and a colorant comprising a pigment and a wetting agent.

In an eleventh embodiment the present invention provides a non-aqueous colorant dispersion comprising a non-aqueous media consisting of an oil, a wax and a fatty alcohol, a lake pigment selected from the group consisting of carbon black, organic barium, strontium, calcium or aluminum lakes, lakes based on cochineal carmine, diketopyrrolopyrroles, FD&C Yellow No. 5 aluminum lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 1 aluminum lake, FD&C Red No. 40 aluminum lake, FD&C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake and FD&C Green No. 3 aluminum lake and combinations thereof, a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, cobalt oxide, cerium oxides, nickel oxides, chromium oxide, and zinc oxide, a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of talc, mica, kaolin, bismuth oxychloride, stainless steel and graphite and a wetting agent selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene, paraben and combinations thereof.

In a twelfth embodiment the present invention provides a patterned tissue product defining a major surface having a planar surface area, the tissue product comprising the non-aqueous colorant dispersion of the eleventh embodiment disposed on the planar surface in a first pattern.

In a thirteenth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of the twelfth embodiment wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of line elements having a length along its path of at least 10 mm.

In a fourteenth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of the twelfth embodiment wherein the pattern comprises regular and repeating, continuous, curvilinear line elements that intersect one another to form enclosed areas.

In a fourteenth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of the twelfth or thirteenth embodiments wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of discrete elements, such as geometric elements like circles. The foregoing discrete elements may be formed from line elements, dots or dashes.

In a fifteenth embodiment the present invention provides the patterned tissue product of any one of the twelfth through fourteenth embodiments wherein the pattern covers from about 30 to about 80 percent, such as from about 40 to about 75 percent, and more preferable from about 50 to about 70 percent, of the planar surface of the tissue product.