(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,557,894 B2 Gil Et Al
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US008557894B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,557,894 B2 Gil et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 15, 2013 (54) WATER-TRIGGERED COLORING OR (56) References Cited COLOR CHANGING INDICATOR U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: JunMo Gil, Deajeon (KR); Xuedong Song, Alpharetta, GA (US) 4,252,845. A * 2/1981 Griffiths et al. ............... 427 273 s s 5,478,382 A 12/1995 Miller et al. (73) Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., 388853 A. 1338 Pvies-Smithi et al. et al. Neenah, WI (US) 2007, OO17413 A1 1/2007 Kwan et al. 2009/0275908 A1* 1 1/2009 Song ............................. 604.361 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this k . patent is extended or adjusted under 35 cited by examiner U.S.C. 154(b) by 792 days. Primary Examiner — Doris Lee (21) Appl. No.: 12/640,604 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Denise L. Stoker; Vincent T. Kung (22) Filed: Dec. 17, 2009 (65) Prior Publication Data (57) ABSTRACT US 2011 FO1528.05 A1 Jun. 23, 2011 An ink formulation that includes a reversible color-develop s ing complex formed from a dye precursor molecule having a (51) Int. Cl. triarylmethane derivative structure modified with a leaving C09D II/00 (2006.01) group (L) that disassociates from said dye precursor when (52) U.S. Cl. subjected to environmental conditions of either a neutral or USPC ..... 523/160; 604/361; 428/304.4; 428/411.1; acidic pH value is described. Also the invention pertains to 428/523; 428/532; 427/8: 524/378: 524/384; diagnostic indicators or absorbent personal care products that 524/186; 523/161 have the ink formulation applied to at least a part of the (58) Field of Classification Search product. USPC .......................................................... 523,160 See application file for complete search history. 25 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Oct. 15, 2013 Sheet 1 of 2 US 8,557,894 B2 coloress of one CC or color appearing or changing to another Color R - , alky, halogen, akoxy, amid, alkylatino group substitutes lar leaving group such as Oh, OR, NR2 F.G. 1 U.S. Patent Oct. 15, 2013 Sheet 2 of 2 US 8,557,894 B2 US 8,557,894 B2 1. 2 WATER-TRIGGERED COLORING OR product, it may also be desirable to have a color indicator that COLOR CHANGING INDICATOR can be applied in liquid form at room temperature. When the color indicator is in a liquid form at room temperature, the FIELD OF INVENTION color indicator can be printed (just like an ink composition) onto the desired component of a product. The ink form can The present invention relates to certain colorant systems make easier demonstration to provide more attractive graphic that can be triggered by the presence of an aqueous Substance. by being adjusted into current printing methods, such as ink In particular, the invention pertains to a colorant or dye com jet, flexographic or gravure methods. plex that can be activated or deactivated by pH conditions so Examples of how color indicators are already incorporated as to provide a durable, visually observable signal. 10 into consumer products include diapers that have wetness sensors. Some of the wetness sensors used in diapers change BACKGROUND color to indicate wetness while others lose color in response to wetness (i.e. the color fades or disappears when it is dis Many products, including consumer and professional Solved by water). The concept of incorporating a color-chang products, can be used more effectively by an end user if they 15 ing composition into a wearable article (Such as a disposable include a feature that informs a particular condition or state of diaper) is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,159, use for the products. For instance, in the area of consumer 532 issued to Klofta et al. (hereinafter “the 532 patent”) is absorbent products, especially in the diaper, feminine directed to wetness indicating compositions having improved hygiene, or papertissue markets, manufacturers have recently colorant retention and durability for use with wearable investigated various ways of providing a wetness sensitive articles. The wetness indicating compositions of the 532 indicator that can give a signal to the consumers or end-users patent have a first binding agent and a second binding agent. and allows them to change or replace the absorbent products The first binding agent immobilizes a colorant when the colo in a timely manner. These color based indicators can provide rant is in its initial color state and the second binding agent more satisfaction and enhance the consumer's experience of immobilizes the colorant when the colorant is in its final color the products by relaying real time informing about wetness 25 state. The component materials used in the examples pro conditions without any additional equipments, such as elec vided in the 532 patent are solid at room temperature as tronic devices. Such wetness sensing technology can improve indicated by the description that they need to be melted in levels of hygiene and care, especially for persons who cannot order to combine them. While the wetness indicating compo easily communicate to caregivers such as newborn babies or sitions of the 532 patent are capable of changing color in incapacitated patients. For instance, the signal can prevent a 30 response to a stimulus, they are not capable of being applied baby's or patient’s skin from overexposure to moisture which to an article in liquid form at room temperature. may cause a number of problems such as rashes. While the color-changing compositions known in the art Many kinds of wetness indicating technologies have been provide certain benefits, there remains a need for a film described in the literature for consumer products, but none of forming composition that can be applied to a substrate. There the currently existing approaches is ideal. An example of a 35 also remains a need for a composition that is durable, has visual wetness indicator is a color indicator. Color indicators good retention and that shows rapid and dramatic color can either indicate a change in condition or a degree of use change when the composition is used in a product. When the through a change from “no color” to “color” (or vice versa) or purpose of the composition is to detect the presence of wet through a change from one color to a different color. ness, there remains a need for a composition that is water Exemplary conditions that could be monitored using a 40 resistant and water-insoluble. Further, there remains a need color indicator include physical conditions such as the pres for a composition that can be applied, such as by printing, at ence of moisture and chemical conditions such as a change in room temperature so that the composition can be applied to a pH. Exemplary consumer products that could be more effec Substrate without heating. tive and deliver more benefits to end users by incorporating a suitable color indicator include absorbent articles, facial tis 45 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Sues, bath tissue, paper towels, household cleaning items and personal cleaning wipes. Exemplary professional products The present invention relates to color-developing complex that could be more effective and deliver more benefits to end that involves a triaryl-methane-based dye precursor deriva users by incorporating a Suitable colorindicator include prod tive in a reaction system that can be adapted for and incorpo ucts for medical use, safety garments, industrial cleaning 50 rated into various absorbent products. When formulated into products and nonwoven materials. a wetness-indicating ink, the color-developing system is not For instance, certain adhesive-based wetness indicators only printable on various substrates to provide different types give very poor color contrast, and the indicator colors also can of graphic patterns using pH-changing mechanism, but also suffer from dye leaching off of its substrate. Other water can provide rapid and dramatic color change upon wetting dissolved-dye-based wetness indicators suffer from low sen 55 without dye leaching. In contrast to previous wetness-indi sitivity and again low color contrast. Given these shortcom cating materials that are limited to changing from colored to ings, workers in the colorant indicator area would welcome a colorless or from one color to another, the present colorant new technical approach to generate durable and highly visu system are colorless or near colorless when first applied to a ally-contrasting colorants. Color indicators are well known film substrate of an absorbent article. Under predetermined and are available in various forms. Desirable performance 60 pH conditions, the indicator colorant system can be triggered attributes include durability and good retention (i.e. the color from the colorless undeveloped or un-reacted State to appear indicator remains where intended and does not bleed or leach Vividly. Although development of a colorless-to-color-ap out into other components of the product within which it is pearing wetness indicator has been a great technical chal being used). Depending on the product application, it may lenge, the present invention can offer the consumer a more also be desirable to have the structure in which the color 65 powerful visual impact with a broadened arrange of potential indicator is used be wettable, but water insoluble. For pur dramatic signals and patterns which can change from a col poses of applying the color indicator to a component of a orless appearance to bright colored appearance. Moreover, US 8,557,894 B2 3 4 this technology enables manufacturers to offer or use a more shadow (in contrast to a background color or pattern) to being varied and wider pallet of novel colors than those appearing or nearly invisible to the human naked eye.