Patent Publication Number: US-10772472-B2

Title: Loofah

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 15/369,634 filed on Dec. 5, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/262,797, filed on Dec. 3, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Generally speaking, a loofah is a handheld device used to stimulate and exfoliate human skin, which may be usually used in a shower or bath and may usually be moistened with water and possibly soaps or lotions. A loofa is preferably thick enough to have a feeling of body in the hand, especially when wet. When wet, it preferably maintains its structural integrity. A loofah may be made from materials such as plastics or the body of a type of cucumber intended for repetitive, frequent use. 
     A loofah may become soiled with contaminants such as skin dirt, body oils and makeup, after few uses. The warm water environment where loofahs are commonly used encourages the growth of molds after a few uses. The cost of available full size loofahs ranges from about $5 to $20 each, which leads to a high cost per use if the loofah is discarded due to the above issues. Surveys have found that a loofah is used less than five times on average before being discarded. In a commercial environment, such as a hotel or spa where a single use is necessary, available loofahs are very expensive on a per use basis. 
     A product that allows for uses at a low cost per use would be desirable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a cotton loofah and, in particular, a cotton exfoliating loofah. 
     In an example, a loofah includes an inner core and an outer portion. The inner core includes a natural material. The outer portion includes a natural material. A water absorbency of the inner core is less than a water absorbency of the outer portion. 
     In another example, a loofah includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and an inner layer. A majority of a material of the first outer layer is cotton. A majority of a material of the second outer layer is cotton. The inner layer is disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer. A majority of a material of the inner layer is cotton. A water absorbency of the material of the inner layer is less than a water absorbency of the material of the first outer layer. The water absorbency of the material of the inner layer is less than a water absorbency of the material of the second outer layer. 
     In still another example, a method of manufacturing a loofah includes: providing a first sheet of non-woven cotton; depositing unbleached cotton onto the first sheet of non-woven cotton; providing a second sheet of non-woven cotton at a side of the unbleached cotton distal to the first sheet of non-woven cotton; and entangling the first sheet of non-woven cotton, the unbleached cotton, and the second sheet of non-woven cotton. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary loofah. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an exemplary loofah. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary loofah. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of an exemplary loofah. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments of a loofah are described according to the present disclosure. It is to be understood, however, that the following explanation is merely exemplary in describing the devices and methods of the present disclosure. Accordingly, several modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated. For example, although the present disclosure mainly describes a cotton loofah, the disclosed principals may be applied to other personal wipe products. Other materials, both natural and processed, may also be used. 
     Known natural loofah products are derived from vegetable gourds of the cucumber family. E. Bottone,  Loofah Sponges are Reservoirs  and  Vehicles in the Transmission of Potentially Pathogenic Bacterial  Species  to the Human Skin , Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 1994, p. 469. The hydration of dry loofah sponges even with sterile distilled water liberates bacteria embedded in the fibrous matrix of the loofah sponge. Bottone at 471. Bottone found a number of harmful bacteria in the natural loofah sponge promoted by the manufacturing process of the loofah sponges, which as soaked in water for several days to move the gourd skin and seeds. Id. 
     The present inventor has discovered that cotton, when prepared according to the present disclosure, can be used to create a loofah type product with a good feel and performance that does not suffer from the bacteriological deficiencies described above that arise from the fibrous matrix of a vegetable gourd. Also, when the disclosed loofah type product is used as a single use product, the opportunity to incubate bacteria is limited or avoided. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary cotton loofah.  FIG. 2  is a side view of an exemplary cotton loofah.  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary cotton loofah. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the exemplary cotton loofah  10  includes a first outer layer  12 , an intermediate layer  14  and a second outer layer  16 . Each of the layers  12 ,  14  and  16  are preferably 100% cotton or a mostly cotton process. The use of 100% or mostly cotton for the exterior and interior of a personal wipe is preferable. Today&#39;s consumer of beauty care products is sensitive to the life cycle of products. They wish to know that the product comes from a renewable source, and the “harvesting” of this source is “kind” to the environment. The processing of cotton product used in the loofah  10  may be minimal and not requiring or adding harmful ingredients to the cotton. The product looks and “feels” natural and luxurious, and simply and effectively works for their use. The disposal of a cotton based product may also be environmentally “friendly” in the consumer&#39;s eyes. 
     It will be appreciated that while this discussion s provided in the context of a loofah type product, the disclosure is not limited to a loofah. For example, there are other applications where a disposable high quality alternative personal wipe is desirable. 
     For example, in the removal of a treatment mask such as a clay mask, a cloth may typically be used as a disposable wipe has not previously had the hand feel, size, robustness, surface abrasion (ability to grab and hold the mask chemistry). The cloth then must be laundered or discarded. The removal of makeup is made easier with the disclosed cotton product compared to more flimsy light wipes while also being more economical than cloths/towels that are high cost and/or need to be laundered. 
     The use of 100% or mostly cotton for the exterior and interior of a personal wipe is highly desirable. Today&#39;s consumer of beauty care products is sensitive to the life cycle of products. They wish to know that the product comes from a renewable source, and the “harvesting” of this source is “kind” to the environment. The processing of this product is minimal and does not add harmful ingredients. The product looks and “feels” natural and luxurious, and simply and effectively works for their use. The disposal needs to be environmentally “friendly” in their eyes. 
     There is a need for a product that allows for uses at a low cost per use. This is particularly advantageous in applications where a single or minimal number of uses are expected. Preferably, the loofah holds moisture and maintains integrity when wet. 
     As an example, a 100% or mostly cotton product may be made using a needling or hydro entangled process that preferably has a total weight between 5 to 10 oz/sy. 
     The first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  (e.g., outer exfoliating layer(s)) may be made of grade of cotton that is cleaned, scoured (for example, using a solution containing sodium hydroxide), and in some cases may also be bleached. After scouring, the cotton fiber is absorbent and cleaned. The degree of absorbency of the cotton fiber may vary after it has been processed (e.g., cleaned, scoured or bleached). That it has some absorbency means that it is a hydrophilic-type material. Cotton, particularly processed cotton, has a natural affinity for oil making it particularly advantageous when provided as an outer surface of a personal wipe such as the cotton loofah  10  as it may be very effective as a skin oil blotter. 
     The scoured cotton may then be manufactured into a non-woven material, for example by hydroentanglement. The first layer  12  and  16  may be provided as non-woven sheet material that is thin and lightweight, for example, 1 oz/sy respectively. It will be appreciated that the cotton fibers of the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  are not required to be pre-manufactured in a non-woven material and may also be provided in a bulk form. 
     The intermediate layer  14  is preferably less absorptive than the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16 . The bleaching and cleaning process described above with respect to the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  removes the natural oils of the cotton. An example of the material (which may be referred to as a core material) for the intermediate layer  14  is unbleached, or unprocessed, or raw cotton. A core material (e.g., cotton) that has not had its natural oils removed has a coating of natural waxes that protect it from rain, which ultimately makes it a hydrophobic-type product (water repellent). This means raw cotton is usually unsuitable for use in many consumer products that require absorbency, a trait that is considered critical in most cotton applications. Raw cotton absorbs less water than had the natural oils been removed. For example, the core material may be hydrophobic (e.g., would not adsorb water). Raw cotton has the additional advantage that it is less expensive than processed cotton, making the loofah  10  more economical. 
     The core material may be provided as bulk, hydroentangled or needled cotton, may have a weight of 3 to 6 oz/sy, and may be made from a grade of cotton that has not had its natural oils removed. 
     The inventor has discovered that raw cotton, which had generally been considered undesirable for a personal wipe product, works particularly well for the inner portion of loofah type product. This may allow the assembled cotton loofah  10  to have an absorbent surface (for example, to hold cleaners or absorb materials being removed from a face like makeup or a mask) yet not absorb large amounts of water. This may provide a product that does not “ball up” when soaked with water. An exemplary additional advantage is that unprocessed cotton is lower in cost as well as more “natural.” Thus, the assembled cotton loofah  10  may be much less expensive to produce as well as having a lower environmental impact though the reduced use of caustic chemicals. The savings in cost by using raw cotton for the intermediate layer  14  is significant as, preferably, 50-75% of the cotton by weight in the loofah  10  is the core material. The cost to the consumer for the assembled cotton loofah  10  may be a small fraction of the cost of available alternatives. 
     The first outer layer  12 , the intermediate layer  14  and the second outer layer  16  of the loofah  10  may be coupled together by a needling or hydro entangling process, which may provide an efficient method of incorporating the exfoliating layers(s) (e.g., the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  discussed in more detail below) with the core cotton product (e.g., the intermediate layer  14 ) while not requiring adhesives or bonding agents. The combination of bonding the exfoliating layer(s) while needling or hydro entangling the core cotton product may also provide significant economy. 
     In an embodiment, the material of the intermediate layer  14  may be treated with a binder agent, which may stiffen the intermediate layer. An example of a stiffening binder agent is Dur-O-Set® C-310 Emulsion made by Celanese Corporation. It is a water-based polyvinyl acetate emulsion that imparts rigidity and stiffness. Another example of a stiffening binder agent is Resyn®1601 Emulsion made by Celanese Corporation. It is a water-based polyvinyl acetate emulsion stabilized with polyvinyl alcohol that will also impart rigidity and stiffness. 
     The inventor has discovered that stiffening the intermediate layer  14  is particularly advantageous for a loofah-type product as it may approximate the stiffer feel of the natural gourd type loofah or the synthetic material loofah while retaining the softer cotton touch on the skin of the consumer. The binder may also increase the hydrophobic properties of the core material. This combination of an overall stiffer loofah  10  while retaining a softer outer surface provides an experience that the inventor has determined to be more preferred by the consumer. 
     In an embodiment, one or two surfaces of the loofah  10  may have an outer surface that includes exfoliating materials or exfoliating properties. For example, the first outer layer  12  and/or the second outer layer  16  may include a textured cotton material provided by applying a patterned coating to the sheet. The patterned coating may include the beads  20  adhered to the outer surface of the first outer layer  12  and/or the second outer layer  16 . 
     Each bead  20  is formed to have a three dimensional geometry that extends outwardly from the surface of the outer layer. The beads may improve the abrasive qualities of the loofah  10 . This may offer advantages such as improved scrubbing performance of the loofah. As will be discussed further below, the beads may be made of materials that are not as water soluble as the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16 . Thus, the performance of the loofah while wet may be further improved. It will be appreciated that the term “bead” is not limiting and refers to a variety of different protrusions. 
     The beads  20  may also include materials including abrasive particles and/or acrylic resin(s). An example of an exfoliating agent is abrasive particles included in the coating that can provide a selectively abrasive surface. The specific type, size, and density of abrasive particles within the coating can be varied to suit the application at hand. 
     In a preferred example, each bead  20  includes a puffing agent. The composition that forms the bead  20  may also include an appropriate binding agent such as an acrylic emulsion that enhances the adherence of the composition, including the puffing agent, to the cotton wipe sheet  12 . When a puffing agent is exposed to an elevated temperature (e.g., elevated over ambient) it expands (for example, by releasing a gas) to at least in part create the three dimensional shapes of the beads  20 . With reference to the cross-section of  FIG. 3 , the puffing agent leads to an air space  22  in an interior portion of the beads  20 . While an exfoliating product is desirable, if the beads  20  are too abrasive, the consumer may have a less desirable experience. The inventor has determined that the use of a puffing agent in the beads  20  is particularly advantageous as it leads to a more favorable feel to the loofah  10 , which, as discussed above, may include a binder to stiffen the intermediate layer  14 , the inventor has determined that. 
     In a second example, the beads  20  include a thermoplastic material. Examples of acceptable thermoplastic plastics include, but are not limited to, one or more of polypropylene (“PP”), polyethylene (“PE”), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polyamide (“PA”; also referred to as “Nylon”), polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) or copolymers thereof. 
     It will be appreciated that the outer surfaces of the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  may be provided with two different levels of abrasion, for example, by using different abrasive additives in the beads  20  or by differences in the geometry of the beads  20 . The degree of abrasion of the outer surfaces of the first outer layer  12  and the second outer layer  16  may be identified by including different colors of the surfaces. For example, the beads  20  may be colored or the first outer layer  12  and/or the second outer layer  16  may be died and/or include a printed surface. Different levels of abrasion may be useful for facial vs body use. 
     In some embodiments (with or without the beads  20 ), a coating may be applied to the first outer layer  12  and/or the second outer layer  16  that may include one or more of a cleaning agent, a medicinal agent, an exfoliating agent, and a soap material such as a dry soaping agent to provide additional cleaning ability without the need for additional soaps. The dry soaping agent is particularly advantageous in the loofah  10  used in a single use context 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a method of manufacturing a cotton loofah, such as the loofah  10  described above, will be described. 
     A manufacturing process  100  includes a roll  112  of nonwoven cotton sheet, which may already include the puffed beads  20  or the puffed beads  20  may be applied thereto. The roll  112  of nonwoven cotton becomes the first outer layer  12  of the loofah  10 . 
     The core material, for example raw cotton, may be provided by a bale  114 . The bale  114  of core material may be opened and fluffed by the machine  120  and then deposited onto the non-woven sheet material of the first outer layer  12 . The core material becomes the intermediate layer  14  of the loofah  10 . The opened and fluffed material may have a binder applied by the machine  122  before it is deposited on the first outer layer  12 . The binder may also be sprayed onto the intermediate layer  14  after it is deposited onto the first outer layer  12 . 
     A second roll  116  of nonwoven cotton becomes the second outer layer  16  of the loofah  10 . The roll  116  of nonwoven cotton may already include the puffed beads  20  or the puffed beads  20  may be applied thereto. It will be appreciated that while two rolls of nonwoven cotton have been depicted, a single two ply roll may be used or as yet another alternative, a wide roll may be cut and the cut portions provided in the place of the two rolls of nonwoven cotton. 
     The first outer layer  112 , the intermediate layer  114 , and the second outer layer  116  may be provided to the needling/hydroentangling machine  124  to adhere the layers together. The machine  124  may pull fibers of the first outer layer  112  into the second outer layer  116  and vice versa. Bonding the exfoliating layer(s) as part of the needling or hydro entangling process may provide an efficient method of incorporating the exfoliating layers(s) with the cotton product while not requiring adhesives or bonding agents. As noted above, the combination of bonding the exfoliating layer(s) while needling or hydro entangling the cotton product may also provide significant economy. This method may also provide a way to insure the “purity” of the final product by limiting the ingredients. 
     The combined first outer layer  112 , intermediate layer  114 , and second outer layer  116  may then be provided to a cutter and stacker  126  to provide the finished loofah  10 . 
     As an additional advantage of not requiring glues or adhesives and that all the layers of the loofah  10  may be provided from cotton, further processing steps such as providing a stiches edge are not required. Thus, the intermediate layer  114  may remain exposed at the edges of the loofah  10 . 
     In an embodiment, the loofah  10  is provided as a four sided product, such as a square or rectangle. Preferably, the loofah  10  is about the size of a hand having sides in the range of 4-6″. A four sided product having sides in the range of 4-6″ can be quickly manufactured using wide format machines making the manufacture of the loofah  10  fast and efficient. While other shapes such as round and oval may be used, a four sided shape can be quickly cut and stacked with little waste. This may also increase the economy of the finished loofah  10 . 
     While various embodiments in accordance with the disclosed principles have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and are not limiting. For example, the present disclosure is not limited to cotton products and is also applicable to other materials such as rayon, bamboo fiber, tree fiber, grass fiber and synthetic analogs of the same. Regenerated cotton products may also be used for some or all of the layers of the disclosed loofah. These alternative materials, including rayon and bamboo fiber, can each be prepared to have different water absorbencies for inner core material as compared to an outer material according the principals of the present disclosure. It will also be appreciated that the layers of the loofah may include synthetic materials blended with cotton or may also be fully synthetic. For example, the core may include other less or non-absorptive materials such as synthetic materials like polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene or combinations thereof. As another example, the outer layers may include a blend (e.g., 10%) polyester, polyethylene, or combinations thereof for lower cost. 
     Thus, the breadth and scope of the invention(s) should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents issuing from this disclosure. Furthermore, the above advantages and features are provided in described embodiments, but shall not limit the application of such issued claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages.