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US 9,475,952 B2Granted
Reversible color-changing ink formulations and nonwoven wipes
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsPaul Richard Jelonek, Emani Bernardo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reversible color-changing polymeric article includes a polymeric material and a dried reversible color-changing ink formulation durably bound to the polymeric material. During use, the polymeric article is impregnated with a sanitizer solution that contains a quaternary ammonium compound. The polymeric article reversibly changes between a first color when impregnated with the sanitizer solution and a second color when the sanitizer solution is depleted during use.
Claims18
A reversible color-changing polymeric article, comprising:
- a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polyamides, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a dried reversible color-changing ink formulation durably bound to the polymeric material and including at least a reversible color-changing dye and a polymer binder that is not an acrylic polymer binder;
- wherein the dried reversible color-changing ink formulation enables the polymeric article to repeatedly change back and forth between a first color and a second color at a pH between about 5.5 and about 8.0 during repeated cycles of use of the polymeric article with a quaternary ammonium sanitizer solution, without separating the reversible color-changing ink formulation from the polymeric material.
1 more element
A reversible color-changing polymeric article, comprising:
- a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polyamides, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a dried reversible color-changing ink formulation durably bound to the polymeric material and including at least a reversible color-changing dye and a polymer binder that is not an acrylic polymer binder;
- wherein the dried reversible color-changing ink formulation enables the polymeric article to repeatedly change back and forth between a first color when a concentration of free quaternary ammonium compound in contact with the polymeric article exceeds a threshold concentration, and a second color when the concentration of free quaternary ammonium compound in contact with the polymeric article falls below the threshold concentration, without separating the reversible color-changing ink formulation from the polymeric article.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.