Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
  • B65D83/0847—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture at the junction of two walls
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
  • B65D33/16—End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices
  • B65D33/25—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners
  • B65D33/2508—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor
  • B65D33/2516—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor comprising tamper-indicating means, e.g. located within the fastener
  • B65D33/2533—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor comprising tamper-indicating means, e.g. located within the fastener the slide fastener being located between the product compartment and the tamper indicating means

Definitions

• This invention relates to a disposable, resealable container for dispensing folded, treated towels.
• Most disposable containers for dispensing disposable folded tissues or towels are made of thin paperboard or cardboard and are not suitable for containing the liquids or waxes used to saturate cleaning or moisturizing towels, or are not readily reclosable (U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,948).
• Such towels are commonly sealed individually within foil packages or envelopes such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,467, or may be packaged in bulk in a plastic jug or tub as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,017,002, 3,325,003 and 3,836,045.
• These existing packages are either relatively expensive in material or not as convenient to store or use as might be desired.
• An object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a relatively simple and economical disposable container for retaining and dispensing treated, folded towels.
• a container for a stack of folded, preferably treated, towels comprising a flexible, water-impermeable envelope having in the interior space thereof a movable apertured stiffening plate.
• the plate is of an area substantially equivalent to one surface of the envelope and one surface of the towel stack and is positioned between the towel stack and the surface of the envelope so that the aperture is aligned with an opening in the surface.
• the towels are stacked and sized so as to be sequentially removable through the aperture and the envelope opening.
• Two closure member strips are attached adjacent to the edges defining said opening in opposed fashion and are adapted so as to interlock and seal said opening under conditions of pressure.
• a pair of strips bearing complementary, interlockable fastening members may be attached to one face of a square or rectangle of sheet material adjacent to opposite parallel edges.
• Such member-bearing strips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,969, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and are commonly integrably molded from flexible plastic.
• the sheet may be folded to engage the fastening members, so as to form an open-
• OMPI -it- ended envelope such as those disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,546,433, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
• a pack of folded towels may be inserted along with an apertured stiffening plate which abuts the upper surface of the envelope, i.e. the surface incorporating the engaged closure member strips.
• the open ends of the envelope may then be closed, i.e., by a crimping, heat-sealing or adhesive process, to complete the manufacture of the dispensing container.
• the edges of the envelope adjacent to the engaged fastening members may also be sealed together, i.e., by crimping, or heat-sealing or by means of an adhered tear-strip, or the like.
• the interengaged fastening members are separated, i.e., by opposed finger pressure, and the towels separated from the stack and pulled out of the container interior through the resulting opening and through the aperture in the stiffening plate below, which abuts said opening.
• the towels may be discarded, or alternatively, may be reinserted into the container interior so as to be retained between the stiffening member and the upper container surface. The container may then be resealed, and the towels retained within the container for future use.
• the dispensing containers of the present invention preferably further include a means for hanging or suspending the container, i.e., within the tub or shower area, so that the towels may be conveniently removed for application of the treating agent, as after bathing.
• the treating agent is a mixture of emollients adapted to moisturize wet skin surfaces.
• FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a sealed container which is one embodiment of this invention.
• FIG. 2 is a front, cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 1 along line 2-2.
• FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, showing an alternate means for sealing the edges of the envelope opening.
• FIG. 4 is an exploded top perspective view of an open container which is one embodiment of this invention, showing the stack of folded towels and the interior, apertured plate through which the towels are dispensed.
• FIG. 1 the outer envelope 9 of the sealed container 3 for dispensing a stack of folded towels, not shown, which is contained therein.
• the enve ⁇ lope 9 is filled so as to have two substantially parallel, rectangular or square top and bottom surfaces and two substantially parallel, rectangular or square side walls.
• the top or upper surface of the envelope includes an opening (shown sealed into a flange 18) which, preferably, is centered on one axis of the upper envelope surface.
• the tcp and bottom envelope surfaces are sealed. together at their narrower parallel edges to form crimped end walls 15 of the envelope.
• the outer envelope is formed of a moisture and vapor impermeable, flexible sheet material such as aluminum foil, plastic, or a composite aluminum-plastic, aluminum-paper or plastic-paper sheet material.
• the envelope may be made of a metallic foil which may have a thermoplastic coating, such as polyethylene, applied to the inner surface thereof.
• the envelope is formed from a metallized sheet of a plastic such as polyethylene terephthlate which is laminated
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sealed container 3 taken through line ' 2-2 of FIG. 1 which depicts the envelope 9 enclosing a stack of folded towels 10 which are positioned under an apertured plate 11. Plate 11 acts to shape and stiffen the envelope and provides an opening 14 through which the towels may be sequentially removed.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred closure means for the envelope 9, whereby two interlockable closure members, 7 and 8, which as shown are male and female members, respectively, are engaged so as to seal the opening in the upper surface of the envelope.
• the envelopes preferred for the container of the present invention are preferably formed from one sheet of flexible material having a pair of interlockable closure members 7 and 8 attached as continuous strips to one face, positioned in an adjacent fashion to opposite, parallel edges 12 and 13 of the sheet.
• the sheet is then folded around the objects to be encompassed therein, or around a similarly shaped template, and the closure member strips interlocked to form an envelope having two open ' ends.
• the open ends are closed, i.e., by a crimping or gluing process to form the crimped end walls 15, thus completing the manufacture of the container 3 of the present invention.
• edges of the envelope, 12 and 13 which are adjacent to the closure strips may be left unconnected, or may be joined by a suitable adhesive, or by heat-sealing so as to form a flange, 18 which acts to protect the closure members 7 and 8 from accidental disengagement and to protect the towels from contamination prior to use, or from depletion of the treating material by leakage or evaporation.
• a flange 18 which acts to protect the closure members 7 and 8 from accidental disengagement and to protect the towels from contamination prior to use, or from depletion of the treating material by leakage or evaporation.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred means whereby a portion of flange 18 ma be removed so as to expose members 7 and 8.
• This means consists of forming a notch 19 at one end of flange 18 at a point between sealed edges 12 and 13 and members 7 and 8.
• Notch 19 provides the beginning of a tear which assists tearing away flange 18 thus exposing members 7 and 8.
• Flange 18 may alternatively or additionally be perforated or scored on one or both sides along a line or lines running parallele to and between the sealed portion of the flange and the closure members as indicated by score marks 20, so that it can more easily be torn away to expose members 7 and 8.
• FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of one embodiment of the container 3 of the present invention, depicting the envelope 9 in an open position, after the upper, sealed portion of flange 18 has been removed, and the edges 12 and 13 of the envelope opening separated.
• One closure member strip 8 is shown in an unengaged position.
• the stack of folded towels 10 is depicted as positioned beneath the apertured plate 11.
• one of the crimped edges 15 of the envelope may be perforated, and one or more eyelets 21 affixed, so as to permit the attachment of a plastic or cord loop 16 for suspending the container in the bathing area.
• the stack of towels is impregnated with an oil-in-water emulsion of moisturizing or cleansing agents.
• the impregnation is accomplished before the stack of towels is inserted into the interior of the envelope.
• One convenient procedure for filling the envelope is to first partially complete the envelope, then to insert the treated stacked towels into the envelope, and then to complete the the sealing of the
• OMPI envelope by crimping the- open edges closed to formed crimped edges 15 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.
• the towels may be of any convenient size for personal skin care use, i.e., for moisturizing skin surfaces such as the hands and feet, and may be of any fabric of sufficient tensile strength and absorbtivity to carry an effective amount of the treating agent.
• Preferred treating agents are oil-in-water emulsions comprising one or more emollients.
• a preferred fabric is a nonwoven fabric of synthetic textile fibers, but paper or foam sheets may be useful as carriers for some agents, especially those which are rich in volatile components.
• the individual towels are stacked so that they may be sequentially separated from the stack and removed from the container via the aligned aperture and opening under a slight withdrawal pressure, as by pinching and pulling with the fingers.
• the stiffening plate may be formed from any rigid or slightly flexible material such as plastic, coated cardboard, fiberboard and the like.
• the plate is rectangular and is substantially equal in dimension to the upper surface of the towel stack 10 and to the upper envelop surface.
• the plate aperture 14 may be of any shape of sufficient size to permit the facile removal of the individual towels.
• the aperture is centered on the plate and is oval in shape, with the greater diameter being nearly equal to one axis, i.e. A, of the rectangular upper envelope or towel stack surface.
• Geometrically-formed, i.e., rectangular, and lobular cross-shaped apertures may also be employed.
• the user would align flange 18 perpen ⁇ dicularly to the envelope surface as shown in FIG. 1, use notch 19 to tear away a portion of the flange wall between sealed edge 13 and member 7, separate edges 12 and 13, and disengage closure member strips 7 and 8, thus opening the container envelope 9.
• the user would then insert his fingers through the aperture 14 in the stiffening plate 11 and sequentially remove one or more of the stacked, treated towels from stack 10. After use, the towel could be discarded, or reinserted through the opening so as to be secured between the envelope surface and the plate.
• the closure member strips 7 and 8 would then be pressed together so as to reseal the container and protect the towels until their next use.
• the stiffening plate 11 will act to prevent the envelope from folding or crumpling, thus facilitating the removal of all of the towels.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=23822060

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (17)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 1984
  • 1984-01-10 EP EP19840900679 patent/EP0134806A4/de not_active Ceased
  • 1984-01-10 WO PCT/US1984/000036 patent/WO1984002896A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1984-01-10 JP JP59500675A patent/JPS60500494A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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