RECEPTACLE WITH TABS OR TABS FOR PACKAGING DISPOSABLE ABSORBENT ITEMS
Background of the Invention The development of modern life has made the use of disposable absorbent articles indispensable; that is why studies have been intensified in this field, which have indicated, among other areas susceptible to problem solving and improvement approach, the one concerning the receptacle destined to contain disposable absorbent articles in optimal conditions, both for protection against the environment as a hygiene, a receptacle that must also be economical. In general, sealing the receptacle after packing the product inside it is a critical step in the process, because it causes delays in the production line and impedes the proper flow of the product. This is because it is not easy to achieve a good seal, since it is necessary to combine several factors, such as: skilled labor, good condition of the equipment and uniformity in the thickness of the raw material for the preparation of the receptacle. Traditionally, thermal sealing has been used, but it is also possible to use adhesive sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc. A known system for closing this type of receptacle
? i u í - .¿r.fr.f. ..í. - - - - - ..,. «. itat? tdMtUKmStiát i •• - ^ -lo it is the following: the receptacle is manufactured so that it has a bellows on the top or bottom of it and is open at the other end, which is precisely where you will enter the product to it; once filled with the product that it will contain, the container is sealed by means of a seal. In general, in order to give a good appearance to the receptacle, after sealing it, the excess polyethylene strip is removed. The most common is that the product is introduced into the receptacle by the lower part of it, sealing and eliminating the excess polyethylene, thus achieving a better appearance, since the sealing line is at the bottom of the bag. The receptacle can have a handle on top, as well as a suture to be easily opened. Another type of receptacle used in the field of the invention is that described in US Pat. No. 5,054,619, Delmar R. Muckenfuhs, in which it is indicated that the invention in question relates to flexible receptacles that are easy to open and oriented with a conveyor handle, the receptacle being filled with a multiplicity of disposable articles, where such articles are made of compressible material, such as disposable absorbent bandages, baby diapers, sanitary napkins and the like. Additionally, the invention of Muckenfuhs is characterized in that it comprises a front panel and a rear panel connected together by means of a pair of
? * ^ ^ * < ^ Li & ^^^^^^ * ^ a ^^ < ^^ * ^^^^ and side panels, a bottom panel and an upper panel, all the panels being formed of flexible material; a stack of compressed flexible articles, oriented in such a way that the substantially flat surfaces are aligned substantially parallel to the side panels of the bag and the outermost peripheral edges of the articles contained within the stack are aligned partially parallel to the front panels , posterior, inferior and superior of the receptacle; the side panels and the front and rear panels are subjected to tension imposed by the stack of compressed flexible articles; a carrying handle that is placed on the top panel of the receptacle; an easy opening device, comprising a line of substantially continuous weakness located at least partially within one of the tensioned side panels, to propagate the tear along the line of weakness, where the stack portion of articles matches with the opening thus formed in the side panel. However, the invention in question has the drawback that to be able to extract the product, it is necessary to tear the receptacle by the dotted part, without being able to reclose said receptacle, leaving therefore the product exposed to all the existing contaminants in the environment. In the patent MX 195,354, assigned to Mabe International Products, a tongue bag is described for packaging disposable absorbent articles and similar products. The
t > ? kJ & *? * -invention consists of a polyethylene bag to which a strip of the same width and of sufficient length has been added in the lower front part thereof so that when bending the strip in a certain way, form a lower bellows of the bag and the tongue that will serve to close it. Once the article is introduced into the receptacle, the tongue is turned over manually and the receptacle is closed, leaving the product perfectly protected and the bag closed without the need for sealing or any other type of closure. ultrasound or by adhesive; the closed tongue is at the lower rear part of the receptacle, so that it has an appearance of quality, attractive. The patent application MX 984461, by Alberto Corona Carlos and others, assigned to the same assignee as the present one, describes a receptacle similar to the one described in the patent MX 195,354, in which the closing tongue can be located in any part of the receptacle , that is, above, below or by any of its lateral parts, in order to make the closing action more versatile. This type of receptacles with tab or closing tab can be opened and closed again as many times as necessary, without damaging them; This represents a great advantage for the consumer, who can keep the product protected once the receptacle has been opened. However, when the bag or receptacle is on display, mainly in self-service stores, consumers can open it easily, damaging or mistreating the product. For this reason, it is proposed, by the present invention, to provide a receptacle or bag with a locking tab or tab having a safety seal that prevents the receptacle from being opened unless it is broken. In this way, the integrity of the product is ensured during its exhibition for sale or during its shelf life. Also, once the consumer breaks the seal and opens the receptacle, it can be opened and closed as many times as necessary by using the tab or tab. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is that a receptacle or bag with closure tab or tab assures the consumer that the product has not been tampered with, by the use of a security seal. Another object of the invention is that in order to be able to open the receptacle with locking tab or tab, the safety seal has to be broken. A further objective of the invention is that once the security seal has been broken, the receptacle can be opened and closed as many times as necessary to remove and protect the product. A further object of the invention is that the protective seal is integral with the receptacle. Another object of the invention is that the protective seal is activated manually when closing the receptacle. A further object of the invention is that the safety seal can be activated in the receptacle without disturbing the normal flow of a production line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in light of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention and which form an integral part of the present disclosure. In the drawings: Figure No. 1 shows a rear view of a receptacle with tongue or closure tab which is full of product and closed. The safety seal can be seen in the central part of the locking tab. Figure No. 2 shows a receptacle full of product and open, where the safety seal can be seen before being applied to seal the receptacle. Figures Nos. 3, 4 and 5 show different options of shapes and placement of the security seal inside the receptacle. Detailed Description of the Invention The receptacle or bag in accordance with the present invention is similar to those commonly used for the packaging of disposable sanitary articles, such as disposable diapers for babies, disposable diapers for incontinent adults, feminine towels, etc. it is generally made of polyethylene and which is composed, as can be seen in figure No. 1, on the one hand or front view (4), which should have a good appearance, since it will be the main face of the receptacle towards the consumer; the receptacle also has a part or right side view (5), a part or left side view (6), which are interconnected at the ends of the part or rear view (3) and the front part or view (4) ). In addition, the four parts or views mentioned above are interrelated with the lower part or view (7), which will serve as the basis for the product, and on the opposite side will have the upper part or view (8), which will have as a function of closing the receptacle as a whole. On this last part or view, the receptacle can carry a handle to facilitate the transport thereof. The receptacle also has a tongue or tab (1) whose main function is to allow closing the receptacle manually. The characteristic element of the receptacle is a safety seal (2), which assures the consumer that the contents of the receptacle have not been violated, altered or manipulated. The tongue or tab (1) is part of the body of the receptacle and may be located on the top, bottom, left side or right side of any part or view that make up the receptacle.
The security seal (2), as can be sin the figures of the drawings, is an extension of and forms an integral part of the tongue or tab (1). It is designed in such a way that, when closing the receptacle, it is activated so that the product contained in the receptacle can not be violated, altered or manipulated. In Figures Nos. 1 and 2 a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the security seal
(2) is an extension of the central part of the tongue or tab (1). This extension can take any shape, that is, the seal can be round, rectangular, triangular, oval, etc. The safety seal (2) can have a width, on the part whereby the tongue or flange starts to extend, from about 1 cm, to a value equal to the width of the front and rear parts of the receptacle. In Figure No. 3 a safety seal (2) is shown which is an extension of the tongue or tab (1) over the entire width of the rear part of the receptacle; and as in the previous case, the seal can take any suitable or convenient form. The part of the tongue that forms the safety seal
(2) is covered by an adhesive (10), preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which, in turn, is protected by an easy release element (11). At the time of
closing the receptacle, once it is full of product, the easy release element (11) of the adhesive (10) is released, either manually or automatically, and the safety seal (2) is glued to the receptacle by means of the adhesive ( 10), so that it can no longer be opened unless the security seal is broken. Figure No. 4 shows a view of a receptacle before being closed with a further alternative, in which the easy detachment element (11) is an extension of the closing tab or tab (1) that bends over itself to protect the adhesive (10) from the safety seal (2). Figure No. 5 shows a further alternative of the security seal (2) of the present invention, in which the adhesive (10) is placed inside the same closure tab (1). The figure illustrates a closed bag and the safety seal (2) activated. The use of this type of security seal in a receptacle with tongue or closure tab constitutes an additional advantage in this type of packaging, since in addition to the advantages described in the patent MX 195,345, such as the elimination in the process of a additional operation, such as sealing, energy saving, good appearance of the receptacle, etc., and particularly ensuring to the consumer that the contents of the receptacle have not bviolated, altered or tampered with.
While the invention has bdescribed and illustrated in terms of a currently preferred embodiment thereof, it is evident that various changes and modifications are possible therein, but that such changes and modifications will fall within the scope of the invention.
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