GB2158033A - Tissue pack - Google Patents

Abstract

A pack comprising a stack of folded tissues within a plastics wrap 2 is provided with a line of perforations 6 along a minor side face 7 to facilitate withdrawal of the tissues generally in the plane in which they lie on tearing open along said line. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tissue pack The invention relates to envelope type packs suitable for containing a stack of folded tissues or similar products.

Packs of this kind are well known for holding a stack of folded tissue handkerchieves and are generally made of thin transparent plastics sheet. Typically the packs are made from a single-rectangular sheet which is wrapped around the product and with the edges of the sheet being adhered together by means of an adhesive or other suitable means such as heat sealing.

In known packs of this kind a line of perforations is provided which runs substantially along the centre of the upper face of the resulting pack; the adhered and folded ends of the plastics sheet forming a seam which runs substantially along the centre of the opposite lower face.

A major disadvantage of the prior packs is that when the pack has been opened by tearing along the perforation, the tear tends to spread from the ends of the perforation along the end edges of the pack. The pack thus begins to loose all strength and to fall apart. Spreading of the tear is aggravated by the fact that the tissue handkerchieves are withdrawn from the pack in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which they lie such that it is necessary to open wide the opening formed by the tear along the perforations.

A second disadvantage lies in the fact that the handkerchieves are not always conveniently dispensed from the upper surface of the pack.

It has been found possible to overcome both the above disadvantages by locating the line of perforations along a side face of the pack. When the perforations are located in this position the forces acting on the ends of the tear are substantially reduced during use of the pack and the tear does not exhibit the same tendency to spread. The strength and integrity of the pack is thus retained during use.

In addition it is frequently more convenient to withdraw tissues through a tear located along an edge of the pack since in this case the tissues are withdrawn in the plane in which they lie. This kind of withdrawal minimises the stress put on the ends of the tear and thus reduces the tendency of the tear to spread. Because of the bunching up of material which occurs at the corners of the pack, the material located at the ends of the line of perforations is under very much reduced tension and the tendency for the tear to spread is thus further greatly reduced.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the under side of a pack; Figure 2 shows a view of a side face of a pack; and Figure 3 shows a partial diagrammatic section through a seam of the pack.

A pack of tissue handkerchieves will typically hold one hundred 2-ply tissues in a stack; each tissue being rectangular and having sides of 22.3 cm.

and 19.9 cm. The tissues are folded by means of the longer sides being folded towards the middle.

The stack 1 formed by the folded tissues is of ortho-rhombic shape and, may typically measure 22.3 m. by 10.5 cm by 4.5 cm.

The sheet 2 of transparent plastics material used to form a pack for such a stack measures approximately 33 cm by 30 cm. The sheet is wrapped around the stack and the longer edges 3 of the sheet are adhered together over a width of about 2 cm and folded onto the lower face of the stack to form a seam 4 as shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The ends of the pack are then adhered together forming end bands 5. A line of perforations 6 is put along the central part of one side face 7 of the resulting pack.

Advertising material, specification of contents, and instructions for opening may be printed on the sheet prior to construction of the pack.

It will also be appreciated that the pack may be constructed in any sequence and in particular it will be appreciated that the line of perforations may be applied to the plastics sheet prior to construction of the pack.

Whilst the sheet of plastics material will normally be transparent and colourless it may alternatively be opaque and/or coloured.

1. A pack formed of flexible sheet material for a stack of folded tissues or the like comprising major upper and lower faces and minor side faces wherein a line of perforations is provided along an edge face of the pack.

2. A pack according to Claim 1 wherein the line of perforations runs substantially along the centre line of a side face of the pack.

3. A pack according to Claim 1 or 2 which is formed from a single sheet of transparent plastics material.

4. A pack for a stack of tissues substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Tissue pack The invention relates to envelope type packs suitable for containing a stack of folded tissues or similar products. Packs of this kind are well known for holding a stack of folded tissue handkerchieves and are generally made of thin transparent plastics sheet. Typically the packs are made from a single-rectangular sheet which is wrapped around the product and with the edges of the sheet being adhered together by means of an adhesive or other suitable means such as heat sealing. In known packs of this kind a line of perforations is provided which runs substantially along the centre of the upper face of the resulting pack; the adhered and folded ends of the plastics sheet forming a seam which runs substantially along the centre of the opposite lower face. A major disadvantage of the prior packs is that when the pack has been opened by tearing along the perforation, the tear tends to spread from the ends of the perforation along the end edges of the pack. The pack thus begins to loose all strength and to fall apart. Spreading of the tear is aggravated by the fact that the tissue handkerchieves are withdrawn from the pack in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which they lie such that it is necessary to open wide the opening formed by the tear along the perforations. A second disadvantage lies in the fact that the handkerchieves are not always conveniently dispensed from the upper surface of the pack. It has been found possible to overcome both the above disadvantages by locating the line of perforations along a side face of the pack. When the perforations are located in this position the forces acting on the ends of the tear are substantially reduced during use of the pack and the tear does not exhibit the same tendency to spread. The strength and integrity of the pack is thus retained during use. In addition it is frequently more convenient to withdraw tissues through a tear located along an edge of the pack since in this case the tissues are withdrawn in the plane in which they lie. This kind of withdrawal minimises the stress put on the ends of the tear and thus reduces the tendency of the tear to spread. Because of the bunching up of material which occurs at the corners of the pack, the material located at the ends of the line of perforations is under very much reduced tension and the tendency for the tear to spread is thus further greatly reduced. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the under side of a pack; Figure 2 shows a view of a side face of a pack; and Figure 3 shows a partial diagrammatic section through a seam of the pack. A pack of tissue handkerchieves will typically hold one hundred 2-ply tissues in a stack; each tissue being rectangular and having sides of 22.3 cm. and 19.9 cm. The tissues are folded by means of the longer sides being folded towards the middle. The stack 1 formed by the folded tissues is of ortho-rhombic shape and, may typically measure 22.3 m. by 10.5 cm by 4.5 cm. The sheet 2 of transparent plastics material used to form a pack for such a stack measures approximately 33 cm by 30 cm. The sheet is wrapped around the stack and the longer edges 3 of the sheet are adhered together over a width of about 2 cm and folded onto the lower face of the stack to form a seam 4 as shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The ends of the pack are then adhered together forming end bands 5. A line of perforations 6 is put along the central part of one side face 7 of the resulting pack. Advertising material, specification of contents, and instructions for opening may be printed on the sheet prior to construction of the pack. It will also be appreciated that the pack may be constructed in any sequence and in particular it will be appreciated that the line of perforations may be applied to the plastics sheet prior to construction of the pack. Whilst the sheet of plastics material will normally be transparent and colourless it may alternatively be opaque and/or coloured. CLAIMS

1. A pack formed of flexible sheet material for a stack of folded tissues or the like comprising major upper and lower faces and minor side faces wherein a line of perforations is provided along an edge face of the pack.

2. A pack according to Claim 1 wherein the line of perforations runs substantially along the centre line of a side face of the pack.

3. A pack according to Claim 1 or 2 which is formed from a single sheet of transparent plastics material.

4. A pack for a stack of tissues substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.