MXPA05010808A

MXPA05010808A - Pack for paper handkerchiefs.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05010808A
Application number: MXPA05010808A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Stephanus Lambertus Me Andreas
Original assignee: Procter & Gamble
Priority date: 2003-04-07
Filing date: 2004-04-06
Publication date: 2005-12-05
Also published as: EP1466843A1; ATE517824T1; CA2520713A1; US20040195256A1; EP1466843B1; WO2004092036A1

Abstract

A pack of paper handkerchiefs or tissues. More specifically, a pack of paper handkerchiefs having a dispensing orifice delimited by its peripheral edge, and having a closure means, such as a flap, the closure (means7) being able to cover at least the dispensing orifice (8), and having an unconnected peripheral portion (18). The closure means (7) extends beyond the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice by about 2mm or more along the unconnected peripheral portion (18) and remains attached to the pack during the operation of dispensing a handkerchief (14).

Description

PACKAGE FOR PAPER SCARVES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention in general relates to a package of tissues of tissue paper. More specifically, the invention discloses a package of tissues that offers hygienic protection to the tissues in the package, while allowing for an easy and comfortable dispatch of the tissues.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Over the years, the use of handkerchiefs has become increasingly popular. Paper handkerchiefs are usually sold as pocket packs or table boxes. The present invention is directed primarily to packages of tissues intended to be carried in the pocket, purse or bag. These packages usually have a parallelepiped shape with dimensions of approximately 110 mm x 55 mm x 20 mm, although a significant variation can be found around these observed dimensions. In general, these packages are usually destined to carry between 5 and 15 individual handkerchiefs. In general, tissues are intended for single use only. In most cases, tissues are used to collect nasal fluids expelled from the human nose. However, more broadly, paper tissues are also used to collect and absorb other fluids such as tears, sweat, or can still be used as a cleaning aid to clean and / or absorb spills or liquid spots from a variety of substrates Many package designs are intended to allow easy access to tissues as well as satisfactory protection of the tissues within the package. However, previous attempts have been limited by cost, complexity or technical constraints during the manufacture of the packages (for example, the use of a single initial piece of material). In addition, in most cases, attempts have resulted in minimizing the size of the dispensing orifice to protect unused paper tissues within the packages. The hygienic consideration has been detrimental for the comfort of use: grabbing the tissue paper inside the package is an operation that can be uncomfortable for some users. In addition, grasping and dispatching can be practically impossible to achieve in extreme conditions (for example, using gloves, stiffness of the finger joint due to cold, etc.), or impossible to achieve for people who have reduced mobility on the fingers or in your hand or have a visual impairment. Since tissue packets are often transported in a pocket, purse or bag, it would be desirable to provide a flexible package that is resistant to deformation insofar as it becomes unusable. Furthermore, it would be desirable for this package to protect the tissues from contamination after the first use of the package and its first opening. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a package that is easy to open and from which its contents can be extracted. It would also be desirable to provide a package that offers a double capacity of dispatch: the dispatch of a folded paper tissue or the dispatch of a paper tissue that is automatically unfolded when it is removed from the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention describes a package that is generally used to store a stack of tissues. The invention presents the advantages, separately, or together, of improving both the protection of the tissues and the convenience of dispensing them. The invention also offers the possible advantage of having a package that has better stability, further improving its comfort of use. The package of the proposed invention allows the double dispatch of the tissues: the dispatch of a folded handkerchief or the dispatch of handkerchiefs that are automatically unfolded during the dispatch. The package is also used comfortably in extreme conditions, or by people who have reduced mobility in the fingers. The present invention presents a package of tissues that has long edges, intermediate and short, the long edges are longer than said intermediate edges and the short edges are shorter than the intermediate edges. The package also includes a dispensing orifice delimited by a peripheral edge and a closure means covering at least said dispensing orifice and having a peripheral portion connected and a peripheral portion not connected. The closure means is permanently connected to the package by means of the connected peripheral portion and extends beyond the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice by approximately 2 mm or more along the unconnected peripheral portion of the closure means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a general view of a package of tissues. Figure 2 shows a paper tissue presented placed substantially flat and unfolded. Figure 3 shows one embodiment of a folded paper tissue. Many other configurations are possible. Figure 4 and Figure 5 each represent a particular package of the present invention. In Figure 5 a paper handkerchief is shown inside the package. Figure 6 depicts a package of tissue paper and more particularly, the manufacture of the resealable tape in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6a shows a detailed view of the resealable tape. Figure 7 shows a particular embodiment in which a secondary piece of material forms the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice and the overlap. Figure 7a shows a particular view of the package of Figure 7. Figure 8 shows a particular embodiment of the invention in which the closure means, in the form of a fin, comprises a portion having a reclosable closure function. Figure 9 shows a package of the present invention that does not have end panels, the front panel and the back panel are joined together to seal the ends of the package. The package of Figure 9 is not completely parallelepiped, but has long, intermediate and short edges. Figure 10 shows a particular embodiment of the invention, with a specific shape of the closure means and the dispensing means, the overlap and a particular shape of the resealable tape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions For the purposes of the present invention, the following terms and formulations are used interchangeably and with the same meaning: Grip area, grip edge, dry zone or dry edge. Handkerchiefs, paper handkerchiefs or tissue paper handkerchiefs. Film, flexible film, wrapping material. Pocket package, package or container for tissues (to describe a receptacle for tissue paper). Fin or closure means (to describe the part (s) of material that cover at least partially the dispensing orifice). Dispensing orifice, orifice or dispensing opening. Overlap or eave (in the present invention describes a part of the flap that covers both a panel of the package and the dispensing orifice). Figure 1 shows front panels 1 defined as the largest area panel. One package has two front panels. For simplicity, when reference is made in this document to the front panel of the package, the panel containing the dispensing orifice or a portion thereof is denoted. The side panels 2 are defined as the panels having an intermediate size (area) between the front panels and the end panels. A package usually has two side panels. The panels of the ends 3 are defined as the panels of the smaller area. A package has two end panels. The long edges of the package 4 are defined as the edge between the two front panels and which correspond to the longest edge of the package. A package usually has four long edges. The intermediate edges of the package 5 are defined as the edges of the package between a front panel and a side panel and corresponding to the edges of the intermediate length between the long and short edges. A package usually has four intermediate edges. The short edges 6 are defined as the shortest edges of the package and corresponding to the edges connecting a side panel and an end panel. A package usually has four short edges. The flap or closure means 7 is a piece of material movable between a closed position and an open position, and is capable of covering at least partially the dispensing orifice. The flap articulates around a hinge 11 which is connected to the package panel or the edge of the package. The periphery of the closure means 7 then has a "connected portion" (which hinges around a hinge 1 1) and an "unconnected portion" 18. The unconnected peripheral portion 18 is not permanently connected to the package. The dispensing orifice 8 is the hole through which the tissues can be grasped and possibly removed from the package during the dispensing operation. The resealable tape 9, or the resealable piece 9, is a piece of material capable of locking the flap in the closed position and reopening it at the user's request to enable the dispatching operation. The resealable tape 9 can be a separate piece of material, as in Figures 1 and 10, for example, or a piece of the closure means (flap) as in Figure 8. The resealable tape connects the flap and a front panel. Usually, but not always, the resealable tape 9 can be almost permanently adhered and sealed to the flap and comprises an adhesive surface capable of temporarily adhering to the front panel. The resealable piece or resealable tape can have different designs (Figures 1 and 10). The gripping area 10 of the resealable tape 9 (also called dry or dry edge) is generally free of any adhesive on its outer surface and enables the user to grasp the resealable tape and operate it. The closure 20 of the front and back panels in the embodiment of Figure 9. In this embodiment, the end panels are not present, but the front and back panels are joined together by a closure 20 to seal the package. Possible alternative embodiments of the present invention, in particular Figures 4 and 10 show a specific design of the closure means 7, the dispensing orifice 8, the resealable tape 9 and the grip zone 10. In Figure 9, it is shown a package of the present invention that is not a parallelepiped package. The package does not have short edges or end panels. The front and back panels are joined together in a sealing zone 20. The package has long edges 4, intermediate edges 5, and short edges 6.

Some functions of the closure means or flap of the present package are to allow the protection of the paper tissues within the package and / or to allow a comfortable operation of opening and resealing. In most of the products that currently exist in the market, the fin hardly covers the dispensing orifice. In most cases, breaking a pre-punched line in the package material creates the flap. An overlap of the flap extending over the dispensing orifice is not provided. In addition, very often, the pressure of the folded tissues within the package (on the inner surface of the package) is sufficient to effectively not allow the flap to cover the entire dispensing orifice after the first opening of the package. Only after the extraction of the second or third paper tissue from the package is that the flap, related to the flexibility of the package material, can be brought into coincidence with the edge of the hole. A large fin covering the entire dispensing orifice and extending over it to create an overlap on one of the panels is beneficial for the protection of the paper tissues within the package. However, this large overlap involves additional and significant material costs, further presenting the technical difficulty of requiring a particular process and / or a secondary material to provide the fin or overlap. WO98 / 06369 uses an additional piece of material for this purpose, while EP 0553 660 creates a Z-bend in the material to create the overlap. The DE 35 42 999A1 uses an oversized tape that can be readjusted for that purpose. It has surprisingly been discovered in the present invention that a very large overlap is not required to produce the desired hygienic benefits. On the contrary, the inventors have discovered that an overlap of at least about 2 mm is sufficient for the hygienic protection of paper tissues. An overlap of approximately 5 mm or more is also suitable, as well as overlaps of approximately 10 mm or more and approximately 20 mm or more. An overlap of less than about 2 mm around the edge of the hole may not provide good protection of the tissues, allowing dust or other unwanted bodies to come in contact with the tissues. It has been discovered that the conditions of use can cause in this case a folding of the fin, which can expose the tissues to the environment, thus allowing its contamination. The dimension of the overlap can also be limited in its maximum dimension, mainly to further improve comfort (ie, avoid unwanted bending of the flap during use) and to reduce the cost of the material. The flap can cover the entire front panel, however it has been found that the maximum dimension of the overlap is more suitable when less than about 30 mm, less than about 20 mm or less than about 10 mm is provided. It has also been found that the overlap of preference is present around the entire periphery of the dispensing orifice to ensure protection (ie, along the entire unconnected peripheral portion 18 of the closure means 7). It has been found that along the unconnected peripheral portion 18 of the closure means 7, an overlap of about 2 mm or more provides sufficient protection of the package. The overlap (eave) is measured radiantly from the edge of the dispensing orifice (in any straight portion of the edge of the dispensing orifice, the overlap is measured perpendicular to that edge). It has been found that overlapping the flap on a panel creates an area of greater structural strength in the package when closed. This property can offer a better stability of the package shape during transport in the purse or bag, without creating unnecessary rigidity. It has been found that this quality is very appreciated by consumers.

Size, position and shape of the dispensing orifice: European patent application EP 01129421 discloses a dispensing orifice of a particular shape that allows very good dispatch while protecting the tissues. It has been found that a particular and different positioning and positioning of the dispensing orifice can offer similar or even improved benefits. That particular execution is shown in Figure 5, and combines the benefits of a hole located centrally on the front panel with the convenience of grabbing the tissue paper by the edge. Being centrally located, most of the hole is easy to detect and reach, even with gloves or by people with disabilities. By extending up and including part of a long edge of the package, the hole allows the user to grasp a tissue from the side, which in some cases is more desirable (for example, for the elderly with reduced mobility in the fingers). The substantial extension of the hole in a direction parallel to the long edge of the package offers additional comfort. It has been found that the relative proximity of the dispensing orifice to the edge of the package offers easier dispatch. It is possible, but not essential, that the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice coincides with the edge of the package. However, the flexibility provided by the paper tissue within the package and the nature of the packaging film allows a certain distance between the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice and the edge of the package. Preferably the distance should not be more than about 6 mm, about 3 mm, or about 0 mm. It has also been found that the dimension of the hole can be optimized. If it is too large, the hole may increase the risk of contamination; If too small the hole may not allow a comfortable dispatch of tissues. It has been found that suitable dimensions, measured in terms of surface area, are between about 500 and about 3,000 square millimeters (mm square), between about 700 square millimeters and about 2,500 square millimeters, between about 1,000 millimeters square and about 2,000 square millimeters, or between approximately, 200 square millimeters and approximately 1, 800 square millimeters. Figures 4 and 5 describe two possible combinations of a flap that is superimposed on the front panel and the dispenser orifice has the preferred size, location and shape, in accordance with the present invention.

Folded paper handkerchiefs inside the package The selection of an appropriate folding of the paper handkerchief and the orientation inside the package can further improve the dispatch comfort. The paper tissues are usually substantially rectangular, have two surfaces 15 and four edges of the paper tissue 2. The tissues generally are folded in such a way that an area with multiple free edges of the tissue paper 12 and an area is created. which presents a U-bend 13. In a U-bend area, no free edge of paper tissue is present parallel to the U-bend. It has been found that one edge of the paper tissue that coincides with the dispensing orifice and preferably extends transversely to the primary direction of the hole (eg, the longer axis of the substantially oval hole in Figure 5), improves convenience of use. In this configuration, the user is able to slide his finger (even when covered by a glove) under the edge of the tissue 12. Then the user easily grasps the edge of the tissue and easily removes the tissue from the package by a simple movement of translation in a direction substantially orthogonal to the general plane of the front panel. In the same movement the user can unfold the tissue, even using only one hand (This operation is referred to as "clearance without folding"). Furthermore, it has surprisingly been found that the comfort of the "unbent office" can be further improved. It has been shown that when the folded paper tissue in the package is folded in such a way that the user can place a finger under the edge of the paper tissue (and grasp the tissue) that comes out of the left side, most of the users recognize a significant additional comfort. Statistically most users grab the package of tissues with their right hand while they grab the tissue with their left hand. Therefore, a configuration that provides an open grip of the paper handkerchief on the left side may be preferred. In another embodiment of this invention, the folded tissues are placed inside the package such that no paper tissue free edge 12, which has a direction substantially parallel to the long edge of a package, matches the dispensing orifice as shown in FIG. long of the articulated area of the fin. In other words, only the U-shaped folds of the paper tissue 13 appear across the edge of the dispensing orifice along the fin hinge. This particular configuration allows to grasp and extract a complete paper tissue in one movement without the tissue folds during such movement. This feature is also called "bent office".

Double dispatch By means of the combination of two of the aforementioned characteristics, the package of Figures 4 or 5, with the paper handkerchiefs properly folded inside it, allows both the "bent office" and the "non-folded office" ", which offers a greater selection and comfort for the user. This property is called "double dispatch". Figure 5 shows a package with a folded paper tissue inside it. The edge of the paper tissue 12 appears through the dispensing orifice and the user can grasp it. Alternatively, the user can grasp the U 3 fold to remove the tissue from the package. 3 Resealable tape with a dry area bent in U In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-permanent closure of the flap on the front panel is ensured by the use of a resealable tape 9 having a dry area 10. The dry zone allows a good grip of the resealable tape is made of the same piece of tape that bends on itself in a U-bend 16. The inside faces of the dry area 10 bent into U 16 are sealed together. The dry zone portion of the resealable tape is stiffer as compared to a regular single-layer non-biased resealable tape. It has been found that the resealable tape structure 9 described above has improved wearing comfort and facilitates grip of the dry zone 10 by the users, more especially by those users with impaired mobility of the fingers or in extreme conditions (use of gloves, cold fingers, etc.). The resettable function of the present invention can be obtained by means of a separate piece of material. Alternatively, the closure means or fin may include an extension having a resettable function, as shown in Figure 8. A dry edge or grip area may be provided as well as a suitable adhesive to allow resealing of the fin. The resettable function can be provided with a suitable adhesive on the resealable tape of the resettable zone. The adhesive may be located along the entire unconnected portion of the peripheral edge of the closure means or any portion thereof.

Fabrication process: Another aspect of the present invention relates to a process for making a package of tissues. The problem of creating a package in accordance with the present invention is to provide the overlap zone between the flap and the front panel. The present invention solves this problem by means of at least two methods to achieve the desired overlap.

A unique wrapping material of its kind In a first embodiment, a piece of primary material, usually a flexible thin plastic film, is cut, folded and sealed in such a way as to create the overlap of the wing. If compared to a flap option without overlap, the original material should be of increased dimensions. In general, the rolls of material with greater width provide the extended dimension. The comparatively increased material provides enough area to create the overlapped fin. By cutting a piece of material having a larger width, the bend can be adjusted to create an overlap of at least about 5 mm between the fin and the front panel. Optionally, a resealable tape is added to the flap, with the permanent closure of the flap and the non-permanent / lockable adhesive facing the front panel. This execution has the benefit of representing a relatively simple solution to the problem, but it is technically complex as it requires in most cases a production line capable of handling larger raw materials. The selection of the correct configuration of cutting and bending to achieve the desired overlap, preferably along the entire periphery of the dispensing orifice, requires the visualization and understanding of the desired benefits. 5 A secondary material In a second embodiment, a secondary piece of material is used. During the manufacturing process, a step of cutting and attaching or joining the secondary material to the primary material is also contemplated. These steps of the process may occur before, during or after the formation of the three-dimensional package by means of bending. In certain embodiments, it may be preferred that the cutting and joining steps be executed before bending, that is, the secondary material is joined in a substantially planar primary material. In an alternative embodiment, the secondary material is preferably the same material as the primary material. As described above, the overlap creates a zone of high stability in the package, which helps its shape to remain stable during its use and transportation. However, it is contemplated, in another embodiment, to use a secondary material of greater strength, greater caliber or greater rigidity, to further improve the increase in the stability of the package created by the overlap. Secondary material can be sealed to the side of the primary material that forms the outer part or the inside of the package. In another embodiment, the secondary piece of material 7, as soon as it is in its proper place on the newly formed package, forms a flap 8 which is hingedly connected to one of the panels 1, preferably along the edge of the package 11. More preferably the hinge is parallel along the long edge of the package and substantially can be mutually positioned with a long edge of the package. It can be envisaged that the hinge has substantially the same dimension as the long edge of the package, thereby maximizing the dimension of the flap. In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 7, the secondary piece of material 17 constitutes the edge of the dispensing orifice. Preferably, a hole is cut from the secondary material. The secondary material 17 is placed in position and sealed on the primary material, for example on the front panel 1. A selected area of the primary material forms the fin 7 while the secondary material forms the portion of the panel that overlaps the fin as well as the dispensing orifice 8 per se.

Example: In the embodiments described above (in particular Figures 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) of a possible configuration of the package of the present invention, the material (the primary material and the secondary material as applicable) is a soft and flexible film that has the characteristics suitable for the standard manufacture of tissue packages. For example, the film can be a polyethylene / polypropylene film having a thickness between about 25 and about 50 micrometers and is capable of being heat sealed at a temperature in the range of about 120-200 degrees Celsius. The sealing operations are executed by means of a combination of heat sealing and adhesion with glue. The resealable tape is a polypropylene material with a permanent adhesive on one end and a resealable adhesive on the other end. Paper handkerchiefs can be of any material commonly used to make paper handkerchiefs (such as Tempo®) and their folding can be as shown in Figure 3 or in the cited documents. All other operations are as they are commonly practiced by the manufacturers and packers of paper handkerchiefs. The relevant parts of all the cited documents are incorporated herein by their mere mention; The citation of any document should not be construed as an admission that it constitutes a prior art with respect to the present invention.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It has been intended, therefore, to cover all the changes and modifications within the scope of the invention in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A packet of tissues that has: long, intermediate and short edges; the long edges are longer than the intermediate edges; the short edges are shorter than said intermediate edges; the package characterized in that it comprises; A dispensing orifice delimited by a peripheral edge; and a closing means covering at least the dispensing orifice and having a peripheral portion connected and a peripheral portion not connected; the closure means is permanently connected to the package by means of the connected peripheral portion and extends beyond the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice by approximately 2 mm or more along the unconnected peripheral portion of the closure means.

2. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the closing means is resealable after the first dispatch.

3. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the dispensing orifice has an area dimension of more than about 500 square millimeters and less than about 3,000 square millimeters.

4. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the paper tissues are delimited by a peripheral edge, wherein the tissues are folded and placed in the package in such a way that a portion of the peripheral edge of the tissue of the tissue is folded over. paper matches the dispensing orifice. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the paper tissues are folded and possessed in the package such that no portion of the tissue edge is placed simultaneously parallel to a long edge of the package coincides and is coincident with the hole. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that a portion of the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice is at a distance of less than about 6 mm from at least one of the edges of the package. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the closure means comprises a resealable tape comprising a grip end and the grip end comprises a part of the resealable strip partially folded over itself. 8. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the closure means is integrated into the package. 9. The package according to claim 1, further characterized in that the closure means is a separate element attached to the package. 10. The package according to claim 9, further characterized in that the closure means is attached to the package on an exterior surface. The package according to claim 9, further characterized in that the closure means is attached to the package on an interior surface. 12. A generally parallelepiped package of tissues that has: Long, intermediate and short edges; the long edges are longer than the intermediate edges; the short edges are shorter than the intermediate edges; characterized the package because it comprises; A dispensing orifice delimited by a peripheral edge; and a closure means, which covers at least the dispensing orifice and which has a peripheral portion connected and a peripheral portion not connected; the closure means is permanently connected to the package by means of the connected peripheral portion and extends beyond the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice by approximately 2 mm or more along the unconnected peripheral portion of the closure means; the unconnected peripheral portion of the closure means is attached with removable capacity to the package. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the dispensing orifice has an area dimension of more than about 500 square millimeters and less than about 3,000 square millimeters. 14. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the paper tissues are delimited by a peripheral edge, wherein the paper tissues are folded and possessed in the package such that a portion of the peripheral edge of the paper tissue coincides with the dispensing orifice. 1

5. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the paper tissues are folded and possessed in the package such that no portion of the edge of the tissue is simultaneously placed parallel to a long edge of the package and coincides with the hole. . The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that a portion of the peripheral edge of the dispensing orifice is at a distance of less than about 6 mm from at least one of the edges of the package. 17. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the closure means comprises a resealable tape comprising a grip end and the grip end comprises a part of the resealable strip partially folded over itself. 18. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the closure means is integrated into the package. 19. The package according to claim 12, further characterized in that the closure means is a separate element attached to the package. 20. The package according to claim 19, further characterized in that the closure means is attached to the package on an exterior surface.