TW201813884A - Packaged personal care articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a package for storing and dispensing a personal care article, such as a folded tissue sheet, where the package opens along two of its dimensions. The package comprises a first wall and a second wall, the first wall and second wall being bonded together in bonded regions, the bonded regions substantially surrounding a compartment portion within which a personal care article may be disposed. The package further comprises a first tear guide extending along a first axis and a second tear guide extending along a second axis, where the first and the second axes intersect. By tearing the package along the first and second tear guides a user may open the package along two of its dimensions, improving access to the personal care article.

Description

 Packed personal care items  

The present invention relates to a package for containing a personal care item.

Personal care items such as facial tissues, pre-wet wipes, feminine care products, and the like are packaged and sold in a variety of packaging formats. One known format is a package of individual items in which individual packages are interconnected. Typically, such products comprise a series of packages, a multi-pack or a bag, each of which is filled with a product and separated from each other by a perforation line. The perforations allow the user to separate the desired number of packages by tearing the perforations in the packaging film between each package. An exemplary package is described in U.S. Pat.

While this package typically allows the user to select the desired number of individual packages, individual packages typically must be provided with separate opening mechanisms to allow the user to open individual packages and access their contents. For this purpose, such packages have used tabs, tear strips or dents which assist the user in opening the package and accessing its contents. Such openings are generally limited to accessing the contents only in one dimension of the package. This limits the ease with which the user can access the contents and the ease with which the user can reinsert the contents into the package after use. Accordingly, there is a need for improved packaging formats that allow a user to open a package in multiple dimensions and, in some cases, also allow multiple packages to be joined to one another.

To overcome the limitations of the prior art, the present invention provides a package having a line of weakness disposed along at least two dimensions of the package such that when the user opens the package by tearing along the lines of weakness, the package It is opened along these two dimensions to provide an easy and unimpeded access to the contents of the package.

Thus, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a package for containing a personal care item having a width extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each package has a front wall and a rear wall that are partially joined to each other along one of their peripheral edges to form a compartment therebetween. Typically, personal care items are placed in the compartment. The package further includes a tear guide extending along both the width and longitudinal directions of the package and adapted to allow a consumer to open each package to access a personal care item disposed therein. Preferably, the tear guide is at least partially superposed on the packaging compartment.

In another specific embodiment, the present invention provides a package for accommodating a personal care article, comprising at least a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall being joined together in a bonding zone, the bonding zones At least partially surrounding a compartment portion, a personal product can be located within the compartment portion, the package further comprising a first tear guide extending along a first axis and substantially perpendicular to the second weakness line A second tear guide extending from the second axis and including a tear initiation weakness in the seal region and extending along the third axis toward the compartment. Typically, when the aforementioned package is opened, a tear is initiated at the tear initiation weakness and then directed along the first tear guide toward the second tear in the direction of the first axis And continuing along the second tear guide to open the package at least partially along at least two dimensions thereof.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a substantially rectangular package for storing and dispensing a personal care article having a width dimension and a longitudinal dimension extending perpendicular to the width, the package comprising a front wall and a back wall The walls are joined together along their peripheral edges to form a sealing zone around a compartment portion, the package further comprising a personal care article disposed in the compartment portion, one of the first tears extending along a first axis a split guide and a second tear guide extending substantially along a second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to each other and the first tear guide and the second The tear guide is superposed on the compartment portion, and the first tear guide and the second tear guide are stacked on the package compartment portion with only a weak line.

In still other specific examples, the aforementioned packages can be joined to other packages to form a bundle, multiple packs or a pouch package. For example, a plurality of packages may be joined to each other along a peripheral edge, and a separate line of weakness may be disposed between individual packages, wherein each separate line of weakness is adapted to allow a consumer to separate the front package from the plurality of sheets.

10‧‧‧Package

10a‧‧‧Packaging

10b‧‧‧Packaging

10c‧‧‧Packaging

11‧‧‧Front wall/first wall

12‧‧‧ top edge

13‧‧‧Back wall/second wall

14‧‧‧Side/side edge

16‧‧‧ bottom edge

18‧‧‧ side

20‧‧‧ Sealed perimeter edge/sealed area

22‧‧‧Tear of the weakest part

24‧‧‧First tear guide

26‧‧‧Second tear guide

30‧‧‧Separation of weak lines

30a‧‧‧Separation of weak lines

30b‧‧‧Separation of weak lines

35‧‧‧Tear stop

40‧‧‧Multiple packages

50‧‧‧ Direction/force

51‧‧‧First arrow

52‧‧‧Combined thickness

53‧‧‧second arrow

54‧‧‧ thickness

55‧‧‧third arrow

60‧‧ ‧ compartment

62‧‧‧Products

1 is a top plan view of a package for containing a personal care article in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2A is a top plan view of a plurality of connected packages for containing personal care articles in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of the package of Figure 2A taken through line 2B-2B; Figure 3A depicts a package in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention in an open state; Figure 3B depicts one of the inventions in an open state A package of a specific example wherein the contents of the package have been dispensed.

The present invention provides a package for containing personal care items such as facial tissues, pre-wet wipes, feminine care products, and the like. The package includes a first wall and a second wall joined together in a bonding zone, the bonding zones substantially surrounding the compartment portion, and the personal care item can be disposed in the compartment Part of it. The package further includes a first tear guide extending along the first axis and a second tear guide extending along the second axis, wherein the first axis intersects the second axis. By tearing the package along the first tear guide and the second tear guide, the user can open the package in its two dimensions, thereby improving access to the personal care item. The tear guides are typically lines of weakness, which may comprise a series of discrete cuts (such as dots or dashes) and may be by any suitable means such as cutting, laser etching, mechanical scoring or perforation. The method is formed. It should be understood that the first tear guide and the second tear guide need not all be formed by the same method and may differ in the relative depth and length of the slit. In one embodiment, the tear guide is formed from a series of discrete cuts having a depth that is less than the thickness of the first wall material or the second wall material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one of the tear guides is at least partially superposed on the compartment portion of the package.

The package may further include a tear initiation weakener disposed in the sealing region and extending on the third axis (where the first tear guide and the second tear guide are on the first axis and the second axis) extend). The tear initiation weakness can be formed by any suitable method such as cutting, laser etching, mechanical scoring or perforation. The weakened portion can be formed in one or both walls of the package. Just as the tear guide can be formed by different methods and can vary in the size of its respective slit, the tear initiation weakness can be formed by different methods and can be different than the tear guide. For example, it may be preferred that the tear initiation weakness is weaker (relatively easier to tear along or actually separated) to tear the guide weakness. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the tear initiation weakness can be formed by a slit through both the first wall and the second wall, and the tear guiding weakness is by extending only through the first wall A portion of the laser etch is formed.

Typically, the first wall and the second wall are disposed in a facing relationship and are sealed to each other along at least a portion of their respective peripheral edges to form a package having compartments. Suitable bonding methods include adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, or the like. In other embodiments, the front and rear walls are joined to each other around a portion of their respective perimeter, but are integrally joined to one another in other portions of their perimeter, such as by the same membrane in the first wall and the second wall The sheet is formed and the film is folded over on itself to create an interlayer. The package may be sealed along its entire perimeter or may be sealed only along one of its perimeters. Within the compartment, the first wall and the second wall are not joined together, so the wall and seal cooperate to enclose a compartment within which the personal care item can be stored.

The package can be formed in any number of different shapes, such as substantially rectangular, triangular or circular. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the package is substantially rectangular having a width dimension and a longitudinal dimension perpendicular thereto. In particular embodiments in which the package is substantially rectangular, it may be preferred that the package is provided with a first tear guide extending in the width dimension of the package and substantially parallel to the top edge of the package and A second tear guide extending in the longitudinal dimension of the package and substantially parallel to the side edges of the package.

Although in the foregoing specific examples, the first tear guide and the second tear guide generally extend along a vertical axis, the invention is not limited thereto. Typically, all that is required to be at least partially opened in its two dimensions requires that the first tear guide and the second tear guide extend along the axis that intersect each other. Additionally, in various embodiments, a tear guide or two guides can extend along their associated axes until they reach the proximal edge of the compartment, to the distal edge of the compartment or to the edge of the package. Additionally, a tear guide or two guide members extend completely within the compartment region or between the seal region and the compartment region.

Preferably, the first tearing guide and the second tearing guide are configured to be close to each other such that when the user begins to tear along the first tearing guide, the tear is propagated to the second The tear guide is torn and the tear continues along the second tear guide to open the package at least partially along its two dimensions. In order to open the package in this manner, it is preferred that the first tear guide and the second tear guide intersect each other, although it is not necessary. Preferably, however, the package is at least partially open along its two dimensions, and at least a portion of the package remains unopened to facilitate disposal of the personal care article and its disposal after use. For example, in a preferred embodiment, a rectangular package is provided having only a first tear guide and a second tear guide, wherein the first tear guide extends in the width dimension of the package and The second tear guide extends in the longitudinal dimension of the package.

Generally, the first tear guide and the second tear guide will be rectilinear, however, the invention is not limited thereto. The tear guide may not be rectilinear and may be shaped to guide the tear along a particular line to ensure that a particular opening is created. For example, the first tear guide and the second tear guide can be curved to provide a semi-circular opening when the package is torn open by a user.

Referring now to Figure 1, the package 10 is substantially rectangular having a top edge 12 and a bottom edge 16 that generally extend in the width dimension of the package, and a pair of opposed sides 14, 18 extending in the longitudinal direction of the package. The package 10 includes a front wall 11 and a rear wall (not illustrated) that are disposed facing each other and sealed along their peripheral edges to form a sealed peripheral edge 20. The sealed edges define a compartment 60 (illustrated by dashed lines) within the package for receiving personal care items.

The package 10 further includes a first tear guide 24 and a second tear guide 26. The tear guides are generally a line of weakness suitable for allowing a user to open the package to access the personal care items stored therein. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the first tear guide 24 and the second tear guide 26 are at least partially superposed on the compartment 60 of the package. In addition, although the first tear guide 24 and the second tear guide 26 are stacked on the compartment 60, they are not stacked on the articles disposed in the package 10. However, in other embodiments, it may be desirable to have one or two tear guides superposed on both the compartment and the items contained therein. One desired effect of stacking one or both tear guides on the article is that when the package is torn along the tear guide, the edges of the article may be exposed for easy grasping from the package and Remove.

In a particular embodiment, each tear guide extends across at least 50%, and more preferably at least about 75%, and even more preferably, at least about 95% of the width or longitudinal dimension of the compartment. For example, referring to FIG. 1, first tear guide 24 extends about 95% of the width of compartment 60, and second tear guide 26 extends about 95% of the longitudinal dimension of compartment 60. As further illustrated in FIG. 1, the first tear guide 24 extends along a first axis that is substantially parallel to the top edge 12, while the second tear guide 26 follows a second substantially parallel to the side edge 14. The axis extends. The first axis intersects the second axis at substantially right angles.

As mentioned previously, each tear guide 24, 26 can be disposed on the front wall 11 and can comprise a series of discontinuities such as dots or dashes that have a smaller than the front wall. The depth of the thickness of the material of 11. In other embodiments, each tear guide can comprise a continuous score line having a depth that is less than the thickness of the flexible packaging material. It is desirable in certain embodiments to use a slit or score line having a depth less than the thickness of the flexible packaging material for the tear guide because the compartment of the package remains unaffected by the external environment. This is critical in certain applications, such as protecting the facial tissue from external contamination, or preventing evaporation of the wetting solution of the pre-wet wipe. For example, if the dots or dashes forming any tear guides sufficiently penetrate the thickness of the wall material, the unaffected properties of the compartments will be compromised.

In some embodiments, the package 10 can be provided with a tear initiation weakness 22 that can be disposed along the upper edge 12 and can traverse a portion of the sealing region 20. Typically, the tear initiation weakness 22 extends along a third axis, wherein the first tear guide 24 and the second tear guide 26 extend along the first axis and the second axis, respectively. As illustrated in Figure 1, the tear initiation weakness 22 can extend along a third axis that intersects the first axis. In this manner, the user can initiate the package opening by tearing the tear initiation weakness in the direction of the third axis, eventually intersecting the first tear guide 24 and continuing at the first Open the package in the direction of the axis.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the tear initiation weakness 22 extends from the top edge 12 of the package along an axis oriented about 90 degrees with respect to the axis along which the first tear guide extends. In these particular examples, the first tear guide 24 extends along a first axis that is substantially parallel to the top edge 12, and the second tear guide 26 is along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the side edge 14. extend. In this manner, the first axis and the second axis are generally configured to intersect each other to form a right angle.

The aforementioned individual packages of personal care articles can be joined to other similar packages to form a bundle, multiple packs or a pouch package. For example, a plurality of packages may be joined to each other along a peripheral edge, and a separate line of weakness may be disposed between individual packages, wherein each separate line of weakness is adapted to allow a consumer to separate the front package from the plurality of sheets. Turning now to Figure 2, the individual packages 10a, 10b, 10c are substantially joined to one another in a continuous manner as described above, wherein the discrete lines of weakness 30a, 30b are defined between individual packages.

Each of the discrete lines of weakness 30 is adapted to allow the consumer to separate the front package 10 from the plurality of 40s. For example, as representatively depicted in FIG. 2B, when force is applied to the front package 10 in direction 50, the front package 10 begins to tear along the separation line 10 from the remainder of the plurality of 40 Open.

The separation line of weakness 30 can be formed from a series of perforations, such as dots or dashes. These dots or dashes can penetrate the combined thickness 52 of the front wall 11 and the back wall 13, as representatively depicted in Figure 2B. Alternatively, the dots or dashes may only partially penetrate the combined thickness 52, such as only the thickness 54 of the front wall 11 or the back wall 13. In some embodiments, each of the discrete lines of weakness 30 includes a continuous score line that only partially penetrates the combined thickness 52 of the front wall 11 and the back wall 13. Preferably, the separation line of weakness (whether a series of dots or dashes or a continuous score line) extends across a plurality of longitudinal dimensions of the 40 packages.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, each of the discrete lines of weakness 30 is parallel to the at least one tear guide and, more preferably, parallel to the second tear guide 26 extending along the second axis. Figure 2A representatively depicts this composition. In a particular embodiment, when the consumer pulls the front individual package 10a to remove it from the remaining plurality 40, the separation line 30 tears to assist in the removal, but the package does not follow the first tear guide The leader 24 or the second tear guide 26 is torn. In this manner, individual packages can be removed and placed in a purse or briefcase as needed while maintaining a seal to protect the personal care items contained therein from external contamination. To achieve this, the tear guide can have a tear strength that is higher than the separation line 30 (i.e., more force is required to tear). In this manner, when a removal force is applied to the package (such as force 50 in Figure 2A), the separation line 30 will tear, but the tear guide 26 will not tear. It may be advantageous to have each of the separate lines of weakness parallel to each of the tear guides in certain manufacturing configurations.

Turning now to Figure 3A, the opening of an exemplary individual package is depicted. To open the package, the user can typically apply a force in the direction of the first arrow 51 to thereby tear along the tear initiation weakness. After reaching the first tearing guide, the user typically applies a force in the direction of the second arrow 53 until the second tearing guide is reached, at which point the force is applied in the direction of the third arrow 55. Thereafter, the package is at least partially opened along both sides thereof to expose the edges of the product that the user can grab and remove. In a particularly preferred embodiment where the package is substantially rectangular, the second tear guide does not extend along the entire longitudinal dimension of the package, but only extends along one of the longitudinal dimensions such that the separated portion of the package is retained. To ensure that the separated portion of the package is retained, the package can be provided with a tear stop 35 at the distal end of the second tear guide.

The length of the first tear guide and the second tear guide may vary depending on the contents of the package, however, the total length of the guide is generally preferably at least about 30% of the total peripheral length of the package. And more preferably, at least about 40% of the total perimeter length of the package and more preferably about 45%. Additionally, the respective lengths of the first tear guide and the second tear guide may be the same or may be different. Where the package is substantially rectangular having a width extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the first tear guide extends along an axis in the width dimension and the second tear guide extends along an axis in the longitudinal direction The first tear guide may have a length that is less than the length of the second tear guide. In the foregoing specific examples, the total length of the tear guide is at least about 30% of the total peripheral length of the package, and more preferably, at least about 40% of the total peripheral length of the package and more preferably about 45%. And the guide is configured such that when the user opens the package along the tear guide, the package is at least partially opened along its two edges.

Once the package is opened along its two sides, the user can dispense the product for use. In a specific example, such as the specific example illustrated in Figure 3B, the product is a folded toilet paper. Toilet paper can be folded in any number of different ways. For example, starting with a single sheet of toilet paper measuring about 8.75 inches by 8.5 inches, the toilet paper can be folded in a z-shape with the opposite edges of the toilet paper folded such that the two edges are placed in the center of the toilet paper Line. The toilet paper can then be folded in half along a fold line that is perpendicular to the z-fold. If a more compact folded product is desired, the toilet paper can be folded in half for the second time. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the z-fold line is parallel to the longer dimension of the sanitary paper.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, such as the specific example illustrated in Figure 3B, a portion of the product 62 can remain sandwiched between the first wall 11 and the second wall 13 of the package. The amount of product retained in the package may vary depending on the size of the product and the size of the package. In one embodiment, once the package is opened and the product is dispensed for use, from about 2% to about 20%, more preferably from about 5% to about 10% of the product (measured as a percentage of the total surface area of the product) remains in Inside the package.

As seen in Figure 3B, the package can be used as a barrier between the user and the product by providing a package 10 that retains a portion of the product 62. This can be particularly beneficial where the product is a toilet paper for a nose wipe and the like and the package provides an additional barrier between the waste to be wiped and the user's hand. This configuration provides the additional benefit of providing a container for storing and setting up the product used. For example, after use, the user can put the product back into a package that is sealed on both sides for storage and disposal.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

In a first specific embodiment, the present invention provides a package for containing a personal care article comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall being joined together in a bonding zone, the bonding zones being at least partially Surrounding the compartment portion, the package further includes a personal care article disposed in the compartment portion, a first tear guide extending along the first axis, and a second tear guide extending substantially along the second axis Where the first axis intersects the second axis such that the initial tear at the first tear guide will be guided along the first axis and then continue along the second axis to form open in two dimensions of the package package of.

In a second embodiment, the invention provides a package according to the first embodiment, further comprising a tear initiation weakness in the sealing zone and extending along the third axis toward the compartment portion.

In a third embodiment, the invention provides the package of the first or second embodiment, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide are at least partially superposed on the compartment portion.

In a fourth embodiment, the invention provides a package according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the package is substantially rectangular and has a width extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the first axis is substantially parallel Oriented in width and the second axis is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the intersection of the first axis and the second axis forms a right angle.

In a fifth specific example, the present invention provides a package according to any one of the first to fourth specific examples, further wherein when the consumer pulls the individual package to remove the individual package from the plurality of pieces, the separation line is torn Crack to aid removal, but the tear guide does not tear.

In a sixth embodiment, the invention provides the package of any one of the first to fifth embodiments, wherein at least the first tear guide or the second tear guide are at least partially overlapped Personal care items in the room section.

In a seventh embodiment, the invention provides the package of any one of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a series of slits that are discontinuous.

In an eighth specific embodiment, the present invention provides the package of the seventh embodiment, wherein the first wall and the second wall comprise a flexible material having a thickness, and wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide The lead includes a series of discrete cuts having a depth that is less than the thickness of the flexible packaging material.

In a ninth embodiment, the invention provides a package according to any one of the first to eighth embodiments, further comprising a tear initiation weakness in the sealing zone and extending along the third axis toward the compartment portion .

In a tenth specific example, the present invention provides the package of any one of the first to ninth embodiments, wherein the personal care item is a folded toilet paper.

In an eleventh embodiment, the present invention provides a substantially rectangular package for storing and dispensing a personal care article, the package having a width dimension and a longitudinal dimension extending perpendicular to the width, the package comprising a front wall and a back wall, The equal walls are joined together along their peripheral edges to form a sealing zone surrounding the compartment portion, the package further comprising a personal care article disposed in the compartment portion, a first tear guide extending along the first axis, and substantially a second tearing guide extending along the second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to each other and the first and second tearing guides are stacked on the compartment portion, The first tear guide and the second tear guide are only weak lines superimposed on the portion of the package compartment.

In a twelfth embodiment, the invention provides the package of the eleventh embodiment, wherein the first tear guide extends between 70% and 90% of the width of the package, and the second tear guide extends It spans between 70% and 90% of the longitudinal direction of the package.

In a thirteenth embodiment, the invention provides a package according to the eleventh or twelfth embodiment, further comprising a tear initiation weakness in the sealing zone and extending along the third axis toward the compartment portion.

In a fourteenth embodiment, the present invention provides the package of any one of the eleventh to thirteenth embodiments, wherein at least the first tear guide or the second tear guide are at least partially stacked Placed on personal care items in the compartment section.

In a fifteenth embodiment, the present invention provides the package of any one of the eleventh to fourteenth embodiments, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a discontinuous one Series cuts.

In a sixteenth embodiment, the invention provides the package of any one of the first to fifteenth embodiments, wherein each package has a longitudinal direction, a fixed end, and a free end opposite the fixed end in the longitudinal direction. And two or more of the packages are interconnected in parallel with each other such that the fixed ends of each package are directly or indirectly connected to the fixed ends of at least one other package via a connection, each individual package having a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction The width of the extension, and wherein the separation line is disposed between each package and the remainder of the plurality, each separate line of weakness is adapted to allow the consumer to separate the front package from the plurality.

In a seventeenth embodiment, the invention provides a plurality of individual packages of the sixteenth embodiment, wherein each of the discrete lines of weakness extends parallel to each of the second axes along which the second tearing guide extends.

In an eighteenth embodiment, the present invention provides the plurality of individual packages of the sixteenth or seventeenth embodiment, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide of each package are at least partially Stacked on personal care items.

In a nineteenth embodiment, the present invention provides a plurality of individual packages according to any one of the sixteenth to eighteenth embodiments, wherein the removal of the individual packages from the plurality of individual causes the separation of the weak line to break But does not break the first tear guide or the second tear guide.

Claims (20)

 A package for containing a personal care article, comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall being joined together in a joint region, the joint regions at least partially surrounding a compartment portion, The package further includes a personal care article disposed in the compartment portion, a first tear guide extending along a first axis, and a second tear guide extending substantially along a second axis, wherein The first axis intersects the second axis such that the initial tear at the first tear guide will be guided along the first axis and then continue along the second axis to follow the package Open the package with at least two dimensions.    The package of claim 1, wherein the package is substantially rectangular and has a width extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the first axis is oriented substantially parallel to the width and the second axis is substantially parallel to The longitudinal direction is oriented, and the intersection of the first axis and the second axis forms a right angle.    The package of claim 2, wherein the first tear guide extends between 70% and 90% of the width of the package, and the second tear guide extends 70% of the longitudinal direction of the package to Between 90%.    A package of claim 1 further comprising a tear initiation weakness in the sealing zone and extending along a third axis toward the compartment portion.    The package of claim 1 wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide are at least partially superposed on the compartment portion.    The package of claim 1 wherein at least the first tear guide or the second tear guide is at least partially superposed on the personal care item within the compartment portion.    The package of claim 1 wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a series of discrete cuts.    The package of claim 1 wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a continuous score line.    The package of claim 1, wherein the first wall and the second wall comprise a flexible material having a thickness, and wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise discontinuities A series of slits having a depth that is less than one of the thicknesses of the flexible packaging material.    A substantially rectangular package for storing and dispensing a personal care article, the package having a width dimension and a longitudinal dimension extending perpendicular to the width, the package comprising a front wall and a back wall, the walls being along a peripheral edge thereof Composed together to form a sealing zone around a compartment portion, the package further comprising a personal care article disposed in the compartment portion, a first tear guide extending along a first axis, and substantially along a second axis extending one of the second tearing guides, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to each other and the first tearing guide and the second tearing guide are stacked on each other On the compartment portion, the first tear guide and the second tear guide are only weak lines superimposed on the package compartment portion.    The package of claim 10, wherein the first tear guide extends between 70% and 90% of the width of the package, and the second tear guide extends 70% of the longitudinal direction of the package to Between 90%.    The package of claim 10, further comprising a tear initiation weakness in the sealing zone and extending along a third axis toward the compartment portion.    The package of claim 10, wherein at least the first tear guide or the second tear guide is at least partially superposed on the personal care item within the compartment portion.    The package of claim 10, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a series of discrete cuts.    The package of claim 10, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise a continuous score line.    The package of claim 10, wherein the first wall and the second wall comprise a flexible material having a thickness, and wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide comprise discontinuities A series of slits having a depth that is less than one of the thicknesses of the flexible packaging material.    a plurality of individual packages for containing personal care items, each individual package having a longitudinal direction, a fixed end and a free end opposite the fixed end in the longitudinal direction, the packages being interconnected in parallel such that each The fixed end of the package is directly or indirectly connected to the fixed end of at least one other package via a connection, each individual package having a width extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein each package comprises a front wall, a a rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall being joined together in a joint region, the joint regions at least partially surrounding a compartment portion, each package further comprising a personal care item disposed along the compartment portion, along a first axis extending one of the first tearing guide and a second tearing guide extending substantially along a second axis, and wherein a separate weak line is disposed in each of the packages and the plurality of Between the remaining, each separate line of weakness is adapted to allow a consumer to separate a prepack from the plurality.    A plurality of individual packages of claim 17, wherein each of the discrete lines of weakness is parallel to the second axis along which the second tear guide of each package extends.    A plurality of individual packages of claim 17, wherein the first tear guide and the second tear guide of each package are at least partially superposed on the personal care item.    A plurality of individual packages of claim 17, wherein a user removes a separate package from the plurality of packages to cause the separation line to break, but does not cause the first tear guide or the second tear guide The lead is broken.