US3038473A

US3038473A - Package for disposable paper tissues

Info

Publication number: US3038473A
Application number: US804545A
Authority: US
Inventors: John M Ladd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-04-06
Filing date: 1959-04-06
Publication date: 1962-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1979-06-12

Description

llnited States Patent 3,038,473 PACKAGE FUR DESFGSABLE PAPER TISSUES John M. Ladd, 47 Ocean fit, Lynn, Mass. Filed Apr. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 894,545 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-268) The present invention relates to a package for disposable paper tissues and is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 715,557, filed February 17, 1958, now abandoned.

The common absorbent paper tissue is popularly dispensed in small packets in quantities of approximately twenty-five. These tissues are popularly used for many purposes including a use as disposable handkerchiefs. When used in such a manner, it is desirable to provide an aromatic medicament integral with the tissues so that when used, the user will have the benefit of such medication. Merely impregnating tissues with such a medication is impractical when considering the storage life ordinarily required for packages of such a nature. In such a treatment the medication would probably be spent within a short time.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means by which disposable absorbent tissues may be packaged together with an aromatic medication, arranged to effectively impregnate the tissues when used with the medication being effectively retained intact within the package until such use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a package of the type described in which selected and small quantities of the medication are permissibly diffused through the interior of the package prior to use or opening of the package so that immediately upon opening the tissues will have a controlled amount of medication infused within them while at the same time a substantial reservoir of medication is effectively maintained within the package which reservoir is not released until actual use of the package commences.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for maintaining aromatic medication Within a nonporous package and an improved means of selectively releasing the medication at a desired time.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of a package of the present invention shown in partial cut-away;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a modification of the invention shown in partial break-away;

FIG. 3 is a detail of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a top plan View of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross section of a modification shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of another modification taken along a line substantially similar to the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is at top plan view of a still further modification, and,

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

In the arrangement of FIG. 1 there is provided a rectangular cardboard base 1 which is relatively stiff in nature and which supports a plurality of folded highly absorbent paper tissues 2, which may be provided in any desired quantity. About this cardboard and group of absorbent tissues is a sealed wrapper 3 of cellophane or other nonporous wrapping material. The wrapper 3 may be formed of a single sheet of cellophane conventionally folded and sealed at its edges. Preferably, however, this wrapper 3 should be sealed along a longitudinal center overlapping strip (not shown) with the ends of the wrapper 3 at edges 4 and 5 formed as flaps, extending over the sides to the bottom.

An inner envelope 6 comprises two facings substantially nonabsorbent, nonporous sheets, as for example cellophane, sealed at their edges along a marginal periphery indicated at 8. Within the periphery 8 there is provided a space 9 which contains an absorbent plug 1'0 preferably of cotton or the like. This plug 10 may comprise a roll or tube of absorbent material which is highly impregnated with a highly volatile medication. The remainder of the space 9 is filled with a liquid of the same volatile Inedication with which the plug 10 is impregnated. A suitable liquid formula of a volatile or aromatic medication comprises eucalyptus oils, iodine, menthol crystals dissolved, peppermint oils and spirits of ammonia.

A string 11, which may be a waxed nylon string, is secured at one end 12 to the cotton plug 19 by tying it thereto or by other suitable means. The string extends through the peripheral margin 8 and preferably is secured along the edge of cardboard 1 with its free end 13 extending outwardly of the package. This end 13 may extend outwardly between the overlapping folds previously mentioned of the wrapper 3. Preferably the sealed peripheral margin 8 immediately adjacent the string 11 has a very small opening in nature perhaps of several hundredths of an inch in diameter, permitting circulation of volatile fumes through this passage to the interior of the wrapper 3 and into contact with the tissues 2.

The plug 10 is also preferably secured in position together with the inner envelope 6 by suitable means as for example a staple 14 which projects through the inner envelope 6, and plug 10, and is secured at the other side to the cardboard 1.

If desired, the envelope 6 may be formed of a resinous material heat sealable at its peripheral edges.

In the foregoing arrangement, the volatile or aromatic medication is substantially and entirely retained within the envelope 6 until the string 11 is pulled to open by cut ting the outer wrapper 3. When this string 11 is pulled its full length, it will not only open the outer wrapper 3 but will also cause a smaller opening in the inner envelope 6. At this time the aromatic medication which has been only slightly diffused and dissipated through the outer wrapper 3 is released for immediate impregnation of the tissues. It has been found that with a formula of the type set forth above and with the use of impregnated cotton plugs, even when the package is opened, the tissues will all remain impregnated with an aromatic medication for substantial periods of time.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is illustrated a package having a cardboard supporting base 30 on which is arranged any desired reasonable number of tissues 31 with a wrapper 32 enclosing the tissues and cardboard in the same manner as set forth in connection with FIG. 1. An envelope 34 formed of opposite sheets of nonabsorbent, nonporous material, such as cellophane or a heat scalable plastic, are sealed together along a peripheral margin 35 to form an enclosing and substantially sealed inner pocket 36. Within this inner pocket 36 there is positioned a highly adsorbent plug 37 of the same type illustrated at 10 in FIG. 1. The pocket 36 and the plug 37 are impregnated with an aromatic medication of the type previously described. This envelope is secured at the center of the cardboard 30 by suitable means, such as by cementing the lower face of the envelope to the cardboard. A continuous string 38 of the same material, for example, as string 11 extends along the upper edge 39 of the cardboard 39 with at least one end 40 of the string 38 projecting outwardly of the cardboard and through the wrapper 32. A center section of the string extends inwardly and through the peripheral margin 35 of the envelope 34. This string 38 is preferably releasably secured to the cardboard 30. Thus, when the user desires to open the package by pulling the end all of the string 38, the outer wrapper 32 is cut and simultaneously the inner envelope 34 is also opened, thus releasing the arcmatic vapors of the medication to the interior of the wrapper 32, permeating the tissues 31. In this particular arrangement, the central location of the envelope 3-& assures a substantial even distribution of the vapors throughout the entire package.

A further modification of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this arrangement, a cellophane casing 50 encloses a packet of tissues 51 with the tissues supported upon a cardboard backer 52 with these elements generally of the type shown in FIG. 1. Supported on the cardboard backer, however, is a capsule 53 containing a quantity of volatile medicament or other volatile or aromatic material such as for example, perfume, as illustrated at 54. This capsule 53 is preferably formed of a non permeable, plastic flexible material such as cellophane. This cellophane casing may be formed of two facing sheets of cellophane material sealed at their edges 55 and suitably cemented to the cardboard backer 52. This capsule forms a pressure bubble which will burst upon direct application of pressure, releasing the volatile material through the interior of the cellophane casing 50. In the use of this package, the user squeezes the packet so as to cause the capsule 53 to burst releasing the medicament. The casing 50 is then opened and the tissues re moved, preferably a few minutes after the breaking of the capsule 53.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a still further modification of this invention. Here a cellophane casing 60 encloses and suitably retains a group of tissues 61 supported on the cardboard backer 62 with these elements of the same general type as the previously mentioned elements in connection with FIG. 1. The surface of the cardboard 62 is coated with a nonpermeable layer or web of material such as cellophane and illustrated at 63. Suitably adhered to this web 63 and preferably extending the length and width of the cardboard 62 is a fibrous, bilbous surface of suitable absorbent material such as unsized highly absorbent paper, cotton fibers, etc. This fibrous, bilbulous surface is suitably coated with a volatile impregnant or aromatic material of the type previously described. Above the fibrous, bibulous material 64 there is a layer 65 of nonpermeable material preferably cellophane which is also preferably sealed at its side edges as illustrated at 66 to the lower layer 63 thereby forming an enclosed casing for the fibrous material. A tab 67 which may be formed of a thread or a tape of defined width is integrally bonded to the upper layer 65 with the tab extending the length of the cardboard and preferably projecting therefrom through the casing 60. Thus, one may open the package by tearing the tab 67 so as to simultaneously open the casing 60 and the inner container formed by the sheets or

webs

65 and 63.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown a still further modification. In this arrangement, a casing 70 of cellophane or the like encloses a plurality of tissues 71 in turn supported on the cardboard backer 72 in a manner as previously described. Extending longitudinally of the backer 72 is an elongated rigid frangible tube 73. This frangible tube may have a rectangular cross section as illustrated or may, if desired, have another configuration. The rigid frangible tube is formed with sealed ends to form thereby a complet ly enclosed chamber within which the volatile material as previously described may be contained and stored. The tube itself may be formed of a rigid plastic material such as styrene and should have but a slight degree of flexibility before its breaking point is reached. The tube is cemented preferably to the backer centrally thereof as is illustrated in FIG. 7. In the operation of this particular embodiment, the user will flex the packet, the backer 72 being sufiiciently thin and flexible to permit this. This flexing, however, will cause a rigid frangible tube to break, thus releasing its content to the interior of the packet. After the volatile material is allowed to disperse throughout the packet, the casing may be opened for individual use of the tissues.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising a quantity of folded highly absorbent tissues, a wrapper of nonabsorbent, nonporous material completely enclosing and substantially sealed about said tissues, a sealed envelope of nonabsorbent, nonporous material within said wrapper, a highly absorbent plug impregnated with a volatile medicament and a quantity of liquid highly volatile medicament within said envelope and a string projecting through said wrapper and envelope and adapted on pulling to cause openings in both said wrapper and envelope.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 having means forming an opening of approximately two hundredths of an inch in diameter through said envelope.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 having a reinforcing cardboard backer adjacent said tissues with said envelope secured to said backer.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said plug has secured to it one end of said string.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 having a rectangular reinforcing cardboard backer adjacent said tissues with said envelope secured centrally on the face of said backer intermediate the hacker and tissues.

6. A package comprising a quantity of folded highly absorbent tissues, a wrapper of nonabsorbent, nonporous material completely enclosing and substantially sealed about said tissues, a sealed envelope of nonabsorbent, nonporous material within said Wrapper, a highly absorbent plug impregnated with a volatile medicament and a quantity of liquid highly volatile medicament within said envelope, a cardboard reinforcing backer adjacent said tissues with said envelope secured centrally on the face of said backer intermediate the backer and tissues and a string removably secured to said backer having at least one end projecting through said wrapper and an intermediate portion extending inwardly in a loop through spaced portions of said envelope which on pulling said end is adapted to cause openings in both said wrapper and envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,686,458 McColl Oct. 2, 1928 2,209,914 Gerber et al July 30, 1940 2,714,382 Alcala Aug. 2, 1955 2,779,465 Anderson Jan. 29, 1957