Patent Application
20070284266
It should be noted that, when employed in the present disclosure, the terms “comprises”, “comprising” and other derivatives from the root term “comprise” are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of any stated features, elements, integers, steps, or components, and are not intended to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.
As used herein, the terminology such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “end” and “sides” are referenced according to the views presented. It should be understood, however, that the terms are used only for purposes of description, and are not intended to be used as limitations. Accordingly, orientation of an object or a combination of objects may change without departing from the scope of the invention. As a point of reference for the claims and in the present specification, the term “top” refers to a panel or side of the package with an opening device or opening.
As used herein, the term “blank” in the context of blank containers or blank dispensers is intended to mean a container or dispenser with a portion of at least one surface is not provided with a graphic, image or decorative design, so that a graphic, image or decorative design may be applied to the container or dispenser. A blank may be completely devoid of graphics or have only a portion of the container or dispenser devoid of graphic, images or decorative design. As used herein, the term “blank” means a container or dispenser which does not have the outer sheet component applied thereto.
As used herein, the term “opening” refers to a portion of the top surface which allows a user to access the product housed within the interior volume of the container or dispenser of the present invention.
As used herein, the term “consumer products” is intended to mean products which include durable and non-durable goods which are purchased by or for a user of the products. Consumer products are intended to include, by way of example only, health and hygiene items, including absorbent personal care articles, facial and bath tissue, and dry and wet wipes and the like. The product may be cellulosic based products, meaning that the products contain cellulose fibers.
As used herein, the phrase “absorbent personal care articles” refers to devices which absorb and contain liquids which may be placed against or near the skin to absorb and contain the various liquids discharged from the body. Examples of personal care products include, for example, diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, sanitary wipes and feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins and tampons.
The term “disposable” is used herein to describe products that are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbent article after a single use.
As used herein, the term “external side surface” refers to an outer side surface of the container or dispenser which typically faces away from the products which are contained within the container or dispenser. The surface may be a sidewall, a top or bottom of the container or dispenser. Depending on the shape of the container or dispenser, the number of surfaces may be different for each shape. For example, a generally cylindrical or oval carton would have three external surfaces, a continuous side surface, the top surface and the bottom surface. A cubical box would have six external side surfaces, including the top surface, the bottom surface and four sidewall surfaces.
As used herein, the term “container” is intended to mean an article which is capable of holding a product. Also as used herein, the term “dispenser” is intended to mean a container which will also dispense the product from the container.
As used herein, the phrase “graphic, image or decorative design” is intended to cover a wide variety of items which may be placed on the article of manufacture. The term “graphic” is intended to mean features which are generally repeated in a pattern or other features such as a monogram. For example, a repeated pattern of an object is intended to be a graphic. The term “image” generally means a picture, such as a photograph or a painting, but could include other picture-like items such as a silhouette or other similar feature. The term “decorative design” is intended to mean a design which is neither a graphic nor an image per se; however, a decorative design could be the combination of a graphic or pattern.
As used herein, the term “polymer” or “polymeric” generally includes but is not limited to, homopolymers, copolymers, such as for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc. and blends and modifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term “polymer” shall include all possible geometrical configurations of the material. These configurations include, but are not limited to isotactic, syndiotactic and random symmetries.
In the following detailed description of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the inventions may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that mechanical, procedural, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
The container or dispenser component of the present invention may be formed in many different shapes and sizes without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the described embodiment of the present invention, the container or dispenser has a generally circular or oval shape. Other shapes may be used for the container of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention, including, for example, a cubical container or dispenser, a parallelepiped container or dispenser or other shape which is capable of holding and dispensing products from the container or dispenser component.
To obtain a better understanding of the present invention, attention is directed to
The dispenser 10 can further include an opening 42. The opening is normally located in the top 12, but the opening can be optionally located in the sidewall 16 or the bottom 14. The opening 42 allows access to the product 22 stored within the container or dispenser 10. The opening may be a reach-in opening or a dispensing opening. A reach-in opening requires the user to reach into the opening of the container or dispenser to access the product therein. A dispensing opening, which is shown in
The dispensing opening 42 can optionally include a dispensing window 44. The dispensing window 44 can be prepared from a suitable material such as a film, nonwoven, or paper material that can retain a partially dispensed product 22, such as a facial tissue, within the opening 42 for pop-up dispensing. The dispensing window can have a dispensing orifice 45 that can be a slit; a curvilinear line; a geometric shape such as an oval, a circle, or a triangle; or an X-shaped, a plus sign shaped or an H-shaped orifice. Alternatively, the dispensing window 44 can be eliminated and fingers or tabs projecting into the dispensing opening 42 can be used to retain a partially dispensed sheet 22.
The dispensing opening 42 can be any size or shape such as square, circular, or oval. The opening 42 generally will be larger in size for a reach-in container and smaller in size for a pop-up dispenser. The container or dispenser 10 can further include an optional removable surfboard or cover 46, shown in
The dispenser can be made from suitable materials that include, without limitation, cardboard; carton stock; paper board; thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, ABS plastic; metal, wood, and glass, amongst other suitable alternatives. In the case of tissues, generally the container or dispenser is prepared with a carton stock, paper board or a thermoplastic material due to cost and aesthetic value which may be provided by these materials.
In one embodiment shown in
Alternative methods of constructing the container or dispenser 10 may also be used. For example, a carton blank can be utilized. The carton blank can comprise a plurality of panels that are folded, assembled, and glued to form a dispenser. Injection molding or thermoforming can be used to form the dispenser. Other techniques known to those of skill in the art can be utilized to make the container or dispenser 10.
In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in
In the present invention, the container or dispenser 10 is provided with an outer sheet component 80, which serves to provide a graphics, images or decorative visual effects 90 to the at least one side wall 16. This outer sheet component 80 covers a majority of the exterior surface of the at least one side wall 16. By a majority of the exterior surface, it is intended that at least 50% of the exterior surface area of the exterior surface of the at least one side wall 16 is covered by the outer sheet component. Ideally, the outer sheet component 80 covers at least 75% of the exterior surface area of the sidewall 16 and desirably at least 95% of the exterior surface area of the sidewall 16. In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the outer sheet component 80 covers 100% of the exterior surface of the sidewall 16. The outer sheet component may also extend beyond the side wall 16 to partially or fully cover the top 12 and/or bottom 16.
In the present invention, the outer sheet component 80 may have a single layer or may be multilayered. In either case, at least one layer of the outer sheet component should contain a polymeric film layer and that polymeric film layer should be shrinkable upon the application of heat or energy, such as microwave energy, to the film. Shrinkable films are known to those skilled in the art and can be prepared from a wide variety of polymer resins. Suitable resins which can be used to prepare the shrinkable film layer of the outer sheet component include, but are not limited to, for example, polyolefin resins, polyamide resins, cyclic olefin resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, thermoplastic polyester resins and polystyrene resins. Of these polymeric materials, films prepared from thermoplastic polyester resins and polyvinylchloride resins are generally desired since these resins tend to provide the best desired properties including, for example, transparency, printability, degree of firmness, gloss, and ease of processing. In the present invention, heat-shrinkable films are desirable from the standpoint of ease of use.
Heat-shrinkable films can be prepared by methods known to those skilled in the art and are commercially available. For example, a heat-shrinkable film is typically prepared by heat-stretching in the machine direction a polymeric film prepared from the polymer resins disclosed above. Heat-stretching is stretching of the polymeric film while applying heat to the film. The polymeric film is annealed and cooled in the stretched state and wound onto a roll. When heat or energy is applied to the film, the film will shrink in the direction it was stretched to return towards, but not to its unstretched condition. The heat shrinkage techniques, including temperature and other conditions used in the present invention may be techniques known to those skilled in the art and may be adjusted by suitably selecting the resin ingredients, film thickness, extrusion temperature, draw ratio, take-off temperature, preliminary heating conditions, stretch ratio, stretch rate, stretch temperature, annealing conditions and cooling conditions for film production. Optionally, the film may be stretched in the cross-machine direction as well. In the present invention, heat-shrinkable polymeric films are particularly useable in the present invention due to their ease of use.
In the present invention, the outer sheet component 80 may be a single layer shrinkable film prepared for one or more of the polymer resins described above. Optionally, the outer sheet component 80 may be a multilayer component, provided that one of the layers has a shrinkable film. The additional layers of the sheet component may be other polymeric films, which are also shrinkable. Since the shrinking characteristics of the films may be different, having more than one shrinkable layer may result in differential shrinking of the layers, resulting in an aesthetically undesirable container or dispenser. Therefore, care must be used if more than one shrinkable layer is used in the outer sheet component 80. As a result, it is generally desirable that only a single shrinkable film layer is used in the outer sleeve component of the present invention.
The graphics, images or decorative designs 90 or aesthetically pleasing designs appearing on the container or dispenser 10 of the present invention may be imparted in a number of ways. In one method, the shrinkable film making up the outer sheet component has a graphic, image or decorative design imprinted on one of the surfaces of the shrinkable film of the outer component 80. In this regard, attention is directed to
Any type of ink may be used to imprint the shrinkable film, provided that the ink is not susceptible to degradation when heat or energy is applied to the ink. Both metallic and non-metallic inks may be used in the present invention to imprint the film with a graphic, image or decorative design. In addition to conventional inks, inks with special properties, such as, glow in the dark properties, may also be used. Generally, the entire surface of the shrinkable film may be printed; however, it is possible to print only a portion of the film. For example, 50% of the film surface may be printed. Typically, at least 80% or 90% of shrinkable film surface will be printed. Alternatively, a smaller portion of the film may be printed, if desired. For example, a substantially smaller portion of the shrinkable film may be printed, if desired, such as if the desired printing is a monogram or the like.
In addition to placing graphics, images or a decorative design on the container or dispenser, other features may be provided on the container or dispenser. For example, the outside of the surface of the outer sheet component may be imparted with other features, such as a scent, odor control, a texture, an RFID tag or the like. Optionally, the inside surface of the outer sheet component could also be provided with these features
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, shown in
To apply the shrinkable film 81 to the container or dispenser 10 of the present invention, the shrinkable film 81 is wrapped around the container or dispenser, such that the first end 85 of the film contacts and overlaps the second end 86 of the film, as is shown in
The exterior surface 83 of the second end 86 which will be overlapped with the first end 85 may be imparted with an adhesive, a double-stick tape or other means that will effectively hold the interior surface 82, first end 85 and the second end 86 of the shrinkable film 81 together. Alternatively, the interior surface 82 of the first end 85 which will overlap the second end 86 may be imparted with means to hold the two ends together. Generally, if an adhesive is used, the adhesive should be selected from those adhesives that are not adversely affected by the application of heat or energy to the adhesive. Solvent based adhesive may serve well in this application such that the adhesive welds the two ends 85, 86 of the shrinkable films together. Alternatively, the shrinkable film may be formed into a tube-like structure, having a continuous exterior surface, prior to placing the shrinkable film around the container or dispenser 10. In either case, the shrinkable film once brought together should be slightly larger than the circumference of the outer surface of the at least one side wall 16 of the container or dispenser. Generally, the shrinkable film should be 2-10% larger than the circumference of the exterior surface of the at least one side wall 16. If the circumference is any larger than about 10% of the circumference of the container or dispenser 10, then the shrinkable film may not shrink evenly, causing the container to have an unappealing surface.
Once the shrinkable film 81 is placed around the exterior surface of the sidewall, then energy is applied to the film to make the shrinkable film shrink and conform to the container or dispenser. For example, if the shrinkable film is a heat-shrinkable film, the heat-shrinkable film 81 is placed around the exterior surface of the sidewall; the film is heated with a suitable heating means, for example, hot air, to shrink the film around the container or dispenser. If the film can be shrunk by other means, the other means, such as microwave energy may also be used. The temperature to which the heat-shrinkable film is heated is dependent on several factors, including the type of polymer used to prepare the heat-shrinkable film or the inks used to prepare the graphic, image or decorative designs on the heat-shrinkable film or otherwise present on the container or dispenser.
In addition to covering the exterior surface of the sidewall 16 of the container or dispenser 10 of the present invention, the shrinkable film may extend beyond the sidewall 16 and partially cover the bottom 14 or top 12. In an embodiment shown in
The visual effects achieved by the present invention can be further enhanced by providing the exterior surface of the side wall 16 or the first layer 84 with a base color which will be visible through the imprinted graphic, image or decorative design present on the shrinkable film. In addition, the visual effect can further be enhanced by providing the exterior surface of the sidewall 16 with a material which will produce a three-dimensional effect or produces an actual three dimensional feel. Examples of such materials include metallized films which can be placed between the exterior of the sidewall and the shrinkable film. The metallized films are capable of producing holographic and three dimensional effects. In addition, Fresnel lenses may also be used to enhance the three-dimensional effect of the graphics, images or decorative design imprinted on the shrinkable film. Such metallized films are known in the art. One company having the ability to produce films containing holographic and/or Fresnel lenses is Cobum Graphic Films, Inc., having an office at 1650 Corporate Road West, Lakewood, N.J. 08701. A tissue carton utilizing these films entitled Decorative Film, Carton, And Method Of Making, U.S. Ser. No. 10/374,185 filed with the United States Patent Office on Feb. 25, 2003, published as U.S. 2004/0166258 A1 on Aug. 25, 2004. This Patent Application Publication is herein incorporated by reference in a manner consistent herewith.
In the present invention, the graphics, images or decorative designs include a wide a variety of items. For example, objects that are considered decorative in design include flowers, landscapes, cityscapes, pictures of buildings, pictures of people, abstract designs, patterned designs, or other similar graphics or designs. The particular designs provided on the articles of manufacture of the present invention are not critical to the present invention. Generally, however, it is desirable that the graphics, images or decorative designs are not offensive to large groups of people.
In the present invention, the outer sheet component could be made in-line with the packaging of the products into the container or dispenser or the outer sheet component could be prepared off-line.
The container or dispenser 10 can also include an optional removable film overwrap (not shown) to further cover the dispensing opening 42 or outer portion of the dispenser. The film overwrap can be used to display printed information, such as a prominent trademark, size of the sheets, the number of sheets, information on how to open the container or dispenser, or patent information, which can later be removed by the consumer so as to not detract from the graphic, image or decorative design of the container or dispenser imparted by the outer sheet component discussed below. This overwrap is in addition to the outer sheet component 80.
By providing the container or dispenser of the present invention with a graphic, image or design as described above, many benefits are derived. For example, a manufacturer or packager can easily provide particular designs that are popular with a quicker turn around time. Previously, the manufacturer or packager would need to order or produce more containers containing a popular pattern if the supplies of the container became in short supply or, in the alternative store more containers or dispensers with the desired graphics, images or decorative designs. This could result in a delay in producing containers or dispensers with the desired or in-demand graphics, images or decorative design, which in turn would result in a shortage of the desired products with the desired graphics, images or decorative designs. In the present invention, generic or plain containers or dispensers could be produced or ordered which could be modified with the outer component sleeve using the present invention, thereby providing the graphics, images or decorative designs needed.
Other advantages include providing a way for a retailer to order container or dispenser designs it believes would be popular or testing designs in a few select stores prior to placing a large order for a given design. As such, the retailer and manufacturer can easily identify designs which might not be well received by consumers, while identifying others which might be popular. In addition, the present invention provides an easy and economical way to produce short runs of a given design or short runs of seasonal graphics without the need of ordering large quantities of containers or dispensers.
One major advantage provided by the present invention is that a manufacturer or packager could use the present invention to provide a plurality of different graphics, images or decorative designs on essentially identical dispensers or containers. As such, a plurality of “blank” dispensers or containers could be imparted with a variety of graphics, images or decorative designs. Each of the blanks could be the same or may be different. Generally, all of the blanks will be essentially the same with some minor variations therein. As such, a case containing a plurality of the dispensers or containers of the present invention could be provided, from the plurality of blanks, but the dispensers or containers would have a plurality of different graphic, image or decorative designs within a given case. Stated another way, the graphics, images or decorative design on at least one of the outer sheet component sleeves is different from the graphics, images or decorative design on at least one other outer sheet component sleeve present in the case of articles. Ideally, there could be two, three, four or more different graphic, image or decorative designs in a given case. In one aspect, each dispenser or container in the case could have a different graphic, image or decorative design, but each blank carton could be the same. This would provide a manufacturer or packager of these dispensers or containers with a way to efficiently provide retailers a variety of designs in a given case of dispensers or containers. As a result, consumers would be provided with a variety of designs to select from at the retail store.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC § 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/813,477, which was filed Jun. 13, 2006, entitled “Container or Dispenser With A Decorative Outer Sleeve”.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60813477 | Jun 2006 | US |
