Easy open folded article

• US 20060157495A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Ning, Provenzano, Guy William, Reddy, Kiran Kumar Karrem, Skerrett, John Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/021,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/47
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/42 dispensing from a store of single sheets, e.g. stacked
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3266 Wet wipes
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/04 Folding sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/24 Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/04 the sections being arranged in the form of a foldable sheet or sheets

Abstract

An easy to open folded article based on a fold configuration is disclosed. The folded article has an exposed corner on its uppermost and bottommost folded surfaces, such that when the exposed corners are both grasped and pulled away from each other, the folded article easily and completely unfolds. Pull indicia are added to the article to easily identify the areas of the folded article to be grasped and pulled.

Claims

1. An easy opening, folded wipe comprising:

a sheet of wipe material comprising a first and second edge along a first direction, a third and fourth edge along a second direction, where the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

a first corner defined by the first and fourth edge;

a second corner defined by the first and third edge;

a third corner defined by the second and third edge; and

a fourth corner defined by the second and fourth edge,

the sheet having at least one fold along the first direction to define a folded strip, so that the first corner of the sheet is present on the uppermost surface of the folded strip, and the third corner of the sheet is present on the bottommost surface of the folded strip, and the folded strip further having an even number of folds in a zigzag fashion, along the second direction, to define the folded wipe, such that the first corner of the sheet is present on the uppermost surface of the folded wipe and the third corner is present on the bottommost surface of the folded wipe.

2. The folded wipe of claim 1, where the first and second edges and each fold along the first direction further define fold sections therebetween, where each fold section has a fold section width dimension perpendicular to the first direction, where the fold section width dimension of each fold section is equal;

and

where the third and fourth edges and each fold along the second direction further define folded strip sections therebetween, where each folded strip section has a folded strip section length dimension perpendicular to the second direction, where the folded strip section length dimension of each folded strip section is equal.

3. The folded wipe of claim 1, where the folded wipe is substantially square in shape.

4. The folded wipe of claim 1, where the first and third corners each have a pull indicia, and where the folded wipe is adapted to be opened by grasping the pull indicia of the first and third corners and pulling the first and third corners away from each other.

5. The folded wipe of claim 4, where the pull indicia is a visual or tactile cue.

6. The folded wipe of claim 4, where the pull indicia comprises a folded corner.

7. The folded wipe of claim 5, where the pull indicia comprises a distinguishable texture imparted to the corner of the sheet.

8. The folded wipe of claim 5, where the pull indicia comprises a distinguishable color imparted to the corner of the sheet.

9. A single-wipe package comprising a packet and the folded wipe of claim 1 enclosed within the packet.

10. A multiple-wipe package comprising a stack of the folded wipes of claim 1 within a container.

11. The multiple-wipe package of claim 10, where the folded wipes of the stack are interleaved.

12. The multiple-wipe package of claim 10, where the folded wipes of the stack are interfolded.

13. An easy opening, folded wipe comprising a folded sheet of wipe material defining an uppermost folded surface and bottommost folded surface, where both the uppermost and bottommost folded surfaces have at least one pull indicium, and where the wipe is adapted to be opened by grasping the pull indicia of the uppermost and bottommost folded surfaces and pulling them away from each other.

14. A single-wipe package comprising the folded wipe of claim 13 that has been individually packaged.

15. A multiple-wipe package comprising a stack of the folded wipes of claim 13.

16. The multiple-wipe package of claim 16, where the folded wipes of the stack are interleaved.

17. The multiple-wipe package of claim 16, where the folded wipes of the stack are interfolded.

18. A folded article comprising:

a sheet of material comprising a first and second edge along a first direction, a third and fourth edge along a second direction, where the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

a first corner defined by the first and fourth edge;

a second corner defined by the first and third edge;

a third corner defined by the second and third edge; and

a fourth corner defined by the second and fourth edge,

the sheet having at least one fold along the first direction to define a folded strip, so that the first corner of the sheet is present on the uppermost surface of the folded strip, and the third corner of the sheet is present on the bottommost surface of the folded strip, and the folded strip further having an even number of folds in a zigzag fashion, along the second direction, to define the folded article, such that the first corner of the sheet is present on the uppermost surface of the folded article and the third corner is present on the bottommost surface of the folded article, and

where the first and third corners each having at least one pull indicium, and

where the folded article is adapted to be opened with limited contact with the user by grasping the pull indicia of the first and third corners and pulling the first and second corners away from each other.