Compact-folded article and pouch

• US 20070250030A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Pateras, Carrie, Woltman, Garry, Schroeder, Karyn, Ruman, Marcille, Heck, Angela
• Granted Patent: US 7,427,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.201
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5514 each item packaged single

Abstract

A personal care article (20) has a longitudinal-direction (22), a relatively shorter, lateral cross-direction (24), a first end-section (72), a second end-section (72a), and an intermediate-section (76) which is contiguous with and interposed between the first end-section (72) and the second end-section (72a). The article includes a liquid permeable topsheet layer (26), and a backsheet layer (28) which is operatively connected to the topsheet layer (26). The article has been folded about a first, supplemental-fold-region (64) and a second, supplemental-fold-region (66) to provide a preliminary-folded article (82). The preliminary-folded article has been operatively enclosed in a wrap member (98), and the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a composite-fold-region (96a) to provide a composite-folded, wrapped-article (114). The wrap member has included a wrap retainer mechanism (112) which has been configured to operatively hold the composite-folded, article and wrap member in their composite-folded condition.

Claims

1. A personal care article having a longitudinal-direction;

a relatively shorter lateral cross-direction, a first end-section;

a second end-section; and

an intermediate-section which is interposed between said first end-section and said second end-section;

said article comprising;

a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and

a backsheet layer operatively connected to the topsheet layer;

wherein

the article has been folded about a first, laterally extending supplemental-fold-region;

the first supplemental-fold-region has been located proximally adjacent a first portion of the article intermediate-section;

the first supplemental-fold-region has been operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section, at least a portion of which is in facing relation with the intermediate-section of the article, and is positioned at least proximally adjacent the article intermediate-section;

the article has been folded about a second, laterally extending supplemental-fold-region;

the second supplemental-fold-region has been located proximally adjacent a second portion of the intermediate-section of the article;

the second supplemental-fold-region has been operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section, at least a portion of which is in facing relation with the intermediate-section of the article, and is positioned at least proximally adjacent the article intermediate-section;

a preliminary-folded article has been provided after the article has been folded about both the first supplemental-fold-region, and the second supplemental-fold-region;

the preliminary-folded article has been operatively enclosed in a wrap member;

the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a composite-fold-region of both the preliminary-folded article and wrap member, thereby providing a composite-folded, wrapped-article; and

the wrap member has included a wrap retainer mechanism which has been configured to operatively hold the composite-folded, article and composite-folded wrap member in their composite-folded condition.

2. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a generally laterally-extending composite-fold-region of both the preliminary-folded article and wrap member to provide the composite-folded, wrapped-article.

3. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a generally longitudinally-extending composite-fold-region of both the preliminary-folded article and wrap member to provide the composite-folded, wrapped-article.

4. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the first, laterally extending supplemental-fold-region of the article is substantially convex along a backsheet side of the article and substantially concave along a topsheet side of the article.

5. A personal care article as recited in claim 4, wherein the second, laterally extending supplemental-fold-region of the article is substantially convex along a backsheet side of the article and substantially concave along a topsheet side of the article.

6. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the composite-fold-region in the preliminary-folded article is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the intermediate section of the article.

7. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first supplemental-fold-region of the article is operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section of the article, which is immediately adjacent and faces against the intermediate-section of the article;

and

the second supplemental-fold-region of the article is operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section of the article, which is immediately adjacent and faces against the folded-over first end-section of the article.

8. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the first end-section in the preliminary-folded article has also been folded about a first, article end-fold-region, and

at least a portion of the second end-section in the preliminary-folded article has also been folded a second, article end-fold-region.

9. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the first end-section in the preliminary-folded article has also been folded about a first, article end-fold-region, which is substantially convex along a topsheet-side of the article;

and

at least a portion of the second end-section in the preliminary-folded article has also been folded a second, article end-fold-region, which is substantially convex along the topsheet-side of the article.

10. A personal care article as recited in claim 9, wherein

the first supplemental-fold-region of the article is operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section of the article, at least a portion of which is immediately adjacent and faces against the intermediate-section of the article;

and

the second supplemental-fold-region is operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section, at least a portion of which is immediately adjacent and faces against the intermediate-section of the article.

11. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the article has been folded about a first, laterally extending supplemental-fold-line positioned proximally adjacent a first portion of the intermediate-section of the article to provide the first supplemental-fold-region;

the article has been folded about a second, laterally extending supplemental-fold-line positioned proximally adjacent a second portion of the intermediate-section of the article to provide the second supplemental-fold-region; and

the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a third, laterally extending, composite fold-line, which is proximate a laterally-extending centerline of the article.

12. A personal care article as recited in claim 11, wherein the first supplemental-fold-line and the second supplemental-fold-line have been configured to approximately trisect a longitudinal length of the article.

13. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first end-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the topsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region;

the second end-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the topsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region;

the first supplemental-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the first supplemental-fold-region; and

the second supplemental-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the second supplemental-fold-region.

14. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the wrap member has been configured to provide container-portion and outboard-extending, side-margins;

at least one of the side-margins has been folded to face against the container-portion of the wrap member, and has been operatively attached to the wrap container-portion.

15. A personal care article as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the side-margins of the wrap member has been folded to face against the container-portion of the wrap member, before or after the folding of the preliminary-folded article and wrap member along the composite fold-region.

16. A personal care article as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the side-margins of the wrap member has been operatively attached to the wrap container-portion, before or after the folding of the preliminary-folded article and wrap member along the composite fold-region.

17. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the wrap member includes a closure flap section.

18. A personal care article as recited in claim 17, wherein the flap section of the wrap member has been placed in a closed-position prior to the folding of the preliminary-folded article and wrap member along the composite fold-region.

19. A personal care article as recited in claim 1 wherein the composite-folded, wrapped-article has included an overall wrapped, composite-folded girth which is less than about 15 cm.

20. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the composite-folded, wrapped-article has included an overall wrapped, composite-folded girth which is less than about 15 cm and a composite-folded length which is less than about 10 cm.