Disposable, compactable moisture impervious package for premoistened sheets

• US 4,131,195 A
• Filed: 12/12/1977
• Issued: 12/26/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: Scott Paper Co. (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Worrell, Robert A. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lipman, Steven E.
• Application Number:
  US05/859,860
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 206/37, 206/49, 206/205-210, 206/233, 206/438, 206/449, 206/484, 206/526, 206/554, 206/812, 222/45-49, 222/63
• US Class Current: 206/205
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/428 Details of the folds or interfolds of the sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0805 through an aperture in a wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/812 Packaged towel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/813 Adhesive

Abstract

A disposable, compactable moisture-impervious package for dispensing a stack of premoistened sheets has a pocket portion and a flap portion, each made of a pliable and compactable moisture-impervious material. The pocket portion has first and second walls adhered to each other to provide a compartment between them for receiving the stack of sheets. The sheets are retained in the compartment with their flat surfaces generally parallel to the first and second walls of the pocket. A dispensing opening is provided in one of the walls of the pocket overlying the flat surfaces of the sheets, and a primary seal for the opening prevents the undesirable evaporation of moisture from the sheets. The flap portion of the package extends from a wall of the pocket portion, and is removably securable over the dispensing opening to provide a secondary moisture-impervious seal after the primary seal has been broken.

Claims

1. A disposable, pliable and compactable moisture-impervious package for dispensing a stack of premoistened sheets, said package comprising:

a. a pocket portion of pliable and compactable moisture-impervious material, said pocket portion including first and second walls adhered to each other to provide a compartment between them for receiving the stack of premoistened sheets;

b. the stack of premoistened sheets disposed within the compartment with flat surfaces of the sheets generally parallel to the first and second walls of the pocket portion;

c. a dispensing opening in one wall of the pocket portion and overlying the flat surfaces of the premoistened sheets, said dispensing opening having a long dimension extending transversely across said one wall and a short dimension substantially perpendicular to said long dimension, sheets of the stack being folded to provide a dispensing edge disposed generally perpendicular to the long dimension of said opening and intersecting said opening, the dispensing opening including a primary seal for preventing undesirable evaporation of moisture from the sheet;

d. a flap portion of pliable and compactable moisture-impervious material joined to the pocket portion through a hinge line that is generally parallel to the long dimension of the dispensing opening, said flap portion extending beyond the pocket portion and being foldable at the hinge line to overlie the dispensing opening; and

e. securing means for removably securing the flap portion to the pocket portion when the flap portion overlies the dispensing opening to provide a secondary moisture-impervious seal after the primary seal has been broken and between the dispensing of sheets, said securing means maintaining the secured connection between the flap portion and the pocket portion when said package is in a compacted or uncompacted state.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the flap portion is a unitary extension of a wall of the pocket portion.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the primary seal is a sheet of pliable and compactable moisture-impervious material removably secured over the dispensing opening.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the pocket portion and flap portion are made of a pliable and compactable plastic material.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein the securing means for removably attaching the flap portion to the pocket portion includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein the flap is heat sealed to the wall in which the dispensing opening is formed to provide the primary seal and form the dispensing opening.

7. A pliable and compactable moisture-impervious package for dispensing a stack of prefolded, premoistened sheets, said package comprising:

a. a pocket portion of pliable, compactable plastic material having substantially flat first and second walls adhered together to provide a compartment for receiving the stack of prefolded, premoistened sheets, the second wall having a dispensing opening extending therethrough and overlying the flat dimension of the stack of sheets, said dispensing opening having a long dimension extending transversely across the second wall and a short dimension extending generally perpendicular to the long dimension, each sheet in the stack of sheets having a dispensing edge disposed generally perpendicular to the long dimension of the dispensing opening and intercepting said opening;

b. a protective sheet sealingly secured over the dispensing opening to form a primary seal; and

c. a substantially flat, pliable and compactable flap portion extending from the first wall of the pocket portion and being joined to said first wall through a hinge line that is generally parallel to the long dimension of the dispensing opening, said flap portion being removably securable over the dispensing opening by a pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed between the flap portion and the second wall so that the flap portion provides a secondary moisture-impervious seal for the package after the primary seal has been broken and between the dispensing of sheets, said secondary seal being provided when said package is in a compacted or uncompacted state.