Flush-interval indicator for soluble pouches

• US 5,578,023 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Inventors: Schneider, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Polutta, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US08/372,043
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 604/332, 604/333, 604/361, 604/362, 383/1, 383/5, 206/459.1, 206/524.7
• US Class Current: 604/332
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/445 Colostomy, ileostomy or urethrostomy devices A61F5/441, A61F5/442, A61F5/443 take precedence

Abstract

A flush-interval indicator for soluble, toilet bowl discardable pouches is disclosed for indicating to a user, once the pouch is discarded in a toilet bowl, when a sufficient flush-interval has elapsed so that, when the toilet is then flushed, the pouch will quickly disintegrate without obstructing or impeding the flow of water and waste material through the discharge lines of the system. The flush-interval indicator comprises optically-distinguishable indicia printed or otherwise affixed to a display surface of a pouch and normally concealed by a water-soluble opaque layer. The opaque layer may take the form of an external panel secured to the pouch, or a water-soluble layer of the pouch itself which includes pigment to render it opaque and shield the indicator from view. In an alternate construction, a water-soluble external cover is secured to the pouch and fibers from the cover are heat sealed into the pouch'"'"'s display surface to form a flush indicator that is relatively unreadable when the cover is dry. However, when the pouch is exposed to water, the cover dissolves or disperses, after a sufficient flush-interval has elapsed, to reveal the flush indicator formed from the embedded fibers.

Claims

1. The combination of a pouch and a flush indicator comprising:

a flushable, soluble pouch having a pair of side walls joined together along their outer margins and having a display surface on at least one of said side walls;

a water-soluble external cover formed of fibers and secured to said pouch over said display surface; and

a flush indicator formed of fibers of said external cover which are embedded into said display surface of said pouch, said flush indictor being relatively undistinguishable from said external cover when said cover is dry, said external cover, when exposed to water in a toilet bowl, being capable of quickly dissolving or dispersing, after a sufficient flush-interval has elapsed, to reveal the fibers of said indicator which remain embedded in said display surface when said cover dissolves or disperses, thereby visibly signaling to a user that said pouch is ready to be flushed.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said embedded fibers of said indicator are heat-sealed into said display surface of said pouch.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said cover is formed of cellulosic material.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said cover is formed of water-soluble tissue paper of heavy basis weight but having low wet-strength.