Towelette pouches with outer container or saddle

• US 5,996,797 A
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chesebrough-Pond'S Usa Co., Division Of Conopco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chesebrough-Pond'S Usa Co., Division Of Conopco, Inc.
• Inventors: Flaig, Raymond Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US09/201,457
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 206/494, 206/210, 206/812, 383/66, 383/211, 383/119, 383/104, 221/48, 221/63-65, 229/230, 229/232, 229/207
• US Class Current: 206/494
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/428 Details of the folds or interfolds of the sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5894 Preformed openings provided in a wall portion and covered by a separate removable flexible element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/02 Wrapped articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/812 Packaged towel

Abstract

A towelette product is provided usable for cleansing/make-up removal which includes a stack of folded flexible towelettes impregnated with a fluid composition, a pouch for storing the stack of towelettes and an outer container surrounding the pouch and having walls more rigid than the flexible sheet forming the pouch. A dispensing aperture is formed in a deck panel of the pouch. A seal is adhesively arranged over the dispensing aperture to minimize fluid evaporation and control foreign objects from contaminating the towelettes. The outer container is defined by top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, the top wall having an opening with left and right flanking panels, the opening of the container and dispensing aperture of the pouch being aligned to allow towelette removal. A lid is hingedly attached to the outer container which in a closed position overlies the opening and at least a portion of the flanking panels. In a second embodiment of the seal for the pouch, a support saddle is provided to overlay and adhere to the deck panel and both side panels. A cut-out portion is hingedly attached near a rear portion of the support saddle. The cut-out portion is adhesively reclosable and aligned over the dispensing aperture. The support saddle provides rigidity to the respective panels of the pouch against which it adheres. Collapse in the face of a decreasing stack of form-retaining towelettes is prevented by the support saddle structure.

Claims

1. A towelette product comprising:

a stack of folded flexible towelettes impregnated with a fluid composition;

a pouch formed of at least one flexible sheet to contain the stack of folded towelettes and containing a dispensing aperture through which towelettes are removable and a flexible seal with adhesive borders and having a size sufficient to resealably cover the aperture securing the aperture to prevent evaporation of fluid;

an outer container formed of a top wall, a bottom wall, a substantially planar front wall, a rear wall and side walls more rigid than the at least one flexible sheet of the pouch, the top wall having an opening with left and right flanking panels, the opening and aperture being aligned to allow towelette removal, a lid including a lid plate and a lid extension, the lid being hingedly attached to the container which lid in a closed position overlies the opening and at least a portion of the flanking panels, the lid extension being bent orthogonal to the lid plate and overlies the planar front wall, the lid extension including a tab insertable into a slit within the planar front wall of the container.

2. The product according to claim 1 wherein each of the towelettes are folded in a Z-shaped formation having a center panel and upper and lower wing panels, the wing panels each being of about equal width and about half of a width of the center panel.

3. The product according to claim 2 wherein each of the towelettes are folded medially in a direction orthogonal to that of the Z-shaped formation.

4. A package for storing and dispensing towelettes comprising:

a pouch formed of at least one flexible sheet to contain a stack of folded towelettes, the pouch being defined by a deck panel, a floor panel opposite the deck panel and a pair of opposing side panels, the deck panel including a dispensing aperture through which towelettes are removable; and

a support saddle defined by an upper portion, a front portion and a rear portion, the upper portion separating the front and rear portions, the upper portion including a seal cut from the upper portion except along a rear border which is hingedly attached near an upper edge of the rear portion and adhesively sealed in a closed position against the upper portion of the pouch, the front and rear portions extending downward along an outer surface of each of the front and rear portions adhesively attached thereto thereby supporting the pouch against collapse as the stack of towelettes within the pouch diminishes.

5. The package according to claim 4 wherein the support saddle is formed of a material different than materials forming the panels of the pouch.

6. The package according to claim 5 wherein the materials of the support saddle are more rigid than the materials forming panels of the pouch.