Flexible liquid packet with rigid insert

• US 7,163,101 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Penncreek Corporation
• Original Assignee: William Anthony Harper
• Inventors: Harper, William Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman; Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US10/697,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 206/210, 206/459.1, 206/459.5, 206/229, 206/812, 134/6, 383/106, 426112-115, 403/10, 403/26, 222/92, 222/107
• US Class Current: 206/210
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/54 Cards, coupons, or other inserts or accessories opening devices B65D75/70

Abstract

A transparent or partially transparent polymer packet is described containing a hand sanitizing fluid in which floats a printed insert. Inclusion of the message-bearing insert promotes the distribution and use of the hand sanitizing fluid for improving hand hygiene.

Claims

1. A hand sanitizing product, comprising:

a flexible polymeric packet with predetermined transparent sidewall areas;

a quantity of hand sanitizing fluid product sealed within said packet;

an insert in contact with said fluid product said insert arranged in said packet to provide structural stiffness to

said packet to prevent significant wadding of said packet, said insert further bearing a meaningful communication that is enclosed within said packet and wholly or partially viewable through said transparent sidewall areas of said packet.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein said packet is constructed of polypropylene, polyethylene or polymeric laminate.

3. The product of claim 1 wherein said packet is constructed of a food grade polymer film laminate.

4. The product of claim 1 wherein said packet has at least one sealed edge.

5. The product of claim 1 wherein said transparent sidewall areas permit viewing of said hand sanitizing fluid product.

6. The product of claim 1 wherein sidewall areas of said packet not predetermined as said transparent sidewall areas are translucent or opaque sidewall areas.

7. The product of claim 6 wherein said sidewall areas that are translucent or opaque are rendered translucent or opaque by characteristics of a polymeric material from which said packet is constructed.

8. The product of claim 6 wherein said sidewall areas that are translucent or opaque are rendered translucent or opaque by printing or similar surface treatment to a polymeric material from which said packet is constructed.

9. The product of claim 6 wherein the sidewall areas that are translucent or opaque enhance viewing of said meaningful communication on said insert interposed between said translucent or opaque sidewall areas and said transparent sidewall areas.

10. The product of claim 1 wherein said quantity of hand sanitizing fluid product is sufficient for at least one dispersed dosage of said fluid product for use in an act of sanitizing hand rubbing.

11. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is constructed of a food grade polymer film.

12. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is polymer film that is transparent, translucent, or opaque.

13. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is floating in said hand sanitizing fluid product.

14. The-product of claim 1 wherein said insert has one surface permanently or detachably sealed on an interior sidewall of said packet.

15. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is a polymer film that has a thickness in the range from 0.1 mil to 15.0 mil.

16. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert bearing said meaningful communication is wetted by said hand sanitizing fluid product producing a heightened aesthetic quality not experienced when dry.

17. The product of claim 1 wherein said meaningful communication is located on at least one surface of said insert.

18. The product of claim 1 wherein said meaningful communication is printed by a laser and toner process.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein said laser and toner process employs at least one toner component selected from a group consisting of styrene acrylic copolymer, styrene acrylate copolymer, iron oxides, carbon black, polypropylene wax, silica or combinations thereof.

20. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is translucent or opaque and a meaningful communication placed on opposite sides of said insert is not viewable simultaneously from one side of said insert.

21. The-product of claim 1 wherein said insert is comprised of at least two separate pieces capable of independent movement relative to each other within a sealed interior of said packet.

22. The product of claim 21 wherein each of said separate pieces bears a meaningful communication of a nature independent of the other of said separate pieces.

23. The product of claim 21 wherein said meaningful communication is divided among said separate pieces and becomes completely recognizable only when said separate pieces are properly aligned one to another.

24. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert is folded at least once.

25. The product of claim 24 wherein said insert is sufficiently translucent or opaque to obscure a portion of said meaningful communication located on an obscured surface of said insert so said insert must be removed from said packet to view the entire said meaningful communication.

26. The product of claim 1 wherein said insert bears a said meaningful communication selected from a group consisting of anagrams, addresses, advertising messages, call numbers, campaign points, catechisms, chemical notations, codes, company names, copyright materials, dates, event commemorations, decorative arts, facility names, formulas, fortune predictions, examinations, gaming symbols, illustrations, information, instructions, internet addresses, jokes, logos, lottery numbers, lottery symbols, lyrics, logogriphs, mathematical equations, maxims, meaningful symbols, meaningful images, musical notations, notations, questions, quips, photos, poetry, physics notations, prayers, promotions, promotional slogans, proverbs, puzzles, quizzes, quotations, raffle numbers, redemption values, religious references, riddles, sayings, schedules, scientific expressions, study aids, telephone numbers, tests, trademarks, voting messages, web addresses, witticisms, word definitions, word games, and combinations thereof.

27. A packet containing a liquid product and insert, comprising:

a flexible polymeric packet with predetermined transparent sidewall areas;

a quantity of useful liquid product sealed within said packet;

an insert bearing a meaningful communications that is enclosed within said packet and said insert said insert arranged in said packet to provide structural stiffness to said packet to prevent packet, said insert further and said insert in contact with said useful liquid product also sealed in said packet; and

, said insert is wholly or partially viewable through said transparent sidewall areas.

28. The packet of claim 27 wherein said packet is constructed of polypropylene, polyethylene or polymeric laminate.

29. The packet of claim 27 wherein said packet is constructed of a food grade polymer film laminate.

30. The packet of claim 27 wherein said packet has at least one sealed edge.

31. The packet of claim 27 wherein said transparent sidewall areas permit viewing of said useful liquid product.

32. The packet of claim 27 wherein sidewall areas of said packet not predetermined as said transparent sidewall areas are translucent or opaque sidewall areas.

33. The packet of claim 32 wherein said sidewall areas that arc translucent are translucent or opaque are rendered translucent or opaque by characteristics of a polymeric material from which said packet is constructed.

34. The packet of claim 32 wherein said sidewall areas that are translucent or opaque are rendered translucent or opaque by printing or similar surface treatment to a polymeric material from which said packet is constructed.

35. The packet of claim 32 wherein the sidewall areas that are translucent or opaque enhance viewing of said meaningful communication on said insert interposed between said translucent or opaque sidewall areas and said transparent sidewall areas.

36. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is constructed of a food grade polymer film.

37. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is a polymer film that is transparent, translucent, or opaque.

38. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is floating in said useful liquid product.

39. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert has one surface permanently or detachably sealed on an interior sidewall of said packet.

40. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is a polymer film that has a thickness in the range from 0.1 mil to 15.0 mil.

41. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert bearing said meaningful communication is wetted by said liquid producing a heightened aesthetic quality not experienced when dry.

42. The packet of claim 27 wherein said meaningful communication is located on at least one surface of said insert.

43. The packet of claim 27 wherein said meaningful communication is printed by a laser and toner process.

44. The packet of claim 43 wherein said laser and toner process employs at least one toner component selected from a group consisting of styrene acrylic copolymer, styrene acrylate copolymer, iron oxides, carbon black, polypropylene wax, silica or combinations thereof.

45. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert employs a substrate that is translucent or opaque whereby text or graphics of one or more meaningful communication(s) located on opposite sides of said insert is/are not viewable simultaneously.

46. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is comprised of at least two separate pieces capable of independent movement relative to each other within a sealed interior of said packet.

47. The packet of claim 46 wherein each of said separate pieces bears a meaningful communication of a nature independent of the other of said separate pieces.

48. The packet of claim 46 wherein said meaningful communication is divided among said separate pieces and becomes completely recognizable only when said separate pieces are properly aligned one to another.

49. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert is folded at least once.

50. The packet of claim 49 wherein said insert is sufficiently translucent or opaque to obscure a portion of said meaningful communication located on or divided among opposite surfaces of said insert and is folded at least once so the insert must be removed from said packet to view the entire said meaningful communication.

51. The packet of claim 27 wherein said insert bears a said meaningful communication selected from a group consisting of anagrams, addresses, advertising messages, call numbers, campaign points, catechisms, chemical notations, codes, company names, copyright materials, dates, event commemorations, decorative arts, facility names, formulas, fortune predictions, examinations, gaming symbols, illustrations, information, instructions, internet addresses, jokes, logos, lottery numbers, lottery symbols, lyrics, logogriphs, mathematical equations, maxims, meaningful symbols, meaningful images, musical notations, notations, questions, quips, photos, poetry, physics notations, prayers, promotions, promotional slogans, proverbs, puzzles, quizzes, quotations, raffle numbers, redemption values, religious references, riddles, sayings, schedules, scientific expressions, study aids, telephone numbers, tests, trademarks, voting messages, web addresses, witticisms, word definitions, word games, and combinations thereof.

52. The packet of claim 27 wherein said useful liquid product is selected from a group consisting of additives, adhesives, aftershaves, alcohol solutions, antibiotic ointments, antifungal cream, anti-itch creams, antimicrobial fluids, antiseptic creams, baby formulas, bandages, bath oils, beverages, bleaches, body oils, body washes, breath fresheners, butters, candies, cleaner oils, cleaners, coffee extracts, colognes, colorants, condiments, conditioners, creamers, creams, dairy products, decongestants, deodorants, disinfectants, drinks, edible oils, emulsions, essential oils, eye drops, eye lubricants, fabric conditioners, fabric softeners, fertilizers, flavorings, foods, fragrances, fruit jellies, fruit spreads, fuel treatments, gels, glass cleaners, gravies, greases, hair treatments, hairdressings, hand soaps, herbal extracts, honeys, insect repellants, jams, liniments, lip balms, lotions, makeup fluids, margarines, marmalades, medications, mineral solutions, moisturizers, mouthwashes, nectars, oils, ointments, paints, pastes, perfumes, petroleum jellies, polishes, preserves, salad dressings, salsas, sauces, seasonings, shampoos, skin cremes, skin lotions, skin moisturizers, skin toners, soaps, soups, spices, spreads, stain removers, styling creams, styling gels, sugar solutions, sun screens, sweeteners, syrups, tea extracts, toothpaste, vegetable milks, vegetable oils, vinegars, vitamin solutions, waxes and combinations thereof.