FR2772009A1 - Container for e.g. moist wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

Container (1), is made from a multilayer material, and has an opening flap formed by a perforated line (23) and an adhesive surround which allows it to be reused. Container (1), produced by thermoforming from a plastic material, comprises a shell (3) welded to a backing layer in the form of a membrane or to a second shell. It has an opening flap formed by a perforated line (23) and an adhesive surround which allows it to be reused. The adhesive surround can be in the form of a label (27) which covers the opening flap and has a lift up tongue (35) to facilitate opening. The container is made from a multilayer material including an adhesive layer, an impermeable plastic layer and an aluminium film layer.

Description

"STATUS FOR PRODUCTS, AND ARTICLE OBTAINED"
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a case, and in particular a case intended to contain and distribute products, such as for example products appearing substantially in the form of a folded sheet, arranged in a stack inside said case.

 It also relates to an article consisting of a case containing such products.

 Cases for hygiene products are known which are produced from a film or a sheet of flexible plastic material which envelops the products. These cases have a median longitudinal weld on one of their two large faces, and a weld along each of the two edges perpendicular to the longitudinal weld.

 Significantly in the middle of the other large face, these cases have an opening device comprising a weakening line, for example a pre-cut line, not straight, and an adhesive label.

The label generally covers the defined area inside the line of weakness, and slightly protrudes outside of said area.

 When using the case for the first time, the label is removed from the corresponding wall. The label peels off the region of the wall outside the line of weakness and carries with it the region of the wall located inside the line of weakness. This region detaches from the rest of the wall along the line of weakness and then forms a closing and opening valve of a distribution window. The case is closed by re-gluing the label in its initial position, the valve being substantially replaced in the dispensing window.

 WO96 / 11147 describes such a case intended to contain hygiene products arranged in a stack. Its purpose is to reduce the area of the adhesive label, in order to save on adhesive material. It has a weakening line in the form of a V or portion of a circle, and a label having a substantially similar shape, which covers only the weakening line and the lateral edges on either side thereof.

 The cases of the prior art have in common a certain number of drawbacks.

 Their opening device is placed substantially in the middle of one of their faces. Gripping the product that appears on top of the stack through the dispensing window is often difficult. We also take the risk of taking at least two products at the same time instead of just one.

 Known cases generally have a longitudinal weld on one of their faces, like many food packaging. This welding is unsightly and gives the case a utilitarian character, unsuitable in particular for luxury goods, such as wipes impregnated with prestigious perfumes.

 The cases of the prior art are made from a flexible material which does not have the solidity necessary for certain uses, and risks for example tearing, especially if the user pulls on the label more than expected. by the designer of the case. The label may then come off completely and be difficult to re-stick completely and / or tightly.

 The object of the present invention is to provide a case for products which overcomes at least some of the drawbacks of the prior art.

 According to a first aspect of the invention, the case comprising sealing means and an opening device defining on one face of the case an opening valve surrounded at least in part by a weakening line, is characterized in that the weakening line extends in the vicinity of a stop edge of said face.

 The weakening line, alone or together with the stop edge, defines the outline of a dispensing window which is positioned so as to preferably overlap an edge of the first product to be dispensed.

 Thus, the user can use a finger to select the first product that occurs before picking it up easily. This avoids difficulties and wastage during use.

 The stop edge has the function of stopping the movement resulting from the pulling on the label. I1 may be an edge belonging to the outer contour of the case, or an edge formed back from the outer contour.

 The weakening line preferably has two ends extending substantially to the stop edge and between which the material of the case forms a line of articulation for the valve.

 According to a first embodiment of the invention, the case is made of thermoformed plastic, and has two shells welded together by their respective free edges. The stop edge can in this case be a common edge with two faces of one of the shells.

 According to a second embodiment of the invention, the case is made from a sheet of flexible and impermeable material, for example plastic, folded in half along a fold line so as to form two substantially parallel parts, the two parts being welded together by their respective free edges. The stop edge is preferably formed by the fold line.

 Thus according to one or the other embodiment, the case has two opposite parts, welded together by lateral edges, and whose large faces are not crossed by any weld line. These remain available, for example to receive a decorative motif or an advertising message.

 Traditionally, the hygiene products placed in a stack inside the case are each folded into a number of elementary rectangles and / or squares, one of which constitutes one side of the folded product facing the dispensing window.

 According to one aspect of the invention, the article comprising products, such as in particular paper products which are substantially in the form of a sheet such as for example wipes or handkerchiefs, placed in a stack inside the dispensing case having a dispensing window on one of its faces, is characterized in that each product has, on one side facing the dispensing window, a gripping corner situated in the middle zone of its upper face, and in that that the gripping corner of the first product to be dispensed is positioned opposite the dispensing window of the case.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description below of two embodiments given without limitation. In the accompanying drawings:
- Figure 1 shows in perspective an article
of hygiene comprising a case according to the first mode
of realization and arrangement of products
hygiene in this case;
- Figures 2, 3 and 4 show, respectively
in top, front and side views, the article
hygiene of Figure 1;
- Figure 5 illustrates the dividing lines for a
first mode of folding a hygiene product;
- Figure 6 illustrates the first mode of folding a hygiene product;
- Figure 7 is similar to Figure 1, but for
a hygiene article whose case corresponds to a
second embodiment;
- Figure 8 shows a top view and under
unfolded form the case of the hygiene article
Figure 7;
- Figure 9 is similar to Figure 8 for a
variant of execution;
- Figures 10 and 11 are similar to Figures 5
and 6 for a second folding mode.

 In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the case 1 is made of semi-rigid thermoformed plastic and comprises two complementary shells 3 of the same shape and the same dimensions, each formed of a body substantially in the form of a trunk pyramid with open rectangular base surrounded by a side edge 7.

 The two shells 3 are arranged one against the other, the two cavities 5 communicate with each other and the respective lateral edges 7 are hermetically welded to each other around the entire periphery of the two bodies.

 The lateral edges 7 are preferably of small width compared to the dimensions of the cavities 5, in practice their width is the smallest possible which is compatible with effective welding.

 Each body has a substantially flat bottom 15 and a side wall 17 which connects the bottom 15 and the side edge 7. The bottom 15 is separated from the adjacent side wall 17 by four edges extending along the contour 19 of the bottom 15, obtained during thermoforming.

 The bottom 15 of one of the hulls 3, called "upper", comprises an opening device 21. The device comprises a weakening line 23 formed in the bottom 15 of the hull 3, for example a pre-cut line, which is not straight or closed, and the two ends 25 of which join the contour 19 at the same edge 119 forming a stop edge as will be explained below.

 The opening device 21 also includes an adhesive label 27 placed on the outside of the shell 3. The label 27 entirely covers a valve 29 defined by the weakening line 23 and the part of the stop edge 119 located between the ends 25 of the weakening line 23 forming a line of articulation of the valve. In addition, the label projects beyond the valve 29, on the one hand on the bottom 15 by providing an overflow zone 31 all around the weakening line 23, and on the other hand beyond the stop edge 119 by providing an attachment zone 33 on the side wall 17.

 Opposite the attachment zone 33, the adhesive label 27 is provided with a tab 35, locally extending the overflow zone 31. The tab 35 does not have an adhesive coating.

 When using the case 1 for the first time, the user takes the tab 35 between two fingers and lifts it up towards the fixing zone 33.

 The overflow zone 31 of the adhesive label 27 peels off from the bottom 15, while the valve 29 is cut out gradually along the weakening line 23. The valve 29 remains stuck to the adhesive label 27 and reveals a distribution window 37 through the bottom 15.

The process of cutting the bottom 15 stops automatically when it reaches the edge 119 at the ends 25 of the weakening line 23, because:
- there is no line 17 on the side wall
weakening to guide the cutting,
- the edge 119, separating the plane of the bottom 15 and the plane
of the adjacent face of the side wall 17, form
then a stop edge for takeoff
the adhesive label 27 and for cutting the bottom
15, because the traction exerted by the user on
tab 35 is not, relative to the wall
lateral 17, oriented in the direction of a
wrenching,
- the same stop edge 119 constitutes, as already
exposed a line of natural articulation (figure
1) between the valve 29 separated from the bottom 15 and the wall
lateral 17.

 If the ends 25 of the weakening line 23 did not extend substantially to the contour 19, there would be a risk of prolongation of the cut beyond said ends 25, irregularly, in the form of a tear, up to 'said tear meets said contour 19. The tear, once started, could even extend beyond. This is why it is preferred that the weakening line 23 be near a stop edge such as 119.

 To close the case 1, the user proceeds in the opposite way to the opening: he brings the valve 29 back onto the dispensing window 37 and reapplies the overflow zone 31 of the adhesive label 27 on the bottom 15.

The adhesive label 27 is provided with an adhesive coating which makes it capable of peeling off and re-bonding several times, by re-establishing the seal each time.

 The case 1 must be air and water tight, to avoid any evaporation of the liquid which permeates the hygiene products 41 when it is a question of wet wipes. To this end, the case 1 comprises sealing means, among which the adhesive label 27, the lines of the welds 8, and the articulation line formed by a part of the edge 119.

 In the example shown, the side edges 7 may locally have a greater width, for example to produce a tongue 9 for handling the case 1 and hanging it on a sales display.

 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the hygiene article also comprises a stack 39 of hygiene products 41 folded and stacked according to a parallelepiped in the interior space of the case 1.

 The dispensing window 37 of the opening device 21 overlaps an edge 43 of the stack 39 and in particular of the first product to be dispensed 45.

 The case 1 according to the invention comprises pushing means 45 for pushing the stack 39 of hygiene products 41 towards the opening device 21, and thus promoting the taking of the first product 41 to be dispensed.

 Said thrust means 45 comprise a spring, for example a leaf spring 45, disposed between the stack 39 of products 41 and the bottom 15 of the shell 3 which does not have an opening device, and shown in profile view under the shape of a V in Figure 4.

 The hygiene products 41 are folded so as to present a gripping corner 47 on their upper face 49 along the edge 43 which is overlapped by the dispensing window and at a distance from the corners 44 of the stack.

 The dispensing window 37 discovers the gripping corner 47 of the first hygiene product 41 to be dispensed when the valve 29 is raised.

 We will now define a first mode of folding a hygiene product 41 which produces a gripping corner 47 on one face of said product, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

 FIG. 5 represents a product 41 in an unfolded configuration in the form of a rectangle R of length A and width B. Divided lines 51 parallel to the edges of length A and dividing lines 53 parallel to the lines have been materialized edges of width B.

 These dividing lines 51, 53 divide the rectangle R into elementary rectangles 55, 57.

In the example shown, there is a single dividing line 53 which defines two rows of elementary rectangles 55, 57 all having the same elementary length C which defines the largest dimension of the product 41 folded parallel to the length A of the unfolded product . By cons there are two dividing lines 51 which define two adjacent columns of elementary rectangles 55, all having an elementary width
D, and a column of elementary rectangles 57 having an elementary width E less than the elementary width D.

 The elementary width D defines the smallest dimension of the folded product 41, parallel to the stop edge 119 in the case.

 Preferably the width D is substantially double the width E. The column of elementary rectangles 57 which has the smallest width E is adjacent to an edge of the rectangle R.

 The folding of the product 41 is illustrated in FIG. 6.

It includes the following steps:
- we fold the rectangle R according to the
two dividing lines 51, forming three flaps
two of which have the width D and the third
the width E,
- we then fold the accordion along the line of
share 53 as indicated by arrow 59.

 Two elementary rectangles 55 of width D are thus brought into contact, and the elementary rectangles 57 of width E are oriented towards the outside.

 In this way there is obtained a gripping corner 47 situated in the middle zone of one of the edges of the product 41, said gripping corner 47 being able to be easily separated from the underlying elementary rectangle 55 by a movement illustrated by the arrow 61 in the figures. 6 and 1.

 When forming a stack 39 of hygiene products 41 folded as just described, care is taken that each product has a gripping corner 47 along the same edge of the stack, orienting them all in the same way or for example alternately in one direction and in the other.

 When the stack is placed in the case, this edge of the stack is made to extend along the stop edge 119 of the case.

 This folding mode is particularly suitable for cases defining a substantially parallelepiped interior space, and whose opening window 37 is arranged along a short side of the case, as is the case for the case shown in FIGS. Figures 1 to 4.

 Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a second embodiment of the case 1, also suitable for receiving hygiene products folded according to the first folding mode, and which will only be described by its differences from the first embodiment.

 The case 2 is this time made from a piece 65 cut from a sheet of flexible plastic.

 The part 65 has a longitudinal axis of symmetry 67, and a fold line 69 perpendicular to the axis of symmetry 67 and dividing the part 65 into two parts 71, 72 having outer contours substantially symmetrical with respect to the fold line. They have along this contour a lateral edge 73, the interior contour of which is illustrated in FIG. 8 by a dotted line 75.

 The case 2 is produced by folding the part 65 along the fold line 69 and by welding one against the other the respective lateral edges 73 of the two parts 71, 72. The case is hermetically closed on its perimeter by folding the weld.

 The weakening line 23 is located on one of the parts 71. The ends 25 of the line 23 extend to the fold line 69.

 The adhesive label 27 covers the valve 39 and overflows all around it on the corresponding part 71 of the case 2, and beyond the fold line 69 on the other part 72 of the case 2.

 When the case 2 is used for the first time, the part 71 is cut along the weakening line 23, freeing a distribution window 37 (FIG. 7). The cutting process stops itself on the folding line 69, which constitutes a stop edge.

 The sealing means of the case 2 include the nature of the material constituting the case, the adhesive label 27, the weld line 74 and the fold line 69.

 FIG. 7 illustrates the arrangement of the stack 39 of hygiene products 41 inside the case 2. It should be noted that with the case according to this embodiment, and unlike the flexible cases of the 'Prior art, hygiene products can be placed in the case by filling it and not by wrapping the stack of products with a plastic sheet. In particular, the case can be prepared by folding along the fold line, then by welding part of the side edges, before filling the pocket thus formed with the stack of products, and welding the last part of the side edges.

 An alternative embodiment of the second embodiment of the case 2 is illustrated in FIG. 9.

 This time, the dispensing window 37 is arranged along a long side of the case 2. This alternative embodiment corresponds to a second mode of folding the hygiene products 41 which will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 10 represents a product 41 in an unfolded configuration in the form of a rectangle R of length A and of width B. Dotted lines 77 have been materialized parallel to the edges of length
A and dividing lines 79 parallel to the edges of width B.

 These dividing lines 77, 79 divide the rectangle R into elementary rectangles 81.

 In the example shown, there are two dividing lines 77 which define three rows 83, 85, 87 and two dividing lines 79 which define three columns 89, 91, 93 of elementary rectangles 81.

 The central row 83 has an elementary length F which defines the largest dimension of the folded product 41. The rows 85, 87 respectively have elementary lengths G, H, both smaller than the elementary length F. Preferably, the elementary lengths G and H are complementary so that their sum G + H is substantially equal to the elementary length F.

 The adjacent columns 89 and 91 both have an elementary width J which defines the smallest dimension of the folded product 41. Column 93 has an elementary width K reduced with respect to J. This column 93 is adjacent to an edge of rectangle R.

 The folding of the product 41 is illustrated in FIG. 11.

It comprises the following stages:
- we fold the rectangle R according to the
dividing lines 79, forming three parts of
respective width G, F, H; the accordion presents
on two opposite sides of the wide flaps
reduced from two opposite side edges;
- we then fold the accordion along the lines of
sharing 79, for example still in accordion, like
illustrated by arrow 95 in figure 11.

 We take as the upper face of the product that where the elementary rectangles are the largest.

 A gripping corner 47 is thus obtained situated in the middle zone of an edge of the upper face of the product 41, said gripping corner being able to be easily separated from the underlying elementary rectangle 81 by a movement illustrated by the arrow 97 in the figure. 11.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

 One could consider cases of different shapes, for each of the two embodiments.

 The examples which have been described relate to a case for hygiene products, but it is possible to envisage the same cases intended for other products, without departing from the scope of the invention.

 It could be envisaged that the hygiene products 41 are not of rectangular shape, but for example of square shape. The folding methods described above could be applied in the same way.

 The associations which have been described between each embodiment or variant of execution of the case of each folding mode are preferred but nonlimiting.

Claims (16)

Claims  1. Case (1, 2) comprising sealing means (27, 8, 19, 74, 69) and an opening device (21) defining on one face of the case (1, 2), a valve opening (37) surrounded at least in part by a weakening line (23) characterized in that the weakening line (23) extends in the vicinity of a stop edge (19, 69) of said face.  2. Case (1, 2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the weakening line has a discontinuity defining a line of articulation of the valve (37) between two ends (25) extending substantially to the edge stop.  3. Case according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing means (27, 8, 19, 74, 69) comprise an adhesive label (27) which covers the entire opening valve (37) defined by the line of weakness (23), and in that the label extends beyond the stop edge (19, 69) of the face.  4. Case (1, 2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the adhesive label (27) is provided with an adhesive coating which makes it capable of peeling and sticking several times.  5. Case (1, 2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the opening valve (37) overlaps an edge (43) of the first product (41) to be dispensed.  6. Case (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is made of thermoformed plastic, and has two shells (3) welded together by their respective free edges (7).  7. Case (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that it is provided with pushing means (45) for pushing the products (41) against the opening device (21).  8. Case (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the thrust means (45) comprise a spring.  9. Case (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is made from a piece (65) of flexible plastic material, folded in half along a fold line (49) so as to form two parts (71, 72) substantially parallel, the two parts (71, 72) being welded together by their respective free edges (73).  10. Case (1, 2) according to claim 9, characterized in that the stop edge is constituted by the fold line (69).  11. Case (1, 2) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the sealing means (27, 8, 19, 74, 69) comprise a fold line (19, 69) the along a peripheral edge and at least one weld line (8, 74) along the rest of the periphery.  12. Article, comprising products (41), such as in particular products appearing substantially in the form of a sheet such as for example wipes or handkerchiefs, arranged in a stack (39) inside a dispensing case (1, 2), all the characteristics of which are those of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that each product (41) has on a face facing the dispensing window (37) a gripping corner (47) located in median zone of its upper face, and in that the gripping corner (47) of the first product to be dispensed is positioned opposite the dispensing window (37) of the case (1, 2).  13. Article according to claim 12, characterized in that the product (41) is folded:  - in accordion in a first direction (51, 79), so as to superimpose at least two flaps of different widths (D; E; F; G; H),  - then at least once in a second direction (53, 77) perpendicular to the first, a reduced width flap appearing on the outside of the folded product (41)  14. Article according to claim 13, characterized in that the accordion has on a face opposite the reduced width flap a second reduced width flap starting from an opposite side edge.  15. Article according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the grip corner (47) is adjacent to an edge of the stack and the outline of the window surrounds the grip corner overlapping said edge of the stack .  16. Article according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the products are hygiene products.