U.S. patent application number 10/407673 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-09 for package with child deterrent means.
Invention is credited to De Caluwe, Robert Corneel Julia Maria.
Application Number | 20030188988 10/407673 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28676435 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030188988 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
De Caluwe, Robert Corneel Julia
Maria |
October 9, 2003 |
Package with child deterrent means
Abstract
A child-resistant structure containing a package for containing
at least one unit of a dangerous, solid or liquid consumer product
containing a detergent composition, the package being made out of a
mono-axially oriented film which is folded and closed by at least
one longitudinal seal and two distal seals; wherein the package
being characterized in that the film orientation is substantially
perpendicular to the longitudinal seal; wherein the longitudinal
seal is flat-folded onto the package surface is provided.
Inventors: |
De Caluwe, Robert Corneel Julia
Maria; (Londerzeel, BE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
WINTON HILL TECHNICAL CENTER - BOX 161
6110 CENTER HILL AVENUE
CINCINNATI
OH
45224
US
|
Family ID: |
28676435 |
Appl. No.: |
10/407673 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10407673 |
Apr 4, 2003 |
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09744275 |
Jan 22, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/524.1 ;
229/87.05 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5827
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/524.1 ;
229/87.05 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/84 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 23, 1998 |
EP |
98202479.6 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A child-resistant structure comprising a package for containing
at least one unit of a dangerous, solid or liquid consumer product
comprising a detergent composition, said package being made out of
a mono-axially oriented film which is folded and closed by at least
one longitudinal seal and two distal seals; wherein the package
being characterized in that said film orientation is substantially
perpendicular to said longitudinal seal; wherein the longitudinal
seal is flat-folded onto the package surface.
2. A package according to claim 1, wherein the distal extremities
comprise rectilinear cuttings.
3. A package according to claim 1, wherein said package comprises
at least one notch located along the longitudinal seal.
4. A package according to claim 3, wherein said notch is centered
along the length of the longitudinal seal.
5. A package according to claim 3, wherein the notch is oriented
substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the longitudinal
seal.
6. A package according to claim 3, wherein the notch has a length
comprised within the range of about 1 to about 50% of the
longitudinal seal width.
8. A package according to claim 1, wherein the film for the package
comprises at least one layer of a material with mono-directional
tear properties, said layer being oriented perpendicularly to the
package longitudinal seal.
9. A package according to claim 1, which is a flow-wrapped
package.
10. A package according to claim 1, wherein said at least one unit
of a dangerous, solid or liquid consumer product is a dose of a
detergent composition.
11. A package according to claim 1, wherein said dangerous consumer
product is a detergent tablet.
12. A package according to claim 1, wherein said detergent
composition comprises a component selected from the group
consisting of surfactant, suds suppressors, bleaches, builders,
enzymes, fillers, perfume, and mixtures thereof.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 09/744,275 filed Jan. 22, 2001 (P&G Case No. CM-1855),
which claims the benefit of the filing date of PCT Application
Serial No. US99/16137 filed Jul. 16, 1999 (P&G Case No.
CM-1855), which claims the benefit of European Patent Convention
Application Serial No. 98202479.6 filed Jul. 23, 1998 (P&G Case
No. CM-1855F).
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a package for containing
tablets of detergent which comprises a child deterrent means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Flow-wrap unitary packages for containing at least one
tablet of detergent are representative of the various packages to
which the present invention can apply; such packages are typically
made, for example, out of a plastic, or paper-coated film which is
folded and longitudinally sealed, so as to form a tube into which
at least one unit of a consumer product, for example a detergent
tablet is inserted. The tube is then closed at each of its two
distal extremities by the means of distal seals which are
perpendicular to the longitudinal seal. Furthermore, due to the
packing process, the unitary packages are produced from a
continuous film, and so they are separated by distal cuttings which
are made in the region of the distal sealings.
[0004] Unitary packages for detergent tablets are well known and
used in the art. Such unitary flow-wrap packages are typically made
as described above. However they present some disadvantages.
Flow-wrap packages are widely used in the confectionery industry
for packing sweets or snacks, and thus children are used to eat the
contents of such packages. However, detergent tablets generally use
a composition of chemical compounds that can be dangerous if
ingested. This is more particularly true in the case of young
children who are more likely to try and open any kind of package,
access the tablet and bite/ingest it. Moreover, in the case of
young children, the effect of chemicals may be even more damaging
for their health.
[0005] Furthermore, the unitary tubes are usually formed from a
long roll of film, then filled with one or more tablet(s). They are
then sealed and cut to be separated from each other into unitary
sachets or packs. The cuttings at the distal ends of one unitary
pack usually contain indentations that are to be used by the
consumer as facilitating means for the opening by hands.
[0006] However, such facilitating means also facilitates access to
the tablet for the young children, and thus increases the risk of
poisoning. One means that has been applied to avoid such poisoning
is the use of non-oriented packaging films. Such films are known as
being difficult to tear open without using a tool, or without
applying a tearing strength such that it that shall be applied only
by an adult.
[0007] The international patent application WO 97/02993, published
for OLIN Corp. on Jan. 30, 1997 (D1) discloses such a sachet made
out of a non-oriented film for providing child-resistance. Due to
non-orientation of its molecules, the film provides good resistance
to tearing. The sachet of D1 is further provided with a notch which
is located at one of the sachet's distal extremities. By using this
notch as a tear-propagating means, an adult user must be able to
tear off one corner of the sachet and thereby form a pour spout for
dispensing the contents of the sachet.
[0008] However, detergent tablets shall be considered as a common
consumer good, and so should be packed in a sachet which is
consumer-friendly, and thus easy to open by adults. While providing
child deterrence, the packages made out of non-oriented film have
proved to remain difficult to open by adults without using a tool,
even when they comprise an easy opening means, for example a
tear-propagating slit or notch as described above in D1.
[0009] On the other hand, mono-axially oriented films have been
used in which then orientation of molecules of polymer helps the
user to propagate the tear, thus enabling easy opening of
flow-wrapped sachets. Such a package is described in EP 226835A:
European application published for Unilever on Jul. 1, 1987, which
discloses a flexible material pack having one longitudinal and two
transverse "fin" weld seams (i.e., seams where the inside is welded
to the inside). The material contains at least one layer of a
mono-axially oriented plastic film whose direction of orientation
runs along the longitudinal seam; one transverse seam has two
tear-off notches on different sides of the longitudinal seam. Such
a sachet, while being user-friendly for the opening operation, is
clearly not child-resistant, and thus, not suitable for containing
dangerous consumer products.
[0010] Thus, there is still a need for a package for packing
dangerous consumer products such as, for example, detergent
tablets, which features child-deterrence but is adult-consumer
friendly.
[0011] It is therefore one main object of the present invention to
provide the user with a package for containing units of consumer
products to be opened before use of the contents, such as detergent
tablets, which is constructed such that it prevents young children
from opening, while still being openable by adults without using a
tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention is directed to a package for
containing at least one unit of a consumer product, preferably at
least one detergent tablet, said package being made out of a
mono-axially oriented film which is folded and closed by at least
one longitudinal seal and two distal seals, the package being
characterized in that said film orientation is substantially
perpendicular to said longitudinal seal. In one preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the package further comprises
rectilinear cuttings at the distal sealed extremities of the
package and a notch which is located along the package longitudinal
seal. This notch is for use as a tear-propagating means, which
allows an adult to initiate a tear along the film and easily open
the package thanks to the orientation of the polymer molecules.
Most preferably, the longitudinal seal is flat-folded onto the
package surface, and must be unfolded before use of the notch.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The invention will now be explained in detail with reference
to the following accompanying figures which are referred to as:
[0014] FIG. 1: which is a general perspective view of a
parallelepipedic package according to the invention, showing the
flat-folded longitudinal seal and the tear-propagating notch
located thereonto.
[0015] FIG. 2: which is a general perspective view of a
parallelepipedic package according to the invention, showing the
longitudinal seal unfolded and the tear-opening which has
propagated along the direction of orientation of the film
molecules.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Now referring to figure 1, a package (1) is shown which
comprises a package body (10) and at least two distal ends (11).
The package is made out of any suitable film material such as
coated paper, metal foil, or plastic film made out of, for example
polyethylene or polypropylene, which is mono-axially oriented. The
package (1) can be made out of one single material or out of a
combination of several materials into a laminate. In such a case,
said laminate comprises at least one layer which is
mono-axially-oriented, for example the laminate can be made out of
at least one layer of a mono-axially oriented film in combination
with an aluminum foil. A film is said to be mono-axially oriented
when a majority of its constituting polymer molecules are chained
along a preferred axis. This polymer construction provides the film
with specific mechanical properties. More specifically, such a film
tears along the preferred direction which is given by the molecules
orientation. On the other hand, tearing the film in a direction
substantially perpendicular to the polymer molecules orientation is
extremely difficult.
[0017] The package (1) can have any suitable size for containing at
least one unit of a consumer product which is considered as
dangerous, such as for example detergent compositions, pesticides,
insecticides, or medicines. Said unit is either non particulate
solids such as tablets or briquettes or bars, or under the form of
a powder or granulates, or even under a liquid from. In one
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the package (1) is
intended to be used for containing at least one detergent tablet
for use in laundry or dish-washing purposes. Such tablets are
usually considered as dangerous consumer products, if ingested.
Said tablet may have any suitable shape, but is preferably
symmetrical so as to ensure complete and uniform dissolution in the
wash liquor during the wash cycle. The detergent may be of any
suitable composition, and may comprise for example surfactants,
suds suppressors, bleaches, builders, enzymes, fillers, and
perfumes.
[0018] A unit of a consumer product, such as a unit of detergent
product is typically defined as a dosed quantity of said detergent
suitable for use during one wash cycle. For example, when using an
automatic washing machine, for dish or laundry, the user will put
one tablet inside the washing machine that will dissolve during the
wash cycle, with action onto the dishes or the clothes, for
example. However, more than one unit may be used for one wash
cycle, for example in extreme dirtiness of items to wash, amount of
items to wash, or hardness of water.
[0019] The construction of one embodiment of a package according to
the present invention and the use of such a package will now be
made, with references the attached FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0020] The package (1) comprises a longitudinal seal (12) which is
preferably continuous and extends along the whole length of the
package (1). The longitudinal seal (12) has a width comprised
within the range of 5 to 20 mm, preferably within the range of 7 to
15 mm. Preferably, the longitudinal seal (12) is flat folded onto
the surface of the package (1). More preferably, the adherence of
said longitudinal seal (12) onto the surface of the package (1) can
be achieved by several ways. For example, it may be sealed by a
secondary seal, or it can also be glued, using cold glue or
hot-melt glue.
[0021] The package (1) comprises two distal seals (11), as can be
seen on FIGS. 1 and 2. Said distal seals (11) preferably extend
across the whole width of the package (1), and have a width
preferably comprised within the range of 5 to 25 mm, more
preferably comprised within the range of 7 to 15 mm. Said distal
seals (11) are preferably substantially perpendicular to the
longitudinal seal (12). The package (1) further comprises distal
cuttings (13) which are rectilinear, and located on the distal
border of the distal seals (11) (see FIG. 1). Since the distal
cuttings (13) are rectilinear, i.e. no weak point is located along
the distal border, it is not possible to initiate a tearing point
which could be then extended so as to open the package (1).
Furthermore, it is known that most candies are packed in sachets
which feature indented distal cuttings, and so children are used to
tear such sachets open by using the distal indentations as
tear-propagating means. Thus, in the package (1) according to the
present invention, the rectilinear distal cuttings (13) constitute
a child-deterrent means.
[0022] The package (1) is made out of a mono-axially oriented film
as previously defined. The orientation of the polymer molecules in
the package is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal seal
(12), and thus preferably parallel to the direction of the distal
seals (11). The package (1) comprises cross seals (14) which are
created by the intersection of the longitudinal seal (12) with the
distal seals (11) (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Such cross seals (14)
improve the adherence of the flat-folded longitudinal seal (12)
onto the surface of the package (1).
[0023] The package (1) comprises a notch (15) which is to be used
as a tear-propagating means. Said notch (15) is located along the
length of the longitudinal seal (12). Preferably, said notch (15)
is centrally positioned along the length of the longitudinal seal
(12), as shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, said notch (15) has a length
which is comprised within the range of 1 to 75% of the longitudinal
seal (12) width, and more preferably comprised within the range of
25 to 50% of the longitudinal seal (12) width.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
child-deterrence is best achieved by combining a mono-axially
oriented film with rectilinear distal cuttings (14). In a more
preferred embodiment of the present invention, and so as to provide
easy opening by adults, the package (1) combines a mono-axially
oriented film with rectilinear distal cuttings (14), and a
tear-propagated notch (15) which is located along the longitudinal
seal (12), said longitudinal seal (12) being flat-folded onto the
package (1) surface. In the latter embodiment, the child deterrence
is achieved since it is not obvious for young children to unfold
the flat-folded longitudinal seal (12), find the notch (15) and
exert coordinated shearing movements to propagate the tearing along
the film orientation, so as to finally tear the package wide open
and access the contents.
[0025] The present invention is applicable to packages suitable for
packing a dose of a dangerous consumer product, which are made out
of a film closed by sealings, and more preferably, a flow-wrapped
package.
[0026] The process of making such flow wrap packages is well-known
and used by those skilled in the art. Such a process typically
comprises for example, the steps of forming a tube from a roll of
film, making a longitudinal sealing (12) along the great length of
the film, so as to create a tube, seal and cut in a first portion
all along the width of the tube so as to create a pocket into which
the contents is introduced. Finally, a second portion of the tube
is sealed and cut so as to close and detach a unitary package that
comprises the longitudinal sealing (12) and two distal sealed
extremities (11). It is obvious that variations of this process are
well known and used in the art of making flow wrap packages,
depending for example on the nature of the contents. For example,
powders, or liquids are most preferably filled in a tube that is
vertically formed, filled and sealed, while solid contents is
generally fed in a tube that is vertically formed filled, and
sealed. Further, the overall shape of the package (1) may vary, for
example the package (1) can be parallepipedic, when the distal
sealed extremities (11) are parallel (i.e. located along the same
plane), as shown in FIG. 2. In another example, the shape of the
package (1) is tetraedric, when the distal sealed extremities (11)
are located in perpendicular planes.
[0027] The sealings, either the longitudinal one, or along the
distal extremities of the package can be made by the means of heat
sealing, or by cold sealing. Cold sealing is performed by using the
properties of the packaging film to stick onto itself, or by using
a cold glue with excellent tacking properties, so that no heat is
required for the sealing, but only pressure applied by the sealing
jaws. Both cold and heat sealing are well known in the art. Any
other suitable sealing process shall be applied such as for example
ultrasonic sealing. It is possible to adapt the quality of a
sealing, depending on the use that is to be made of said sealing.
Variations shall be dosed and applied during the sealing operation,
by modifying for example the time, temperature or pressure of the
sealing jaws onto the film, or the surface of the sealings as well.
For example, some sealings are made such that it is easy to peel
them off (i.e., delaminate them) for easy opening of the package.
However, it is not the purpose of the present description to give
the appropriate parameters for achieving such sealings, since such
parameters can be dosed and applied by a person skilled in the art.
Furthermore, it can be understood from the present description,
that the package according to the invention is preferably to be
opened by tearing the packaging film along one preferred direction,
and not by peeling the seals off. Thus, the seals, either the
longitudinal or the distal ones, must be made as strong as
possible.
* * * * *