U.S. patent application number 10/487754 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-17 for soap bar wrapper.
Invention is credited to Nimmey, Alan, VanGordon, Todd.
Application Number | 20050035008 10/487754 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23228999 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050035008 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nimmey, Alan ; et
al. |
February 17, 2005 |
Soap bar wrapper
Abstract
The package with reinforced regions can be produced from a
single sheet of material, preferably in-line with the packaging of
an item. Gusset-like folds are made to form the reinforced regions
of the film material that is to form the package. The reinforcement
will be through at least a three-ply section between a center panel
and side edge panels. The gusset-like folds provide a significant
reinforcement due to the multi-ply nature of such folds. These
folds can be made in any part of a film that is subsequently used
to make a package.
Inventors: |
Nimmey, Alan; (Cenon,
FR) ; VanGordon, Todd; (Basking Ridge, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Colgate Palmolive Company
909 River Road
PO Box 1343
Piscataway
NJ
08855-1343
US
|
Family ID: |
23228999 |
Appl. No.: |
10/487754 |
Filed: |
October 26, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
August 29, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US02/27448 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60316424 |
Aug 31, 2001 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/77.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/077.1 |
International
Class: |
A47K 005/08 |
Claims
1. A packaged soap bar comprising a soap bar, said soap bar
surrounded by a plastic film, said plastic film folded inward on
itself in a multi-layer gusset-like fold adjacent the longitudinal
edge of said film, a margin of plastic film extending beyond said
gusset-like fold.
2. A packaged soap bar as in claim 1 wherein the layers if plastic
film in said gusset-like multi-layer fold are at least partially
attached.
3. A packaged soap bar as in claim 2 wherein said layers of plastic
film are adhesively attached.
4. A packaged soap bar as in claim 2 wherein said layers of plastic
film are attached by heat welding.
5. A packaged soap bar as in claim 1 wherein said margin of plastic
film is sufficient to form the sidewalls of said packaged soap
bar.
6. A packaged soap bar as in claim 5 wherein said margin of plastic
film is sealed by heat welding.
7. A packaged soap bar as in claim 5 wherein said margin is
adhesively sealed.
8. A packaged soap bar as in claim 1 wherein said gusset-like fold
is a fold of three layers of said film.
9. A packaged soap bar as in claim 1 wherein said gusset-like fold
has a width of about 1 cm to about 5 cm.
10. A packaged soap bar as in claim 9 wherein said gusset-like fold
has a width of about 1.5 cm to about 3 cm.
11. A packaged soap bar as in claim 11 wherein said film has a
thickness of about 10 micron to about 300 micron.
12. A packaged soap bar as in claim 11 wherein said film has a
thickness of about 25 micron to about 200 micron.
13. A method of packaging a soap bar and a plastic film having a
length with a longitudinal edge and a width, forming a gusset-like
fold adjacent each longitudinal edge to provide at least three
layers in said gusset-like fold, a margin of plastic extending
beyond the gusset-like fold, wrapping said film around said soap
bar to fully envelop said soap bar, and folding and sealing said
film to form said packaged soap bar wherein said soap bar is fully
enclosed within said film.
14. A method of packaging a soap bar as in claim 13 wherein said
gusset-like multi-layer fold is a three-layer fold.
15. A method of packaging a soap bar as in claim 13 wherein the
plastic film in gusset-like layers are at least partially
attached.
16. A method of packaging a soap bar as in claim 13 wherein the
gusset-like folds are adhesively attached.
17. A method of packaging a soap bar as in claim 13 wherein the
gusset-like folds are heat welded.
18. A method of packaging a soap bar as in claim 13 wherein the
margin is sufficient to form the end walls of said soap bar
package.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the packaging of soap bars.
More particularly, this invention relates to the packaging of soap
bars that have radiused edges and an arched lower surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In many soap bar wrappers there is a need for a two piece
wrapping. This particularly is the case when he soap bar is not in
a substantially rectangular shape. This two piece wrapping is
comprised of an inner partial wrapper called a stiffener and an
outer wrapper which fully encircles and encloses the stiffener and
the soap bar. The stiffener laterally substantially encircles the
soap bar and shapes an outer wrapper into a substantially
rectangular shape on an outer wrapper. The ends are open, the outer
wrapper then fully surrounds the stiffener and soap bar. This dual
wrapping uses more wrapping material than a single layer of
material such as when the soap bar is substantially rectangular or
in the use of flow wrapping techniques. This use of material in two
piece wrapping can be decreased if the wrapping technique similar
to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,009,511 is used. Here
reinforcement bands adjacent each end of a package reinforce the
end regions of a package. This is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. This
package concept saves packaging material and can be used to package
soap bars with a generally planar bottom to the soap bar. However,
this package of U.S. Pat. No. 2,009,511 can be improved. It can be
made from a single sheet of material rather than three separate
pieces which reduces the cost of making the package.
[0003] In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 2,009,511 reinforcing bands
are adhesively attached to the outer wrapper. This requires the
attaching of two materials together. The result is a package with
reinforced end areas. This is an effective package for soap bars.
There is an effective reinforcing of the end edges to form a
generally rectangular package. However, it has been found that a
soap bar package with essentially the same advantages can be made
from a single sheet of material in place of a sheet of material and
two tapes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It has been found that a package similar to that described
in FIGS. 1 to 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,009,511 can be made from a
single film. This is produced by forming gusset-like folds in the
area where reinforcement is desired. The gusset-like folds will
produce a three layer structure for the reinforcement bands. All or
some of the walls of the folds can be adhesively bonded, one to the
other. Such a three layer structure will provide a significant
reinforcement of the area of the gusset-like fold.
[0005] The gusset-like folds will be adjacent each of the
longitudinal edges of the sheet of film. The gusset-like folds can
extend inwardly to about any depth. However, it is preferred that
they do not extend inwardly to the extent that the gusset-like
folds overlap. The folds which will provide a three-ply structure
results in significant reinforcement of the part of the package
with the folds.
[0006] The gusset-like folds are made continuously by means of
plows that extend inwardly and that are usually used to form a
gusset. Any gusset forming equipment and processes can be used. The
forming of gusset folds is well-known in the bag making art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the film blank to be
formed to have gusset-like folds.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the blank of FIG. 1
folded.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a soap bar packaged in a
film with gusset-like end folds.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Disclosed in FIG. 1 is a sheet of material 10 (a blank) that
is to be formed into a package by making gusset-like folds. This
sheet of material has three types of panels. There is a center
panel 14, edge panels 12 and gusset panels 16. There is a fold line
18 between center panel 14 and gusset panels 16 and a fold line 20
between edge panels 12 and gusset panels 16. The sheet of material
folds at 18 and 20. The center panel 14 will form the top, bottom
and longitudinal side surface of the soap bar package. This center
panel also will contain most of the decoration and information on
the soap bar package. The edge panels 12 will form the side
closures and seals at each longitudinal end of the soap bar. The
bottom surface also will contain some product information.
[0011] The sheet of material 14 can be of essentially any material
this such as paper, paperboard and plastic. This includes
paper/plastic, plastic/paper/plastic, plastic/paperboard,
plastic/paperboard/plastic and plastic/plastic materials. However,
plastics are preferred. The plastics include essentially any
thermoplastics such as polyethylenes, polypropylenes, such as
biaxially oriented polypropylenes, polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinyl
acetates and polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate. The
sheet of material can range in thickness from about 10 micron to
about 300 micron, and usually about 25 micron to about 200
micron.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows the sheet of film 10 with the gusset-like
folds. The center panel 14 is defined by gusset folds 18. Between
gusset folds 18 and 20 there are gusset panels 16. This then leaves
edge panels 12. This structure in the area of the gusset folds 18,
20 will be three-ply using parts of center panel 14, the gusset
panel 16 and the edge panels 12. This three-ply structure will
provide a reinforcement to this area of the package. The gusset
panels 16 collectively will comprise about 10 percent to about 50
percent of the area of the center panel 14. In the wrapping of a
soap bar this gusset panel usually will have a width of about 1 cm
to about 5 cm and preferably about 1.5 cm to about 3 cm.
[0013] In use to form a package such as that shown in FIG. 3 to
wrap soap bar 22 the underside of film material 10 will usually
have an adhesive layer and preferably a heat activated adhesive. In
the alternative the film material is readily heat bonded to itself.
In the wrapping of soap bars the adhesive or heat bonding only
needs to be strong enough to hold the gusset-like structure prior
to and during the packaging operation. Once the package is formed,
and all seals made, the package will maintain its own integrity and
the gussets will provide the reinforcing structure. Any adhesive
that will bond to the plastic film can be used for the underside of
film material 10. Acrylics have been found to be useful, and in
particular, heat activated acrylics. The adhesive layer will be in
a thickness of about 1 micron to about 10 microns. An adhesive also
can be applied between panels 16 and 12 to bond these panel
sections together.
[0014] In wrapping soap bars the film material of FIG. 2 with the
gussets bonded closed will be folded laterally around the soap bar
with the center panel substantially covering the longitudinal
extent of the soap bar on the top, bottom and side surfaces. The
parts of edge panels 12 that are not a part of the reinforcing
gusset-like fold form the side panels for the soap bar wrapping.
These side edge panels are folded to form inner fold segments 24(a)
and 24(b) and outer fold segments 26(a) and 26(b) and sealed in the
usual way. This is conventional folding and sealing. The wrapped
soap bar of FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the film of FIG. 2. The
fold points of the gusset-like fold is shown at 16 between folds 18
and 20 (shown as dashed lines). The ends of section 14 of the film
which forms a major part of the package are reinforced by the
gussets. There will be a conventional longitudinal seal on the
bottom of the soap bar.
[0015] There is produced soap bar wrappers having reinforced areas
from a single sheet of material. This represents a savings in
processing over the packages which use two films. The forming of
the gusset-like folds can be made in-line in the packaging of the
soap bars or articles of a related shape. A single sheet of film is
fed to the packaging machine which makes the gusset folds and feeds
the film with the gusset folds into the packaging machine. The
packaging machine then wraps the film around the soap bar and forms
the seals on the ends and on the bottom of the soap bar
package.
* * * * *