Web-material package

Abstract

A web-material package provides a first web material and a second web material. The web-material package includes a first compartment including a first wall and at least partially enclosing the first web material. The web-material package also includes a second compartment joined to the first compartment. The second compartment includes a second wall and at least partially encloses a second web material. The first web material and the second web material are separated by a divider.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to packages for providing a plurality of web materials. In particular, the present invention relates to packages for providing a plurality of consumer web materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Web materials are a ubiquitous part of daily life. Materials such as facial tissues, paper toweling, wet wipes, metal and plastic films are all examples of common web materials. In some categories of web materials it may be desirable to provide dissimilar types of materials in a single package for concurrent use, or for alternative uses. As an example, it may be desirable to provide wet wipes for a designated cleaning task together with dry wipes to remove any residual cleaning agent. Providing wet and dry substrates in a single package reduces the number of packages that must be brought to a task and then retrieved, as well as reducing the number of packages that must be stored. Similarly, it may be desirable to provide lotioned paper tissues together with non-lotioned tissues. The provision of this combination may provide the consumer the opportunity to choose a lotioned or non-lotioned tissue depending upon the task at hand, without the necessity of carrying multiple tissue packages.

[0003] The nature of a package that is capable of satisfying the above stated desires must be such that the package facilitates the storage and retrieval of the substrates without enabling the commingling of dissimilar substrates or the transfer of any chemical agent from a first web material to a second web material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A web material package in accordance with the present invention, provides multiple web materials and maintains a separation between the materials. The package comprises a first compartment. The first compartment comprises a first wall. The first compartment at least partially encloses a first web material. The package also comprises a second compartment. The second compartment comprises a second wall and is joined to the first compartment. A second web material is at least partially enclosed by the second compartment. The package also comprises a divider. The divider is disposed between, and separates, the first web material and the second web material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

[0006] FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along cutting plane A-A-A-A.

[0007] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

[0008] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a web blank that may be used to form a package according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following description is of a package for the provision of two distinct web materials. The package of the invention is not to be construed as being limited to the provision of only two distinct web materials and may comprise additional compartments at least partially enclosing additional web materials. The package allows each of the web materials to be independently dispensed from the package.

The Package:

[0010] The packages, and respective package elements, of the invention may be produced from any packaging materials known in the art. Exemplary package materials include, without being limiting, paper, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, metal, polymeric films, glass and combinations thereof.

[0011] According to FIGS. 1 and 1A, illustrating one embodiment of the invention, a package 1 comprises a first compartment 100 and a second compartment 200. The first compartment 100 comprises a first wall 110 and at least partially encloses first web material 130. The second compartment 200 comprises a second wall 210 and at least partially encloses a second web material 230. The second compartment 200 is adjacent to and joined to the first compartment 100. The second compartment 200 may be fixedly or releasably joined to the first compartment 100 by thermal or ultrasonic bonding, by sharing a common compartment wall or by other means known in the art. First web material 130 is substantially separated from second web material 230 by divider 300. In some embodiments the walls of the first and second compartments 100, 200 completely enclose the first web material 130 and the second web material 230 respectively.

[0012] First compartment 100 may further comprise a second wall 120 and/or a cover 140. The second wall 120 may be planar or curved. In one embodiment, second wall 120 may comprise a cylindrical wall at least partially enclosing first web material 130. The second wall 120 may be joined to the first wall 110. Alternatively, the first wall 110 may comprise a portion of the cover 140 and the cover 140 may be joined to the second wall 120. In other embodiments, at least one of the compartments may comprise additional walls.

[0013] Cover 140 may be fixedly or releasably attached to package 1. Cover 140 may be bonded to second wall 120 by any bonding means known in the art as appropriate for the materials of cover 140 and second wall 120. By way of example and without being limiting, cover 140 may be releasably attached by way of full or partial threads, by a compression fit, and/or by a protrusion extending around at least a portion of the wall 120 matched with an indentation on the inner surface of cover 140. In another embodiment cover 140 may be releasably attached to package 1 by any means known in the art. Cover 140 may be fixedly attached to package 1 by thermal, ultrasonic, adhesive and/or other bonding means known in the art.

[0014] The package 1 may comprise an outer cover 150. Outer cover 150 may cover an orifice 160 defined by a periphery 162 and extending through first wall 110. The periphery 152 of Outer cover 150 may be at least partially coextensive with the periphery 162 of the orifice 160. In one embodiment, the outer cover 150 may extend beyond the periphery 162 of the orifice 160 such that outer cover 150 covers the entirety of orifice 160 and also covers a portion of first wall 110. Outer cover 150 may be hingedly attached to package 1 or outer cover 150 may be removable. Hingedly attached outer cover 150 may be joined to the package 1 by the fusion of at least a portion of the periphery 152 of the outer cover 150 with at least a portion of the package 1. Alternatively, outer cover 150 may be attached to package 1 by way of a living hinge as is known in the art.

[0015] Outer cover 150 may comprise a fastener 155 capable of releasably securing at least a portion of outer cover 150 to package 1. Fastener 155 may comprise a portion of a hook and loop type fastening system with the corresponding portion 154 of the fastening system disposed on the first wall 110 of the first compartment 100. Fastener 155 may comprise an adhesive or cohesive material capable of releasably adhering to a portion of the package 1 corresponding to the position of the fastener 155 when the outer cover 150 is closed upon the package 1. Removable outer cover 150 may be releasably attached to the package 1 as a screw-on, snap-on and/or other removable closure means as are known in the art.

[0016] In one embodiment, the divider 300 may comprise a single shared wall of both the first compartment 100 and the second compartment 200. In another embodiment, the divider 300 may comprise a portion of the first compartment 100 at least partially joined to a portion of the second compartment 200. In each of these embodiments, the divider 300 may further comprise a barrier film 310 to enhance the capability of the divider 300 to separate the first web material 130 and the second web material 230. The barrier film may comprise a metal or polymeric film. Nylon is an exemplary barrier film.

[0017] The package 1 may comprise indicia associated with the web materials 130 and 230. Indicia 135 may be disposed upon the one or more exterior surfaces of the first compartment 100 to provide an indication as to the nature of the web material 130 contained in compartment 100. Similarly, indicia 235 may be disposed upon one or more exterior surfaces of compartment 200 to provide an indication as to the nature of the web material contained in compartment 200. The indicia may comprise an image, or text, or combinations thereof. The indicia may also convey an indication as to the web material by a particular coloration of the indicia. The coloration of at least one exterior surface of a compartment may also be used to provide an indication as to the type of web material contained in the compartment. As a non-limiting example, a particular blue coloration may be associated with a particular web material and this coloration may be used for either the indicia or one or more exterior surfaces of the compartment.

[0018] In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, first compartment 100 comprises a periphery 162 that defines a removable orifice cover 165. The orifice cover 165 may be removed by a consumer to expose the web material 130 such that the web material may be removed from the first compartment 100 through the orifice 160 defined by the periphery 162. The periphery 162 may be at least partially perforated as is known in the art to facilitate the removal of the orifice cover 165. In one embodiment, portions of the orifice cover 165 may be removed to provide finger holes 167, as are known in the art, to facilitate the easy removal of the orifice cover 165.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a package material blank 600 capable of forming a package 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The blank 600 may be folded along line A to bring panels 300-1 and 300-2 into a face to face relationship. These panels may then be joined one to the other using a bonding means appropriate to the material of the blank 600. By way of example without being limiting, the panels may be thermally, ultrasonically, adhesively or otherwise joined. First web material 130 may be placed upon panel 300-1. Panel 110 may then be folded along line B over web material 130 and joined, as described above, to panel 300-1 along line C and lines 110-a and 110-b by any means appropriate to the material. Fastener 155 may be disposed upon Panel 150 and the panel may be folded along line C to bring fastener 155 into face to face contact with panel 110.

[0020] Second web material 230 may be placed upon panel 300-2. Panel 210 may then be folded over web material 230 along line D and joined, as described above, to panel 300-2 along line E and lines 210-a and 210-b by any means appropriate to the material of the blank 600. Fastener 255 may be disposed upon Panel 250 and the panel may be folded along line E to bring fastener 255 into face to face contact with panel 210.

[0021] Blank 600 may be cut from a continuous roll of material prior to, or during the manufacture of the package 1. In one embodiment, the blanks 600 may be cut and subsequently processed as discrete units. In an alternative embodiment, the blanks 600 may be portions of a continuous web and may be separated during or after the formation of the package 1.

[0022] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the package comprises a cylinder open at each end and having a divider 300 separating two compartments 100, 200, of the cylinder. A barrier film 310 is fixedly attached to the divider 300. A roll of first web material 130 is inserted in the first compartment 100, and a first cover 140 is attached to the cylinder to substantially close that compartment. A roll of second web material 230 is inserted into the second compartment 200 and a second cover 240 is attached to the cylinder to substantially close that compartment.

[0023] Alternative configurations of the first compartment and second compartments may also be provided. As examples, the compartments may form portions of a cylinder separated along a chord of the circular cross-section of the cylinder. The compartments may form portions of a parallelepiped container separated along a plane passing through a diagonal of a cross-section of the container. In these exemplary embodiments, the web material may be dispensed from orifices disposed on a single surface of the container, on surfaces adjacent to each other, or on opposing surfaces of the container.

[0024] In any embodiment, additional packaging materials may be added to package 1. Tamper evident seals (not shown) may be provided across the outer covers 150 and 250 and/or around covers 140 and 240. An outer package enclosing the entirety of package 1 may also be added. The outer package may enclose a single package 1 or a plurality of the packages 1. These additional packaging materials are well known in the art and will not be further discussed here.

[0025] The portions of the preceding description directed to components of the first compartment 100 will be understood by one of skill in the art to apply as well to the corresponding elements of the second compartment 200 and the corresponding components of any additional compartment. These elements include without being limiting, a second wall 220, periphery 262 defining an orifice 260 and optionally a removable orifice cover 265 having optional finger holes 267, a fastener 255 and a periphery 252 around an outer cover 250.

[0026] The invention is not to be construed as being limited to having substantially identical first and second compartments. The first compartment and any additional compartments may comprise substantially identical components or the compartments may comprise substantially dissimilar components depending upon the nature of the first and second web materials. In other words, each of the first, second, and additional compartments may comprise some or all of the above described components.

Web Materials:

[0027] Web materials 130 and 230 may comprise any web materials known in the art. The web materials may comprise paper tissue web such as facial tissue, bath tissue or paper toweling. The web materials may comprise non-woven materials, woven materials cellulosic materials, and combinations of these. The web materials may comprise metal and/or polymeric films. The web materials may comprise composite films. The web materials may be comprised of a single ply or of multiple plies. The web materials may comprise indicia substantially similar to indicia placed on the exterior of the compartment containing the web material. By substantially similar it is meant that the indicia are suggestive each of the other. The substantially similar indicia may be identical but may also differ in size and specific appearance.

[0028] The web materials may comprise a plurality of discrete pieces of web material. The plurality of discrete pieces may comprise a stack of discrete pieces. The pieces may be stacked without interdependence. Alternatively, the plurality of pieces may be stacked interfolded each with the other such that the removal of the outermost piece from the plurality precipitates the beginning of the removal of the subsequent piece in the plurality. The discrete web pieces may be formed into a roll. Again the discrete pieces may be formed into a roll without any interdependence of the pieces. Alternatively, the pieces may be interfolded in the roll to achieve the concurrent dispensing of at least a portion of at least two pieces.

[0029] In another alternative at least one of the web materials may comprise a single piece of web material. In this embodiment the single piece of web material may comprise lines of weakness generally transverse to one dimension of the web material. These lines of weakness may be disposed at regular intervals along the dimension the lines are generally transverse to. The lines of weakness may enable the single piece of web material to be easily separated into multiple pieces of web material by separations at the lines of weakness. The single piece of web material may be convolutedly wound into a roll or folded upon itself into a stack.

[0030] The above described orifice 160 may be configured to interfere with the removal of any portion of a web material to the extent that the subsequent portion of the web material is partially, but not completely, dispensed from the package. As an example, for a plurality of sheets of interfolded web material, the removal of the outermost sheet from the package may precipitate the concurrent removal of a portion of the subsequent sheet. An appropriate orifice, as is known in the art, will frictionally interfere sufficiently with the combination of the last of the outermost sheet and the first of the subsequent sheet that the outermost sheet is completely removed, the first of the subsequent sheet is exposed in the orifice 160, and the remaining portion of the subsequent sheet is retained in the package 1. The outer cover 150 may partially or completely cover the exposed portion of the subsequent sheet when the outer cover 150 is closed.

[0031] As another example, one or more of the web materials may comprise a convolutely wound roll of web material having lines of perforating spaced along the length of the web material, and extending parallel to the winding axis of the roll such that the lines of weakness define a series of segments of web material. The orifice 160 may frictionally interfere sufficiently with the motion of a segment of the web material through the orifice that the web material separates at the line of weakness defining the end of that segment of web material. This separation may result in the complete dispensing of a first segment of web material and the incomplete dispensing of the next segment. Outer cover 150 may partially or completely cover the exposed portion of the next segment when the outer cover 150 is closed.

[0032] Web materials 130 and 230 may be substantially similar in composition and intended use. Alternatively, the web materials may be substantially dissimilar. This dissimilarity may be that one of the web materials further comprises a lotion that moistens or wets that substrate and provides an active ingredient for the use of the consumer. The lotion may comprise any liquid applied to web substrates as is known the art. Cleaning agents, polishing agents, antibacterial agents, softening agents may all be applied to one or more of the substrates provided in the package. The lotion may be applied by any means known in the art, including without being limiting, substrate saturation, spraying, foaming, and printing. In this embodiment, the web material substrates may be similar or dissimilar.

[0033] In another embodiment, the substrates may be dissimilar and the web materials may each be dry or at least free of a lotion. In another embodiment, the substrates may be dissimilar and at least one of the web materials may comprise a lotion. In yet another embodiment the dissimilarity may be that the first web material comprises a first lotion and the second web material comprises a second lotion, in this alternative the base substrates of the web materials may be similar or dissimilar. Additional non-limiting examples of the dissimilarity include substrate size, color, texture, scent and thickness.

[0034] As an example, a non-woven substrate may be saturated with a gentle cleaning agent to create what is commonly referred to as a baby wipe. The baby wipe may comprise one of the web materials provided in the package. The other web material may be a soft and absorbent substrate intended to dry the baby's skin after the use of the baby wipe. The second web material may also comprise softening agents to enhance the softness of the substrate.

[0035] In another example, the first web material may comprise a basic facial tissue such as a Puffs.RTM. facial tissue, available from the Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati Ohio. The second web material may comprise a lotioned facial tissue such as Puffs Plus.RTM. facial tissue, also available from the Procter & Gamble Company. In this example, a consumer may choose a lotioned or non-lotioned tissue depending upon the intended use for the selected tissue.

[0036] In another embodiment, the first web material may be provided comprising a cleaning agent suitable for cleaning windows and other surfaces. The second web material in this embodiment may be suitable for completing the cleaning task such that the cleansed surface is substantially free of any residual cleaning agent.

[0037] Lotioned web materials and web materials saturated with an active ingredient containing solution may be further enclosed within a sealed container (not shown). This container may be disposed within the package 1 or may be provided in conjunction with package 1. The container may function to preserve the effectiveness of the active ingredient and/or to preserve the saturation level of a solvent and to extend the shelf life of the package.

[0038] In an embodiment wherein the package 1 comprises removable cover 140, quantities of the first web material and/or second web material may be provided to facilitate the refilling of the package 1. In this embodiment the packaging of the refill quantities may comprise indicia substantially similar to the indicia described above and associated with the first and second web materials. The provision of refilling quantities of the first and second web materials enables the marketer of the package to provide a durable or semi-durable package.

[0039] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

[0040] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A web-material package comprising: a) a first compartment comprising a first wall and at least partially enclosing a first web material, b) a second compartment joined to the first compartment, comprising a second wall and at least partially enclosing a second web material, and separated from the first compartment by a divider.

2. The web-material package of claim 1 wherein the first wall, the second wall and the divider are all formed from a single portion of a package material.

3. The web-material package of claim 2 wherein the package material comprises a polymeric film.

4. The web-material package of claim 1 further comprising at least one outer cover having a periphery and joined along at least a portion of the periphery to the web-material package.

5. The web-material package of claim 1 wherein the first web material is substantially dissimilar to the second web material.

6. The web-material package of claim 5 wherein the first web material comprises a lotion.

7. The web-material package according to claim 1 wherein the first compartment further comprises an indicia corresponding to the first web material.

8. The web-material package according to claim 1 wherein the divider comprises a barrier film.

9. The web-material package according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first web material and the second web material comprises a plurality of sheets of a paper tissue web material.

10. A web-material package comprising: a) a first compartment comprising a first wall, the first wall comprising a periphery defining a first orifice, and b) a second compartment joined to the first compartment and comprising a second wall, the second wall comprising a periphery defining a second orifice, c) a first web material disposed in the first compartment, d) a second web material disposed in the second compartment, and e) a divider disposed between and separating the first web material and the second web material.

11. The web-material package of claim 10 wherein the first web material is substantially dissimilar to the second web material.

12. The web-material package of claim 11 wherein the first web material comprises a lotion.

13. The web-material package of claim 10 further comprising an outer cover having a periphery and joined to the web-material package along at least a portion of the periphery.

14. The web-material package according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the first web material and the second web material comprises a plurality of sheets of a paper tissue web material.

15. The web-material package of claim 10 wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the divider are formed from a single portion of a package material.

16. The web-material package of claim 15 wherein the package material comprises a polymeric film.

17. The web-material package of claim 10 wherein the divider comprises a barrier film.

18. The web-material package according to claim 10 wherein the first compartment further comprises an indicia corresponding to the first web material.

19. A web material package comprising: a) a first compartment comprising a first wall, the first wall comprising a periphery defining a removable orifice cover, b) a second compartment joined to the first compartment and comprising a second wall, c) a first web material disposed within the first compartment, and d) an outer cover at least partially joined to the first compartment and overlapping at least the periphery, wherein the removal of the removable orifice cover exposes a first orifice, and the first web material may be removed from the first compartment through the first orifice.

20. The tissue package according to claim 19 wherein the first compartment further comprises an indicia corresponding to the first web material.