U.S. patent application number 11/486730 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-18 for container suitable for dispensing wipes.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. Invention is credited to Marion Michele Marie-Pierre Dubreuil, Johannes Lambertus Maria Mensink, Stefaan Ghislain Edgard Claire Pijls.
Application Number | 20070012715 11/486730 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34938375 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070012715 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dubreuil; Marion Michele
Marie-Pierre ; et al. |
January 18, 2007 |
Container suitable for dispensing wipes
Abstract
The present invention relates to a container (1) suitable for
containing and dispensing wipes, the container (1) comprising
external and internal surfaces and the wipes being made from a
substrate, wherein the container (1) comprises a portion sample of
said substrate, wherein the portion sample is attached onto at
least one external surface of the container (1).
Inventors: |
Dubreuil; Marion Michele
Marie-Pierre; (Braine l'Alleud, BE) ; Mensink;
Johannes Lambertus Maria; (Tervuren, BE) ; Pijls;
Stefaan Ghislain Edgard Claire; (Keerbergen, BE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
WINTON HILL BUSINESS CENTER - BOX 161
6110 CENTER HILL AVENUE
CINCINNATI
OH
45224
US
|
Assignee: |
The Procter & Gamble
Company
6090 Center Hill Road Attn: Chief Patent Counsel
Cincinnati
OH
45224
|
Family ID: |
34938375 |
Appl. No.: |
11/486730 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5894 20130101;
B65D 2201/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/033 |
International
Class: |
B65H 1/00 20060101
B65H001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 14, 2005 |
EP |
050766161.1 |
Claims
1. A container (1) for containing and dispensing wipes, said
container (1) comprising external and internal surfaces and said
wipes being made from a substrate, wherein said container (1)
comprises a portion sample of said substrate, wherein said portion
sample is attached onto at least one external surface of said
container (1).
2. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said portion sample
is attached onto at least one external surface of said container
(1) by means of an adhesive.
3. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said portion sample
is laminated with a supporting material thereby forming a laminate
piece (4), wherein said laminate piece (4) has an effective
stiffness and is attached onto at least one external surface of
said container (1).
4. A container (1) according to claim 3 wherein said effective
stiffness ranges from about 3N to about 20N.
5. A container (1) according to claim 3 wherein said effective
stiffness ranges from about 5N to about 7N.
6. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein the stiffness of
said substrate ranges from about 0.05N to about 2N.
7. A container (1) according to claim 3 wherein said laminate piece
(4) is attached onto at least one external surface of said
container (1) by means of an adhesive.
8. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said wipes are
pre-moistened with a cleaning lotion.
9. A container (1) according to claim 8 wherein said lotion is
suitable for cleaning hard surfaces.
10. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said wipes are dry
wipes.
11. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said substrate
comprises a nonwoven fabric.
12. A container (1) according to claim 3 wherein said laminate
piece (4) comprises a polymeric film.
13. A container (1) according to claim 1 wherein said container (1)
is a flexible container.
14. A container (1) for containing and dispensing wipes, said
container (1) comprising external and internal surfaces and said
wipes being made from a substrate, wherein said container (1)
comprises a portion sample of said substrate, wherein said portion
sample is laminated with a supporting material thereby forming a
laminate piece (4) and wherein said laminate piece (4) has an
effective stiffness and is attached by means of an adhesive onto at
least one external surface of said container (1).
15. A container (1) according to claim 14 wherein said effective
stiffness ranges from about 3N to about 20N.
16. A container (1) according to claim 14 wherein said effective
stiffness ranges from about 5N to about 7N.
17. A container (1) according to claim 14 wherein said container
(1) comprises pre-moistened wipes.
18. A process of manufacturing an improved container (1) suitable
for dispensing wipes, wherein said process comprises the steps of:
(a) providing a container (1) suitable for containing and
dispensing wipes, wherein said container (1) comprises external and
internal surfaces and said wipes being made from a substrate; (b)
laminating a portion sample of said substrate with a supporting
material thereby forming a laminate piece (4), wherein said
laminate piece (4) has an effective stiffness; (c) attaching by
means of an adhesive the laminate piece (4) obtained in step (b)
onto at least one external surface of said container (1).
19. A process of presenting wipes contained within a container (1),
wherein said process comprises the steps of: (a) providing a
container (1) suitable for containing and dispensing wipes, wherein
said container (1) comprises external and internal surfaces and
said wipes being made from a substrate; (b) attaching a portion
sample of said substrate onto at least one external surface of said
container (1).
20. A process according to claim 19 wherein said portion sample is
attached onto at least one external surface of said container (1)
by means of an adhesive.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a container suitable for
containing and dispensing wipes. More specifically, the invention
is directed to a container comprising a portion sample made of the
same material as the wipes contained within the container, wherein
the portion sample is attached onto at least one external surface
of the container.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Containers suitable for dispensing wipes, and in particular
pre-moistened wipes, are known in the art. Flexible containers
comprising pre-moistened wipes are, for example, described in
WO91/04920 whereas rigid containers suitable for dispensing
pre-moistened wipes are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.
5,791,465.
[0003] Both flexible and rigid containers known in the art
generally comprise a dispensing opening, typically situated on the
upper surface of the container, and a lid or sealing device, which
can usually be repeatedly opened and resealed. Known containers
therefore provide good sealing and satisfactory dispensing of the
contained wipes.
[0004] However, known containers do generally not allow the
consumer to inspect and see the appearance of the wipe products
before purchase (i.e. in the point of sale). Typically, the known
containers would need to be opened so as for the potential consumer
to see and touch its content, i.e. the wipes. This is of course not
ideal since opened containers on the shop shelves will
detrimentally affect their aesthetic appearance. More dramatically,
in the case of containers for pre-moistened wipes, the action of
opening and re-opening may lead to pre-maturate evaporation of the
lotion applied onto said pre-moistened wipes. Partial solutions
have been proposed e.g. in US 2004/0094437, wherein the wipe
packaging is provided with a window capable of displaying the
product enclosed within the container. Alternatively, the aspect of
the enclosed wipes may be graphically represented in one of the
external surfaces of the container so as to permit identification
of its content. However, none of the known wipe containers provide
the consumer with the possibility to touch and feel the texture of
the wipe which is intended to be purchased. This is particularly
appreciable when the wipe is provided with some very soft touch or
a three-dimensional structure on it, as described e.g. in US
2003/0228813.
[0005] It is therefore an objective of the present invention to
provide a container suitable for containing and dispensing wipes
which not only allows the potential user to inspect the appearance
of the wipes but which also permits touching and feeling the
texture of the wipes contained within the container.
[0006] It has now been found that this objective can be met by
providing a container 1 suitable for containing and dispensing
wipes, the container 1 comprising external and internal surfaces
and said wipes being made from a substrate, wherein the container 1
comprises a portion sample of the substrate, and wherein the
portion sample is attached onto at least one external surface of
said container 1.
[0007] Advantageously, the portion sample according to the
preceding invention may be attached onto the container 1 using any
labeling machine/technique commonly known in the art.
[0008] Commonly known consumer wipes, such as dry or pre-moistened
hard-surface cleaning wipes, are typically made from a fabric-type
substrate. The substrate material is usually chosen to provide good
cleaning lotion absorbance and sufficient integrity. However, it
remains substantially flexible, fibrous and porous. Those
flexibility, fibrous-like and porosity characteristics render the
substrate materials difficult to process when trying to directly
attach a portion of said substrate material onto any surface, in
particular the surface of a wipe-containing container.
[0009] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention,
it has further been found that the above processing problem is
solved when the portion sample for use in the present invention is
laminated with a supporting material thereby forming a laminate
piece 4, and wherein the laminate piece 4 has an effective
stiffness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention relates to a container 1 suitable for
containing and dispensing wipes, the container 1 comprising
external and internal surfaces and the wipes being made from a
substrate, wherein the container 1 comprises a portion sample of
the substrate, and wherein the portion sample is attached onto at
least one external surface of the container 1.
[0011] In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses a
process of manufacturing an improved container 1 suitable for
dispensing wipe, wherein the process comprises the steps of (a)
providing a container suitable for containing and dispensing wipes,
wherein the container comprises external and internal surfaces and
said wipes are made from a substrate; (b) laminating a portion
sample of the substrate with a supporting material thereby forming
a laminate piece 4, wherein the laminate piece 4 has an effective
stiffness; and (c) attaching by means of an adhesive the laminate
piece 4 obtained in step (b) onto at least one external surface of
the container.
[0012] The present invention is further directed to a process of
presenting wipes contained within a container 1, wherein the
process comprises the steps of (a) providing a container suitable
for containing and dispensing wipes, wherein the container
comprises external and internal surfaces and said wipes are made
from a substrate; and (b) attaching a portion sample of the
substrate onto at least one external surface of the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container 1 according to
the present invention. The container 1 comprises a dispensing
opening 2 covered by an adhesive cover label 3 and a laminate piece
4 attached onto the top panel of the container 1.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the device used for
the stiffness measurement described in the Test Method Section. The
device comprises a plunger 5 having a diameter of 14 mm and a holed
platform 6 comprising an orifice 7. The orifice 7 has an
upper/outer diameter of 34 mm and a lower/inner diameter of 30 mm.
The orifice 7 is provided with a width suitable for operating the
test method described herein. The maximum height of the holed
platform 6 is of 60 mm. The circular sample 8 has a diameter of 60
mm.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Definitions
[0015] By "substrate" it is meant herein any material commonly
known in the art of wipes, formed as a single structure during the
manufacturing, or present in the form of two or more material
laminates. Substrates herein include, but are not limited to, a
woven fabric, a knit fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a paper material, a
laminate of a fabric and a polymeric film and combinations
thereof.
[0016] By "pre-moistened wipe" it is meant herein a substrate and a
lotion as described herein applied to said substrate.
[0017] By "effective stiffness", it is meant herein the stiffness
required for the laminate piece 4 to be dispensed from a regular
labeling machine.
[0018] By "abrasive" it is referred to the ability to abrade or
remove a relatively small, undesirable item otherwise affixed to a
surface as the wipe is moved back and forth over the item.
[0019] By "abrasive means" it is meant herein a discrete
three-dimensional structure made of an abrasive material.
[0020] In a first embodiment, the present invention is directed to
a container 1 suitable for containing and dispensing wipes, the
container 1 comprising external and internal surfaces and the wipes
being made from a substrate, wherein the container 1 comprises a
portion sample of the substrate, and wherein the portion sample is
attached onto at least one external surface of the container 1.
[0021] In a preferred execution of the present invention, the
portion sample is attached onto at least one external surface of
the container 1 by means of an adhesive.
Container
[0022] Suitable containers are well known in the art of wipe
packaging. Containers 1 for use in the present invention may be
relatively rigid, such as that described e.g. in EP-A-1 258 436.
Typically, rigid or semi-rigid containers 1 are made from
thermoplastic or cardboard materials. As a way of example, such
rigid containers may be e.g. cylindrical tubs. Alternatively,
suitable containers 1 for use herein may be flexible. The
containers 1 according to the present invention are preferably
flexible. Thus, the disclosure herein is directed primarily towards
flexible embodiments of the present invention, but is not so
limited. Typically, the flexible container 1 includes a flexible
package body formed from a single piece of flexible film, such as
polymer film. Suitable flexible containers 1 for use in the present
invention are described for example in GB-A-2310187.
[0023] According to the present invention, the flexible container 1
is preferably made from a multilayered polymeric material.
Preferably, the flexible container 1 is made from a dual-layered
film comprising a polyethylene terephthalate layer and polyethylene
layer. In another aspect of the present invention, the flexible
container 1 may further comprise a metallized polyethylene
terephthalate layer. The package body forms an internal space or
pocket for housing the wipes contents of the container 1. In a
preferred embodiment, the pocket has a top panel, a bottom panel
and opposing side panel. The wipes may be packaged in the container
1 in any convenient configuration which allows easy removal of a
single or multiple wipe from the container 1. Preferably the wipes
are packaged in rolls, stacks, piles or are interleafed. More
preferably the wipes are provided in a stacked configuration which
may comprise any number of wipes. Typically, the stack comprises
from 2 to 150, more preferably from 5 to 100, most preferably from
10 to 60 wipes. Moreover the wipes may be provided folded or
unfolded. Most preferably, the wipes are stacked in a folded
configuration.
[0024] The container 1 according to the invention is preferably
generally rectangular in shape. However, containers 1 according to
the present invention may be of any shape. Typically, such
containers 1 are provided with an internal and an external
surface.
[0025] Generally, the container 1 is further provided with a
dispensing opening 2 on its top panel through which individual
wipes are dispensed or withdrawn by the user. The dispensing
opening 2 is typically covered with an opening- and closing-cover
label 3 detachably attached to the package body through a pressure
sensitive adhesive.
[0026] In a preferred execution of the present invention, the
external surface container 1 may be additionally provided with a
pivotably mounted flap or lid having an inner and an outer side and
which is intended to pivotably cover the dispensing opening 2/cover
label 3 combination. In the latter case, the portion sample or the
laminate piece 4 for use in the present invention is preferably
attached onto the inner side of the pivotably mounted flap or
lid.
Substrate
[0027] Suitable substrates are those commonly known in the art of
wipes and include, but are not limited to, a woven fabric, a knit
fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a paper material, a laminate of a fabric
and a polymeric film and combinations thereof.
[0028] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the
substrate is a nonwoven fabric. Methods of making such substrate
are also well know in the art.
[0029] Indeed, suitable substrates for use in the present invention
are described for example in WO 03/031557 under the paragraph
entitled "Substrate" on pages 5 to 12.
[0030] Other suitable substrates are described e.g. in WO 98/52458
under the section entitled "Cleaning sheets" on pages 5 to 17.
[0031] The substrate used in the present invention has at least two
surfaces, generally a top surface and a bottom surface.
[0032] Typically, stiffness of the substrates according to the
present invention ranges from 0.05N to 2N, when measured according
to the Test Method described herein.
Wipe
[0033] As used herein, the term wipe refers to e.g. cleaning wipe,
baby wipe, facial wipe, cosmetic and/or hygiene wipe, etc. The
intended use, however, does not limit the final product. By way of
a non-limiting example, a preferred wipe for dispensing from the
container 1 of the present invention is a surface cleaning wipe,
preferably a hard surface cleaning wipe.
[0034] In a preferred execution of the present invention, the wipes
are pre-moistened wipes, sometimes referred to as wet wipes, or
towelettes.
[0035] In that specific preferred embodiment of the present
invention, pre-moistened wipes are impregnated with an appropriate
cleansing or cleaning lotion. In a highly preferred embodiment, the
pre-moistened wipes for use in the present invention, are
impregnated with a hard-surface cleaning lotion.
[0036] Suitable lotions for use in the context of the present
invention as well as optional ingredients which may be incorporated
in said lotion are described for example in WO 03/031557 under the
paragraph entitled "Aqueous Composition" from page 12 to page
36.
[0037] Preferably, lotions for use in the present invention are
formulated as a liquid composition. A preferred lotion herein is an
aqueous composition and therefore, preferably comprises water, more
preferably in an amount of from 60% to 99%, even more preferably of
from 70% to 98% and most preferably from 80% to 97% by weight of
the total lotion composition.
[0038] In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the wipe
is a pre-moistened wipe comprising a substrate having a plurality
of abrasive means applied thereon, i.e. a plurality of discrete
three-dimensional structure made of an abrasive material applied
thereon. Suitable abrasive wipes are described e.g. in co-pending
EP Patent Application N.sup.o 05075308.
Portion Sample
[0039] In the context of the present invention, it has been
surprisingly found that by providing a container 1 which comprises
a portion sample of the substrate which the wipes contained within
the container 1 are made of, and wherein the portion sample is
attached onto at least one external surface of the container 1, the
user or purchaser is not only allowed to inspect the appearance of
the wipes but he may also touch and feel the texture of the wipes
contained within the container 1.
[0040] The user may therefore fully appreciate and inspect the
quality of the wipes which are enclosed within the container 1 that
he is intending to purchase, without the need to open or affect the
integrity of the container 1.
[0041] The portion sample for use in the present invention is made
of the same material (i.e. substrate) as the wipes contained within
the container 1.
[0042] In a preferred execution, the portion sample would have
exactly the same appearance and texture as the wipes which are
contained within the container 1 and onto which said portion sample
is attached. This implies that in a preferred execution, the
portion sample for use in the present invention has the same
colour, texture and is provided with same three-dimensional
structures (if applicable) or aesthetic features as the wipes
contained within said container 1. In this preferred execution, the
container 1 according to the present invention provides the
purchaser with the highest informative value.
[0043] In the context of the present invention, the portion sample
may be of any shape including, but not limited to round, oval,
square, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, crescent, star, stripe, grid
line, undulating line, circular dot, heart, hexagon, diamond, and
combinations thereof. Preferably, the sample portion is of round
shape.
[0044] In a preferred execution, the portion sample is attached by
means of an adhesive and preferably onto at least the top panel of
the container 1 according to the invention.
[0045] Suitable adhesive for use in the present invention are well
known in the field of adhesive labels and product labeling.
Preferably, the adhesive is adequately chosen not to penetrate into
the substrate used to produce the wipes of the present invention.
Suitable adhesives are know in the field and referred to as "cold
adhesive". Advantageously, suitable adhesives will not
detrimentally affect the texture and/or the colour of the portion
sample when applied onto it.
[0046] In the preferred execution where the container 1 of the
present invention comprises pre-moistened wipes, the portion sample
attached onto the container 1 is preferably not loaded with a
lotion, but may be.
[0047] The portion sample for use in the present invention is
preferably attached onto at least one external surface of the
container 1 by means of a permanent adhesive. Suitable permanent
adhesives are those know in the field. Preferred adhesives are for
example acrylic-based permanent adhesives.
Laminate Piece
[0048] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
portion sample is laminated with a supporting material thereby
forming a laminate piece 4.
[0049] Suitable lamination processes for use herein are well known
in the art of labeling. Typically, the portion sample is laminated
with the supporting layer by means of an adhesive. Suitable
adhesives for use in the lamination process are identical to those
described above for attaching the portion sample onto at least one
external surface of the container 1.
[0050] In the context of the lamination process, suitable adhesive
may be applied as a coating layer either on the integrality of the
portion sample surface or at selected areas of it. Preferably,
suitable adhesive is applied onto the entirety of the portion
sample surface. In an alternative execution of the present
invention, suitable adhesive is applied at selected locations,
preferably on the central zone, of the portion sample surface. This
particular embodiment allows the purchaser to inspect and feel both
sides of the wipes he is intending to purchase.
[0051] Suitable supporting materials are those well know by the
person skilled in the art of labeling. As a minimal requirement,
suitable supporting material shall be fully compatible with the
above-mentioned adhesive. Preferably, the supporting material is a
flexible material, such paper or plastic films. More preferably,
the supporting material is a polymeric film. In a highly preferred
execution of the present invention, the supporting material is a
polypropylene film. Suitable supporting materials will not
detrimentally affect the texture and/or the colour of the portion
sample when applied onto it. In contrast and in a preferred aspect,
the supporting material for use in the present invention will help
enhancing the touching and feeling of the portion sample and may be
used to provide additional aesthetic benefits to the portion sample
attached onto the container 1 of the present invention.
[0052] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the laminate piece 4 herein is provided with an
effective stiffness. By "effective stiffness", it is meant herein
that the laminate piece 4 is provided with a stiffness which is
suitable for said laminate piece 4 to be dispensed from a regular
labeling machine. Suitable regular labeling machines are described
e.g. in EP-B1-0 677 013.
[0053] Stiffness of the laminate piece 4 is measured, at 23.degree.
C. under 50% relative humidity, according to a modified Standard
Test Method D 4032, as described in the Test Method Section
hereinafter. Stiffness measurement may be performed using the
Instron 6021 Dynamometer manufactured by Instron.
[0054] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
stiffness of the laminate piece 4 is of at least 3N, when measured
according to the Test Method described herein. Preferably, the
stiffness of the laminate piece 4 ranges from 3N to 20N, preferably
from 4N to 15N, more preferably from 5N to 10N, even more
preferably from 5N to 7N, most preferably from 5.5N to 6.5N.
[0055] The Applicant has surprisingly found that when selecting
stiffness of the laminate piece 4 to be of at least 3N, preferably
from 3N to 20N, more preferably from 4N to 15N, still more
preferably from 5N to 10N, even more preferably from 5N to 7N, and
most preferably from 5.5N to 6.5N, the corresponding laminate piece
4 is provided with suitable stiffness for it to be easily dispensed
from a regular dispensing machine in the context of a regular
product labeling process. Suitable dispensing/labeling apparatus
and processes are described e.g. in EP-B 1-0 677 013.
[0056] Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that
laminate pieces not fulfilling the above stiffness requirements
will lead to obtain laminate pieces not easily processable or
releasable from commonly used label-applying machines. As a
consequence, such non-suitable laminate pieces may only be
dispensed manually onto the corresponding containers forbidding
therefore any large scale industrial production.
[0057] It has been further discovered that the laminate pieces 4
suitable for use in the context of the present invention will
provide the user with a pleasant and realistic touching/feeling
experience. Moreover, suitable laminate pieces 4 will not
detrimentally affect conformability properties exhibited by
flexible containers 1 according to the present invention.
[0058] The laminate piece 4 for use in the present invention is
preferably attached onto at least one external surface of the
container 1 by means of a permanent adhesive. Suitable permanent
adhesives are those well known in the field. Preferred adhesives
are for example acrylic-based permanent adhesives.
[0059] Preferably, the laminate piece 4 is attached onto at least
the top panel of the container 1 according to the invention.
Containers 1 may additionally comprise laminate pieces 4 on the
bottom panel and/or on the opposing side panels. In the particular
execution where the container 1 comprises an opening- and
closing-cover label, the laminate piece 4 is preferably attached
onto the cover-label.
Process for the Manufacture of an Improved Container
[0060] In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided a
process of manufacturing an improved container 1 suitable for
dispensing wipe, wherein the process comprises the steps of (a)
providing a container suitable for containing and dispensing wipes,
wherein the container comprises external and internal surfaces and
said wipes are made from a substrate; (b) laminating a portion
sample of the substrate with a supporting material thereby forming
a laminate piece 4 wherein the laminate piece 4 has an effective
stiffness; and (c) attaching by means of an adhesive the laminate
piece 4 obtained in step (b) onto at least one external surface of
the container.
[0061] Step (c) of the above process may be performed manually or
in an automated manner according to techniques well known in the
art. Those will therefore not be described in further details
herein. Preferably, the step of attaching by means of an adhesive
the laminate piece 4 onto at least one external surface of the
container 1, is performed using a regular label-applying station as
described in EP-B 1-0 677 013. Typically, the surface of the
laminate piece 4 comprising the supporting material is coated with
a permanent adhesive layer which is preferably non-sticky until
appropriate activation. Suitable permanent adhesives for attaching
the laminate piece 4 onto the container 1 are for example
acrylic-based permanent adhesives.
Process of Presenting Wipes
[0062] The present invention is further directed to a process of
presenting wipes contained within a container 1, wherein the
process comprises the steps of (a) providing a container suitable
for containing and dispensing wipes, wherein the container
comprises external and internal surfaces and said wipes are made
from a substrate; and (b) attaching a portion sample of the
substrate onto at least one external surface of the container.
[0063] In a preferred execution of the present invention, the
portion sample is attached onto at least one external surface of
the container 1 by means of an adhesive.
[0064] Containers 1 according to the present invention provide the
user or purchaser with an improved informative value with respect
to the wipes which are contained within the container 1. A further
advantage of the containers 1 according to the present invention is
that they increase the advertising value of containers for wipes
commonly known in the art and provide the consumer with a unique
buying experience.
Test Method
Stiffness Measurement
[0065] The test Method for determining stiffness of a substrate is
based on Standard Test Method ASTM D 4032, using as the device as
described in FIG. 2. The method covers the determination of the
stiffness by the circular bend procedure. As the general principle,
the bending force or stiffness of a sample is calculated after
folding the sample inside a hole by a plunger.
1. Scope
[0066] The average load expressed in Newton (N) to fold a circular
flat shaped sample placed onto a hole by a plunger at 90.degree.
penetration angle. In order to determine the folding force the
inlet hole must have rounded edges to minimize any friction. This
test is designed for samples not exceeding 1 mm thickness.
2. Apparatus/Device
[0067] Climatic Room Temperature 23.degree. C. [0068] Relative
Humidity 50% [0069] Electronic Tensile Tester Instron 6021
Dynanometer [0070] Plunger 5 & holed platform 6 (see FIG. 2)
[0071] Scissors Convenient type [0072] Scale Convenient type 3.
Procedure
[0073] Test sample should be conditioned in a climatic room for not
less than 6 hours before testing.
[0074] The plunger 5 and the holed platform 6 are respectively
fixed to the upper cross head and the lower clamp of the tensile
tester.
3.1. Sample Preparation
[0075] A circular sample 8 of 60 mm diameter is cut out and put it
over the holed Platform.
[0076] The plunger end is set 10 mm above the sample surface.
3.2. Test Procedure
[0077] The test procedure is as indicated in ASTM D 4032.
[0078] Parameters are set as follows: [0079] Gauge length 10 mm
[0080] Crosshead speed 500 mm/min [0081] Measurement length 20 mm
4. Calculations
[0082] At least 3 replicates for each sample are measured.
[0083] The peak load (N) of each sample is reported.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[0084] An abrasive wipe was made using a commercially available
carded hydro-entangled nonwoven substrate of 58 g/m.sup.2 basis
weight containing 60% synthetic fibers and 40% absorbent fibers.
The applied polymeric material is polypropylene supplied by Basell
under the trade name Moplen HF 1005. The polymeric material was
applied by a gravure printing process as described in EP-A1-1 262
531.
[0085] The abrasive wipe is then laminated with a bi-axially
oriented, gloss polypropylene film in a conventional manner using
an acrylic-based intermediate adhesive coating. The obtained
laminate is then coated on its polymeric film surface with an
acrylic-based permanent adhesive material. The overall stiffness of
this laminate piece (4) has been determined to be of 6.1 N, as
measured according to the Test Method described herein.
[0086] The laminate piece (4) coated with the acrylic-based
adhesive is then attached to a regular wipe-containing flexible
packaging according to the method described in EP-B1-0 677 013.
Example 2
[0087] The following examples serve to exemplify pre-moistened
contained within the container 1 according to the present
invention. The lotions are made by combining the listed ingredients
in the listed proportions to form homogeneous mixtures (solution
weight % unless otherwise specified). The following examples are
meant to exemplify lotions used in pre-moistened wipes for use in
the present invention but are not necessarily used to limit or
otherwise define the scope of the present invention.
[0088] Several substrates are described to illustrate the
invention. All substrates have homogeneously distributed fibers,
have dimensions 26 cm*17 cm, are initially dry, and are impregnated
with lotion at loading factor between 2.0.times. and 4.40.times.
factor, based on basis weight of the substrate before abrasion
application. Following substrates are mentioned for example
purposes:
[0089] Substrate 1 is a hydroentangled 67 g/m.sup.-2 substrate,
consisting of 20% polypropylene and 80% PET, that is substantially
free of binders and latexes;
[0090] Substrate 2 is a hydroentangled 58 g/m.sup.-2 substrate,
consisting of 90% polypropylene and 10% viscose fibers, that is
substantially free of binders and latexes;
[0091] Substrate 3 is a hydroentangled 58 g/m.sup.-2 substrate,
consisting of 60% polypropylene and 40% viscose fibers, that is
substantially free of binders and latexes;
[0092] Substrate 4 is a hydroentangled 58 g/m.sup.-2 substrate,
consisting of 50% polypropylene and 50% viscose fibers, that is
substantially free of binders and latexes;
[0093] Substrate 5 is a hydroentangled 58 g/m.sup.-2 substrate,
consisting of 10% polypropylene and 90% viscose fibers, that is
substantially free of binders and latexes;
[0094] Substrate 6 is a carded thermobonded 45 g/m.sup.-2
substrate, consisting of 80% polypropylene and 20% viscose fibers,
that is substantially free of binders and latexes;
[0095] The lotions loaded onto the substrate are made starting from
a base product lacking perfume, part of total water and antifoaming
agent. The base product includes: 0.05% C12-14 EO21, 8% ethanol,
propylene glycol n-butyl ether up to 5%, 0.22% C12-14 sulfobetaine,
and acidifying agent up to 2%, and the remainder, excluding the
hole left for perfume, dilution water and anti-foaming, up to 100%,
water.
[0096] Perfume, anti-foaming agent and remaining dilution water are
then incorporated into the respective base products resulting in
aqueous compositions ready for loading onto the substrate.
Compositions A to F are all lotions suitable for use in the
pre-moistened abrasive wipes according to the present invention.
TABLE-US-00001 Ingredients: (% by weight) A B C D E F n-BP
Propylene 2 2 0 5 5 0 glycol butyl ether* Denatured 8 8 8 8 8 8
Ethanol C12-14 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 EO21** C12-14 0.22
0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 Sulfo- betaine*** Antifoaming 0.003 0.003
0.003 0.003 0.003 0.003 agent Citric acid 0.25 1 2 0 2 0 Perfume Up
to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
0.20% Water to 100% to 100% to 100% to 100% to 100% to 100% *n-BP
Propylene glycol butyl ether supplied by Dow Chemical under the
tradename Dowanol PnB. **C12-14 EO21 is a C12-14 ethoxylated EO21
alcohol made by Huntsman under the tradename Empilan. ***C12-14
Sulfobetaine supplied by Degussa-Goldschmidt under the trade name
Rewoteric AM CAS 15U.
[0097] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention 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. To the
extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written
document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a
document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition
assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
[0098] 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.
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