U.S. patent application number 12/001966 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-18 for rolls of material providing one-handed dispensing of sheets of pre-determined length.
Invention is credited to James Leo Baggot, Jose Lee McIntyre, Tsutama Satake Neto.
Application Number | 20090155512 12/001966 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40753639 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090155512 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Neto; Tsutama Satake ; et
al. |
June 18, 2009 |
Rolls of material providing one-handed dispensing of sheets of
pre-determined length
Abstract
A roll of a sheet material is provided with elongated sheets
within the roll that are either completely detached from each
other, or substantially completely detached from each other, such
that the user can dispense the elongated sheets with one hand. In
the case of toilet paper, the elongated sheets have a
pre-determined length deemed to be suitable for most users and
serve to assist young children in dispensing a proper amount of
tissue from the roll.
Inventors: |
Neto; Tsutama Satake; (Mogi
das Cruzes-SP, BR) ; McIntyre; Jose Lee; (Santana,
CR) ; Baggot; James Leo; (Menasha, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.;Catherine E. Wolf
401 NORTH LAKE STREET
NEENAH
WI
54956
US
|
Family ID: |
40753639 |
Appl. No.: |
12/001966 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/43 ; 225/4;
242/522 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/24942 20150115;
A47K 10/24 20130101; A47K 10/32 20130101; Y10T 225/16 20150401;
Y10T 428/15 20150115; B26F 1/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/43 ; 242/522;
225/4 |
International
Class: |
B65D 65/28 20060101
B65D065/28; B31C 3/00 20060101 B31C003/00 |
Claims
1. A roll of a sheet material comprising a plurality of elongated
sheets having a pre-determined length between opposite ends, said
elongated sheets being positioned end-to-end within the roll and
separated from each other by a line of detachment having a minimal
attachment length of from about 1 to about 20 percent of the roll
width, said elongated sheets containing one or more transverse
lines of perforation between the ends.
2. A roll of sheet material comprising a plurality of elongated
sheets having a pre-determined length, said elongated sheets being
positioned end-to-end within the roll and completely detached from
each other.
3. The roll of claim 2 wherein the elongated sheets contain one or
more transverse lines of perforation.
4. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the elongated sheets contain
two transverse lines of perforation.
5. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the elongated sheets contain
three transverse lines of perforation.
6. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the pre-determined length is
from about 40 to about 100 centimeters.
7. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the pre-determined length is
from about 40 to about 80 centimeters.
8. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the pre-determined length is
greater than the circumference of the roll.
9. The roll of claim 1 or 2 wherein the sheet material is
tissue.
10. A method of making rolls of a sheet material, such as a roll of
tissue paper product, comprising: (a) providing a basesheet having
a machine direction and a cross-machine direction; (b) providing
the basesheet with multiple spaced-apart lines of partial severance
running in the cross-machine direction, said lines of partial
severance comprising alternating segments of severance and segments
of perforation, each of said segments of severance corresponding to
the width of a roll of sheet material product, wherein consecutive
segments of severance in the machine direction are spaced-apart a
pre-determined distance in the machine direction of the basesheet,
said consecutive machine direction segments of severance being
separated by at least one segment of perforation; (c) winding the
basesheet into a log having a machine direction length of basesheet
which corresponds to the length of a roll of the sheet material
product; (d) severing the basesheet in the cross-machine direction
and adhering the resulting free end of the basesheet to the log;
and (e) slitting the log into individual rolls of the sheet
material.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the consecutive machine
direction segments of severance are separated by one line of
partial severance and one or more lines of perforation.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the consecutive machine
direction segments of severance are separated by one line of
partial severance and two lines of perforation.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the lines of partial severance
contain alternating segments of severance and segments of
perforation of equal length.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein the lines of partial severance
contain alternating segments of severance and segments of
perforation of unequal length.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the consecutive machine
direction segments of severance are separated by three lines of
partial severance.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein consecutive machine direction
segments of severance are spaced-apart a pre-determined distance of
from about 40 to about 80 centimeters in the machine direction of
the basesheet.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein the segments of severance are
longer than the width of the roll of sheet material product.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein the sheet material is
tissue.
19. The method of claim 10 wherein the multiple spaced-apart lines
of partial severance and any lines of perforation are imparted to
the basesheet by two pairs of a perforator roll and an anvil roll.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Rolls of tissue paper, particularly toilet paper, are
provided with spaced-apart lines of perforations which divide the
wound length of paper into what are called "sheets". When a
consumer uses a roll of toilet paper, he/she pulls out the desired
number of "sheets" and tears the paper along the chosen line of
perforation. While such rolls offer a great deal of flexibility in
terms of the length of tissue being dispensed, they can be
inconvenient in that it takes two hands to dispense the tissue--one
to hold the roll to keep it from unwinding while the other hand is
used to grasp the exposed end of the tissue to pull and tear the
tissue along the chosen line of perforation. Also, the perforations
do not always function as desired and the tissue frequently tears
irregularly. In addition, young children do not always know how
much toilet paper to use and frequently dispense much more than is
needed, which can be a concern for parents.
[0002] Therefore there is a need for a roll of tissue paper which
dispenses pre-determined lengths of paper easily and reliably.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It has now been discovered that rolls of sheet materials,
such as rolls of paper or nonwovens, particularly tissue paper, can
be provided with spaced-apart lines of severance that are spaced
apart along the length of the wound material at a pre-determined
length corresponding to a commonly accepted amount, such that the
consumer or other user can reliably remove the pre-determined
length of material by unwinding the roll with one hand. For toilet
paper in particular, this capability is not only convenient for
adults, but also enables children to consistently remove an
acceptable amount of toilet paper, and no more, each time they pull
out tissue from the roll.
[0004] Hence in one aspect, the invention resides in a roll of a
sheet material comprising a plurality of elongated sheets having a
pre-determined length between opposite ends, said elongated sheets
being positioned end-to-end within the roll and separated from each
other by a line of detachment having a minimal attachment length of
from about 1 to about 20 percent of the roll width, said elongated
sheets containing one or more transverse lines of perforation
between the ends.
[0005] In another aspect, the invention resides in a roll of sheet
material comprising a plurality of elongated sheets having a
pre-determined length, said elongated sheets being positioned
end-to-end within the roll and completely detached from each
other.
[0006] In another aspect, the invention resides in a method of
making rolls of a sheet material, such as a roll of tissue paper
product, comprising: (a) providing a basesheet having a machine
direction and a cross-machine direction; (b) providing the
basesheet with multiple spaced-apart lines of partial severance
running in the cross-machine direction, said lines of partial
severance comprising alternating segments of severance and segments
of perforation, each of said segments of severance corresponding to
the width of a roll of sheet material product, wherein consecutive
segments of severance in the machine direction are spaced-apart a
pre-determined distance in the machine direction of the basesheet,
said consecutive machine direction segments of severance being
separated by at least one segment of perforation; (c) winding the
basesheet into a log having a machine direction length of basesheet
which corresponds to the length of a roll of the sheet material
product; (d) severing the basesheet in the cross-machine direction
and adhering the resulting free end of the basesheet to the log;
and (e) slitting the log into individual rolls of the sheet
material.
[0007] As used herein, a "sheet material" can be any sheet material
that can suitably be wound into a roll intended to dispense the
sheet material in finite lengths. Suitable sheet materials include
nonwoven materials, such as meltblown or coform sheets suitable for
use as wipes, towels, sterile wrap and the like, and paper
materials, such as tissue paper suitable for use as facial tissue,
paper towels, toilet paper and the like. Such tissue papers can be
characterized by having a relatively low density as evidenced by
having a sheet bulk of about 3 cubic centimeters or greater per
gram, more specifically about 10 cubic centimeters or greater per
gram, and still more specifically from about 10 to about 30 cubic
centimeters per gram. Sheet bulk can be determined by the quotient
of the "sheet caliper" (defined below), expressed in microns,
divided by the dry basis weight, expressed in grams per square
meter. The resulting sheet bulk is expressed in cubic centimeters
per gram. More specifically, the sheet caliper is the
representative thickness of a single tissue sheet measured in
accordance with TAPPI test methods T402 "Standard Conditioning and
Testing Atmosphere For Paper, Board, Pulp Handsheets and Related
Products" and T411 om-89 "Thickness (caliper) of Paper, Paperboard,
and Combined Board" with Note 3 for stacked sheets. The micrometer
used for carrying out T411 om-89 is an Emveco 200-A Tissue Caliper
Tester available from Emveco, Inc., Newberg, Oreg. The micrometer
has a load of 2 kilo-Pascals, a pressure foot area of 2500 square
millimeters, a pressure foot diameter of 56.42 millimeters, a dwell
time of 3 seconds and a lowering rate of 0.8 millimeters per
second.
[0008] A "basesheet" is a sheet of material produced and wound into
a parent roll during the sheet material manufacturing process. The
basesheet is unwound and thereafter converted into final products,
such as by perforating, rewinding and slitting. In the context of
tissue manufacturing, basesheets are about as wide as the tissue
machine, which is typically about 10 feet or more.
[0009] A "sheet" is an amount of tissue in a rolled tissue product,
bounded by lines of perforation as is commonly understood in the
tissue industry. Such sheets are typically approximately square,
measuring about 4-5 inches (about 10-13 centimeters) on each side
for toilet paper and about 10-11 inches (about 25-28 centimeters)
on each side for paper towels.
[0010] An "elongated sheet" is an amount of sheet material in
accordance with this invention having a "pre-determined length"
(described below). Advantageously, the pre-determined length can be
longer than the circumference of the roll of sheet material. More
specifically, the pre-determined length can be longer than the
initial circumference of the roll of product prior to first use.
For toilet paper, the elongated sheet can have a pre-determined
length of about 16 inches (about 40 centimeters) or greater, which
corresponds to approximately 4 or more conventional "sheets" of
toilet paper.
[0011] A "pre-determined length" is a length of material that is
established during the manufacturing or converting process by the
machine direction spacing between consecutive "segments of
severance" as described below and illustrated in FIGS. 4-6.
[0012] A "line of detachment" is a term that applies to the final
roll product form and is a transverse line that provides only a
minimal amount of attachment, or no attachment at all, between
consecutive (adjacent) elongated sheets within a roll of product
such that elongated sheets can be dispensed using one hand. Lines
of detachment in the final product correspond to "segments of
severance" in a basesheet that are created during converting
operations (described below). As previously mentioned, a feature of
this invention is the fact that the consumer can remove one
individual elongated sheet at a time merely by removing the next
available elongated sheet from the roll with one hand. While
adjacent elongated sheets can be completely severed and detached
from each other, it is within the scope of this invention that the
adjacent sheets can be minimally attached to each other along their
common ends (lines of detachment) if desired for manufacturing or
other purposes, such as to maintain suitable machine direction
tensile strength during transport and winding of the basesheet.
However, any such minimal attachment does not prevent the consumer
from separately removing adjacent elongated sheets from the roll by
the act of merely unwinding the roll with one hand. Quantitatively,
such minimal attachment can be provided by a "minimal attachment
length", which is the portion of the line of detachment where the
adjacent elongated sheets are not completely severed from each
other. Depending upon the tensile strength of the material and how
abruptly the user normally removes the elongated sheet during
dispensing, the minimal attachment length can be from about 1 to
about 20 percent of the total width of the elongated sheet or
product roll (elongated sheet width and product roll width are the
same), more specifically from about 1 to about 15 percent, more
specifically from about 1 to about 10 percent, and still more
specifically from about 1 about 5 percent. For toilet paper, which
has a roll width of about 10 centimeters, the minimal attachment
length can be from about 1 millimeter to about 2 centimeters. The
minimal attachment can be achieved by positioning one or more
attachment points anywhere along the end of an elongated sheet,
provided the sum total of the lengths of each attachment point does
not exceed the minimal attachment length. It can be advantageous to
provide a single minimal attachment point about midway between the
edges of the product roll, or one minimal attachment point at each
opposite edge of the roll, or one minimal attachment point on
alternating opposite edges of the roll.
[0013] A "line of partial severance" is a term that applies to the
basesheet (as opposed to an elongated sheet within a roll of
product) and is a cross-machine direction line in the basesheet
having alternating "segments of severance" and "segments of
perforation". The segments of severance and segments of perforation
may be equal or unequal in length. These terms will be more fully
described in connection with the description of FIGS. 4-6, but in
general, each "segment of severance" creates a line of detachment
that will ultimately be separating consecutive elongated sheets in
a roll of product. The length of the segments of severance, taken
as a whole, can be equal or about equal to the width of the final
roll of product. If it is desired to have a product in which
consecutive elongated sheets are completely detached from each
other, the length of the segments of severance can be made to be
slightly longer than the width of the final roll of product which,
due to manufacturing tolerances associated with the log slitting
operation, ensures that the resulting elongated sheets within the
roll of sheet material product are completely detached from each
other. However, it can be advantageous that consecutive elongated
sheets within a product roll be minimally attached, rather than
completely severed, in order to ensure that the next available
elongated sheet remains on the product roll until the user wants to
remove it. In such cases, the segments of severance will contain a
minimal attachment length as described below.
[0014] The "segments of perforation" are the portions of a line of
partial severance in between the segments of severance spaced apart
in the cross-machine direction of the basesheet. Because these
segments of perforation still have a significant amount of
attachment, they serve to maintain the integrity of the basesheet
during converting operations by providing sufficient tensile
strength to keep the basesheet from tearing or distorting. At the
same time, they provide optional points within an elongated sheet
for the user to tear the elongated sheet. In addition, one or more
complete lines of perforation can be provided in the basesheet
between and parallel to the lines of partial severance to
ultimately provide additional optional points within an elongated
sheet for the user to tear the elongated sheet. The structure of
the segments of perforation and lines of perforation are well known
in the art. They contain very short alternating lengths of
attachment and detachment. Typically the lengths of attachment and
detachment are about equal in length, which can typically be about
1-2 millimeters.
[0015] As used herein, "positioned end-to-end" means that adjacent
or consecutive elongated sheets within a roll of product abut each
other along their common edges and do not overlap each other.
[0016] The pre-determined length of the individual elongated sheets
can be any length desired for the particular product application.
More specifically, the pre-determined length can suitably be about
40 centimeters or greater, more specifically from about 40 to about
100 centimeters, more specifically from about 40 to about 90
centimeters, more specifically from about 40 to about 80
centimeters, and still more specifically from about 45 to about 80
centimeters. The minimum and maximum lengths are determined by the
nature of the sheet material product and the needs and preferences
of the user. However, if the individual elongated sheets are
completely detached from each other, it is desirable that the
length of the individual elongated sheets be at least as long as
the circumference of the product roll in order to prevent the
possibility of the outermost elongated sheet unintentionally
falling off of the roll. However, if shorter sheets are desired, or
if larger rolls having a circumference greater than about 40
centimeters are desired, minimal attachment can be provided between
adjacent sheets as discussed above in order to prevent such
occurrences. For toilet paper, a pre-determined length
corresponding to about 4-8 conventional sheets of toilet paper has
been found to be advantageous.
[0017] The individual elongated sheets can be uninterrupted by
transverse cross-machine directional lines of perforation or,
optionally, can be provided with one or more transverse or
cross-machine directional lines of perforation, as are provided in
conventional rolls of tissue products. This option can provide some
flexibility to the user if the desired amount of sheet material is
different than the amount provided by the pre-determined elongated
sheet lengths. The number of optional transverse lines of
perforation can be from 1 to 8 or more depending upon the product.
For example, a pre-determined elongated tissue sheet length of
about 40 centimeters corresponds to about 4 standard perforated
sheets of toilet paper. Such elongated sheets can be provided with
one, two or three spaced-apart transverse lines of perforation to
provide the further ability to detach one, two, three or four
smaller-sized sheets if desired. If a longer elongated sheet is
desired, such as one corresponding to 8 conventional sheets of
toilet paper, such elongated sheets can be provided with up to
seven optional lines of perforation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0018] The following figures will be described particularly in
connection with producing rolls of bath tissue, but the teachings
are applicable to any sheet material product as described
above.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a roll of tissue
product in accordance with this invention, illustrating the removal
of an individual elongated sheet of a pre-determined length.
[0020] FIGS. 2A-2D are schematic illustrations of a representative
length of toilet paper from a roll of toilet paper in accordance
with this invention, illustrating the presence of no optional lines
of perforation, one optional line of perforation, two optional
lines of perforation and three optional lines of perforation.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the converting process
in which a tissue basesheet from a parent roll is provided with
lines of partial severance and, optionally, lines of perforation,
wound into logs, and thereafter sliced into individual rolls of
tissue product, such as toilet paper or paper towels.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a basesheet during
converting operations, illustrating one possible arrangement of the
spaced-apart lines of partial severance and optional lines of
perforation.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a basesheet during
converting operations, similar to FIG. 4, illustrating another
possible arrangement of the spaced-apart lines of partial
severance.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a basesheet during
converting operations, similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, illustrating
another possible arrangement of the spaced-apart lines of partial
severance.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, the invention will be described in
greater detail. For purposes herein, like reference numbers in the
various figures refer to like features. Shown in FIG. 1 is a roll
of toilet paper product in accordance with this invention being
unwound in the direction of the arrow 2. A detached elongated sheet
5 has a pre-determined length "L" as measured between two ends 12
and 14, which correspond to lines of detachment (and segments of
severance in the basesheet). In the embodiment shown, the elongated
sheet is subdivided into four "sheets" 6, 7, 8 and 9 by lines of
perforation 10, 10' and 10''. The elongated sheet 5 can be used "as
is", or it can be subdivided by the consumer if desired. Based on
consumer research, for toilet paper Applicants' consider an
elongated sheet having a length "L" that is the equivalent of four
conventional "sheets" to be optimal. However, as previously
discussed, the length "L" can be any length deemed suitable for the
product and users in the relevant market. As previously mentioned,
"L" can be about 40 centimeters or greater, more particularly from
about 40 to about 100 centimeters, depending on the user
preferences and the particular product form (such as toilet paper
or paper towels). When on the roll, the end 12 of elongated sheet 5
abuts the end 13 of the adjacent elongated sheet 15.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates various optional configurations of an
elongated sheet 5 just prior to being dispensed from a roll of
tissue product. FIG. 2A illustrates an elongated sheet having no
lines of perforation between the ends 12 and 14. FIG. 2B
illustrates the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, which has three
optional lines of perforation 10,10' and 10''. FIG. 2C illustrates
an embodiment having two lines of perforation 10 and 10'. FIG. 2D
illustrates an embodiment having one line of perforation 10 between
the ends 12 and 14 of the elongated sheet. Of course, if the length
of the elongated sheet is chosen to be longer than four
conventional "sheets", more than three optional lines of
perforation can be provided. Specifically, the number of additional
optional lines of perforation within an elongated sheet can be
four, five, six or seven, the latter case being an elongated sheet
having a length equivalent to eight conventional sheets. In all
cases, the spacing between the optional lines of perforation can be
equal or unequal.
[0027] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the converting process for
producing product rolls in accordance with this invention. Shown is
a tissue basesheet 20 being fed into a nip between a perforator
roll 21 and a stationary anvil roll 22. The spacing of the
perforating blades around the circumference of the perforator roll
21 will determine the machine direction spacing between the lines
of partial severance and any optional lines of perforation. The
perforator roll and stationary anvil roll shown can produce the
basesheet illustrated in FIG. 4. If additional lines of perforation
between the lines of severance are needed, the number of blades on
the perforator roll can correspondingly be increased.
Alternatively, an additional pair of a perforator roll and an anvil
roll can be used if more lines are desired that cannot conveniently
be provided by a single pair.
[0028] After the basesheet has been provided with the desired lines
of partial severance and optional lines of perforation, the
basesheet 23 is passed around detour roll 24 and wound onto a core
25, assisted by upper winding drum 26, lower winding drum 27 and
rider roll 28, to produce a log 29. Once the desired sheet count on
the log is reached, the log diameter being the same as the diameter
of the final product, the basesheet is severed and the resulting
loose end of the basesheet is tail-tacked (adhered) to the log in a
conventional manner. The completed log 30 is then cut or sliced
into multiple rolls of tissue product.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the process illustrated
in FIG. 3, particularly illustrating the lines of partial severance
imparted to the basesheet in accordance with this invention. As
shown, the basesheet 23 is provided, in the machine direction, with
four parallel cross-machine direction lines of partial severance
51, 52, 53 and 54. Also, the basesheet 23 has been provided with
optional conventional lines of perforation 56, 57 and 58,
designated by dashed lines. For purposes of illustration, the solid
lines, such as 61, show segments of severance which are equal to
the full width of the ultimate product roll. The cross-machine
directional lengths between the segments of severance, which in
this embodiment are lines of perforation, are referred to herein as
segments of perforation. The machine direction parallel phantom
lines, such as 65, 65' and 65'', which are spaced apart in the
cross-machine direction across the entire basesheet, represent
imaginary lines where the basesheet will ultimately be cut or
sliced into individual product rolls. The corresponding cuts or
slices are represented by 66, 66' and 66'' in the log 30.
[0030] As shown in this embodiment, the machine direction spacing
of the segments of severance is the equivalent of four conventional
"sheets". This means that the final product roll will have
elongated sheets having a length of about 40 centimeters. In this
embodiment, the consecutive machine direction segments of severance
are separated by one line of partial severance and two lines of
perforation. For example, consecutive machine direction segments of
severance 45 and 46 are separated by line of partial severance 53
and two lines of perforation 56 and 57. A feature of this invention
is that the segments of severance are spaced apart from each other
in the cross-machine direction of the basesheet, which enables the
basesheet to retain sufficient strength and dimensional stability
to pass through the converting process. The final product produced
by this embodiment is as shown in FIG. 1.
[0031] FIGS. 5 and 6 are similar to FIG. 4, but simply illustrating
different arrangements of the lines of partial severance and
different relative positioning of the segments of severance within
each line of partial severance. In particular, in FIG. 5, the lines
of partial severance are shown as 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77.
Each such line of partial severance consists of alternating
segments of severance and segments of perforation of varying
lengths. Similarly, in FIG. 6, the lines of partial severance are
designated by reference numbers 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87. In
each embodiment, the consecutive machine direction segments of
severance are separated by three segments of perforation. The
ultimate product produced by the alternative converting embodiments
of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is the same as the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that many different configurations
of the lines of partial severance can be utilized, including
optional lines of perforation, depending upon the lengths of the
elongated sheets and the desired number of optional lines of
perforation in the final product.
[0032] In the interests of brevity and conciseness, any ranges of
values set forth in this specification are to be construed as
written description support for claims reciting any sub-ranges
having endpoints which are whole number values within the specified
range in question. By way of a hypothetical illustrative example, a
disclosure in this specification of a range of from 1 to 5 shall be
considered to support claims to any of the following sub-ranges:
1-4; 1-3; 1-2; 2-5; 2-4; 2-3; 3-5; 3-4; and 4-5.
[0033] It will be appreciated that the foregoing description, given
for purposes of illustration, is not to be construed as limiting
the scope of this invention, which is defined by the following
claims and all equivalents thereto.
* * * * *