U.S. patent application number 13/751703 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for customized disposable hand towel and method.
The applicant listed for this patent is Belinda Jefferson. Invention is credited to Belinda Jefferson.
Application Number | 20140033557 13/751703 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50024066 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140033557 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jefferson; Belinda |
February 6, 2014 |
CUSTOMIZED DISPOSABLE HAND TOWEL AND METHOD
Abstract
A disposable hand towel that can be customized for multiple
sensory stimulation. That hand towel comprises a short fabric,
cloth-like element for individual hand drying, said cloth-like
element having at least two distinct color components, a first main
component for a substantial body of the cloth-like element and a
second accent component for covering only portions of the
cloth-like element, each element further including a plurality of
raised regions and recesses for providing each element with a
three-dimensional feel. A plurality of such cloth-like elements are
adjoined end to end on an elongated sheet and wound onto a central
having at least one of: a scent dispensing element and a motion
detector sound chip.
Inventors: |
Jefferson; Belinda;
(Duquesne, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Jefferson; Belinda |
Duquesne |
PA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50024066 |
Appl. No.: |
13/751703 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61632615 |
Jan 27, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
34/95 ;
242/598 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D21H 27/002 20130101;
A47K 10/38 20130101; D21H 27/02 20130101; A47K 2010/322 20130101;
A47K 10/16 20130101; A47K 2010/389 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
34/95 ;
242/598 |
International
Class: |
D21H 27/00 20060101
D21H027/00; A47K 10/38 20060101 A47K010/38 |
Claims
1. A disposable hand towel that can be customized for multiple
sensory stimulation, said hand towel comprising: a short fabric,
cloth-like element for individual hand drying, said cloth-like
element having at least two distinct color components, a first main
component for a substantial body of the cloth-like element and a
second accent component for covering only portions of the
cloth-like element, and a three-dimensional pattern, a plurality of
said cloth-like elements being adjoined end to end on an elongated
sheet; said elongated sheet being intended for winding onto a
central roll and continuously onto itself about said central roll;
said central roll having a scent dispensing element inserted into
one roll end for emitting a scent analogous to one of the two
distinct color components.
2. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein said
three-dimensional pattern includes a plurality of raised regions,
recesses or both.
3. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein said scent is
selected from one associated with a smell found in nature.
4. The disposable hand towel of claim 3 wherein said nature smell
is from a fruit or a flower.
5. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein said scent is
selected from one associated with a pleasant food smell.
6. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a school logo or emblem.
7. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a logo or emblem from a
professional sports team.
8. The disposable hand towel of claim 1 wherein said central roll
further includes a motion detector sound chip.
9. The disposable hand towel of claim 1, which includes graphics,
smells and/or sounds consistent with a holiday theme.
10. A disposable hand towel that can be customized for multiple
sensory stimulation, said hand towel comprising: a short fabric,
cloth-like element for individual hand drying, said cloth-like
element having at least two distinct color components, a first main
component for a substantial body of the cloth-like element and a
second accent component for covering only portions of the
cloth-like element, each element further including a plurality of
raised regions and recesses for providing each element with a
three-dimensional feel in a pre-set pattern; and a plurality of
said cloth-like elements being adjoined end to end on an elongated
sheet; said elongated sheet being wound onto a central roll and
then repeatedly onto itself about said central roll; said central
roll including at least one of: a scent-dispensing element for
emitting a scent analogous to at least one of the color components
and a sound-dispensing chip.
11. The disposable hand towel of claim 10 wherein said scent is
selected from one associated with a smell found in nature.
12. The disposable hand towel of claim 11 wherein said nature smell
is from a fruit or flower.
13. The disposable hand towel of claim 10 wherein said scent is one
pleasantly affiliated with a food product.
14. The disposable hand towel of claim 10 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a school logo or emblem.
15. The disposable hand towel of claim 10 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a logo or emblem from a
professional sports team.
16. The disposable hand towel of claim 10, which includes graphics,
smells and/or sounds consistent with a holiday theme.
17. A method for dispensing disposable hand towels having multiple
sensory stimulation, said method comprising: providing a plurality
of short fabric, cloth-like elements for individual hand drying,
each cloth-like element having at least two distinct color
components, a first main component for a substantial body of the
cloth-like element and a second accent component for covering only
portions of the cloth-like element, each element further including
a plurality of raised regions and recesses for providing each
element with a three-dimensional feel in a pre-set pattern, said
cloth-like elements being adjoined end to end on an elongated
continuous sheet; providing a central roll about which the
elongated sheet of cloth-like elements are wrapped, said roll
including at least one of: a scent dispensing element inserted into
one roll end for emitting a scent analogous to one of the two
distinct color components and a motion detector sound chip; and
providing a stand onto which the central roll can be positioned for
users to dispense one or more sheets of cloth-like elements by
manual rotation of the central roll about the stand.
18. The dispensing method of claim 17 wherein said scent is
selected from one associated with a smell found in nature.
19. The dispensing method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a school logo or emblem.
20. The dispensing method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of
adjacent cloth-like elements includes a logo or emblem from a
professional sports team.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a perfection of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/632,615, filed on Jan. 27, 2012 and entitled
"All colors paper roll towel throw away, (to match terrie cloth
wash cloth, hand towel, bath towel, bath mats. To look pretty in
bath room. And kitchen with dish towel", the disclosure of which is
incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a disposable hand towel
made from absorbent paper. More particularly, it relates to a mass
produced, disposable hand drying product that can be customized for
aesthetics and for other sensory stimulation, both smell and touch,
with optional audial stimulation. A method for dispensing such hand
towels is also disclosed.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Absorbent paper products, such as facial tissue and kitchen
paper towels, are commonly provided with a variety of aesthetic and
functional features. Facial tissues, for example, come in a variety
of colors, scents, styles (e.g., 2-ply, 3-ply, 5-ply with or
without lotion, etc.), quantities and packaging styles. They may
include floral or other graphic designs on the individual tissues
or packaging therefor. In general, however, such features are only
available in a limited number of combinations. For instance, a
facial tissue carton bearing a particular floral design might only
be available with scents, or tissues of a particular color, or in a
specific quantity. While a wide variety of aesthetic and functional
features exist, a consumer must still choose from a relatively
limited number of available feature combinations, and select a
particular absorbent paper product whose combination of features
most closely matches their preferences or needs.
[0004] As recognized by this inventor, what is needed is means by
which consumers can select the color, scent, touch (and possibly
sound) features they desire in an absorbent hand towel product that
can be easily and proudly displayed for showing off its color
coordinating capabilities and then readily dispensed from that
display in individual and/or multiple quantities.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] To best solve these and other needs, the inventor has
designed a hand towel product that can be color customized to
match/compliment the non-disposable hand, body and bath towel
drying products in one's kitchen, bathroom or powder room. With
this invention, the end consumer may select or specify certain
optional features in scent and touch, possibly sound. The consumer
may choose from a wide variety of colors and color combinations,
scents, individual sheet/panel sizes, as well as the texture,
printing or other graphic designs on each disposable product. In
this manner, consumers may purchase custom absorbent paper products
which depict slogans, company logos, cartoon (including Disney
character) themes and/or local school, college and professional
sports teams. Such paper products may be "made to order" at a point
of purchase or ordered for shipping from a common, remote
location.
[0006] Because of this invention's ability to customize disposable
hand towels with the kitchen/bath towel colors and/or more
permanent consumer color choices in room tile, cabinets,
countertops, etc., it is understood that one can more easily
coordinate their disposable adsorbent paper product selections,
known as ColorUP's.TM. with the rest of a room's given surroundings
and, in doing so stimulate three, maybe even four, of the five
known human senses: sight, smell and touch together with sound
additions thereto.
[0007] Using disposable hand towels is significantly more hygienic
than using, washing and reusing terrycloth towels. The germs that
are dried away from the user's hands are disposed of rather than
being submitted for the same person or others' re-contamination.
Yet, this invention accomplishes improved cleanliness while keeping
key washing areas of a household, the kitchen, bath and powder
rooms looking pretty and staying color coordinated to better
decorate such rooms with the other thematic, more permanent accent
colors and color combinations in one's house. This disposable
variety of hand towels hereby retains some attractive, decorative
qualities. When made from recyclable paper materials, there is an
even greater "greening" benefit realized.
[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a consumer may
customize his/her roll of absorbent hand towel product by selecting
from an existing color palate (with or without the benefit of
knowing ones specific permanent towel, tile, wallpaper and/or wall
paint choices). Then, that same consumer can choose from a variety
of pre-made sheet/panel textures to be three-dimensionally
imprinted or embossed on each disposable hand drying sheet, or
design and submit their own pattern for imprinting/imparting onto
individual sheet panels. Next, the consumer can down select from a
variety of scents to be custom added to the central dispensing roll
for a given set of hand drying sheets . . . sometimes, selecting
natural scents, fruit scents and/or common flower smells for an
individual color preference (such as lemon scented sheets that are
yellow in tone). Alternately, and especially for bolder kitchen
applications, color and scent choices may be coordinated based on
various pleasant food smells. For instances, a lighter
cocoa-paneled sheet set can be combined with a central roller
insert that emits a pleasing coffee aroma to its immediate
surroundings.
[0009] There is also the possibility of morphing together certain
combinations of colors with the hand towels of this invention.
Varying "tie dye" combinations of colors may be achieved for
display in the consumer's kitchen, bath and/or powder rooms.
[0010] A fourth sense stimulation can be added for particular
applications of disposable roll products having common musical
connections. Particularly, when the sheets are colorized to those
of one's favorite high school, college or professional sports team,
the dispensing roll may be further customized with a
motion-sensitive computer chip that plays one's alma mater or their
team's well known fight songs (under appropriate licenses, of
course) every time one or more panels are pulled from and torn away
at the perforations on the custom colored (and possibly scented)
roll of disposable hand towels.
[0011] One particular variety of sound stimulants is
holiday-related. With the use of graphics for a given holiday,
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, July 4.sup.th and possibly even
birthday and anniversary themes, corresponding musical clips for
those hand towel rolls may be used in conjunction with those
color-coordinated disposable hand towels. Yet another theme may be
to use soothing, mind-relaxing meditation music
(waterfalls/rain/casual blowing wind, etc.) . . . along with
incense-smelling chip emitters.
[0012] Sadly, the fifth sense will remain un-stimulated until it
becomes practically feasible to make disposable adsorbent sheet
product from materials that are also edible. Only then can the
sense of `taste` be safely added to the mix.
[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become more apparent from the particulars that follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] Further features, objectives and advantages of this
invention will be made clearer from the following detailed
description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of three representative roll scent
and color schemes suggested preferred embodiments: a two tone
yellow combination, basic blue combination and red/pink combination
vertically arranged side-by-side; and
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side-by-side comparison of preferred sheet sizes
according to one embodiment of this invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] The architectural or home decor style of a kitchen, bathroom
or powder room may be based on time periods in which designs and
styles originated, as well as geographical region or countries of
origin.
[0018] The design may be applied to the towel element by printing,
embossing or cutting into its fibrous structure. As used herein,
"design" shall include, without limitation, computer scanned
images, drawings, photographs, cartoon character strips, product
and/or store logos, team mascots and school initials, single or
multi-color (including black and white) designs, fabrics, woven in
shapes, embossments, deformations, print, and combinations thereof.
In another embodiment, each towel element may include a
three-dimensional geometric shape. Still another embodiment
considers the use of braille printing, in a three-dimensional mode,
for imparting greeting or other soothing methods to the visually
challenged visitor(s).
[0019] Consumers want their home or work decor to be visually
pleasing and well coordinated from a design standpoint. Consumer's
natural desire to coordinate items within a room into one or more
common design themes requires them to learn more about home decor
and design principles. However, consumers are very busy with work,
children, and activities. A simple and highly visual presentation
of information of these principles would be helpful. Moreover, the
combination of home decor tips, illustrations, and patterns on a
consumable product package that can be placed in room and
viewed/analyzed over time provides an added level of confidence to
the consumer that a change to a new style of decor will be
appealing to herself and others who will be using the room on a
regular basis.
[0020] Therefore, the present invention may comprise providing
decor information selected from the group consisting of paint
colors, wallpaper patterns, candle scents, wall and/or floor tile
information, style group identifying information, and combinations
thereof.
[0021] Painting information may include sources of paint suppliers
for color palettes that coordinate with the style group and/or the
colors and graphics on the tissue product packaging, photographs of
paint colors or color palettes that coordinate with the design or
the style group, paint color numbers of paint colors that
coordinate with the design or style group, etc. Wallpaper
information may include sources of wallpaper suppliers, brand and
styles numbers of wallpaper that will coordinate with the designs
for each style group, websites (e.g. url) for online ordering or
information, photographs or graphic renditions of wall paper that
coordinate with the design or style group, etc.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows three representative color combinations of
disposable towels, each having a lighter color in the same family
and a darker or deeper variant combined therewith. Note that for
each set, there may be patterns embossed into the respective hand
towel panels. For instance, the two colored stripes as shown may be
raised from OR recessed partially into the paper surfaces of each
panel. Alternately, other patterns (flowers, diamonds, etc.) may be
substituted therefor or used to supplement the main towel
patterns.
[0023] In FIG. 1, there is also a suggested, color-based scent
additive per the respective center rolls. For instance, a lemony
scent can be emitted from the yellow colored towels on the left
edge of FIG. 1. In the middle column, blue colored towels are
provided with a representative Fresh Breeze smell. Finally, the red
and pink color combination along the right edge of FIG. 1 can be
supplied with the fragrance of apples.
[0024] There are numerous alternative combinations as well. For
instance, the natural scents of daisies or fruity banana smells may
be used for yellow colored towels; blue sheets may be supplemented
with the smell of blueberries and red colored towels can be cherry
scented or one of many flower fragrances like roses.
[0025] To the extent this invention correlates to school
allegiances, the colors and/or color combinations can be
coordinated to reflect the color schemes of local and/or regional
high schools and colleges. It is not unheard of to make a set of
disposable hand towels in the rich red and navy blue colors of
McKeesport High School, near Pittsburgh, Pa. and add a raised M
from each panel. Alternately, the school's Tiger mascot logo may be
added to respective hand towel panels.
[0026] Should high school and college "toweling" seem extreme,
there is always the likelihood of going Black and Gold for local
professional teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and/or
Penguins, with team logos added thereto under the appropriate
licenses with Major League Baseball, the NFL and NHL.
[0027] For colleges, there is an excellent likelihood of rekindling
alumni loyalties by adding a sound chip to the center roll of a
towel set bearing the school's colors, with or without mascots.
That sound chip should play a pre-recorded set of notes from the
school's fight song, alma mater, or both (in an alternating
manner).
[0028] In FIG. 2, a preferred size comparison of the present
invention is shown versus the standard size roll and towels
currently known to consumers. Such towels already on consumer
shelves roll from a standardized 11 inch wide roll and typically
run a width of 5 inches per panel. The present invention is
intended to keep that general panel size, by unrolling 12 inch wide
panels from a 9 inch wide roll (though other size rolls and panels
are also anticipated hereby).
[0029] There are an infinite variety of possible geometries,
shapes, and arrangements formed in the paper therefrom. Examples of
these shapes include, but are not limited to those described as a
bow-tie pattern or snowflake pattern. Further examples of these
shapes include, but are not limited to, circles, ovals, diamonds,
triangles, hexagons, and various quadrilaterals.
[0030] The absorbent paper product may include, for example, the
individual product count (e.g., the number of facial tissues
contained in a single package, such as six, twelve, one hundred,
etc.), the style of the product (e.g., two-ply, three-ply and
five-ply, with or without lotion, etc.), the color of the product
(preferably single colors or color pairs, groups of colors,
multi-colored options including tie-dyed variations, and limited
color with various logos and/or cartoon characterizations, where
applicable), the scent of the product and/or product packaging
(including an unscented option along with a variety of scents and
aromas), the three-dimensional graphic design of the product
(preferably including several predefined textural design options, a
no text design option, and a graphic design provided by the
consumer). The consumer is provided options for numerous and as
many product features as possible, including those noted above,
thereby allowing the consumer to design a potentially unique
combination of such features which meets their individual tastes or
needs.
[0031] It may be desirable to pre-produce absorbent paper products
with each possible combination of features so these products are
immediately available for delivery to a consumer.
[0032] As used herein, "graphic design" shall include computer
scanned images, drawings, photographs, promotional logos (like the
Target store "bull's eye"), words, phrases and any combination
thereof, as well as single color graphic designs, multi-color
(including black and white) graphic designs, and any combination
thereof.
[0033] Additionally, the product of this invention includes a scent
emitter or "fragrancer" insert desired by the consumer. For added
sensory stimulation, a sound chip may be added for playing a song,
jingle or pre-recorded message each time the central roll is moved
with the removal of one or more disposable towels therefrom.
[0034] Furthermore, hand towel products may be chosen by consumers
to reflect their decor preferences. Such products are placed in
locations in the home of consumers so that they are readily
available for use, especially by visitors. Since these products are
generally sitting out on countertops or in plain view in bathroom,
powder room or kitchen areas, many consumers consider that these
products are also decor accessories. As such, these products have
the potential to be a focal point of the room or to add decor
interest to the room in which they are displayed and used.
Consumers, hence, want the color palette and the design patterns of
their tissue products to match the decor of their home and to
reflect their home decor tastes and preferences.
[0035] While particular embodiments have been illustrated and
described, 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.
* * * * *