Facial Tissue

Abstract

This is an improved facial type of tissue which contains both a dry area to serve as a means for cleaning or drying wet or watery portions of the nose, mouth, sweating face or other parts of the body and a lubricated area to serve as a means for applying a soothing or medicated coating to portions of the face or body that are either irritated or might become irritated because of either repeated wiping or contact with dry tissues or exposure to wind or sun.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an improved facial types of tissues and, more specifically, to facial types of tissues which contain both dry and lubricated portions for the purpose of functioning to simultaneously or alternatively dry and/or lubricate (or medicate) areas of the skin of the face or body which are wet and/or irritated.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the past, paper facial tissues were fabricated normally in rectangular form and packaged in various manners. One form of packaging is in an interlocking arrangement to continuously provide a tissue ready for use after removal of the previous tissue from the tissue box. Another form of packaging is to pile individual tissues on top of each other in mostly a serial manner so that the removal of the topmost tissue revealed for use the next topmost tissue, and etc.

However, regardless of the packaging that was used, the basic concept of the facial type of tissue was to serve for the usual useful and needed functions such as nose blowing, etc. Particularly, during periods of the year when colds and allergies inflicted individuals requiring the use of facial tissues, it was usually common that the tissue user not only needed to wipe his nose, but also had to dry the area beneath the nose which is located between the mouth and nose. This general area of the face which includes the nose and the area beneath the nose usually became red and irritated because of the constant rubbing or wiping contact with the soft, dry facial tissues. Thus, this very sensitive facial area usually became sore and a great source of irritation and discomfort to the cold or allergy sufferer.

A need existed to provide a facial tissue that could serve the needs of the user seeking to dry the nose, mouth or other regions of the body while still utilizing the same tissue to apply a healing, soothing lubricating or medicated coating on the regions of the nose, mouth or body that was previously wiped or dried.

While various well known lubricants or medicated substances useful for the purpose of soothing irritated body or facial areas are available in jars, spray cans, or other forms of dispensers, a need existed to provide facial tissues containing both dry regions and other regions containing these lubricants or medicated substances in order to provide improved facial tissues which can function to either dry or lubricate (or medicate) or perform both of these functions in successive operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top view of a facial tissue containing a pair of folds or flaps.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1

FIG. 2A is an enlarged sectional view showing in greater detail the portion of one flap or fold (circled in FIG. 2) which contains a lubricant or medicated material located inside the fold or flap.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of this invention wherein a double fold or flap is shown.

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 2A showing in greater detail the portion of the double fold or flap (circled in FIG. 3) which contains a lubricant or medicated material located inside the double fold or flap.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a tissue box with a portion broken away to illustrate the facial tissues of this invention stacked on top of each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved facial type of tissue.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved facial type of tissue that is useful for either drying wet regions of the face or body, lubricating or medicating portions of the face or body that might become or are irritated, or performing both functions of drying and lubricating (or medicating) successively or substantially simultaneously.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved facial type of tissue that contains both dry and lubricated (or medicated) regions.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved facial type of tissue that contains both dry and lubricated (or medicated) regions wherein the lubricated (or medicated) regions are located or shielded in such a manner so as to permit or facilitate packaging of numbers of these facial tissues in a facial tissue box without the possibility of having adjacent facial tissues sticking together.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a facial type of tissue especially useful for contact with the face or body is disclosed which comprises a dry portion, and lubricating means in contact with at least one portion of said dry portion for providing a lubricant source to coat and soothe portions of the face or body. The material for the lubricating means can be selected from any one of the known lubricants (such as petroleum jelly, etc.) useful for soothing irritated skin or for applying a skin protective coating to prevent irritation to the skin caused by wind, sun or rubbing (friction).

In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, bites, facial type of tissue especially useful for contact with the face or body is disclosed which comprises a dry portion, and medicating means in contact with at least one portion of said dry portion for providing a medicant source to coat and anesthetize portions of the face or body. The material for the medicating means can be selected from any one of the known medicants (such as boric acid ointment, etc.) useful for applying a medicated coating on the skin to promote healing of wounds, cuts, contusions, scrapes, irritations, insect bits, etc. Additionally, the medicating means can comprise the material known and used under the trademark CHAP STICK which promotes healing of irritated portions of the skin exposed to combinations of moisture and wind or cold.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

THE SPECIFICATION

Referring to FIG. 1, a facial tissue useful for wiping or contacting portions of the face or body is generally designated by reference number 10. The facial tissue 10, in this embodiment, is shown as containing two folds or flaps 12 and a connecting center portion 14. The facial tissue 10 is preferably made of a soft paper and the folds or flaps 12 serve to facilitate seizing, handling and removing individual facial tissues from a tissue box.

Referring to FIG. 2, a simplified view of the facial tissue 10 of FIG. 1 is shown taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the folds or flaps 12 connected together by the center portion 14. Preferably, the center portion 14 located between the folds or flaps 12 is dry whereas at least one and, if desired, both of the folds or flaps 12 contain a lubricant or medicated material 16 (see FIG. 2A). In the enlarged view of FIG. 2A, the lubricant or medicated material 16 is shown located within the flap or fold 12. While the lubricant or medicated material 16 can be located on the center portion 14 or on other portions of the facial tissue 10 such as on the outer surface portion of the fold or flap 12, preferably, for the purpose of facilitating packaging of numbers of facial tissues on top of each other, the lubricant or medicated material 16 is located within the flap or fold 12 so as to avoid the sticking together of adjacent, contacting facial tissues.

Referring to FIG. 3, a simplified view similar to FIG. 2 is shown of another embodiment of this invention wherein the same reference numbers are used as in FIG. 2 with the addition of the letter A to connotable a different embodiment. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 3A (which is a similar view as FIG. 2A where the same reference numberals are used with the addition of the letter A), a double fold or flap 12A is utilized to serve as a substantial pocket or sleeve for the lubricating or medicated material 16A. The advantage of the double fold or flap embodiment is to facilitate the opening of the double flap away from the center portion 14A since the surface portion 17 of the double flap 12A that contacts the center portion 14A is not in contact with the lubricating or medicating material 16A. Additionally, if desired, the double fold or flap 12A can be utilized to function as a sleeve which need not be opened to dispense the lubricating or medicated material 16A, but can be applied by squeezing or pressing the double fold or flap 12A along the longitudinal axis or dimension thereof which causes the lubricating or medicated material 16A to be extruded out one or the other end of the double fold or flap 12A (at the smaller end portion of the rectangular paper tissue 10).

The lubricating or medicated material 16 of FIG. 2A or 16A of FIG. 3A can be any of the known lubricants used to soften or soothe irritated portions of the skin such as petroleum jelly, vaseline, noxzema, etc., or can be any of the known medicants used to promote healing of skin that has been chafed, sunburned, blistered, cut, scraped, etc. such as boric acid ointment, Chap Stick, etc.

Referring to FIG. 4, a tissue box 18 is shown containing a plurality of facial tissues 10 of the type shown either in FIGS. 1, 2 and 2A or FIGS. 1, 3 and 3A. The tissue box 18 is useful in a packaging and dispensing individual facial tissues without sticking, of the type disclosed in the embodiments of this invention.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. A facial type of tissue especially useful for contact with the face or body comprising, in combination, a dry tissue handling portion, and lubricating means in contact with at least one portion of said dry tissue portion for providing a lubricant applying source portion to coat and soothe portions of the face or body.

2. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tissue consists of paper.

3. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lubricating means comprising petroleum jelly.

4. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dry tissue portion of said tissue having at least one flap, said lubricating means being located within said flap.

5. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 4 wherein said tissue being substantially rectangular in configuration, said flap running along the longest portion of the rectangular configuration of said tissue.

6. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 5 wherein said tissue having two flaps running along the longest portion of the rectangular configuration of said tissue, said two flaps being spaced from each other, said lubricating means being located within at least one of said flaps.

7. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 6 wherein said lubricating means being located within both of said flaps.

8. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 4 wherein said flap having a single fold, said lubricating means being located within said single folded flap.

9. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 4 wherein said flap having a double fold, said lubricating means being located within said double folded flap.

10. A facial type of tissue especially useful for contact with the face or body comprising, in combination, a dry tissue portion, handling and medicating means in contact with at least one portion of said dry portion for providing a medicant applying source portion to coat and anesthetize portions of the face or body.

11. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 10 wherein said tissue consists of paper.

12. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 10 wherein said medicating means comprising petroleum jelly.

13. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 10 wherein said dry portion of said tissue having at least one flap, said medicating means being located within said flap.

14. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 13 wherein said tissue being substantially rectangular in configuration, said flap running along the longest portion of the rectangular configuration of said tissue.

15. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 14 wherein said tissue having two flaps running along the longest portion of the rectangular configuration of said tissue, said two flaps being spaced from each other, said medicating means being located within at least one of said flaps.

16. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 15 wherein said medicating means being located within both of said flaps.

17. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 13 wherein said flap having a single fold, said medicating means being located within said single folded flap.

18. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 13 wherein said flap having a double fold, said medicating means being located within said double folded flap.

19. A facial type of tissue in accordance with claim 10 wherein said medicating means comprises a material consisting of CHAP STICK.