Package making – Methods – With contents treating
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-23
2004-05-11
Rada, Rinaldi I. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
With contents treating
C053S438000, C053S439000, C053S529000, C053S117000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732492
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention pertains to methods of packaging paper products, and in particular applications pertains to methods of packaging facial tissue in a dispenser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A method of packaging paper products, such as facial tissue, which has gained acceptance in the marketplace is to fold a stack of paper product sheets about a central axis and then provide the sheets within a boutique-type box. The box has a perforation extending therethrough to the central region of the folded sheets, and such allows a consumer to withdraw the sheets from the box. The packaging can have an advantage in that the box of folded paper product can have a smaller footprint that would a box of non-folded paper product. Also, in many cases consumers associate a box of folded paper product with a premium line of product, rather than with lower-tier product. Examples of facial tissue products marketed in boutique-type boxes are ALBERTSON'S™ “WHISPER SOFT IMAGES”™; HYVEE™ “SOFT ESSENTIALS TREASURES”™; and KLEENEX™ “ULTRA SOFT DOUX”™.
The box having the folded tissue therein is a dispenser. Ideally, the tissue will be dispensed one-at-a-time through the perforation which extends into the box. However, it is frequently found that the first several sheets do not dispense smoothly in a one-at-a-time manner. Instead the sheets bind within the box and either tear as they are being pulled from the box, or come out as a clump of four or five tissues. Since the tissues within a boutique-type dispenser are associated with premium product, there can be heightened consumer dissatisfaction with the poor dispensing of the first few sheets than would occur with packaging not associated with premium product.
The problem of having the first few sheets dispensed poorly from a boutique-type dispenser has existed for years, and to date there has not been a satisfactory solution to the problem. A recent study by Potlatch Corporation has shown that there are times when at least sixty percent of the boutique-type dispensers produced for a line of premium paper product will fail to appropriately dispense the first sheet of product, and there can even be times when eighty percent or more of the packages fail to appropriately dispense the first sheet of tissue product.
FIGS. 1-3
illustrate an exemplary process for providing facial tissue within a boutique-type box. Referring initially to
FIG. 1
, an arrangement
8
is shown comprising a clip
10
of facial product folded around a ski
14
. The clip comprises a plurality of individual tissue sheets
12
(only some of which are labeled). The term “clip” is known in the art to refer to a stacked plurality of sheets which have been appropriately sized to be provided within a package.
The ski
14
has an edge
16
, and opposing lateral surfaces
18
extending upwardly from the edge. The clip
10
comprises a central region
20
proximate the edge
16
of ski
14
. Clip
10
further comprises peripheral regions
22
and
24
on opposing sides of central region
20
, with the peripheral regions extending along lateral edges
18
of ski
14
in the shown folded configuration of the clip.
Clip
10
would be folded about ski
14
utilizing an apparatus (not shown) which forces peripheral regions
22
and
24
upwardly relative to central region
20
of the clip.
FIGS. 2 and 3
illustrate an apparatus
30
comprising the clip and ski arrangement
8
, and further comprising a holder
32
configured to retain a package
34
thereon. Package
34
can correspond to a boutique-type dispenser. In the shown configuration, a perforation (not visible in
FIGS. 2-4
) would be at a bottom surface
36
of dispenser
34
, and ultimately a consumer would remove tissue of clip
10
from dispenser
34
through the perforation. Dispenser
34
has a series of flaps
38
,
40
and
42
associated therewith, and such flaps surround an opening (not visible in the views of FIGS.
2
and
3
).
The ski
14
of
FIGS. 2 and 3
extends along a longitudinal direction
15
, and comprises a length
17
. In operation, the folded clip
10
is slid along a portion of length
17
of ski
14
, and ultimately is slid off from ski
14
and along an axis
44
into the opening within dispenser
34
.
FIG. 2
shows the clip at a processing stage at which the clip is along the ski, and
FIG. 3
shows the clip at a processing stage after it has been slid off from the ski and into the dispenser. The clip
10
of
FIG. 3
is shown in phantom view to indicate that the clip is within dispenser
34
. It is noted that clip
10
is generally moved from the ski to the dispenser by a conveying mechanism (not shown) such as a block or plurality of fingers configured to engage a surface of the clip and push the clip along the axis
44
.
FIG. 3
illustrates that the flaps
38
,
40
and
42
(
FIG. 2
) have been folded over to retain clip
10
within package
34
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of packaging paper products in a dispenser. A clip comprising a stacked plurality of paper products is provided. Also, a ski is provided. The ski comprises a first surface extending longitudinally along the first direction, and has a pair of second surfaces extending transversely from the first surface. The clip is folded around the ski. The folded clip has a central region along the first surface of the ski, and has a pair of opposing peripheral regions separated from one another by the central region. The folded clip is slid off from the ski and subsequently the peripheral regions of the folded clip are pressed toward one another to compress the peripheral regions. After the peripheral regions are compressed, the folded clip is transferred into the dispenser. The peripheral regions can be subjected to at least about 1 pound per square inch gauge (psig) of pressure during the pressing.
In further aspects, the invention encompasses methods of packaging facial tissue.
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patent: 4751807 (1988-06-01), Couturier
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patent: 5673538 (1997-10-01), Wallace et al.
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patent: 6035605 (2000-03-01), Perego
patent: 6182418 (2001-02-01), McFarland
patent: 6202392 (2001-03-01), Greenwell et al.
patent: 6305146 (2001-10-01), Gerber
patent: 6349525 (2002-02-01), Veith
Ellis Mike
Osborne Celeste
Ruark Mike
Potlatch Corporation
Rada Rinaldi I.
Weeks Gloria R
Wells St. John P.S.
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