Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKG~OUND O~ TH~ INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the containers or boxes
of facial tissues which are designed to allow and facilitate the
~i progressive removal of tissues from such a box through a discharge
opening which facilitates the removal of one tissue at a time.
: With presently available boxes of tissues~ it is frequently
difficult for a person to remove a single tissue from the box in the
intended manner after some of the tissues have-been removed. One
! previously proposed solution to this problem has been directed to the
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serial but releasable interconnection of the tissues so that as one
tissue is removed through the ~op opening, a subsequent ti~sue is f~
partially unfolded and pulled into the neck of the discharge opening.
Such a known system has, however, shown some tendancy to be somewhat
unreliable in that the desired separation of the two connected tissues
is not always obtained in the neck of the discharge opening, while on
other occasions, successive tissues sometimes separate within the box or
container. The interfolded tissues then fall back by gravity into the
box and there is no protruding tissue to be removed. The user then has
to t1)rust his hand into the top opening to grasp a number of tissues and
pull them up through the top opening which results in more than one
tissue to be removed and in most cases a bunch, or handful, of tissues
sre removed which results in wasted tissues and an inconveDience and
needless expense to the user and this is more prevalent with children
than adults and often causes the cardboard box to be torn and result~ in
the complete box of tissues bein8 wasted.
Another object of this invention i9 to provide a reusable and
somewhat permanent container for tissues which can be of durable,
washable~ of relatively low cost injection molded plastic. The reusable
container would allow use of bulk packets of tissues which would be
packaged in multiples of two or three packets for a bulk package of six,
; nine or twelve packets~ or such similar multiples.
Another object of this invention is to provide a somewhat permanent ~;
container to replace the cardboard boxes now in use and to also replace
the corrugated cardboard boxes used to ship the smaller tissue boxes
which would result in cost savings of materials, ~hipping and warehouse -~
costs due to reduced volume. Cost savings would also be possible to the
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manufacturer and to the distributer and the retailer which would then
result in savings to the buyer and the home owner.
Another object of thi8 invention is to provide a reusable container
with an end opening where the ti88ue8 are removed horizontally from the
end opening. Because the tis8ue8 depend on the interply friction
between the layers to be progressively removed, the horizontal design
allows for a greater area of friction to assist in ti58ue removal. The
end opening of the container is not a~ected by gravity which disrupt8 `''!
the ti8sue removal with top opening containers or boxes which are now
the standard for the industry.
Another object of this invention is to provide a 8eparate floating
top friction plate which i8 crowned or raised on the centerline portion
which will then allow a 8pace to be provided between the top of the
tis8ue8 and the unter8ide of the friction plate to prevent the ti88ue8
from being jammed again8t the top of the container a8 they are placed
in8ide the Container which cau8e8 the fir~t lot of ti88ue~ to be
re8tricted when they are removed and cau8e8 them tv tear and be wa8ted.
Thi8 space is provided under the top friction plate which float8 on top
of the ti8~ue yacket as the ti~sues ar~ removed a~ shown in the
drawings. Th~ top floating plate provide8 a positive pressure to the
two edges of the tissues to maintain the friction nece8sary for proper
tissue removal and leave8 a 8pace to facilitate the removal of the -~
ti88ue8 at the centerline of the container and prevents jamming and
tearing of the ti~sue8 when they are removed !
Yet another object of thi8 invention i8 to provide a container with
an adju8table bottom which provide8 a platform to 8upport the bulk
packet of ti88ue8. The variable poBition~ for the bottom platform
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the container are used when tissues are removed from the cardboard boxes
of tissues and placed in the container when bulk tis~ues would not be
available. Three positions of the bottom are made for standard boxes of
300, 200 and l50 tissues. Where bulk packets of tissues are used they
are in a compressed nature which because of their resilience rebound to
their original shape and volume and this compressed package of tissues
will easily fit into the space of the container and the bottom platform
is placed at the lowest position. The packets of tissues are reduced in
volume when they are packaged by approximately 20~ or more which reduces
the cost of shipping and warehousin~ to the manufacturer as well as the
distributor and the retailer, which costs are then passed on to the
buyer to reduce the cost of the product.
SVh~ÆY OF T8~ INVeNTION
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Broadly~ the present invention provides a reusable contfliner for
tissues which are supplied in a bulk packet and which sre removed ~t the
end of the container, one tissue at a time. The floating friction plste
to the top of the tissue packet assists in controlling the interply
friction between the plys of tissues to allow one tissue to be removed
at any one time. The container is fitted with an adjustable and
remov~ble bottom plstform to support the packet of tissues.
The packet of interconnected tissues of a preset width and length
and of 300 tissues, more or less, are compressed in height and held!with
a wrapper or poly sleeve and then multiples of these packets are further
compressed and placed in a poly wrap in multiples of two or three or
four to form an economical package of facial tissues in bulk Eo
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BRI~F DESC~lPTIO~ OF T8E DRA~INGS
The invention will now be described merely by way of illu~tration
with reference to the 2ccompanying drawings in which:
FlGU~E (1) i9 a perspective of the container in accordance with this
invention perspective.
FIGUK~ (2) is a side view of the container showing a tissue re&dy for
removal from the end of the container.
FIGUBE (3) is the end view of the container at the end opening for
tissue removal.
FIGURE t4) is a section through the width of the container and the
tissue packet.
FIGU8~ (5) is a detail section of the container bottom platform with the
tissue packet in place.
FIGU~ (6) is a section of the bottom platform with the low~r spring
edge.
FlGURE (7) is an exploded view of the container and the packet of
tissues being loaded into the container.
FIGU8e (8) is a perspective drawing of the packet of tissues.
- FlGU8E (9) is a perspective drawing of the packet of tissues after it
has been compres~ed and placed in a wrapper or sleeve.
FIGURE (l0) is a perspective view of the bulk package of tissue packets
in multiples of three.
FlGU8e (ll) is a perspective figure of the bulk package further
compressed in a disposable poly package with a poly strap for handling.
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FIGURE (12) is a perspective figure of a packet of ti~sues.
: FIGU~E (13) is an end view of the same packet of tis~ues as in FIGURE
(12).
~IGUK~ (14) is an end view of the tis~ue packet with the top tis~ue -~
being removed. ~ :
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DE~C U rTION OF T~E PRe~E~R~D E~BODIHENT~
Referring first to FIGURE (1), there is indicated therein generally
at (l) one embodimen~ of this tissue container in accordance with this
invention. The device (1) includes an injection molded plastic
container with an open bottom (8), which has a crowned top (2), and
sides (4), and ends (3), a precisely designed end opening with a top
portion (5), and a vertical portion (6) which exposcs the packet of
facial tissues (10) which are in layered interlocking sheets (11), and
the edge of this opening (7), is reinforced with an increased thickncss
and the open bottom (8), of the container allows the packet of facial
tissues to be placed into the container thru the bottom (8), and the
bottom platform supporting the tis~ues (20) which has an access hole
(23), and winged edges (22), which engage with the in~ide projections
(9), on the inside of the container as shown. A finger hole (14), is
located on both sides (4)~ of the container (1) which allows the user to
pick up the container with the tissue enclosed. Inside the tis~ue
container (l) is the floating top friction plate (16), which causes a
pretetermined friction effect on the tissues as they are removet from
the end opening.
Referring further to FIGURE (1), it will be seen therefrom that the
end opening of the container will easily allow tissues to be withdrawn
as shown in FIGURE (2) item (l3), which shows the side elevation of the
container (l) with the end opening for the tissue removal (13), in the
end (3) of the container with the bottom support plate (20) for the
tissue packet (10) which are removed through the end opening (5) and
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~~-~ (6). You will also see in FIGURE (2) that the bottom platform (20)
supporting the tissue packet (10) i9 at the second level and the tissues
are to the top of the container as seen through the finger access hole
(14), which shows the interply layers of tissue (11).
It will be seen further by these drawing~ in FIGUR~ (3) the end
detail of the tissue container (l) with the end opening for the tissues ~ ~-
as (5) and (6), and the crowned top (2) which is crowned lengthwise for
strength and appearance. The unrestricted removal of tissue i9 possible
due to the crowned effect of the floating top friction plate (16), which
leaves a clearance tl7) under the plate for removal of the tissue
without the tissue being restricted by upward pressure which causes
the tissue to tear when they are being removed. The tension exerted on
the tissues by the floating friction cover (16) is at the edge~ (18) of
~~` the floating cover (16) which does not restrict the removal of the
~5 ti~sues at the cantarline of the tissue cont&iner (1).
The drawing~ further explain the purpose and embodiments of this
invention with the details as shown in FIGURES (4), (5) and (6) where
the bottom platform (20) is adjustable to three different levels (9)
which allow~ the tis~ues to be supported at levels 20A and 208 and 20C ~.
which represent the quantity of tissues in the standard type tissue
boxes which can now be removed and the cardboard box discarded and the
tissues stored and used in this permanent container (1). The floating
top friction plate (16), i9 shown at the top of the container (1) and
the packet of tissue (10) i9 at the top underAide of the container (1),
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however, an unrestricted space 2B i9 allowed underne~th the friction
: plate and the top of the container (2) for easy and convenient removal
of a tissue through the end opening.
FIGURES (5) and (6) further show the adjustable bottom platform (20)
with the bottom (21) with wings (22) which are sprung outward (24) which
then engsge the sides of the container (1) a9 it i9 placed through the
bottom (8) of the container (1) and as it is positioned at the various
levels and held in place by the protrusions (9) on the w8119 (4)~ of the
container (1).
In use, a device in accordance with this invention i8 used to
contain a packet of facial tissues as shown in FIGURE (7) where the
container (1) is placed upsidedown and the bottom platform (20) is
removed and the flosting friction plate (16) is first placed inside the
container and then the packet of facial tissues (10) is placed inside
the container with the individual interply~ of tissue (11) held in place
by the wrapper (15) which is then removed as the tis~ue packet (10) is ~ ;
placed inside the container (1). The bottom plateorm supporting the
tissue8 (20) is then placed inside the bottom of the container (1) and
the pr~truding wings ~22) are forced inside the sidewalls (4) of the
container and the end protrusions (21) of the bottom platform (20)
~upport the bottom of the tissue packet when it is in use. The user
then turns the container right ~ide up as shown in FIGURE (1) and
removes the first tissue from the end opening of the container through
the end opening (5) and (6) as ~hown in FIGURES (1) and (2).
It will now be understood that the embodiments shown in these
FIGURES from 1 through to 7 that this invention will allow facial
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tis~ues to be supplied in bulk form for the consumer rather than in
predesigned boxes with top or side openings. This end opening tissue
box will accep~ packets of facial tissues in bulk form where it is shown
that the existing manufacturing methods of producing a packet of facial
tissues in FIGURE (8) with the packet (10) as shown with the separate
individual tissue~ (11) with a predetermined width (31) and length (32)
will be of a predetermined height (30), which then will be compressed - :
(33) by a force (33A) to a smaller vertical dimension (34) and
restrained by a wrapper tl5) around the tissue packet (10) which will
reduce the volume of the tissue packet by approximately 20%.
The tissue packet as shown in FIGUR~ (9) will then be added to
further packets of tissues (10) in multiples of two or three to form a
block of tissues as shown in FIGURE (10) which will give a block of
tissue pscket3 (10) which in the multiple of three would result in a six
pack of tissue packets as shown in FIGURE (10) with a dimension of (35)
and a length of t36) and a compressed height of (37) by a force (37A)
and this pscket could be further expanded to a nine pack of tissue
packets shown in FIGURE (10) as a length of (38) and then poly wrapped.
The block of tissues either in the six yack or nine pack or
multiplea of two or three would then be enclosed in a poly wrapper as
shown in FIGUKE (11) with dimensions (36) and (37) which would be poly
3 wrapped (41) in a sealed container (40) with a carrying strap of :~
reinforced poly (42).
The perspective of a packet of tissues is shown in FIGUR~ 12~ with
21 separate tissues on each side as (11) and (12) being interlapped by the ~ :
separate plys (13) of tissue~ from opposite sides. The tissue packet
(10) is shown with a set width (31), and length (32)~ and the height :~
(30~. FIGUEE (13~ i~ an end viet oE the same ti~sue pactet as in
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(12) and the spaces between the plys of tissue are shown M9 (13A) and
this is where the friction between the plys cau~es the next progressive
tissue to be pulled out thru the end opening of the container when a
tissue is removed as shown in FIGURE (14) where the top tissue (12) is
extracted by the top corner (40) being pulled out thru the end opening
to the position (41) which cau~es the next tissue (11), to be pulled
forward to (42) by the friction between the interplys of tissue (13).
Therefore it will be seen from these embodiments of this invention that
the design of this bottom opening container (1) of an injection molded
plsstic material or so~e other equally effective material which can be
economically produced to give a container which can be reused for bulk
facial tissues and the container with its end opening for tissue removal
can be seen as a device which will make the introduction of bulk
packaged facial tissue, as shown in FIGURES (8) through (11)~ as an
; 15 economical and desir~ble manufacturing process which will reduce the
cost of facial tissue to the home owner and the end user, by this
invention.
It will also be understood that numerous modification~ and
variations can be made in the structure~ described herein without
departing from the scope of the invention. As already explained the
device can be used for the facial tissue which is already enclosed in
cardboard boxes in that this container is more serviceable and can be
decorated by the home owner to their personal enjoyment. Other
variations and modifications are al~o possible and will be apparent to
those conversant in container design with plastic-forming technology and
with the technology already at hand by the various facial tissue
manufacturers in the production of bulk packaging of units of product
which can be coapre od to r-dtce co t~ by voltme roduction. C~/J
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