Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
PACKET FOR WET TISSUES
Technical Field:
The present invention relates to a packet for wet
tissues which includes a paper container for containing wet
tissues, and particularly to a packet for wet tissues which is
of an disposable type being simple in disposal of a spent
container.
sackground Art:
Recently, wet tissues have come to be extensively used
for bussiness and homes, with the expended amount increased
year after year. Wet tissues, each of which is composed of a
fibrous sheet such as a nonwoven fabric impregnated with an
impregnant such as a chemical or toiletries, are used for
wiping of the backside of a baby, removal of stains from
hands, disinfection, or the like.
Packets for wet tissues are classified into two types:
one having a container for containing wet tissues; and the
other having a bag for containing wet tissues. A container
type packet is so constructed that the container formed of a
molded product of hard or semi-hard plastic contains folded
wet tissues or a roll of wet tissue. The packet of this type
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is further classified into two types: one being of an
disposable type in which the container is discarded after wet
tissues are consumed; and the other being of a refill type in
which the container itself is usable again and again by
replacement of an inner bag inserted in the container with a
new one. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 6-263174 discloses
a container type packet for wet tissues.
The bag type packet for wet tissues is so constructed
that a bag formed of an air-tight film contains folded wet
tissues. The packet of this type, which is aimed at disposal,
is portable. Japanese Patent Publication NO. Hei 2-30948
discloses a bag type packet for wet tissues.
The container type packet is complicated in structure
of the container because the container is formed of a molded
product of hard or semi-hard plastic. In general, a
cylindrical or substantially cylindrical container is used for
containing a roll of wet tissue; while a rectangular
parallelopiped container is used for containing a stacked body
of folded wet tissues. Such a container, which is composed
of a container portion and a lid portion, has a barrier
performance for preventing volatilization of an impregnant
impregnated in wet tissues by mounting the lid portion.
In general, the cylindrical container is so designed
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that the lid portion is fixed on the container portion by
screw fixing, while the rectangular parallelopiped container
is so designed that the lid portion is locked onto the
container portion by snap action. The screw fixing structure
makes cumbersome the manufacture of the container because
screw grooves must be formed in the container portion and the
lid portion. On the other hand, the locking structure using
snap action complicates the structure of the container because
a locking projection and a locking recess are provided for
example on the container portion and in the lid portion,
respectively.
A pick-up port for picking up wet tissues is provided
in the lid portion of such a container, and a lid for
opening/closing the pick-up port is mounted on the lid portion,
to thus constitute a so-called double lid structure.
The container type packet is disadvantageous in
increasing the manufacturing cost of the container because
each of the cylindrical container and the rectangular
parallelopiped container is complicated in structure and is
cumbersome in manufacture as described above.
Another disadvantage of the container type packet is
that a spent container cannot be bent or crushed upon
disposal, failing to reduce the volume of the container to be
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discarded. In addition, the container cannot be burned upon
disposal, causing a difficult problem in terms of waste
disposal.
The bag type packet is more simple in structure and
lower in manufacturing cost than the above-described container
type packet; however, it has the same problem as that of the
container type packet, that is, it cannot be burned upon
disposal.
The bag type packet having a structure that an
adhesive is applied on the lid for opening/closing the wet
tissue pick-up port whereby the lid is fixed on the bag by an
adhesive force of the adhesive for covering the pick-up port,
has another disadvantage that the adhesive force is gradually
lowered by repeated use of the lid, thereby gradually
deteriorating the barrier performance. The deteriorated
barrier performance allows an impregnant impregnated in wet
tissues contained in the bag to be gradually volatilized.
This makes it difficult to keep the quality of wet tissues.
A further disadvantage of the bag type packet is that
since the bag is made of a soft material, wrinkles are
generated around the pick-up port upon closing the lid, and
thereby the lid is closed in a state that the wrinkles remain
This also lowers the barrier performance of the bag.
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An object of the present invention is to providé a
packet for wet tissues which can be simply discarded by
burning like general burnable refuse.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a packet for wet tissues which is simple in structure, easy in
manufacture, and low in manufacturing cost.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a packet for wet tissues which is excellent in barrier
performance and can keep the excellent barrier performance
over a long period even by repeating opening/closing of a lid.
Disclosure of the Invention:
According to the present invention, there is provided
a packet for wet tissues having a container main body made of
a paper material, wherein the container main body has a
barrier performance, that is, an air-tightness for preventing
volatilization of an impregnant impregnated in wet tissues.
The container main body may be formed of a laminated sheet
composed of a paper material laminated with an air-tight film
for ensuring an air-tightness.
A pick-up port for picking up wet tissues may be
directly or indirectly provided in the container main body
containing wet tissues. A lid body for opening/closing the
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pick-up port may be provided on the container main body by a
physical action such as fitting or engagement.
Since the container main body of the present invention
is made of a paper material, a spent container can be bent or
crushed into a small volume or manually cut into fine pieces
upon disposal of the spent container, to thereby contribute to
a reduction in volume of refuse.
The container made of a paper material can be also
burned, and thereby it does not cause any environmental
pollution accompanied by waste disposal.
The packet for wet tissues of the present invention
using a paper container, can be simplified in structure and
made easy in manufacture, resulting in the reduced cost.
The packet for wet tissues of the present invention
including a lid opening/closing structure in which the lid is
fixed on the container main body by a physical action such as
fitting or engagement, makes it possible to increase a barrier
performance of the container, and to keep the quality of wet
tissues for a long period without lowering of the barrier
performance after repeating opening/closing of the lid again
and again.
srief Description of the Figures:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of
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a packet for wet tissues of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view taken on
line ~ - ~ of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one example of a
lid unit part;
Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
portion of the packet of the present invention showing an
opening/closing state of a lid body;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the packet of the
present invention showing a state that a wet tissue is picked
up;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of
the packet of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
portion of the packet of Fig. 6 showing an opening/closing
state of a lid body;
Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
portion of a first joining state between a container main body
and a lid unit part;
Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
portion of a second joining state between a container main
body and a lid unit part;
Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
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portion of a third joining state between a container main
body and a lid unit part;
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment
of the packet of the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of an essential
portion of the packet of Fig. 11 showing a fitting state of a
lid body;
Fig. 13 is a schematic view of a hinge of the lid body,
which is different from that shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing processes for
manufacturing the packet of the present invention; and
Figs. 15A, 15B and 15C are schematic views showing a
method of sealing the end portion of the container in the
processes for manufacturing the packet of the present
lnventlon.
sest Mode for Carrying Out the Invention:
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a packet for wet
tissues according to the present invention. Referring to Fig.
1, a container main body 1 is formed in a rectangular
parallelopiped shape. A lid unit part 4 composed of a base
plate 2 and a lid body 3 is mounted on the upper surface of
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the container main body 1.
Referring to Fig. 2, wet tissues 5 are contained in
the container main body 1, and a pick-up port 6 for picking up
the wet tissues 5 is provided in the base plate 2 of the lid
unit part 4. The lid body 3 having a function of
opening/closing the pick-up port 6 is supported on the base
plate 2. The lid body 3, which is previously mounted on the
base member 3, constitutes a unit part together with the base
member 2. One preferable example of such a unit part
composed of the base member 2 and the lid body 3 is shown in
Fig. 3.
Referring to Fig. 3, the lid unit part 4 includes the
base plate 2 and the lid body 3 turnably supported on the base
plate 2 through a hinge 7. The base member 2 has the pick-up
port 6 and also has a ring-like projection 8 provided at a
position surrounding the pick-up port 6. The pick-up port 6
is a hole not particularly specified in size and shape
insofar as it allows a wet tissue to be picked up therethrough
Narrow width passages 9 are preferably provided as shown in
Fig. 3. The provision of these narrow width passages 9
enables pop-up of a wet tissue upon picking-up of a wet
tissue.
The pop-up of a wet tissue is such a mechanism that
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when one wet tissue is picked up, a second wet tissue is
lifted up together with the first wet tissue, and when the
first and second wet tissues are separated from each other,
the upper end of the second wet tissues is jumped over the
pick-up port 6. To realize such a pop-up mechanism, wet
tissues are folded and overlapped to each other in such a
manner that the folded end of one folded wet tissue is caught
by a folded end of an adjacent wet tissue.
Moreover, to realize the pop-up mechanism, the narrow
width passages 9 are required to impart a suitable resistance
against a force applied to the narrow width passages upon
picking-up of the wet tissue.
The lid body 3 is provided with a ring-like projection
10 fittable with the ring-like projection 8 formed on the
base plate 2. When the lid body 3 is closed, the ring-like
projection 10 is fitted with the ring-like projection 8, as a
result of which the lid body 3 is fixed to the base member 2,
to thereby seal the inside of the container main body 1. The
shape of each of the projections 8 and 10 is not limited to a
ring-shape but may be a square or polygonal shape.
The container main body 1 is formed of a paper
material. Specific examples of the paper materials include
paper board, converted paper, Japanese paper and recycle
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paper.
The container main body 1 is required to have, a
barrier performance, that is, an air-tightness for preventing
volatilization of an impregnant such as disinfectant alcohol
impregnated in wet tissues. For this purpose, a paper
material constituting the container main body 1 is laminated
with an air-tight film. Specific examples of the air-tight
films include a plastic film made of polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride,
polyvinylidene chloride, cellophane or polyacetate; a
laminated film composed of two kinds or more of the plastic
films; and a laminated film of the plastic film laminated with
an aluminum foil.
Such an air-tight film may be laminated on one surface
or both surfaces of a paper material. Fig. 4 shows a
container main body 1 in which an air-tight film 12 is
laminated on one surface of a paper material 11. In this case,
- the air-tight film 12 is generally provided on the inner
surface side of the container main body 1.
The air-tight film 12 is preferably laminated on the
paper material 11 in such a manner as to be easily separated
from the paper material 11. For example, the air-tight film
12 may be laminated to the paper material 11 in such a manner
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as to be partially joined therewith, and preferably, to be
point-bonded therewith.
Such lamination allows the air-tight film 12 to be
separated from the paper material 11 when a spent container
is discarded, as a result of which the container can be
burned as a pure paper material being not mixed with any
plastic material.
The lid unit part 4 is formed of a hard or semi-hard
plastic material typically by injection molding. When the
lid unit part 4 is formed by injection molding, the base plate
2 can be integrated with the lid body 3. Specific examples
of the plastic materials forming the lid unit part 4 by
injection molding include polypropylene, polyethylene and
polyvinyl chloride.
A window portion 13 is formed in the container main
body 1, and the lid unit part 4 is mounted in the window
portion 13. The lid unit part 4 is generally fixed on the
container main body 1 by heat seal; however, it can be fixed
on the container main body 1 by high frequency seal or
ultrasonic seal. In the container shown in Fig. 4, since the
air-tight film 12 is provided on the inner surface side of the
container main body 1, the lid unit part 4 is fixed on the
inner surface side of the container main body 1 by heat seal.
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Fig. 5 shows a state that a wet tissue 5 is picked up
after opening of the lid body 3. The packet for wet tissues
according to the present invention allows the wet tissue 5 to
be simply picked up by a single operation, as shown in Fig. 5.
- According to the present invention, each of the base
plate and the lid body of the lid unit part can be formed of
a plastic sheet molded by general thermal molding such as
vacuum molding or pressure molding. Specific examples of the
plastic materials used for sheet molding include polypropylene,
polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.
Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the packet for wet
tissues using a lid unit part 16 composed of a base plate 14
and a lid body 15, wherein each of the base plate 14 and the
lid body 15 is formed by sheet molding. One end of the lid
body 15 is joined with the base plate 14 by heat seal or
bonding using an adhesive. The joined end portion of the lid
body 15 functions as a hinge 32 (see Fig. 7).
A recessed portion 17 is formed in the base plate 14,
and a raised portion 18 fittable with the recessed portion 17
is formed on the back surface of the lid body 15. Reference
numeral 19 indicates a knob to be caught by a finger for
opening the lid body 15. As shown in Fig. 7, when the lid
body 15 is closed, the raised portion 18 of the lid body 15
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is fitted in the recessed portion 17 of the base plate 14, as
a result of which the lid body 14 is fixed on the base member
14, to thereby seal the inside of the contain main body 1.
he lid unit part can be also formed of a paper
material, like the container main body. In the case where the
lid unit part is formed of a paper material, each of the base
plate and the lid body is formed by sheet molding of a
laminated film composed of the paper material and an air-tight
film. The paper material used for the container main body 1
can be used for the lid unit part. Similarly, the air-tight
film laminated on the paper material used for the container
main body 1 can be used for the lid unit part.
The air-tight film may be laminated on one surface or
both surfaces of the paper material used for the lid unit part,
like the container main body. Fig. 8 shows the lid unit part
in which an air-tight film is laminated on one surface of a
paper material. The base plate 14 shown in Fig. 8 is formed
of a laminated sheet composed of a paper material 20 and an
air-tight film 21, and the air-tight film 21 is positioned on
the front surface of the paper material 20. Accordingly,
when the lid unit part 16 is mounted in a window portion 13
of the container main body 1, the air-tight film 21 is
brought in contact with the surface of an air-tight film 12 of
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a laminated sheet of the container main body 1, which enables
heat seal therebetween.
Fig. 9 shows the container main body 1 formed of a
laminated sheet composed of the paper material 11 on both
surfaces of which air-tight films 12, 12 are laminated. In
this case, the base plate 14 of the lid unit part can be
heat-sealed on the film 12 positioned on the front surface
side of the laminated sheet. This allows the lid unit part
to be mounted on the upper side of the window portion 13 of
the container main body.
A paper material can be positioned on the front
surface side of each of the laminated sheets forming the
container main body and the lid unit part. Referring to Fig.
10, paper materials 11, 20 and 22 are positioned on the front
surface sides of the laminated sheets forming the container
main body 1, base plate 14 and the lid body 15 of the lid
unit part, respectively. In Fig. 9, reference numeral 23
indicates an air-tight film of the laminated sheet of the lid
body 15.
When the lid unit part 16 is mounted in the window
portion 13 of the container main body 1 in such a state, the
film surface of the container main body 1 is brought in
contact with the paper surface of the base plate 14, and
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accordingly part of the paper material 20 of the base plate
14 is cut-off in order that the film surfaces are brought in
contact with each other and can be subjected to heat seal.
It is advantageous that the container main body 1, and
the base plate 14 and the lid body 15 of the lid unit part,
each of which is formed of the laminated sheet, are assembled
in such a manner that the paper materials of the laminated
sheets are all positioned on the front surface sides. Namely,
the packet for wet tissues thus assembled gives an impression
from the senses of sight and touch that all components are
made of paper. This allows a consumer to instantly understand
such a characteristic of the packet for wet tissues that a
spent container can be discarded as a burnable refuse matter,
and to have a favorable impression for the packet.
The design of the lid body 15 formed by sheet molding
may be changed by replacement of the raised portion 18 shown
in Fig. 6 with a projecting portion 25 interiorly having a
recessed portion 24 as shown in Fig. 11. With this
configuration, when the lid body 15 is closed, a space 26 is
generated as shown in Fig. 12. When the upper end portion of
the second wet tissue is popped up over the pick-up port 6,
the popped-up portion can be thus contained in the space 26.
The means for fixing the lid body formed by sheet
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molding to the base plate when the lid body is closed is not
limited to those described above, but may be variously
changed. For example, another projecting portion may be
provided at the raised portion 18 or the projecting portion
25 of the lid body, or in the neighborhood thereof, and a
recessed portion corresponding thereto may be provided in the
base plate, whereby the lid body is fixed on the base plate
by engagement of the projecting portion with the recessed
portion.
In the case of forming a hinge by joining the end
portion of the lid body to the base plate, as shown in Fig. 13,
an end portion 15a of the lid body 15 may be joined to the
base plate 14 in such a manner as to be folded when the lid
body 15 is closed. In this case, since the lid body is
closed in a state that the end portion 15a of the lid body is
elastically deformed, a restoring force is usually exerted on
the hinge 27. As a result, the lid body is naturally opened
by the restoring force exerted on the hinge 27 at the time of
releasing the fitting between the raised portion 18 or the
projecting portion 25 of the lid body and the recessed
portion 17 of the base plate.
Moreover, when the lid body is opened, it is kept
opened. This prevents the lid body from being undesirably
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brought in contact with the hand moving for picking up a wet
tissue.
Although the pick-up port is provided indirectly in
the container main body by mounting the base plate having the
pick-up port on the container main body in the above-described
embodiment, it may be provided directly in the container main
body as another embodiment of the present invention. The
pick-up port can be directly provided in the container main
body by a method wherein when a recess fittable with a lid
body is formed in a raw sheet by thermal pressing in the
process of manufacturing a container, the pick-up port is
provided by punching the raw sheet.
Next, one example of a method of manufacturing a
packet for wet tissues according to the present invention
will be described with reference to Fig. 14.
A laminated sheet 28 composed of a paper sheet
laminated with an air-tight film is continuously fed from a
feeder with the film surface upward. The laminated sheet 28
is punched by a punching machine 29, to form a window portion
13, and then it is cut into a specified development shape
having a specified size. A lid unit part 4 is fed from top
to bottom and is placed on the window portion 13 of the
laminated sheet 28. A heating plate of a heat seal apparatus
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30 positioned under the laminated sheet 28 is pressed on a
peripheral edge portion of the window portion 13, to
integrally join the laminated sheet 28 with the lid unit part
4 by heat seal. A stacked body 31 of folded wet tissues is
fed from top to bottom and is placed on the lid unit part 4.
The laminated sheet 28 formed in the development shape
is then folded in a box while wrapping the stacked body 31 of
wet tissues. After assembly of the laminated sheet 28 into a
box, necessary portions such as end portions are joined to
each other by heat seal, to complete a container enclosing the
stacked body 31 of wet tissues.
The method of sealing both end portions of the
container will be described below with reference to Figs. 15A,
15s and 15C.
First, both side plates la, lb positioned at the one
end portion of the container are folded along a dashed line
shown in Fig. 15A. Subsequently, an upper surface plate lc
and a lower surface plate ld positioned at the one end
portion of the container are also folded as shown in Figs. 15B
and 15C. The end surface of the container is pressed and
heat-sealed in such a state, to form a sealed container.
Explotation in Industry:
A packet for wet tissues of the present invention is
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used for wiping the backside of a baby or hands for the
purpose of cleaning the backside of the baby or hands. In the
invention, a container after use can be easily discarded, and
- especially, it can be treated as waste, for which the
invention has advantages.
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