Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PACKAGE WITH WINDOW AND UNIT DOSE ARTICLES THEREIN
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention concerns packaging for unit dose articles,
particularly
unit dose articles comprising laundry compositions. The laundry compositions
may include, but
are not limited to, additives for use in wash and/or rinse cycles, detergents,
fabric softeners, and
perfumes among others. These unit dose articles may comprise compositions that
are in any
suitable form including, but not limited to, solids, pastes, gels, liquids and
combinations thereof.
Non-solid laundry compositions will most commonly be encapsulated in film
material that is at
least partially soluble in water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Life is becoming more hectic than ever. We now access global information at
the touch
of a button, keep our mobile phones handy for any eventuality, and as
consumers, we have
become accustomed to the get-it-now life style. Household compositions like
detergents have
been impacted by this trend. For example, over the last decade and a half
manufacturers have
moved from the traditional big-box laundry and auto dish detergents, to
compacted detergents,
and more recently, to unit dose detergents. The unit dose is typically a
tablet or a water soluble
pouch that can be directly added into a washing machine, without the bother or
mess of
measuring. The unit dose is designed to dissolve in the water during the wash
cycle.
Water-soluble unit dose articles are susceptible to incidental or
unintentional contact with
moisture. Consequently, it is important to protect the article from moisture
during the various
stages of its life cycle, including during transport and storage. Packaging is
a way of providing
such protection. Packaging also forms an integral part of a product and may be
a consumer's
first point of contact with a brand. Thus apart from protecting the unit dose
article from damage,
the package must be aesthetically pleasing and provide space for branding and
usage information
to the consumer. In sum, the ideal package is functional, informative and
attractive.
One attempt to meet these needs has been to package unit dose articles in
flexible bags.
To prevent waste and to provide a full looking bag, the bags are typically
sized according to the
volume of unit dose articles contained therein. The height of the bag is often
manipulated to
provide for a good shelf presence. Oftentimes, these considerations lead to a
tall bag having a
small footprint and consequently a high center of gravity. These bags tend to
tip over on the
store shelf.
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Some bags have a window through which the consumer may see the product prior
to
purchase. The size and placement of the window is such that the bag appears to
be full of
product. A full looking bag has been viewed as a critical element for
conveying to consumers
that they are getting their money's worth.
Given these considerations, as well as that unit dose articles are sold in a
variety of
counts, the manufacturer may be required to make a whole series of bags for a
single final
product. This can be disadvantageous since it adds to manufacturing costs.
Thus there remains a need for an attractive bag that: protects unit dose
articles from
moisture; provides the consumer with brand and usage information, and that can
be utilized to
package a variety of article counts, while still signaling to the consumer
that they are getting
value for their money.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs. Rather than
providing a series
of bags of different sizes, a single sized flexible bag is used to package a
variety of counts of unit
dose articles. The bags can have a large footprint for stability. A
transparent window is provided
through which the consumer can see the fill line or "height" of varying counts
contained within a
single sized bag. "Transparent" as used herein means that the height of the
unit dose articles is
visible through the window. Consequently, "transparent" is used
interchangeably with
"translucent". The present bag may also provide a "billboard space" on the
front of a package so
that the branding and use of the unit dose articles within can be clearly
communicated to the
consumer.
In some embodiments, the flexible bag contains a plurality of at least
partially water
soluble unit dose articles. The bag comprises a front panel and a back panel
marginally joined
thereto along at least two opposed edges such that they are in a confronting
relationship to form a
closed bag. The front panel and the back panel are joined at the top by a
frangible seal and may
optionally be additionally joined at the top with a resealable closure.
"Frangible seal" as used
herein means a seal that is capable of being broken. The bag also comprises a
bottom panel that
is intermediate to the front and back panels, and which is joined to each of
the front and back
panels. The front panel comprises at least one transparent window and at least
one opaque
portion. The unit dose articles are distributed from the bottom of the bag to
a height therein. The
bag provides an empty space above the height of the articles such that the
transparent window of
the front panel intercepts the unit dose articles and the empty space.
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In some embodiments, the bag contains unit dose articles having a pincushion
shape with
a major dimension. The bag provides an empty space above the height of the
unit dose articles.
The transparent window of the front panel has a height taken in the vertical
direction of the front
panel that intercepts the unit dose articles and the empty space. The width of
the transparent
In some embodiments, the unit dose article comprises a liquid laundry
composition
encapsulated in a film material that is at least partially soluble in water.
In some embodiments, the invention is directed to a method of providing a
flexible sealed
bag containing a plurality of unit dose articles. The method comprising the
steps of: providing
a front panel and a back panel marginally joined thereto along at least two
opposed edges
to be in a confronting relationship to form a closed bag; the front panel and
the back panel
being joined at the top by a frangible seal;
a bottom panel intermediate to the front panel and the back panel, and joined
to each of
15 the front panel and back panel;
wherein the front panel comprises at least one transparent window and at least
one opaque
portion;
filling the bag with a plurality of at least partially water soluble unit dose
articles such that the
articles are distributed from the bottom of the bag to a height therein;
providing an empty space
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and
distinctly
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag containing articles according to the
present
invention.
30 FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a unit dose article according to the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the bag of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are frontal views of alternative embodiments of bags
containing
articles according to the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The article of manufacture of the present invention is a flexible bag that
contains a
plurality of unit dose articles. The flexible bag may reduce and/or prevent
exposure of the
articles to moisture prior to and/or during transport and storage. The
flexible bag may comprise a
transparent window through which the consumer can see the fill line or
"height" of the unit dose
articles when the bag is displayed to the consumer for purchase at the point
of purchase.
Moreover, the flexible bag may provide a "billboard space" on the front of the
bag so that indicia
such as branding and usage instructions can be clearly communicated to the
consumer.
The transparent window may have a constant or variable width. "Constant width"
as used
herein refers to a window having the same width throughout its vertical
dimension.
"Variable width" as used herein refers to a window having a width that differs
in its vertical
dimension.
FIGS. 1 and 2-3d generally show flexible bags 10 containing a plurality of
unit dose
articles 100 per the present invention. Although the bags are as described and
illustrated in the
figures, they need not have these particular panel configurations provided
that they comprise a
compartment for the unit dose articles. For example, the bag could comprise
gussets along the
side. The bag could additionally comprise one or more side panels joined to
the front panel and
back panel. In a further example, the bag could additionally comprise internal
partitions.
Moreover, although the front panel of the bags as described and illustrated in
figures is generally
rectangular, it may take other suitable shapes. For example, the front panel
could be generally
circular.
The sealed flexible bag 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a front panel
30, a back
panel 50 and a bottom panel (not shown). The front panel 30 in this embodiment
is rectangularly
shaped and comprises spaced apart side edges 35a, 35b defining a width there
between. The
front panel is marginally joined to the back panel 50 along at least two
opposed edges to be in
confronting relationship. FIG. 1 shows the two opposed edges marginally joined
together, those
opposed edges of the front panel and back panel, respectively 35a, 55a. The
bottom panel (not
shown) is intermediate to the front panel 30 and back panel 50, and joined to
each. The front
panel 30 and the back panel 50 are joined at the top by a frangible seal 20.
A variety of materials can be used to form the panels of the bag, the seal(s)
and other
elements of the present invention. Technical requirements such as moisture
protection and
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compatibility with product as well as costs and ease of manufacture are
several factors to
consider when selecting these materials.
One or more materials may be used to form one or more panels 30, 50 of a bag
10. In
some embodiments, one or more panels 30, 50 comprise layers of material. In
some
5 embodiments, the layers are laminated together. Materials of use include,
but are not limited to
film forming plastics. Film forming plastics may be selected from the group of
polyethylene
terephthalate, polyethylene, NylonTM, BarexTM, EvohTM and combinations
thereof. In some
embodiments, the panels 30, 50 may comprise layers laminated together.
The panels 30, 50 of the bag 10 may be joined along the edges 35a, 35b using
any
suitable method that will provide a seal that serves as a moisture barrier.
Non-limiting examples
include ultrasonic welding, autogeneous bonding, pressure sealing, adhesive
sealing and
combinations thereof.
Any suitable means of creating a frangible seal joining the front and back
panels together
is of use. Non-limiting examples include perforating, applying a line of
weakness, peelable seal,
reasealable closures and combinations thereof.
As shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 30 comprises at least one opaque portion
31 and at
least one transparent window 32. In some embodiments, the at least one opaque
portion 31 may
contain information including, but not limited to, instructions for use,
advertising, performance
information and the like. The transparent window 32 in this embodiment is
variable in width,
i.e., it diverges to become wider as the bottom of the bag 10 is approached.
The articles 100 are distributed from the bottom of the bag 10 to a height 110
therein,
providing an empty space 33 above the height 110 of the unit dose articles 100
such that the
transparent window 32 intercepts the articles 100 and the empty space 33. The
flexible bag 10
shown in FIG. 1 comprises an optional, additional closure 25 for securing the
bag 10 in a closed
condition after the frangible seal 20 is broken.
FIG. la shows an exemplary unit dose article 100 of the present invention. The
unit dose
article 100 is preferably a unitized dose of a household care composition
including, but not
limited to laundry, dish or hard surface cleaning compositions. While such
articles 100 can have
a variety of forms, shapes and compositions, a common feature of such
additives is their
susceptibility to being degraded, deactivated, rendered unstable or dissolved
when exposed to
prolonged and/or high levels of moisture. By way of example, laundry additives
encapsulated in
polymer films that are designed to be fast dissolving under both hot and cold
water conditions,
may become tacky, unstable and even prematurely dissolved if not protected
from prolonged
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exposure to atmospheric moisture. Such articles are described in U.S. Patent
Publication No.
2010/0192986A1 and U.S. Patent No. 6995126, which are incorporated herein by
reference.
As shown in FIG. la, the unit dose article may have a pincushion shape with a
major
dimension 101 along one side. As used herein, "major dimension" defines the
largest linear
dimension of the unit dose article 100. If the unit dose article 100 is
substantially circular, the
"major dimension" defines the diameter thereof. In embodiments in which the
bag 10 contains a
plurality of unit dose articles 100 having different shapes and sizes, the
major dimension 101
corresponds to the major dimension of the largest of the unit dose article
100.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the bag 10 containing articles 100 of FIG. 1. In
this
embodiment, the bottom panel 40 of the bag is transparent such that at least a
portion of the
articles 100 contained therein are visible there through. The bottom panel 40
is intermediate to
and joins the front panel 30 and the back panel 50. The front panel 30 is
marginally joined to the
back panel 50 along two sets of opposed edges in confronting relationship.
FIG. 2 shows a first
set of opposing edges as 35a and 55a and a second set of opposing edges as 35b
and 55b.
FIGS. 3a-3d are frontal views of alternative embodiments of flexible bags 10
containing
articles 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 3a shows an embodiment
of a flexible bag
10 containing a plurality of articles 100 having different sizes and shapes.
The transparent
window 32 in the front panel 30 of the bag 10 diverges to have a maximum width
of the window
at the height 110 of the articles 100 in the bag 10 when the bag is displayed
to the consumer for
purchase at the point of purchase.
FIG. 3b shows an embodiment of a flexible bag 10 containing a plurality of
articles 100
having substantially the same shape and size. The transparent window 32 in the
front panel 30 of
the bag 10 has a major axis 320. The major axis 320 is diagonally oriented
relative to the
rectangularly shaped front panel 30.
FIG. 3c shows an embodiment of a flexible bag 10 containing a plurality of
articles 100
optionally having substantially the same shape and size. Two transparent
windows, a top
window 32a and a bottom window 32b are in the front panel 30 of the bag 10.
The top
transparent window 32a intercepts the articles 100 and the empty space 33.
FIG. 3d shows an embodiment of a flexible bag 10 containing a plurality of
articles 100
optionally having substantially the same shape and size. Three transparent
windows, 32a, 32b
and 32c are in the front panel 30 of the bag 10. One transparent window 32a
intercepts the
articles 100 and the empty space 33. The transparent windows 32b and 32c are
below the height
110 of the articles.
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The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly
limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise
specified, each such
dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range
surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is
intended to mean
"about 40 mm."
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent
or
application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless
expressly excluded or
otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is
prior art with
respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in
any combination with
any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such
invention. Further, to
the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts
with any meaning
or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the
meaning or definition
assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and
described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that 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.
