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(11) | EP 0 119 314 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A re-sealable dispenser-container |
| (57) The present invention relates to a re-sealable dispenser-container comprising a main
container body made of three impervious sheet-like materials, the peripheries of which
are sealed together in a superimposed condition so that two spaces containing materials
for cosmetic or toilet use are formed, with at least one opening, a flap having a
pressure-sensitive adhesive surface and fixed to the main body at one end thereof
to cover the opening, and a non-adhesive member adhered to the adhesive surface and
which member is used for closing the opening in order to prevent the adhesive surface
from directly contacting the contents. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a re-sealable dispenser-container which is suitable for containing sheet-like materials made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as tissue, paper, woven or knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, sheeted and cut cotton layers (cotton balls) for make-up and the like. More particularly, the re-sealable dispenser-container of the present invention is suitable for containing sheets of fiber materials which are wetted with water, toilet water or a medicinal liquid.
[0002] Recently, tissues wetted with water, toilet water, medicinal liquid, e.g. disinfectant liquid, and the like have been utilized to clean hands or face, or to remove make-up. There are many kinds of containers for wet tissue, such as boxes and bags. Many conventional containers are plastic products made by injection molding or vacuum molding, so that the containers are bulky and are not suitable for carrying. Further, the cost of producing such containers is comparatively high.
[0003] Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. 49-4718(4718/74) discloses a flat container made of a waterproofing sheet. The container is produced by folding the sheet into thirds, having a bottom part, a middle part and a top part and then bonding both side edges of the bottom part and the middle part. The middle part has an opening for taking out contents therefrom, whereas the top part acts as a lid for covering the opening and the top part has an adhesive layer coated on a surface of the top part facing the middle part, along the edges of the top part, in aL-Jshape. The top part is re-sealably adhered to the middle part by means of the adhesive layer. Such a container may be potable and can be used to contain wet tissues. However, this container involves several difficulties. For example, odor of the adhesive infects contents because the air inside the container mixes with the air between the middle part and the top part, i.e. adhesive layer, because of the opening as a result the contents changed in odor or quality. It is difficult to automatically coat adhesive on the inside surface of the top part in a
shape and also difficult to form the adhesive layer at a constant position in each container, so that reliably sealing the top part and the middle part is not ensured. The container cannot be made in series production.
[0004] In US-A- 4 156 493 there is disclosed a re-sealable dispenser-container for containing sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use comprising:
a container body made of an impervious sheet-like material which wraps around said sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use;
the container body being formed in a rectangular shape and having at least one opening;
a flap one end of which is attached to the body at a position apart from an end of said opening and which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface; and
a non-adhesive member made of an impervious sheet-like material in a size at least the same as that of said opening formed on the container body and being adhered 'to the flap at a position corresponding to the opening.
[0005] A drawback of the dispenser-container of US-A- 4 156 493 consists therein that it cannot be continuously manufactured. More specifically, the dispenser-container is formed from discontinuous and separate sheet-like material by filing the sheet-like material into two and sealing the three peripheral edges of the separate sheet-like material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser-container which is able to repeatedly and reliably seal an opening of a main container body for taking out contents therefrom.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container in which the odor of adhesive to be used for sealing does not infect contents in the main container body.
[0008] A further object of the invention is to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container which is able to assure user that nobody has taken the contents out of the container before the user uses it.
[0009] It is another object of the invention to provide a re-sealable dispenser-container which can contain two kinds of contents without any risk of mutual contamination.
[0010] Still a further object of the invention is to provide sheet-like fiber materials for make-up or toilet articles, to be contained in a re-sealable portable container made of impervious material.
[0011] According to the present invention, a re-sealable dispenser-container for containing sheet-like materials for cosmetic or toilet use comprises:
a main container body made of impervious sheet-like materials;
said main container body being formed in a rectangular shape and having at least one opening;
a flap one end of which is attached to said main body at a position apart from an end of said opening and which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface and a non-adhesive member made of an impervious sheet-like material in a size at least the same as that of said opening formed on said main container body and being adhered to said flap at a position corresponding to said opening. The dispenser-container according to the invention is characterized in that:
said main container body is made of three impervious sheet-like materials, the peripheries of which are sealed together in a superimposed condition, so that two spaces containing materials for cosmetic or toilet use are formed and sandwich an inner impervious sheet-like material of said three impervious sheet-like materials therebetween;
the remaining two of said three impervious sheet-like materials form the outside walls of said main container body at least one of which outside walls has said opening and said flap with said non-adhesive member; and
said opening is an elongated opening extending in a longitudinal direction of said rectangular shape and located at the center of said rectangular shape.
[0012] The'dispenser-container of the invention can be used to contain a variety of items, i.e. paper, tissue, candy, nailes cotton balls etc.. More particularly, the dispenser-container of the invention is very useful as it can contain sheet-like fiber materials such as tissue, gauze, paper, woven or knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, cotton balls for make-up, and so on, and especially suitable for wetted sheet-like fiber materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away to show interior construction, of a dispenser-container of the invention, which container has two spaces in its interior.
Fig. 2 is a perspective sectional view illustrating the interior of the dispenser-container as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional view of another embodiment of the dispenser-container as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dispenser-container partially broken away, the container having two spaces in its interior, a flap being provided for one of spaces and a perforated straight line being provided for the other space.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] The present invention will now be described in detail referring to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a re-sealable dispenser-container according to the present invention comprises a main container body 1 made of impervious sheet-like material and provided with an opening 2, a flap 3 positioned to cover the opening and attached to the main body at one end of the flap, which flap having a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface 4 facing the main body 1, and a non-adhesive member 5 adhered to the surface 4 at a position corresponding to the opening 2 in the main body 1.
[0015] The non-adhesive member 5 has the same or a larger area than the opening 2 and is positioned so as to substantially cover the opening 2 when the flap 3 is closed, that is, when the whole of the flap 3 contacts with the main body 1 and the pressure-sensitive adhesive surface 4 adheres to the main body 1, so that the non-adhesive member 5 can close the opening 2. Therefore, the non-adhesive member, i.e. closing member 5 prevents the adhesive surface 4 from directly contacting the contents accomodated in the main body 1. The contents can be kept clean and the odor of the adhesive does not infect the contents. The dispenser-container of the invention can be used to contain various things, and the container is very suitable for containing things which should be kept clean or hygienic, such as something to eat, wetted gauze or tissue or cotton balls used for disinfecting or for make-up or for removing make-up and so on.
[0016] The shape of the opening 2 can be appropriately modified, such as circle, rectangle, diamond shape, ellipse, and the like.
[0017] A main container body 1 is a film made of synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, acetate, cellophane, and etc., and the film may be single layer or a laminated layer. The film may be a laminated layer of the above-mentioned film and aluminium sheet. The main container body as shown in Fig. 1 is a flat bag. Such bag is made of three superimposed sheets by bonding longitudinal edges 10 of the sheet and then bonding both transverse end edges 6. Bonding edges of film may be carried out by heat-sealing, ultrasonic sealing or high-frequency sealing.
[0018] A flap 3 may be made of the same material as mentioned-above in connection with the main container body. The flap may be fixed to the main body by means of heat-sealing,ultrasonic sealing, high-frequency sealing, or adhesive bonding. The fixing means is appropriately selected in accordance with material of the main body 1. The flap 3 has a larger area than the opening 2 in the main body 1 - in order to completely cover the opening. The flap 3 may be in various shapes such as a circle, a rectangle, an ellipse, a racing track shape, and so on. The inside surface of the flap 3 facing the main container body 1 is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as a acrylic adhesive, rubber adhesive, polyester adhesive, polyolefin adhesive, and the like, which adhesive may be coated by means of roller coating, knife coating or spray coating. If the flap 3 and the closing member 5 are transparent, it is convenient to see the state of the contents.
[0019] A flap 3 may be provided with a projecting part 7 at the free end thereof in order to easily pick up the flap with the fingers to open the flap. Preferably the projecting part 7 is not coated with adhesive.
[0020] The closing member 5 is preferably made of a comparatively flexible film or synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, and the like.
[0021] The main body 1 is provided with a partition 9 in its interior. The partition 9 divides the interior of the main body 1 into two spaces 11 and 12, each space 11, 12 having an opening 2. A flap 3 with a non-adhesive closing member 5 is provided to cover each opening 2. The partition 9 is made of a film of synthetic resins as used for a main body 1, and preferably the circumference of the partition 9 on both sides may be coated with a hot-melt adhesive having a lower melting point than the main body.
[0022] Figs. 2 and 3 respectively are perspective sectional views of a dispenser-container as shown in Fig. 1, and illustrate the ; state of the main body 1 before use, a flap 3 being provisionally opened. In this embodiment a non-adhesive closing member 5 is alternatively as a part of a main body 1 as shown in Fig. 2 or as a member independent of the main body 1 as shown in Fig. 3.
[0023] Such a dispenser-container having two spaces is portable and very convenient for containing two different kinds of contents, for example dry tissue and wet tissue, chocolate and candy, pills for headaches and stomach-aches, and so on.
[0024] Fig. 4 illustrates another type of a dispenser-container, wherein an interior of a main body 1 is divided into two spaces 11 and 12 by a partition 9. One of the spaces 12 has an opening (not shown), a flap 3 with an adhesive surface 4 and a non-adhesive closing member 5. For the other space 11, a straight perforated line 13 is provided in the main body 1, which main body can be easily broken along the perforated line 13 to take out contents therefrom.
[0025] Regarding the embodiments as shown in Figs. 1 through 4, contents to be accomodated in the interior of a main container body 1 are preferably contained before completion of the forming of the dispenser-container from one or more sheet-like materials, i.e. before sealing the edges of a sheet or sheets longitudinally and transversely.
[0026] According to the present-invention, a re-sealable dispenser-container can be produced according to a method as described in detail in European patent specification 80 107 516.9
[0027] One embodiment for manufacturing the re-sealable dispenser-container of the invention is as follows: An impervious continuous sheet for a main body of a dispenser-container, made of synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester and so on, is fed from a roll of sheet 1 to a punching machine, wherein a perforated line drawn in a closed shape as an ellipse, a circle, a rectangle etc. is punched in the sheet 1. Flaps 3, one side i.e. one surface of which has been coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive 4, having been made ready beforehand in such a manner that the flaps 3 are mounted on a roll of continuous sheet for flaps. A flap 3 is removed from the sheet and is disposed on the sheet 1 for a main body in such a way that the flap 3 covers the perforated line in the sheet 1 and that the adhesive surface of the flap faces the sheet 1, by means of a machine for disposing a flap in place, which machine is a kind of labeling machine. The flap 3 is fixed to the sheet 1 at one end of the flap by a heat-sealer. Then the sheet 1 is guided by means of a guiding unit comprising a plurality of guide rollers, so as to turn over the sheet 1. Contents, for example sheet-like fiber materials such as wet tissue, gauze, and the like, are mounted on the sheet 1 by means of a device for supplying contents.Then a continuous sheet 9 for partition is supplied over the contents. Other contents are mounted on the sheet 9 in such a manner that they are superimposed on the previously mounted contents. Another continuous sheet 1 for main container body is supplied over the superimposed contents, which sheet has flaps attached thereto if dispenser-containers illustrated in Fig. 2 are expected to be manufactured, or which has a perforated line formed therein if dispenser-containers illustrated in Fig. 4 are expected to be manufactured. The longitudinal edges 10 of the sheets 1, 9 and 1 are sealed by means of a center heat-sealer. Further to sheets 1, 9 and 1 are sealed in the transverse direction both in front and behind the contents by means of another heat-sealer, and the transverse sealed portion 6 of the sheets 1, 9 and 1 is cut by a cutting machine.
a main container body (1) made of impervious sheet-like materials;
said main container body being formed in a rectangular shape ; and having at least one opening (2);
a flap (3) one end of which is attached to said main body (1) at a position apart from an end of said opening and which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface (4) and
a non-adhesive member (5) made of an impervious sheet-like material in a size at least the same as that of said opening (2) formed on said main container body (1) and being adhered to said flap (3) at a position corresponding to said opening (2) characterized in that:
said main container body (1) is made of three impervious sheet-like materials (1 and 9), the peripheries of which are sealed together in a superimposed condition, so that two spaces (11 and 12) containing materials for cosmetic or toilet use are formed and sandwich an inner impervious sheet-like material (9) of said three impervious sheet-like materials therebetween;
the remaining two of said three impervious sheet-like materials (1) form the outside walls of said main container body (1) at least one of which outside walls has said opening (2) and said flap (3) with said non-adhesive member (5); and
said opening (2) is an elongated opening extending in a longitudinal direction of said rectangular shape and located at the center of said rectangular shape.