Absorbent article package with enhanced opening and recloseability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247821-B2
Application number	US-202016938051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2020
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A package containing a plurality of disposable absorbent articles, the package being formed of flexible polymeric film, and having a path defining a hood opening structure is disclosed. The hood may be configured so as to serve as an effective package reclosure device whereby the package may be used to store the unused supply of articles following opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package formed of a flexible polymeric film, containing a stack of folded disposable absorbent articles,
the stack having an approximate rectangular cuboid shape and comprising:
a plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles, similarly folded, each of the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles comprising: a first face and a second face lying along approximately parallel planes; a lateral fold with a fold nose defining an end edge of the folded disposable absorbent article, the fold nose having a pair of fold nose corners at left and right sides; a folded height, and a folded width;
the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles being arranged with the first face of one in contact with the second face of the next adjacent one, wherein the fold noses of a majority of the plurality are disposed approximately along a first side of the stack;
a stacking direction approximately perpendicular to the parallel planes;
a stack length measured from a first outward-facing side of a first folded disposable absorbent article in the stack to a opposing second outward-facing side of a last folded disposable absorbent article in the stack, along the stacking direction;
a stack height approximately corresponding to the folded height;
a stack width approximately corresponding to the folded width; and
a second side of the stack opposing the first side of the stack;

the flexible polymeric film comprising about 30% to about 70% percent blended-in recycled material and enclosing and wrapping the stack and thereby approximately assuming the approximate rectangular cuboid shape and forming the package, the package thereby having six outward-facing surfaces comprising:
a first package surface adjacent one of the first side or second side;
a second package surface opposite the first package surface;
a first opposing pair of a third package surface and a fourth package surface respectively adjacent the first outward-facing side and the second outward-facing side; and
a second opposing pair of a fifth package surface and a sixth package surface respectively adjacent side edges of the folded disposable absorbent articles in the stack;

the package comprising:
a package length approximately corresponding to the stack length, and a package width approximately corresponding to the stack width;
a path of perforations or scoring in the flexible polymeric film beginning at a first endpoint and ending at a second endpoint, the path:
extending along a stack direction path length that comprises at least 33 percent of the package length;
having a first central portion extending across an entirety of one of the third package surface or the fourth package surface, connected to a second portion extending from a first connection with the first central portion, across a first part of the fifth package surface to the first endpoint, and connected to a third portion extending from a second connection with the first central portion, across a second part of the sixth package surface to the second endpoint; and
defining an opening hood structure that overlays a set of the fold noses, the opening hood structure having a hood height of at least 40 mm,
the opening hood structure being disposed proximate the first side of the stack;
said package comprising an intact support band about a perimeter of the package extending across of each of the third package surface, the fourth package surface, the fifth package surface, and the sixth package surface, circumscribing the stack along a support plane approximately parallel to the first outward-facing side of the stack and the intact support band located at a support band height of at least 50 percent of the stack height.

2. The package of claim 1 , comprising a second path of perforations or scoring in the film beginning at a first endpoint and ending at a second endpoint.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the second path is free of overlap with the first path.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein the path of perforations has a cut-to-land ratio of at least 0.67:1 and no greater than 3:1, and wherein the flexible polymeric film has a thickness from about 40 μm to about 100 μm.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymeric film comprises multiple layers with one layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer resin.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the path does not traverse a gusset structure.

7. The package of claim 1 , comprising a carrying handle disposed adjacent one of the first side and second side of the stack.

8. The package of claim 7 , comprising an end seam fin extending from the second package surface, wherein the carrying handle is formed of an extension of the end seam fin.

9. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first central portion of the path of perforations or scoring extends along a direction approximately parallel the first side of the stack.

10. The package of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of artwork, trademarks, textual, and graphic product information.

11. The package of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles comprises bi-folded diapers.

12. The package of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles comprises feminine hygiene pads.

13. A package formed of a flexible polymeric film, containing a stack of folded disposable absorbent articles,
the stack having an approximate rectangular cuboid shape and comprising:
a plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles, similarly folded, each of the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles comprising: a first face and a second face lying along approximately parallel planes; a lateral fold with a fold nose defining an end edge of the folded disposable absorbent article, the fold nose having a pair of fold nose corners at left and right sides; a folded height, and a folded width;
the plurality of the folded disposable absorbent articles being arranged with the first face of one in contact with the second face of the next adjacent one, wherein the fold noses of a majority of the plurality are disposed approximately along a first side of the stack;
a stacking direction approximately perpendicular to the parallel planes;
a stack length measured from a first outward-facing side of a first folded disposable absorbent article in the stack to a second outward-facing side of a last folded disposable absorbent article in the stack, along the stacking direction;
a stack height approximately corresponding to the folded height;
a stack width approximately corresponding to the folded width; and
a second side of the stack opposing the first side of the stack;

the flexible polymeric film enclosing and wrapping the stack and thereby approximately assuming the approximate rectangular cuboid shape and forming the package, the package thereby having six outward-facing surfaces comprising:
a first package surface adjacent one of the first side or second side;
a second package surface opposite the first package surface;
a first opposing pair of a third package surface and a fourth package surface respectively adjacent the first outward-facing side and the second outward-facing side; and
a second opposing pair of a fifth package surface and a sixth package surface respectively adjacent side edges of the folded disposable absorbent articles in the stack;

the package comprising:
a package length approximately corresponding to the stack length, and a package width approximately corresponding to the stack width;
a path of a mechanical fastening means between a first endpoint on the fifth package surface and a sec

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Sheehan Astrid Annette
• Fenton James T
• Sellers Brian Patrick
• Unger Alexander Eberhard
• Yamamoto Yoichiro

Classifications

• B65D75/5827 Primary

  Tear-lines provided in a wall portion (B65D75/5805, B65D75/5816 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D75/563

  Integral handles or suspension means (B65D75/566 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2203/12

  Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means (B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D85/07

  for compressible or flexible articles (for wearing apparel B65D85/18) · CPC title

• B65D75/5811 Primary

  and defining, after tearing, a small dispensing spout, a small orifice or the like · CPC title