Stack comprising wide sheets with narrow folded width
A stack of large sheets includes first and second groups of folded sheets. Each of the sheets of each group is folded substantially in half along a first fold to form first and second plies, and the first and second plies are folded along a second fold to provide a first panel which extends from one edge of the sheet to the second fold, a second panel which extends from the other edge of the sheet to the second fold, a third panel which is a continuation of the second panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, and a fourth panel which is a continuation of the first panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold. The third and fourth panels are joined at the first fold. The sheets of the stack can be either interfolded or non-interfolded. If the sheets are interfolded, the first panel of each sheet of each group is interfolded between the second and third panels of a sheet of the other group.
This invention relates to folded sheets of tissue or similar material. More particularly, the invention relates to large interfolded wet wipes which are folded in a unique way to provide a narrow width stack.
Wet wipes are well known products which are used for wiping surfaces. Some wet wipes are particularly suited for wiping areas of the human body and other wet wipes are intended for wiping inanimate surfaces.
Wet wipes are typically folded and interfolded to form a stack which is packaged in a container which protects the wipes from drying. Some examples of wet wipes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,540332 and 6,202,845 and U.S. patent Publication No. 2002/0039638 A1.
There is a growing wipes market for large interfolded towel size wipes, e.g., 8½ inches x 11 or 12 inches wide. Some of these new products are dust cloths, disinfectant wipes, floor cleaning wipes, industrial wipes, sanitizing wipes, adult wipes, etc. Most of the equipment such as tubs, flow wrappers, ribbon saws, etc., are set for the baby wipes market with a folded width of 3½ inches to 4½ inches. Most of these new products are in the 20 to 45 count range and are dispensed out of the center of a flow wrap package with a resealable pull tab that is resealed after each use. There are few known folds for large wipes on the market that meet this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides a novel fold geometry which allows wide sheets to be folded and interleaved or interfolded to form a stack with a narrow width. The fold geometry permits wide sheets to be packaged in standard size packages which are designed for smaller sheets. The folded sheets provide a flat pack with no ply build-up across the width of the package. The novel fold geometry also permits the folded sheets to be stacked without interfolding. The fold provides a folded two-ply edge in the center of the stack to facilitate grasping and withdrawing individual sheets.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGThe invention will be explained in conjunction with illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing in which
Referring to
Before use, the opening 16 may be closed with a tear-out tab, plastic film, or the like. If the stack comprises premoistened sheets or wet wipes, the opening can be in the form of a narrow slit to reduce the exposure of the stack. Alternatively, the top wall of the container can be provided by a hinged or removable lid or cover which can be opened to provide access to the stack and closed to protect the stack. The container can also be provided by a flow wrap package with a resealable pull-tab that is resealed after each use.
The stack 10 is formed from two groups of folded sheets—right folded sheets 21 and left folded sheets 22. In the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, each right folded sheet 21 is folded in half at a first fold 23 in the center of the sheet so that the edges 24 and 25 of the sheet are substantially aligned.
The term “substantially aligned” is intended to encompass normal variances when conventional folding plates are used. Such variances can amount to up to 4% of the unfolded length of the sheet. For a common 8 inches wide wipe a 4% variance is 0.32 inch.
Additional variance can occur on the two outside lanes of a wide web which is slit into a plurality of narrower slit webs which are then folded. When the wide web is not perfectly centered before slitting (which is almost always the case) or does not perfectly conform to the expected width, the two outside lanes or slit webs will be affected. For example, for a typical 8 inch slit width, the two outside slit webs may have widths of 7.75 inches and 8.25 inches. The difference in sheet width shows up at edges 24 and 25 and adds to the variance of up to 4%.
The folded sheet forms two plies 26 and 27, and the two plies are folded at a second fold 28 which is spaced from the edges 24 and 25 to provide a folded portion 29 which extends between the folds 23 and 28.
The folded sheet 21 includes a first panel 31 which extends from the edge 24 to the fold 28, a second panel 32 which extends from the edge 25 to the fold 28, a third panel 33 which is a continuation of the second panel 32 and which extends from the fold 28 to the fold 23, and a fourth panel 34 which is a continuation of the first panel 31 and which extends from the fold 28 to the fold 23. The third and fourth panels are joined at the fold 23.
Each left folded sheet 22 is similarly folded in half at a first fold 36 so that the edges 37 and 38 of the sheet are substantially aligned and the sheet forms two plies 39 and 40. The folded sheet is folded at a second fold 41 to provide a folded portion 42 which extends between the folds 36 and 41. The folded sheet includes a first panel 43, a second panel 44, a third panel 45, and a fourth panel 46. The third and fourth panels are joined at the fold 36.
The folds 23 and 36 do not have to be precisely at the center of the sheet, and the edges 24, 25 and 37, 38 do not have to be precisely aligned. The folds can be made within a central portion of the sheet which extends to either side of the center or midline of the sheet for about 10 percent of the width of the unfolded sheet. However, folding the sheets at the center so that the edges are substantially aligned provides a stack which is evenly balanced at the edges.
The second folds 28 and 41 of the sheets are preferably positioned so that the folded portions 29 and 42 are about equal to, or slightly less than, one-half of the width of the upper panels, or about ⅙ of the unfolded width of the sheet. When the sheets are stacked as illustrated in
In
When the top sheet is withdrawn from the container, the folded portion 29 or 42 of the top sheet which underlies the top panel 31 or 43 of the next sheet draws a portion of the top panel 31 or 43 out of the container as illustrated at 50 in
The folded portions 29, 42 underlie about one-half of the top panel of the next sheet, or about ⅙ of the unfolded width of the sheet. If the sheet is a wet wipe, only a minor portion of the sheet is exposed outside of the container. The dimension of the pull tab 50 is no longer than the pull tab of many stacks which have much narrower sheets.
The folded and interfolded sheets can be produced on conventional folding machines which are well known in the art.
The fold geometry permits large interfolded tissues, towels, and wet wipes to be provided in a stack which has a substantially narrower width than the unfolded sheet. Folding the sheets twice as described herein reduces the width of the stack to about one-third of the unfolded width of the sheet. A sheet which is 11 to 12 inches wide can therefore be packaged in a tub, wrapper, or container which has a conventional width of about 3.5 to 4.5 inches.
The folded sheets can also be stacked without interfolding. If the sheets are not interfolded, the stack is advantageously oriented so that the folded portions 29, 42 of the sheets face the opening in the container. If the opening is in the top of the container, the stack may be oriented as shown in
Referring to
In
Some of the advantages of the fold geometry described herein are:
1. A standard baby wipe package can be used for a large wipe.
2. The top sheet has a small dispensing tab, which is the same size as smaller baby wipes.
3. The folded sheets can be stacked either interfolded or non-interfolded.
4. If the stack is non-interfolded, the sheets provide a nice two-ply edge in the center of the package, and the user can easily insert his fingers thereunder.
5. The folded sheets provide a flat pack with no ply build-up across the package.
6. The stack can be used in both tub and overwrap packaging.
7. The stack has similar dispensing geometry and characteristics of many proven folds.
8. The stack includes only one style of fold, in both right-fold and left-fold configurations.
9. No additional ribbon/package width is required for tucking in the interfold.
10. The fold can be produced on current wet wipe lines.
While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention was set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that many of the details hereingiven may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A stack of folded sheets having a right side and a left side comprising:
- first and second groups of folded sheets,
- each of the folded sheets of the first group having first and second edges and a central portion and being folded along a first fold in the central portion to form first and second plies, the first and second plies being folded along a second fold which is spaced from the edges to provide a folded portion which extends between the first and second folds, the second fold being positioned on the right side of the stack, the folded portion extending for less than the distance from the second fold to the first and second edges to provide a first panel which extends from the first edge to the second fold, a second panel which extends from the second edge to the second fold, a third panel which is a continuation of the second panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, and a fourth panel which is a continuation of the first panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, the third and fourth panel being joined at the first fold,
- each of the folded sheets of the second group having first and second edges and a central portion and being folded along a first fold in the central portion to form first and second plies, the first and second plies being folded along a second fold which is spaced from the edges to provide a folded portion which extends between the first and second folds, the second fold being positioned on the left side of the stack, the folded portion extending for less than the distance from the second fold to the first and second edges to provide a first panel which extends from the first edge to the second fold, a second panel which extends from the second edge to the second fold, a third panel which is a continuation of the second panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, and a fourth panel which is a continuation of the first panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, the third and fourth panels being joined at the first fold,
- the first panel of each sheet of each group being interleaved between the second and third panels of a sheet of the other group.
2. The stack of claim 1 in which said first fold of each of the folded sheets is substantially at the center of the sheet and the first and second edges of each of the folded sheets are substantially aligned.
3. The stack of claim 2 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for about one-half of the distance from the second fold line to the first and second edges.
4. The stack of claim 2 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for less than one-half of the distance from the second fold line to the first and second edges.
5. The stack of claim 1 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for about one-half of the distance from the second fold line to the first and second edges.
6. The stack of claim 1 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for less than one-half of the distance from the second fold line to the first and second edges.
7. The stack of claim 1 in which the uppermost panel of the stack is folded to form a starter tab.
8. A stack of folded sheets having a right side and a left side comprising:
- first and second groups of folded sheets,
- each of the folded sheets of the first group having first and second edges and a center and being folded along a first fold at the center to form first and second plies, the first and second edges being substantially aligned, the first and second plies being folded along a second fold which is spaced from the edges to provide a folded portion which extends between the first fold and the second fold, the second fold being positioned on the right side of the stack, the folded portion extending for less than the distance from the second fold to the first and second edges to provide a first panel which extends from the first edge to the second fold, a second panel which extends from the second edge to the second fold, a third panel which is a continuation of the second panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, and a fourth panel which is a continuation of the first panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, the third and fourth panels being joined at the first fold,
- each of the folded sheets of the second group having first and second edges and a center and being folded along a first fold at the center to form first and second plies, the first and second edges being substantially aligned, the first and second plies being folded along a second fold which is spaced from the edges to provide a folded portion which extends between the first and second folds, the second fold being positioned on the left side of the stack, the folded portion extending for less than the distance from the second fold to the first and second edges to provide a first panel which extends from the first edge to the second fold, a second panel which extends from the second edge to the second fold, a third panel which is a continuation of the second panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, and a fourth panel which is a continuation of the first panel and which extends from the second fold to the first fold, the third and fourth panels being joined at the first fold.
9. The stack of claim 8 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for about one-half of the distance from the second fold to the first and second edges.
10. The stack of claim 8 in which said folded portion of each of the folded sheets extends for less than one-half of the distance from the second fold line to the first and second edges.
11. The stack of claim 8 in which the first fold of each of the sheets is substantially in the center of the sheet.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 13, 2004
Publication Date: Oct 13, 2005
Inventor: John Wunderlich (Green Bay, WI)
Application Number: 10/823,268