Closure unit, mold for producing same, and dispenser-container incorporating a closure unit

Abstract

A closure unit for selectively closing a package of wipes or the like is formed as an integral unit typically in or close to the closed position, and has a flap hinged with respect to a frame defining an opening for enabling dispensing of the wipes or the like therethrough. Break lines between the flap and the frame enable the flap to be torn from the frame at first use, and suitable positive locking means enable the flap to be reclosed with respect to the frame. The structure of the unit is such that no portion of the flap substantially overlaps any portion of the frame when the unit is initially formed, and thus then unit may be formed in or close to the closed position, particularly from sheet material.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a closure unit for use with a dispensing package, in particular such a package that is adapted for containing and dispensing articles, especially tissues or the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Packages for articles such as tissues are well known in the art. Such articles may be supplied dry or soaked / impregnated in liquid or lotion e.g. a cleaning agent, a solvent, a skin treating preparation, etc. Most containers for such articles typically are in soft-pack form or in box form, i.e. in the shape of a parallelepiped or cylindrical (e.g. in the case of separably connected tissues in a reel). [0003] Typically, tissues have a generally rectangular shape and are supplied as separably connected sheets, or interleaved or inter folded discrete sheets stacked in a variety of different configurations, to facilitate the so-called pop-up effect, where each tissue has a leading portion that is first to pass through the opening, an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] By a lack of overlapping referred to above is meant that, dividing the closure unit into a plurality of imaginary elements along the upper surface of the unit, for example, such that each element, while being dimensionally small with respect to said upper surface, extends through the thickness of the unit up to the lower surface thereof in a preferably vertical direction, no such element will be substantially superposed over another such element. In some embodiments, a limited amount of overlapping in the vertical direction, between parts of the flap and the frame, may be possible due to the resilience of the material from which the closure unit is made. Such a material typically comprises a plastic, which can deform to a limited degree when force is applied. Thus, although the parts of the molds required for the molding of the overlapping portions also overlap, once cooled the closure unit can be removed from the mold by forcing a partial and temporary deformation of the overlapping parts to free these components from the molds.

[0034] The present invention is also directed to a dispenser-container for dispensing a plurality of tissues or the like sequentially, comprising a container having a dispensing opening for removing said tissues, and further comprising a closure unit according to the present invention, fixed to said container in overlaying relationship with respect to the opening, such that when the closure unit is in the open position the opening is accessible, and when the closure unit is closed the opening is substantially sealed, from an outside of said dispenser-container. By “sealed”, “sealingly” and so on, is meant that while a air tight or liquid tight closure is preferred, these terms also refer to any degree of closure between provided by the closure unit, in particular between the flap and the frame member, such that foreign matter is at least by an large prevented from entering the opening of the container, and at the same time, evaporation of fluids from the container is substantially slowed down during a typical life-cycle of a container.

Problems solved by technology

This however, is inconvenient and may even result in injury of the users fingers.

However, after repeated use, moisture from the tissues, and / or dirt or other foreign matter can adhere to the adhesive surface of the label, and severely reduce the adhesiveness thereof.

The tab overlies at least a substantial part of the body, requiring difficult and expensive injection molding techniques for its production, if at all available, resulting overall in an expensive dispenser.

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