Abstract:
A packaged towelette is provided including a flexible sheet material sealed around a pre-moistened towelette, the flexible sheet material including a fin constructed to allow a user to grasp the fin and open the package without touching the towelette.

Description:
This invention relates to packaging for towelettes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Pre-moistened towelettes are used in many applications, for example in personal care. Personal care applications include towelettes that are used to cleanse the skin, e.g., to wipe one&#39;s hands or to wipe a baby&#39;s skin after a diaper change, and towelettes that include an antiperspirant or deodorant. Other applications include medical applications, e.g., alcohol wipes, and cosmetics, e.g., sunless tanning products and make-up. 
     These towelettes are generally packaged either in a single-use package, typically a sealed package formed of foil-backed paper that is torn open by a user, or a dispenser containing a large number of towelettes that are pulled sequentially from the dispenser through an opening. In either case, the towelette contacts the user&#39;s skin while the user is removing the towelette from its packaging. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention features packaging for towelettes that reduces or even eliminates the need for the user to contact the product with the user&#39;s hands during opening of the packaging, use and disposal of the product. The “touch-free” nature of preferred packaging of the invention is attractive to users in situations in which it may be unpleasant or otherwise undesirable to touch the liquid with which the towelette is moistened with one&#39;s fingers, e.g., if the liquid is an antiperspirant or a cosmetic that would stain the skin. 
     In one aspect, the invention features a packaged towelette including a flexible sheet material sealed around a pre-moistened towelette, the flexible sheet material including a fin constructed to allow a user to grasp the fin and open the package without touching the towelette. 
     Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The pre-moistened towelette is adhered to an inner surface of the flexible sheet material, e.g., by heat-sealing. The package includes a beveled edge to facilitate peeling open of the sealed flexible sheet material. The package is half-octagonal in shape. Alternatively, the package is substantially oval in shape. The fin is constructed to serve as a handle, to allow the user to grip the packaged towelette during use of the pre-moistened towelette, and positioned so that, during use, the flexible sheet material will act as a barrier, preventing contact between the user&#39;s fingers and the pre-moistened towelette. The pre-moistened towelette is moistened with a fluid selected from the group consisting of antiseptics, cleansers, cosmetics and toiletries. Preferably, the fluid includes an antiperspirant, a deodorant, or an antiperspirant/deodorant. The fin has a height of at least 5 mm, more preferably about 8 to 15 mm. The fin is folded flat against a surface of the flexible sheet material prior to use of the towelette. The pre-moistened towelette is moistened with a liquid, gel, cream, emulsion or soft solid. Preferably, the liquid, gel, cream, emulsion or soft solid includes an antiperspirant, deodorant, or antiperspirant/deodorant. 
     In another aspect, the invention features methods of using the packages of the invention. For example, the invention features a method of applying a product to the skin, the product being provided in a package comprising a flexible sheet material the edges of which are sealed around a pre-moistened towelette containing the product, the flexible sheet material including a fin. The method includes (a) grasping the fin, (b) pulling the sealed edges of the flexible material apart to expose the pre-moistened towelette, and (c) contacting the skin with the pre-moistened towelette while continuing to grasp the fin. 
     The packaged towelettes described herein may be used in many applications, e.g., as antiperspirant or deodorant wipes, antiseptic wipes (e.g., alcohol or iodine wipes), and to apply cosmetics and toiletries such as sunscreen, aftershave, insect repellant, make-up and the like. 
    
    
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaged towelette according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the packaged towelette, taken along line A—A in FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 2-2E are schematic perspective views showing a user opening the packaged towelette shown in FIG.  1  and using the towelette within the packaging (the user&#39;s hands are shown in phantom lines). 
     FIGS. 3-3C are schematic views showing steps in a process for forming the packaged towelette shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 4-4D are schematic views showing steps in an alternative process for forming the packaged towelette shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 5-5C show a packaged towelette according to an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, a packaged towelette  10  includes a wrapper  12 , having a fin  14  that is folded against the surface  16  of the wrapper, as shown, during storage of the packaged towelette  10 . Within the wrapper  12  is a pre-moistened towelette  18  (FIG.  1 A). The towelette  18  is sealed to the inner surface  19  of wrapper  12 , for reasons that will become apparent in the following description of FIGS. 2-2E. As shown in FIG. 1A, the edges  20  of the top and bottom portions  12   a ,  12   b  of wrapper  12  are sealed together in a fluid-tight and substantially air-tight manner, to prevent drying out of the towelette  18  and leakage of the fluid with which the towelette  18  is moistened. The seal must also be “peelable”, i.e., readily separated by a user when the user wishes to open the package, as will be discussed in further detail below. The fin preferably has a height H (FIG. 1A) of at least 5 mm, more preferably from about 8 to 15 mm, to enable it to be easily grasped by a user. 
     The wrapper  12  is a single sheet of flexible material that is folded approximately in half to enclose the towelette  18 . The fin  14  extends substantially perpendicular to the fold line, so that the fin can be grasped by the user and used to break the seal at edges  20  and thereby expose the towelette  18 . 
     FIGS. 2-2E illustrate a user opening the packaged towelette  10  and using the towelette  18 . As shown in FIG. 2, the user first grasps the fin  14  and raises it from its folded over position (FIGS. 1-1 A) to a position in which it can be grasped by the user&#39;s fingers. Next, grasping the fin with both hands, the user peels the seal  20  open by separating his hands (arrows, FIGS. 2A,  2 B). The package preferably has a half-octagonal, beveled shape, as shown, rather than a rectangular shape, to enable the seal to be more easily peeled open. The beveled edge allows an optimal distribution of the force applied by the user during the step shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and it is easier for the user to break the short top seal along edge  24  (FIG. 2) than it would be to break the relatively long top seal of a rectangle. The user continues to peel apart the seal  20  until the wrapper is completely open and the towelette  18  is substantially flat (FIG.  2 C). Then, the user can hold fin  14  with one hand, and apply the fluid on the towelette  18  to a desired area without ever having to touch towelette  18  with his fingers (FIGS. 2D,  2 E). Because the towelette  18  is adhered to the inner surface  19  of the outer wrapper, the user can use the fin  19  of the wrapper as a handle, and the wrapper  12  as a protective covering that keeps the fluid on the towelette  19  from contacting the user&#39;s hands. 
     A process for manufacturing the packaged towelette  10  is shown in FIGS. 3-3C. 
     The starting blank is shown in FIG. 3, with fold lines indicated by dashed lines. The blank is folded along the fold lines, and sealed, e.g., heat-sealed, to form fin  14 , as shown in FIG.  3 A. Next, the fin  14  is folded over against surface  16  (FIG. 1A) of the wrapper  12 , and the towelette  18  is adhered to surface  19 , e.g., by heat-sealing or adhesive, as shown in FIG.  3 B. The wrapper and towelette are then folded in half, as shown in FIG.  3 C. The overlapping edges of the top and bottom portions  12   a ,  12   b  of wrapper  12  are heat sealed (dotted lines  21   a - 21   e , FIG.  3 C), to form the final product shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. The side seals  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   d  and  21   e  are formed first, after which the liquid with which the towelette is to be moistened is added to the thus-formed package. Finally, sealing of the package is completed (top seal  21   c  is applied), resulting in the product shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. 
     It is noted that in these figures the sealing and folding steps described above are conducted on a blank that has been pre-cut to an octagonal shape, to create the half-octagon package shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. However, the same shape can be achieved using a rectangular blank, as shown in FIGS. 4-4D, by sealing the top and bottom portions  12   a ,  12   b  of wrapper  12  in a half-octagon shape (FIG.  4 C), and removing the comers  22  after sealing. This process may provide manufacturing advantages, in that the long side seals  21   a ,  21   b  that are applied prior to moistening of the towelette will create a rectangular package that may be easier to fill with fluid than the half octagonal package with only short top seal  21   c  left open. 
     Any other suitable method can be used to form packaged towelette  10 , as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     Suitable wrapper materials are those which are relatively vapor impermeable, to prevent drying out of the towelette, and able to form a “peelable” seal. Preferred wrapper materials include polypropylene and laminates of polypropylene with other layers. In the case of laminates, the polypropylene layer is preferably exposed for sealing to itself along edges  20  as described above. A preferred laminate is a polypropylene/aluminum foil/polystyrene laminate commercially available from Marsh Biomedical Products, 565 Blossom Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14610 under the tradename “Easy Peel Heat-Sealing Foil Roll”. In this case, the foil layer, positioned between the polypropylene and polystyrene layers, provides a vapor barrier, and the polystyrene layer, positioned on the exterior of the finished package, provides flexibility. 
     Suitable materials for the towelette will depend upon the fluid to be applied and the surface to which it will be applied, but will generally include nonwovens, felts, cotton fabric, cellulose, foams, and other materials conventionally used in wipes. Preferably, the towelette material is heat-sealable to the inner surface of the wrapper, but alternatively the towelette may be adhered to the wrapper using an adhesive. Examples of suitable towelette materials include a polypropylene nonwoven (for heat-sealing) and a felt having a pressure-sensitive adhesive, protected by a release sheet, on one side, e.g., a felt commercially available from Kunin Felt, 380 Lafayette Road, Hampton, N.H. 03843 under the tradename Presto™ Felt (for adhesive application). A suitable polypropylene non-woven is spunbound polypropylene, PGI Nonwovens, 201 N. Church Street, Mooresville, N.C. 28115. Other suitable materials include polyester resins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyester polypropylene blends. Additionally, foams may be preferred for some embodiments. 
     Other embodiments are within the claims. For example, while the wrapper has been shown as having an octagonal shape when unfolded, it may have any desired shape, e.g., square, rectangular, oval (as shown in FIGS.  5 - 5 C), or round, and may have any desired dimensions.