GB2130998A

GB2130998A - Absorbent cotton roll receptacle and dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2130998A
Application number: GB08234405A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Enrico Mezzetti
Original assignee: FIM FABBRICA ITALIANA DI MEDIC
Current assignee: FIM FABBRICA ITALIANA DI MEDIC
Priority date: 1982-12-02
Filing date: 1982-12-02
Publication date: 1984-06-13

Abstract

For reducing the bulk of absorbent cotton webs wound in rolls and dispensed from a container, discrete zones 111 of such a web are intensely compressed so as substantially to reduce the web thickness spotwise. The compression may be effected by calendering the web between 2 rollers of which at least one is toothed. The compression spots may be separated by sections 112 of uncompressed webs and/or transverse tearing lines can be provided by through cuts in the web. The dispensing container may consist of two half shells 211, 212 hinged together at 213 and each shell has a respective resilient lip 214, 215, the lips together forming an outlet port 217. Blades 218 are formed on the lips and the outlet port 217 can be closed by a lid 220. To cut the web the lips are pressed together and a pull on the web then severs the web. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Absorbent cotton roll receptacle It is known to shape an absorbent fibrous material, more particularly, but not exclusively, absorbent cotton, in the form of a web which is then variously coiled up in roll form, in zig-zag form or otherwise.

Absorbent cotton for hygienic uses is very often packaged in this way and is contained in bags and like containers.

This invention aims to modify the conventional packages mentioned above so as to achieve a number of advantages, among which, in the first place, that of obtaining a denser package of material without any consequential alteration of the fluffiness, the ease of unrolling and a better useability.

To this end, the invention provides a package of cotton in fluffy web form, characterized in that it is a container in which a roll of said web is enclosed, said web having discrete zones wherein the fibrous material is strongly compressed, the web emerging through a slot formed through the receptacle wall.

Advantageously, preferential breaking lines are also provided transversally of the web, and these are aligned areas in which the fibers are cut through.

As an alternative to said preferential breakage lines, the zones in which the fibers are strongly compressed can be interspersed with fibre transversal sections which are substantially not constipated.

In order that the objects and features of the invention may be best understood, an exemplary embodiment thereof will now be described hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a cotton web shaped according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section taken along the line Il-Il of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wound web of the Figures 1 and 2, packaged in the interior of a container.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing another web made according to this invention.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a preferred form of a container (shown in open condition) for a web made according to the invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the container of Figure 6 in the closed condition, the web of absorbent fibrous material being shown in phantom, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIll-VIll of Figure 7.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a web 10 of fluffy cotton fibers exhibits strongly compressed spots 1 so that, in those areas the strip is very thin, its thickness being thinner than the average thickness of the fluffy web.

Such compressed areas can easily be provided by calendering the web concerned between two rollers, either at least of which is toothed in positions which correspond to the spots in which the compressed areas 11 are intended to be.

If either calendering roller only is toothed while the other is left smooth, the reduced thickness spots will be asymmetrical relative to the transversal centre plane of the web. Obviously, two toothed rollers can equally well be adopted, the rotations of which are simultaneous and in phase relationship, in such a way that the corresponding teeth become confrontingly placed so as to compress the web.

In addition, according to the invention, the same conventional technique of calendering between toothed rollers can also be adopted to provide through-cuts 13, aligned transversally, so as to form preferential tearing lines, the cuts having an appropriate distance from each other so as to facilitate tearing off of individual cotton web sections.

A web roll such as shown in Figures 1 and 2, also without a central core, is advantageously received within a receptacle 14, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3, which is fitted with a longitudinally oriented slot 1 5 through which the web 10 can emerge while being maintained dimensionally stabler and easily removable by unrolling by virtue of the presence of the compressed spots 11.

Obviously, the outline, the size and the distribution as such of the compressed spots of the web may be varied widely, the same being true of the outline of the receptacle, on bearing in mind the objective of keeping the web thickness thinner than it would spontaneously be, thus reducing the diameter of the roll formed thereby without, however, impairing the fluffiness of the material in any appreciable way.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the spots 111, instead of being separated by lines of least resistance, can be separated by transversal sections 11 2 wherein the fiber is substantially not constipated.

Figures 6 to 8 of the drawings show a container which is especially indicated for use with an absorbent fiber web roll made according to the invention.

The reference 210 generally indicates such receptacle which is cylindrical in shape and is structurally composed of two half shells 211, 212. The half shells 211, 212, are preferably made of a plastics material having a resiliently yielding nature and are hingedly connected to one another by a linear hinge 213.

According to the invention, there extend from the half shells 211,212, respective lips 214, 215, which are resiliently flexible and which, as the receptacle is closed (Figure 7), define a port 216 wherethrough the fiber web 217 can be pulled out.

In the lips 214, 215, there are formed confrontingly positioned blades 218 which serve to facilitate the tearing off of a strip section 217.

At 21 9 there are indicated reinforcement ribs.

For hygienic reasons, the port 216 can conveniently be closed by a lid 220 secured to the receptacle by a thin thread 221, also made of a plastics material.

The reliable closure of the receptacle is warranted by the provision of dowels 222 on either half shell, which enter seats 223 correspondingly formed in the other half shell, and also by arcuate ridges 224 which match in a snapping manner corresponding beads 225.

With a container made according to the invention, the absorbent cotton can be pullled out by lifting the lid 222, drawing through the port 21 6 the piece in the desired length by pressing thereon the flexible lips 214, 215 so as to clamp the piece between the blades 21 8 and finally impressing an appropriate pull to sever the cotton swab from the rolled web.

It is thus apparent that, by so doing, the web roll within the container is not contaminated by any manual contact and it can subsequently be isolated by closing the lid 220 again.

Once a web roll has been used, the receptacle can quickly and easily reopened as shown in Figure 6 for refilling it.

The use of the container according to the invention is extremely convenient also due to its cylindrical form having such a size as to be easily handled with a single hand.

Claims

1. A packaging container for fluffy cotton webs characterized in that it provides a receptacle in which a roll of said web is contained, the web having formed therethrough discrete spots of fibers which are strongly compressed in the direction of the web thickness, the web emerging through a slot of the receptacle wall.

2. A packaging conainer for cotton according to Claim 1, characterized in that in said web there are formed preferential breaking lines in the transversal direction as formed by aligned areas in which the fibers are cut through.

3. A packaging container for cotton according to Claim 1, characterized in that said discrete areas of strongly compressed fibers are separated by transversal section of fibers which are substantially noncompressed.

4. A packaging container according to Claim 1, characterized in that said container has a dispensing port defined by a couple of confronting resiliently yieldable lips.

5. A packaging container according to Claim 4, characterized in that said lips comprise a couple of confronting blades.

6. A packaging container according to Claim 4, characterized in that said container is cylindrical and said lips extend from respective hingedly connected half shells.

7. A packaging container according to Claim 4, characterized in that said port comprises a lid secured to said container.

8. A packaging container according to Claim 1, characterized in that said container is made of a resiliently yieldable plastics material.

9. A packaging container according to Claim 6, characterized in that said half shells are equipped with mutually engaging snapping closure means.

10. A packaging container for fluffy cotton webs substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.