The Procter Gamble Company

The Proctor 'gamble Company

John P Grooms

William P Dirksing

Richard M Girardot

Ronald W Kock

Larry J Mattson

Lyle B Tuthill

H Norman Reiboldt

Charles G Yeazell

Richard G Bausch

Eric J Grosgogeat

Daniel James Kinne

Michael E Hilton

A personal cleansing implement comprises a tubular piece of hydrophobic diamond-mesh scrim, which is stretched to expand the diamond mesh, gathered along a longitudinal axis of the tubular piece of scrim to form circumferential pleats, and heat set in an expanded and pleated condition to form a substantially rectangular resilient batt. Top and bottom surfaces of the batt are bonded together adjacent the perimeter of the batt by a bonding means. Thread stitching or intermittent thermobonding are the preferred bonding means. Ultrasonic bonding is most preferred. A tether loop is connected to the implement for hanging it from a support during drying.

Implement for personal cleansing and method of construction

A process for forming, handling, affixing, and inverting a thin plastic half bag to a continuous inner side wall of an outer plastic container. A non-metallic mandrel is used as a tool for thermoforming a half bag over the top of the mandrel. The top of the mandrel with bag attached is inserted into an open end of the outer plastic container. A continuous stripe of heat-activated adhesive containing metal particles is bonded to the exterior of the half bag at the open end of the half bag. When the half bag is inserted, the stripe of adhesive is positioned near the midpoint of the container. A magnetic induction field generated near the container midpoint heats the metal particles in the heat-activated adhesive, thereby activating the adhesive. When the adhesive has been heated, compressed air is blown from the mandrel to press the bag and adhesive against the inner side wall of the outer container to cause bonding between them. After the field is removed and the adhesive cools, the mandrel is withdrawn from the thin plastic bag. Vacuum applied to the closed end of the bag from the top of the mandrel causes the bag to be inverted to the open end of the container as the mandrel is withdrawn.

Method for sealing an inner bag to an outer container

A process for forming, handling, circumferentially sealing, and inverting a thin plastic half bag to an inwardly tapered, continuous inner side wall of an outer plastic container. A non-metallic mandrel is used as a tool for thermoforming a half bag over the top of the mandrel. The top of the mandrel with bag attached is inserted into an open end of the outer plastic container. A continuous metal ring connected at the circumference of the mandrel, positioned near the open end of the half bag, wedges the bag against the tapered inner side wall of the container near the midpoint of the container to form a sealing interface therebetween. A magnetic induction field generated near the container heats the metal ring on the mandrel. Heat is conducted to the sealing interface to weld the bag to the container. After the field is removed and the metal ring cools, the mandrel with metal ring is withdrawn from the thin plastic bag. Vacuum applied to the closed end of the bag from the top of the mandrel causes the bag to be inverted to the open end of the container as the mandrel is withdrawn.

Method for induction sealing an inner bag to an outer container

A squeezebottle dispenser having an inner flexible bag containing a viscous fluid in fluid communication with a dispensing nozzle. A vent hole is provided in the squeezebottle side wall which is blocked by the user to prevent air from exiting the squeezebottle during squeezing so that air compression within the squeezebottle forces the inner bag to discharge its contents through the dispensing nozzle. When the squeezebottle is released, the vent hole is unblocked in order to vent air into the squeezebottle so that the squeezebottle may return to its unsqueezed shape. The vented air entering an air space located between the squeezebottle and the inner bag replaces the volume of the contents discharged from the inner bag. The addition of a recessed channel, formed between the vent hole and a venting point, which is covered with a compliant film to form an air passage, enables the user to block the vent hole indirectly. When the compliant film is pressed into and against the recessed channel anywhere along the air passage, air cannot escape from inside the squeezebottle, thereby enabling air compression to occur inside the squeezebottle.

Squeezebottle dispenser having a channeled vent valve

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

John P Grooms