The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 26, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1995
Barry L Schneider, McHenry, IL (US);
Hollister Incorporated, Libertyville, IL (US);
Abstract
A flush-interval indicator for soluble, toilet bowl discardable pouches is disclosed for indicating to a user, once the pouch is discarded in a toilet bowl, when a sufficient flush-interval has elapsed so that, when the toilet is then flushed, the pouch will quickly disintegrate without obstructing or impeding the flow of water and waste material through the discharge lines of the system. The flush-interval indicator comprises optically-distinguishable indicia printed or otherwise affixed to a display surface of a pouch and normally concealed by a water-soluble opaque layer. The opaque layer may take the form of an external panel secured to the pouch, or a water-soluble layer of the pouch itself which includes pigment to render it opaque and shield the indicator from view. In an alternate construction, a water-soluble external cover is secured to the pouch and fibers from the cover are heat sealed into the pouch's display surface to form a flush indicator that is relatively unreadable when the cover is dry. However, when the pouch is exposed to water, the cover dissolves or disperses, after a sufficient flush-interval has elapsed, to reveal the flush indicator formed from the embedded fibers.