US2990946A - Tissue holders - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MHHWIII 32 INVENTOR. FwzaA/cs 5. SHELDON fl p 4 477-0EA/5y F. B. SHELDON July 4, 1961 TISSUE HOLDERS Filed Aug. 14, 1959 y 1961 F. B. SHELDON 2,990,946

TISSUE HOLDERS Filed g- 1 9 9 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Holes/we 5.. SHE/.00

BY W2, 63%

' Arrozusr United States Patent 2,990,946 TISSUE HOLDERS Florence B. Sheldon, 57 0 N. Kenmore Ave.,

Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Aug. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 883,813 2 Claims. (Cl. 20637) This invention pertains to new and improved tissue holders.

Tissues for facial and various other related purposes are commonly supplied to consumers in various types of cardboard boxes or small regenerated cellulose or similar paper containers. Such packages are relatively inexpensive; they are also comparatively undesirable from a consumers standpoint, particularly when the tissues contained within them are carried on the person of an individual from one location to another. As such packages are carried as in a ladys handbag they tend to become smashed or otherwise disarranged. As a result of this, the tissues within them are frequently deformed, or soiled. It is quite common to have such tissues be mutilated so that they cannot be readily separated when they are carried in a handbag or the like within such packages.

In order to attempt to remedy the limitations of conventional paper or paper-type packages for tissues as indicated in the preceding paragraph a number of efforts have been made to supply tissue holders within which new groups of tissues may be placed as required. In general such tissue holders have been formed out of comparatively rigid materials, such as styrene and the like. For larger sized tissues, such rigid holders have usually followed the general type of construction used with comparatively large cardboard packages for the same sized tissues. As a result of this these comparatively large, rigid tissue holders cannot be readily carried upon the person of an individual. Further, they have included openings in their tops which permit tissue soilage. Similar rigid holders in the general nature of boxes having lids have been provided for smaller sized tissues adapted to be carried by a person. Such rigid structures are uncomfortable to carry in the pocket or the like; their character is such that they are not desirable to carry Within a handbag, a purse or the equivalent. This type of box has fixed dimensions and, hence, always occupies the same amount of space regardless of the number of tissues Within it.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved tissue holders. Another object of this invention is to provide tissue holders which may be inexpensive and easily manufactured and which possess a number of advantages over prior related structures as briefly indicated above. Another object of the present invention is to provide tissue holders of a comparatively soft or flexible character which adapt such holders to be carried upon the body of an individual or in a purse without difliculty. A still further object of this invention is to provide tissue holders as described which are adjustable so that the volume occupied by such tissue holders may be regulated depending upon the number of tissues located within them.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this description including the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a tissue holder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a tissue holder of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of this tissue holder showing its interior construction;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a modified tissue holder of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of this modified tissue holder;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of this modified tissue holder showing its interior construction;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a further modified tissue holder of this invention;

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of this further modified tissue holder;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of this further modified tissue holder; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 88 of FIG. 5.

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended so as to clearly indicate certain presently preferred embodiments or forms of this invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that the tissue holders shown may be altered in accordance with routine design practice so as to adapt these tissue holders for use with tissues of different sizes.

As an aid to the understanding of this invention it can be stated in essentially summary form that it concerns tissue holders, each of which is formed of a sheet of material divided into a rectangular front side, a' rectangular rear side, and a flap. 'Ihese sides and the flap are connected by areas of the sheet serving as top and bottom folds so that the sheet may be folded so as to have much the appearance of a common envelope. One side of this sheet serving as the interior of the envelope carries retaining means which serve to retain tissues, and the other side of this sheet serving as the exterior of the envelope carries adjustable means serving to hold the front and back sides of the sheet with respect to one another.

The actual details of this construction are best explained by referring to the accompanying drawings. In FIGS. 14 there is shown a tissue holder 20 of this invention formed using a sheet 22 of a material such as a vinyl resin or the like which is of a flexible, yet relatively stiff character. This sheet is formed so as to include a rectangular front side 24, a rectangular rear side 26 of the same size as the front side 24, and a flap 28. These sides are connected by a fold 3t) joining their adjacent edges. Another fold 32 parallel to the fold 30 connected the flap 28 to the front side 24. If desired, the sheet 22 may be scored or similarly treated so as to have greater flexibility in the areas of these folds 30 and 32 than at other areas of the sheet 22.

This sheet 22 is adapted to be folded in much the same manner as a common envelope as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings so that a stack or group of tissues 34 are fitted under a pair of parallel retaining straps 36. These tissues 34 may be interlocked or not as desired. The ends of the straps 36 are secured to sides of the interior surface or side of the sheet '22 when this sheet is folded as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by appropriate welds, an adhesive or the like. These straps 36 are preferably located on the portion of the sheet 22 designated as the front side 24 so as to be parallel to the folds 30 and 32. Both of the straps 36 are longer than the width of the sheet 22 so as to hold the tissues 34 in a loose manner.

When the sheet 22 is folded as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the exteriors of the sides 24 and 26 are held together by an adjustable retaining strap 38 which extends parallel to the folds 30 and 32 adjacent to the fold 32. This strap 38 is held in place by belt-like retaining loops 40 secured to the side edges of the exterior of the rear side 26 and is secured to the exterior of the front side 24 by the use of welds, an adhesive or the like. Parts 42 of snap fasteners are secured to the strap 38 along the width of the front side 24; a co-acting part 4-4 of a snap fastener is located on the free end of the strap 38.

When the tissue holder 20 is first to be used the strap 38 is pulled through the loops 40, and then the sheet is laid flat as shown in FIG. 3. Next the tissues 34 are inserted under the retaining straps 36 adjacent the front side 24 so as to be held against this side. At this point the sheet 22 is folded to the configuration indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the strap 38 is reinserted through the loops 40. Then the part 44 is attached to one of the parts 42 so as to compactly hold the tissues 34 between the sides 24 and 26. The flap 28 may be tucked in against the side 26 so as to protect the tissues 34 as the holder '20 is carried from one location to another.

When an individual desires to use one of these tissues 34 the flap 28 may be opened. Next the exposed edge of one of the tissues 34 either adjacent to the front side 24 or the rear side 26 may be engaged by the digits on the hand of an individual and pulled. As this happens this one tissue 34 will separate from the other tissues 34, leaving the remainder of these tissues 34 within the holder 20. A clean separation between tissues 34 occurs during this operation because as a single tissue 34 is pulled the remainder of these tissues are urged together and toward parts of the holder 20 so that friction tends to hold them together as a unit within this holder.

A major advantage of the holder 20 lies in the fact that the length of the strap 38 may be adjusted by attaching the part 44 to any one of the parts 42 so as to always hold the sides 24 and 26 adjacent to one another so that there is substantially no looseness between these sides 24 and 26 and so that the tissues 34 are always held in place so that they do not tend to move from the holder 20 in an undesired manner. Further, this strap 38 makes it possible to adjust the size of the holder 20 to accommodate virtually any number of tissues 34 within the holder 20. When the strap 36 is kept properly adjusted the holder 20 has a neat appearance at all times, and the tissues within it are protected from soilage or the like.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings a modified tissue holder 50 of this invention is seen. Since the various parts of the holder 50 are substantially the same as corresponding parts of the holder 20 except as to dimension, the parts of the holder 50 are designated in the drawings by the primes of the numerals previously employed and are not separately described in this specification.

The holder 50 is preferably dimensioned so as to hold tissues 34' of a size corresponding roughly to the size of folded legal documents, insurance policies, etc. Such tissues 34' are made longer than the tissues 34 and are preferred by many individuals than smaller tissues. The holder 50 is used substantially in the same manner as the holder 20.

In FIGS. 8, 9, and of the drawings there is shown a further modified tissue holder 60 of this invention which is very similar to the holders 20 and 50. For convenience of explanation these parts of the holder 60 which are the same, or substantially the same as corresponding parts of the holder 20 are designated in the drawings by the double primes of the numerals previously employed. These parts are similarly designated in this specification if necessary to facilitate an understanding of the holder 60; otherwise they are not separately described.

In the holder 60 the straps 36" are separated from one another along the length of the sheet 22" so that one of these straps is located along the free end of the rear side 26" and the other of these straps is located on the front side 24" along the fold 32". The straps 36" are positioned parallel to one another so as to meet when the holder 60 is in an operative configuration as indicated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

These straps 36" are adapted to retain or hold tissues 34" of slightly smaller size than the size of the front and rear sides, 24" and 26" respectively, together as indicated in FIG. 10. During use these tissues 34 are folded across their middles along the fold 36", as. the entire holder 60 is being placed in an operative configuration as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

After the holder 60 has been folded in this manner a buckle 62 may be slid along the length of the strap 38" between the edges of the front side 24". This is conveniently done manipulating the buckle 62 so that the strap 38" slides through a pair of generally parallel slots 64 formed in it. Except during such movement friction will hold the buckle 62 in any desired location.

This buckle 62 carries a part 42" which is adapted to co-act with another part 44" of a complete snap fastener. This other part 44" is located as previously described. With this construction the proper length of the strap 38 may be obtained at any time by the simple expedient of adjusting the position of the buckle 62 so that there is substantially no slack when the strap 38 is secured in place by using the parts 42" and 44".

The holder 60 is adapted to be used in the same manner as the holders 20 and 50 previously described. If desired, this holder 69 may be modified so as to use the same arrangement of parts 42 and 44 used with the holder 20, or the holders 20 and 5t} can be modified so as to employ buckles similar to the buckle 62.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that tissue holders as herein described are very simple, easily and inexpensively created devices which can be used by virtually an individual in carrying tissues. Because of the nature of this invention it is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A tissue holder which includes: a front rectangular side; a rear rectangular side attached to an edge of said front side by a fold; flap means attached to an edge of said front side remote from said rear side; retaining means, adapted to retain a stack of tissues of smaller dimensions than the dimensions of said front side and of said rear side, attached to one of said sides, said retaining means comprising a retaining strap secured at each of its ends to one of said sides so as to be parallel with an edge of said side; adjustable strap means, one end of said strap means being secured to one of said sides and said strap means being adapted to extend completely around both of said sides, when said sides are folded together so as to cover a stack of tissues retained by said retaining means; and co-acting snap means mounted on both ends of said strap means and adapted to secure said ends together, said snap means including a buckle mounted on one end of said strap means.

2. A tissue holder which includes: a sheet of material formed so as to include a rear side portion, a front side portion, and a flap, said front and rear sides being joined by a part of said sheet of material serving as a fold, said 5 front side and said flap being joined by a part of said sheet serving as a fold, said folds being parallel to one another, said sheet being adapted to be folded into the general shape of an envelope and having interior and exterior sides located as the interior and exterior of said envelope shape, respectively, when said sheet is so folded; two parallel retaining straps mounted at their ends on the interior side of said sheet and adapted to retain a stack of tissues of smaller dimensions than the dimensions of said sheet; exterior strap means capable of extending completely around said sheet in said folded position and mounted at one end on the exterior side of said sheet; and adjustable fastener means for securing together the two ends of said exterior strap means so as to hold said sheet in said folded position, said fastener means including co-acting par-ts mounted adjacent each end of said exterior strap means, said co-acting parts being capable of being secured to one another in a plurality of relative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images