Dissolvable Textile Package Enclosing Wash Enabled Self-Unfolding Textiles and Corresponding Methods

This application is a continuation application claiming priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 from U.S. application Ser. No. 18/626,123, filed Apr. 3, 2024, which is a continuation application claiming priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 from U.S. application Ser. No. 18/097,445, filed Jan. 16, 2023, each of which is incorporated by reference for all purposes.

This disclosure relates generally to textiles, and more particularly to textiles bound in packaging.

Textile products, examples of which include sheets, blankets, towels, and washcloths, when sold for commercial and institutional uses, are generally shipped to the industrial or commercial customer in a packaged configuration. Illustrating by example, these textiles may be folded, placed into plastic bags, and then stacked in cardboard boxes.

Industrial laundries are frequently required to launder all newly purchased textiles prior to use or shipment to others. Indeed, many healthcare facilities and industrial operations use industrial laundries to launder such textiles. Unpackaging these plastic wrapped, stacked, cardboard enclosed textiles is a time consuming and cumbersome process, as each sheet, blanket, towel, or washcloth must be manipulated by hand to be washed. This is true regardless of whether the textiles are washed in full or half batches. It would be advantageous to have improved products and processes that reduce the time and effort required to launder new textiles

Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present disclosure, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to folding textiles so that they will self-unfold when laundered and packaging those folded textiles in a dissolvable packaging to form a kit so that the textiles can be laundered simply by placing the kit in the laundry. Alternate implementations are included, and it will be clear that functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved.

Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of performing such method steps for making and using kits, packaged kits, and textile items in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, in any order, with minimal experimentation.

Embodiments of the disclosure are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.

The terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” “about,” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within ten percent, in another embodiment within five percent, in another embodiment within one percent and in another embodiment within one-half percent. Also, reference designators shown herein in parenthesis indicate components shown in a figure other than the one in discussion. For example, talking about a device () while discussing figure A would refer to an element,, shown in figure other than figure A.

In prior art textile packaging, a textile product is typically folded in half, and perhaps half again, placed into a polyethylene bag for protection, and stacked in corrugated boxes. Since most all industrial laundries are required to launder the textiles prior to shipment to customers, a technician is required to open the boxes, remove the polyethylene bagged textiles, open the polyethylene bag, remove each textile item one by one, shake each textile item out to unfold the folds, and then loosely place the textile item in a bin (sometimes on a one-off basis) so they can be loaded into a washing machine. With prior art systems, this is the only technique available to effectively wash each textile item.

As one can imagine, this process is incredibly tedious, time consuming, cumbersome, and expensive. Moreover, it is stressful on the technician as numerous reaching, shaking, opening, lifting, and placing operations are required just to get the textile items “in the laundry.”

What's more, the process generates enormous amounts of waste. This waste accumulates as countless plastic bags are discarded when the textiles stored therein are removed. These countless single-use plastic bags ultimately get sent to the landfill once the process is completed. Studies have shown that it can take one thousand years or more for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Moreover, many plastics ultimately do not completely degrade in nature. To the contrary, they frequently photodegrade into microplastics that absorb toxins and contribute to environmental pollution.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a solution to these, and other problems associated with prior art textile products. In one or more embodiments, a method packages textile items with a unique folding method that self-releases and “self-unfolds” when being laundered. After this special “wash enabled self-unfolding” folding technique is applied to the textile items, they are placed into a dissolvable package. That the wash enabled self-unfolding textiles are placed in a dissolvable package dramatically reduces the time, effort, labor, and stress of laundering textiles due to the fact that there is no longer either a requirement to unpack or to shake out textile items. Additionally, there is no longer a need to handle textile items one by one. Instead, an entire kit comprising a dissolvable package and one or more wash enabled self-unfolding textile items can simply be placed into a laundry machine as a whole. When washed, the dissolvable package dissolves, and the wash enabled self-unfolding textile items self-unfold.

In one or more embodiments, the wash enabled self-unfolding folding method allows each textile item to “open up” in the wash to be effectively cleaned and sanitized. In effect, the wash enabled self-unfolding folding technique allows for bypassing the unfolding or “shake out” step of the prior art laundering process. Stacking the wash enabled self-unfolding textile items in the dissolvable package allows for easy management of the kits during laundering and transport. In one or more embodiments, the dissolvable packages are designed to dissolve at initial water temperatures when entering the washing machines.

In one or more embodiments, a kit includes a plurality of textile items arranged in a stack and a dissolvable package enclosing the plurality of textile items. While the textile items can take any of a number of forms, for illustrative purposes washcloths, bath blankets, and flat sheets will be discussed as explanatory examples. However, many other examples of textiles will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For larger textile items, a wash enabled self-unfolding fold can be applied to each textile item so that it automatically unfolds into wash water when the dissolvable package dissolves. The kits can be arranged in a kit arrangement that is packaged as a bale.

In one or more embodiments, textile items are either stacked or folded with a wash enabled self-unfolding fold and then stacked in a dissolvable package. Illustrating by example, for smaller textile items, such as washcloths, these textile items can simply be stacked within a dissolvable package. For larger items, such as towels or “bath blankets” or sheets, a wash enabled self-unfolding fold can be applied to the textile items before stacking in the dissolvable package.

The dissolvable package can then be sealed around the textile items. In one or more embodiments, the dissolvable package is adhesively sealed around the textile items, although other sealing methods will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

When sealed, the dissolvable package enclosing the textile items, with or without the wash enabled self-unfolding folds, forms a “kit.” The kit can then be arranged into a kit arrangement, which is packaged to form a “bale” or packaged kit arrangement. When received by the laundry, the bale is simply opened, and the kits are placed into the washing machine. The dissolvable package dissolves quickly and the agitation of the washing machine causes the wash enabled self-unfolding folds to unfold.

Each textile item is then cleaned, and laundered, all without the need of any of the removal of polyethylene bagged textiles, opening of the polyethylene bags, removal of each textile item one by one, shaking each textile item out to unfold the folds, and loose placement of the textile items in a bin (sometimes on a one-off basis) for loading in a washing machine that is required by the prior art. Advantageously, embodiments of the disclosure save time, labor, wear on workers, and cost. They additionally reduce the amount of waste associated with receiving new textile items. Other advantages will be described below. Still others will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

The above summary of the embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the various embodiments. The detailed description and figures will describe many of the embodiments and aspects of the disclosure in further detail.

Turning now to, illustrated therein is one explanatory textile item in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The textile item ofis shown illustratively as a washcloth. However, embodiments of the disclosure are not so limited. As will be described in later figures, other examples of textile items configured in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure include bath blankets and flat sheets. Still other textile items will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

As shown, the washclothdefines a two-sided sheet of textile material. The two-sided sheet of textile materialcan be manufactured from a textile materialthat is woven or knit. The textile materialcan further be manufactured with natural stretch capabilities. Said differently, it can be “stretchy” with the inclusion of elastic materials in the weave. In other embodiments, the textile materialcan be a standard weave without stretch capabilities.

In one or more embodiments, the textile materialis woven. For example, the textile material may include a one-ply weave, a two-ply weave, and so forth. The weave can include warps and wefts. The warps are elements of the weave that run vertically in the view of, while the wefts run generally horizontally (which would be a bit downward and to the right indue to the perspective view). Note that while the terms “warps” and “wefts” are used illustratively to describe the weave, those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will note that alternate terms, such as “warp threads,” or “warp yarns” can be substituted for “warps.” Similarly, “weft fill” or “weft threads” can be substituted for “wefts.”

In one or more embodiments, the weave of the textile materialis a taffeta weave. A “taffeta” weave is a style of weave where the threads forming the wefts and warps intertwine alternatively to produce the checkerboard effect.

The warps and wefts can include synthetic threads, organic threads, or combinations thereof. Illustrating by example, in one embodiment the warps and wefts comprise polyester. In another embodiment, the warps and wefts comprise cotton. In another embodiment, the warps and wefts comprise wool. Of course, combinations could be used as well. For instance, in another embodiment the warps and wefts can comprise a combination of cotton and polyester.

Elastomeric materials may be interlaced with the weave to give the item a “stretchy” characteristic. Other examples of materials for the warps and wefts will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

As shown in, the washclothis substantially rectangular (and optionally square) in shape and is defined by a lengthand a width. In one embodiment, the lengthis about twelve inches, while the widthis also about twelve inches. It should be noted that the widthand lengthcan take other dimensions as well.

A border can be placed around the perimeter of the washclothin one or more embodiments. Illustrating by example, the border can provide reinforcement to the washcloth, as well as maintaining a smoothness of shape for the washcloth. In one or more embodiments, the border (where included) is a cloth border. In other embodiments, the border is manufactured from non-cloth reinforcing materials.

Additionally, stitchingor other textile manufacturing processes can be applied to provide an ornamental appearance to the washclothin one or more embodiments. In the illustrative embodiment of, the stitchingcreates one or more cross bars,,,that define a central panelsurrounded by four elongated panels,,,and four corner squares,,,.

While the cross bars,,,can be used to create an ornamental appearance, they can have functional uses as well. Illustrating by example, in one or more embodiments the cross bars,,,can comprise scrubbing materials such as loofah or plastic scrubbers. In other embodiments, the cross bars,,,can comprise small soap retaining pockets or other features that make the washclothmore useful in personal hygiene operations.

In one or more embodiments, the central panel, four elongated panels,,,, and four corner squares,,,have a different “hand” or feel than do the cross bars,,,. For example, in one or more embodiments the cross bars,,,have a firmer hand, while the central panel, four elongated panels,,,, and four corner squares,,,have a softer hand.

In the illustrative embodiment of, the washclothis substantially rectangular. In this illustrative embodiment, the washclothis actually square. Other shapes suitable for washclothsconfigured in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, in other embodiments the washclothis ovular. Additionally, while the washclothofis a continuous sheet, in other embodiments the washclothwill define one or more apertures that allow a user to more securely hold the washclothin their hand.

Turning now to, illustrated therein is the explanatory washclothofbeing placed into dissolvable packageconfigured in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. Said differently,depicts the dissolvable packagereceiving multiple washcloths, each configured in the form of the washclothof.

In one or more embodiments, the dissolvable packageis manufactured from a film layer that dissolves when it contacts water. A variety of materials can be used to construct the dissolvable packagein accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. Illustrating by example, the dissolvable packagecan be manufactured from a film that includes one or more of polypropylene, polyvinyl alcohol, glycerin, and/or starch.

Illustrating by example, in one or more embodiments the dissolvable packageis manufactured from a film of polyvinyl alcohol. Since polyvinyl alcohol is soluble in water, in one or more embodiments when the film defining the dissolvable packageis manufactured from polyvinyl alcohol the water will break down and dissolve the film of polyvinyl alcohol defining the sidewalls of the dissolvable package, thereby releasing the washclothssituated therein. When this water is within the confines of a laundering machine, this dissolution of the sidewalls of the dissolvable packageallows the washclothsto enter the wash water for proper laundering.

The film defining the dissolvable packagecan be manufactured from other dissolvable materials as well. Illustrating by example, in another embodiment the film is manufactured from polyvinylpyrrolidone. In another embodiment, the dissolvable packageis manufactured from a film of polyethylene glycol and carboxymethyl cellulose. In still other embodiments, the dissolvable packageis manufactured from polylactic-co-glycolic acid. Other examples of dissolvable materials suitable for manufacturing the dissolvable packagewill be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In one or more embodiments, the film defining the sidewalls of the dissolvable packagehas a minimum thickness to prevent incidental contact with moisture from destroying the dissolvable packageand releasing the washcloths. In one or more embodiments, so as to have a texture like thick plastic, the sidewalls of the dissolvable packageare at least 0.1 millimeters in thickness to ensure that the washclothsare retained within the dissolvable packageuntil the dissolvable packagecontacts the water of a laundering machine.

While the sidewalls of the dissolvable packagecomprise a single film layer in the illustrative embodiment of, in other embodiments the sidewalls of the dissolvable packagewill comprise multiple layers. Each layer of a multi-layer sidewall can be constructed from a dissolvable material, and the materials of the various layers can be manufactured from the same dissolvable material or different dissolvable materials.

In one or more embodiments, only washclothsare placed within the dissolvable package. However, embodiments of the disclosure contemplate that other items can be placed within the dissolvable packagealong with the washclothsto make the laundering process more efficient. Illustrating by example, in one or more embodiments a packageof fabric softener is placed within the dissolvable packagealong with the washcloths. In another embodiment, a packageof water softener is placed within the dissolvable packagealong with the washcloths. In still another embodiment, a packageof anti-static additives is placed within the dissolvable packagealong with the washcloths. In still other embodiments, anionic surfactants (pre-detergents) that repel other parts of the textile itself so that the textiles more readily unfold can be included as well, as can be cationic surfactants that work in a similar manner to repel similar charges to assist the textiles in unfolding. Of course, these packages,,could be placed in the dissolvable packagein any combination as well.

In addition to these packages,,, packages of other materials could be included in the dissolvable packagealong with the washclothsas well. Examples include packages of dye neutralizers, fabric expanders, antimicrobial agents, optical brighteners, de-linters, moisture wickers, absorbency enhancers, and wrinkle reducers. These packages can be dissolvable as well and can be included in any combination in the dissolvable package.

Where included these packages,,can be constructed from dissolvable films as well. Accordingly, when the dissolvable packagedissolves in the laundry, the package(s),,can dissolve as well, thereby releasing their fabric softening, water softening, and/or anti-static materials (or combinations thereof) into the wash water with the washcloths.

Once the washclothsare all placed within the dissolvable package, the side edgesof the openingdefined by the sidewalls of the dissolvable packagecan be closed. The openingof the dissolvable packagecan then be sealed to form a kit. Turning now to, illustrated therein is one explanatory kitin accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

As shown, the opening () has been secured closed by a seal. In one or more embodiments, the sealcomprises an adhesive seal. In other embodiments, the opening () can be closed by a sealcreated by sonic welding, thermal welding, or a mechanical fastener. Other examples of sealswill be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

As shown in the cutaway view, in one or more embodiments the kitencloses a stack of washcloths. Illustrating by example, in one or more embodiments the kitencloses one hundred and twenty washclothsarranged in a single stack. Other arrangements will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

Turning now to, once each kitis constructed, a plurality of kits can be arranged in a kit arrangement. In this illustrative embodiment, the kit arrangementcomprises two columns,of five kits. Embodiments of the disclosure contemplate that governmental and other regulations may limit the number of kits that can be placed in a single package. Accordingly, the kit arrangementofis intended to meet such regulations by placing twelve or fewer kits in a single package.

Once the kit arrangementis made, it can be packaged in a “bale” in one or more embodiments. Turning now to, illustrated therein is a partially packaged kit arrangementthat defines the precursor step to forming a bale.

As shown, an outer packaging materialhas been placed about the kit arrangementof. In one or more embodiments, this packaging material is a non-dissolvable material, one example of which is a thermoplastic material. However, the outer packaging materialcan take other forms as well. In one or more embodiments, the outer packaging materialcomprises a corrugated box. In other embodiments, the outer packaging materialcomprises a reusable box. In still other embodiments, the outer packaging materialis a dissolvable film. In still other embodiments, the outer packaging materialcomprises an organic, biodegradable material. Other examples of outer packaging materialswill be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

Turning now to, once the outer packaging materialhas been placed around the kit arrangement, the outer packaging materialcan be sealed with a sealto define a packaged kit arrangement or “bale”. In one or more embodiments, the sealcomprises an adhesive seal. However, in other embodiments the sealis formed by a mechanical fastener, ultrasonic welding, or thermal welding. In still other embodiments, the sealcan be formed by a hood closure attached to the dissolvable package. In other embodiments, the sealcan be created by compression or vacuum sealing.

In still other embodiments, there will be no seal. Instead, the outer packaging materialcan simply be wrapped around the kit arrangementwith open ends. Alternatively, the outer packaging materialcan be tied with string. The string could be manufactured from a dissolvable material. In still other embodiments, the outer packaging materialitself can be tied around the kit arrangement. In other embodiments, the outer packaging material can be tied shut with a washable product, examples of which include sheets, pillowcases, towels, and napkins. Other examples of sealsand/or how to close the outer packaging materialwill be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

This balecan then be shipped to a laundry facility for laundering. The balesolves problems associated with prior art textile item packaging systems. Specifically, the placement of washcloths () in a dissolvable package () dramatically reduces the time, effort, labor, and stress of laundering the washcloths (). This is true because there is no requirement to either unpack the washcloths () from the dissolvable package () or to shake them out one-by-one when placing them in the laundry machine. Instead, the sealof the outer packaging materialis simply opened. Each kit () can then be retrieved and simply be placed into a laundry machine as a whole. When washed, the dissolvable package () dissolves and the wash with the washcloths () then entering the wash water. Advantageously, stacking the washcloths () in the dissolvable package () allows for easy management of the kits () during laundering and transport. In one or more embodiments, the dissolvable package () is designed to dissolve at initial water temperatures when entering the washing machines.

Turning now to, illustrated therein is one explanatory methodsummarizing the steps depicted in. Beginning at step, a plurality of textile items is obtained. In one or more embodiments, these textile items comprise washcloths. However, the textile items could take other forms as well, as will be described below with reference to.