Description

According to a first aspect the present disclosure relates to a towel.

According to a second aspect the present disclosure relates to a stack of towels comprising a plurality of towels according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

According to a third aspect the present disclosure relates to a towel package comprising a stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

A towel is a piece of absorbent fabric, such as a non-woven fabric, or paper used for drying or wiping a body or a surface. It draws moisture through direct contact, often using a blotting or a rubbing motion. Towels may for instance be provided in commercial or office bathrooms for users to dry their hands. In addition, towels may also be used in households for a range of wiping, cleaning and drying tasks. Towels my either be wet or dry. Wet towels are also known as wet wipes. It is known to provide a stack of towels such as facial tissues or cleaning wipes in a package as individual folded sheets. A drawback of this known stack of towels is that it is relative difficult to remove a single towel from the stack while allowing a user to grab a top towel relatively easily.

An object of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a towel overcoming the drawback of the known towels for realizing a stack of towels wherein it is relatively easy to remove a single towel from the stack while allowing a user to grab a top towel relatively easily.

This object is achieved in that the towel according to the present disclosure comprises a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion between said first portion and said second portion, wherein said first portion and said second portion extend in an identical virtual plane in a stacked condition of said towel, wherein said intermediate portion of said towel has been folded such that at least a part of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane at a first side of said towel and wherein said part of said intermediate portion is arranged for allowing a user to grab said intermediate portion of said towel.

By folding said intermediate portion such that at least a part of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane an arrangement is provided for allowing a user to grab said towel via said arrangement. In other words by said folding a rib or flap like arrangement is created at a first side of said towel thereby allowing a user to grab said intermediate portion of said towel relatively easy by grabbing said arrangement.

The present disclosure relies at least partly on the insight that known towels are arranged to be grabbed at an outer edge of the towel. The known towels are folded such that after removing of an upper towel of a stack of towels an end part of a lower towel is brought into a position for a user to grab the lower towel. To this end the known towels are folded such that neighbouring towels of the known stack of towels are overlapping. More specifically a part of a lower towel comprising said end part extends above a part of an upper towel. In other words neighbouring towels are entangled in a stacked condition of the towels. Due to this entanglement of the towels the end part of a lower towel is partly removed from a package containing a stack of towels when removing the upper neighbouring towel from the package. In particular when removing the upper towel relatively quickly the risk of removing multiple towels due to the entanglement is relatively large. By folding the intermediate portion of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure such that at least a part of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane at a first side of said towel for allowing a user to grab said intermediate portion of said towel there is no longer a need to entangle neighbouring towels of a stack of towels thereby allowing a user to relatively easily remove a single towel from the stack while allowing the user to grab the top towel relatively easily.

In this regard it is beneficial if said intermediate portion is folded along a full length of said towel. This is beneficial for realising a relative large part of said intermediate portion to extend outside said virtual plane and thereby allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily.

Preferably said virtual plane is substantially flat. A substantially flat virtual plane is beneficial for allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily.

It is advantageous if said first portion extends to a first outer edge, extending substantially parallel to said part of said intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane, of said towel and/or wherein said second portion extends to a second outer edge, extending substantially parallel to said part of said intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane, of said towel. This is advantageous for realizing a towel having relative few fold lines thereby allowing for a relative practical way of stacking the towel.

In an embodiment of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure said intermediate portion has been folded such that at least two parts of said intermediate portion extend outside said virtual plane, wherein said at least two parts of said intermediate portion are separated by a further part of said intermediate portion extending in said virtual plane. This is beneficial for realising that multiple parts of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane and thereby allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily.

Preferably said intermediate portion comprises at least three substantially parallel folds for realising said extension outside said virtual plane. This is beneficial for realising a relative large part of said intermediate portion to extend outside said virtual plane and thereby allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily. Moreover, by providing at least three substantially parallel folds the towels can be folded in a relative compact manner thereby allowing for more freedom as regards the package dimensions for packaging the towel.

It is beneficial if a projection of said towel on a reference virtual plane in an unfolded condition of said towel is 1.05 to 1.2 times larger than a projection of said towel on said reference virtual plane in folded condition of said intermediate portion. This is beneficial for realising a relative large part of said intermediate portion to extend outside said virtual plane and thereby allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily.

In an embodiment of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure said towel is a wet towel. Preferably, the wet towel is made from a non-woven fabric. The towel being a wet towel, also known as a wet wipe, is advantageous since wet towels are generally stacked in a package wherein said package may be opened and closed. In particular when removing the upper wet towel relatively quickly the risk of removing multiple wet towels due to the entanglement is relatively large thereby making it more difficult for a user to close the package after use. This difficulty of closing the package may be due to multiple wet towels extending through the closable opening in the package. A package of wet towels remaining open after use results in an increased risk of drying of the towels that remain in the package or extend through the opening of the package.

It is beneficial if said first portion, said second portion and said intermediate portion have a rectangular shape in unfolded condition of said towel.

According to a second aspect the present disclosure relates to a stack of towels comprising a plurality of towels according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein said towels are stacked such that said first portion and said second portion of said towels of said plurality of towels are in said virtual planes. In other words wherein a first portion and a second portion of a towel of said plurality of towels is in a virtual plane and a first portion and a second portion of a further towel of said plurality of towels is in a further virtual plane. Embodiments of the towels comprised by said stack of towels correspond to embodiments of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The advantages of the stack of towels correspond to the advantages of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure presented previously.

Preferably, each of said towels of said stack of towels are stacked such that said first portion and said second portion of each of said towels of said plurality of towels are in said virtual planes. In an embodiment the stack of towels according to the second aspect comprises a plurality of towels, wherein each of said plurality of towels have a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion between said first portion and said second portion, wherein said first portion and said second portion extend in an identical virtual plane in a stacked condition of said towel, wherein said intermediate portion of said towel has been folded such that at least a part of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane at a first side of said towel and wherein said part of said intermediate portion is arranged for allowing a user to grab said intermediate portion of said towel, wherein said towels are stacked such that said first portion and said second portion of towels of said plurality of towels are in said virtual planes. In other words wherein a first portion and a second portion of a towel of said plurality of towels is in a virtual plane and a first portion and a second portion of a further towel of said plurality of towels is in a further virtual plane.

Preferable, said virtual planes, such as said virtual plane and said further virtual plane, are substantially flat. A substantially flat virtual plane is beneficial for allowing a user to grab the towel relatively easily.

By stacking the towels such that said first portion and said second portion of each of said plurality of towels is in said virtual plane it is relatively easy for a user to grab a top towel of the stack relatively easy.

In this regard it is beneficial if said first sides of said towels face the same direction. This is beneficial for avoiding or at least significantly reducing the risk that neighbouring towels of the stack of towels become entangled by the intermediate portions of the towels. Moreover, having said first sides face the same direction, allows a user to subsequently grab discrete towels from the stack by grabbing the part of the intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane.

In an embodiment of the stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure a towel of said stack of towels rests on an upper surface of a further towel of said stack of towels with a lower surface thereof, wherein said lower surface extends along said virtual plane and wherein said upper surface of said further towel extends below said virtual plane of said towel. This is beneficial for avoiding that neighbouring towels of the stack of towels become entangled.

It is advantageous if said towels are stacked free from mutual entanglement. This is advantageous for allowing a user to remove a single towel from the stack while avoiding or significantly reducing the risk of removing multiple towels from the stack.

In an embodiment of the stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure said part of said intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane at a first side of a towel of said plurality of towels is displaced with respect to said part of said intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane at a first side of a further towel of said plurality of towels. Displacing the part extending outside the virtual plane for different towels is beneficial for realising a relative even height of the stack of towels along the surface of the towels. In particular when said extending part of a towel in a stacked condition overlaps the first portion or the second portion of the same towel a local height increase in height may become relatively large when stacking a relative large number of towels.

In an embodiment of the stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure towels of said plurality of towels are folded such that at least two towels of said plurality of towels have a different number of parts of said intermediate portion extending outside said virtual plane. This is beneficial for realising a relative even height of the stack of towels along the surface of the towels. In particular when said extending part or extending parts of a towel in a stacked condition overlap the first portion or the second portion of the same towel a local height increase in height may become relatively large when stacking a relative large number of towels.

According to a third aspect the present disclosure relates to a towel package comprising a stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, said towel package further comprising a package, wherein said stack of towels is received in a receiving space of said package, said package further comprising an opening, wherein said first sides of said towels face the same direction for allowing a user to grab an intermediate portion of a towel of said stack of towels via said opening. Embodiments of the towels comprised by said towel package correspond to embodiments of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The advantages of the towel package correspond to the advantages of the towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure presented previously and the advantages of the stack of towels according to the second aspect of the present disclosure presented previously.

In an embodiment the towel package according to the third aspect of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of towels, wherein each of said plurality of towels have a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion between said first portion and said second portion, wherein said first portion and said second portion extend in an identical virtual plane in a stacked condition of said towel, wherein said intermediate portion of said towel has been folded such that at least a part of said intermediate portion extends outside said virtual plane at a first side of said towel and wherein said part of said intermediate portion is arranged for allowing a user to grab said intermediate portion of said towel, wherein said towels are stacked such that said first portion and said second portion of towels of said plurality of towels are in said virtual planes, said towel package further comprising a package, wherein said stack of towels is received in a receiving space of said package, said package further comprising an opening, wherein said first sides of said towels face the same direction for allowing a user to grab an intermediate portion of a towel of said stack of towels via said opening. Preferably, said first sides face said opening.

It is beneficial if said towel package further comprises a lid for closing said opening. This is beneficial for shielding the towels received in said receiving space from an environment outside the package.

It is advantageous if said package is flexible, preferably a foil. This is beneficial for reducing the volume of package when disposing off the package.

The present disclosure will now be explained by means of a description of a known stack of towels, preferred embodiments of a towel according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a stack of towels according to the second aspect and packages according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in which reference is made to the following schematic figures, in which:

Fig. 1 a side view of a known stack of towels is shown;

Fig. 2 a side view of a towel according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 3 a side view of a further towel according to the present disclosure i shown;

Fig. 4 a side view of a yet further towel according to the present disclosure i shown;

Fig. 5 a side view of another towel according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 6 an exploded side view of a stack of towels according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 7 a cross section of a package according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 8 a cross section of a further package according to the present disclosure is shown.

The known stack of towels 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises towels 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g. Towels 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g have a first portion 5, a second portion 7 and an intermediate portion 9 between said first portion 5 and said second portion 7. The first portion 5 of each towel 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g is arranged for allowing a user to grab said towel at an outer edge 1 1 of said towel 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g. The known towels 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g are folded in a Z-shape such that neighbouring towels such as upper towel 3a and lower towel 3b are overlapping. More specifically the intermediate portion 9 of the lower towel 3b extends above the second portion 7 of the upper towel 3a. In other words neighbouring towels are entangled in a stacked condition of the towels 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g. Due to this entanglement of the towels the first portion 5 and the intermediate portion 9 of the lower towel 3b are lifted upwards when removing the upper towel 3a from the stack of towels 1. This lifting is due to friction occurring in the overlapping part of the upper towel 3a and the lower towel 3b. In particular when removing the upper towel 3a relatively quickly from the stack of towels 1 the risk of removing multiple towels due to the entanglement is relatively large.

Towel 103 according to the present disclosure is provided with a first portion 105, a second portion 107 and an intermediate portion 109 between said first portion 105 and said second portion 107. The first and second portion 105 and 107 extend in a substantially flat virtual plane V when the towel 103 is supported on a flat surface. The first portion 105 extends to a first outer edge 1 1 1 of said towel 103 and said second portion 107 extends to a second outer edge 1 12 of said towel 103. Towel 103 is further provided with a first fold line 1 15 and a second fold line 1 17 for folding said towel 103 such that the first portion 105 and the second portion 107 are moved towards each other with respect to an unfolded condition of the towel 103. By moving the first portion 105 and second portion 107 closer to each other, the intermediate portion 109 of the towel 103 is folded such that a part 1 10 of said intermediate portion 109 extends outside said virtual plane V at a first side of said towel 103. By extending said part 1 10 of said intermediate portion 109 outside said virtual plane V said intermediate portion 109 with said part 1 10 thereof is arranged for allowing a user, not shown, to grab said intermediate portion 109 of said towel 103.

Towel 203 differs mainly from towel 103 in that two parts 210 of said intermediate portion 209 extend outside virtual plane V at a first side of said towel 203. The two parts 210 of said intermediate portion 209 extending outside said virtual plane V are separated by a further part 213 of said intermediate portion 209 extending in said flat virtual plane V. Elements of towel 203 that are similar to elements of towel 103 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in towel 103 raised by 100.

Towel 303 differs mainly from towel 103 in that said intermediate portion 309 is folded into an omega shape by a first fold line 315, a second fold line 317, a third fold line 319 and fourth fold line 321. Elements of towel 303 that are similar to elements of towel 103 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in towel 103 raised by 200. Towel 403 differs mainly from towel 303 in that three parts 410 of said intermediate portion 409 extend outside virtual plane V at a first side of said towel 403. Elements of towel 403 that are similar to elements of towel 303 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in towel 303 raised by 100. A first end part 423 of towel 403 is folded about fold line 427.. At the opposite side of said towel 403, said towel 403 is folded about fold line 429 for folding a second end part 425 of said towel 403.

The stack of towels 401 shown in Fig. 6 comprises towels 403a, 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e that are stacked above each other such that said parts 410 of each intermediate portion 409 of said towels 403a-e extends in the same, upward, direction H and neighbouring towels 403 are free from mutual entanglement. The first portion 405 and the second portion 407 of each of said stacked towels 403a-e extends in a respective substantially flat virtual plane V.

Towel package 500 shown in Fig. 7 comprises a stack of towels comprising an upper towel 203a, lower towels 203b, 203c and a bottom towel 203d. Towels 203a, 203b, 203c and 203d are received in a receiving space 535 of a package 531. Towels 203a, 203b, 203c and 203d provided in said receiving space 535, shown in Fig. 7, are provided with the first and second portions thereof at a mutual distance. In practice said towels may be compressed in said receiving space such that said first and second portions of neighbouring towels are in contact with each other. Package 531 is made of a flexible foil material comprising an opening 537 for removing an upper towel 203a from said receiving space 535. The towel package 500 further comprises a lid 533 for opening and closing said opening 537 of said package 531. The towels 203a, 203b, 203c and 203d are stacked such that said first sides of said towels 203a, 203b, 203c and 203d face the same direction H for allowing a user, not shown, to grab an intermediate portion 209 of said upper towel 203a of said stack of towels via said opening 537 that may be closed by said lid 533. After removal of said upper towel 203a, a user may grab said lower towel 203b by grabbing the intermediate portion thereof. Once said lower towels 203b, 203c are removed from said receiving space 535 a user may grab said bottom towel 203c by grabbing the intermediate portion of said bottom towel 203c. Towel package 600 shown in Fig. 8 differs mainly from towel package 500 in that said stack of towels comprises towels 203b and 203d having two parts extending outside a virtual plane and towels 103a and 103c having only one part extending outside a virtual plane. Elements of towel package 600 that are similar to elements of towel package 500 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in towel package 500 raised by 100.