PACKAGING UNIT FOR A DISPOSABLE HYGIENE ARTICLE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE PACKAGING UNIT

Abstract

A packaging unit includes a sheet of packaging material and a disposable hygiene article extending in a longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet and placed on the inner surface of the sheet such that it fits within an area limited by side edge zones and a first longitudinal end zone. The unit is formed by folding the elongated sheet and the disposable hygiene article. The first longitudinal end zone includes at least two adjacent, in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, resealable adhesive coating strings that extend along the length of the first longitudinal end zone and the strings are arranged such that a central adhesive free area is formed. This adhesive area functions as a gripping gap. A method of forming the packaging unit is also described.

Claims

1. A packaging unit for a disposable hygiene article, the unit comprising an elongated sheet of packaging material having an inner surface and an outer surface and the elongated sheet comprising: a first longitudinal end zone and a second longitudinal end zone, wherein the longitudinal end zones extend in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, and two side edge zones which extend in the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, wherein the side edge zones and the first longitudinal end zone comprise a resealable adhesive coating string along the length of the side edge zones and the first longitudinal end zone, respectively, and an elongated disposable hygiene article extending in a longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet placed on the inner surface of the sheet-such that it fits within an area limited by the side edge zones and the first longitudinal end zone, the unit being formed by folding the elongated sheet and the disposable hygiene article, the unit having a first folding axis and a second folding axis, each folding axis extending in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, and the first folding axis is arranged between a third region in the packaging unit and a second region in the packaging unit and the second folding axis is arranged between the second region and a first region of the packaging unit and wherein the first region is arranged to form a lid for the packaging unit after folding, wherein the first longitudinal end zone-is comprised in the first region and comprises at least two adjacent, in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, resealable adhesive coating strings that extend along the length of the first longitudinal end zone and being are arranged such that a central adhesive free area is formed to form a gripping gap, wherein the article has an end portion having a pre-determined length that extends beyond the second longitudinal end zone, and wherein the unit is arranged to be folded along a first folding axis such that the third region is pressed against the second region and the end portion that extends beyond the second longitudinal end zone is pressed against the first region, and the unit is further arranged to be folded along the second folding axis such that the first region together with the end portion are pressed against the outer surface of the elongated sheet in the third region, whereby the end portion forms a gripping portion when the unit is opened.

2. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the disposable hygiene article is placed on the inner surface of the sheet at a predetermined distance from the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first longitudinal end zone, in the direction of a central axis of the unit.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the end portion comprises a second end edge of the article, which second end edge has a rounded shape.

6. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the disposable hygiene article comprises a release liner releasably fastened to a garment facing side of the article by means of an adhesive and wherein the release liner is fastened to the inner surface of the elongated sheet by means of adhesive.

7. The packaging unit according to claim 6, wherein the release liner is fastened to the inner surface of the elongated sheet by means of separate adhesive regions placed in the first, second and third region, respectively.

8. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the disposable hygiene article is fastened directly to the inner surface of the elongated sheet-by means of adhesive.

9. The packaging unit according to claim 8, wherein the inner surface of the elongated sheet-is coated with a silicone-based coating in areas where the hygiene article is placed and wherein the areas where the resealable adhesive is coated as the resealable adhesive coating strings are free of the silicone-based coating.

10. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the elongated sheet has a rectangular shape.

11. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the elongated sheet of packaging material is a plastic film, nonwoven or plastic laminate having a basis weight of 20-30 g/m.sup.2.

12. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the second longitudinal end zone between the resealable adhesive coating strings in the side edge zones is adhesive-free.

13. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive free gap is formed between the resealable adhesive coating strings extending along the side edge zones of the sheet and the resealable adhesive coating strings extending along the first longitudinal edge zone.

14. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the resealable adhesive is a pressure sensitive hotmelt adhesive.

15. The packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein said elongated sheet is opaque or comprises print.

16. A method of forming a packaging unit for a disposable hygiene article, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated sheet of packaging material having an inner surface and an outer surface a first longitudinal end zone and a second longitudinal end zone, wherein the longitudinal end zones extend in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, and two side edge zones which extend in the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet, attaching an elongated disposable hygiene article extending in the longitudinal direction of the elongated sheet and placing the article on the inner surface of the sheet so that it fits within the area limited by the side edge zones and the first longitudinal end zone, coating resealable adhesive strings along the length of each of the side edge zones and the first longitudinal end zone, and forming a central adhesive free area between the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first longitudinal end zone to form a gripping gap, providing a first folding axis and a second folding axis in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the unit which divide the unit into a first region, second region and a third region, folding the elongated sheet with the disposable hygiene article along the first folding axis inwards, such that the inner surface of the elongated sheet and the resealable adhesive coating strings extending along the side edge zones in the third region and the second region are pressed against each other, folding the elongated sheet with the disposable hygiene article along the second folding axis inwards, such that the outer surface of the sheet in the third region is pressed against the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first region and the inner surface of the sheet in the first region, and closing the packaging unit by applying pressure, wherein when folding the elongated sheet of the packaging material and the disposable hygiene article along the first folding axis inwards such that the inner surface of the elongated sheet and the resealable adhesive coating strings in the side edge zones are pressed against each other, and when the third region is pressed against the outer surface of the sheet in the second region, an end portion extending beyond the second end zone is pressed against the first region, and when folding the elongated sheet with the disposable hygiene article along the second folding axis inwards such that the outer surface of the sheet in the third region is pressed against the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first region and the inner surface of the sheet in the first region, the end portion is pressed towards the first folding axis and therefore forms a gripping portion when the unit is opened.

17. (canceled)

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising attaching a release liner to the disposable hygiene article by means of adhesive regions and by attaching the disposable hygiene article to the elongated sheet by means of adhesive regions located in the first, second and third region, respectively.

19. The packaging unit according to claim 11, wherein the plastic film is a polyethylene film.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1a shows schematically a packaging unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in an open state with an unused disposable hygiene article. The view is straight from the above and layers and parts of the product locating underneath the top sheet are marked with dotted lines.

[0048] FIG. 1b shows schematically a packaging unit according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure in an open state with an unused disposable hygiene article. The view is straight from the above and layers and parts of the product locating underneath the top sheet are marked with dotted lines.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a partly folded product of FIG. 1b in perspective view.

[0050] FIGS. 3a-3c schematically show folding procedure for the packaging unit shown in FIG. 1a from a side view.

[0051] FIGS. 4a-4e schematically show folding procedure for the packaging unit shown in FIG. 1b from a side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] As mentioned above the features of the packaging unit for disposable hygiene articles according to the present disclosure facilitate opening of the packaging unit. By having a structure in which equal forces can be applied to the resealable adhesive coating strings simultaneously a neat opening without breaking of the packaging unit can be provided. This is a huge advantage compared to prior art solutions in which complicated adhesive string patterns have been used to avoid adhesive to adhesive contact surfaces or in which separate patches or other elements have been used to enable neat opening of the packaging unit. In the following description the components of the packaging unit are described more in detail.

[0053] The disposable hygiene article may be for example a sanitary napkin or a panty liner. Such products are well known in the art and therefore not described more in detail herein. Any disposable hygiene article could be used in the packaging unit of the present disclosure. The elongated sheet of packaging material used in a packaging unit according to the present disclosure can be a single-ply or laminate material. By the term single ply is meant a packaging unit comprising a single ply of a coherent material. Examples of a single ply packaging unit may be a plastic film, such as a polyethylene film, a nonwoven material, a metallic foil or the like. A single ply material may be a non-homogenous material, such as a plastic film material comprising integrated layers, or a nonwoven material having varying fibre composition in different parts of the material. A single ply material as used herein does not comprise materials having separable layers. The single-ply material may be of polyolefin that may comprise or be based on polyethylene and/or polypropylene. The material of polyethylene and/or polypropylene may have a basis weight of 14 to 30 g/m.sup.2, suitably 20-30 g/m.sup.2.

[0054] By the term laminate is meant a material comprising at least two united separable plies of material that can be the same or different. In the context of the present disclosure, the laminate may for example be constituted of two separable plies of plastic film, a film and nonwoven, two plies of nonwoven or the like.

[0055] The plastic film in the laminate or single-ply may be olefin-based, such as polyethylene or polypropylene film, of it may be any other known plastic packaging film material in the market, such as polyester-based, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, biodegradable plastic, etc.

[0056] The sheet of the packaging material has an elongated shape and has an inner surface and an outer surface. The geometrical shape of the sheet can vary depending on the type of the hygiene article to be packaged. The sheet may be circular, triangular, square, rectangular, or any other shape suitable for the hygiene article to be packaged. It is desirable, however, that the sheet has at least one symmetry axis. The sheet is suitably rectangular meaning that it has four sides and opposing sides have substantially equal length. Also the rectangle is suitably equiangular, each angle being 90?.

[0057] The sides of the sheet have edge zones. By the term edge zone is meant the portion of the sheet/packaging unit adjacent to the edges of the packaging unit. The width of an edge zone may be varied. The edge zones may be at least partially coated or covered with adhesive coating. In order to avoid that the edges of the sheet curl up or crinkle when the packaging unit is open, the resealable adhesive coating strings provided on the outer edge portions may be positioned at a distance from the longitudinal edges. This distance may be between 0.5-10 mm, preferably between 2-5 mm. Thus the edge zone may for example have a width that varies from 1.5-20 mm.

[0058] The elongated sheet has an inner surface and an outer surface. As used herein, the term inner surface refers to the surface of the sheet facing the product positioned inside the packaging unit, and the term outer surface refers to the surface opposite to the inner surface, i.e. the surface facing the ambient.

[0059] The elongated sheet may have a length that corresponds to the length of the disposable hygiene article, or it may be shorter and longer, preferably from about 0-15% shorter or longer than the disposable hygiene article, e.g. 0-15 mm shorter or longer. The elongated sheet is wider than the disposable hygiene article, and can be from about 20-70% wider the disposable hygiene article, e.g. 10-50 mm wider. For example, if the disposable hygiene article is a sanitary napkin having a length of 230 mm the elongated sheet may have a length in a longitudinal direction L of the unit of from 190 to 265 mm, suitably for example 230 mm. If the width of the same sanitary napkin, measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the unit is 75 mm, the width of the elongated sheet may be from 90 to 128 mm, suitably for example 115 mm.

[0060] The disposable hygiene article is preferably placed on the inner surface of the elongated sheet at a predetermined distance from the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first longitudinal zone. This distance can be for example from 0.5 to 20% of the length of the elongated sheet, such as from 0.5 mm to 50 mm, depending on the dimensions of the elongated sheet and the disposable hygiene article.

[0061] Further, the disposable hygiene article is preferably placed on the inner surface of the elongated sheet such that an end portion having a predetermined length extends beyond the second longitudinal edge. The end portion may have a rounded shape in the second end edge. The longest extension or length of the a predetermined length extending beyond the second longitudinal edge may correspond to the distance the disposable hygiene article is placed from the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first longitudinal zone, or the longest length may be shorter or longer. The longest or maximum length of the end portion in the longitudinal direction may be for example from 0.5 to 20% of the length of the elongated sheet, such as from 0.5 mm to 50 mm, depending on the dimensions of the elongated sheet and the disposable hygiene article.

[0062] The width of the resealable adhesive coating strings or edge portions may be varied depending on the adhesive strength desired. By width is meant the extension of the string in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the string, for example in case of a string that extends along the length of a side edge zone, the width is measured in the direction perpendicular to the extension along the length of the side edge zone. The wider the string is the stronger the sealing is. The width of the strings may be same or different in the different regions. For example, the width of the resealable adhesive coating string or strings in the first longitudinal end zone and the side edge zones may be from 1-15 mm. Suitably, the resealable adhesive coating strings are narrower in the first longitudinal end zone than in the side end zones, whereby the opening of the lid of the package is further facilitated. For example, the width of the resealable adhesive coating strings in the first longitudinal end zone may be from 1-3 mm, preferably from 1.5-2.5 mm. The width of the resealable adhesive coating strings in the side edge zones may be from 2-10 mm, preferably 6-8 mm.

[0063] The length of the resealable adhesive coating strings in each edge zone may be equal to the length of each edge zone, or may be shorter than the length of each edge zone. The length is measured in the direction of the longitudinal extension of each edge zone.

[0064] One of the most common folding patterns for individually wrapped hygiene products is so called e-folding. In this case the sheet has two folding axes, dividing the sheet into a first region, a second region and a third region. The packaging unit may then be formed, wherein the sheet is folded along the folding axes with the first, second and third regions in an overlapping configuration. The folding procedure is illustrated below with reference to the appended drawings.

[0065] If desired, the sheet for forming a packaging unit according to the present disclosure may be opaque in order to disguise the contents of the packaging unit, which is particularly important if the used article wrapped into the packaging unit of the present disclosure cannot be disposed immediately after replacement. Further, the sheet may comprise print, which may be beneficial for attracting the user's attention.

[0066] The sheet of material forming a packaging unit according to the present disclosure may comprise an odour-inhibiting or odour-neutralising substance. Such a substance may be applied in any suitable manner known to the person skilled in the art, e.g. as coating, activatable microcapsules, impregnated patches or the like.

[0067] It is conceivable that the sheet for forming a packaging unit according to the present disclosure may be stretchable or expandable, which may be advantageous if the hygiene article is greatly deformed during use, and may thus be difficult to wrap without deforming the packaging unit.

[0068] A suitable adhesive to be used with the packaging unit of the present disclosure is resealable adhesive. By a resealable adhesive as used herein is meant adhesive that provides that an object may be attached to a surface using such an adhesive and subsequently detached from that surface causing minor or no disruptions of the object and the surface. Furthermore, an object that has been peeled off may also be reattached to a surface again.

[0069] A suitable adhesive may be a pressure-sensitive hotmelt adhesive having an unlimited open time, meaning that the adhesive can bond to another substrate at any time. The pressure-sensitive adhesive used with the packaging unit is one which has a very high self-adhesion but which can be readily separated or released from other materials, such as plastic materials or paper which has been treated with a release agent. In one embodiment, the packaging unit according to the present disclosure can be completely unfolded when a new hygiene article is about to be taken out. In contrast thereto, prior art packages having adhesively sealed edges with adhesive-coated edge portions being in contact with each other has too high adhesive strength of the adhesively sealed edges, and any attempt to completely unfold the package would lead to tearing and breakage of the packaging unit, making it unusable for discrete and hygienic disposal of the used article.

[0070] The adhesive used in the present disclosure may be a pressure-sensitive hotmelt adhesive, such as Lunatack? D656 BD 19 available from H. B. Fuller.

[0071] The packaging unit may include a release liner having a sheet facing surface and a surface facing the disposable hygiene article. The purpose of the release liner is to cover adhesive regions provided on a garment facing side of the disposable hygiene article that are used to attach the disposable hygiene article to a garment of the user. The inner surface of the elongated sheet is in contact with the release liner which is permanently or releasably attached to the inner surface of the packaging sheet. The release liner is preferably treated with a silicone-coating on the surface facing the disposable hygiene article so that it can be easily detached from the adhesive regions provided on the garment-facing surface of the disposable hygiene article.

[0072] The release liner may have a shape that is substantially the same as the shape of the disposable hygiene article inside the packaging unit or may have a shape that is different from the shape of the disposable hygiene article, as long as it can protect and cover the adhesive regions provided on the garment-facing surface of the disposable hygiene article. Thus, the size and shape of the release liner may vary, but suitably correspond to at least the size and shape which is sufficient to cover outer boundaries of the adhesive regions provided on the garment-facing surface of the disposable hygiene article. Suitably, the longitudinal extension of the release liner is 60-95% of the longitudinal extension of the packaging sheet and the transverse extension may be from 30-90% of the transverse extension of the packaging sheet.

[0073] The release liner may be manufactured from any suitable material known in the art, such as paper, non-woven, plastic film material and can be a single ply material or a laminate. The release liner may comprise a printed indicia, text, colour or combination thereof, and can be arranged on either sheet facing or disposable hygiene article facing surface of the release liner.

[0074] The release liner may be attached to the inner surface of the packaging sheet by means of at least one adhesive region. The adhesive region is suitably placed symmetrically to attach the release liner in an even manner and the adhesive region can extend along the whole length of the release liner. Alternatively, there may be several adhesive regions, such as from 2-8, preferably 2-5, such as 3 adhesive regions that are spaced apart, preferably equispaced, along the longitudinal direction of the release liner. Suitably, the release liner is permanently attached to the packaging sheet by means of a second adhesive. The second adhesive may be of any known type in the art, and can be for example a construction adhesive.

[0075] The disposable hygiene article is releasably affixed to the release liner on the disposable hygiene article facing surface of the release liner. Affixing may be obtained by using a releasable adhesive or by any other suitable fastening means known in the art, e.g. by means of hook-and-loop fastening means. The releasable adhesive to affix the disposable hygiene article to the release liner may be the same as used for the releasable coating strings on the packaging sheet, or it may be another type of adhesive. Suitably another type of adhesive is used since the adhesive does not have to be resealable and needs to be suitable for use in contact with different garments without damaging the garment material.

[0076] The disposable hygiene article may be releasably attached to the release liner after the release liner has been attached to the inner surface of the packaging sheet, whereby the absorbent product is releasably attached to the packaging unit. Alternatively, the disposable hygiene article can be first releasably attached to the release liner and subsequently the release liner with the absorbent product is attached to the packaging sheet.

[0077] Further features of the present disclosure are now described with reference to the appended drawings which are herein submitted to provide an example of a packaging unit but should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the invention in any way.

[0078] FIG. 1a shows a packaging unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure from above. FIG. 1b shows a packaging unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure from above and FIG. 2 shows the unit in partly folded in perspective view. Reference is equally made to all figures, but the differences between the embodiments in FIGS. 1a and 1b are indicated. FIG. 1a, FIG. 1b and FIG. 2 thus show a packaging unit 1 comprising an elongated sheet 4 of packaging material having an inner surface 3a and an outer surface 3b. The sheet may be for example polyethylene-based film material and the basis weight of the sheet material may be from about 20 to 30 g/m.sup.2, suitably from about 22-28 g/m.sup.2. The elongated sheet 4 has a rectangular shape and the dimensions of the sheet can vary depending on the dimensions of a disposable hygiene article 2 placed on the sheet. The elongated sheet 4 comprises a first longitudinal end zone 6 that extends from the first end edge 7 of the sheet 4 inwards, i.e. towards the inside of the sheet 4. The end zone 6 includes a region for a coated resealable adhesive strings 17a, 17b. The first longitudinal end zone 6 includes the width of the resealable adhesive strings 17a, 17b, and a distance between the edge 7 of the sheet and the resealable adhesive strings 17a, 17b. The first longitudinal end zone 6 can extend inwards from the edge 7 of the sheet for example about 1.5-20 mm, and thus the end zone 6 has a width of from 1.5-20 mm, even though wider end zone could be possible. The packaging unit further comprises a second longitudinal end zone 8, which includes a second end edge 9 of the sheet 4 which may extend inwards from the second end edge 9 of the sheet 4 from 1.5 to 20 mm. The longitudinal end zones 6, 8 extend in a direction transverse (T) to a longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4.

[0079] In FIGS. 1a and 1b there are also two side edge zones 10 and 12 shown which extend in the longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4. In a similar manner as the first end zone 6, the side edge zones 10, 12 extend from the respective edge 11, 13 of the sheet 4 inwards, i.e. towards the inside of the sheet 4. The first longitudinal end zone 6 and the side edge zones 10 and 12 include a respective region for coated resealable adhesive strings, 17a, 17b and 14, 16. For example, the side edge zones 10, 12 can extend inwards from the respective edge 11, 13 of the sheet 4 about 1.5-20 mm, and thus the side edge zones 10, 12 have a width of from 1.5-20 mm. The side edge zones could also be wider.

[0080] As mentioned, the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6 each comprise resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 and 17a, 17b that extend along the length of the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6 (strings 17a and 17b), respectively.

[0081] The length of the respective coated resealable adhesive string 14, 16 and 17a, 17b can be from 80-99% of the length of the respective zone. The side edge zones have a length in the longitudinal direction of the sheet and the first end zone has a length in the direction transverse (T) to the longitudinal direction (L) of the sheet.

[0082] The width of the respective coated resealable adhesive string 14, 16 and 17a, 17b in a direction inwards of the sheet may be for example from 1-15 mm, but other width dimensions could be possible.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 2, the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 and 17a, 17b can be positioned such that there is an adhesive free edge area extending from the edge of the sheet 4 inwards and along the length of the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6, respectively. The adhesive free area may have a width that corresponds to the width of the adhesive strings 14, 16 and 17a, 17b of it may be smaller or larger. Suitably, the width of the adhesive free area is from 0.5-10 mm, but is not limited to that.

[0084] In FIG. 1b is shown an embodiment in which, in order to evacuate air from the packaging unit when it is folded, an adhesive free area or gap 33 and/or 35 is formed between the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 and 17a, 17b extending along the side edge zones 10, 12 and the resealable adhesive coating string 17a or 17b extending along the first longitudinal edge zone 6 in a first corner area 32 and second corner area 34, respectively. Thus, the resealable adhesive string 14, 16 and 17a, 17b are positioned such that at least one of the corner areas 32, 34 of the packaging unit has an adhesive-free area or gap 33, 35, which can serve as an evacuation opening for air when the packaging unit is sealed. The gaps 33 and 35 are also avoiding the adhesive or glue overlapping between adhesive coating strings which could result in a need for excessive opening strength. There are also preferably adhesive free areas or gaps 36 and 38 between the edge 9 of the second end zone 8 and the resealable adhesive strings 14 and 16 extending along the side edge zones 10, 12. The gaps 36 and 38 guarantee that no adhesive or glue falls outside of the sheet 4 which would contaminate the machine elements. The adhesive free gaps 33, 35, 36 and 38 also facilitate the opening of the product.

[0085] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a, there are no gaps in the corner areas 32, 34 between the resealable adhesive coating strings 17a and/or 17b in the first longitudinal edge zone 6 and the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 extending along the side edge zones 10, 12. Further, the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 extending along the side edge zones 10, 12 extend all the way to the second end edge 9. In this way, a simple production process can be provided.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 2, the packaging unit 1 further comprises an elongated disposable hygiene article 2 extending in a longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4 and is placed on the inner surface 3a of the sheet 4 so that it fits within the area limited by the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6. It is important that the disposable hygiene article 2 does not extend inside the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6 so that it will not come into contact with the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 and 17a, 17b. Further, the disposable hygiene article 2 is preferably placed on the sheet 4 such that a first edge 42 of the article (front parts) is adjacent to the first longitudinal end zone 6, and a second end edge 44 of the article (rear part) is adjacent to the second longitudinal end zone 8. The disposable hygiene article 2 is also placed at a distance from the resealable adhesive coating strings 17a, 17b. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, the second longitudinal end zone 8 is adhesive-free. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a, the second longitudinal end zone 8 is adhesive-free between the resealable adhesive strings 14, 16 in the side edge zones 10, 12.

[0087] The disposable hygiene article has a user facing side 20 and a garment facing side 21. The garment facing side is partially covered by adhesive regions 22 and 24 to which a release liner 26 is releasably attached. The purpose of the release liner 26 is to protect the adhesive regions 22 and 24 which are used to affix the disposable hygiene article 2 to a garment of a user. In the example embodiment shown in the figures the release liner 26 is attached to the inner surface 3a of the packaging sheet 4 by means of adhesive. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b there are three centrally positioned and suitably equispaced adhesive regions 28a, 28b and 28c arranged to attach the release liner 26 to the packaging sheet 4. By centrally positioned is meant that the adhesive regions are at least partly located in the area of a central longitudinal axis (A-A).

[0088] As best visible in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the packaging unit 1 further comprises a first folding axis 18 and a second folding axis 19, each folding axis extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4. The first folding axis 18 is arranged between a third region 50 in the packaging unit 1 and a second region 40 in the packaging unit 1. The second folding axis 19 is arranged between the second region 40 and a first region of the packaging unit 30. The packaging unit 1 is formed by folding the elongated sheet 4, to which the disposable hygiene article is attached, along the first folding axis 18 and subsequently along the second folding axis 19.

[0089] As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b the release liner 26 is fastened to the inner surface 3a of the elongated packaging sheet 4 by means of the separate adhesive regions 28a, 28b and 28c, which are suitably placed in the first, second and third region, respectively. The disposable hygiene article could also be fastened directly to the elongated sheet by means of adhesive which is provided to be used as a fastener towards the garment of the user, such as a panty. (not shown). In that case the inner surface 3a of the elongated packaging sheet 4 is preferably coated with a silicone-based coating in the areas where the hygiene article is placed and wherein the areas where the resealable adhesive is coated are free of the silicone-based coating.

[0090] The first longitudinal end zone 6 is comprised in the first region 30. The first region 30 forms a lid for the packaging unit 1 after folding. The first longitudinal end zone 6 comprises at least two adjacent resealable adhesive coating strings 17a, 17b that extend along the length of the first longitudinal end zone 6. The resealable adhesive coating strings 17a, 17b are arranged such that a central adhesive free area 29 is formed in the first longitudinal end zone 6. This central adhesive free area 29 forms a central gap, which facilitates the opening of the packaging unit. The central adhesive free area 29 is suitably arranged symmetrically in relation to the central longitudinal axis (A-A), whereby equally distributed pulling forces acting on the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 in the respective side edge zone 10, 12 can be obtained. The width of the adhesive free area 29 can be for example 10-50 mm, suitably 20-30 mm, so that a thumb of a normal user can fit into the opening to facilitate the opening of the product.

[0091] Reference is now made especially to FIGS. 1b and 2, which show an embodiment of the present disclosure in which the elongated disposable hygiene article 2 extends in a longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4 and is placed on the inner surface 3a of the sheet 4 such that it fits within the area limited by the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6, and has an end portion 43 having a predetermined length that extends beyond the second longitudinal end zone 8 in the longitudinal direction (L). The end portion 43 has preferably a rounded edge 44 and is shown in both FIGS. 1a and 1b. The end portion 43 is preferably a rear portion of the disposable hygiene article 2. The unit 1 in FIGS. 1b and 2 is arranged to be folded along the first folding axis 18 such that the third region 50 is pressed against the second region 40. At least part of the end portion 43 that extends beyond the second longitudinal end zone 8 is pressed against the first region 30, since the length of the second region in the longitudinal direction of the unit is shorter than the total length of the third region and the end portion 43. When folding the unit 1 to form a final product, the unit is further arranged to be folded along the second folding axis 19 such that the first region 30 together with the end portion 43 extending beyond the second longitudinal end zone 8 are pressed against the outer surface 21 of the elongated sheet 4 in the third region 50. In this way the end portion 43 forms a gripping portion when the unit is opened. The gripping portion 43 can also stand out when the unit is opened, since it is not attached to the outer surface 21 of the sheet in the first region 30. In another variant, the second folding axis 19 is arranged such that when the unit is folded the end portion 43 will not be pressed against the outer surface 21 of the elongated sheet 4 in the third region 50 and thus will not stand out. In any case the end portion 43 may be used as a gripping portion. Also, since the end portion 43 can be positioned centrally and has preferably a rounded edge shape, it is easy to grip the end portion at a central location whereby the pulling forces can be equally distributed on both side edge zones and the resealable adhesive coating strings thereof when opening the unit 1. Thereby a neat opening of the packaging unit can be obtained. Thus, in addition to the adhesive free area 29 forming a central gap in the lid, i.e. in the first region 30 of the packaging unit, the pulling forces can also be distributed equally when opening the folded packaging unit and the attachment between the third region 50 and the second region 40 by means of the end portion 43.

[0092] The folding procedure of the embodiment in which the end portion 43 is not pressed against the outer surface 21 of the elongated sheet 4 in the third region 50 is shown schematically in FIGS. 3a-3c. The packaging unit 1 is shown from the side and to distinguish the different regions 30, 40 and 50 and the end portion 43, the regions are illustrated with either dotted lines or continuous lines. In FIG. 3a the unit is shown in an unfolded state. FIG. 3b shows the different regions 30, 40 and 50 and the end portion 43 in a partially folded state to illustrate folding axis of the unit. In FIG. 3c it is shown that the third region 50 is folded towards the second region 40. It can be seen that the end portion 43 is in line with the third region 50

[0093] The folding procedure of the embodiment in which the end portion 43 is pressed against the outer surface 21 of the elongated sheet 4 in the third region 50 is shown schematically in FIGS. 4a-4e. The packaging unit 1 is shown from the side and to distinguish the different regions 30, 40 and 50 and the end portion 43, the regions are illustrated with either dotted lines or continuous lines. In FIG. 4a the unit is shown in an unfolded state. FIG. 4b shows the different regions 30, 40 and 50 and the end portion 43 in a partially folded state to illustrate folding axis of the unit. In FIG. 4c it is shown that the third region 50 is folded towards the second region 40. It can be seen that the end portion 43 stands out since the total length of the third portion 50 and the end portion 43 is longer than the length of the second region. As can be seen, the end portion is easy to grip. In FIGS. 4d and 4e a nearly completely folded unit before application of pressure is shown.

[0094] The present disclosure also relates to a method of forming a packaging unit 1 for disposable hygiene articles. The unit 1 comprises an elongated sheet of packaging material and a disposable hygiene article.

[0095] The method according to a first aspect comprises the steps of: [0096] providing an elongated sheet 4 of packaging material having an inner surface 3a and an outer surface 3b, a first longitudinal end zone 6 and a second longitudinal end zone 8, wherein the longitudinal end zones 6, 8 extend in a direction transverse (T) to a longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4, and two side edge zones 10, 12 which extend in the longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4, [0097] attaching an elongated disposable hygiene article 2 extending in the longitudinal direction (L) of the elongated sheet 4 and placing the article 2 on the inner surface 3a of the sheet 4 so that it fits within the area limited by the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6, [0098] coating resealable adhesive strings 14, 16, 17a, 17b along the lengths of the side edge zones 10, 12 and the first longitudinal end zone 6, and forming a central adhesive free area 29 between the adhesive strings 17a, 17b in the first longitudinal end zone 6, [0099] providing a first folding axis 18 and a second folding axis 19 in a direction transverse (T) to the longitudinal direction (L) of the unit 1 which divide the unit 1 into a first region 30, second region 40 and a third region 50, [0100] folding the elongated sheet 4 with the disposable hygiene article 2 along the first folding axis 18 inwards, such that the inner surface 3a of the elongated sheet 4 and the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 in the third region 50 and the second region 40 are pressed against each other, [0101] folding the elongated sheet 4 with the disposable hygiene article 2 along a second folding axis 19 inwards, such that the outer surface 3b of the sheet at the third region 50 is pressed against the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16, 17a and 17b in the first region 30 and the inner surface 3a of the sheet 4 at the first region 30, and [0102] closing the packaging unit by applying pressure.

[0103] In the method when folding the elongated sheet 4 of the packaging material and the disposable hygiene article 2 along the first folding axis 19 inwards such that the inner surface 3a of the elongated sheet 4 and the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16 in the side edge zones 10, 12 are pressed against each other, and the third region 50 is pressed against the outer surface 3b of the sheet 4 in the second region 40, the end portion 43, or at least part of the end portion 43, is preferably pressed against the first region. Further, when folding the elongated sheet 4 with the disposable hygiene article 2 along a second folding axis 19 inwards, such that the outer surface 3b of the sheet in the third region 50 is pressed against the resealable adhesive coating strings 14, 16, 17a and 17b in the first region 30 and the inner surface 3a of the sheet 4 in the first region 30, the end portion 43, or at least part of the end portion 43, is pressed towards the first folding axis 18 and therefore forms gripping portion when the unit is opened.

[0104] The method may further comprise attaching a release liner to the disposable hygiene article 2 by means of adhesive regions 22, 24, and by attaching the disposable hygiene article 2 including the release liner 26 to the elongated sheet by means of adhesive regions 28a, 28b and 28c located in the first 30, second 40 and third region 50, respectively.

[0105] It should be noted that when the packaging unit according to the present disclosure is used for disposal, the user can choose to roll the packaging unit and the soiled article positioned on it rather than folding it.

[0106] Although the present invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognise that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended that the detailed description be regarded as illustrative and that the appended claims including all the equivalents are intended to define the scope of the invention.