-
This invention relates to packaging in
accordance with the precharacterising portion of
claim 1.
-
Packaging of this type is very widely used
especially for the packaging of premoistened or
preimpregnated products such as e.g. the small tissues
or towels commonly known as "wet wipes".
-
The arrangement of using packaging essentially
comprising rigid containers comprising a containment
body (which may be cylindrical) with an associated lid
provided with a selectively recloseable opening for
removal/dispensing of the products has proved itself
for this particular application over the years.
-
In some applications the products in question
take the form of a sheet provided with pre-cut lines of
weakness at predetermined distances. When the sheet is
removed from the delivery opening, it is subdivided
along the pre-cut lines as a result of a joint effect
with springy structures which project towards the
interior of the opening. All this is to bring about the
removal of individual wipes as a result of the effect
of the above mentioned subdivision.
-
The arrangement which provides for the use of a
rigid container, also substantially comprising a tray
provided with a selectively openable lid, has also
proved itself. Opening the lid makes it possible to
gain access to a pack of individual wipes or towels
which are folded in a generally concatenated
arrangement so as to form a chain of "interleaved"
products. In this way the removal of an individual
product from the packaging places the subsequent
product in a position ready to be taken out.
-
This arrangement was initially applied in the
expectation that the contents could be periodically
refilled with the introduction of a new pack of
products taken from a flexible bag or envelope acting
as a so-called "refill".
-
The arrangement which does away with a rigid
container then proved itself. In this case the envelope
or bag container (of the "flowpack" type) is no longer
used to contain the refill for the rigid container, but
directly constitutes the container from which the
products, which are preferably arranged in the
concatenated sequence described above, can be
progressively removed through an opening provided in
the container wall.
-
This opening is initially closed by a
protective flap, also of flexible material, initially
designed to seal off, when the pack is complete, the
opening through which the products are taken out with a
view for dispatch for distribution and sale. The
aforesaid flap is attached adhesively to the body of
the packaging along the perimeter of the opening which
the flap is intended to close off. In a preferred
arrangement, when the packaging is being prepared, the
opening in the wall of the packaging is still not yet
present, but only defined around its perimeter by a
line pre-cut for separation (e.g. punching or
perforation). The closure flap is then initially
attached adhesively to the wall of the packaging over
its entire surface, and therefore also in the region
which is intended to lie within the pre-cut line
defining the perimeter of the opening. When the
consumer first lifts the flap of the packaging, the
flap tends to pull together with it the surface of the
wall to which it is adhesively bonded. While the
portion of this surface which is outside the pre-cut
line remains attached to the remainder of the wall of
the packaging, the portion within it separates from the
rest along the pre-cut line and follows the flap in the
lifting movement. In this way an opening is formed in
the wall of the packaging through which the products
can be removed. The opening formed in this way can then
be closed again by again applying the flap against the
wall of the packaging, using for this purpose e.g. the
peripheral portion of the flap which surrounds the
portion of wall which the flap has taken with it in the
lifting movement. This peripheral portion continues to
be adhesive and is therefore capable of becoming
attached to the wall of the packaging along the
perimeter of the opening through which the products are
removed.
-
The flap in question is normally associated
with a seal which is capable of being ruptured as a
consequence of action or an attempt at action intended
to open the packaging: all this so as to render obvious
any handling which might be attempted, particularly at
points of sale, for unauthorised removal of individual
products from the packages exposed for sale, and
therefore to provide a disincentive.
-
In many cases the aforesaid flap is firmly
welded to the body of the packaging along one of its
sides. This prevents the operation of lifting the flap
with respect to the opening (to permit the products to
be taken out) causing complete detachment of the flap
from the packaging, with obvious risks of the contents
falling out/being dispersed.
-
The arrangement based on (total or partial)
adhesive bonding of the flap to the body of the
packaging is however in conflict with the fact that the
substances with which the products are premoistened or
preimpregnated, and/or other substances (e.g. creams,
talcum powder or miscellaneous powders) frequently used
together with the products, have an antagonistic effect
against the adhesive materials used to ensure the
possibility of opening and reclosing the flap.
-
After a certain period of use it can in fact
happen that the flap cannot be returned to the closed
condition against the body of the packaging because the
adhesive material provided for this purpose has lost
all or some of its effectiveness.
-
The corresponding possible disadvantages are
many: it is sufficient merely to mention the fact that
the opening for delivery of the products remains
uncovered, with the consequent possibility that the
products can at least to some extent come out of the
packaging in an undesired way, or the fact that the
interior of the packaging becomes to a certain extent,
exposed to the outside environment, with the consequent
possibility of loss of the degree to which the products
are premoistened.
-
Packaging of the type specified above also
tends to be used increasingly in industrial and even
medical environments. In this context, after a product
has been removed from the packaging, moving the
protective flap away from the opening, it is desirable
that it should be possible ( also for a large number of
extraction cycles - in practice until all the products
which are in the packaging have been removed) to close
the flap protecting the opening in a condition which
provides a seal with respect to the outside environment
(e.g. to prevent moisture, bacteria, dusts, etc., from
penetrating within the packaging).
-
From this it will be understood that the field
of the possible application of the invention is not
restricted to the area of humidified products (e.g. the
so-called "wet wipes"), but may be extended to a
variety of areas such as, e.g. the packaging of medical
products and/or articles, etc.
-
The purpose of this invention is to provide an
arrangement which is capable of overcoming the
abovementioned disadvantages in the containers
previously mentioned, regardless of the specific
details of their construction.
-
In accordance with this invention, this
objective is accomplished through a container having
the characteristics specifically claimed in the
following claims.
-
The invention will now be described, purely by
way of a non-restrictive example, with reference to the
appended drawings, in which:
- Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of the
arrangement according to the invention, with reference
to two different conditions of use, and
- Figure 3 illustrates the criteria for defining a
number of parameters which are capable of determining
the sealing characteristics of packaging according to
the invention.
-
With reference to the above illustration of the
disadvantages and/or requirements underlying the
invention given above, it is obvious that the term
"receiving envelope", as used below in the description
and in the claims which follow, indicates in general
any body (whether rigid, semi-rigid, deformable or
flexible, etc.) which is capable of performing a
containment action, e.g. in order to receive within it
moisturised hygiene-health products such as
premoisturised or pre-soaked tissues or towels, with
the possibility that these products can be selectively
removed from the container through at least one opening
provided in the wall of the container.
-
Similarly, the words "sealing arrangement" as
used below in the description and the claims which
follow in general indicate any body which is capable of
being selectively applied to the closure of the
aforesaid opening with the possibility of therefore
being at least in part separated from, moved away from
or displaced from such opening so as to permit the
products which lie within the packaging to be removed
through the aforesaid opening.
-
In the example illustrated in the appended
drawings (particular emphasis is placed on the fact
that what is illustrated is only one of the possible
embodiments of the invention), a packaging for hygiene-health
products such as pre-soaked or premoisturised
tissues or towels is indicated as a whole by 1.
-
In the example illustrated, packaging 1
comprises a containment envelope 2 essentially
comprising an envelope or bag of flexible material
(e.g. coextruded polyethylene) which is capable of
receiving within it a pack P of hygiene-health
products. The products in question may be
premoisturised tissues or towels connected together in
a chain of separable elements or arranged in accordance
with a generally interleaved arrangement. The specific
characteristics of the products and the manner in which
they are packaged are not however in themselves
defining for the purposes of implementing the
invention. Envelope 2 may advantageously be of the
"flow-pack" type, comprising a sheet which is closed to
form a tube along a first line of longitudinal welding
(not shown in the figures) with the subsequent
formation of two lines of transverse welding 3.
-
On one of the walls of envelope 2 (preferably
corresponding to one of the long sides - but this
choice is not however essential) there is provided an
opening 4 which can be used to remove products P from
the packaging.
-
Everything which has been said hitherto
corresponds to factors which are well known in the art
and which therefore do not require detailed
illustration in this context.
-
Recreating from this point of view an
arrangement which is in itself known - opening 4 is
associated, as a closing arrangement, with a flap 5 of
laminar material normally consisting of the same
material as the packaging as a whole or a similar
material. Closure arrangement or flap 5 may be
selectively removed by the consumer (in accordance with
factors which are wholly obvious and known, which do
not require to be illustrated in this context) from a
closed position (shown in Figure 1), in which flap 5
closes opening 4, to a position in which the products
can be removed (shown in Figure 2) in which flap 5 is
lifted, displaced, detached or otherwise at least
partly removed with respect to opening 4 so as to leave
such opening 4 wholly or partly free so as to permit
products P which lie within the packaging to be
removed.
-
In this respect it may be provided that flap 5
is permanently attached to the body of envelope 2 (e.g.
by being continuously heat welded) along one of its
sides, indicated by 5a.
-
Although preferred for reasons which will
become clearer below, this arrangement is not in itself
essential.
-
In a known way (as already explained
previously) the flap may also be used to create opening
4 in the wall of envelope 2 when first detached from
the packaging by means of the pre-cut line such as a
punched or perforated line. In this respect, the
portion of the wall of envelope 2 which flap 5, which
is rendered adhesive on its surface which is intended
to face envelope 2, has pulled with it on the first
occasion when the pack is opened can be seen in Figure
2 and is indicated by 20. The part of flap 5 to which
the portion of envelope 20 is bonded is therefore no
longer adhering, but the outer or peripheral portion
indicated by 5b continues to be adhesive, for a
variable length of time.
-
An important feature of the arrangement
according to the invention is provided by the fact that
the attachment between flap 5 and the body of envelope
2 in the closed position provides for the use of a so-called
"microhook" structure (preferably in addition to
attachment means of the adhesive type).
-
The term "microhook" is used here to indicate,
in its widest sense, attachment structures of the "hook
and loop" mechanical type which are sometimes also
referred to as "overlap" closures, or in most common
use are simply referred to by the trade name of
"Velcro".
-
As is well-known to those skilled in the art,
the aforementioned closure devices may in their most
conventional and ordinary form take the form of two
complementary complexes (the hooks and the loops or
complementary areas of hooks and loops) located on two
joinable complementary members which are capable of
being attached (e.g. by bonding or heat welding) to
both parts of the closure which are intended to be
connected. It is likewise known, however, that
alternative arrangements provide for the possibility of
using laminar structures, preferably functioning as
loops (therefore also materials which are wholly or
partly capable of constituting the body of envelope 2
or flap 5) by a locally apertured structure (which is
typically hairy or "tufted") which is capable of
defining a sufficiently engaging structure to achieve
attachment with the hook members provided on the
complementary part. Typical examples of structures of
this type are e.g. coatings of non-woven materials
which are capable of being used e.g. to wholly or
partly cover the outside sheets (the so-called back-sheets)
of hygiene-health products such as
nappies/diapers for babies, toddlers and incontinents -
the latter being an application in which the use of
microhook structures has already been tested and is
starting to become quite widespread in order, e.g. to
seal the product along the waistline by means of tabs
provided for this purpose and/or so that the product
can be closed up once it has been folded on itself
after use.
-
The reference to the interposition of a
mechanical microhook closure structure between the body
of envelope 2 (in particular between the perimeter zone
of opening 4) and closure arrangement 5 should not
therefore in any way be interpreted within the scope of
this invention as requiring a need for the application
of supplementary closure members to the body of
envelope 2 and the body of closure arrangement 5.
-
The aforesaid mechanical coupling configuration
using microhooks may in fact simply be achieved by
using the material comprising flap 5 and/or the
material comprising or coating envelope 2 as one of the
complementary parts, in particular in the regions
surrounding opening 4, in so doing making use of the
intrinsic properties of the corresponding material
(e.g. the fact that it comprises or is coated with a
non-woven material of the tufted type) and/or through
the effect of a specific treatment, which may be local,
applied to the abovementioned material or coating, e.g.
a heating treatment which induces the formation of a
local porous or microporous open cell structure in the
material or in a coating layer which is likely to
constitute an anchoring formation for the complementary
hook members.
-
In this respect it should be noted that where
"hooks" are mentioned within the scope of the term
"microhooks" this should not in any way be interpreted
in a sense limiting the conformation of the
corresponding elements - it is in fact well-known in
the art relating to closures commonly known as "Velcro"
that the hook components may have different
conformations from the conventional fishhook
conformation, such as e.g. mushroom, hammer head, etc.,
conformations.
-
In the course of the last few years microhook
closures have found application in a great variety of
areas. In particular, in addition to the area of
nappies, to which specific reference has been made
above (where the use of microhook tabs has been
provided as waistline closure arrangements), there are
many areas in the art in which microhook closures are
used in conjunction with envelope or bag containers,
even in special sectors such as e.g. furnishing, for
the closure of cushion covers or pillow slips.
-
This invention is based on recognition of the
fact that a microhook closure may be used to achieve
attachment either wholly or in part between a closure
arrangement such as flap 5 and the perimeter of an
opening (such as opening 4 illustrated in the
drawings), including in the specific field of
application considered here where it is necessary to
ensure, e.g. that the characteristic moisture content
of the products P is preserved without undergoing any
appreciable change over the course of time and/or to
ensure adequate protection from external agents (dust,
etc.).
-
All this in such a way that the mechanical type
closure may replace, even only in part, the
conventional adhesive attachment between the closure
arrangement (flap 5 in the example illustrated) and the
corresponding opening (opening 4 in the example
illustrated) avoiding the disadvantage due to the fact
that the adhesive closure can lose its efficiency when
it becomes contaminated e.g. by liquid and/or oily
substances or by dusts which reduce its adhesive
properties.
-
Without wishing to be bound by any specific
theory in this respect, there are grounds for believing
that the sealing characteristics of a microhook closure
are primarily linked to the ability of part of the
closure to act as a labyrinth, in the sense of the
possibility of it being crossed transversely by
liquids, vapours, dusts or bacteria (hereinafter
referred to as a group by "intrusive agents").
-
To clarify ideas, with reference to Figure 3,
the abovementioned direction of travel is indicated by
an arrow, indicating in general the complex of paths
between the two complementary members 6, 7 constituting
the closure as the direction in which a microhook
closure may be crossed transversely in the plane of
attachment between the complementary members.
-
In the embodiments illustrated the microhook
closure is essentially defined by two strip members 6,
7 which extend continuously or discontinuously along
the perimeter of opening 4 and along the corresponding
portions of flap 5, therefore, in the embodiment
illustrated, along and in an intermediate position
within the external or peripheral portion 5b.
-
This particular arrangement is particularly
advantageous and preferred for reasons which will be
better illustrated below; it is not however essential.
-
The fact that reference is made to the
possibility of continuous or discontinuous extension is
designed to take into account essentially two factors:
- as illustrated in the appended drawings, flap 5 may
be stably attached (e.g. by being heat welded) along
one side 5a to envelope 2 along a corresponding side of
opening 4; in the areas where this physical attachment
is provided between flap 5 and the body of envelope 2
it is not necessary to provide for the existence of
(further) closure arrangements, and
- at least in some applications, the two parts 6, 7 of
the microhook closure may present discontinuities
corresponding to which the attachment between flap 5
and the body of envelope 2 is provided (at least at the
level of the first packaging) by means of a
conventional adhesive attachment.
-
The latter arrangement may be suggested
(essentially in relation to considerations of
complexity and cost of construction) in such
applications where the two complementary parts 6, 7
forming the microhook closure are constructed in
simplified form, e.g. in the form of two pairs of
complementary strips located on the two sides of
opening 4 corresponding to the longitudinal direction
of packaging 1. A choice of this nature may be
suggested e.g. by the need to apply the said strips
"in-line" during the process of forming the envelope in
the context of a packaging line of the flow-pack type.
-
In this latter situation the portion or
portions of the perimeter of the opening which remain
so to speak "uncovered" by the microhook closure are
closed by making use of the adhesive attachment of flap
5 to the perimeter of opening 4. The fact that this
adhesive attachment may weaken over time does not
however prejudice the possibility - for the user - to
close the packaging again and again reliably, for a
practically infinite number of times after it has first
been opened, thereby preventing the products from
coming out.
-
Without however wishing to be bound in this
case also to any specific theory in this respect, there
are grounds for believing that the level of resistance
to the intrusive agents previously mentioned
demonstrated by an ordinarily manufactured microhook
closure is essentially determined by at least four
factors, namely:
- the width or depth of the closure: in the case of a
microhook closure having a strip structure this width
or depth is essentially the width of the strip (see
parameter d in Figure 3, as opposed to the generic
parameter of length L which identifies the longitudinal
extent of the closure),
- the density of the microhook elements,
- the conformation of the complementary elements
forming the microhook structure, and
- the nature of the material forming such elements.
-
In the case of the first parameter it is
obvious that in the applications to which specific
reference is made (packages of premoisturised tissues
or towels) it is essentially preferable to avoid the
use of microhook closures which are too broad. This is
both for obvious reasons of size, and because a rather
wide microhook closure tends also to be quite rigid,
which may have an unfavourable effect on the
flexibility of closure flap 5 and/or the corresponding
parts of the packaging surrounding opening 4 -
flexibility which, while not constituting an essential
property, certainly constitutes a welcome feature. As a
result of this consideration, widths or depths of the
closure of the order of a few millimetres or in any
event of not more than a centimetre are to be preferred
for the applications considered above.
-
Again concerning the depth or width of a
microhook closure it will also be noted that the two
complementary parts defining the closure do not need to
be of identical width, as a result of which the
corresponding parameter is in fact defined by the width
or depth of the region in which the complementary
elements of the closure effectively act together. With
reference to the embodiment in Figures 1 and 2, it has
already been stated that one of the parts of the
microhook structure may directly comprise the outer
surface of envelope 2 in the region surrounding opening
4 or a coating applied thereto. It is however obvious
that only a restricted portion surrounding opening 4 in
this envelope is intended to act effectively together
with the complementary members borne on flap 5 -
therefore only the width of the region in which there
is actually cooperation between the complementary
elements will be taken into account. For example,
assuming (always as a hypothesis) that the entire
surface of flap 5 which is intended to face the body of
envelope 2 - and therefore comprising the portion which
in the example illustrated is covered by the portion of
envelope 20 which is removed on first opening - bears
microhook elements which are capable of acting together
with the outer part of enclosure 2, it is obvious that
the region in which they act together - which must be
taken into account when assessing the abovementioned
width or depth d - is only that region in which the
surface of flap 5 acts together with the perimeter of
opening 4. When assessing the aforesaid width the
surface area occupied by opening 4 proper will not
therefore be taken into account.
-
The other two parameters considered (the
density and shape of the microhook elements), although
conceptually separate, have been proved to be
extensively interdependent both in construction and in
assessment of the holding characteristics of a
microhook closure with respect to intrusive agents. Of
course, the width or depth of the closure also comes
into play when defining the latter parameter in
absolute terms.
-
Finally, as far as the nature of the materials
is concerned, it is obvious that this term also
comprises any treatments applied to such components
such as e.g. and without any intention of restriction:
the application of soaking liquids, surface coatings
and/or treatments designed to change the physical
properties (e.g. providing surface softness) and/or
chemical properties of the elements, including the
application of agents having an antibacterial function.
-
In the arrangement illustrated in the appended
drawings a closure mechanism in which several
components or functions are included has been made use
of in order to ensure a seal for the packaging.
-
At the time of initial packaging, when envelope
2 is formed (e.g. using the flow-pack technique) around
products P, the packaging itself in practice
constitutes a kind of sealed envelope or bag in which
products P are contained. The wall of the envelope so
formed is so to speak locally "nicked" by the punching
or perforation defining the perimeter of opening 4.
Within the context of the wall of the envelope the
aforesaid punching or perforation however produces
openings which are barely pervious, if not blind and in
any event of very reduced clear cross-section. In any
event, a leaktight seal over the openings in question
is provided by the central portion of flap 5 which is
adhesively applied to the wall of the envelope
corresponding to the region where opening 4 will be
formed. All this with the further sealing effect
deriving from the presence i) of microhook closure 6, 7
which surrounds the aforesaid region and ii) the edge
of outer flap 5 with respect to the microhook closure
itself. Under such conditions the envelope of packaging
1 forms a virtually absolute seal against intrusive
agents of any kind. This makes it possible to store the
packagings (keep them in stock) for long periods and/or
in adverse environmental conditions without any risk of
the deterioration and/or spoiling of products P.
-
Subsequently, after the packaging has been
opened for the first time (which, on the basis of
criteria already described many times, has resulted in
the formation of opening 4 with wall portion 20 which
remains attached to flap 5) and the packaging has been
closed again by applying flap 5 again against envelope
2, the seal continues to be ensured as above through
the effect of two mechanisms:
- the sealing effect provided by microhook closure 6,
7, and
- the sealing effect provided by the two regions
(constituting the two U-shaped strips in the example
illustrated) in which the microhook closure, and in
particular element 7 thereof subdivides -by extending
therethough- the outer adhesive portion 5b remaining on
flap 5 after adhesion of the portion of envelope 20.
-
Subsequently, the adhesion properties of the
aforesaid regions may decrease, for the reasons
indicated at the start of this description. In any
event, being coextensive and/or extending at least
substantially adjacent (and preferably in proximity to,
and in an even more preferred way, as in the present
situation, in close proximity to) the adhesive
attachment regions defined by the portion of flap 5b,
microhook closure 6, 7 has an effect of a synergistic
type in comparison with seals of the adhesive type.
This insofar as the microhook closure bears the greater
part of the stresses which would tend to detach flap 5
from the envelope even when the adhesive attachment
power weakens. The adhesive attachment can therefore
ensure an effective seal even when the said attachment
has become weak to a point where the adhesive
attachment alone is no longer sufficient to hold flap 5
against envelope 2.
-
On yet more subsequent occasions the adhesive
attachment capacity of tab 5 may also reduce completely
or substantially completely. Even under these
conditions, when flap 5 is closed against opening 4, a
sufficient seal against the exterior (and the necessary
captive effect which retains flap 5 against the wall of
the envelope) will continue to be ensured by microhook
closure 6, 7 which is substantially refractory with
respect to phenomena (contamination by liquids and/or
dusts in particular) which reduce the adhesive bonding
capacity of flap 5 with respect to envelope 2.
-
It will be appreciated that the mechanism
described effects a possible graduation in the sealing
characteristics which corresponds precisely to the
requirements of use: an absolute seal at the time of
initial packaging (with the possibility of providing
long storage periods without the risk of any kind of
deterioration) and the possible gradual reduction in
the adhesive sealing component as consumption of the
products proceeds, with the possibility of relying upon
a synergistic effect from the microhook closure. In all
of this it is however possible to always count on the
sealing component deriving from the presence of such a
closure.
-
From an examination of the appended drawings it
will also be understood that, by subdividing the
adhesive portion 5b into two regions, the microhook
closure will exert some protective effect against the
spread of contaminating agents towards the interior
region of adhesive portion 5b surrounding the closure
even when flap 5 is in the open position.
-
As already mentioned in the introduction to
this description, closures of the type described are
very suitable for association with closure seals (e.g.
adhesive labels applied partly to the outside of flap 5
and partly to the immediately adjacent region of
envelope 2) which makes it possible to check (in a
known way, through the effect of tearing the label)
that the packaging has been opened at least once.
Obviously all of this has the intention of indicating
any improper handling of the packaging.
-
As mentioned, the embodiment of the invention
illustrated in the drawings constitutes the one which
is preferred at the present time. Numerous construction
variants are of course possible such as, e.g. variants
in respect of:
- the characteristics of the microhook closure, in
particular as regards the possibility, as already
mentioned previously, of using the surface conformation
of parts of envelope 2 and/or the flap and/or coatings
applied thereto directly for the purposes of providing
the closure,
- the possible use of microhook closures which do not
extend continuously along the entire perimeter of the
flap (with the possible exception of zone 5a welded to
the envelope), but extend with one or more breaks in
continuity,
- the possibility of providing the adhesive attachment
between flap 5 and envelope 2 by rendering the
corresponding part of the envelope adhesive, together
with or as an alternative to flap 5, as is at least
implicitly assumed in the preceding description,
- the fact of making use of arrangements other than the
one illustrated (removal of portion 20 of the envelope
by flap 5) in order to create opening 4,
- the fact that microhook closure 6, 7 is directly
located along the perimeter of flap 5, therefore
without allowing the outer region of portion 5b of the
flap to project beyond the closure,
- the possible presence of this projecting region, but
without the properties of adhesive attachment to the
envelope, this also applying to the internal region of
flap 5 surrounded by closure 6, 7,
- the possible use of a flap (or a similar closure
arrangement) which as a whole is rigid or not very
flexible, if appropriate in combination with a
correspondingly rigid collar-shaped engaging
arrangement surrounding opening 4, and
- the possible absence, including in the packaging just
completed, of an adhesive attachment between flap 5 and
envelope 2, therefore having the seal effect fully
required from microhook closure 6, 7.
-
Of course, without prejudice to the principle
of the invention the details of the construction and
embodiments can vary widely with respect to what has
been described and illustrated without thereby going
beyond the scope of this invention.
