Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02474368 2004-07-15
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STACKABLE CLEANER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a combined disposable rigid container and cleaner.
More
particularly the invention relates to a rigid stackable package including a
sealed upper
compartment containing a sponge and a quantity of cleaning fluid and a lower
compartment
surrounded by a skirt accepting the upper compartment of an identical unit
whereby multiple
units can be stacked into a retail product.
Consumers encounter surfaces they wish to clean on a regular basis. This is
especially true when a person is traveling, not at home or away from home.
Toilet seats in
public restrooms are prime examples. However, other surfaces upon which one
sits or places
valuable or delicate possessions also fall into this category. One can wipe
such surfaces with
a tissue but such a procedure is not always satisfactory. Even if one wets a
tissue or paper
towel and applies soap or another cleaning agent, one is still doing less than
optimal cleaning
and is likely to get dirt on one's hand from the tissue or paper towel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a relatively rigid applicator body having a
horizontal
base wall, a downwardly extending skirt, an upwardly extending side wall and a
top wall.
The horizontal base wall, the upwardly extending side wall and the top wall
define an upper
compartment. A compressible foam body sized to extend beyond the upper
compartment in a
relaxed state is sealed into the upper compartment along with a quantity of
cleaning fluid. In
one embodiment, the top wall is a sealing film. The sealing film is a sheet
sealed around the
entire periphery of the upper compartment and has a tab extending beyond the
upper
compartment periphery allowing the user to remove the seal when desired.
Several of these
identical units are stacked and a cap placed over the top unit forming a
retail product. The
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applicator bodies have two long sides and shorter ends with the long sides
being gently
curved and parallel to one another providing an overall shape for the finished
product which
is easily carried in a pocket, purse or brief case.
In accordance with the present invention, the applicator body of the product
is
fabricated from rigid plastic material.
Still further in accordance with the present invention, the foam body
contained in the
applicator rigid body has a width dimension slightly greater than the width
dimension of the
compartment in which it is contained whereby a slight interference fit is
created.
Still further in accordance with the invention, the foam body is cut from a
sheet
material giving the foam body blanks a generally rectangular, flat, shape.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the upwardly extending side wall
surrounding the upper compartment has a shoulder at one end creating a
contained volume
when mated with the skirt of a mating unit, said volume accommodating the tab
of the sealing
film.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a cleaner or
applicator
product comprising an applicator pad or sponge sealed within a rigid
applicator body which
can be easily and safely stored, easily opened and in which the applicator
body functions as a
rigid handle for the sponge in use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a combined container
and
cleaner allowing one to use the applicator product to clean a surface without
touching the
surface or the pad or sponge during this operation.
It still a further object of the present invention to provide a applicator
body which is
rigid, durable, not subject to puncture or failure by compression, pleasing in
appearance, easy
to open, water tight and stackable.
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I
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleansing tool which
is easy to
open.
It still another object of the present invention to provide a cleaner which is
economical to manufacture, pleasing in appearance, easy to carry and easy to
use.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those
skilled
in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a stackable applicator or cleaner in
accordance with the present invention in the ready to use configuration;
FIGURE 2 is a top view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 is .a side view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of FIGURES 1
and 2;
FIGURE 4 is cross-sectional view of the applicator or cleaner of figures 1-3
taken
along line 4-4 of figure 1;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the applicator or cleaner of figures 1-4;
FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of
figures
1-5 in the sealed configuration with the sponge restrained by a sealing film;
FIGURE 7 is a top view of the stackable applicator or cleaner in the sealed
configuration;
FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the stackable applicator or cleaner in
the
sealed configuration;
FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view of the applicator or cleaner in the sealed
configuration taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 6;
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the applicator or cleaner seen in figures 1-
9 in
the sealed configuration;
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FIGURE 11 is a front elevational view of a stack of applicator or cleaner as
seen in
figures 1-10 with a cap;
FIGURE 12 is a side elevational view of the stack of figure 11;
FIGURE 13 is a cross-section of the stack of applicator or cleaner seen in
figure 11
taken along line 11-11;
FIGURE 14 is a bottom view of the stack of applicator or cleaner seen in
figures 11-
13;
FIGURE 1 S is a top view of the stack of applicator or cleaner seen in figures
11-14;
FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of the stack of applicator or cleaner seen in
figures
11-15;
FIGURE 17 is a front elevational view of a stackable applicator or cleaner in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention in the ready to
use
configuration;
FIGURE 18 is a top view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of FIGURE 17;
FIGURE 19 is a side view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of FIGURES 17
and
18;
FIGURE 20 is cross-sectional view of the applicator or cleaner of figures 17-
19 taken
along line 20-20 of figure 17;
FIGURE 21 is a perspective view of the applicator or cleaner of figures 17-21;
FIGURE 22 is a front elevational view of the stackable applicator or cleaner
of figures
17-20 in the sealed configuration with the sponge restrained by a top;
FIGURE 23 is a top view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of Fig. 17 in
the sealed
configuration;
FIGURE 24 is a side elevational view of the stackable applicator or cleaner of
Fig. 17
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in the sealed configuration;
FIGURE 25 is a cross-sectional view of the applicator or cleaner of Fig. 17 in
the
sealed configuration taken along line 25-25 of FIGURE 22;
FIGURE 26 is a perspective view of the applicator or cleaner seen in Figures
17-25 in
the sealed configuration;
FIGURE 27 is an exploded perspective view similar to FIGURE 26 showing the
components of the applicator or cleaner in Figures 17-26;
FIGURE 28 is an enlarged detail view of the top of the sidewall, the top and
the tab of
the applicator or cleaner seen in Figures 17-27;
FIGURE 29 is a front elevational view of a stack of applicators or cleaners as
seen in
figures 17-28 with a cap;
FIGURE 30 is a side elevational view of the stack of figure 29;
FIGURE 31 is a cross-section of the stack of applicators or cleaners seen in
figure 29
taken along line 31-31;
FIGURE 32 is a bottom view of the stack of applicators or cleaners seen in
figures 29-
31;
FIGURE 33 is a top view of the stack of applicators or cleaners seen in
figures 29-32;
FIGURE 34 is a perspective view of the stack of applicators or cleaners seen
in
figures 29-33;
FIGURE 35 is a perspective view of a stackable applicator or cleaner in
accordance
with another embodiment of the invention in the sealed configuration;
FIGURE 36 is a side elevational view of the stackable applicator or cleaner as
seen in
FIGURE 35;
FIGURE 37 is a cross sectional view of the tab and a portion of the applicator
as seen
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in FIGURE 3 6;
FIGURE 38 is a perspective view of a cap used with the applicator or cleaner
seen in
FIGURES 35-37;
FIGURE 39 is a side elevational view of the cap of FIGURE 38;
FIGURE 40 is a top view of the cap seen in FIGURES 38-39; and,
FIGURE 41 is a cross section of the cap seen in FIGURE 39.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purposes of
illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purposes
of limiting
same, figure 1 shows a cleaner or applicator unit 10 in accordance with the
invention. The
applicator unit 10 comprises a applicator rigid body 12, a foam body 14 and a
quantity of
fluid 16 absorbed in the foam body 14. Alternatively, the fluid 16 can be a
gel or paste for
use in cleaning or other applications such as polishing. Referring now to
figure 4, the
applicator rigid body 12 comprises a horizontal wall 20, a skirt 22 extending
downwardly
from the horizontal wall 20 and surrounding a lower compartment 24, and an
upwardly
extending wall 26 surrounding an upper compartment 28 in which the foam body
14 is
partially disposed. As can be seen in figure 2, the rigid body 12 has a
slightly concave front
32, a slightly convex back 34, an arcuate left end 36 and an arcuate right end
38. The front
32 and back 34 are generally parallel to one another. The applicator rigid
body 12 is slightly
greater than 2.5 inches wide from the left end 36 to the right end 38 and
approximately one
half inch deep from the outside of the front 32 to the back 34. The overall
depth dimension is
somewhat greater than one half inch because the front wall and back wall are
both curved.
The skirt 22 has a generally uniform profile extending uniformly across the
front 32, the back
34, the left end 36 and the right end 38 of the applicator rigid body 12. The
skirt profile is a
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generally planar downwardly extending wall with a slight amount of draft to
the
accommodate the manufacturing process, injection molding. Five bumps 42
prohude from
the outer surface of the front of the skirt near its bottom center. Similarly,
five bumps 44
protrude from the outer surface of the center of the back 34 near its bottom.
The bumps 42,
44 are tactile cues easing gripping of the applicator rigid body 12 by a user.
The upwardly extending wall 26 has a generally uniform profile across the
front 32,
around the left end 36 and across the back 34. The profile of the upwardly
extending wall is
that of a wall having two generally planar sides slightly tapering toward one
another in the
upward direction to accommodate the injection molding process. Three
vertically orientated
ridges 46 are provided near the bottom of the center of the front of the
outside surface of the
upwardly extending wall. Similarly, three ridges 48 are provided on the outer
lower surface
of the back of the upwardly extending wall 26.
The right end of the upwardly extending wall 26 has a profile differing from
the
remaining portions of the upwardly extending wall 26. The right end profile
has a short
bottom portion 52 extending generally vertically, an inwardly extending sloped
shoulder
portion 54 and an upper vertically extending portion 56.
An upwardly extending ridge 50 is provided at the lower extremity of the
outside
surface of the left end of the upwardly extending wall 26. An identical ridge
S I is provided
on the bottom of the right shoulder 52. The top edge 58 of the upwardly
extending wall 26 is
flat and smooth around its entire periphery.
The foam body 14 conforms to the shape of the upper compartment 28.
Preferably,
the foam body 14 is a rectangular piece of foam or sponge cut from sheet
material. In the
preferred embodiment, the sheet material is approximately a quarter of an inch
thick, slightly
thicker than the width of the upper compartment 28. The foam body 14 is placed
in the upper
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compartment 28 and, preferably, is adhered to the top of the horizontal wall
20. As can be
seen in figures 1-5, and 17 when the foam body I4 uncompressed, it extends
beyond the top
edge 58 of the applicator rigid body 12. In this configuration, a consumer can
grasp the
applicator rigid body 12 and use it to clean a surface by rubbing the portion
of the foam body
14 extending from the upper compartment 28 over the surface. The fluid I6 or
gel, which is
preferably an isopropanol solution, cleans the surface in question.
Prior to use, the foam body is retained completely within the upper
compartrnent 28.
Referring now to figures 6-10, the cleaner or applicator 10 is shown in the
sealed
configuration. A top wall, in this embodiment, a sealing film 60, extends over
the top of the
upper compartment 28 of the applicator rigid body 12. The sealing film 60 is
sealed to the
top edge 58 of the upwardly extending wall 26. While the sealing film 60 can
be fixed to the
top edge 58 by any suitable means, it is preferred to heat seal the sealing
film 60 to the top
edge 58. Heat sealing materials and techniques are well known in the industry
and widely
used on food containers (e.g. yogurt containers) and are readily available in
commerce. The
sealing film 60 has a closure portion 62 and a tab 64. The closure portion 62
is identical in
shape to the top edge 58.of the upwardly extending wall 26 surrounding the
upper
compartment 28. The tab 64 extends outwardly from the closure portion 62 at
the right end
38 of the applicator 12. The tab 64 is bent downwardly and lays along the
right end 38 of the
upwardly extending wall 26. As can be seen in figure 6, because the right end
of the
upwardly extending wall 26 includes a shoulder portion 54, there is room for
the tab 64.
Referring now to figure 9, one sees that the upper compartment 28 is
surrounded by
the horizontal wall 20, the upwardly extending wall 26 and the sealing film 60
creating a
hermetically sealed compartment. The foam body 14 and a fluid 16 or gel are
contained
within the sealed upper comparhnent 28. The fluid or gel 16 can not evaporate.
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A plug or stopper can be used in place of the sealing film 60. The stopper,
not shown,
has a flat, horizontal surface having a shape identical to the inner edge of
the upwardly
extending wall 2b plus a tab extending above the shoulder 54. A stopper skirt
extends
downwardly from the stepper horizontal surface and engages the inside of the
upwardly
extending wall 26. A horizontal ridge extends around the periphery of the
skirt and engages a
mating recess in the inside surface of the upwardly extending wall 126,
holding the stopper in
place. The upper compartment is opened by grasping the tab and removing the
stopper. The
stopper is, in effect, a removable top wall just as the film 60 is a removable
top wall.
Referring now to figures 11-13, a stack of four identical cleaners or
applicators 10a,
l Ob, l Oc, lOd in the sealed condition is illustrated. The stack of cleaners
is shown in cross
section in figure 13. It can be seen that the upwardly extending wall 26 of
the lowest unit
extends into and is surrounded by the downwardly extending skirt 22 of the
next higher unit.
This is true for each of the units save the topmost unit. For the topmost
unit, the upwardly
extending wall 26 is contained within a cap 70. The cap 70 comprises a
horizontal wall 72
and a downwardly extending skirt, 74. The horizontal wall 72 is identical to
the horizontal
wall 20 of the applicator body 12. The skirt 74 is identical to the skirt 22
of the applicator
body 12. Thus, the upwardly extending wall 26 of the top most unit lOd extends
into and is
surrounded by the skirt 74 of the cap 70. In this nested configuration, the
ridges 46, 48, 50,
51 on the outside of the upwardly extending wall 26 wedge against the inner
surface of the
skirt 22 of the next higher unit holding the ensemble together.
As can be seen in figures 1, 6, and 11, the bottom edge 80 of the skirt 22 is
not
straight and flat. Rather, the bottom edge of the left end and right end of
the skirt 22 are flat
and the bottom edge of the front and back of the skirt are slightly concave.
This shape is
matched by the top edge 82 of the skirt so that adjacent applicators 10a, IOb,
lOc and lOd
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mate together with an aesthetically pleasing close edge and a centxal curve.
The assembled mufti-unit stack of applicator or cleaner units l0a-lOd with the
cap 70
is sold as a unit and is conveniently packable by the consumer. The entire
assembly is only
slightly greater than four inches in height, two and two-thirds inch in width
and two thirds
S inches thick. Moreover, the sidewalls of the entire stack of unit are curved
and conveniently
rest in a person's pocket. Applicator rigid bodies 12 are rigid and nested.
The sealed upper
compartments 28 containing the fluid or gel are well protected. Two rigid
walls, the
upwardly extending wall 26 and the skirt of an adjacent unit 22 or of the cap
74, protect each
upper compartment 28. The upper compartments are therefore exceedingly
unlikely to be
compressed to bursting or to be punctured as might be the case of a moistened
wipe packed in
foil envelope.
In use, a consumer buys the commercial stack as shown in figures 11-14 and
places
the stack in a pocket, purse or other carry bag. When the consumer encounters
a surface to be
cleaned, he simply removes the bottom unit I Oa or top unit lOd (replacing the
cap on the
remaining units). He can put the remaining units away and pull the tab 64 to
remove the top
film 60 on the selected applicator or cleaner unit 10. This releases the foam
body 14 which
extends outwardly from the top of the upper compartment 28 and is available
for swabbing
the intended surface. The user can swab the surface while maintaining a sure
grip on the
applicator rigid body 12. The applicator IO is then discarded in a convenient
receptacle and
the fluid or gel solution used to swab the selected surface evaporates.
The unit 10 described above is manufactured by injection molding an
appropriate
plastic such as polypropylene into the applicator rigid body 12 and cap 70.
Adhesive is
applied to the top surface of the horizontal wall 20 or the bottom surface of
the foam body 14
and the foam body 14 inserted into the upper compartment 28. Fluid or gel 16
is applied to
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the foam body 14 and the sealing film 60 applied over the foam body 14
compressing it into
the upper compartment 28 bringing the sealing film closure portion 62 into
contact with the
top edge 58 of the upwardly extending wall 26. The sealing film 60 is then
sealed to the fop
edge 58 by known heat sealing techniques. A completed unit 10 is thus
manufactured.
Several of the unit are then stacked as seen in figure 11 and packaged for
sale at retail. Of
course, fluids, gels and pastes other than cleaning fluids can be used.
Surface treatments such
as vinyl protectors, shoe polishes, topical medications, or other materials
can be applied to
the foam body 14 and sealed into the upper compartment 28. A clean, and if
needed, sterile
product applicator is provided in a convenient multiple unit package.
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 17-34. Referring to
Figure
17, the applicator unit 110 comprises a applicator rigid body 112, a
compressible foam body
114 and a quantity of fluid 116 absorbed in the foam body 114. Alternatively,
the fluid 116
can be a gel or paste for use in cleaning or other applications such as
polishing. Referring
now to figure 20, the applicator rigid body 112 comprises a horizontal base
wall I20, a skirt
122 extending downwardly from the horizontal base wall 120 and defining a
lower
compartment 124, and an upwardly extending wall 126 defining an upper
compartment 128
in which the foam body 114 is partially disposed. The horizontal base wall is
fabricated as a
separate piece and ultimately jointed to the skirt 122 and upwardly extending
wall 126 as will
be described hereinafter.
As can be seen in figure I8, the rigid body 112 has a slightly concave front
132, a
slightly convex back 134, an arcuate left end 136 and an arcuate right end
138. The front 132
and back 134 are generally parallel to one another. The applicator rigid body
112 is slightly
greater than 2.S inches wide from the left end 136 to the right end 138 and
approximately one
half inch deep from the outside of the front 132 to the back 134. The overall
depth dimension
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is somewhat greater than one half inch because the front wall and back wall
are both curved.
The skirt 122 has a generally uniform profile extending uniformly across the
front 132, the
back I34, the left end 136 and the right end 138 of the applicator rigid body
112. The skirt
profile is a generally planar downwardly extending wall with a slight amount
of draft to
accommodate the manufacturing process, injection molding. Five bumps 142
protrude from
the outer surface of the front of the skirt near its bottom center. Similarly,
five bumps 144
protrude from the outer surface of the center of the back 134 near its bottom.
The bumps
142, 144 are tactile cues easing gripping of the applicator rigid body 112 by
a user.
The upwardly extending wall 126 has a generally uniform profile across the
front I32,
around the left end 136 and across the back 134. The profile of the upwardly
extending wall
is that of a wall having two generally planar sides slightly tapering toward
one another in the
upward direction to accommodate the injection molding process. Two vertically
orientated
ridges 146 are provided near the bottom of the front of the outside surface of
the upwardly
extending wall. Similarly, two ridges I48 are provided on the outer lower
surface of the back
of the upwardly extending wall 126.
The right end of the upwardly extending wall 126 has a profile differing fium
the
remaining portions of the upwardly extending wall 126. The right end profile
has a short
bottom portion 152 extending generally vertically, and an inwardly extending
sloped shoulder
portion 154. An upwardly extending ridge 150 is provided at the lower
extremity of the
outside surface of the right end of the upwardly extending wall I26. An
identical ridge 151
is provided on the bottom of the right shoulder 152. The top edge 158 of the
upwardly
extending wall 126 is open in the configuration seen in Figures I7-21.
The foam body 114 conforms to the shape of the upper compartment 128.
Preferably,
the foam body 1 I4 is a rectangular piece of foam or sponge cut from sheet
material. In the
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preferred embodiment, the sheet material is approximately a quarter of an inch
thick, slightly
thicker than the width of the upper compartment 128. The foam body 114,
preferably,
adhered to the top of the horizontal wall 120. As can be seen in figures 17-
21, when the foam
body 114 uncompressed, it extends beyond the top edge 158 of the applicator
rigid body I 12.
In this configuration, a consumer can grasp the applicator rigid body 112 and
use it to clean a
surface by rubbing the portion of the foam body 114 extending from the upper
compartment
128 over the surface. The fluid 116 or gel, which is preferably an isopropanol
solution,
cleans the surface in question.
Prior to use, the foam body is retained completely within the upper
compartment 128.
Referring now to figures 22-27, the cleaner or applicator I 10 is shown in the
sealed
configuration. A top wall 160 extends over the top of the upper compartment
128 of the
applicator rigid body I 12. The top wall 160 is fixed to the top edge 158 of
the upwardly
extending wall 126. The top wall 160, the upwardly extending wall 126 and the
skirt 122 are
integrally foamed in an injection molding process. The top wall 160 is joined
around its
entire periphery to the top edge 158 of the upwardly extending wall 126 by a
very thin web
166, a portion of which is seen in Figure 28. The top wall 160 has a closure
portion 162 and
a tab 164. The closure portion 162 is identical in shape to the top of the
upper comparhnent
128 and closes the top completely. The tab 164 extends outwardly from the
closure portion
162 at the right end 138 of the applicator 112. The tab 164 extends outwardly
over the
shoulder 154 at right end 138 of the upwardly extending wall 126. As can be
seen in figure
26, because the right end of the upwardly extending wall 126 includes a
shoulder portion 154,
there is room for the tab 164.
Referring now to figure 25, one sees that the upper compartment 128 is
enclosed by
the horizontal wall 120, the upwardly extending wall 126 and the top wall 160
creating a
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hermetically sealed compartment. The foam body 114 and a fluid 116 or gel are
contained
within the sealed upper compartment 128. The fluid or gel 116 can not
evaporate.
Referring now to figures 29-31, a stack of four identical cleaners or
applicators 10a,
IOb, lOc,lOd in the sealed condition is illustrated. The stack of cleaners is
shown in cross
section in figure 31. It can be seen that the upwardly extending wall _126 of
the lowest unit
extends into and is surrounded by the downwardly extending skirt 122 of the
next higher unit.
This is true fox each of the units save the topmost unit 1 l Od. For the
topmost unit, the
upwardly extending wall 126 is contained within a cap 170. The cap 170
comprises a
horizontal wall 172 and a downwardly extending skirt 174. The horizontal wall
172 is
identical in shape to the horizontal wall 120. The skirt 174 is identical to
the skirt 122 of the
applicators 110. Thus, the upwardly extending wall 126 of the top most unit 1
I Od extends
into and is surrounded by the skirt 174 of the cap 170. In this nested
configuration, the ridges
146, 148, 150, 151 on the outside of the upwardly extending wall 126 wedge
against the inner
surface of the skirt 122 of the next higher unit holding the ensemble
together.
As can be seen in figures 17, 21, and 29, the bottom edge 180 of the skirt 122
is not
straight and flat. Rather, the bottom edges of the left end and right ends of
the skirt 122 are
flat and the bottom edges of the front and back of the skirt are slightly
concave. This shape is
matched by the top edge 182 of the skirt so that adjacent applicators l IOa,
110b, 110c and
110d mate together with an aesthetically pleasing close edge and a central
curve.
The assembled mufti-unit stack of applicator or cleaner units 1 l0a-110d with
the cap
170 is sold as a unit and is conveniently packable by the consumer. The entire
assembly is
only slightly greater than four inches in height, two and two-thirds inch in
width and two
thirds inches thick. Moreover, the sidewalls of the entire stack of unit are
curved and
conveniently rest in a person's pocket. Applicator rigid bodies 112 are rigid
and nested. The
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sealed upper compartments 128 containing the fluid or gel are well protected.
Two rigid
walls, the upwardly extending wall 126 and the skirt of an adjacent unit 122
or of the cap
I74, protect each upper compartment 128. The upper compartments are therefore
exceedingly unlikely to be compressed to bursting or to be punctured as might
be the case of
S a moistened wipe packed in foil envelope.
In use, a consumer buys the commercial stack as shown in figures 29 and 34 and
places the stack in a pocket, purse or other carry bag. When the consumer
encounters a
surface to be cleaned, he simply removes the bottom unit 110a or top unit 1 l
Od (replacing the
cap on the remaining units). He can put the remaining units away and pull the
tab I64 to tear
the web joining the top wall 160 to the upwardly extending wall 126, on the
selected
applicator or cleaner unit 110. This separates the top wall 160 from the rigid
body 112 and
releases the foam body 114 which extends outwardly from the top of the upper
compartment
128 and is available for swabbing the intended surface. The user can swab the
surface while
maintaining a sure grip on the applicator rigid body 112. The applicator 1 IO
is then
discarded in a convenient receptacle and the fluid or gel solution used to
swab the selected
surface evaporates.
The unit 110 described above is manufactured by injection molding of the rigid
components, namely, the two part applicator body 112 and the cap 170. With
reference to
Figures 27 and 25, the rigid body I 12 comprises a first component 190 and a
separate
horizontal wall 120. The first component is a unitary injection molded part
including the top
wall I60, tab 164, upwardly extending wall 126 and skirt 122. It is continuous
and, except
for the bottom opening, water tight. The horizontal wall I20 is a unitary
injection molded
part having a central planar portion i 92 surrounded by an upwardly extending
flange 194 and
an outwardly extending flange 196. A vertical stub 197 extends upwardly from
the center of
emc0001241V001.doc
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',"
the central planar portion 192. The stub 197 is a short, flat stub extending
transversely across
the central planar portion 192. Two round bases 198, 199, Figure 32, extend
downwardly
from the bottom of the central planar portion 192, one on each side of the
stub 197. These
elements are assembled as follows: adhesive 195 is applied to the side of the
horizontal wall
120 central planar portion 192 facing the foam body 114. The foam body, which
has a
transverse slit 118 across its center is brought into contact with the
horizontal wall 120 and
fixed to it by the adhesive 195. A charge of selected fluid 116 such as
isopropyl alcohol, is
charged into the foam body 114 or into the inverted first component 190. The
horizontal wall
120 and foam body are inserted into the first component 190. The flanges
194,196 abut
against ridges formed inside the first component where the upwardly extending
wall 126
joins the skirt 122. The horizontal wall 120 is welded to the first component
around its entire
periphery sealing the upper compartment 128. The flanges 194, 196 provide
necessary
rigidity, surface area and mass for achieving a good welded seal. The foam
body 114 and
fluid I I6 are thus sealed in the upper compartment and the fluid can not
evaporate away.
The bosses 198,199 provide an alternate filling method. The first component
190,
foam body 114 and horizontal base wall 120 can be assembled without the fluid
116. After
assembly and welding, fluid 116 can be injected through one of bosses 198,199
while the
other boss is penetrated with a venting needle. After charging of the
compartment, the bosses
are heat sealed, creating a fluid tight upper comparhnent 128. A completed
unit 10 is thus
manufactured.
Several of the units are then stacked as seen in figure 34 and packaged for
sale or
retail. Of course, fluids, gels and pastes other than cleaning fluids can be
used. Surface
treatments such as vinyl protectors, shoe polishes, topical medications, or
other materials can
be applied to the foam body 114 and sealed into the upper compartment 128. A
clean, and if
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needed, sterile product applicator is provided in a. convenient multiple unit
package.
Another embodiment of the applicator cleaner 210 is seen in figure 35. The
applicator cleaner 210 is similar to the applicator cleaner 110 seen in
figures 17-34.
Differences exist in the area of the tab 264 and the shoulder porkion 254
under the tab.
Just as with the embodiment of figures 17-34, the applicator cleaner 210 has
an
upwardly extending wall 126 and a downwardly extending wall 136. The upwardly
extending wall 126 surrounds and defines an upper compartment. The upper
compartment is
closed at its bottom by the horizontal wall 120 as seen with respect to the
prior embodiment.
The top of the upper compartment is closed by a closure portion 262. The
closure portion
262 is joined to the upwardly extending wall 126 by a thin web 266. The thin
web 266
extends around the entire periphery of the closure portion 262. The upwardly
extending wall
126, closure portion 262 and tab 264 are fabricated from a polymer material.
The polymer
material is select to provide a relatively rigid structure, but will allow
separation at the thin
web 266 when one peels back the closure portion 262.
Thus, the embodiment of the figures 35-41 is very similar to the embodiment of
Figures 17-34 in that that a compartment is defined within the upwardly
extending wall 126
which holds a foam body which is in turn saturated with a cleaning agent. The
downwardly
extending wall 136 will surround and engage the upwardly extending wall 126 of
an identical
unit forming stack. The applicator cleaner 210 is opened by the consumer by
grasping the tab
264 and using the tab to rupture the thin web 266 and separate the closure
portion 262 from
the applicator 210, cleaner readying it for use. The tab 264 is different from
the tab 164 seen
in the embodiment of figures 17-34. The tab 264 includes three longitudinal
ribs 272, 274,
276 extending upwardly from the tab's upper surface. The ribs are parallel to
one another.
The ribs strengthen and stiffen the tab 264. The ribs 272, 274, 276 are not of
a uniform
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CA 02474368 2004-07-15
~i. , .
i
height. Rather, the inboard portions of the ribs adjacent the closure portion
62 are of a
substantially uniform height for about two thirds of the length of the tab
264. A vertical step
exists at the end of this uniform height portion increasing the height of the
ribs. Outboard of
the vertical step 278, the ribs' height lessens in a linear manner to the
upward end of the tab
264. The vertical steps 278 are adjacent one another in the ribs 272, 274,
276.
As best seen in figure 37, a gusset 280 extends downwardly from the underside
of the
tab 264 to the closure portion 262. The gusset 280 is about as wide as one of
the ribs 272,
274, 276. The gusset 280 rigidly connects the tab 264 to the closure portion
262 near the thin
web 266. Thus, an upwardly directed force applied to the tab 264 is
immediately transmitted
through the gusset 280 and the closure poztion 262 to the thin web 266.
The tab 264 is small. Some people may have difficulty manipulating it with
their
fingers. Therefore, the cap 270, seen in figures 38-41, is provided with a
structure to engage
the tab 264. A shoulder 290 is provided at one end of the cap 270. This can be
seen in
figures 39 and 41. The shoulder 290 has a substantially flat top wall 292 with
a flat
undersurface. Aa opening 294 is provided at the outboard end of the top wall
292. The
opening 294 is defined by a straight inboard edge 296, a front straight edge
298 generally
perpendicular to the inboard edge 296 and a rear straight edge 302 generally
parallel to the
front straight edge 298. As can best be seen in figure 41, the outboard edge
of the opening
294 is in the side wall or skirt 308 of the cap 270. The outboard edge 304 is
somewhat lower
than the inboard edge 296 of the opening 294. The distance between the front
straight edge
298 and rear straight edge 302 of the opening 294 is slightly greater than the
width of the tab
264.
The cap 270 is used as removal tool for the closure portion 262 of an
applicator
cleanser 210. It must be remembered that the cap 270 is generally kept on top
of the topmost
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CA 02474368 2004-07-15
applicator cleaner unit 210 and is therefore at hand when one wishes to use an
applicator
cleaner unit 210. The user removes the cap 270 and inverts it. The cap is then
slide into
engagement with the tab 264 by passing the tab 264 through the opening 294.
The flat
underside of the top wall 292 engages the underside of the tab 264. The user
then rotates the
cap 270. This applies an upward force on the tab 264 through the top wall 292.
The cap is
kept from disengaging from the tab 264 by means of engagement of the outboard
edge 304
with the vertical steps 278 in the ribs 272, 274, 276. The steps 278 are a
vertical surface.
They will bear against the outboard edge 304 of the opening 294 preventing the
cap from
sliding off the tab 264. The user therefore can use the cap as a lever lifting
the tab 264 thus
breaking the thin web 266 and continuing to rotate the cap 270 to remove the
closure portion
262. This opens the applicator cleaner 210 and allows the foam body containing
cleaning
material to expand upwardly from the compartment in a ready to use
configuration. The user
then cleans the surface desired, removes the top most cleaner unit from the
stack of cleaner
units and applies the cap 270 to the next succeeding unit and puts the
ensemble away.
The tab 264 is sized to fit within either the skirt 136 of an identical
applicator cleaning
unit 210 or within the cap 270. As the cap is always on top of the top most
applicator cleaner
unit 210, a removal tool to use as a lever is always available for opening the
applicator
cleaner when desired.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the structure of the
preferred
embodiments and the structural interrelationships between component parts of
the preferred
embodiments, it will be appreciated that many changes in these embodiments
herein
illustrated and described can be made without departing from the principles of
the invention.
Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descziptive
matter is to be
interpreted merely as illustrative of the preferred embodiments and not as a
limitation.
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CA 02474368 2004-07-15
Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:
emc0001241V001.doc
