Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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WIPE DISPENSING CONTAINER
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a packaging system for wipes and more
particularly to a thinprofile wipe dispensing container with iznproved storage
and
dispensing features.
Background of the Invention
Pre-moistened disposable towelettes or wipes were developed out of a need for
convenience where water may not be available. Wipes may be used on a variety
of target
surfaces in the home and business. A user may easily and conveniently hand
wipe over a
target surface using the wipe to clean, polish or otherwise treat the target
surface in some
manner. As is well known in the art, a pre-moistened wipe can be any wipe,
towel, tissue
or sheet like product including natural fibers, synthetic fibers, synthetic
material and
combinations thereof, that is wet or moist or becomes wet during use or prior
to use.
The wipe may be saturated with an aqueous or other chemicai based solution of
a
cleaning or other chemical agent. Preservatives and fragrances may also be
added. Wipes
may also be dry.
Wipes have been traditionally dispensed as a stack in sheet forrn from a tub-
like
container with a hinged lid on the top that overlaps the upper outer edge of
the container
when the lid is closed. The lid is opened and individual or singularized
sheets of the
wipes may be dispensed or unleaved from the planar surface of the stack of
wipes. Wipes
may also be stacked and packaged in a refill softpack. Another type of
container that has
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been used for wipes includes a plastic canister in which the wipes are pulled
from the
center of a hollow coreless roll having perforated sheets through a flexible
opening in the
lid at the top of the canister in a direction that is parallel to the axis of
the roll. These
canisters generally have a snap top lid that is opened to expose a piece of
the wipe
through the flexible opening that can then be pulled out of the flexible
opening to remove
the desired amount of wipes. Once pulled out, the wipe can then be torn off,
usually at a
perforation, and the lid closed.
These wipe packaging methods have their shortcomings. For example, when
packaged in the tub, the wipes have a tendency to dry out because of repeated
lid
openings and the lid's failure to completely reclose over repeated use. The
tubs are bulky
making transport and storage more difficult. Similarly, the wipes in softpacks
dry out
because the "peel and reseal" feature becomes less effective over tizne, Also
in the case
of stacked wipes, it is often difficult to separate a single wipe from. the
rest of the wipe
stack and from the container. There are a number of reasons for this
difficulty. Wipes are
typically folded in a W or Z configuration and either placed one on top of the
other (non-
interfolded) or interleaved (interfolded) with an adjacent wipe arid placed
one on top of
another to form. a stack. There are numerous configurations for wipes. The
leading edge,
particularly when folded, may not be readily identifiable. Also, it may also
be difficult for
the user to grip a sufficient amount of the leading edge such that the leading
edge portion
of the wipe is torn without dispensing of a single wipe. There is also a
tendency for the
wipes to adhere to each other.
Rolled wipe logs suffer from similar shortcomings. Although rolled logs of
wipes
in canisters generally tend to stay wetter longer and occupy less shelf space
than the tubs,
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the user cannot determine how many wipes are left on the log and they are
particularly
susceptible to mold because of non-uniform wetting and to "chaining" wherein
more than
one wipe is dispensed at a time through the flexible opening in the lid. If
not used right
away, the exposed wipe tends to dry out and is wasted. If the uipe is not
drawn through
the flexible opening, as in the case of starting the first wipe or one that
has receded into
the carnister, a user may try to grasp the wipe through the flexible opening
but usually
cannot readily maneuver the wipe from inside the canister through the ilexible
opening.
The user's finger often gets caught in the opening and the wipe remains
inaccessible (a
"dropping/trapping problem"). This failure necessitates complete removal of
the entire
canister lid in order to (again) draw the wipe through the flexible opening.
In having to
remove the entire lid, the dispensing feature of the wipe canister thereby
becomes useless
for its intended purpose and the entire roll of wipes is exposed to possible
contamination
and dries out faster. The wipes in a canister are also prone to wrinkling,
twisting and
bunching. In order to dispense the wipes from a canister, the canister must be
upright
which limits its use and storage possibilities. The cylindrical shape of the
canister is also
not that space efficient on shelves. In addition, the canister lids often wear
out
necessitating their disposal after one use and the two-piece construction
(can.ister and lid)
often means higher production costs. There have been several attempts to
address these
problems but none have been entirely successful.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a novel dispensing container and method
that conveniently permit a single fresb uTipe to be dispensed one at a time.
There is also a
need for a novel dispensing container and tnethod that permit substantially
easy access to
the wipes within the container substantial3y without the danger of finger
injury. There is
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4 another need for a novel dispensing container and method that may be used
for both wet
and dry wipes with substantially uniform wetting and substantially little
wrinkling. There
is still another need for a novel dispensing container and method that is
substantially thin
profile, substantially flat, lightweight, easy to stack, and occupies less
space per volume
of wipes enabling easier storage and transport. There is an additional need
for a novel
dispensing container and method that is substantially easier to produce. There
is a still
further need for a novel dispensing container and method that are convenient
to use and
simple to open and reclose. There is a still Ru-ther need for a novel
dispensing container
and method that dispense wipes whether the container is positioned
horizontally or
vertically on a surface or within a drawer and that conveniently allow the
user to
determine how many wipes are left. There is also a need for a novel dispensing
container
and method that is easily refillable and reusable. The present invention
fulfills these
needs and provides other related advantages.
SummarY of the Invention
According to the present invention and exemplary embodiments thereof
descz'ibed
herein, a thzn profile wipe dispenser is provided for use in storing and
dispensing stacked
wipes. The wipe dispenser comprises, generally, a thin-profile upright
container body
having an open end for receiving wipes. A lid is mounted on the open end of
the
container body and retained in place by a hinge or the like. When closed, the
lid is
substantially flush with the container body. The lid may include an intemal
bead for snap
fit connection with the container body. The wipes may be accessed through a
finger
opening and drawn through a dispensingaperture in a removable bridge in the
open end
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of the container body. The container body may include a spring to retain the
wipes in an
position to improve dispensing of one wipe at a tirrze.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
from
the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container embodying the novel
features of the invention, illustrating a container body with a lid in an open
position to
expose a bridge of a first configuration and defining an exemplary dispensing
aperture;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the container body of the dispensing container
of
FIG. 1, illustrating a leaf spring within the container body and a lip for
mating and
sealing relation with an internal bead in the lid (not shown);
FIG. 3 is a front view of the novel dispensing container of FIG. 1,
illustrating the
lid in a closed and sealed position;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing container of FIGS. I and 3;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the dispensing container of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4;
FIGS. 6a-6m is a top view of alternative configurations of the dispensing
aperture
for the bridge of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the bridge of FIG. 1 with a generally C-shaped
configuration;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the bridge of FIG. 7, illustrating an exemplary
dispensing
aperttu'e in a substan.tially central portion thereof; and
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FIG. 9 is a top view of the bridge of FIGS. 7 and 8;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative configuration of the bridge;
FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the bridge of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a wipe dispensing container uJith the lid in
an
open position, illustrating the bridge of FIGS. 10 and 11 mounted on the open
end of the
container body;
FIG. 13 is a front view of the wipe dispensing container of FIG. 12,
illustrating
the wipe dispensing container with the bridge shown in dotted lines within the
container
and the lid in a closed position;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the wipe dispensing container of FIGS. 12 and
13, illustrating a stack of wipes within the container body and a wipe from an
edge of the
stack drawn through a dispensing aperture in the bridge;
FIG. 15 is a cutaway view of the container body and bridge of the wipe
dispensing container of FIGS. 12-14, the right side being a mirror image
thereof,
illustrating the stack of wipes within the container body;
FIG. 16 is a view of a stack of exeanplary interfolded Z-folded wipes;
FIG. 17 is a view of the stack of wipes of FIG. 16; and
FIG. 18 is a view of the stack of wipes of FIGS. 16-17, illustrating one of
the
wipes from the stack being pulled from the stack in a direction parallel to
the longitudinal
axis of the stack.
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Detailed Descri-ption of the Preferred Embodiments
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention
relates to an improved dispensing container, generally designated in the
accompany
drawings by the reference number 10. The method for dispensing is also
provided, The
improved dispensing container is specifically designed to have substantially
improved
storage and dispensing features over conventional wipe dispensers.
In accordance with the present invention, and as illustrated with respect to
preferred embodiments in FIGS. 1-18, the dispensing container 10 comprises,
generally,
a substantially thin-profile container body 12 having a generally upright and
open-ended
shape for receiving and containing a stack of wipes (not shown), a hinged lid
14 that may
be pivoted open to provide access to the wipes and pivoted closed to be
substantially
flush vvith the container body 12, and a bridge 16 or 116 defining a
dispensing aperture
18a-18rn or 118 in combination with a finger opening 119. The dispensing
container may
fi3.rther include a spring device 20 to maintain the wipes in a desirable
dispensing position
within the container body 12.
The container body 12 defines an upper open end 22 or mouth and has a bottom
wall 24 joined to a front and a rear wall 26 and 28, and a pair of sidewalls
30. The front
wal126 may be shorter than the rear wall with the upper edges of the sidewalls
extending
angularly upwardly toward the rear wall. It is to be appreciated that the
front wall may
also be of substantially the same height as the rear wall. The container body
12 can be
constructed to have virtually any convenient size and/or decoration with a
capacity in the
range of 10 to 100 ounces being common. The container body 12 may be
constructed of a
thermofornxed material, molded plastic, a carton, one or more polymeric
materials,
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metal.li_zed or laminate structures, lined paperboards, etc. to define a
generally rectangular
profile (See FIG. 4). Plastic is normally preferred because it eliminates the
risk of
breakage and is relatively lightweight.
The lid 14 has a top wall 32 joined to a front lid wall 34, and a pair of
substantially triangular lid sidewalls 36. The free edges of the lid sidewalls
36 may
extend angularly downwardly toward the front wall of t.he lid when in the
closed position
as shown in FIG. 4. The lid is typically constructed from the same material as
the
container body, preferably of lightweight molded plastic. The container body
and lid
may be manufactured from a single mold therefore lowering production costs. Of
course,
the dispensing container may be manufactured by other known methods.
The lid may be mounted onto the upper edge of the rear wall of the container
body. The lid is preferabiy attached to the upper edge of the rear wall of the
container
body by a hinge (not shown) or the like. The lid opens from the front of the
dispensing
container as shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 14. When deployed in the open position,
the
bridge 16 or 116 seated in the upper open end 22 of the container body is
exposed (See
FIGS. 1, 12 and 14). The lid may include an internal bead (not shown) or the
like at a
lower edge thereof for snap fit connection with a lip 37 (FIG. 2) in an upper
portion of
the container body in order to securely close the lid. In this regard, the lid
includes a
lower edge retained in mating and sealing relation to the top of the container
body to keep
the wipes from drying out. tiVhen the lid is closed as shown in FIGS. 3, 4,
and 13, the
dispenser container 10 appears as a substantially searn.less container and has
a
substantially thin profile. As such, the dispensing container may easily be
stored and
transported where space is at a premium.
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As shown best in FIGS. 7-9, the bridge 16 of a first configuration may be
substantially C-shaped. The bridge includes a generally rectangular central
portion 38
between first and second ends 40 and 42 oriented downward to the central
portion when
fitted into the open end of the container body. The central section 38 defines
the
dispensing aperture 18a-18zn. The bridge 16 may be press fit into the upper
open end of
the container body 12. The bridge may be held in place at the inboard sides of
the walls at
the upper portion of the container body 12. For example, the bridge may span
between
the front and rear walls of the container body or between the two sidewalls
30. The
bridge 16 is removably mounted to permit access to the interior of the
container body 12.
This improved feature is helpful to access a wipe within the container body
(i.e. a wipe
not drawn through the dispensing aperture or to refrli the container body uith
a stack of
wipes). Alternatively, the bridge 16 is sized to define a finger gap between
the bridge and
the walls at the upper portion of the container body for the user to insert a
finger and grab
onto the leading edge of a wipe within the container body. The bridge 16 is
thus easily
removed to permit access to and replacement of the stack of wipes.
The central section of the bridge defines the dispensing aperture. The edges
of the
aperture 18a-18m may be smooth so that neither the wipe nor the user's finger
may be
caught when drawing the wipe from the dispensing container. The dispensing
aperture
18a-18m may be formed in any number of configurations, as exemplified by those
shown
in corresponding FIGS. 6a-6m. The dispensing aperture 18a-18rn may be sized
and
shaped to accommodate differences in the wipe material. For example, each of
the
dispensing aperture configurations shown in FIGS. 6a-6m were pull tested for
dispensing
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hydrospun, spunlace, the:rtnobond, air laid and needilepunched 120pes. The
results of the
pull test are set forth below:
Figure No. dros un 5 uniace Thermobond Airiaid Needle unch
6a
Failed Failed Failed Failed Passing
6b
Passing Best Passing Best Passing
6c
Passing Failed Passing Passing Passing
6d
Passing Failed Best Passing Passing
6e
Failed Failed Failed Failed Passing
6f
Failed Failed Failed Passing Failed
6g
Passing Failed Failed Passing Best
6h
Passing Passing Passing Passing Passing
6i Failed Failed Failed Passing Failed
61 Passing Passing Passing Passing Passing
6k
Passing Failed Failed Passing Best
61 Failed Failed Failed Failed Passing
6m
Best Passing Passing Passing Passing
A "failed" grade indicates that the wipe tore while being dispensed. The air
laid
materials tend to tear easily and thus may be combined with a larger
dispensing aperture.
Other Non-woven wipes are more resistant to tearing and thus a smaller
dispensing
aperture may be used.
In an alternative configuration for the bridge as shown in FIGS. 10-15, the
bridge
116 may be comprised of a substantially rectangular box-like body which has a
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substantially horizontal top wall 150, a front wall 152, a vertical back wall
154, a pair of
vertical sides 156 and an open bottom defining a cavity for receiving edges of
the stack of
wipes 13. The front wall 152 curves outwardly and downwardly froTn the top
wall 150 to
the lower edge of the front wall 152. The juncture between the top wall and
the front wall
defines a beveled angle 160. Surrou:cding the open bottom at the lower edge of
the box-
like body is a mounting flange 162, for purposes as described hereinafter.
The depth of the bridge 116 is slightly less than the depth of the container
body
12. The width of the bridge 116 is slightly less than the width of the
container body 12.
This sizing permits the lid to seal in a substantially flusb position with the
container body.
The mounting flange 162 abuts the upper edges of the walls of the container
body 12 to
substantially cover the open end of the container body 12. The front wall 152
of the
bridge 116 faces the front of the container body 12 when fitted on the open
ended mouth
of the container body. The mounting flange 162 substantially prevents the
bridge 116
from slipping into the container body 12.
The front wall 152 of the bridge 1] 6 includes a finger opening 119 which
extends
and narrows into a substantially V-shaped channel 164 which traverses the
beveled angle
160 before extending into the top wall 150 to define the dispensing aperture
118 oriented
in a direction perpendicular to the finger opening in the front wall. As shown
in FIGS.
10-15, the finger opening 119 in the front wall 152 may be substantially
oblong, although
other shapes may be used within the confines of the invention. The finger
opening 119
allows the user's fingers to reach the stack of wipes 158 as hereinafter
described. The
dispensing aperture 118 in the top wall of the bridge 116 is shown as a
substantially
narrow slot through which a wipe is dispensed. Other shapes and sizes for the
dispensing
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aperture and for the channel may be contemplated within the confines of the
invention.
The finger opening should be sized to permit finger access while narrowing
through the
channel and dispensing aperture. The bridge 116 protrudes above the top of the
container
body 12 in a manner such that the finger opening 119 in the front wall 152 of
the bridge
116 is not obstructed. It is of course possible to make the front wall 152 of
the container
body 12 shorter and set the bridge 116 fiirther down into the container body
12, so long
as the finger openingJ.19 is not obstructed and the user is provided access to
the wipes
15$ through the finger opening 119.
Although C-shaped and box-shaped bridges have been described and shown,
bridges of other shapes may be used within the confines of the invention. Such
other
bridges preferably may include a front wall and a top wall with a finger
opening in the
front wall extending to a narrowed dispensing aperture in the top wall (e.g.
an L-shaped
bridge). The wipe may be channeled from the finger opening to the narrowed
dispensing
apezmre in the top wall for dispensing.
'I'he container body 12 may also include a spring device 20 including a spring
element in the form of a leaf spring as shown in FIG. 2. The leaf spring
biases the wipes
toward oine wall of the container body and toward the upper end of the
container body.
The leaf spring substantially retains the vertically-placed wipes in an
upright fixed
position to help dispense one wipe at a time. The leaf spring has a fixed end
44 and a
floating end 46. The fixed end 44 may be attached to the inside bottom wall 24
of the
container body 12 with the floating end 46 toward the open end of the
dispensing
container as shown in FIG. 2. -
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When the lid 14 is pivoted closed on the open end of the container body 12 as
shown in FIGS. 3 , 4, and 13, the dispensing container 10 appears
substantially seam.less
with a substantially thin profile to provide a consistent shape and excellent
surface fzrr.ish.
The smooth, contoured arched shape of the dispensing container 10 enables
substantially
easy and econorni.cal storage and transport.
The stack of non-interfolded or interfolded wipes 13 may be placed directly
into
the container body 12 as shown in FIG. 15. The longitudinal axis of the stack
run.s
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container body. As shown in FIGS. 16-
18, the
wipes can generally be described as having two opposing planar faces and edges
surrounding the perimeter of the faces. The stack of wipes 13 is loaded
vertically into the
container body, so that the wipes are loaded on their edge -vith the planar
faces of the
wipes facing the front and back walls of the container body. The stack of
wipes 13 may
be oriented in a direction such that the planar surface and a leading edge 158
of the wipes
faces the front of the container body (See Fig. 15). When fully loaded with
wipes, the
pressure on the wipes will force the uppermost edge of the wipes at the front
of the
container to fan or pivot forward, presenting the leading edge 158 of the wipe
that can be
easily reached by the user through the fmger opening 119 in the bridge (See
Fig. 14). The
user can then channel the vripe through the substantially V-shaped channel 164
into the
dispensing aperture 118 to be withdrawn by the user from the dispensing
container. This
also perrnits the user to remove the individual wipe from the edge of the
stack 158 by
grasping an edge of a wipe rather than grasping the middle of the planar
surface of the
wipe. Once an interfolded wipe is dispensed, a second interfolded wipe pops up
through
the dispensing aperture 118. In contrast to prior art dispensing containers
and methods,
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the wipe is peeled or slid away from the rest of the stack as shown in FIG.
18, rather than
unleaving the wipe as in other containers and methods. The front wipe is
pulled at the
leading edge 158 of the wipe in a direction para11e1 to the direction of the
wipe. This
makes it easier to dispense one wipe at a time. Depending on the fold pattern
of the
wipes, the bridge permits a single wipe at a time to dispense with the next
wipe's tail
trailing or the bridge may be rethreaded for each use.
In use, the lid 14 may be flipped open by the user to expose the wipe drawn
through the dispensing aperture I 8a-18m in the bridge 16 or through the
dispensing
aperture 118 in the bridge 116. If the wipe is not exposed, the user may
either grasp one
of the wipes through one of the finger openings on either side of the bridge
16, through
the finger opening 119 of bridge 116, or temporarily remove the bridge 16 or
116 to gain
access to the interior of the dispensing container. Similarly, when the
dispensing
container is empty of wipes, it may be refilled by removing the bridge 16 or
116,
inserting the refill stack of wipes 13, and replacing the bridge 16 or 116
followed by
drawing of the wipe through the dispensing aperture 18a-18m or 118,
respectively. Once
the wipe has been removed, the lid 14 may be securely snapped closed to
conveniently
store or transport the wipe dispensing container until its next use. The wipe
may be
dispensed whether the container is positioned horizontally or vertically on a
surface or
within a drawer.
From the foregoing, it is to be appreciated that the above-described container
is
substantially thin profile, attractive and very space-efficient, and effective
at dispensing
wipes. By dispensing the wipe in a direction parallel to the direction of the
wipe and from
the edge or end of the stack of wipes, dispensing becomes easier and more
convenient
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than having to hold onto the eontainer and lifting a wipe from the top f.the
stack. In
addition, the chaining issue associated with the prior art containers has been
substantially
eliminated so that the inadvertent dispensing of more than one wipe at a time
is
substantially prevented. The dropping/trapping problem also associated with
canisters has
also been substantially elimi.nated.
Although a particuIar embodiment of the invention has been described in detail
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without
departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be
limited,
except as by the appended claims.
