Patent Application
20080222929
The present disclosure generally relates to product dispensers that dispense cleaning wipes and, more particularly, to a wipes container that displays a content-specific message regarding the cleaning wipes housed in the cartridge.
Cleaning wipes generally are sold in plastic tubs, tubes or other containers, and a user typically extracts a wipe for use by pulling the wipe through a hole or slot in the container. Preferably, the hole or slot is covered by a lid. Commonly, the plastic container or tub is sold pre-loaded with a supply of wipes. Once a consumer depletes the original supply of wipes, the user may discard the empty container and purchase a new pre-loaded container or tub. Of course, discarding the empty containers and purchasing new containers just to get a new supply of wipes tends to waste a considerable amount of material, especially plastic. Further, retailers must set aside a great deal of shelf space in order to stock enough pre-loaded containers or tubs to meet demand.
To address some of these problems, manufacturers have recently introduced products that reuse the original wipes container. Instead of stocking exclusively pre-loaded containers or tubs, retailers now can stock a supply of pre-loaded containers, along with a supply of refill cartridges. Typically, these refill cartridges are made out of a lower cost packaging material. Often the refill cartridge package will be smaller than the pre-loaded container package. Consequently, retailers can stock many more refill cartridges than pre-loaded containers for a given shelf space, thus making better use of the available retail space. Also, because the cleaning wipes are substantially uniform in size and shape across different manufacturers, most refill cartridges made by one manufacturer can be used with the containers or tubs of other manufacturers.
Furthermore, because of widely differing consumer tastes, manufacturers tend to make a wide variety of cleaning wipes. For example, some consumers desire scented wipes, while other consumers demand wipes that are free of all dyes, scents, or perfumes. Still other consumers desire wipes having lotions such as aloe vera, lanolin, or other materials, often with or without the addition of alcohol. Still other consumers want gentle wipes, or wipes free of any lotion, alcohol, or other additives. However, because the plastic containers that hold the wipes are typically opaque and colored, the wipes within the containers must be identified by a label on the exterior of the container. Thus, it is possible for a consumer to mismatch the type of wipe in a refill cartridge with the type of label on the container, resulting in a situation where a consumer may not know what type of wipe is in the container.
In order to provide a solution to the inconveniences set forth above, one embodiment of the present invention provides a re-useable cleaning wipe container comprising an interior storage space defined by a bottom panel, a top panel and one or more side panels. The container includes a lid covering an opening. The opening provides access to the interior storage space. The interior storage space is configured to receive a wipes cartridge. The container also includes a viewing area on a portion of at least one panel. The viewing area includes indicia. A wipes cartridge is at least partially disposed in the interior storage space. The wipes cartridge includes a plurality of cleaning wipes. The container also includes a window slidably engaged with the container. The window is configured to enable a user to cover a portion of the viewing area.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Some of the figures may have been simplified by the omission of selected elements for the purpose of more clearly showing other elements. Such omissions of elements in some figures are not necessarily indicative of the presence or absence of particular elements in any of the exemplary embodiments, except as may be explicitly delineated in the corresponding written description. None of the drawings are necessarily to scale.
The term “joined” refers herein to the attachment together of elements of the absorbent article, either by direct affixment of a first element to a second element or by affixment of the first element to an intermediate element that is affixed to the second element.
As used herein, the term “adhesive” refers to a composition which demonstrates connection when applied to another material or composition generally (e.g. material is not specially selected). Adhesive compositions connect to other materials or compositions generally and no particularly selected properties of the other material or composition are necessary to demonstrate a general tendency to adhere.
As used herein, the terms “indicia” and “indicium” are interchangeable, and generally refer to one or more visually detectable cues.
As used herein, the term “viewable” or “visible” are interchangeable and generally refer to an object or indicium that is detectable by the human eye at a distance of about 12 inches.
As used herein, the term “highlight” generally means to attempt to attract a viewer's attention to a particular portion of the indicia. Examples of various methods of highlighting are described in more detail below.
As used herein, the term “cover” and “covering” are interchangeable and generally refer to the position of a sliding window in relation to a viewing area on a container when the sliding window is positioned between a viewer and/or the viewer's line of sight and the viewing area. For example, when a sliding window includes an opaque portion and the opaque portion covers a portion of the viewing area, the covered portion is at least partially concealed from sight (i.e. less viewable). Conversely, if the sliding window includes a transparent portion and the transparent portion is positioned to cover a portion of the viewing area, the covered portion of the viewing area is generally visible, and may even be highlighted.
Cleaning wipe containers 10, shown in
The viewing area 132 according to the present disclosure may include a wide variety of indicia, such as, for example the indicia 134 shown in
In other embodiments, the indicia 134 may include more general information related to the wipes or type of wipes disposed in the container 110. For example, the indicia 134 may include one or more cartoon characters and/or anthropomorphic objects that a consumer may associate with wipes or type of wipes. Another example includes indicia 134 depicting a baby, a background color, and a shape resembling a water drop. In such an example, the indicia 134, by virtue of a single depiction or color or combination of depictions and/or colors may indicate to a user that the wipes are wet wipes and/or that the wipes or wet wipes may be useful for cleaning a baby. Still another example includes indicia 134 that depict the same or substantially the same indicia displayed on a particular refill cartridge 126 and/or its packaging. Non-limiting examples of indicia 134 suitable for use with the present disclosure include words, numbers, letters, characters, symbols, shapes, colors, patterns, raised portions and/or combinations thereof.
While the above examples may be generally directed to indicia 134 in the viewing area 132, it is to be understood that embodiments wherein other portions of the container 110 include indicia 134 that may or may not be related to the indicia 134 in the viewing area 132 or to wipes or a type of wipes are also contemplated by the present invention. For example, the viewing area 132 may include indicia 134 of a content-specific message of “scented,” while one or more other portions of the container 110 depict flowers. Another example is a viewing area 132 having indicia 134 of a content-specific message of “aloe vera,” while one or more other portions of the container 110 depict a manufacturer brand name.
The window 240 may be configured to include one or more opaque portions. When an opaque portion is positioned to cover a region of the viewing area 232, the covered portion 255 of the viewing area 232 may be at least partially hidden from sight, or otherwise not readily visible. In such a configuration, a user may manipulate the opaque portion of the window 240 to be positioned over a portion of the viewing area 232 that displays undesirable indicia, for example indicia 234 that do not accurately describe the wipes or type of wipes that may be disposed in the container 210. The window 240 may be configured such that when the opaque portion is manipulated by a user to uncover a portion of the viewing area 232, the uncovered portion of the viewing area displays desirable indicia, for example indicia 234 that accurately describe the wipes or type of wipes that may be disposed in the container 210.
In another embodiment, the window 240 may be a translucent window 240. The window may be tinted to be a particular color, for example red. The indicia 234 may be disposed on the container 210 in the same color as the tint on the window 240. Thus, when the window 240 is positioned to cover a portion of the viewing area 232, the viewability of the indicia 240 in the covered area 255 will be at least reduced, and possibly not viewable at all.
The viewing area 232 may be configured such that, depending on which portions of the viewing area 232 are covered portions 255 and which portions of the viewing area 232 are uncovered portions 260, various indicia 234 or portions thereof may be viewable by a user. The indicia 234 may be disposed in the viewing area 232 such that the viewable portions of the indicia 234 display a message, such as, for example the content-specific message of “unscented.” In one example, the viewing area 232 may include indicia 234 that depict the words “scented” and “unscented.” In such an example, the window 240 may be manipulated by a user to cover the word scented, thereby providing an indication to people who observe the viewing area 232 that the particular type of wipes disposed in the container 210 are unscented wipes.
Alternatively, as shown in
The border portion 542 may be made of any suitable material commonly known in the art, such as, for example plastic. The border portion 542 shown in
The see-through portion 541 of the window 540 may be dimensionally configured to enable a user to view at least a portion of the indicia 534 in the covered area 560. The see-through portion 541 may be configured to be transparent or translucent, as long as the indicia 534 in the portion of the viewing area 532 covered by the see-through portion 541 is visible. The see-through portion 541 may be made of any material commonly known in the art, such as, for example transparent plastic. On the other hand, the see-through portion 541 may be configured to not include any material, such as, for example an open area defined by the border portion 542. The see-through portion 541, the border portion 542 and the indicia 534 may be configured to work cooperatively such that the indicia 534 are highlighted.
In one example of an embodiment of the present invention, such as the example shown in
In another example the see-through portion 541 may include a transparent plastic sheet having a tint, such as, for example a red tint that obscures some of the indicia 534. The indicia 534 may be disposed in the viewing area 532 in one or more colors other than the color of the transparent plastic sheet. Thus, the transparent plastic sheet filters all colors of light (other than the color of the tint) and the content-specific message may appear in the viewing area 532 as, for example, black letters. Further, one portion of the indicia may include one or more colors that are different from the color of the tinted plastic sheet, while another portion of the indicia includes colors that are the same color as the tinted plastic sheet. In such a configuration, the indicia 534 covered by the see-through portion 541 may be relatively easier to view than the indicia 534 in the uncovered portion 555. For example, indicia 534 printed on a container 510 in ink that has both red and black components may be printed in such a way that a content-specific message depicted by the indicia 534 is difficult to view or read. However, when the window 540 has, for example, a red tint and is positioned such that the see-through portion 541 of the window 540 covers the indicia 534, the red component of the ink is at least partially removed and the content-specific message may be relatively easier to view or read.
Thus, by highlighting particular portions of the indicia 534, a user may be able to configure the container 510 to display a message, such as, for example a content-specific message, which describes the wipes or type of wipes disposed in the container 510. Further, the user may slidably manipulate the window 540 to highlight different portions of the indicia when the type of wipes disposed in the container 510 changes, such as, for example when the supply of wipes is depleted and a refill wipes cartridge including a different type of wipes is placed in the container 510.
The windows according to the present invention may be constructed from any material commonly known in the art. In some instances the windows of the present invention may be made from transparent plastic. Typically, the material from which the windows are made is not critical as long as the windows are manipulatable such that the windows enable a user to at least partially cover or uncover indicia in a viewing area. The windows according to the present invention may include one or more colorless transparent portions, one or more opaque portions, one or more translucent portions and/or one or more tinted transparent portions. The various combinations of opacity and transparency may enable a manufacturer or user to display or view indicia in a variety of styles and configurations. For example, a window having a colorless transparent portion, a colorless opaque portion and a tinted transparent portion may enable a user to display indicia of a particular color in a more desirable way due to the interaction of the colors of the indicia and the colors (or lack thereof) of the window.
The container 610 of
The container 610 also includes one or more windows 640 that are slidably engaged with the container 610. The windows 640 may be manipulated to cover and/or uncover one or more portions of the viewing area 632. The window(s) 640 may be configured to highlight the indicia 634 disposed on the covered portion 660 of the container 610. Alternatively, the windows 640 may be configured to reduce the viewability of a portion of the indicia disposed on the covered portion 660 of the viewing area 632, for example by covering the indicia with an opaque window. Other suitable examples of windows 640 include the windows described above.
In one particular example of an embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge 626 may include three rows 636, 637, and 638 of indicia 635. The rows 636, 637, and 638 each may include three discreet portions. The discreet portions shown in
Continuing with this particular example, the indicia 635 of the second row 637 may depict different shades and/or colors that describe the characteristic of, for example, the moisturizing level of the wipes. One discreet portion of the second row 637 may be lightly shaded, or alternatively may include a first color. A consumer may understand the lightly shaded discreet portion or first colored portion to describe the characteristic of lightly moisturizing. Another discreet portion of the second row 637 may be moderately shaded (relative to the lightly and darkly shaded discreet portions), or alternatively may include a second color. A consumer may understand the moderately shaded or second colored discreet portion to describe the characteristic of moderately moisturizing. Still another discreet portion of the second row 637 may be darkly shaded, or alternatively may include a third color. A consumer may understand the darkly shaded or third colored discreet portion to describe the characteristic of highly moisturizing.
Still continuing with this particular example, the indicia 635 of the third row 638 may depict a combination of alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric symbols that describe, for example, the characteristic of scent in the wipes. One discreet portion of the third row 638 may depict a non-alphanumeric symbol. A consumer may understand the non-alphanumeric symbol to describe the characteristic of unscented. Another discreet portion of the third row 638 may depict a first alphanumeric symbol. A consumer may understand the first alphanumeric symbol to describe the characteristic of a particular scent or level of scent in the wipes. Still another discreet portion of the third row 638 may depict a second alphanumeric symbol. A consumer may understand the second alphanumeric symbol to describe the characteristic of a particular scent or level of scent different than that described by the first alphanumeric symbol.
Continuing with the same particular example, the container 610 may include three rows 629, 627, 628 of indicia 634 disposed on the viewing area 632. The rows 629, 627, 628 each may include three discreet portions. The discreet portions shown in
In addition to describing the characteristics of the wipes or type of wipes contained in the cartridge 610, the indicia 635 disposed on the cartridge 610, when highlighted, may also provide a more desirable means of communicating to a consumer the positions in which the windows 640 on the container 610 should be placed. For example, the indicia 635 of
While the example of
A cartridge, such as the cartridge 426 shown in
The cartridge 426 will typically include a plurality of wipes. The cartridge 426 may provide packaging for the plurality of wipes, such as, for example by substantially surrounding the plurality of wipes with a flexible film, such as, for example a synthetic polymer film. Alternatively, the cartridge 426 may be configured as a cardboard or paperboard box with the wipes disposed inside the cartridge 426. However, it is to be understood that the cartridge 426 may be made of any suitable material commonly known in the art. The label 430 may be affixed to any suitable location on the cartridge 426 as long as it is visible in the vicinity of the viewing portion 432. Alternatively, the indicia 434 may be printed on the label 430 or otherwise configured to be an integral part of the label 430 by any suitable means commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
This unique combination of container 410 and cartridge 426 allows a single container 410 to receive different types of cartridges 426 while accurately displaying the contents of the cartridge 426 to a user based on the packaging of the cartridges 426. Thus, the container could be made nearly universal such that the retailer need only stock one type of container 410. This ability would greatly simplify manufacturing and inventory management.
In some of the foregoing examples and/or figures it may appear that the sliding window only has a particular number of positions, such as, for example 2 or 3 positions, which enable a user to display the desired indicia. However, it is to be understood that the invention contemplates embodiments wherein the sliding window may have any number of positions in which it can be placed, such that a message describing a characteristic of wipes or type of wipes is depicted by the indicia. Additionally, while the examples shown in the figures may appear to enable a user to slidably manipulate the window(s) in only one plane, it is to be understood that embodiments wherein the windows can be slidably manipulated in one or more planes that are the same or different from those that may appear to be shown in the figures are also contemplated by the invention.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
