Patent Application
20190269284
Several devices have been developed for dispensing flexible sheets, such as tissues and wipes. For example, boxes of tissue are generally constructed from a relatively rigid cardboard material and are formed with an opening in the top. The opening is generally covered, internally or externally, with a thin plastic film or the like having a slit formed in the thin plastic film and spanning some portion of the width of the opening in the box. Individual tissues are generally fed through the slit so when an individual tissue is pulled from the box, preferably with one hand, the next tissue in the box is pulled through the slit and a portion thereof protrudes through the slit and is held to be easily accessible the next time a tissue is desired. Tissues dispensed in this fashion are generally dry or substantially dry to the touch, so the loss of moisture through the slit, the thin plastic film, or through the cardboard is generally not an issue. If pre-moistened sheets were dispensed from such a dispenser, moisture would likely be lost through numerous portions of the dispenser, and it would therefore be unsuitable for storage or dispensation of pre-moistened wipes.
Other dispensers, such as those used for certain pre-moistened wipes, may be formed of plastic or other similar materials often substantially rigid. Such other dispensers often have a single slit in the top of the dispenser through which wipes may be pulled out of the dispenser. Such wipes may be formed from a substantially continuous sheet of material perforated at pre-determined intervals so an individual wipe may be torn away from the next adjacent wipe as or after the first wipe is pulled through the slit, or wipes may be individually formed and disposed so pulling a wipe through the slit simultaneously pulls a portion of the next wipe through the slit. However, such plastic dispensers are often too rigid and too inflexible to permit proper functioning. For example, where the plastic or other material is too rigid or too inflexible, a first wipe may be pulled through while the next wipe is prevented from being pulled through the slit requiring the wipes to be tediously threaded back through the slit, or the next wipe is not pulled far enough through the slit to permit a user to easily grasp the next wipe. Conversely, where the plastic material is insufficiently rigid or resilient, and especially where a dispenser is used with a perforated sheet of multiple wipes, the slit may not impart enough force or friction to permit an individual wipe to be pulled away from the next adjacent wipe without using both hands, for example, one hand to pull the first wipe and the other hand to hold the next wipe and permit the first wipe to tear or pull away from the next wipe. When the first wipe tears away from the second wipe, the force imparted by the slit often cannot prevent the wipe from falling back into the dispenser which again requires the user to open the container for the wipes to be threaded back through the slit to retrieve the next wipe.
A need exists for an improved dispenser that permits pre-moistened sheets, such as wipes, to be stored and dispensed over time while ensuring that the sheets or wipes may be conveniently and effectively dispensed one at a time.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction, experiments, exemplary data, and/or the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventive concepts are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed is for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
In this detailed description of embodiments of the inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements or steps is not necessarily limited to only those elements or steps and may include other elements, steps, or features not expressly listed or inherently present therein.
Unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Throughout this disclosure and the claims, the terms “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially” are intended to signify that the item being qualified is not limited to the exact value specified, but includes slight variations or deviations therefrom, caused by measuring error, manufacturing tolerances, stress exerted on various parts, wear and tear, or combinations thereof, for example.
The use of the term “at least one” will be understood to include one and any quantity more than one, including but not limited to each of, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, and all integers therebetween. The term “at least one” may extend up to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the term to which it is attached; in addition, the quantities of 100/1000 are not to be considered limiting, as higher limits may also produce satisfactory results. Singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular unless indicated otherwise.
The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and/or combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AAB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment, although the inventive concepts disclosed herein are intended to encompass all combinations and permutations including one or more features of the embodiments described.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
The lid 18 is formed from a semi-rigid to rigid material to correspond in size and shape with the body 14. The lid 18 may also include a rim 46 and an opening 50. The rim 46 circumscribes the lid 18. In the embodiment shown, the body 14 may include a lip 48 for receiving the lid 18. In other embodiments, the lid 18 may interact with, connect to, engage, or be integral to and seal the body 14, as suitable to permit the dispenser 10 to function. The Lid 18 has a centrally located annular groove 57 and concentric raised portion 56 that surrounds a shaped opening 50 centrally disposed in the lid 18 to permit the continuous sheet material to pass therethrough. In the embodiment shown, the annular groove 57 surrounds raised portion 56. The opening 50 is formed through the lid 18 to permit the flexible sheets 22 to pass through the lid 18. In the embodiment best shown in
The body 14 and the lid 18 (including flaps 55) may be formed from a substantially rigid or semi-rigid material, such as metal, plastic, polymer, cardboard, aluminum, alloy, carbon fiber, or the like. In one embodiment, the material used to form the body 14 and the lid 18 is also substantially impervious to water. The lid 18 may be formed from a semi-rigid material configured to engage the peripheral rim of the body 14 and seal the compartment 42. In this embodiment, when dry sheets are stored in the dispenser 10, moisture is substantially prevented from entering the dispenser 10, and when pre-moistened sheets are stored in the dispenser 10, moisture is substantially prevented from escaping the dispenser 10.
The dispenser 10 further includes a gasket 54 cooperatively associated with the lid 18 adjacent the opening 50. The gasket 54 terminates in a peripheral edge 58 arranged for attaching to lid 18. The gasket 54 includes an opening 60, and a slitted portion 62. In the embodiment shown, the size of the opening 60 of the gasket 54 substantially corresponds with the size of the opening 50 of the lid 18. The peripheral edge 58 is attached to the lid 18 with the opening 60 of the gasket 54 aligned with the opening 50 in the lid 18. The opening 60 of the gasket 54 has a plurality of slits 62 that radiate outwardly therefrom to define a plurality of flaps 70 and 70a surrounding and adjacent to the opening 50. In the embodiment in
As best shown in
The gasket 54 is formed of a material material more resilient than the lid so the flaps 70 may be deformed by force, such as when a sheet 22 is pulled through the slitted portion 62. For example, the gasket 54 may be formed from resilient foam, rubber, neoprene rubber, combinations thereof, or any other suitable resilient material that permits the gasket 54, and specifically the slitted portion 62, to function as described herein. In one embodiment, the material used for the gasket 54 has a thickness of about 1/16 inch, and has a Shore A hardness preferably between about 50 and about 70, more preferably between about 55 and about 65, and most preferably about 60. The gasket 54 material has a tensile strength preferably between about 500 psi and about 1500 psi, more preferably between about 750 psi and about 1250 psi, and most preferably about 1000 psi. Further, the gasket 54 material has an elongation preferably between about 250 percent and about 450 percent, more preferably between about 300 percent and about 400 percent, and most preferably about 350 percent. One example of a suitable material for the gasket 54 is a neoprene-rubber compound available from West American Rubber Co., Inc. (WARGO) in Orange, Calif. This exemplary compound may be designated by the WARGO reference number 60E235, contains about 40 percent neoprene, and has a Shore A hardness of about 60 plus or minus 5, a tensile strength of about 1000 pounds per square inch (psi), and an elongation of about 350 percent. The gasket 54a may be formed of substantially the same material and size as the gasket 54.
In operation, a continuous sheet of material having perforations at predetermined intervals to provide a series of one or more flexible sheets 22 is placed within the compartment 42 of the dispenser 10, and one sheet 22 threaded through the slitted portions 52 and 62, as shown in
The combined resiliency of the flaps 70 formed in the gasket 54 and the strength of the flaps 55 formed in the lid 18 cooperate in operation to create a retaining grip on the next sheet 22 sufficient to reduce, if not eliminate, the tendency of the next sheet 22 to release or fall back into the internal compartment 42. In the embodiment shown in
From the above description, the inventive concepts disclosed are well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned and those inherent in the inventive concepts disclosed. While exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed have been described for this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the scope and coverage of the inventive concepts disclosed.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/637,158, filed on Mar. 1, 2018; the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62637158 | Mar 2018 | US |
