The present invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly, to wipe dispensers, systems and methods relating to same.
Disposable wipes are often sold in disposable wipe containers. The wipes are typically sheets of paper or cloth and may be dry or pre-moistened. For example, in healthcare facilities, disposable pre-moistened wipes often include disinfectant or sanitizing formulas. Wipes intended for use on infant skin are also typically sold as pre-moistened wipes.
In many conventional dispensers, it is advantageous to provide a wipe dispenser to house the disposable wipe cartridges. Dispensers often include a lid to cover the wipe cartridge and wipes when not in use. Even in the closed position, ambient air may pass through spaces between lid and the dispenser (or through other apertures in the dispenser) and into the wipe cartridge. Over time, the air dries out the pre-moistened wipes, rendering the wipes less desirable or even unfit for their intended use. Air gaps in the dispenser may also allow bacteria to enter into the interior of the wipe cartridge.
Conventional dispensers also often require surface space, such as on a tabletop, countertop, or the like, which is not always readily available. For example, in healthcare facilities, such as a doctor's exam room, there is typically not much surface space to rest a conventional dispenser. In many such offices, there is only a very small countertop with a sink for washing of hands, etc., and such countertops are often already occupied via swabs, facial tissue, and other daily use items (e.g., electronics, such as computer terminals, handouts or brochures, boxes with gloves, etc.).
In addition to being a problem with lack of surface space, it is also often desired to keep medical related items off of surfaces so that these healthcare facilities can be cleaned more easily and thoroughly. When dispensers are left on a surface they require the cleaning personnel to move them to clean the surface underneath and sometimes they do not get moved leaving the surface underneath untouched. To solve this, many items used in healthcare facilities are wall mounted. Wall mounted items are typically not readily removable/replaceable and often require extra labor to install, remove and replace, and to ensure proper alignment or installation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a dispenser and methods relating to same that overcome the aforementioned limitations and which further provide capabilities, features and functions, not available in current dispensers
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of several embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. References to top, left, front, right and other points of direction are for internal reference and are not intended to limit the orientation of the dispenser in use.
With reference to
Turning now to
In addition to the first mating structures 122 and 142, the dispenser system 100 further includes a second wall mount mating structure 126 and a second dispenser bag mating structure 146 for mating with one another to ensure proper bag dispenser alignment and installation. In the form shown, the second wall mount mating structure is a recess and the second dispenser bag mating structure 146 is a protrusion which mates with recess 126. More particularly, protrusion or tab 146 friction fits into the recess 126 to give the system user a tactile and/or visual assurance that the dispenser bag 140 has been properly installed on wall mount support bracket 120. In a preferred form, the second mating structures 126, 146 will give both tactile and visual assurance in this regard so that the user will know they have the dispenser bag 140 properly installed on the wall mount support bracket 120 such that: (i) the dispenser bag wipe retainer 148 is positioned correctly to allow for wipes to be removed and the following wipe to be properly positioned for the next user of the dispenser; and (ii) such that the wall mount dispenser lid or cover 124 is properly aligned to seal the wipe dispenser bag 140 when cover 124 is in the closed position. In some forms, the second mating structures, 126, 146 may also provide audible assurance that the wipes dispenser 140 has been properly connected to the wall mount support bracket 120 by providing a click or similar noise when the tab 146 is properly inserted into recess 126. In some forms only one of the tactile, visual or audible assurance features may be used, while in others two or more of them may be provided (e.g., tactile and visual in some forms, tactile in audible in others, audible and visual in still others, etc.).
While the illustrated embodiment shows the dispenser bag collar 144 having the protrusion and the wall mount support bracket 120 having the mating recess, it should be understood that (like the first mating structures), these mating structures may be reversed so that the collar 144 defines the mating recess and the wall mount support bracket 120 has the mating protrusion. Similarly, in still other forms, a plurality of these structures may be provided on each of the collar 144 and bracket 120 and these plurality of structures may be of the same type (e.g., all recess on one and all protrusions on the other) or they may alternate in type (e.g., one or more protrusions and recesses on the collar and one or more mating recesses and protrusions on the bracket).
In addition to the first and second mating structures 122, 142 and 126, 146, respectively, the wipe dispensing system 100 will also include a wall mount support bracket cover 124 (e.g., cap, lid, etc.) which seals the opening of dispenser bag 140 when the dispenser bag is properly installed on the wall mount support bracket 120. In a preferred form, the cover 124 will be movable between an open and closed position and biased in the closed position to ensure that the wipe dispenser 140 is sealed so that the wipes do not dry out or become contaminated by dust or other foreign particles. In the form shown, the cover 124 is connected to the wall mount support bracket 120 via a hinge 124a and is biased in the closed position via spring 124b. The cover 124 also will preferably include a gripping area, such as the protruding tab shown at the front of the cover, to make the cover easier to grasp and open. In the form shown, the cover 124 includes a protruding tab, but the adjacent portion of the wall mount support bracket 120 is also recessed in this point to make the gripping surface area even larger so that the cover 124 is easier to open. In the form illustrated, the bracket 120 is configured to hinder a user from raising the cover more than ninety degrees (90°) because of the proximity the cover will have to the wall (not shown). In alternate forms, a protrusion or stop may be used to prevent the cover 124 from being raised more than ninety degrees (90°) to assist the spring in being able to close the cover 124 when wipes are not being dispensed.
In a preferred form, the cover will also include a seal 128 which aligns with the perimeter wall 144b that forms the central opening of the rigid collar 144 through which wipes are dispensed. In a preferred form, the seal 128 is a flat rubber gasket that nests within a channel 124c formed in cover 124 (see
In a preferred form, the wall mount support bracket 120 will be formed by injection molding and will include a generally hollow rear 120b (see
As can best be seen in
The rigid collar portion 144 of dispenser bag 140 preferably forms an upper wall of the wipes dispenser structure 140 and has a side or perimeter wall 144a to which the bag 140a is sealed. In a preferred form, the side wall 140a includes ridges to add surface area and assist with heat sealing or welding the upper edges of bag 140a to side wall 144a of rigid collar 144. In the form shown, rigid collar 144 is canoe-shaped (or rounded in the middle and pointed on the ends) (as viewed from above) to make it easier to heat seal the bag 140a to the collar 144. The size of the collar 144 gives structure for the shape of the bag 140a to fit the roll of wipes 160. As best seen in
In a preferred form, the bag 140a will be of a two-ply construction and will be formed by pinch/heat sealing the sides of bag 140a initially to form a sealed receptacle with an upper opening that is ultimately sealed to side wall 144a of rigid collar 144 (e.g., via heat welding). Once the wipes are installed in the bag 140a, the bottom of the bag 140a is also pinch/heat sealed to seal the wipes 160 in bag 140a. In the form shown the bag is assembled by having two separate two-ply wall members aligned with one another and then pinch/heat sealed at their sides and the bag 140a sealed to rigid collar 144 (in this form, specifically to side wall 144a). Then the wipes 160 are inserted in the bag 140a and the bottom of the bag is pinch/heat sealed shut. Since the central opening of collar 144 is sealed via a pull-off seal or cap, the wipes bag dispenser 140 is hermetically sealed until the pull-off seal or cap is removed. Once the bag dispenser 140 is mounted to support bracket 120, however, cover 124 (and in this form seal 128) will again seal the dispenser 140 to prevent the wipes from drying out and/or being contaminated by air particles/particulates. The bag 140a is of sufficient length to accommodate the roll of wipes 160 and to properly suspend the wipes closely below the retainer 144c of rigid collar member 144 and centrally aligned with perimeter wall 144b so that as one wipe sheet (or first wipe) is pulled from retainer 144c, the next wipe (or second wipe) starts its way through retainer 144c until the first wipe sheet tears from the second wipe sheet.
In the form shown (and as best seen in
In the form shown, the support bracket 120 is preferably made of a polymer, such as a thermoplastic polymer (e.g., Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) or High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE)) and the dispenser bag 140 is preferably made of a polyethylene (PE) layer and another layer that is suitable for preventing breakdown when exposed to any chemicals associated with wipes 160, so as to prevent any leaking from bag dispenser 140 (e.g., this other layer may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/nylon, aluminum, etc.). The purpose of the PE layer is to make the bag 140a easier to heat seal to collar 144, however, it should be understood that if the collar 144 is made of different material, the bag 140a may be made of another material that is preferred for sealing to whatever material is used for collar 144 (e.g., heat sealing compatibility). Further, while the preferred bag 140a is made of a two-ply construction, it should be appreciated that in alternate forms a single-ply (one-ply) or multiple-ply construction other than two-ply (e.g., three-ply, four-ply, etc.) may be used if desired.
The collar 144 is preferably made of HDPE, ABS or polyphenylene ether (PPE). However, as mentioned above, it should be understood that while any of these materials may be used for any of these components (e.g., bracket 120, cover 124, dispenser 140, etc.), in still other forms other blended versions of these materials may be used. For example, in a preferred form, the collar 144 may be made of a blend of PPE & HDPE.
While the above has focused on a wall mounted wipes dispensing system, it should be understood that individual components of same have also been disclosed herein and are intended to be covered by this disclosure. For example, a wall mount support bracket has been disclosed including: a body defining a first mating structure for mating with a disposable wipe dispenser bag, and a center opening to be aligned with an opening of the disposable wipe dispenser bag; and a cover connected to the body and movable with respect to the body between a first, closed position wherein the center opening is sealed and an open, second position wherein the center opening is unobstructed so that wipes can be dispensed therethrough.
The cover of the wall mount support bracket may be connected to the body via a hinge which allows the cover to move between the first and second positions. In some forms, the cover further includes a biasing mechanism for biasing the cover in the first, closed position. The biasing mechanism will preferably be a spring that forces the cover closed and requires active force to be applied to same in order to move the cover to the second, open position.
The wall mount support bracket may also include a seal for sealing the cover to the body when the cover is in the first, closed position. For example, in some forms, the cover defines a channel within which the seal is disposed, and the seal is a rubber gasket for sealing the center opening when a dispenser bag is connected to the wall mount support bracket.
In addition to the wall mounted wipes dispensing system and the wall mount support bracket, there is disclosed herein a disposable wipe dispensing package including: a rigid collar member defining an upper surface of the disposable wipe dispensing package and defining a first mating structure which the disposable wipe dispensing package may be suspended from when mating to a wall mounted support bracket; and a bag connected to the rigid collar member and defining an inner cavity within which a roll of wipes is disposed.
In some forms, the rigid collar member has a main body member and a perimeter wall extending therefrom that defines an opening through which wipes are dispensed. The rigid collar member will preferably include a wipe retainer through which wipe sheets are fed and which assists in separating a first wipe sheet from a second wipe sheet, while maintaining the second wipe sheet in the retainer for later use. In one exemplary form, the bag is a two-ply bag that is composed of at least two separate two-ply sheets that are heat and pinch sealed to one another to define an enclosed bag with an upper opening. It should be understood, however, that in other forms the bag may be a single-ply or a multi-ply construction so long as it is configured to properly contain the wipes that are intended to be contained in the bag.
In some forms, the upper opening is heat welded to a side wall of the rigid collar to fully enclose the inner cavity of the bag and rigid collar except for an opening defined by the rigid collar. The rigid collar may define a ribbed side wall to which the upper opening of the enclosed bag is heat welded to seal the bag to the side wall of the rigid collar.
In addition to the system and apparatus embodiments disclosed herein (e.g., a wipe dispensing system, a wall mount bracket, a wipe dispenser bag, etc.), there are also numerous methods disclosed herein. For example, methods of dispensing wipes are disclosed herein, as are methods of packaging wipes and methods of supporting wipes. As an example, a method of packaging wipes is disclosed that includes a wall mount with self-sealing cover for use with disposable wipe dispenser bags. Another method of packaging wipes includes a wipe dispenser having a wipe bag and a rigid collar for mounting the bag to a support bracket or mount. The rigid collar defines an enlarged opening and a recessed retainer that forms a recessed well that provides ample space for the next wipe to rest in the retainer without drying out and makes the next wipe easier to be dispensed.
As with the apparatus disclosed herein (e.g., the wall mounted wipes dispensing system, the wall mount support bracket, the disposable wipe dispensing package, etc.), methods focusing on the individual components are also intended to be covered by this disclosure. For example, in addition to a method of dispensing wipes, there is also disclosed a method of packaging wipes comprising: disposing a roll of wipes within a bag defining a single opening; and connecting the single opening of the bag to a rigid collar member to enclose the wipes within the bag and collar member, the rigid collar member defining an opening through which the wipes may be dispensed and having support structures for supporting the bag and wipes.
In addition, there is disclosed herein a method of supporting wipes comprising: providing a wall mounted support structure having a body defining an opening through which wipes may be dispensed, a cover movable between a first position wherein the cover encloses the opening and a second position wherein the cover does not obstruct the opening so that wipes may be dispensed there through, and at least one mount centered on the body for mounting the wall mounted support structure to a wall; and mounting the wall mount support structure to a wall via the at least one mount so that wipes may be suspended from the wall mount support structure and dispensed therefrom when the cover is in the second position.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, apparatus, systems and methods for dispensing wipes from a wall mounted wipe dispenser. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. While features or functions have been described with respect to one embodiment and perhaps not others, it is understood and intended that features from one embodiment will be combined with features from other embodiments to yield further embodiments. For example, while the above has mainly focused on the use of the dispenser for dispensing wipes, it should also be understood that the dispenser could alternatively be used for other items, such as other wall mounted items that need to be replaced and/or removed and replaced on the wall mount frequently and efficiently. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/714,371, filed Dec. 13, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/234,915, filed Dec. 28, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,694,903, issued Jun. 30, 2020, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Child | 17688568 | US | |
Parent | 16234915 | Dec 2018 | US |
Child | 16714371 | US |