WIPE DISPENSER

Abstract

Disclosed is a wipe dispenser for dispensing a continuous roll of centrally fed wipes. The dispenser includes a storage compartment for storing the roll of wipes. The storage compartment is made from a bottom wall, at least one side wall and a top wall including a dispensing opening. The dispenser includes a lid hingeably attached to the storage compartment. The lid includes a first inner cavity defined by a first inner surface. A maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface is within a range that allows for an easy to grab portion of the wipe to stand essentially erect from the dispensing opening inside the lid when the lid is closed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a wipe dispenser for dispensing a continuous roll of centrally fed wipes. The dispenser comprises a storage compartment for storing the roll of wipes. The storage compartment is made from a bottom wall, at least one side wall and a top wall comprising a dispensing opening. The dispenser comprises a lid hingeably attached to the storage compartment. The lid comprises a first inner cavity facing the dispensing opening when the lid is closed. The first inner cavity is defined by a first inner surface.

BACKGROUND ART

Many types of centrally fed dispensers are known with a variety of distances between the lid and the dispensing opening for allowing a part of the wipes to protrude from the dispensing opening. One example of such a dispenser is described in EP0999990 B1 which teaches a dispenser with a refill cartridge comprising wet wipes that are centrally fed and separated by perforated tearing lines. A common problem for the known dispensers is that the wipes protrude too little for a user to easily grab and draw. This problem is especially apparent for children, disabled and elderly. Another problem occurs when the wipes protrude too long such that the protruding part gets jammed by the lid upon closing, which gives crumbling of the wipes and thereby less aesthetic features and also a risk of changed properties of the wipe regarding intended use functions. Furthermore, if the web gets jammed between a sealing portion of the lid and storage compartment, there is a risk that the lid cannot be closed and for a wet wipe this means that the wipes may dry out.

SUMMARY

With regard to prior art, there is a need for an improved dispenser that eliminates the stated disadvantages.

The present disclosure relates to a wipe dispenser for dispensing a continuous roll of centrally fed wipes. The continuous web roll is divided into a number of single wipes by tearing lines known in the art. For example, the tearing lines can be a weak line or a line of perforations traversing the continuous web in a lateral direction and allows for separating the web in the longitudinal direction.

The dispenser comprises a storage compartment for storing the roll of wipes. The storage compartment is made from a bottom wall, at least one side wall and a top wall comprising a dispensing opening. The dispenser may have any suitable form that allows for storing of the roll of centrally fed wipes, for example a cross-section being circular, square or polynomial. The dispenser may also be narrowing, widening, undulating or constantly parallel in width with increased height. The inner part of the dispenser may be different in shape than the visible outer part.

The dispenser comprises a lid hingeably attached to the storage compartment. The hinge may be a separate item attached to the lid and to the storage compartment; or may be a part of the lid and attached to the storage compartment; or may be a part of the storage compartment and attached to the lid; or the hinge may be a part of both the lid and the storage compartment.

The lid comprises a first inner cavity defined by a first inner surface and the present disclosure is characterized in that a maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface is within a range that allows for an easy to grab sized portion of the wipe to stand essentially erect from the dispensing opening inside the lid when the lid is closed.

One advantage of the present disclosure is that it allows for a large portion of the wipe to stand essentially erect from the dispensing opening without the risk of crumbling or jamming the erect wipe web when closing the lid.

According to one example, the first inner surface is essentially dome shaped. The dome shape gives the advantage of adding to a free volume between the lid and the dispensing opening for housing the erected wipe. However, the first inner surface may have a different shape than dome shape, for example a cross-section being circular, square or polynomial. The dispenser may also be narrowing, widening, undulating or constant in width with increased height. The inner part of the dispenser may be different in shape than the visible outer part, but according to one example, the lid comprises a first outer surface facing away from the dispenser and that follows the curvature of the first inner surface.

According to one example, the top wall has an outer top wall surface facing against the lid when the lid is closed, wherein the top wall comprises a second inner cavity defined by the outer top wall surface.

The benefit of the second inner cavity is that it increases the length of the protruding part of the web that can be grabbed by a user at the same time as it together with the first inner cavity allows for a longer portion of the web to stand essentially erect when the lid is closed. The second inner cavity may advantageously be of a size that allows for at least a large portion of the hand of a user to go into the cavity for grasping a larger portion of the web.

According to one example, the dispensing opening is positioned in the lowest part of the second cavity. This feature maximizes the free volume between the dispensing opening and the first inner surface, which gives the advantage of optimally using the space for allowing a user an easier gripping possibility of the erected wipe.

According to one example, the distance between the dispensing opening and a plane described by an edge of the cavity is in the range of 0 mm-60 mm, but is dependent on the diameter of the dispenser because a too small diameter and a too deep cavity does not allow for a user to reach down into the cavity to grip the wipe.

One example of a suitable size of a portable wet wipe dispenser gives a height of 20-250 mm and a diameter (or a similar value for a different geometry than circular cross-section), of 55-120 mm.

According to one example, the maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface is within a range of 10 mm to 50 mm, with 30 mm as a preferred measurement with a usually found wet wipe of today.

According to one example, the storage compartment has a height that gives a distance between the roll and the dispensing opening, when the roll is stored in the storage compartment, such that the portion of the web next to be dispensed through the opening can move freely in three dimension and thereby allowing for the web to follow the roll pattern of the roll in the space between the roll and dispensing opening, for optimum dispensing.

According to one example, the maximum distance from the wipe roll to the dispensing opening is within a range of 13 mm to 50 mm, with 35 mm as a preferred measurement with a usually found wet wipe of today.

According to one example, the easy to grab sized portion is at least 10 mm, but may be as long as maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface. It is also possible to allow for the easy to grab sized portion be a bit longer than maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface should the curvature of the first inner surface be suitable for the wipe to smoothly at least partly follow the curvature. A dome shaped first inner cavity provides for one example of suitable curvature.

According to one example, the top wall comprises an inner top wall surface facing into the dispenser and that follows the curvature of the outer top wall surface.

An example of a usually found wet wipe of today gives the measures 203 mm times 183 mm in a flat state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be described in connection to a number of drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a dispenser with closed lid according to a first example;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a dispenser according to FIG. 1, with open lid;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a dispenser with closed lid according to a second example, and in which;

FIG. 4 schematically shows a dispenser with closed lid according to a third example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows a wipe dispenser 1 according to a first example. The dispenser 1 is arranged to dispense wipes 2 from a continuous roll 3 of centrally fed wipes 2. In FIG. 1, the continuous roll is divided into a multiple of individual wipes by tear lines. The dispenser 1 comprises a storage compartment 4 for storing the roll 3 of wipes 2. The storage compartment 4 is made from a bottom wall 5, at least one side wall 6 and a top wall 7 comprising a dispensing opening 8. FIG. 1 shows that the storage compartment is cylindrical with one side wall, but the number of side walls depends on the geometrical feature of the storage compartment. If the storage compartment is cylindrical, there is one side wall and if the storage compartment is triangular there are three side walls, and if the storage compartment is square there are four side wall, and so forth.

The dispenser 1 comprises a lid 9 hingeably attached to the storage compartment 4. In FIG. 1, the lid 9 comprises a first inner cavity 10 defined by a first inner surface 11. In FIG. 1 the first inner surface 11 is dome shaped, but other geometrical shapes are possible, for example triangular, polynomial, non-symmetrically curved shapes.

FIG. 1 shows that there exists a maximum distance L1 from the dispensing opening 8 to the first inner surface 11 being within a range that allows for an easy to grab sized portion of the wipe 2 to stand essentially erect from the dispensing opening 8 inside the lid 9 when the lid 9 is closed. In FIG. 1 the lid 9 is closed and the wipe portion 12 between the dispensing opening 8 and the first inner surface 11 stands erected from the dispensing opening 8 towards the apex 13 of the first inner surface 11.

The dispensing opening 8 is advantageously of a known kind which allows for the separation of the wipes along the tear lines upon either a quick jerk or after changing the angle of the web material with respect to the dispensing direction for increasing the friction such that the tear lines or the adjacent material breaks upon a predetermined applied force from the user.

The individual wipes 2 are of a predetermined size and the dispenser, the lid and the free space in the lid between the dispensing opening and the first inner surface, defined by the maximum distance L1, depend of the size of the wipe. Since the dispenser is made to dispense one wipe at a time, the maximum size that can stand erect within the free space within the lid is of the size of a wipe. The method of dispensing one wipe at a time is known per se in prior art by use of a certain dispensing opening. An example of a usually found wet wipe of today gives the measures 203 mm times 183 mm in a flat state.

For wet wipes, it is especially important that the dispensing opening comprises a resilient portion, for example silicone or rubber, that has a tight fit about the wet wipe to hinder the wipes in the storage compartment from drying out. It is also important that the dispenser comprises sealing means (not shown) between the lid and the storage compartment so that the erect wipe does not dry out when the lid is closed. The sealing means can be a part of the lid, a part of the compartment or both.

In FIG. 1, the top wall 7 has an outer top wall surface 14 facing against the lid 9 when the lid is closed, wherein the top wall 7 comprises a second inner cavity 15 defined by the outer top wall surface 15.

FIG. 1 shows that the dispensing opening 8 is positioned in the lowest part of the second inner cavity 15. However, in another example, the outer top wall surface 15 could be convex and the dispensing opening 8 would then be positioned in the highest position. The maximum distance L1 from the dispensing opening 8 to the first inner surface 11 is within a range of 10 mm to 50 mm, with 30 mm as a preferred measurement with a usually found wet wipe of today.

The distance L2 between the dispensing opening 8 and a plane described by an edge 18 of the second inner cavity 15 is in the range of 1.5 mm-10 mm, but is dependent on the diameter of the dispenser because a too small diameter and a too deep cavity does not allow for a user to reach down into the cavity to grip the erect wipe.

FIG. 1 shows that the storage compartment 4 has a height that gives a distance L3 between the roll 3 and the dispensing opening 8 when the roll 3 is stored in the storage compartment 4, such that the portion 19 of the web next to be dispensed through the dispensing opening 8 can move freely in three dimensions and thereby allow for the web portion 19 to follow the roll pattern of the roll 3 in the space between the roll 3 and the dispensing opening 8.

The maximum distance L3 from the wipe roll 3 to the dispensing opening 8 is within a range of 13 mm to 50 mm, with 35 mm as a preferred measurement with a usually found wet wipe of today.

FIG. 1 shows that the lid 9 comprises a first outer surface 16 facing away from the dispenser 1 and that follows the curvature of the first inner surface 11.

The top wall 7 comprises an inner top wall surface 17 facing into the dispenser 1 and that follows the curvature of the outer top wall surface 14.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a dispenser 1 according to FIG. 1, but with an open lid.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a dispenser 1 with closed lid according to a second example. The difference between the dispenser 1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is that in FIG. 3, the first inner surface 11 is in a square shape.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a dispenser 1 with closed lid according to a third example. The difference between the dispenser 1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is that in FIG. 4, the outer top wall surface 14 is in a square shape.

As been stated before, the dispenser may come in different shape, for example with a mix of what is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing a continuous roll of centrally fed wipes, the dispenser comprising a storage compartment for storing the roll of, the storage compartment being made from a bottom wall, at least one side wall and a top wall comprising a dispensing opening, the dispenser comprising a lid hingeably attached to the storage compartment, the lid comprising a first inner cavity defined by a first inner surface, wherein a maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface is within a range of 10 mm to 50 mm to provide an area for a portion of one of the wipes to stand essentially erect from the dispensing opening inside the lid when the lid is closed.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the top wall has an outer top wall surface facing against the lid when the lid is closed, wherein the top wall comprises a second inner cavity defined by the outer top wall surface.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the dispensing opening is positioned in a lowermost part of the second inner cavity.

4. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the dispensing opening and a plane defined by an edge of the second inner cavity is in the range of 1.5 mm to 10 mm.

5. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the maximum distance from the dispensing opening to the first inner surface is 30 mm.

6. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the storage compartment has a height that provides a distance between the roll and the dispensing opening when the roll is stored in the storage compartment, such that a portion of a web next to be dispensed through the dispensing opening can move in three dimensions and follow a roll pattern of the roll in the distance between the roll and the dispensing opening.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the roll and the dispensing opening is within a range of 13 mm to 50 mm.

8. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a first outer surface facing away from the dispenser and that follows a curvature of the first inner surface.

9. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the lid is essentially dome shaped.

10. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the top wall comprises an inner top wall surface facing into the dispenser and that follows the a curvature of the outer top wall surface.

11. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the wipes are wet wipes, and the dispensing opening comprises a resilient portion that fits about a to be dispensed wet wipe to hinder the wet wipes in the storage compartment from drying out.

12. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the portion of one of the wipes is at least 10 mm.

13. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the roll and the dispensing opening is 35 mm.