The present invention generally relates to dispensers for dispensing wipes or moist towelettes. More particularly, the present invention relates to wipes dispensers having a first wipe contact point and a second wipe contact point.
Wipes are typically made from a variety of materials, such as non-woven materials. Wipes are often moistened with solutions, such as antimicrobial solutions. The wipes may be stacked and folded in a container or may be in the form of a roll. Wipes in the form of a roll typically have a lines of perforations between the wipes that are strong enough for the wipes to remain attached to one another so that the top of the trailing is pulled up through the outlet nozzle prior to the perforations tearing away allowing the leading wipe to separate for use. Hopefully, this results in a lead tail extending out of the outlet nozzle a sufficient length so that the lead tail of the trailing wipe may be grabbed by a user and pulled out of the container. Often, however, the lead tail does not extend high enough past the opening in the nozzle for a user to grab, which leads to customer “short tail” complaints. Similarly, “fall back” complaints occur when the trailing wipe falls back through the outlet nozzle and back into the container. In addition, it is often difficult to thread the wipes through the outlet nozzle and accordingly, it is often more than merely annoying when fall back occurs, when short tails occur, or when it is time to install a new roll of wipes the dispenser. Furthermore, some of the current wipe nozzles require a tool to rethread the wipes up through the outlet nozzle. In addition, when a container of wipes sits for an extended period of time, “dry-out” may occur, wherein the fluid used to wet the wipes evaporates out of the container.
Embodiments of dispensers for dispensing wet wipes are disclosed herein. An exemplary wipes dispenser includes a container, having an opening, a cap, and a first wipe engagement member. The first wipes engagement member includes an opening therethrough. The first wipes engagement member is made of an elastomeric member and is configured to provide sufficient force on a wipe to prevent the wipe from falling back into the container. A second wipes engagement member is also included. The second wipes engagement member located away from the first wipes engagement member. The second wipes engagement member includes a pull through portion and a grip portion. The second wipes engagement member is made of a more rigid material than the first engagement member. In some embodiments, an access point is located between the first wipes engagement member and the second wipes engagement member. The access point is configured to allow a user to grip a lead edge of a wipe as the wipe is threaded through the first wipes engagement member.
Another exemplary wipes dispenser includes a container, the container having a surface, which may be a cap on the container. A first wipe engagement member is located in the surface. The first wipes engagement member is an elastomeric engagement member located in the surface. The elastomeric engagement member has an opening therethrough. The wipes dispenser further includes a second wipe engagement member. The second engagement member is located away from the first engagement member, and the second engagement member is more rigid than the first engagement member. Some exemplary embodiments do not include a container. In, some exemplary embodiments, the surface is a cap. In some embodiments the cap is secured to a container.
Another exemplary wipes dispenser includes a container, the container having a surface, which may be a cap on the container. A first wipe engagement member is located in the surface. The first wipes engagement member is an elastomeric engagement member located in the surface. The elastomeric engagement member has an opening therethrough. The wipes dispenser further includes a second wipe engagement member. The second engagement member is located away from the first engagement member, and the second engagement member is made of a different material than the first engagement member. Some exemplary embodiments do not include a container. In, some exemplary embodiments, the surface is a cap. In some embodiments the cap is secured to a container.
Another exemplary wipes dispenser includes a container. The container has a surface, which may be a cap. A first wipes engagement member located in the surface. The first wipes engagement member contacting a wipe in a first position. The first wipes engagement member being made of a first material. A second wipes engagement member on the container. The second wipes engagement member contacting the wipe in a second position. The second wipes engagement member is made of a second material, wherein the second material is more rigid than the first material.
Another exemplary embodiment of a wipes dispenser includes a container that has an opening in the container. A fall back preventing member is located proximate the opening. The fall back prevention member composed of a first material. The fall back prevention member has a circular opening. In some embodiments, the opening is non-circular, such as, for example, an ellipse, a slit, or the like. A grip member is included and is located away from the fall back preventing member. The grip member is made of a second material that is more rigid then the first material and wherein the grip member contacts wipes and is configured to grip the wipes with sufficient force that a first wipe connected to a second wipe along a perforation line will separate from the second wipe when the grip member engages the second wipe.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, and accompanying drawings where:
Although the embodiments shown and described herein, illustrate an opening at the top of the container, the opening may be located in other locations, such as, for example, a side of the container, or the bottom of the container. Accordingly, features and structures described below may also be located on the side of the container and/or on the bottom of the container. A cap 110 is secured to opening 103 by closure 111. Closure 111 may be joined to container 102 by any means, such as, for example, a snap-fit connection, threading and the like. In some embodiments, a cap is not required and one or more of the components described herein are connected to a surface of the container proximate an opening in the container. In this exemplary embodiment, cap 110 includes an opening 114.
Opening 114 includes an annular groove 115 which is configured to retain first wipes engagement member 120 (which may be referred to as first wipes contact member). In this exemplary embodiment, first wipes engagement member 120 is made of a resilient material. In some embodiments, the resilient member is an elastomer. Components described herein, such as, for example, the resilient member, first wipes engagement member, first wipes contact points, or fall back preventers and the like may be made of any type of flexible resilient material that is capable of performing the functions described herein, such as, for example, plastic, rubber, elastomer, silicone, urethane, and the like; and combinations thereof.
In this exemplary embodiment, first wipes engagement or contact member 120 is a made of resilient material that may include silicone. First wipes engagement member 120 has an opening 122 located therethrough. In this exemplary embodiment, opening 122 is a circular opening, however, in some embodiments, opening 122 has a different shape, such as, for example, an ovular shape, a star shape, an octagonal shape, or the like. In some embodiments, first wipes contact member 120 is configured such that the opening 122 stretches. In this exemplary embodiment, opening 122 is configured to be “stretchy” or elastic enough so that when a user is threading a wipe up through opening 122, opening 122 readily stretches allowing the user's finger to push up through the opening 122 and returns to its unstretched position. Accordingly, the opening 122 may be threaded without a tool. Opening 122 is configured to contact a wipe (not shown) and apply enough pressure on the wipe to hold the wipe in position and prevent the wipe from falling back into the container due to gravitational forces. First wipe engagement member 120 provides a first contact point on a wipe as it is pulled out of the dispenser 100.
In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, first wipes engagement member 120 is configured to provide a seal around a wipe (not shown) such that evaporation of fluid in the wipes container is reduced, and in some embodiments, partially eliminated, and in some embodiments, mostly eliminated and in one embodiments, substantially eliminated. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, first wipes engagement member 120 has a concave or inverted dome shape. In this exemplary embodiment, the inverted dome shape has an apex 124 and a base 125. In this exemplary embodiment, apex 124 is located below base 125. In this exemplary embodiment, fluid (not shown) that is squeezed out of a wipe (not shown) may collect in the inverted dome of first wipes engagement member 120 and helps rewet the trailing portion of the wipe as it moves past. In addition, in some embodiments, fluid collected in the dome of first wipes engagement member 120 wicks up the leading edge of a wipe (not shown) while the wipe is held by first wipes engagement member 120 resulting in the lead edge of the wipe remaining wetted with fluid for a longer period of time.
In some embodiments, apex 124 is located above base 125. As described above, first wipes engagement member 120 is configured to apply sufficient pressure to a wipe to hold the wipe in place and prevent “fall-back” of the wipe after a lead wipe is torn off of the wipe that is partially though the opening 122 of first engagement member 120.
Cap 110 contains a second wipes engagement member 129. In this embodiment, second wipes engagement member 129 is a grip member 130. Grip member 130 is made of a material, such as, for example, plastic, or polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”). Grip member 130 is more rigid than first wipes engagement member 120. In some embodiments, grip member 130 is made of a different material than first wipes contact member 120 to achieve a more rigid grip member 130. In some embodiments, the material is the same, however, the configuration of the grip member 130 renders it more rigid than the first wipes contact member. For example, grip member 130 may be thicker than first wipes contact member.
Grip member 130 is configured to provide a stronger force on a wipe as the wipe is pulled through grip member 130. Accordingly, when a lead wipe is connected to a trailing wipe by a perforation line, grip member 130 provides enough force to ensure that once the trailing wipe enters the grip member, the trailing wipe is separated from the lead wipe. In some embodiments, the lead edge of the trailing wipe remains in the grip member 130. In some embodiments, the lead edge of the trailing wipe does not remain in grip member 130 after the lead wipe separates from the trailing wipe.
Cap 110 includes an optional lid 112. In this exemplary embodiment, lid 112 is shown in a closed position.
In this exemplary embodiment, grip member 130 is off-set from first wipes engagement member 130. In this exemplary embodiment, engagement member 130 is located in the center of the opening 103 in container 102 and grip member 130 is off-set from the center. In some embodiments, grip member 130 is located directly above first wipes engagement member 120. In this exemplary embodiment, grip member 130 is positioned so that fluid squeezed out of a wipe as it passes through grip member 130 flows into first resilient member 120 and, as described above, may help rewet, or wet the trailing portion of the wipe or leading edge of the trailing wipe. In this exemplary embodiment, cap 110 includes an optional lid 112. Lid 112 has a hinge portion 113 and has an annular projection 117 that mates with annular projection 119 in a friction fit connection to hold lid 112 in a closed position. In some embodiments, the annular projections 114 and/or 115 may include one or more ribs to aid in the friction fit connection.
As illustrated in
The access point 350 or access area is open area between first engagement member 120 and second engagement area 129. In this exemplary embodiment, access point 350 is located in cap 110 above first wipes engagement member 120. In this exemplary embodiment, first wipes engagement member 120 is separated from second wipes engagement member or grip member 130 by an access point 350 or access area, which is an open area sufficiently sized to allow a user to reach the lead edge of a wipe as it is threaded through first wipes engagement member 120. In some embodiments, access point 350 or access area is accessible when lid 112 is open and inaccessible when lid 112 is closed.
In this exemplary embodiment, cap 402 includes center portion 403. In some embodiments, center portion 403 is made of a different material than cap 402. Center portion 403 is a formed with a resilient member 405 that includes a first wipes engagement member 404. First wipes engagement member 404 engages a wipe 502 as the wipe is pulled therethrough. First wipes engagement member 404 has elastomeric properties and wipes engagement member 404 expands under force and contracts to return to its unbiased position. Wipes engagement member 404 exerts sufficient pressure on the wipe to hold the wipe in place and prevent the wipe from falling back into container 401. Preferably, a user threads a wipe through the wipe engagement member 404 by removing cap 402 from the container and pushing or threading a wipe through wipes engagement member 404 from underneath with the user's finger. In some embodiments, resilient portion 405 of first wipes engagement member is flexible enough so that a user may easily push their fingers through the first wipes engagement member 404, which will expand, to reach inside the container and grab a wipe 502 to initially thread the dispenser 400. In some embodiments, resilient portion 405 is a different material than the material surrounding resilient portion 405. In some embodiments, the resilient portion 405 is made of the same material as the surrounding material and or grip member 430, however, it may have different characteristics, such as, for example, thickness, that allows resilient portion 405 to readily flex allowing for easy threading of a wipe, while the surrounding portion and or the grip member 432 is more rigid, which may be accomplished by, for example, making the material thicker. Once the user removes their fingers or the tool, first wipes engagement member 404 contracts and engages wipe 502.
Wipes dispenser 400 includes a second wipe contact member 430. Second wipe contact member 430 is a grip member that grips wipe 502 when wipe 502 is pulled upward in direction 506. In this exemplary embodiment, second wipe contact member 430 includes an opening 606 (
As illustrated in
Second wipes engagement member 1320 is a grip member that includes an opening 1321 that allows a wipe to be pulled into the grip member 1320. In this exemplary embodiment, grip member 1320 includes one or more optional fingers 1322 and one or more slots 1323. In some embodiments, first wipes engagement member 1350 and second wipes engagement member 1320 are made of different materials. In some embodiments, second wipes engagement member 1320 is more ridged than first wipes engagement member 1350. In some embodiments, second wipes engagement member 1320 is made of a thermoplastic material and first wipes engagement member 1350 is made of a rubber type material, such as, for example, silicone.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example, the fluid retaining member may be separate from the dome swivel nozzle. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
The application claims priority to, and the benefits of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/835,612, titled WIPES DISPENSERS HAVING MULTIPLE WIPE CONTACT POINTS, which was filed on Apr. 18, 2019 and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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62835612 | Apr 2019 | US |