U.S. patent application number 10/468123 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-10 for dispensing device.
Invention is credited to Balish, Thomas J. JR., Hayes, Steven B, Mika, Louis J..
Application Number | 20050029280 10/468123 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23025940 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050029280 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hayes, Steven B ; et
al. |
February 10, 2005 |
Dispensing device
Abstract
A multi-chamber hand grip dispensing device for towelettes
having at least one bisecting wall disposed cross-wise through the
device, defining at least two chambers in the body of the device
for containing and dispensing a rollof towelettes from each
chamber. The dispenser body preferably holds towelettes which are
saturated with various car care detailing compositions, such as
special cleaning and defogging composition for windshields, tire
dressing chemicals, dashboard cleaners and conditioners, leather or
vinyl conditioners, and the like. The overall design is meant to
allow for a single dispenser device to be carried a person that is
cleaning or detailing their car, with some or all of the desirable
chemical compositions saturated onto perforated tear-off towelettes
that can be dispensed from the top of the dispensing device.
Inventors: |
Hayes, Steven B; (Amelia
Island, FL) ; Balish, Thomas J. JR.; (Dearborn,
MI) ; Mika, Louis J.; (Plymouth, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Lynn E Cargill
Cargill & Associates
56 Macomb Place
Mt Clemens
MI
48043-5636
US
|
Family ID: |
23025940 |
Appl. No.: |
10/468123 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
February 15, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US02/04486 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60269134 |
Feb 15, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0805 20130101;
B65D 1/04 20130101; B65D 83/0894 20130101; B65D 81/3283 20130101;
B65D 83/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/034 |
International
Class: |
B65H 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dispensing device for towelettes, comprising: a dispenser body
having an inner cavity and having a top with openings to dispense
towelettes therethrough; at least one bisecting wall disposed
crosswise through the cavity to define at least two chambers within
the dispenser body for containing and retaining towelettes in
proper position; said at least two chambers being adapted to
contain preconditioned towelettes; a substantially watertight top
cap dispenser piece adapted to be received at the top of the
dispenser body, said top cap piece having substantially air-tight
openings therein, said openings correspondingly located at the top
of each of said at least two chambers for dispensing towelettes
therethrough; and a top cap lid being hingeably attached to said
top cap dispenser piece such that said cap lid may be used to cover
and seal the openings of the top cap dispenser piece from the
atmosphere, whereby the pre-conditioned towelettes do not dry
out.
2. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said dispenser body
has an oval-shaped cross-section.
3. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said dispenser body
has a hand grip shape with an oval-shaped cross-sectional elongated
body with indentations at the apexes of the oval shape, such that
the dispenser body may be more easily gripped by a hand.
4. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one
bisecting wall prevents cross-mingling of the towelette chemical
treatments.
5. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two
chambers are adapted to contain at least one saturated roll of
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes.
6. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two
chambers are adapted to contain at least one saturated roll of
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes, and at least one roll of dry
perforated towelettes.
7. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes is saturated with windshield
washing fluid.
8. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes is saturated with dashboard
cleaning and conditioning chemical treatments.
9. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes is saturated with tire
sidewall cleaning and conditioning chemical treatments.
10. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said air-tight
openings are made with criss-cross slits in the corresponding
openings located at the tops of the chambers.
11. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the top cap lid being
hingeably attached to the top cap dispenser is adapted to form a
water-tight seal when closed, such that the chemical treatments are
not allowed to dry out.
12. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said towelettes are
in the form of interlocking individual pop-up sheets.
13. The dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a lip
extending outwardly from the top cap lid for popping open with a
thumb.
14. A dispensing device for automotive care towelettes saturated
with car care liquid products, comprising: an elongated oval-shaped
dispenser body with hand grip indentations at the apexes of the
oval, said dispenser body having an inner cavity and having a top
with openings to dispense towelettes therethrough; a bisecting wall
disposed crosswise through the cavity to define two chambers within
the dispenser body for containing and retaining two rolls of
saturated towelettes in proper position; said chambers being
adapted to each contain a roll of saturated preconditioned
perforated towelettes; a substantially watertight top cap dispenser
piece adapted to be received at the top of the dispenser body, said
top cap piece having criss-cross slit-like air-tight openings
therein, said openings correspondingly located at the top of each
of the two chambers for dispensing towelettes therethrough; a top
cap lid being hingeably attached to the top cap dispenser piece
such that said cap lid may be used to cover and seal the openings
of the top cap dispenser piece from the atmosphere, whereby the
pre-conditioned towelettes do not dry out; and a lip extending
outwardly from the center of the top cap lid adapted to be popped
open with a thumb.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/269,134 filed on Feb. 15, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates generally to dispensing devices, and
more particularly to a multi-chamber dispensing device for
dispensing pre-conditioned towelettes generally used for cleaning
or detailing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Saturated towelettes are especially useful in many
industries, including the car care industry, and for general
cleaning purposes of windows, household items and exterior
products. However, the cleaning of many of these items has been
problematic in that a multitude of cleaning products must be
dragged around to the site where the cleaning is to take place. In
the instance of car cleaning and car detailing, there are many
products which most people use to detail their car. For most
detailers, there is the car wax, window cleaner, carpet and
upholstery cleaners, the tire dressing or blackening preparation,
the windshield silicone treatment, the interior dashboard
treatments, and the leather/vinyl seating treatments, just to name
a few. Consequently, as one gathers all of the necessary cleaning
implements and solutions, the total number for preparation becomes
cumbersome.
[0004] It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to
decrease the number of items which must be gathered and taken to
the automobile for detailing. Although the present invention will
be discussed in terms of detailing cars, it must be noted that the
present inventors also envision the cleaning products being used
for cleaning, treating, drying and detailing nearly anything,
including, but not limited to, boats, motorcycles, windows on homes
and buildings, campers/mobile homes, barbeque grills, lawn
furniture, and many indoor applications where those cleaning
products would be useful.
[0005] Therefore, consumers and the car detailing supply industry
have been looking for new products to decrease the amount of time
and energy needed to detail one's car. The present inventors have
come up with a full series of car detailing products which may be
saturated onto rolls of towelettes. Some of the other preparations
to be dispensed may also include cleaners and waxes, as well as dry
wipes for automotive finishes, cleaner and brake dust repellents
for wheels, cleaners and protectants for tires, cleaner and dry
wipe for windshields and glass (automotive, industrial and
household), cleaner and wax and protectant for marine applications,
cleaners, waxes and dry wipes for surfboards, cleaner and
lubricant/protectant for guns and other metal surfaces, cleaner and
metal conditioner/surface treatment for metal plating industries,
cleaner and metal conditioner/surface treatment for auto body paint
and repair, cleaner and waxes for detailing motorcycles and mobile
homes, cleaner for barbeque grills, lawn furniture and many indoor
applications where those cleaning products would be useful.
Needless to say, it is an entire bucketful of products. It would be
most advantageous to be able to combine certain of these products
into single dispenser packs which could be simply carried to the
cleaning site with various products included therein for
convenience.
[0006] In the past, separate towelettes were used in conjunction
with cleaners and treatments of all types, whether the treatments
were in the form of a liquid, a solid, or a spray. The inventors
envision impregnated towelettes and dry towelettes with treated
towelettes in one canister or dispenser. This would reduce the
number of items necessary to carry. A multiple dispenser or a
two-in-one product can thus be more easily transported and can also
be stored more easily than a combination of individual products,
whether it is put in a car glove box, a car trunk, or a home
garage.
[0007] Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a dispensing
device for a multitude of various cleaning products, all in one
container, in order to ease the burden of carrying numerous product
containers to the cleaning site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the advantages enumerated above, the
present invention provides a dispensing device that includes a
multitude of various cleaning products in one container. The
container is a dispenser body made with a useful hand grip design
for easy handling, and is designed to house various means of
dispensing cleaning preparations, including perforated rolls of
saturated or dry towelettes, foam applicators, or liquids. The
saturated, or chemically impregnated towelettes may include various
car care detailing chemical compositions pre-packaged for use when
detailing a car, such as windshield cleaning compositions,
dashboard and car interior conditioner, tire dressing or
blackening, and other similar liquid or paste wax chemical
compositions to be used while detailing a car, house, building or
anything else. The container includes a water-tight seal at the top
so that the chemical compositions do not dry out. At least one
bisecting wall is disposed crosswise to define at least two
chambers in the dispensing body. A top cap dispenser piece has
substantially air-tight openings cut into the top to dispense the
towelettes one at a time.
[0009] The dispenser body is preferably an elongated oval-shaped
cross-section body. Indentations in the sides of the dispenser body
located at the apexes of the oval can act as a hand grip for easy
handling. There is at least one bisecting wall to define the
separate chambers for holding various chemical compositions apart
from one another. The wall prevents cross-mingling of the chemical
treatments. Each of the chambers are adapted to hold various
materials, i.e. one or more chambers could hold a saturated roll of
pre-conditioned perforated towelettes. For example, one chamber
could hold a saturated roll, while the other chamber could hold a
dry roll that is impregnated with other dry chemicals. The
towelettes can either be in the form of a perforated roll, with
successive individual sheets detachably connected in strip form, or
they may be individual sheets in interlocking folded relationship
with the leading edge extending through the dispensing body, as is
known in the art for dispensing.
[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a multi-chamber
dispensing device which satisfies a long felt need in the car
detailing industry, and accomplishes that task in a simple and
efficient manner. These and other advantages will become apparent,
from the following detailed description, when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser made in
accordance with the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2a is a side elevational view of the top cap and lid as
shown in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 2b is a top plan view of the top cap and lid as shown
in FIG. 2a;
[0014] FIG. 2c is a bottom plan view of the dispensing body of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2d is a front elevational view of the dispensing body
illustrating the hand grip indentation of the present invention;
and
[0016] FIG. 2e is a side elevational view of the dispensing body
illustrating the hand grip indentation of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2A-E. As discussed above, this is a multiple chamber
dispensing device, and although it is shown with a dual dispensing
chamber system, it is envisioned that there could be any number of
chambers, such as three, four or more dispensing chambers within
the dispensing device. The inventors envision that the products
could be separated within the dispenser by either molded or
inserted chambers, poly bags of all types, foil, spindles, or just
placed next to each other in individual rolls or folds. The
dispensing device can also include a refillable canister for spray
liquids, foam applicators, impregnated towelettes, dry towelettes,
paste wax compositions, or any other known means for delivering
cleaning products.
[0018] Looking first to FIG. 1, the dispensing device is generally
denoted by numeral 10, and includes multi-chambered dispenser body
12 having a multi-chamber wall 14 therein to separate the chambers.
A first dispensable towelette product 16 is shown within one of the
chambers defined by multi-chamber wall 14, and may be a
pre-saturated or dry impregnated towelette, or a plain dry
towelette, or a combination thereof, which will extend up for
dispensing. A second dispensable product 18, which may also fit the
above description, is shown within the other chamber within body
12. As discussed above, there could be a third, fourth or more
dispensable products being housed in multiple chambers or separated
by some other mechanism as well. The towelettes may either be on a
roll or be interlocking individual pop-up sheets.
[0019] Dispenser top 20 is shown as a complementary shape to be
received over the top of body 12. Dispenser openings 22 are shown
cut into the material of dispenser top 20 to allow first and second
dispensable products 16 and 18 to extend therethrough for gripping
and pulling by the operator. An optional notch may be made in the
container to accept a corresponding "key" in the cap in order to
keep the cap in proper alignment after each use.
[0020] In order to keep an airtight seal over the dispenser
openings 22, a dispenser top cap lid 24 is attached to dispenser
top 20 by a hinge 30. Dispenser top cap lid 24 includes liquid,
vapor or moisture seals 26 extending downwardly from the underside
of dispenser top cap lid 24. Seals 26 are sized to be received
within the wells to hold dispenser openings 22, in order to
substantially seal air from entering and drying out the towelette
products extending therethrough. Dispenser top cap lid 24 also
includes a thumb catch 28 which may take the form of a protrusion
(as shown) or an indentation, for ease of opening and closing.
Multi-chamber dispenser body 12 may be shaped in a manner to
include hand grip indentations 32 on either side of body 12 for
ease of handling. The inventors envision that the hand grips can be
made of any configuration known to one of ordinary skill in the
art, including individual hand grip "bumps", or any other advisable
shape. The hand grip area may also be shaped with no particularly
noticeable traits, such as indentations, bumps, or shape.
[0021] Looking next to FIGS. 2A through 2E, like numerals will be
used to reference like elements from FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows the top
of the dispenser and shows dispenser top 20 lying underneath
dispenser top cap lid 24. FIG. 2B shows the top cap lid 24 of the
dispenser with the logo of the company emblazoned thereon. Thumb
catch 28 is shown extending from the top of dispenser top cap lid
24 for ease of opening and closing. FIG. 2D is a side elevational
view of the body of the dispensing device, showing hand grip
indentations 32 on either side of body 12. A sectional view A-A,
taken along that line, is illustrated above as FIG. 2C showing the
top plan view of dispensing device 10, including body 12 and hand
grip indentations 32. FIG. 2E illustrates the side elevational view
of the bottom portion of the dispensing device 10, showing the
multi-chamber dispenser body 12 and the relative placement of hand
grip indentation 32. Although not shown, the opposite side, in this
embodiment, is identical and it further includes a similar hand
grip indentation 32.
[0022] The towelettes, whether they are impregnated,
non-impregnated, saturated or dry, or first and second disposable
products 16 and 18, may be treated with chemicals suitable for
treating dashboards, the chemicals which are suitable for treating
leather or vinyl, or can be treated with chemicals suitable for
cleaning the interior and/or exterior of the windshield, or for any
number of other processes, where a multi-step wiping process is
advantageous. The towelettes may either be in a perforated roll or
may be individual interlocking pop-up towelettes. Again, the
towelette may also be of a dry nature. As multi-chamber wall 14
separates the various treated towelettes, various products can be
packaged together in one pack.
[0023] The present inventors also envision that if dispensable
products 16 and 18 are to be held on a spindle as shown in FIG. 1,
the treated towelettes can be refilled simply and easily. The
ability to refill dispensing device 10 is important. Therefore,
dispenser top 20 should be easily removable from body 12 so as to
be able to refill the towelettes, or any other cleaning product
held within the chamber. The consumer can take a lose edge from the
dispensable product and draw it through the dispenser openings 22
upon refilling. As one can imagine, one of the products might be
used up before the other product. Therefore, in order to give the
consumer his or her best value, the ability to refill the chamber
is most desirable. The dispenser could also come from out of the
side of the multi-chamber dispenser body if it is so desired for
the application. In the event that the treated towelettes are
discovered to be too thick to effectively be removed from dispenser
openings 22, the dispenser openings could extend outwardly and
vertically through body 12. Then a saturated or treated towelette
would have its entire height being pulled out of the dispenser all
at once. Although this is not shown in the drawings, it is
envisioned by the present inventors, and is considered within the
scope of their invention.
[0024] Other dispensing methods and means are envisioned by the
present invention, including squeezable liquid openings that are
self-sealing, pumpable liquid dispensers, "doors" that open and
shut to remove foam applicators and other items. Although none of
these devices are shown in the figures, one of ordinary skill in
the art could adapt them to the present dispensing device invention
without undue experimentation. For instance, in the event that a
full-length towel dispensing opening is desired within body 12, the
dispensing opening could be similar to that as in a film cartridge
for 35 mm film. Excess chemical would be scraped from the towelette
prior to dispensing, yielding a uniform amount of chemical on each
towelette. Also for instance, a paste wax or other thick material
could be dispensed from the side of one of the chambers through
body 12 similar to a tooth paste opening. Furthermore, a thick
material, such as a gel tire treatment, could be dispensed through
a nozzle similar to a caulking tube, having a cap attached thereto.
Needless to say, the multi-chamber dispensing device could utilize
a caulking tube-like dispenser on one side with the dispensing
device for treated towelettes on the other side. If three or four
chambers were utilized, each chamber could have its own dispensing
opening suitable for the article which it is dispensing.
[0025] Such a dispensing device could take all of the necessary
creams, silicone treatments, waxes, and/or any other treatments to
the site of the car in one container. This will fulfill all of the
objects and advantages which were sought by this invention.
[0026] Therefore, the present invention discloses a dispensing
device that fulfills all the advantages and objects sought by the
inventors. The present invention is fully disclosed with several
embodiments. However, the scope of the present invention is only
meant to be limited by the appendant claims.
* * * * *