U.S. patent application number 11/105143 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-19 for disposable incontinence wipes and packaging.
This patent application is currently assigned to Salus Corporation d/b/a JCP Medical, Salus Corporation d/b/a JCP Medical. Invention is credited to Joseph A. III Graneto.
Application Number | 20060231427 11/105143 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37107450 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060231427 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Graneto; Joseph A. III |
October 19, 2006 |
Disposable incontinence wipes and packaging
Abstract
A disposable wipe packaging system includes at least one
disposable wipe and a container for the wipe. The container is
configured to provide a sealed container for the wipe before use.
The container is also configured to be expandable after removal of
the wipe and provide a sealable container for disposal of the wipe
after use.
Inventors: |
Graneto; Joseph A. III;
(Wildwood, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATRICK W. RASCHE;ARMSTRONG TEASDALE LLP
ONE METROPOLITAN SQUARE, SUITE 2600
ST. LOUIS
MO
63102-2740
US
|
Assignee: |
Salus Corporation d/b/a JCP
Medical
|
Family ID: |
37107450 |
Appl. No.: |
11/105143 |
Filed: |
April 13, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/210 ;
206/494 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/20 20130101;
B65D 75/5805 20130101; B65D 2209/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/210 ;
206/494 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/24 20060101
B65D081/24 |
Claims
1. A disposable wipe packaging system comprising: at least one
disposable wipe; and a dual seal container for said wipe, said
container configured to provide a sealed container for said wipe
before use utilizing a first seal, said container further
configured to expand after removal of said wipe and to provide a
re-sealable container for disposal of said wipe after utilizing a
second seal.
2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wipe is
moistened with one or more of a cleansing solution and a
medication.
3. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is
configured as a pouch, said pouch configured to be sealed with a
zip type mechanism after insertion of used wipes.
4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein to provide a sealed
container for said wipe before use, said container is configured
with a detachable seal removable from said container.
5. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said container is
substantially rectangular and said detachable seal is configured to
be removed from three sides of said container, allowing said
container to be unfolded.
6. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said container is
substantially rectangular and said detachable seal is configured to
be removed from one side of said container.
7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container, is
sized to contain a plurality of folded wipes and to contain the
soiled wipes often use of the folded wipes.
8. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one
disposable wipe has a dimension of about ten inches by about ten
inches.
9. A system in accordance with claim 1 comprising five said
wipes.
10. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein when said container
is in a sealed configuration, said container has a dimension of
about 10.5 inches by about five inches.
11. A method of providing disposable wipes and a container
configured for storage of the wipes and further configured for
sanitary disposal of the wipes after they have been used, said
method comprising: configuring the container with a resealable seal
and a removable seal; folding the wipes to a selected size;
inserting the wipes into a portion of a container; sealing at least
the removable seal of the container; and folding the container to a
size that approximates the disposable wipes stored within.
12. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising
configuring the container to stand in an up-right position when in
an opened state.
13. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising
configuring the container to accommodate soiled wipes after the
wipes have been used.
14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the container is
sized to accommodate all of the originally contained wipes after
they have been soiled.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to packaging for disposable
wipes, and more specifically to packaging that also accommodates
disposal of the wipes.
[0002] Moistened, disposable wipes are well known. Typically such
wipes are provided in a container that, for efficient packaging,
contains a large number of such wipes. In one embodiment of this
type of wipe and container, used wipes may be disposed of in a
toilet, trash can, or other receptacle.
[0003] A particular embodiment of these wipes are commonly referred
to as body bathing wipes because of their size and application. In
hospital and nursing home applications, this larger size wipe is
needed for the care of incontinent patients and residents. While it
is efficient to also package such wipes in a container that can
include a large number of such wipes, such a packaging solution
also has drawbacks. First, in the hospital and nursing home
settings, such a container may not be able to be used for multiple
patients, due to concerns of nosocomial infections which leads to
increased medical costs.
[0004] Another issue is the disposal of the used body bathing
wipes. Such wipes are of a size and density that they cannot be
flushed through most toiletry systems. Such used wipes are
considered medical waste and, for at least infection control
concerns, must be disposed of properly. Compounding these disposal
and infection control problems is the odor that may emanate from
such used wipes. It is believed that containers and packaging exist
for single use applications, for example, packaging for a small
number of such wipes. But again, for packaging efficiency, the
package is sized to hold the specific number of unused wipes and
these package types cannot be resealed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In one aspect, a disposable wipe packaging system is
provided that includes at least one disposable wipe and a container
for the wipe. The container is configured to provide a sealed
container for the wipe before use and to be expandable after
removal of the wipe. The container is further configured to provide
a sealable container for disposal of the wipe after use.
[0006] In another aspect, a method of providing disposable wipes
and a container configured for storage of the wipes and further
configured for sanitary disposal of the wipes is provided. The
method comprises configuring the container with a resealable seal
and a removable seal, folding the wipes to a selected size,
inserting the wipes into a portion of a container, sealing the
resealable seal and the removable seal of the container, and
folding the container to an approximate size of the disposable
stored within.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folded container including
a detachable seal, a resealable seal, and a number of incontinence
wipes packaged therein.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1
illustrating, in hidden view, the incontinence wipes stored
therein.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1
illustrating removal of the detachable seal.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an illustration of the container of FIGS. 1-3
illustrating removal of the unused wipes stored therein.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an illustration of the container of FIGS. 1-4
illustrating the sealing mechanism for storage of used wipes.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of a
container which includes a detachable seal and a number of
incontinence wipes packaged therein.
[0013] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the container of FIG. 6 with
the detachable seal removed, and partially unfolded to reveal the
incontinence wipes stored therein.
[0014] FIG. 8 is an illustration of the container fully
unfolded.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a
container 10 having a detachable seal 12 attached thereto, as well
as a resealable seal 14. Container 10, as further described below,
includes a number of moistened and/or medicated disposable wipes
(not shown in FIG. 1) packaged therein. In one embodiment, the
moistening is provided by a cleansing solution. In an alternative
embodiment, a medication provides the moistening. As shown,
detachable seal 12 is configured to be removable from one side of
the substantially rectangular container 10, to allow access to the
disposable wipes through resealable seal 14. Detachable seal 12 is
torn from container 10 by a user. In alternative embodiments,
detachable seal includes perforations through container 10 to allow
for relatively easy removal or detachable seal 12 includes a strip
(not shown) that is embedded in container, removal of which allows
access to a resealable seal 14. In addition, or as an alternative,
a notch 16 is formed in container 10 which allows a user to more
easily remove detachable seal 12 and gain access to resealable seal
14.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, it is illustrated that container 10 is
folded, for example, for shipment, storage, and/or warming. As
such, a folded over portion 20 of container is not utilized for the
storage of the wipes (not shown in FIG. 1). In one embodiment,
folded over portion 20 may include an adhesive (not shown) which
retains folded over portion 20 in place against a main body 22 of
container 10. In such embodiment, the adhesive is of a strength
which allows the user to separate folded over portion 20 from main
body 22 of container 10. As further described herein, the folding
of container 10 serves several purposes. One purpose for the
folding is that the folding of container 10 allows for the
insertion of container 10 into known, standard size warming units
utilized within the medical care industry. In a specific example,
such warming units have a dimension of about 1.25 inches high,
about 4.5 inches wide, and about 9.75 inches deep. Such units may
be utilized to maintain the contents of container 10 (e.g., the
disposable wipes) at a temperature desirable for their use.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of container 10 with folded
over portion 20 unfolded from main body 22. Unused incontinence
wipes 30 are shown in hidden view as they are stored within
container 10.
[0018] Now referring to FIG. 3, removal of detachable seal 12
allows a user to access resealable seal 14 which allows access into
container 10 and disposable wipes 30 contained within. In the
embodiment, and as further described below, the combination of
folded over portion 20 and main body 22 provide container 10 with a
cross-section substantially larger than unused wipes 30, which may
be folded, and contained within.
[0019] Detachable seal 12 and resealable seal 14 are configured
such that container 10 provides a hermetically sealed unit for
storage of unused disposable wipes 30 until such time that they are
used. As such, the wipes retain any medication or moistening
liquids with which they were treated before container 10 was sealed
at the place of manufacture.
[0020] FIG. 4 is an illustration of unused disposable wipes 30
being removed from container 10. FIG. 4 also illustrates a relative
size of container 10 after unfolding. Also, once container 10 is
unfolded, there is provided a larger container or pouch, which then
provides an adequately sized container to accommodate the disposal
of all of the originally contained wipes 30 after they have been
soiled. With detachable seal 12 (shown in FIGS. 1-3) removed a user
is able to open resealable seal 14 to access wipes 20.
[0021] Prior to use, container 10 provides a sealed container for
storage of new, unused wipes 30. In addition, container 10, when
unfolded, is configured as a large pouch that includes a zip type
sealing mechanism (e.g., resealable seal 14) which allows for quick
and sanitary disposal of soiled wipes 30. In one specific
embodiment, disposable wipes 30 are about ten inches by about ten
inches and have a folded configuration within container 10 of about
10.5 inches by about five inches. In addition, when container 10 is
unfolded, it has a size of about 10.5 inches by about eight inches,
allowing for easy insertion of soiled wipes 30 as further
illustrated below. Thus the folded portion of container 10 is about
one-third to about one-half the size of the unfolded part of
container 10.
[0022] In one embodiment, resealable seal 14, also referred to as a
sealing mechanism, is similar to known zip type sealing mechanisms
employed in a number of other applications, such as shredded cheese
containers. The number of disposable wipes 30 within container 10
can vary. In particular embodiments, specific for a particular
application, the number of wipes 30 can vary from one to ten. In
one specific embodiment, five disposable wipes 30 are contained
within a container 10. When preparing for use, a user may remove
disposable wipes 30 by opening resealable seal 14 of container
10.
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates container 10 with sealing mechanism 14
opened. In this configuration, container 10 forms a pouch for
insertion of used wipes 40. In one embodiment, container 10 is
fabricated from a material that provides enough support such that
container 10 may stand upright, allowing a user to more easily
dispose of used wipes 40. A suitable material for the manufacturer
of container 10 is a plastic based material. Such a configuration
of container 10 also helps reduce occurrences of medical waste
accidentally contacting an outside of container 10. After insertion
of used wipes 40 into container 10, the sealing mechanism 14 closed
and the used wipes 40 are thus packaged and sealed therein for
disposal.
[0024] As described above, container 10 provides sealed storage for
wipes both before and after use. In one example, a user removes
detachable seal 12 and accesses disposable wipes 30 through
resealable seal 14. The user removes wipes 30 and configures
container 10 such that resealable seal 14 is opened wide. As each
wipe 30 is used, the user reinserts the used wipe 40 back into
container 10. When the user completes the cleaning task, container
10 is resealed using resealable seal 14 with used wipes 40 inside.
At this time the user may dispose of container 10 and any remaining
unused wipes 20.
[0025] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of a
container 100 having a detachable seal 102 attached thereto as well
as a resealable seal 14. Container 102, as further described below,
includes a number of the above described moistened and/or medicated
disposable wipes 30 (not shown in FIG. 6) packaged therein. In one
embodiment, the moistening is provided by a cleansing solution. In
an alternative embodiment, a medication provides the moistening. As
shown, detachable seal 102 is configured to be removable from three
sides of the substantially rectangular container 100 to allow
access to the disposable wipes through resealable seal 14. Removal
of detachable seal 102 allows a user to unfold container 100 to
reveal the disposable wipes contained within. In the embodiment,
detachable seal 102 is configured such that container 100 provides
a hermetically sealed unit for storage of the disposable wipes
until such time that they are used. As such, the wipes retain any
medication or moistening liquids they were treated with before
container 100 was sealed.
[0026] Container 100 provides the same functionality as container
10 (shown in FIGS. 1-5), but also allows for an even larger
container for utilization in the disposal of used wipes 40 (shown
in FIG. 5) as further described below.
[0027] FIG. 7 is an illustration of container 100 with detachable
seal 102 (shown in FIG. 6) completely removed. With detachable seal
102 removed, it is possible to unfold container 100 to access
disposable wipes 30. As further described herein, container 100
serves two purposes. First, in conjunction with detachable seal
102, container 100 provides a sealed container for storage of new,
unused wipes 30. Second, container 100, when unfolded, is
configured as a large pouch that includes a zip type sealing
mechanism 112.
[0028] FIG. 8 is an illustration of container 100 fully unfolded
illustrating disposable wipes 30 and sealing mechanism 112. In one
embodiment, sealing mechanism 112 is the same type of mechanism
employed in a number of other applications, for example, in the
common sandwich storage bags, and larger food storage bags. The
number of disposable wipes 30 within container 100 can vary. In
various embodiments, specific for a particular application, the
number of wipes 30 varies from one to ten. In one specific
embodiment, five disposable wipes 30 are contained within a
container 100. When preparing for use, a user may remove disposable
wipes 30, and open sealing mechanism 112 of container 100.
[0029] While the invention has been described in terms of various
specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that
the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit
and scope of the claims.
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