U.S. patent application number 13/143208 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-02 for wipe container and housing system.
Invention is credited to Michael John Gordon.
Application Number | 20120024736 13/143208 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40379129 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120024736 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gordon; Michael John |
February 2, 2012 |
WIPE CONTAINER AND HOUSING SYSTEM
Abstract
Wipe container and housing system comprising at least two
different types of housing (10) and at least two different types of
wipe container (1), wherein each housing (10) is provided with a
unique and different first cooperating component (16) and each wipe
container is provided with a unique and different second
cooperating component (8) such that, in use, each housing is only
able to receive a wipe container when the first and second
cooperating components are mutually compatible.
Inventors: |
Gordon; Michael John;
(Buckinghamshire, GB) |
Family ID: |
40379129 |
Appl. No.: |
13/143208 |
Filed: |
January 4, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
January 4, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2010/050004 |
371 Date: |
July 5, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/389 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 2010/3266 20130101;
A47K 10/3818 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/389 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 3, 2009 |
GB |
0900034.0 |
Claims
1. A wipe container and housing system comprising at least two
different types of housing and at least two different types of wipe
container, wherein each housing is provided with a unique and
different first cooperating component and each wipe container is
provided with a unique and different second cooperating component
such that, in use, each housing is only able to receive a wipe
container when the first and second cooperating components are
mutually compatible.
2. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the first and second cooperating components include
male/female or female/male cooperating components.
3. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing
aperture and the second cooperating component is provided adjacent
such end.
4. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing
aperture and the second cooperating component is provided remote
from such end.
5. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the second component on each wipe container is provided
both adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing
aperture and adjacent the end of the container remote from a wipe
dispensing aperture.
6. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the first component on a housing is formed in an insert,
whereby each type of housing is similar in size and shape with the
exception of a different type of insert.
7. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal a wipe
dispensing aperture, and the co-operation of the second component
with the first component orientates the position of the cap
relative to the housing.
8. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the cap is orientated such that it lies adjacent the back
of the housing when removed from the wipe aperture.
9. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal a wipe
aperture, and the hinged cap features a one or more indents which
co-operate one or more protrusions on the housing system of a
corresponding shape such that the cap fits over the protrusion or
protrusions in order to keep the cap from impeding free access to
the wipes.
10. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein mutually compatible first and second cooperating components
include matching colours.
11. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 1,
wherein the first and second cooperating components are of matching
number.
12. (canceled)
13. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the first and second cooperating components include
male/female or female/male cooperating components.
14. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing
aperture and the second cooperating component is provided adjacent
such end.
15. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing
aperture and the second cooperating component is provided remote
from such end.
16. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the second component on each wipe container is provided
both adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing
aperture and adjacent the end of the container remote from a wipe
dispensing aperture.
17. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the first component on a housing is formed in an insert,
whereby each type of housing is similar in size and shape with the
exception of a different type of insert.
18. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal a wipe
aperture, and the hinged cap features a one or more indents which
co-operate one or more protrusions on the housing system of a
corresponding shape such that the cap fits over the protrusion or
protrusions in order to keep the cap from impeding free access to
the wipes.
19. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein mutually compatible first and second cooperating components
include matching colours.
20. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 7,
wherein the first and second cooperating components are of matching
number.
21. A wipe container and housing system according to claim 8,
wherein the first and second cooperating components include
male/female or female/male cooperating components.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a wipe container and
housing system.
[0002] It is well know to provide a container of wipes in which a
tub of wipes is provided having an aperture or nozzle in a sealing
cap through which wipes are dispensed. Such a container is
disclosed in my previous UK patent application no
PCT/GB2007/003267. It is also well known to house such a tub of
wipes in a housing, such as described in my previous UK patent
application no PCT/GB2007/0038189, wherein the housing allows an
empty tub of wipes in the housing to be replaced with a new tub of
wipes.
[0003] It may be desirable that a number of similar wipe container
housings might be located in various places around a building, e.g.
in a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, but that container of wipes in
each housing should be adapted to perform a different task. For
example wipes used in the kitchen may need to be impregnated with a
liquid to cut through grease, wipes used in the bathroom may need
to be impregnated with an antiseptic, and wipes used in the baby
changing room may need to be impregnated with a gentle cleansing
liquid suitable for cleaning the sensitive skin of a baby. If
however a container of kitchen wipes should erroneously be placed
in a container housing in the baby changing room, a person will end
up using a kitchen wipe on the baby's skin which could be
detrimental to the baby's health.
[0004] The invention seeks to provide a solution to this
problem.
[0005] According to the present invention there is provided a wipe
container and housing system comprising at least two different
types of housing and at least two different types of wipe
container, wherein each housing is provided with a unique and
different first cooperating component and each wipe container is
provided with a unique and different second cooperating component
such that, in use, each housing is only able to receive a wipe
container when the first and second cooperating components are
mutually compatible.
[0006] Preferably the first and second cooperating components are
male/female or female/male cooperating components.
[0007] In one embodiment one end of the wipe container supports a
wipe dispensing aperture and the second cooperating component is
provided adjacent such end.
[0008] In another embodiment one end of the wipe container supports
a wipe dispensing aperture and the second cooperating component is
provided remote from such end.
[0009] In another embodiment the second component on each wipe
container is provided both adjacent the end of the container
supporting a wipe dispensing aperture and adjacent the end of the
container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture.
[0010] Preferably the first component on a housing is in the form
of an insert component whereby each type of housing is similar in
size and shape with the exception of a different type of insert
component.
[0011] Preferably the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal
a wipe dispensing aperture, and the co-operation of the second
component with the first component orientates the position of the
cap relative to the housing. Preferably the cap is orientated such
that it lies adjacent the back of the housing when removed from the
wipe aperture.
[0012] Preferably the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal
a wipe aperture, and the hinged cap features a one or more indents
which co-operate one or more protrusions on the housing system of a
corresponding shape such that the cap fits over the protrusion or
protrusions in order to keep the cap from impeding free access to
the wipes.
[0013] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wipe container housing
and a container of wipes with a second component adjacent the wipe
dispensing aperture, and
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a wipe container housing
and a container of wipes with a second component at an end remote
from the wipe dispensing aperture.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a wipe container 1 and a
container housing 10.
[0017] Wipe container 1 has a cylindrical tub 2 with a sealed end 3
at one end, and a lid 4 at the other end. Lid 4 has a wipe
dispensing nozzle 5 for wipes 5A, and cap 6 hinged to lid 4 by
strap 7. Lid 4 has a second component in the form of a female
recess 8 in the form of a "quadrant of a circle" on the opposite
side of the lid to strap 7. Container is similar to known
containers but with the addition of recess 8. Recess 8 is thus is
adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing
aperture in the form of nozzle 5.
[0018] Housing 10 has a semi-eliptical body having a front
component 11A hinged to a back component 11B about hinge pins
12A,12B. Back component 11B is supported off a surface by an
L-shaped stand 13. Front component 11A is hinged forward as shown
to insert a wipe container into the housing 10 and is then hinged
up to mate with back component 11A to hide the container 1. An
insert in the form of an annular tray 14 is provided connected to
the hinge pins 12A,12B. Tray 14 is adapted to receive lid 4 when
the container 1 is placed in the housing and has a circular
aperture 15 to allow wipes 5A to pass through the aperture 15, and
tray 14 has a first component in the form of a "quadrant-shaped"
male projection 16 to be received in recess 8 on lid 4. When the
wipe container 1 is placed on tray 14, cap 6 can be passed through
aperture 15 and located in a cap receiving recess 17 in stand 13.
Aperture 15 has an extension 15A to receive strap 7.
[0019] Quadrant recess 8 and "quadrant-shaped" projection 16 from
first and second cooperating components such that only a container
of wipes with a recess 8 will fit on tray 14 and hence in housing
10. Also the co-operation of the second component with the first
component orientates the position of the cap 6 relative to the
housing 10 such that it lies adjacent the back of the housing when
removed from the wipe aperture so it can be inserted into recess
17.
[0020] It is envisaged that a system would be sold having a
plurality different types of wipe containers 1 each with a
different shaped recess (e.g. quadrant-shaped, triangular, square
etc) and each dispensing a different type of wipe. For example the
containers with quadrant-shaped recesses could dispense kitchen
wipes, containers with triangular recesses could dispense bathroom
wipes, and containers with square shaped recesses could dispense
baby wipes. The system would also have a plurality of different
types of wipe container housings 10 with different shaped
projections (e.g. quadrant-shaped, triangular, square etc) and each
receiving only one type of wipe dispenser. For example the housings
with quadrant-shaped projections could receive kitchen wipe
containers, housings with triangular projections could dispense
bathroom wipe containers, and housings with square shaped
projections could dispense baby wipes. In use, the system thus
encouraging or allowing only one type of wipe container housing to
receive one type of wipe container, i.e. each housing is only able
to receive a wipe container when the first and second cooperating
components are mutually compatible. This ensures the correct type
of wipe is used for a given purpose, e.g. to help prevent a kitchen
wipe being used on the body.
[0021] Because the projection on each housing is formed in an
insert, most of the housing can be made from a common tool and only
different types of insert need be made and installed in a housing
to convert the housing into a type suitable for a particular wipe
container.
[0022] Instead of the projection being on the housing and the
recess in the wipe container, the recess could be on the housing
and the projection on the container. Also other types of first and
second cooperating components could be used, e.g. projections and
recesses on both the housing and wipe container or opposing or
attracting magnets. Also a system of matching colours or numbering
could also be used. The colour or the number of the first component
could visibly match that of the second component encouraging the
user to put only one type of wipe container into one type of wipe
housing. To further ensure that the correct type of wipe container
is used within a given wipe housing, a combination of both matching
colours or numbering of both the first and second components could
be used in conjunction with the components co-operating due to
their shape.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a wipe container 1
and a container housing 10 identical to that shown in FIG. 1 except
that a second component in the form of triangular recess 20 on wipe
container 1 is provided (instead of recess 8) adjacent the end of
the container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture, and an insert
provides a first component in the form of a triangular projection
21 (instead of projection 16) at the end of housing 10 remote from
tray 14. As in the arrangement of FIG. 2, the co-operation of the
second component with the first component orientates the position
of the cap 6 relative to the housing 10 such that it lies adjacent
the back of the housing when removed from the wipe aperture so it
can be inserted into recess 17.
[0024] Again it is envisaged that a number of different types of
wipe containers could be provided each with different shaped recess
to be accommodated in different types of housing each with
different types of projections. Again other types of first and
second cooperating components could be used, e.g. projections and
recesses on both the housing and wipe container, matching colours
or opposing or attracting magnets. Similarly, a combination of
recesses or indents may be provided at both the adjacent end of the
container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture and also the end
adjacent of the container supporting the wipe dispensing
aperture.
[0025] The features of the present invention may be combined with
the features disclosed in co-pending patent applications
PCT/GB2007/003267 and PCT/GB2007/0038189 the contents of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0026] The invention may take a form different to that specifically
described above. For example the second component on each wipe
container could be both adjacent the end of the container
supporting a wipe dispensing aperture and adjacent the end of the
container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture, e.g. the
container could have both recess 8 and 20 and housing 10 could have
projection 21 and 16.
[0027] Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in
the art without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
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