U.S. patent application number 12/910995 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-26 for wipes product.
Invention is credited to Debra Gay Gehring.
Application Number | 20120097697 12/910995 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45972093 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120097697 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gehring; Debra Gay |
April 26, 2012 |
WIPES PRODUCT
Abstract
A wipes product comprising a reusable container for storing and
dispensing wipes. The wipes product including a lock portion
disposed on the major lid and configured to engage with a key
portion to form a substantially moisture impermeable barrier over
the dispensing orifice when the lock portion and the key portion
are engaged. The wipes product also includes a package of wipes
comprising the key portion, the package of wipes being disposed in
the interior storage space.
Inventors: |
Gehring; Debra Gay;
(Cincinnati, OH) |
Family ID: |
45972093 |
Appl. No.: |
12/910995 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/46 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5838 20130101;
Y02W 30/80 20150501; B65D 83/0805 20130101; Y02W 30/807
20150501 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/46 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/08 20060101
B65D083/08 |
Claims
1. A wipes product comprising: a. a refillable wipes container
including i. a major lid, a base, and one or more walls, wherein
the lid, base, and wall(s) define an interior storage space for
storing wipes, ii. a dispensing orifice disposed in the major lid
that enables a user to access wipes stored in the interior storage
space, and iii. a lock portion disposed on the major lid, the lock
portion being engageable with a key portion such that a
substantially moisture impermeable barrier is formed over the
dispensing orifice when the lock portion and the key portion are
engaged; and b. a package of wipes that includes the key portion,
the package of wipes being disposed in the interior storage
space.
2. The wipes product of claim 1, wherein the lock portion is a
channel in the major lid and the key portion is a flap that is
extendable through the channel.
3. The wipes product of claim 2, wherein the flap is formed from a
moisture impermeable material and can be positioned over the
dispensing orifice when extended through the channel.
4. The wipes product of claim 2, wherein the wipes container and
the flap include complementary portions of a fastening system for
joining a portion of the flap to a portion of the major lid.
5. The wipes product of claim 4, wherein the fastening system is at
least one of an adhesive fastening system and a mechanical
fastening system.
6. The wipes product of claim 4, wherein the fastening system is a
refastenable fastening system.
7. The wipes product of claim 1, wherein the wipes container is a
rigid container.
8. The wipes container of claim 1, wherein the flap includes a
grasping portion.
9. The wipes container of claim 1, wherein the flap is refastenably
joined to the package of wipes.
10. The wipes container of claim 1, wherein the package of wipes
comprises packaging formed from a biodegradable material.
11. The wipes container of claim 1, wherein the flap has a modulus
of between 10 and 40 Pa.
12. A wipes product comprising: a. a refillable wipes container
including i. a top shell and bottom shell joined thereto, the top
and bottom shells defining an interior storage space for storing
wipes, ii. a dispensing orifice disposed in the top shell that
enables a user to access wipes stored in the interior storage
space, and iii. a lock portion disposed on the top shell, the lock
portion being engageable with a key portion such that a
substantially moisture impermeable barrier is formed over the
dispensing orifice when the lock portion and the key portion are
engaged; and b. a package of wipes comprising the key portion, the
package of wipes being disposed in the interior storage space.
13. The wipes product of claim 12, wherein the lock portion is a
channel in the top shell and the key portion is a flap that is
extendable through the channel.
14. The wipes product of claim 13, wherein the flap is formed from
a moisture impermeable material and can be positioned over the
dispensing orifice when extended through the channel.
15. The wipes product of claim 13, wherein the wipes container and
the flap include complementary portions of a fastening system for
joining a portion of the flap to a portion of the major lid.
16. The wipes product of claim 12, wherein the channel is
perpendicular to a back edge of the container.
17. The wipes product of claim 12, wherein the channel is parallel
to a back edge of the container.
18. The wipes product of claim 12, wherein the wipes container is a
flexible container.
19. The wipes container of claim 18, wherein the wipes container
includes a foamed ethylene vinyl acetate material.
20. The wipes container of claim 18, wherein a least a portion of
the wipes container has an effusivity of at 23.degree. C. and
32.degree. C. of less than about 550, according to the Sensory
Warmth Test.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Disclosed herein is a refillable wipes container for storing
and dispensing wipes. Specifically, there is disclosed a refillable
wipes container that is configured to provide a lock-and-key
benefit such that only a particular style of refill pack will
provide the desired function when used in conjunction with the
wipes container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Cleaning wipes are generally sold in plastic tubs, tubes, or
other containers that are configured to permit a user to extract a
wipe from the container, for example, by pulling the wipe through
an opening in the container. When a wipes container includes an
opening through which wipes can be withdrawn, the opening is
typically covered by a liquid or vapor impervious lid or other
barrier, especially if the wipes are wet wipes. It is not uncommon
for a wipes tub to be sold pre-loaded with a supply of wipes, which
can be replenished with additional wipes when the original supply
of wipes is depleted. Since a significant portion of the cost of
purchasing wipes may be related to producing a rigid plastic wipes
tub, it may be desirable to use commonly known refill packs of
wipes, which can be provided in a cheaper and/or more
environmentally friendly package. But in at least some instances,
wipes and/or refill packs of wipes provided by different suppliers
may be similarly or even identically sized. Thus, a consumer may
purchase a preloaded, refillable wipes container provided by a
first manufacturer and refill it with wipes provided by a second,
different manufacturer, which is generally undesirable to the first
manufacturer.
[0003] Refillable wipes tubs typically include some type of indicia
(e.g., graphic, trademark, unique shape or feature) which
identifies the source of the wipes, a type of wipes stored in the
tub, and/or a characteristic of a type of wipes stored in the tub.
Such identifying indicia are generally intended to communicate a
message to the consumer related to the quality or brand equity of
the wipes product (i.e., the quality of the product and/or
reputation of the provider). However, when a refillable wipes tub
from one manufacturer is refilled with wipes from another
manufacturer, users who are not aware that the wipes and the tub
are from different providers may associate the wipes in the tub
with the provider of the tub. In instances where the refill wipes
are inferior to the wipes supplied by tub provider, a user may
associate the inferior product with the provider of the tub, which
could undesirably affect the user's opinion of the tub provider
and/or one or more of the products supplied by the tub
provider.
[0004] Refillable wipes container typically include a major lid
that is hingedly joined to a wall of the container such that a user
can open the major lid and place a new wipes cartridge or stack of
wipes in the interior storage space of the wipes container. The
major lid generally provides a moisture impervious barrier to
minimize exposure of the contents of the wipes container to the
external environment. The major lid typically includes a dispensing
orifice for enabling a user to access the wipes stored in the
container. Since it is common to store wet wipes in refillable
containers, the dispensing orifice is typically covered with a
moisture impervious barrier. In some instances, the moisture
impervious barrier is in the form of a minor lid that is opened by
a spring when a user presses a button on the container. While the
button/spring configuration may provide a means for accessing the
wipes and preventing substantial moisture loss from wet wipes, such
a configuration may also add undesirable cost and complexity to the
manufacturing process.
[0005] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a refillable
wipes container that functions as intended only when refilled with
a particular type of wipes. It would also be desirable to provide a
refillable wipes container that has a less complex mechanism for
providing a moisture impervious barrier and accessibility to wipes
stored in the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In order to provide a solution to the problems stated above,
there is disclosed herein a wipes product comprising a reusable
container for storing and dispensing wipes. The refillable wipes
container including a major lid, a base, and one or more walls. The
lid, base, and wall(s) define an interior storage space for storing
wipes. A dispensing orifice is disposed in the major lid, which
enables a user to access wipes stored in the interior storage
space. A lock portion is disposed on the major lid, the lock
portion being configured to engage with a key portion such that a
substantially moisture impermeable barrier is formed over the
dispensing orifice when the lock portion and the key portion are
engaged. The wipes product further comprises a package of wipes
comprising the key portion, the package of wipes being disposed in
the interior storage space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wipes container in the
closed configuration.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wipes container in the
closed configuration with an open lid.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wipes container in an open
configuration.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wipes container in an open
configuration.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wipes container in a
closed configuration.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view a wipes container in a
partially open configuration.
[0013] FIG. 7 is perspective view of a wipes container in a closed
configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Definitions
[0014] "Channel" means a narrow opening that extends through a
substrate or component and has a length that is substantially
greater than its width. For example, a channel may be an opening
that extends through the lid of a wipes container and has a length
that is at least 3 times its width.
[0015] "Disposed on" and variations thereof refer to the placement
or position of one element relative to another element, where the
elements are connected to or in physical contact with one another.
For example, when a first element is disposed on a second element,
the first and second elements may be joined together or formed
together to provide an integral or unitary article. A first element
may also be disposed on a second element when the first element is
applied to the second element, for example, by a printing method or
a coating method.
[0016] "Joined" refers herein to the attachment together of two or
more components, either by direct affixment of a first element to a
second element or by affixment of the first element to an
intermediate element which is affixed to the second element.
[0017] "Moisture impermeable" or "moisture impervious" means that
an element resists and, ideally, prevents the passage of liquid
and/or gaseous compositions (e.g., water and/or water vapor) from
one side of the element to the opposing side of the element. For
example, a wipes container for storing wet wipes will typically
include one or more walls that resist the passage and/or
penetration of liquid water and water vapor through the wall of the
wipes container in order to prevent or at least delay moisture loss
from the wet wipes. Thus, the walls of the container are said to be
moisture impermeable.
[0018] "Nonwoven" refers to a porous, fibrous structure made from
an assembly of continuous fibers, coextruded fibers, noncontinuous
fibers or combinations thereof, without weaving, knitting, or
felting. Non-limiting examples of suitable processes for making a
nonwoven include spunbonding, carding, meltblowing, air laying, wet
laying, coform, and the like. The nonwoven structure may comprise
one or more layers of such fibrous assemblies, wherein each layer
may include continuous fibers, coextruded fibers, noncontinuous
fibers and combinations thereof.
[0019] "Reusable" means that a component may be used more than once
for the same function without showing significant loss of utility
or degradation of properties. A refillable wipe container is an
example of a reusable article.
[0020] "Wipe" refers a fibrous substrate, for example a nonwoven,
used for cleaning skin and other surfaces. "Wet-wipe" refers to a
wipe that includes more than 10% of a liquid composition by weight
based on the weight of the wet-wipe. The liquid composition may be
impregnated into the wipe or the liquid composition may be fugitive
(i.e., free to move from one portion of the wet wipe to another
portion).
[0021] Various types of disposable wiping products such as, for
example, wipes, facial tissues, bath tissues, paper towels, and
napkins are commonly used by consumers. Such wiping products can
include dry products or saturated or pre-moistened wiping products.
Saturated or pre-moistened wiping products are used in a variety of
different wiping and polishing applications. Pre-moistened wipes
are commonly sold in a stack of individual, folded sheets packaged
in a plastic container or tub for use as baby wipes. In other
applications, the wipes are treated with an antibacterial agent and
packaged as a sanitary wipe. Refillable wipes tubs suitable for
storing and dispensing wipes include tubs formed from material(s)
and by process(es) commonly known in the art. For example, some
rigid plastic wipes containers are formed from polypropylene in an
injection molding process. In another example, a refillable wipes
container may be formed from thermomolded foam of ethylene vinyl
acetate to provide a tub with desirable sensory appeal such as
feeling warm to the touch. Wipes tubs suitable for use herein may
be made from a single piece of material as a unitary tub, or be
assembled from two or more discrete parts joined to together to
form an integral tub. Nonlimiting examples of suitable wipes
container materials and processes for making wipes containers are
disclosed in U.S. Publication Nos. 2008/0083774; 2008/0222929;
2008/0223868; and 2009/0321299.
[0022] Refill packs for use with refillable wipes containers are
typically formed from flexible, liquid and/or vapor impermeable
materials known in the art. The material used to make the refill
packages are generally less expensive than the material used to
make the refillable tub and in at least some instances may be more
environmentally friendly (e.g., by being formed from biodegradable
material or taking up less space in a landfill). For example, a
refill pack may be formed from a relatively thin, flexible
polyolefin material in a commonly known flow wrap process. In
certain embodiments it may be desirable to form the refill package
and/or the wipes contained therein from biodegradable materials,
such as polyester, polylactic acid, and/or oxo-biodegradable
polyolefin.
[0023] Wipes suitable for use herein may be in the form of a
nonwoven web, a film, or a laminate of two or more layers of
nonwoven and/or film material. The fibers used to form nonwoven
materials suitable for use herein may be formed from naturally
occurring materials (e.g., cellulose, cotton, rayon, silk) or
synthetic materials (e.g., elastic and/or plastic polyolefin;
polyester; nylon) or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers.
The fibers may be long fibers or short fibers, sometimes referred
to as staple fibers, or a combination of long and short fibers. The
fibers may have the same or different shapes (e.g., round,
rectangular, multi-lobal, combinations of these), diameters (i.e.,
denier), opacity, strength, elasticity, etc. The fibers and/or
layers, when a laminate structure is desired, may be joined to one
another by any suitable process known in the art (e.g., thermal
bonding, high pressure bonding, adhesive, cohesive, mechanical
bonding, ultrasonic, autogenous bonding, combinations of these and
the like). The wipe substrate may include apertures and/or regions
of different density. The wipes may include a cleaning composition
(e.g., lotion, personal care composition, antibacterial
composition, astringent composition, hard surface cleaning
composition). The cleaning composition may be in form of a liquid,
solid, paste, gel, emulsion or other suitable form for applying to
a surface. In some instances, it may be desirable to provide a
liquid composition on the wipe substrate that includes a volatile
component and/or water. The wipes may be joined to one another to
provide "pop-up" dispensing. That is, when a wipe is dispensed from
the tub, the next wipe is partially dispensed such that it can be
readily grasped by a user without having to reach into the
container). Configurations for providing pop-up type wipes include,
for example, perforation, interleaving (e.g., c-folding,
z-folding), adhesive bonding, friction bonding, combinations of
these and the like. Wipes may be dry (e.g., include less than 10%
water by weight based on the weight of the wipe) or wet (e.g., more
than 10%, 20%, 50% or even 80% by weight based on the weight of the
wipe). The wipe substrate may include a personal care composition
and/or cleaning composition disposed thereon and/or impregnated
therein. Nonlimiting examples of wet and dry wipes and the
compositions for use therewith are disclosed in U.S. Publication
Nos. 2005/0008680; 2005/0150784A1; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,581,273;
5,620,694; 5,744,149; 5,972,361; 5,980,931; 6,063,397; 6,074,655;
6,132,746; 6,153,208; 6,280,757; 6,338,855; and 6,495,151.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example of a refillable tub 100. The tub 100
may include one or more walls such as a front wall 141, a back wall
144, and opposing side walls 142 and 143. The tub 100 may include a
major lid 130 with an orifice 135 extending therethrough and a base
140. The wall(s) 141-144, the major lid 130, and the base 140
define an interior storage space 110 configured to receive one or
more wipes. The major lid 130 may be joined or joinable to one or
more of the walls 141-144. For example, the major lid 130 may be
hingedly joined to the rear wall 144. In certain embodiments, the
major lid 140 may be joinable to one or more of the walls 141-144
through, e.g., one or more snaps, slots/grooves, tabs/slots, or
other known mechanical fastening systems. In certain embodiments,
the major lid 130 may be a discrete element that can be removed
entirely from the container 100.
[0025] FIG. 2A shows an example of a wipes cartridge 160 that may
be placed in the storage space 110 of the wipes container 100 to
replenish a depleted supply of wipes. FIG. 2B shows a wipes product
that includes a wipes cartridge 160 disposed in a wipes container
100 and a wipe 165 extending through an opening in the major lid
130.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary wipes container 200 for use
herein. The wipes container 200 may include a dispensing orifice
235 that extends through the major lid 230 and through which wipes
are dispensed. The wipes container 200 may include a lock portion
220. The lock portion of the container 200 provides an element that
is engageable with a complementary key portion. In this example,
the lock portion is configured as a long, narrow opening or channel
220 through which a key portion can extend. The channel is
positioned such that it is substantially parallel to the back edge
202 and front edge 203 of the wipes container 200. The channel may
be any suitable size or shape, as desired, as long as it is
engageable with the key portion to provide a suitable lock and key
arrangement. However, in certain embodiments, it may be important
to provide a channel that is small enough to minimize the amount
moisture that can escape from inside the container 200, e.g., when
wet wipes are stored therein, but large enough to permit a user to
easily insert the key portion therethrough. For example, the
channel 220 may include two or more overlapping portions formed
from a flexible material that present a tortuous path for water
vapor or gas, but do not substantially inhibit insertion of the key
portion. FIG. 3A shows a cross-section of the channel 220 along
line A-A. As can be seen in the example in FIG. 3A, the channel 220
is defined by two overlapping portions 261 and 262. The upper and
lower overlapping portions 261 and 262 overlap to create a tortuous
path for water vapor or other volatile compositions to travel in
order to escape the container 200. In another example, the channel
may be formed by coplanar portions of the major lid 230 (i.e., do
not substantially overlap) but which are in close proximity to one
another such that the channel is very narrow (i.e., less than 1 mm,
0.5 mm, less than 0.1 mm, or even abutting against one
another).
[0027] FIG. 4 shows an example of a wipes container 300 suitable
for use herein. The wipes container 300 may include a top container
shell 370 and a bottom container shell 380. The top container shell
370 may perform a similar function as the major lid described
above, while the bottom container shell 380 may include a base for
the container 300, as described above. The container 300 and/or
shells 370 and 380 may be formed from a single piece of material
(i.e., to form a unitary container) or from 2 or more discrete
pieces of material that are joined together. The top and bottom
container shells 370, 380 may be hingedly joined to one another,
for example, by hinge 311, and thus allow the shells 370 and 380 to
cooperate to form an accessible internal storage space 310 for
storing a stack of wipes or a cartridge. In certain embodiments,
hinge 311 may be formed by scoring a portion of a unitary container
to create a zone of relative weakness such that the portions of the
container 311 on either side (e.g., top and bottom shells 370 and
380) can at least partially rotate about the scored portion. The
container 300 may include a suitable fastening system to open and
close the container. The fastening system may include any suitable
fastening means known in the art including, without limitation,
mechanical fasteners that have two or more interlocking elements;
buttons; snaps; clasps; straps; belts; pins; magnets; hook/loop
type fasteners, hook/hook type fasteners, and tab/slot type
fasteners, slide locks, combinations of these and the like. One
particularly suitable fastening system includes a "zipper" type
fastener 304, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0028] The wipes container 300 may include an orifice 335 for
enabling a user to access wipes stored in the interior storage
space 310. In certain embodiments, the orifice 335 may include a
liquid and/or vapor impermeable material (e.g., barrier
film/membrane) that extends across the orifice 335 to inhibit
moisture loss from any wet wipes that may be stored in the
container 300. The moisture impermeable barrier film may include a
slit 336 to permit wipes to pass through the orifice 335. It may be
desirable to configure the slit 326 to minimize the open area
through which moisture vapor can pass, while at the same time
providing suitable resistance to the wipes such that "chaining"
(i.e., when the individual wipes do not properly separate from one
another during dispensing) and "fallback" (i.e., when a wipe falls
back into the storage space rather than "popping up" for use) do
not occur. The exemplary wipes container 300 shown in FIG. 4 may
also include a lock portion in the form of a channel 320. The lock
portion is configured to engage with a key portion, which is
described in more detail below.
[0029] In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to provide a
wipes container formed from a material that provides a desirable
sensory perception (e.g., warm, soft), such as a cloth-like
material. For example, foamed synthetic polymeric materials may be
used to provide wipes containers having an effusivity and hardness
that users perceive as being desirably warm to the touch and of
sufficient quality or durability to be reusable. One particularly
suitable example of a foamed, synthetic material for use herein
includes foamed poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) ("EVA"). EVA is
typically made by copolymerizing ethylene and vinyl acetate
monomers. The EVA may be foamed and formed into any shape, as
desired. Suitable examples of EVA and methods of making and shaping
EVA foam are described in PCT Publication No. WO 01/02473, filed by
Hsu, et al., on Jun. 28, 2000. EVA foams may include some
percentage of EVA such as, for example, greater than or equal to 1%
EVA by weight, based on the weight of the EVA foam. However,
difficulties may arise when attempting to produce EVA foams that
have relatively low levels of EVA (e.g., less than 5%). Therefore,
it may be desirable to select EVA foams that are greater than 10%
EVA by weight, based on the weight of the EVA foam, for example,
between 12% and 18% EVA. Higher levels of EVA may also be used, for
example, any amount of EVA between 18% and 100%, as long as a wipes
container that includes such EVA foam provides the desired
effusivity value. Suitable effusivity values at 25.degree. C. and
32.degree. C. include values of less than 550, for example, between
100 and 400, 200 and 300, over any value within these ranges, when
measured according to the Sensory Warmth Test detailed in copending
U.S. Publication No. 2009/0321299, filed by Gehring, et al. A
particularly suitable example of a synthetic polymeric material for
use in the wipes containers disclosed herein is thermomolded EVA
sold under the product name Solatex 40, available from Tacosola,
located in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil. Other suitable polymers and
process are disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2009/0321299.
[0030] When the supply of wipes in a reusable or refillable wipes
container is depleted, the supply may be replenished with a fresh
supply of wipes. Typically, refill packages of wipes, sometimes
referred to as cartridges, are configured to be placed directly
into a refillable wipes tub. As mentioned previously, however, some
refill cartridges may fit into more than one type of tub (e.g.,
tubs provided by a competitor in the marketplace). In order to
limit the refill cartridges used to replenish the wipes to those
supplied by the provider of the wipes tub, the cartridge may
include a key portion that engageably complements a lock portion
disposed on the wipes container. That is, the lock and key
portions, when engaged with one another, provide a wipes product
that functions as intended (e.g., properly dispenses wet wipes and
helps reduce moisture loss from the container).
[0031] In certain embodiments, the cartridge may include a key
portion in the form of a flexible flap that can be inserted through
a channel formed in the wipes container. Once inserted through the
channel, the flap may extend far enough to be placed over the
dispensing orifice of the container. When formed from a moisture
impermeable material, the flap may provide a moisture barrier over
the dispensing orifice of the container without undesirably
interfering with a user's ability to access the wipes stored in the
container. The flap may be initially joined to the refill cartridge
with an adhesive so that the flap is not unintentionally disengaged
from the refill cartridge prematurely, which may uncover the
orifice in the refill container and expose the wipes to the
external environment. In certain embodiments, The flap may include
an adhesive or other fastener (e.g., hook/loop, tab/slot,
button/hole, snap, plug/seal, cohesive and the like) that permits a
user to releasably and reattachably join at least a portion of the
flap to at least a portion of the container once the cartridge is
opened and the flap is extended through the channel. In this way,
the flap can be securely positioned over the orifice of the
container. The flap may be configured to include other features
(e.g., gaskets, seals, and the like) that function together or
independently to help reduce moisture loss from inside the
container and/or extend the useful life of a wipe stored in the
container. Nonlimiting examples of such features are disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,579, issued on Jun. 28, 2005 to Reinke, et
al.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a wipes cartridge
415 suitable for use herein. The wipes cartridge 415 may include
outer packaging formed from one or more layers of flexible, vapor
impermeable material such as a polypropylene and/or polyethylene
film. The outer packaging may be formed as a laminate material of
two or more layers of the same or different material formed by any
suitable process known in the art, such as coextrusion. The outer
packaging material may be selected to provide a variety of
features. For example, the outer packaging may be sealable and
exhibit a water vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of less than 5
g/m.sup.2/day, when tested according to a standard method for
determining MVTR. In certain embodiments, the outer package may
have an exterior surface exhibiting a "soft" or matte finish. Still
further, the package material may exhibit relatively low noise
levels when handled or manipulated, thereby contributing to the
perception of softness. Nonlimiting examples of material suitable
for forming a refill cartridge are disclosed in U.S. Publication
Nos. 2006/0093800 and 2006/0113211. The refill cartridge 415
includes an orifice 437 in the outer packaging through which wipes
may be dispensed. The location of the orifice may be selected to
coincide with the orifice of a particular wipes container such that
the wipes can be desirably dispensed through both orifices
simultaneously. In certain embodiments, the orifice of the wipes
container and/or refill cartridge may be offset (i.e., not
centered) such that when a refill package having an orifice that is
centered is placed in the tub, the "centered" orifice of the refill
cartridge will not align with the "offset" orifice in the
container.
[0033] In certain embodiments, the refill cartridge 415 may include
a flap 438. The flap 438 may be sized and/or positioned to cover
the orifice 437 of the cartridge 415. The flap 438 may be formed
from the same material and/or during the same process as the
cartridge 415, or the flap 438 may be formed from and different
material and/or separate process and subsequently joined to the
cartridge 415. The flap 438 may include a tab 439 or other suitable
feature that enables a user to easily grasp and manipulate the flap
438. In certain embodiments, the flap 438 may be openably and/or
refastenably joined to the outer packaging of the cartridge 415.
For example, the flap 438 may be secured to the outer packaging
with one or more adhesives (e.g., pressure sensitive adhesive). In
certain embodiments, the flap 438 is configured to provide a
refastenable barrier over the orifice 437 of the cartridge 415,
thereby allowing the refill cartridge 415 to be used as a
stand-alone product (i.e., a product that can be used as intended
without placing the product in a reusable tub). In certain
embodiments, the flap 438 may be formed by perforating or scoring a
portion of the outer packaging to provide areas of weakness that
define the edges of the flap 438 such that a user is able to tear
the flap 438 away from the outer packaging without damaging or
otherwise impairing the function of the flap 438 and/or outer
packaging. In certain embodiments, the tab 439 or other grasping
feature may be joined to the outer packaging in the same or
different manner as the flap 438. However, it is to be appreciated
that it may be desirable for the tab 439 to remain unsecured from
the outer packaging to provide a more easily graspable tab 439. The
cartridge 415 may include a mechanical fastening system such as a
hook and loop type mechanical fastening system. The flap 438 and/or
tab 439 may include one part of the fastening system (e.g., the
hooks) while the outer packaging includes the complementary portion
of the fastening system (e.g., the loops). FIG. 5A shows the flap
438 in a closed configuration. The flap 438 covers the underlying
orifice 437, thereby provides a barrier to moisture or volatile
compositions that may be in or on the wipes. In certain embodiments
it may be desirable to provide a flap 438 with sufficient stiffness
to minimize or even prevent the flap 438 from undesirably bending,
wrinkling, folding, etc., when inserting the flap 438 through a
channel or other locking portion of a wipes container. For example,
the flap 438 may have a bending modulus of between 10 and 40 Pa; 15
and 35 Pa; 20 and 30 Pa or even between 23 and 28 Pa, when measured
according to a suitable 3-point bending test using a crosshead
speed of 1 mm/second, a longitudinal length of 2 cm, and a distance
between supports of 3 cm.
[0034] FIG. 5B shows the cartridge 415 with the flap 438 in an open
configuration. Thus, the orifice 437 and the supply of wipes in the
cartridge 415 are accessible to a user. FIG. 5C shows a side view
of the cartridge 415 with the flap 438 in the open position.
[0035] FIG. 6A shows an exemplary wipes product 500. The wipes
product 500 includes a wipes container 510 and a refill cartridge
disposed therein. The wipes container 510 includes a top container
shell 570 and an opposing bottom container shell 580. The top
container shell 570 has an orifice 535 that extends therethrough
and provides access to the internal storage space of the container
510. The orifice 535 of the container is desirably aligned with the
orifice of the refill cartridge. A flap 538, which is joined to the
refill cartridge, extends through a channel 520 in the top
container shell 570. The flap 538 may includes a grasping tab 539
or other graspable feature that enables a user to more easily
manipulate the flap 520. The flap 538 should be sized such that,
when properly positioned, it substantially covers the orifice 535
of the container shell, thereby providing a moisture barrier
between the external environment and the internal storage space. In
this example, the flap 538 acts as the key portion and the channel
520 acts as the locking portion. Thus, the flap 538 and the channel
520 are engageable (i.e., the flap 538 can be inserted through the
channel 520) such that the wipes product 500 functions as intended
when the lock portions and key portion are engaged (i.e. provides a
reusable wipes container 510 that keeps wipes from drying out
and/or being contaminated by the external environment).
[0036] In a particularly suitable embodiment, the flap 538 is
refastenably attached or attachable to the container 510. The flap
538 may include an adhesive or cohesive that is attachable to a
portion of the wipes container 510, but not a wipe substrate or
skin. Alternatively or additionally, the flap 538 may include an
adhesive that adheres to the wipe substrate. The adhesive may be
the same adhesive used to secure the flap 538 to the outer
packaging of the refill cartridge. In certain embodiments, a
mechanical fastening system may be used to secure the flap 538
and/or tab 539 to the container 510. For example, the flap 538
and/or tab 539 may include a portion of a hook and loop type
fastening system (e.g., the hooks) and the container 510 may
include the complementary portion of the fastening system (e.g.,
the loops). In another example, the container 510 may include a
slot positioned such that the tab 539 can be inserted into the slot
to secure the flap 538 over the orifice 535. In other examples,
snaps, buttons, magnets, and/or electrostatic fastening systems may
be exploited for use herein. FIG. 6B shows a wipes product 500 with
the flap 538 secured in a closed position over the orifice 535.
[0037] The wipes container 510 is openable and closable (e.g., as
shown in FIG. 4) such that a user is able to replace the wipes
cartridge disposed in the container 510. Any suitable fastening
means known in the art may be used to secure the top and bottom
container shells 570 and 580 together when the wipes container 510
is closed. As shown in FIG. 6A, an exemplary zipper-type fastener
504 may be used. It may be desirable to select a fastener and/or
configure the container 510 such that the container 510 is
substantially vapor impermeable when closed.
[0038] FIG. 7 shows a top view of an exemplary wipes product 600.
The wipes product 600 includes a wipes container 610 and a refill
cartridge disposed therein. The wipes container 610 has a
dispensing orifice 635 that enables a user to access wipes stored
inside the container 610, and which is aligned with an orifice in
the refill cartridge. A flap 638, which is joined to the refill
cartridge, extends through a channel 620 disposed in the top of the
container 610 (e.g., through a major lid or a top shell). In this
example, the channel 620 is positioned such that it is
substantially perpendicular to the back edge 602 and front edge 603
of the wipes container 610. It is to be understood that the channel
620 may be positioned in any direction desired (e.g., diagonal).
The flap 638 may includes a grasping tab 639 or other graspable
feature. The flap 638 should be sized such that, when properly
positioned, it substantially covers the orifice 635 of the
container 610. In this example, the flap 638 acts as the key
portion and the channel 620 acts as the locking portion.
[0039] The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be
understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values
recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension
is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension
disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm."
[0040] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference;
the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission
that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the
extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document
conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a
document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition
assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
[0041] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims
all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of
this invention.
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