U.S. patent application number 13/491127 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-07 for wet tissues dispenser.
This patent application is currently assigned to Edmak Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is Elizabeth Jones, Edward McCloskey. Invention is credited to Oliver Hood, Edward McCloskey.
Application Number | 20130032608 13/491127 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27806744 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130032608 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hood; Oliver ; et
al. |
February 7, 2013 |
WET TISSUES DISPENSER
Abstract
A dispenser (1) for a pack of wet wipes, has a stiff plastics
material body (2) with a peripheral mounting flange (3) for
attachment to a sidewall of a pack of wipes. A tear-open closure
(4) is integrally formed with the body (2). A portion of a
periphery of the closure (4) is tearable away from the body (2) to
leave the closure (4) attached to the body (2) by a hinge (5). The
closure (4) is mounted at an opening in the body (2) across which
is stretched a silicone membrane having a circular dispensing
opening through which wipes are dispensed from a flow-wrap plastics
pack of wipes on which the dispenser (1) is mounted.
Inventors: |
Hood; Oliver; (Edenderry,
IE) ; McCloskey; Edward; (Drogheda, IE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
McCloskey; Edward
Jones; Elizabeth |
Drogheda
Edenderry |
|
IE
IE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Edmak Limited
Drogheda
IE
|
Family ID: |
27806744 |
Appl. No.: |
13/491127 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12647692 |
Dec 28, 2009 |
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13491127 |
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12071506 |
Mar 28, 2008 |
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12647692 |
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10505885 |
May 24, 2005 |
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PCT/IE03/00039 |
Mar 10, 2003 |
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12071506 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2575/586 20130101;
B65D 83/0805 20130101; B65D 75/5877 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/45 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/08 20060101
B65D083/08; A47K 10/42 20060101 A47K010/42 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 8, 2002 |
IE |
S2002/0183 |
Sep 6, 2002 |
IE |
S2002/0725 |
Claims
1-7. (canceled)
8. A dispensing closure for mounting on a pack of wipes, the
dispensing closure including: a stiff body, said stiff body having
a peripheral mounting flange for attachment to a side wall of said
pack of wipes about an outlet opening in said side wall of said
pack of wipes, said stiff body having a wipes dispensing opening
for co-operation with said outlet opening in said side wall of said
pack of wipes to allow dispensing of wipes from said pack of wipes,
a tear-open closure which is integrally formed with said stiff body
and which extends across said wipes dispensing opening to close
said wipes dispensing opening, a portion of a periphery of said
tear-open closure being tearable away from said stiff body to leave
said tear-open closure attached to said stiff body by a hinge at an
inner end of said closure, a catch for engaging and holding the
closure in an open position to allow dispensing of wipes from the
pack, the catch comprising a locking spigot on the body and a
complementary receiver slot at a hinge side edge of the closure,
said spigot being engagable with the slot to hold the closure in an
open position, an elastic membrane being mounted on said stiff body
inside said tear-open closure below said tear-open closure and
extending across said wipes dispensing opening, said elastic
membrane having a through hole for reception and through passage of
a wipe for dispensing wipes from said pack of wipes.
9. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 8 wherein said
tear-open closure is defined by lines of weakness formed by reduced
material thickness in said stiff body which extend partially around
said tear-open closure terminating at a hinge edge of said
tear-open closure, said lines of weakness frangibly connecting said
tear-open closure to said stiff body such that it can be peeled
away from said stiff body along the lines of weakness for hinging
about said hinge at an inner edge of said tear-open closure.
10. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 8 wherein said stiff
body comprises a self-supporting panel for forming a top of said
pack of wipes.
11. A dispensing closure for mounting on a pack of wipes,
comprising: a stiff body having a mounting flange for attachment to
a side wall of said pack of wipes about an outlet opening in said
side wall of said pack of wipes, said stiff body having a wipes
dispensing opening for co-operation with said outlet opening in
said side wall of said pack of wipes to allow dispensing of wipes
from said pack of wipes, a tear-open closure which is integrally
formed with said stiff body and which extends across said wipes
dispensing opening to close said wipes dispensing opening, said
tear-open closure being defined by lines of weakness formed by
reduced material thickness in said stiff body which extend
partially around said tear-open closure terminating at a hinge edge
of said tear-open closure at an inner end of said tear-open
closure, a portion of a periphery of said tear-open closure being
tearable away from said stiff body along said lines of weakness to
leave said tear-open closure attached to said stiff body by a hinge
at said inner end of said tear-open closure, an elastic membrane
being mounted on said stiff body inside said tear-open closure
below said tear-open closure and extending across said wipes
dispensing opening, said elastic membrane having a through hole for
reception and through passage of a wipe for dispensing wipes from
said pack of wipes, clamp means being provided for attachment of
said elastic membrane to said stiff body, said clamp means
comprising a complementary pair of clamp jaws, namely a first jaw
and a second jaw, said jaws being interengagable to clamp said
elastic membrane therebetween.
12. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 11 wherein one of
said jaws is a fixed jaw which is mounted on said stiff body and
the other jaw is engagable with said fixed jaw.
13. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 11 wherein said jaws
are provided with complementary interengagable formations which are
a push-fit together for interengagement of said jaws.
14. A dispensing closure for mounting on a pack of wipes,
comprising: a stiff body having a mounting flange for attachment to
a side wall of said pack of wipes about an outlet opening in said
side wall of said pack of wipes, said stiff body having a wipes
dispensing opening for co-operation with said outlet opening in
said side wall of said pack of wipes to allow dispensing of wipes
from said pack of wipes, a tear-open closure which is integrally
formed with said stiff body and which extends across said wipes
dispensing opening to close said wipes dispensing opening, said
tear-open closure being defined by lines of weakness formed by
reduced material thickness in said stiff body which extend
partially around said tear-open closure terminating at a hinge edge
of said tear-open closure at an inner end of said tear-open
closure, a portion of a periphery of said tear-open closure being
tearable away from said stiff body along said lines of weakness to
leave said tear-open closure attached to said stiff body by a hinge
at said inner end of said tear-open closure, an elastic membrane
being mounted on said stiff body inside said tear-open closure and
extending across said wipes dispensing opening, said elastic
membrane having a through hole for reception and through passage of
a wipe for dispensing wipes from said pack of wipes, clamp means
being provided for attachment of said elastic membrane to said
stiff body, said clamp means comprises a complementary pair of
clamp jaws, namely a first jaw and a second jaw, said jaws being
interengagable to clamp said elastic membrane therebetween, said
jaws are provided with complementary interengagable formations
which are a push-fit together for interengagement of said jaws,
wherein said first jaw has a plurality of spaced-apart hollow
posts, an interior of each post forming at least at a free outer
end thereof a socket for reception of a complementary plug of said
second jaw for interengagement of said jaws.
15. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 14 wherein a
plurality of said plugs are mounted spaced-apart on a support
ring.
16. The dispensing closure as claimed in claim 14 wherein said
elastic membrane has a plurality of spaced-apart plug receiving
holes which are engagable with said plugs to mount said membrane on
said plugs.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/505,885
filed May 24, 2005, which in turn is a national stage of
PCT/IE03/00039 filed Mar. 10, 2003.
[0002] This invention relates to a wipes dispenser, and in
particular to a portable wipes dispenser for wet wipes.
[0003] In the prior art it is know to provide wet wipes in the form
of a roll which is housed within a dispenser comprising a
cylindrical container of rigid plastics material. Wipes are fed
from a centre of the roll out through a central dispensing opening
in a top of the container and torn away from the roll along
perforated lines for use. A lid is usually provided to cover the
top of the container when not dispensing wipes to limit moisture
loss. A problem with this type of dispenser is that it generally
can not handle thicker fabrics (e.g. 30-60 gsm) satisfactorily,
such fabrics now being common in baby care and skin care products.
Further, the container is a relatively expensive type of packaging
which is typically discarded after use. Also, it may not be
sufficiently airtight or the cover may be removed or simply left
open leading to moisture loss from the wipes. Finally, the
container is relatively bulky and is therefore not conveniently
portable for example in a handbag or the like.
[0004] In another known type of dispenser there is provided a
reusable plastics tub containing a stack of wipes which may or may
not be flow wrapped. Replacement packs of wipes are available for
recharging the tub. Unfortunately this dispenser is relatively
bulky and cumbersome even when empty. It is also awkward and
tedious to prime a dispensing opening of the dispenser with a
leading end of the topmost wipe. From a manufacturing point of view
the dispenser is relatively expensive to product-with-too many
components.
[0005] It is also known to provide a stack of wet wipes in a flow
wrapped plastics package. A dispensing opening is provided at a top
of the package through which wipes are pulled from the top of the
stack. This dispensing opening is covered when not in use by a peel
and reseal sticker. Typically, the sticker fails after relatively
few uses and this leads to a severe drying out problem with the
wipes. To address this problem it is known to attach an injection
moulded plastics lid assembly over the dispensing opening which can
be opened for dispensing wipes and closed to retain moisture within
the pack when the pack is not in use. However, the adhesive with
which the lid assembly is attached to the flow wrap pack may be
attacked by the wipe damping fluids leading to failure. Also, the
lid is not airtight so there is still moisture loss from the wipes
in the pack. Further, generally speaking single-handed removal of
wipes is not possible which is somewhat inconvenient. Also, with
these types of flow-wrapped dispenser packs often the wipes fail to
come out of the pack easily or they "daisy-chain" out in quantity
with consequent wastage. From a manufacturing point of view the
wipes must be wetted before being packed presenting handling
difficulties. Another problem with these types of pack is that they
are fairly easy to tamper with.
[0006] The present invention is directed towards overcoming these
problems.
[0007] According to the invention there is provided a dispenser for
a pack of wipes, including a body having a mounting flange for
attachment to a side wall of the pack about an outlet opening in
said side wall, a wipes dispensing opening in the body for
co-operation with the outlet in the side wall of the pack to allow
dispensing of wipes from the pack, and a tear-open closure which is
integrally formed with the body and extends across the dispensing
opening to close the dispensing opening, a portion of a periphery
of the closure being tearable away from the body to leave the
closure attached to the body by a hinge, an elastic membrane being
mounted on the body inside the closure extending across the
dispensing opening, the elastic membrane having a through hole for
reception and through passage of a wipe for dispensing wipes from
the pack.
[0008] An advantage of the present invention is that the pack is
fully sealed prior to use preventing moisture loss and promoting a
long shelf life. Also, to gain access to the wipes the closure must
be torn away from the body of the dispenser and this would give
indication of any tampering with the contents prior to use. Further
the elastic membrane and closure combine to provide a very
effective seal preventing moisture loss from the wipes during
storage.
[0009] The body of the dispenser is of a stiff plastics material
which holds its shape but will allow some bending or flexing of the
body.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment the closure is defined by lines of
weakness formed by reduced material thickness in the body which
extend partially around the closure terminating at a hinge edge of
the closure, said lines of weakness frangibly connecting the
closure to the body such that it can be peeled away from the body
along the lines of weakness for hinging about the hinge at an inner
edge of the closure.
[0011] Preferably the elastic membrane is formed of silicone,
rubber or other resiliently deformable elastic material. The size
of the dispensing opening, the resilient properties of the elastic
membrane or opening surround and the interconnection of adjacent
wipes are chosen such that the leading or outermost wipe can be
drawn through the dispensing opening without prematurely parting
the outermost wipe from the following adjacent wipe and the force
applied by the resilient dispensing opening surround to said
following adjacent wipe is sufficient to allow parting away from
the outermost wipe. As the outermost wipe parts away, the following
wipe will continue to be drawn through the opening so that when
parting of the outermost wipe is completed the leading edge of the
following adjacent wipe projects through the opening so that it can
subsequently be gripped to pull the next wipe from the container.
It will be appreciated that this construction of flexible
dispensing opening is very good at minimising evaporation and
moisture loss from wet wipes in the container.
[0012] It will be noted that the dispensing opening may be provided
in any suitable format. For example, it may be provided by an
elongate slit or by a circular hole in the elastic membrane.
[0013] In another embodiment clamp means is provided for attachment
of the elastic membrane to the body of the dispenser.
[0014] In one embodiment the clamp means comprises a complementary
pair of clamp jaws, namely a first jaw and a second jaw, which are
interengagable to clamp the elastic membrane therebetween.
[0015] Preferably one of said jaws is a fixed jaw which is mounted
on the body and the other jaw is engagable with the fixed jaw.
[0016] Conveniently the jaws are provided with complementary
interengagable formations which are a push-fit together for
interengagement of the jaws.
[0017] In another embodiment the first jaw has a plurality of
spaced-apart hollow posts, an interior of each post forming at
least, at a free outer end thereof, a socket for reception of a
complementary plug of the second jaw for interengagement of the
jaws.
[0018] In a further embodiment a plurality of the plugs are mounted
spaced-apart on a support ring.
[0019] In another embodiment the elastic membrane has a plurality
of spaced-apart plug receiving holes which are engagable with the
plugs to mount the membrane on the plugs.
[0020] In a further embodiment the body comprises a self-supporting
panel forming a top of the pack, a collapsible container body being
attached to the panel and forming therewith a closed container for
reception and storage of a plurality of wipes. The term
"self-supporting panel" means a panel which is stiff enough to hold
its shape but may possibly be bent or flexed to a certain degree.
Many plastics materials would allow this.
[0021] In another aspect the invention provides a pack of wipes
comprising a container with a plurality of wipes therein having a
dispenser as described herein mounted at an outlet opening in a
side wall of the container.
[0022] In another embodiment a plurality of wipes are mounted in
the container, said wipes being joined end to end in a continuous
web with spaced-apart lines of perforation extending between
opposite sides of the web to define the wipes between lines of
perforations.
[0023] In a further embodiment the web is folded in a zig-zag
formation in a stack of wipes within the container.
[0024] In another embodiment a plurality of folded individual wipes
are mounted in the container, adjacent wipes being interleaved to
form a stack of interleaved wipes within the container.
[0025] In another embodiment the wipes are impregnated with liquid.
Typically the liquid might include one or more of a cleaning agent,
a disinfectant and a perfume.
[0026] The invention will be more clearly understood by the
following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dispenser according to the
invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is an underneath plan view of the dispenser;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the dispenser;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pack of wipes
incorporating the dispenser;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 showing the
dispenser in use for dispensing wipes from the pack;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wipes dispenser according
to another embodiment of the invention;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of
FIG. 6;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view of portion of the wipes
dispenser of FIG. 6;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a detail sectional elevational view of a
dispensing opening portion of the wipes dispenser of FIG. 6;
[0036] FIG. 10 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing
portion of the wipes dispenser of FIG. 6;
[0037] FIG. 11 is a detail sectional view taken along the line
XI-XI of FIG. 10;
[0038] FIG. 12 is a detail sectional view taken along the line
XII-XII of FIG. 10,
[0039] FIG. 13 is a detail perspective view of a panel forming
portion of another wipes dispenser according to another embodiment
of the invention;
[0040] FIG. 14 is an underneath perspective view of the panel shown
in FIG. 13;
[0041] FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the panel shown in
FIG. 13;
[0042] FIG. 16 is a detail underneath perspective view showing
portion of the panel of FIG. 13; and
[0043] FIG. 17 is a detail perspective view showing portion of the
panel of FIG. 13.
[0044] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 to 5
thereof there is illustrated a dispenser for a pack of wipes, the
dispenser being indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The
dispenser 1 is of a stiff plastics material and has a body 2 with a
peripheral mounting flange 3 for attachment to a sidewall 14 of a
pack 12 of wipes 10 as shown on FIGS. 4 and 5. A tear-open closure
4 is integrally formed with the body 2. A portion of a periphery of
the closure 4 is tearable away from the body 2 to leave the closure
4 attached to the body 2 by a hinge 5. The closure 4 is mounted at
an opening 7 in the body 2 across which is stretched a silicone
membrane 8 having a circular dispensing opening 9 through which
wipes 10 are dispensed from a flow-wrap plastics pack 12 of
wipes.
[0045] The closure 4 is defined by the hinge 5 formed along an
inner edge of the closure 4 and a generally V-shaped line of
weakness 15 formed by reduced material thickness in the body 2
which extends partially around the closure 4, that is around the
sides and outer end of the closure 4. Said line of weakness 15
frangibly connects the closure 4 to the body 2 such that it can be
pealed away from the body 2 along the line of weakness 15 for
hinging about the hinge 5 at an inner end of the closure 4.
[0046] Catch means is provided for engaging and holding the closure
4 in an open position to allow dispensing of wipes 10 from the pack
12. In this case the catch means comprises a locking spigot 18 on
the body 2 and a complementary receiver slot 19 at a hinge side
edge of the closure 4. Thus when the closure 4 is hinged upwardly
into an upright position as shown in FIG. 5 the slot 19 engages
with the spigot 18 to hold the closure 4 in an open position to
provide unrestricted access to the wipes 10 in the pack 12. A tab
20 at an outer end of the closure 4 forms a handgrip which can be
gripped between finger and thumb to tear the closure 4 upwardly
breaking the line of weakness 15 when initially opening the closure
4 and for subsequent opening and closing of the closure 4. A tongue
21 at an outer end of the closure 4 is engagable under an
associated lip 22 at a front end of the opening 7 to lock the
closure 4 in a closed position. A cut-out slot 23 in the body 2
above the lip 22 receives the tab 20 when the closure 4 is
shut.
[0047] The silicone membrane 8 is clamped on an underside of the
body 2 by means of a clamp ring 30. The clamp ring 30 has a number
of spaced-apart plugs 31 which engage within complementary sockets
in tubular posts 32 formed in the body 2 of the dispenser 1. The
plugs 31 pass through associated holes in the membrane 8 to engage
and clamp the membrane 8 on an underside of the body 2.
[0048] The wipes 10 may be arranged in the pack 12 in any suitable
fashion. For example the wipes 10 may be joined end to end in a
continuous web with spaced-apart lines of perforations extending
between opposite sides of the web to define the wipes 10 between
lines of perforations. The web may be folded in a zig-zag formation
to form a stack of wipes within the pack 12. In an alternative
arrangement separate wipes 10 may be interleaved in a stack within
the pack 12.
[0049] In use, the dispenser 1 is mounted on a sidewall 14 of the
pack 12 about an opening in the pack 12. The flange 3 is heat
welded, ultrasonic welded or otherwise attached to the sidewall 14
of the pack 12. It will be appreciated that wet wipes 10 can be
fully sealed within the pack 12 prior to rupture of the closure 4.
To open the pack 12 the tab 20 is gripped and pulled upwardly to
break the line 15 of weakness so that the closure 4 can be pivoted
upwardly about the hinge 5 into an upright position as shown in
FIG. 5 exposing the opening 7 with the silicone membrane 8 and
dispensing opening 9 through which wipes 10 can be pulled. After
removal of a wipe 10 the cover 4 can be closed over the opening 7
engaging the tongue 21 with the associated lip 22 to hold the
closure 4 in the closed position.
[0050] It will be appreciated that the dispenser 1 according to the
invention helps minimise moisture loss from the wipes 10 within the
pack 12. Due to its elasticity the silicone membrane 8 effectively
seals the interior of the pack 12 preventing moisture loss. While a
tip of the uppermost wipe 10 will extend through the opening 9 this
is protected against moisture loss by virtue of the closure 4. A
double barrier against moisture loss is thus provided by the
closure 4 and the silicone membrane 8.
[0051] If desired, the pack 12 may be provided with an uppermost
wipe 10 primed through the opening 9 in the silicone membrane 8
ready for use. Even if when dispensing a wipe 10 the next wipe 10
is not fed into the opening 9, a user can readily easily insert a
finger through the opening 9 to grip and pull through the next wipe
10.
[0052] It will be appreciated that the invention is particularly
useful for collapsible plastics packs such as flow-wrapped packs.
The body of the dispenser is preferably also of plastics material.
Ideally the body will be self-supporting, that is substantially
stiff to hold its shape but also somewhat flexible.
[0053] Various ways of forming the resiliently deformable wipe
dispensing opening may be provided. For example said dispensing
opening may be formed by mounting a separate grommet, strip or
membrane of elastic material such as silicone or rubber at an
outlet opening of the container. Alternatively, if desired the
material of the container about a periphery of the opening may be
constructed and/or treated to render it sufficiently flexible and
elastic to form the desired dispensing opening. This treatment
could conveniently be effected during the moulding process where
the dispenser body is constructed of plastics material.
[0054] Referring now to FIGS. 6 to 12 there is illustrated another
wipes dispenser according to another embodiment of the invention
indicated generally by the reference numeral 50. The wipes
dispenser 50 has a self-supporting dispensing panel 52 of plastics
material. This will bend and flex a certain amount but is generally
speaking rigid enough to hold its shape. A collapsible container
body 53 of plastics material is attached to the dispensing panel 52
and forms together with the dispensing panel 52 a closed container
for reception and storage of a plurality of wipes 54. A dispensing
opening 55 is provided in the dispensing panel 52 through which the
wipes 54 can be drawn for discharge from the dispenser 50. A
silicone membrane 56 is mounted across the dispensing opening 55. A
through hole 57 in the silicone membrane 56 allows through passage
of a wipe 54 for dispensing the wipes 54 from the container body 53
in a controlled manner. A hinged cover 58 is mounted on the panel
52. The cover 58 is movable between a closed position (FIG. 6) in
which said cover 58 seals the dispensing opening 55 and an open
position (FIG. 7) allowing access to the dispensing opening 55 for
discharge of wipes 54 from the container body 53.
[0055] The dispensing panel 52 has a peripheral flange 60. An upper
rim of the collapsible container body 53 is welded to an underside
of the flange 60 to form together with the dispensing panel 52 a
closed container for the wipes 54. The cover 58 is integrally
formed with the dispensing panel 52 and is a tear-away cover. An
inner edge 62 of the cover 58 forms a hinge connection between the
cover 58 and the dispensing panel 52. Side edges 64, 65 of the
cover 58 are connected to the dispensing panel 52 by lines of
weakness 66 (FIG. 9) of reduced material thickness. A tab 68 at an
outer end of the cover 58 forms a hand grip which can be gripped
between finger and thumb to tear the cover 58 upwardly breaking the
lines of weakness 66 when initially opening the dispenser 50.
Thereafter, when closing the cover 58 the tab 68 engages with a
complementary receiver 70 (FIG. 10) in the flange 60 of the
dispensing panel 52 to secure the cover 58 in a closed
position.
[0056] The mounting of the silicone membrane 56 on the dispensing
panel 52 is shown in more detail in FIG. 9. An inwardly extending
endless wall 75 projects inwardly from an inside face of the
dispensing panel 52 about a periphery of the dispensing opening 55.
A channel 76 is provided in the wall 75 for reception of a
complementary bulbous edge portion 77 of the silicone membrane
56.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 7, a plurality of wipes 54 are mounted in
the container body 53 joined end to end in a continuous web with
spaced-apart lines of perforations extending between opposite sides
of the web to define the wipes between lines of perforations. The
web is folded in a zig-zag formation to form a stack of wipes
within the container body 53 as shown.
[0058] In use, the tab 68 of the cover 58 is gripped and the cover
58 is torn away from the dispensing panel 52 along the lines of
weakness 66. A leading wipe 54 is drawn through the opening 57 in
the silicone membrane 56 and pulled away from the web along the
line of perforations. It will be noted that the silicone membrane
56 clamps about the leading edge of the wipe 54 to seal the
container preventing loss of moisture from the wipes 54. Also the
silicone membrane 56 holds the next wipe 54 in place ready for
gripping and removal by the next user. The cover 58 when closed
also provides protection against moisture loss. Gradually as the
wipes are discharged from the dispenser 50 the container body 53
will collapse for compactness. Further, because the container body
53 is flexible the dispenser 50 is more readily portable than a
rigid dispenser container. This considerable advantage is provided
by the dispenser of the invention having a rigid or semi rigid
dispensing panel with the collapsible container body. All the
corners and sharp edges on the dispenser panel 52 are rounded to
avoid injury or finger traps even for infants and toddlers. The
dispenser 50 can be sold with the uppermost wipe 54 primed through
the opening 57 in the silicone membrane 56 ready for use. Even if a
wipe should break off within the container body 53 a user can
readily easily insert fingers to draw out a leading edge of the
uppermost wipe for dispensing due to the elasticity of the silicone
membrane 56. Further, and again due to its elasticity, the silicone
membrane 56 effectively seals the interior of the container body 53
preventing moisture loss. While a tip of the uppermost wipe 54 will
extend through the opening 57 this is protected against moisture
loss by closure of the cover 58. So a double barrier against
moisture loss is provided by the cover 58 and silicone membrane 56.
From a manufacturing point of view the dispenser 50 is relatively
simple and cheap to manufacture, merely comprising three parts,
namely the dispenser panel 52, the container body 53 and the
silicone membrane 56.
[0059] Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 17 there is shown another wipes
dispenser indicated generally by the reference numeral 80. This is
largely similar to the wipes dispenser described previously in
FIGS. 6 to 12 and like parts are assigned the same reference
numerals. The collapsible container body 53 is shown in broken
outline in FIG. 13. In this case the silicone membrane is secured
on an inside of the dispensing panel 52 by clamp means indicated
generally by the reference numeral 82. The clamp means 82 has a
complementary pair of clamp jaws, namely a first jaw 83 and a
second jaw 84 which are interengagable to clamp the elastic
membrane (not shown) therebetween and across the dispensing opening
55. The first jaw 83 comprises a plurality of spaced-apart tubular
posts 85 which project outwardly from an inside face of the
dispensing panel 52. The posts 85 are arranged around the
dispensing opening 55 and are interconnected by a wall 86 which
projects outwardly from the inside face of the dispensing panel 52
and surrounds the dispensing opening 55. The second jaw 84
comprises a plurality of plugs 88, best seen in FIG. 17, which are
mounted spaced-apart on a support ring 89 which interconnects the
plugs 88. Each plug 88 has a cylindrical body 90 with a flanged
outer end 91. An inner end 92 of the plug 88 is tapered to
facilitate guiding the plug 88 into engagement with a complementary
socket 94 (FIG. 16) formed by an interior of each post 88 of the
first jaw 83.
[0060] The elastic membrane has a plurality of spaced-apart plug
receiving holes which correspond with and receive the plugs 88 to
mount the membrane on the plugs 88. The plugs 88 are then inserted
in the associated sockets 94 in the posts 85 to clamp the membrane
between the first jaw 83 and second jaw 84 securing the membrane
across the dispensing opening 55.
[0061] It will be appreciated that the flexible dispensing opening
minimises the moisture loss from the wipes. The resiliently
deformable wet wipe dispensing opening may be formed by mounting a
separate grommet, strip or membrane of elastic material such as
silicone or rubber at an outlet opening of the container.
[0062] The wipes dispensers of the invention are conveniently heat
welded onto a flexible substrate forming a collapsible container
for the wipes.
[0063] The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore
described which may be varied in both construction and detail
within the scope of the appended claims.
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