CA2190647A1 - Reusable dispenser and a stack of disposable child-usable mitt wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

A reusable dispenser and a plurality of disposable mitt wipes stacked therein. The reusable dispenser includes a tub body having a tub interior and a tub opening, a lid member joined to the tub body and being movable between a closed position and an open position, a sealing means between the lid member and the tub body, and a positive latching device for latching the lid member to the tub body. The mitt wipes have a generally truncate-like shape, and are stacked in the dispenser in an alternating manner, such that the narrower top end of one mitt wipe overlies the wider bottom end of a following mitt wipe. This stacked arrangement exposes portions of an underlying mitt wipe, thereby making it easier for a child to identify and dispense the mitt wipes individually.

Description

2 1 ~0647 PATENT

REUSABLE DISPENSER AND A STACK OF DISPOSABLE
CHILD-USABLE MITT WIPES

Background of the Invention The present invention relates to dispensers and articles contained therein, and more particularly to a reusable dispenser and a stack of disposable mitt wipes contained therein.

From birth to an age of about two years old, a little boy or girl will wear diapers until he or she is ready for the toilet training process during which they learn to use the toilet by themselves. Some children may start the toilet training process as early as the age of fifteen months, while others may not be ready until after the age of two. The age at which a child will begin this training process is dependent upon many factors, some of which are psychological, some physiological, and some unique to the individual child.

The total toilet training process embraces a number of aspects, some of which may or may not apply to each child. One aspect of the total toilet training process is the change from diapers to training pants to help the child ~" ,der:~tand that he or she may now easily use the toilet, just like grownups.

Another aspect of the total toilet training process includes parental or caregiver instruction as a positive encouragement and ~,inru~rcement to the child that he or she 21 ~0647 .
should now be using the toilet, instead of using diapers. Related to parental or caregiver instruction can be the use of written materials oriented to childlen at this particular age.

Still an-~tl,er aspect of the total toilet training process includes the examples of older brothers or sisters that have already proceeded successfully through this process.
Generally, the younger untrained brother or sister will want to imitate the older trained brother or sister.

Yet another aspect of the total toilet training process includes cleanup after going to the toilet, especially after a bowel movement. In this case, parents or careg;vers will desire that their children eventually become independenl in cleani"g the",~lves after going to the toilet. This means that two areas must be ad.l~essed by both the parents, orcaregivers, and the child: one is how the child cleans up, and the other is how well the child cleans up.
In ad~ ssing the cleanup aspect of toilet training, parents or caregivers will usually first introduce their child to convenlional bathroom tissue, i.e., toilet paper. Although it is under~landable that the use of toilet paper may be the first method dtler"pted by parents or caregivers to assist their child in cleaning up, it poses numerous proble."s for the child.
One problem is that the tissue, of which the toilet paper is made, may not be strong enough to w;tl,stand the use by a child. If the child uses too little toilet paper, the toilet paper can tear or puncture during use, resulting in a mess on the child and anything within reach of the child. This pr~senl~ sanitary problems, and can be a disco~"age",ent and frusl,dtion to the child by not being able to i"dependentl~ clean himself or herself after going to the toilet.

2 i 906$7 Another prub!e." associated with conventional toilet paper is that children tend to pull too much toilet paper off of the roll. A bathroom that has its floor cluttered with excessive unrolled toilet paper can evoke less than encouraging or rcinrorc;"g words from the parent or caregiver.

Furthermore, if the child pulls too much toilet paper off of the roll, it is likely that the child will make a large ball of toilet paper, and attempt to clean himself or herself with it. This can result in less than erficienl use of toilet paper, less than erric;ent cleanup, and quite possibly plugging of the toilet.
~ ~ ~~
Another pr~b'e." with conventional toilet paper is that it is more diffficult for a child to manipulate the tissue to the area of his or her bottom in order to clean. This is due to children's bodies being dirrer~r,lly pr-,poilioned compared to adult bodies. Specifically, the child's arms may not be long enough to easily reach the cleanup area. Most children also do not have the necessary manual dexterity to overcome this particular prob'e.", and the problem is further ",ay"ified since the child cannot visually see the area he or she needs to cleanup.

With all of these pr~b!e."s associated with a child using toilet paper, it does not come as a surprise that ~sci~'~nce is required. For the child, this can be an e",bar,dssr"ent and humiliation in not being capable of adequately taking care of himself or herself.
Furthermore, a child may, at this age, desire privacy and independence. This can be in~' c~ted when the child closes a balllrooi" door, when in the past an open door was never a concern. If the parent, or carey;~lcr~ needs to assist the child, there can be a conflict of emotion for the child that may be obstructive to the cleanup aspect of the toilet training process.

21 ~(~647 One atla",pt to address some of the above prcb'e."s is to provide wipes specifically designed for use by children. These wipes are generally thicker than regular toilet paper, and usually only one wipe is supposed to be used. Although these wipes may be thicker and therefore not as prone to tear or puncture during use, they still present the problem of a flat, small wipe that is difficult for the child to manipulate or use in a correct manner. As with any unsuccessful dll~r"pt in cleanup, the child can become discouraged and the toilet training process may be delayed.

Another problem associated with children's wipes is that they can be perceived by the child as a "baby" wipe, as opposed to a grownup's bathroom tissue. Since the child wants to feel like a grownup who can i"dependently cleanup, the use of a product perc~iv0d to be i"lended for babies can cause a child to refuse to use the wipe.

Illlpo, lanl to encouraging a child to want to clean himself or herself, after going to the toilet, is that the child should have easy access to the wipes. Some wipes come in containers, as opposed to rolls, for various reasons. Some of these reasons include easy portability of the wipes when traveling out of the home, keeping the wipes moist if they have been so treated, or the like. For the child to be encouraged to use wipes in a container, the wipes should be easily dispensable. This means that the container lid should be easily opened by a child, bea,i"g in mind that most children do not have an adult's manual dexterity. If the container is difficult to open, the child may hold the container in other than an upright posilion to open the lid, thereby resulting in the wipes possibly falling out of the container.
This is a situation that can cause embarrassment and frustration to the child, and result in less than encouraging or r~i. ,ror~ ,9 words from the parent or caregiver.

21 q3647 It now can be appreciated that the total toilet training process involves many aspects for both the child and the parent or caregiver. Some of these aspect~ affect children dirr~rerltly, or may not even be a factor for a particular child. It is this uniqueness of the individual child that presents a major challenge for both the child and the parent or caregiver. If any of these ~spects are unsuccessful, the child's prug, ess through the toilet training process can be unnecess~dly delayed due to numerous failures and frusl,dlions.

In the production of wipes, problems exist that are unique to various manufacturing processes. For example, those processes for wipe desig"s having shapes other than, for example a square or rectangle, require a trimming step to cut away material so as to form the desired shape. This i"~pacts cost of operation and raw malerial consumption. As the amount of trimmed waste material increases, so do process and product costs. Naturally, this is u"desired both to the manufacturer and to the consumer.

Other cost-related problems involve the necess~ry and addilional steps of handling the trimmed waste material that may impact production speed and productivity related to machine down-time, and then disposing of the waste "~alt:rial in an acceptably environmental manner.

Still another pr~t'~m exists with those processes in which the wipes are sequentially formed in a congruent shape. If the wipes are stacked i",-"e-Jialely after the step of cutting, it is ext,~mely difficult for a child to dispense them one at a time, and particularly if the wipes are premGislened. For these sequentially congruent wipe designs or shapes, every other one needs to be rotated, for example, 180~, so that a top or uppermost wipe exposes a portion of the f~"aw;l ,9 wipe so as to identify the wipes singly, thereby making it ~1 ~0647 easier to separate and dispense the wipes individually. However, the added step of I'Otdtin9 the wipes increases process and product costs.

Summary of the Invention In response to the discussed difficulties and pr~b!e."s encountered in the prior art, a new reusable dispenser and stack of ~ispos~ble mitt wipes has been discovered.

In one form of the present invention there is provided a reus-~'e d;~penser having a stacked arrangement of disposable mitt wipes therein. The reusable dispenser includes a tub body having a continuous side wall and a bottom wall that form a tub interior and a tub opening; there is a peri~ herdl rim portion dicposed on the continuous side wall. A lid member has a continuous side member and a top wall, with a peripherdl edge portion on the continuous side member. A sealing mechanis", is betv,een the peripheral rim portion and the peri~,herdl edge portion for sealing the two portions together. A stacked arrangement of disposable mitt wipes is provided in the tub interior.

In another form of the present invention there is provided a reusable dispenser including a tub body having a continuous side wall and a bottom wall forming a tub interior and a tub opening, in which the continuous side wall includes a peripheral rim portion. A lid member is joined to the tub body, and includes a peripheral edge portion. A sealing means between the peripherdl rim portion and the peripheral edge portion seals the portions together. Within the tub interior is a stacked ar,ange",enl of aller"ali"g disposable mitt wipes.

21 ~3647 In still another form of the presenl invention there is provided in a dispenser including a tub body having a continuous side wall and a bottom wall that form a tub interior and a tub opening and a lid member for closing the tub opening. A stacked arrange" ,enl ofaltemating disposable mitt wipes are disposed in the tub interior. Each disposable mitt wipe includes a mitt body having a periphery with taperi, ,9 sides and defines an interior space and a mitt opening. An access flap ,nei"ber is ~Eeposed at the mitt opening for visually identifying the mitt opening, whereby a user is assisted in easily identifying the mitt opening for proper fitting and use of the mitt wipe.

Brief Description of the Drawin~s The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will beco",e more apparent and the invention itself will be better under~lood by ,efert:nce to the following desc,i~liGn of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates a top plan view of one embodiment of a mitt wipe;

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-se-tional view of Fig. 1 taken along line 2-2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows with the mitt wipe in an open position for fitting on the hand;
Fig. 3 illustrates a stacked alternating ar,anger"ent of mitt wipes;

Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a dispenser with a stack of alter.,aling mitt wipes therein;
Fig. 5 illustrates a front elevational view of the embodiment in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 illustrates a back elevational view of the embodiment in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 illustrates a side elevational view of the embodiment in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the embodiment in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 illustrates an enlargement of the encircled area in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of Fig. 5 taken along line 10-10 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 11 illustrates a sche",alic view of one process of manufacturing and packaging mitt wipes.
Detailed Description Although the fcl'o~;"g description of a mitt wipe focuses on its use by children for toilet training purposes, the mitt wipe has other advar,lageous uses. In the case of children, invalids, or geriatric adults, for e~a",p'e, the mitt wipes can be used to wipe other bodily areas and physical ob,e~c The mitt wipes may be used to clean the hands and face after eating, messy play, sports, or the like. They may also be used to wipe various types of surfaces, such as tables, chairs, batl,roo", areas, toilet seats, toys, or the like.

In addition to the above advantages, the mitt wipes can be used to apply various types of solutions. The term "solution" refers to any type of liquid, lotion, cream, substance, or the like. For i"~lance, the mitt wipes can be used to apply sun screen lotion, insect repellent, 2 1 qo647 -skin moisturizers, diaper rash cream, oils, or the like. One sig,lificant advantage associated with this includes easier and quicker app' cdlion, since the mitt wipes eliminate the necessity of having to pour the solution onto the hands and then apply the solution to the body. Another significant advantage is a reduction in waste or mess, since there is less possibility of solution dl irp-ng or flowing between the fingers, leaking from the container, or the like. Still another significant advantage is a more uniform and consi~lent arrJ'.c2tion of the solution, since each mitt wipe can be treated with a uniformly consisler,l amount of solution. The amount of applied solution can be better cont,clled with a select number of mitt wipes, as opposed to numerous - rF' e~tions from the bottle to the hand and then to the body.

Because of the numerous uses of the mitt wipes, the n,alerial or materials of which the mitt wipe is made will depend on the type of solution that is to be :~rP' ~ Different solutions may require dirr~rt:nl materials.
Another advantage of the mitt wipe design is hand control by the user. Since it encorr passes the hand, less effort is required by the user to cor, edly hold the wipe during wiping or applying solutions. This can lead to more effective and efficient use of the mitt wipe, and particularly by the child going through the toilet training process. Furthermore, the mitt wipe both protel;ts and covers the hand from contaminating substances when cleaning after use of the toilet.

Refer,i"g primarily to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a ~ispos~le mitt wipe 20. The term "disposable" means that the mitt wipe 20 is to be used once for its intended purpose and thereafter discarded, not to be used again. Mitt wipe 20 comprises a mitt body 22 including taperi"g sides 24 that taper inwardly toward a top end of mitt wipe 20, and taper - 21~0647 outwardly toward a bottom end of mitt wipe 20 a peril.hery 26 an interior space 28 (Fig. 2) for accom",oddling the hand of a child, and a miK opening 30 (Fig. 2) through which the child can place his or her hand. Mitt body 22 further comprises a top layer 32 and a bottom layer 40 in which top layer 32 has a shorter vertical i.e. a top-to-bottom direction as viewed in Fig. 1 dimension than bottom layer 40. Top layer 32 includes opposed sides 34 top end 36 and bottom end 38. Similarly bottom layer 40 includes opposed sides 42 a top end 44, and a bottom end 46. As illustrated in Fig.1 top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 have tapering sides 34 42 that give mitt body 22 a generally truncate-like shape in which top ends 36 44 are sul,~lar,lially parallel to respective bottom ends 38 46.
Tapering sides 34 42 taper inwardly toward respective top ends 36 44 and taper outwardly toward respective bottom ends 38 46 relative to vertical centerline 52.
Although illustrated and desc, ibed as truncate-like, mitt wipe 20 can have other designs or shapes that can sig"ificantly or subtly deviate from a truncate-like shape. For example one truncate-like shape can have rounded comers as opposed to the illustrated angular corners. Other similar desiy"s can include wave-like patler"s or the like.

An access flap member 48 is associated with bottom layer 40 and extends outwardly beyond (in a downward direction as viewed in Fig.1) bottom end 38 of top layer 32.
Access flap ",e",ber 48 is "associated" with bottom layer 40 in that access flap member 48 can be an extension of bottom layer 40 or can be a separale structural element attached to bottom layer 40 such that it extends beyond bottom end 38. In this particularembodiment access flap member 48 is an integral extension of bottom layer 40 and is thus made of the same " ,ale, ial as bottom layer 40.

A dispensing flap member 50 is also associated with bottom layer 40 and extends outwardly beyond top end 36 of top layer 32. Dispensi"g flap member 50 is Uassociated'' 2 t 906$7 with bottom layer 40 in that dispensing flap member 50 can be an extension of bottom layer 40 or can be a separale structural element attached to bottom layer 40 such that it extends beyond top end 36. In this particular embodiment dispensing flap member 50 is an integral extension of bottom layer 40 and thus made of the same material as bottom layer 40. Should either or both flap ",e",ber~ 48 50 be separate structural ele "ents dllached to bottom layer 40 they can be made of the same or a dirrerenl material from that of bottom layer 40. The joining of a separale access flap member 48 or separate dispensing flap member 50 can be accomplished in any suitable manner well known in the art. The function of both access flap member 48 and dispensing flap member 50 will be explained hereafter.

Continuing to refer to Fig. 1 a peripheral bond line 54 joins top layer 32 and bottom layer 40. Peripheral bond line 54 does not bond the total pe,iphery 26 of mitt body 22 but only those edge pGI tiGns of top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 that must be bonded in order to form interior space 28 and mitt opening 30 (Fig. 2). In Fig. 1 peripheral bond line 54 extends along and bonds together sides 34 of top layer 32 and sides 42 of bottom layer 40 and extends along and bonds together top end 36 and the mutually facing portion of top end 44. Access flap member 48 and dispensi"g flap member 50 are unbonded free ends.
Access flap member 48 is adjacent opening 30 to provide several advantages to the child.
One advantage is to help the child identify mitt opening 30 thereby assisting the child in properly using the mitt wipe 20. The extension of access flap member 48 beyond bottom end 38 of top layer 32 permits the child to visually locate opening 30. Another advantage is to enable the child to more easily separate top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 particularly when a desired solution has been arF~ For a child with a limited amount of manual dexterity, separdli"g two moist layers that are pressed flat togelher can be extremely diffficult.

.
The cleanup aspect of the toilet training process is thus aided by access flap member 48 visually identifying mitt opening 30 to the young child, and enabling the child to easily separate the top and bottom layers 32, 40 so that the child can place his or her hand into interior space 28 of mitt body 22. These advantages have been found to be very useful and helpful in encouraging a child during the cleanup aspect of the training process.

Still referring to Fig.1, the truncate-like shape of mitt body 22 better fits the outline of a child's hand, thereby assi~li"g the child in properly fitting mitt wipe 20 on his or her hand.
Proper fitting of mitt wipe 20 is a siyl l:~icanl factor in encouraging the child to want to use mitt wipe 20, and in helping the child to use mitt wipe 20 properly in the cleanup process.
Tapering sides 24 are cut or formed such that they form an angle with the vertical centerline 52, as viewed in Fig.1, in a range beh~een about 2 degrees to about 45 degrees. This range of taper is provided since children have different size hands.
Accordingly, the mitt wipes 20 can be provided in dirrt rt nl sizes, both in length and width, in order to accommodate a range of hand sizes. I lo.~evcr, if it is desired to have one size mitt wipe 20, a desired range of angles of taper is betv:een about 5 degrees to about 10 degrees.

The material of which mitt body 22 is made is i",po,lant in the cleanup aspect of the toilet llaini- I9 process. The material should be strong enough to resist tearing during normal use, yet still provide softness to the child's tender skin. One desired material is a 25 composite material comprisi"g a mixture of natural fibers and synthetic fibers. A desired natural fiber is a cellulosic fiber, and a desired synthetic fiber is a polypropylene fiber.

2 1 906$7 -These fibers can be suitably mixed in a meltblowing process in which the polypropylene fibers are meltblown into a stream of cellulosic fibers. In one desired method of meltblowing the polypropylene, the resulting nnicrorilJera have an average diameter of about 10 ",ic,ur,s or less with very few, if any, of the nnicrori6era exceeding 10 Illi :ons in diameter. The average diameter of the microril,era is usually greater than about 1 micron, and is desirably within the range of about 2 to about 6 microns. While the microfibers are predominantly di3conti"uous, they generally have a length Pxceedi.,g that normally ~ssoci~te~ with staple fibers. The stream of individualized fibers typically have a length of about 0.5 to about 10 millimeters and a length-to-maximum-width radio of about 10:1 to 400:1. A typical fiber cross-section has an irregular width of about 30 microns and a thickness of about 5 microns.

The meltblowing of synthetic fibers into a stream of cellulosic fibers results in an i,lli,nate mixture of cellulosic fibers and polymeric microfibera integrdted by physical er,l,ap",ent and mechanical entanglement, while suspended in space during the meltblowing process.
Recause the i"icroribera are longer, thinner, limper, and more flexible than the cellulosic fibers, the microfibers twist around and entangle the relatively short, thick, stiff cellulosic fibers as soon as the fiber streams merge. This entanglement inleruonnects the two .lirre,~nl types of fiber with strong, perablt:ril inter-fiber alldchl "ents without any significant molecular, adhesive, or hydrogen bonds. In the resulting mixture or matrix, the ,nicroribers retain a high degree of flexibility, with many of the ~iu~uriLlers being spaced apart by er,lan~'ement with the cellulosic fibers. The entangled cellulosic fibers are free to change their orientation when the matrix is subjected to various types of dislG, li"g forces, but the elasticity and resiliency of the microfiber network tends to return the cellulosic fibers to their' original positions when the distol li"g forces are removed. A coherent i"tegraled fiber 21 906$7 -structure is thus formed by the mechanical entanglement and physical enl,dpi"enl of the two dirFerenl fibers.

The mi~rofibers and the nature of their anchorage to the cellulosic fibers provide yielding "hinges" between the fibers in the final structure. The fibers are not rigidly bonded to each other, and their conne~;tion points permit fiber rotation, twisting, and bending. At even moderdle microfiLer content, the structure is capable of providing cloth-like prope,lies of "hand" and "drape," and is confo""able while retaining a degree of elasticity and resiliency.
Even when wet, such as with water, which softens the ce"l~'os c fibers, the material exhibits flexural resiliency and a wet al,er,ytl, cGn,par. t!e to its dry sl,enytl,. All of these properties are important in providing the desired tear-sl,eriytl, and softness to mitt wipe 20, so that the child's tender skin is not irritated, thereby enhanc;ng their use by the child in the toilet training process.

It should also be underalood that this containment of the ce'l ~'os c fibers, and the other characteristics noted above, are achieved in the air-formed l"aterial without the addition of adhesives and without any further process;"g or l,eal",enl. Because of the intended use of mitt wipe 20 by a young child, it is desi, t!e that as few additives as necess~ry are used. Again, this is a siy"ificanl factor in prc,l"oting the use of mitt wipes 20 by the child.
A wide variety of therrnop!-~-lic polymers are useful in forming the meltblown microfibers, so that the material can be fash.oned with dirrerent physical prope, lies by the appropri~le selection of polymers or combinations thereof. Among many useful thermoplastic polymers are polyolefins, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, polyamides, polyesters ' such as polyethylene teraphll,alate, and thermoplaslic elastomers such as polyurethanes.

21 906~7 One method of measuring tear strength is the determination of the breaking length of the material. This tensile sl-en!Jth test can be conducted with an Instron tester (Model No.
A70) using a ,-,ale,ial sample 1.0 inch (2.54 centimeters) wide and 3.0 inches (7.62 ce--limetera) long ((a longer sample can be used, but only a length of 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) is to be exposed bet ~ecn the jaws of the tester)). The sample can be loaded at a rate of 10 inches (25.4 cenli.-,elera) per minute at 70-72~F (21-22~C) and at 40-50 percent relative humidity. The measured tensile al.t:ngtl, is divided by the basis weight of the sample to give the breaking length. To measure the wet breaking length, the sample is immersed in water for 30 seconds and then laid on a blotter to remove excess water before testing. To measure redried breaking length, the sample is wetted and then air dried before testing.

When using this type of .,.alerial, it is desired that the natural fibers be presenl in an amount between about 80 percent to about 55 percent by weight of the total weight of the material, and the synthetic fibers present in an amount bet~een about 20 percent to about 45 per.;enl by weight of the total weight of the ~"alerial. In a desired e",bo-li",ent, the cellulosic fibers are present in an amount of about 65 per~;enl by weight of the total weight of the material, and the polypropylene fibers are prt:sent in an amount of about 35 percent by weight of the total weight of the ~.,dlelial.
It is also desired that the basis weight of the l"alerial be in the range of about 50 grams per square meter to about 100 grams per square meter, with a desired basis weight of about 75 grams per square meter.

Mitt body 22 can be made of an all natural fiber material, such as cellulosic fibers, cotton linters, rayon, flax, or the like, or of an all synthetic fiber material, such as polypropy~ene . .
fibers, polyester fibers, and polyethylene fibers. Still other types of synthetic fibers include water-soluble or water-dispersible polymers, such as polyethyloxazoline, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, water-dispersible acrylic polymers, starch polymers, or the like. Finally, mitt wipe 20 can be co",posed of a single material, or 5 different materials. For example, top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 can be made of the same material, or top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 can be made of Jifrerent materials.

It may be desirable to include a solution with mitt body 22. Some of the desired features of an app,o~,,iale solution are the moisturizing of the child's skin, improved cleaning of the child's skin, disinfecting cuts or bruises, and keeping the mitt wipe 20 clean and fresh prior to use. One desirable solution is that used in the commercially available wipes sold under the trade desi~,ldlion KLEENEX~9 HUGGIES~ Baby Wipes. If desired, top layer 32 and bottom layer 40 can be treated with the same or Jirrerenl solution, deper,Jing upon the desired use or uses of a min wipe 20.

Another advantage of using synthetic fibers in mitt body 22 is that the synthetic fibers permit the material of mitt body 22 to be ultrasonically bonded, as opposed to being adhesively bonded. This is particularly advantageous when a solution is used with mitt body 22. If an adhesive substance is used to bond the material togetl,er in order to form mitt wipe 20, there is concer" that a potential chemical interaction between the adhesive subatance and the solution could affect the solution or the integrity of the bond. By ultrasonically bonding materials togetl,er, the problem of potential chemical inl~rdction can be eliminated. Other advantages of ultrasonically bonding the material include extending the material's shelf life, and the ability to use higher manufacturing speeds, compared, for example, to the ~, F'.cation of hot melt adhesives. A desired ultrasonic bond is a chevron-like pattem that provides better ,~si~lance to tearing than straight-line bonding.

- 21 9a647 , Ultrasonic bonding is a type of fusion bonding in which the adhering or coheringmechanism is provided by the materials involved in the process. For example, with the composite material described above, it is the synthetic fibers that provide the bonding betv.een the layers of ",ale,ial. Other exai"F'es of fusion bonding include thermal bonding or heat bonding.

Another type of suitable bonding is mechanical bonding such as for example, hydroentangling, cri",F..,g, embossi"g, and needle punching. These methods are particularly suitable for bonding materials made of all natural fibers.

A common advantage of these ",etl,ods of bonding is that they do not require a third agent, such as an adhesive, that can negatively affect or neutralize a solution in the ",aterial of which mitt body 22 is made.
Irrespective of the chosen bonding mechanis." or method used in constructing mitt wipe 20, it is desired that the tear strength of the bond area, for example, peri~,herdl bond line 54, be greater than or equal to the tear strength of the material, or materials, of which mitt body 22 is made.
It was earlier described that mitt wipe 20 (Fig. 1) can be manufactured in various sizes. A
desired mitt wipe 20 has a length, as measured between bottom end 46 and top end 44, of about 13 cer,li",etera, and an intermediate width betwecn sides 24, as measured along a line perpendicular to vertical centerline 52 and midway betv.een top end 36 and bottom end 38, of about 11 cenli,.~elers. The length of access flap member 48, measuredbetween bottom ends 38, 46, is desired to be about 1 centimeter, while the length of 2 1 ~06~7 dispensi"g flap member 50 measured betv.~een top ends 36 44 is desired to be about 1 centimeter.

An important di"~ension of mitt wipe 20 (Fig.1) is the inside width of interior space 28 (Fig.
2). This meas~ ",ent is taken betv,een the sides 24 along a horizontal i.e. per,uendicular to vertical centerline 52 line midway bet ~een top end 36 and bottom end 38. In Fig.1 this measurement is between the innermost portions of bond line 54 as indicated by numeral 58. A desired minimum width of interior space 28 is about 8 centimeters and a desired maximum width is about 13 centimeters. It has been discovered that this width range generally corresponds to a mitt opening 30 that best permits a child's hand to reach into interior space 28 without applying too great of a stress along the bonded portions such as along peripheral bond line 54. This width range allows the child to easily put on and take off mitt wipe 20 while properly maintaining the mitt wipe 20 on the hand i.e.
preventing rotation or slipping of the mitt wipe 20 on the hand. Any such rotation or s!ir,~.. ,9 will negatively impact both the cleaning process and the toilet training process of the child.

Referring now primarily to Fig. 3 there is illustrated a stack 60 of mitt wipes 20 arranged in an altemating "~anner. Due to the truncate-like shape of mitt wipes 20 when they are st~ked one upon an-Jtl,er in an alternating manner portions of one mitt wipe 20 are e~-osed outside the periphery of an-~tl ,er mitt wipe 20. For example stack 60 has a topmost or uppermost mitt wipe 20 that is completely visible to the user. The uppermost mitt wipe 20 includes a periphery 26 that is defined by top end 44 bottom end 46 and taperi"g sides 24 all of which are visible to the user. Directly underneath mitt wipe 20 is a ' second or f~l'c~,; ,9 mitt wipe given the identifying numberal 62 for purposes of ex,~lanalion and clarity, including top end 66, bottom end 68 and taperi"g sides 64 which .
form or define periphery 70 of the f~ w;ng mitt wipe 62. Since the stack 60 is composed of an alle",dti"g arrangement of truncate-like mitt wipes, following mitt wipe 62 has exposed po, lions 72 that are clearly visible outside or beyond periphery 26 of the u~per" ,o~l mitt wipe 20.

When considering this stack 60 of alten,dti"g mitt wipes, also bearing in mind that they may be i",pregnated with a solution, and the availability of access flap member 48 of uppermost mitt wipe 20 and access flap member 74 of the following mitt wipe 62, numerous advantages are available to the child, invalid, geriatric adult, or other users that have undeveloped or diminished manual deAlerit~. Assuming, for explanation purposes, that the user is a young child of about 3 years of age, this stack 60 of mitt wipes enables the child to easily dispense a single mitt wipe, to identify easily the opening of the mitt wipe, to position correctly the mitt wipe on the hand, and to wipe satisfactorily after using the toilet, all of which encourages and supports the child in the cleaning-up process, thereby enabling the child to proceed successfully through the toilet training stage in an acceptable, or shortened, period of time.

In use, the child will easily identify uppermost mitt wipe 20 because of it being on top and completely visible to the child. Furthermore, the truncate-like shape and access flap member 48 visually identify to the child the locdtion of mitt opening 30. Since the fcll~ ,;, lg mitt wipe 62 is aller"dlely positioned i"""edialely below mitt wipe 20, the exposed portions 72 of f~ ;"9 mitt wipe 62 assist the child in dispensi"g only uppermost mitt wipe 20. The child merely needs to wedge a finger betAeen an eYposed portion 72 and dispensing flap member 50 or a taperi"g side 24 of mitt wipe 20 to enable the child to easily peel or dispense uppermost mitt wipe 20 from following mitt wipe 62. Allar"alely, the child could .~
nip or pinch a comer of access flap member 48 or bottom end 46 of of mitt wipe 20, and then peel or cJispense uppermost mitt wipe 20 from following mitt wipe 62.

After dicpensing the single mitt wipe 20, the truncate-like shape, as well as access flap me,nber 48, of mitt wipe 20 visually informs the child which end to look at in order to find mitt opening 30 (Fig. 2). The child can insert or wedge a finger between access flap member 48 and top layer 32 (Fig. 2) in order to separale top layer 32 from bottom layer 40 thereby exposing mitt opening 30 (Fig. 2). The child then can insert his or her hand into interior space 28. Thus, both the truncate-like shape and access flap member 48 enable the child to properly and easily fit the mitt wipe 20 to his or her hand. If addilional mitt wipes are required, then the removal of a single fo"aw;"g mitt wipe 62 is performed in the same ",anner as the removal of the uppermost mitt wipe 20.

The above representative example of use clearly reveals a few of the advanlages of the stack 60 of mitt wipes 20. As earlier described, invalids, geriatric adults, and others with undeveloped or diminished manual dexterity equally benefit from the numerous advantages available through the design and arrangement of mitt wipes 20.

Refer, i"g now to Figs. 4-10, a clispenser 80 is illustrated containing therein a plurality of alter, Idtil ,9 truncate-like mitt wipes 20. Dispenser 80 is desirably reusable, so that once mitt wipes 20 have been dep'eted, a new supply of mitt wipes 20 can be placed indispenser 80. Generally, dispenser 80 can be reused illderillitoly as long as proper care is taken to prevent it from becoming broken, bent, cracked, or otherwise unusable. As illustrated in Fig. 4, mitt wipes 20 are arranged in a stacked, aller"ati"g manner, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3. This permits each mitt wipe 20 to be easily separaled or peeled apart from the f~"aw;ng mitt wipe, as desc,it,ed earlier.

Dispenser 80 (Fig. 4) comp,ises a lid member 84 that is hingedly joined to a rigid, flexible tub body 100. Lid member 84 (Figs. 4 and 8) includes a top wall 86 and a continuous side member 88 which extends outwardly from top wall 86. Generally, top wall 86 and continuous side member 88 will form an angle between about 80 dey, ~es to about 100 degrees with each other. Continuous side member 88 includes opposila side members 90 (Fig. 4), a front member 92, a back member 94, and a peripheral edge portion 96. A hinge portion 98 joins lid member 84 to tub body 100, so that lid member 84 can be moved between an open position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and a closed position, as illustrated in Figs. 5-10.

The purpose and function of lid ",e",ber 84 is irnpo,La,lt to the desired pelrur",ance of dispenser 80 in properly containing and di~pensi"g mitt wipes 20. Dispenser 80 comprises a tub body 100 that acts in cooperation with lid member 84 to provide a d;spenser that can be easily used by a child going through the toilet training stage. In this respect, the length, width, and height of dispenser 80 are important in insuring a child can easily hold .lispenser 80 in one hand, and easily dispense a single mitt wipe 20 with the other hand.
Some conventional containers for containing wet wipes, or the like, are so large and/or cumbersome that they require the child to use two hands to hold a cGntai"er, thereby making it difficult for the child both to hold the container and to easily di~pense a single wipe II ,er~fl ul,,.

Referring to Fig. 4, dispenser 80 has a length 102, a width 104, and a height 106. One set of desired di"~ensions for di~penser 80 is a length between about 10 to about 13 centimeters, a width betwecn about 6 to about 9 centimeters, and a height between about 7 to about 11 cer,lil"elera. In order for a child to properly and easily handle 2 1 qO647 dispenser 80 and the plurality of mitt wipes 20 therein, it is important that at least either the length 102 or width 104 have a dimension equal to or less than about 10 centimeters. It has been discovered that children passing through the toilet training stage can vary in age generally betw,een about two years old and about five years old. In this particular age range, the body can grow dramatically, such that a two-year-old child may only have half the hand span as he or she will have at the age of five. It is i",po,lanl, ll,erefore, that the children with smaller hand spans are able to d;spense a mitt wipe 20 as easily as older children with greater hand spans. It has been determined that a length or width dimension equal to or less than about 10 centimeters allows most any child in this age range to easily and firmly grasp dispenser 80 in one hand, so that mitt wipes 20 can be easily dispensed II,erer,ur,, with the other hand. If the child is required to handle and manipulate .lispenser 80 with both hands, then it will be very difficult to dispense mitt wipes 20 one at a time, and this is particularly so if mitt wipes 20 include a solution. It is important to both the parent, or caregiver, and child that the child not be discouraged or frustrated during this very sensitive and important stage of his or her maturing process.

Still refer, ing to Fig. 4, tub body 100 comprises a continuous side wall 108 defined by opposite side walls 110, a front wall 112, a back wall 114, and a bottom wall 116.
Continuous side wall 108 further includes a peripheral rim portion 118, and defines a tub interior 120 and a tub opening 122.

Refer,i"g to Figs. 9-10, a sealing means 124 (Fig.10) between peril,herdl edge portion 96 and peripheral rim portion 118 serves to properly position lid member 84 (Fig. 4) over tub opening 120 (Fig. 4) and to inhibit the sepa,dlion from or evaporation of a solution applied ' to mitt wipes 20. Sealing means 124 includes a downwardly extending flange 126 (Fig. 10) of peripheral edge portion 96, an upwardly extending flange 128 of peripheral rim 2 ~ 906~7 portion 118, and a support surface 130 of peripheral rim portion 118. The terms "downwardly" and "upwardly" are to be read and l"lden~lood with reference to Figs. 9-10.
In the formation and the orientation of flanges 126, 128, it is important that they provide complementary sealing edges about tub opening 122. In this respect, flanges 126, 128 can be totally peri~.herally arranged around lid member 84 and tub opening 122, respectively. Whether or not flanges 126,128 are totally peripherally arranged depends upon the construction of hinge portion 98 (Fig. 4). For example, if hinge portion 98 directly joins the edges of lid member 84 and tub body 100 as illustrated, then flanges 126, 128 will stop at hinge portion 98. On the other hand, if hinge portion 98 is a strap-type hinge, i.e., a strap that overlaps the edges of lid member 84 and tub body 100, then flanges 126,128 will be a"dnged around the total periphery of lid member 84 and tub opening 122. In any event, when lid ",e",ber 84 is in the closed positiGn, downwardly extending flange 126 and upwardly extending flange 128 mutually contact one an.~tl,er, with flange 126 resting on support surface 130, although not shown this way in Fig.10 for purposes of ex~,lanalion and understanding.

Important to the construction of sealing means 124 (Fig.10) is that upwardly extending flange 128 is inwardly ~lisposed of dow.~,J~ardly extending flange 126 relative to tub interior 120 (Fig. 4). Since dispenser 80 is desi,dbly made of a rigid, but flexible material, when dispenser 80 is firmly y,asped in the hand, continuous side wall 108 (Fig. 4) can flex inwardly at the point of applied force. This same force also causes po, lions of continuous side wall 108 spaced from the point of applied force to flex outwardly. This outwardly flexing can cause flange 128 to be moved against flange 126, thereby further sealing lid member 84 in the closed positiGn against tub body 100, but not to the degree that it makes ' it difficult for a child to dispense a mitt wipe 20.

Zl 90647 .
Referring to Figs. 8-9 a positive latching means 132 latches or locks lid member 84 to tub body 100. The term "positive latching means that when positioned in the latched or locked position the user will hear or feel a ;snap when the latching or locking occurs.
This can be important to the child in properly using dispenser 80. The positive latching means 132 co",prises an outer finger latch 134 extending downwardly as viewed in Fig. 8 from peri~,herdl edge portion 96 (Fig. 9). The outer finger latch 134 includes a wedge-like tip 136 having a locking surface 138. A wedge-like extension 140 is formed or constructed on pe, ipheral rim portion 118. Wedge-like extension 140 has a locking surface 142 that forcibly engages locking surface 138 when wedge-like tip 136 is snapped over wedge-like extension 140 when the lid mei"ber 84 is moved to the closed position as illustrated in Figs. 5-10. At least one inner guide pin 144 extends downwardly from lid member 84 and is spaced inwardly of outer finger latch 134 a distance sufficient to allow an upper end portion 146 of front wall 112 to slide II,er~between when lid member 84 is in the closed posilion. By position ng upper end portion 146 between outer latch finger 134 and at least one inner guide pin 144 the locking surfaces 138 142 are properly positioned so as to latch or lock togetl ,er and to maintain upper end portion 146 in a secure or firm position.

If a solution has been applied to mitt wipes 20 they can tend to stick or adhere together such that the pulling upwardly of a mitt wipe 20 can cause dispenser 80 to also be lifted due to the ~I,enytl, of the adl,esion between mitt wipes 20. This is why the dimensions of dicpenser 80 are i",po,lant to its proper use by a child. If the child cannot easily grasp dispenser 80 firmly with one hand in order to dispense a mitt wipe 20 with the other hand then the child can beco",e quickly discouraged with the cleanup process. I lo/.~/cr in accordance with the preser,l invention the length 102 and/or width 104 has a dimension equal to or less than about 10 cer,li,oeter thereby pern,itling the child to easily and firmly grasp dispenser 80 with one hand while dispensi"g a mitt wipe 20 with the other hand.

.

In order to remove a single mitt wipe 20 from a closed dispenser 80, the user can insert his or her finger betv~een outer finger latch 134 (Fig. 9) and front wall 112, thereby levering or separating wedge-like tip 136 from wedge-like extension 140. Once locking surfaces 138, 142 are separaled, outer finger latch 134 can be moved upwardly to open lid member 84.
Once open, the user can remove as many mitt wipes 20 as desired, and then close lid member 84 to seal the remaining mitt wipes 20 within dispenser 80.

Dispenser 80 can be made of any suitable material or materials, and can be manufactured in any suitable manner. For example, di~penser 80 can be made of polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, or the like, and can be manufactured by, for example, a vacuum molding prucess or an injection molding p,ucess. The structural ele."ents of dispenser 80, for example, top wall 86, continuous side r"e"~ber 88, continuous side wall 108, and bottom wall 116, can have any desired thickness. A suitable range of thickness for a dispenser 80 is between about 0.25 mils to about 0.42 mils.

Illustrated in Fig. 11 is one process for manufacturing and packaging a stack of allar"dli"g truncate-like dispos~hle mitt wipes 20. The truncate-like shape of the mitt wipe 20 permits a zero-waste manufacturing process. The process of manufacturing the mitt wipe in alle" ,~ting truncate-like shapes or designs eli."inates the necessity of trimming excess material away in order to form the shape, thereby resulting in a cost savings. Further cost savings are realized in the elir"i"alion of waste trim handling and dispos;"g requirements.

The process manufactures the mitt wipes 20 in an alternating truncate-like manner. That is, adjacent mitt wipes in the manufacturing process are formed in a reversed orientation, such that the top edge of one mitt wipe is contiguous with the bottom edge of an adjacent 21 ~0647 mitt wipe. Therefore, when cut to form individual mitt wipes from a continuous composite, the mitt wipes can be stacked "as is", with the narrower top portion of an uppermost mitt wipe e~.osing the wider portion of a following mitt wipe. The need, lherefore, to rotate every other mitt wipe in order to stack them in a manner in which their shapes are alternating is completely eliminated.

Refer,i,)g to Fig. 11, an unwind station 148 comprises a first unwind roll 150 and a second unwind roll 152, both of which are desiy"ed to unroll or deliver a continuously moving layer of ",aterial in a first direction 154, which is generally hori~onlal. Each unwind roll 150,152 can be constructed and operated in any suitable manner well known in the art fordelivering continuously moving ",alerials.

The uppermost, as viewed in Fig.11, unwind roll 150, delivers a continuously moving top, or first, layer 156 having a centerline desig, Idled 158. Top layer 156 includes continuously moving opposed sides 160. Ultimately, continuously moving top layer 156 will form top layer 32 (Fig. 1) of a mitt wipe 20.

Similarly, unwind roll 152 delivers a continuously moving bottom, or second, layer 162 having opposed sides 164 and a centerline 166 midway beh~,een continuously moving opposed sides 164. Ulli"~alely, continuously moving bottom layer 162 will form bottom layer 40 (Fig.1) of mitt wipe 20. Therefore, bottom layer 162 is wider than continuously moving top layer 156. In other words, opposed sides 164 are spaced farther apart than opposed sides 160.

The continuously moving layers 156,162 are brought together at reg;sl~alion device 168, such that the centerline 158 of top layer 156 is superimposed on centerline 166 of bottom layer 162. The reg;~l,dlion of centerlines 158,166 can be accomplished in any manner well known in the art, such as by manual rey;~l,dlion, electro-optical control systems, or the like. Essentially, any such operation or system involves comparing the location of one centerline, or an opposed side, relative to the other centerline, or an opposed side, and then adjusting one or both in order to bring them in proper reg;sl,dlion. If desired, the centerlines 158, 166, can be selectively offset, as dictated by the desired construction of the mitt wipes 20. For purposes of simplicity and clarificdlion"eg;~llalion device 168 is illustrated as two cylindrical rolls 170 forming a nip 172 through which continuously moving layers 156, 162 are delivered for reg;;,l,dlion and the forming of an unbonded composite 182.

Thereafter, registered ~",bonded co",posite 182 continues to move to a bond,"g station 174, which is desi,dbly a rotary ult,dson c bonding station. Bonding station 174 comprises a bonder, such as rotary ultrasonic bonder 180 having a smooth bonder surface 190, and an anvil, such as rotary anvil drum 176 having a sul,sldnlially continuous raised bond surface 178. Although numerous methods are available for bonding materials togetl,er, such as heat bonding, ll,er",al bonding, mechan.~~' bonding, or the like, a particularly useful method is ultrasonic bonding, and more particularly rotary ultrasonic bonding. Such ultrasonic bonding devices are commercially available from Branson Ultrasonics Corporation of Danbury, CT

Rotary anvil drum 176 includes the raised bond surface 178 which is elevated in relation to subsurface 184. As illustrated, the bond surface 178 has a subslar,lially continuous truncate-like-like shape, which will ultimately result in peripherdl bond line 54 (Fig.1) of mitt' wipe 20. Bond surface 178 includes a parallel bond portion 186 that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel, such as direction 154, and a pair of angular bond portions 188 that depend outwardly from the end portions of a parallel bond portion 186. As illustrated, there is a series of parallel bond portions 186 on each side of rotary anvil drum 176. Tog~U,er, the series of parallel bond portions 186 and angular bond po, lions 188 form the subsldr,lially continuous bond surface 178. If desired, due to the particular design of a mitt wipe 20, bond surface 178 can take a shape or form other than a continuous line, such as a discontinuous line, or a pattern of individual bond points. The particular design of a raised bond surface 178 will depend to a certain degree upon the design andconstruction of a mitt wipe 20 and the materials of which it is made.

Contingent upon the construction and materials of a particular mitt wipe 20 is the height of the raised bond surface 178 above the subsurface 184 of rotary anvil drum 176.
Generally, based upon the above desc.iLed materials of which a mitt wipe 20 can be manufactured, the height of bond surface 178 above subsurface 184 is in the range between about 2.5 to about 16 millimeters, with a more particular range betwecn about 8 to about 12 millimeters.

Similarly, the angle defined between a parallel bond portion 186 and an angular bond portion 188 is dictated by the construction, and possibly, the materials of a mitt wipe 20.
As illustrated in Fig.11 and discussed above, the process manufactures truncate-like shape mitt wipes 20 without a need to trim off and dispose of waste material. The desired angular range between a parallel bond portion 186 and an angular bond portion 188 is between about 45~ to about 90~, and more particularly between about 80~ to about 85~.
The measure of a specific angle is at the intersection of lines that bisect bond portions 186, 188.

2 1 ~064~

Although the illustrated process results in a truncate-like mitt wipe 20, it contemplates other designs that may significantly, or subtly, deviate from this shape. For example, one truncate-like shape can have rounded comers, as opposed to the illustrated angular corners defined by parallel bond pol lions 186 and angular bond portions 188. Other similar desiyl Is can include wave-like patle, lls or the like. Although these other non-truncate-like shapes can produce a stack of individual mitt wipes, they may not result in a zero-waste process. The truncate-like and similar desigl Is are desired because they can result in a finished mitt-wipe with zero waste of ",ala,ial in its manufacture. By "finished" is meant that no other additional manufacturing steps or finishing steps are required in order to make the mitt wipe functional and/or aesll,atically pleasing to the user.

As the unbonded cGnlposite 182 is continuously moved toward and between rotary anvil drum 176 and rotary ultlason.r~ bonder 180, top layer 156 and bottom layer 162 are bonded togelher with a continuous bond pattem 192, which is essentially the same design and shape as raised bond surface 178. Thus, continuous bond pattem 192 co,llpri~es a series of parallel bond pattems 191 (con~sponding to parallel bond portions 186) and a series of angular bond pdtl~rlls 193 (corlesponding to angular bond portions 188). As the two layers 156,162 move between rotary anvil drum 176 and rotary ultrasonic bonder 180, the bond surface 178 operales in conjunction with smooth bonder surface 190 to ultrasonically bond the layers 156,162 together.

The bonding of unbonded cG,Ilposite 182 as it passes through bonding station 174 results in a bonded composite 194 that continuously moves toward turning bar 196, which turns continuously moving bonded composite 194 to a second direction 198 toward ~F'.~~~or station 200. As illustrated in Fig.11, second direction 198 is in a vertical or upward direction, as opposed to the direction of first direction 154. The term "vertical" with ~l 90641 reference to second direction 198 includes any upwardly directed orientation; it does not necess~rily mean a purely vertical orienlalion, or imply that the angular measurement between first direction 154 and second direction 198 is 90~. The angular measurement between first direction 154 and second direction 198 can be as desired, or as required by the process or space available in the manufacturing area.

App'.c~tor station 200 includes a spray device 202 for disposi"g or applying a solution on bonded composite 194. The term Uapplying", as well as the term Udisposi, ,9'', with reference to spray device 202 includes any method or form of delivering a solution to a layer, such as, by way of example, spraying, alor"i~i"g, soaking, impregnating, or the like.
Although the spray device 202 is illustrated as apply;"g a solution only on top layer 156 of bonded composite 194, a second spray device can also be located on the opposite side for applying a solution to bottom layer 162. The second spray device is not illustrated for purposes of clarity and simplicity in the drawings. Spray device 202 includes devices that not only dispose or apply continuous streams of solution, but also devices that deliver atol"i~ed droplets of solution, a continuous or discontinuous sheet-like layer of solution, or the like. Spray device 202 is thus any device that disposes or applies a solution in any desired manner or pattern.

The angular olielltdtion of second direction 198 is i",pollant to app'ic~tor station 200 and the type of solution ~i~posed on bonded cor"posite 194. The vertical or upward direction of second direction 198 allows excess solution, which is not absorl,ed or collected by bonded colllposite 194, to run or flow do~ "J:ardly to be absorbed or co"ected by portions of bonded composite 194 that are moving toward arp'.o~tor station 200. This prevents excess solution from leaking through layers 156, 162 onto other operating machinery, operators, or the like, and eliminates waste of the applied solution; both of which can occur 21 ~0647 in a process in which the layers would be run generally horizontally through an applicator station.

The angular direction of second direction 198 is dependent upon several factors, such as the speed of continuously moving bonded coi"posite 194, the flow rate of solution from spray device 202, the materials of which bonded cor"posite 194 are made, the viscosity of the solution, or the like. Generally speaking, and in view of the above description, spray device 202 provides a range of flow rates betv~een about 100 pounds per hour (about 12 grams per second) to about 1,000 pounds per hour (about 126 grams per second), and more particularly in a range of flow rates between about 500 pounds per hour (about 63 grams per second) to about 600 pounds per hour (about 75 grams per second).

In addilion to spray device 202 applying a solution at a relatively uniform flow rate, spray device 202 can also be selected to vary the flow rate of solution, so as to provide a non-uniform, continuous or discontinuous, concenl,dlion of solution at selected portions of bonded co",posile 194. For exzir"F'e, the spray device 202 can be selected to provide a first desired solution at a first flow rate to top layer 156, while a second spray device (not illustrated) can provide a second desired solution at a difreleril second flow rate to bottom layer 162. Various cGi"b-nations of solutions, flow rates, concenl,dlions or the like can be made available at a~F' c~or station 200 in any manner known in the art. In one embodiment, there is provided a spray device 202 and a second spray device (not illustrated) apply;"g top layer 156 and bottom layer 162 with the same solution at the same flow rate. In ar,.~tl,er embodiment, there is provided a bonded composite 194 in which top layer 156 is made of a first ",alerial and bottom layer 162 is made of a second, different material, and in which spray device 202 applies a first solution to top layer 156 and a second spray device (not illustrated) applies a second, different solution to bottom layer 162. In this latter case, top layer 156 could be provided with a cleaning solution, and bottom layer 162 could be provided with an insect repellenl, sunscreen lotion, or the like.
In the latter case, spray device 202 and a second spray device (not illustrated) may need to be chosen in accordance with the viscosity of the solution to be applied, so that spray device 202 could apply, for example, continuous sl,ear"s of solution to top layer 156, while a second spray device (not illustrated) could apply, for example, atomized dlop'_ts of a lotion to bottom layer 162. I"espe~live of the choice of spray devices 202, the solutions to be disposed or arPI P- ~l or the material composition of layers 156, 162, -pF'.~~'or station 200 can be designed, constructed and operaled in any suitable manner well known in the art.

After moving through applicator station 200, bonded coi"posite 194 passes over turning bar 204 to a third di. e~lion 206 toward cutting station 208. The third direction 206 can be parallel, or not, to first direction 154. The angular orienlalion betl .~cn third direction 206 and first direction 154 can be dependenl upon various factors, such as equipment size, building space available, processi"g speeds, or the like.

From turning bar 204, bonded composite 194 continues to cutting station 208, which is desi,ably a rotary cutting station co",p,isi"g a rotary blade roll 210 having a plurality of cutting blades 212 extending upwardly from the surface of blade roll 210. A rotary support roll 214 rotates in conjunction with blade roll 210 and forms therewith a nip 216 through which bonded composite 194 moves to be cut into a plurality of mitt wipes 20. The construction and pattern formed by cutting blades 212 is, forthe most part, dependenl upon the pattern of bond surface 178 of rotary bonder 176. In the illustrated process, cutting blades 212 are positioned at an angle to the axis of blade roll 210 that is idenlical, or subslanlially identical, to the angle formed by an angular bond portion 188 with the axis ~ 21qO~$7 of rotary bonder 176. As bonded co",posite 194 moves through nip 216, a single cuKing blade 212 will cut bonded composite 194 along a cut line 218 that desirably bisects an angular bond pattern 193 of continuous bond pattern 192. Although it is prefer,ed that a cut line 218 bisects an angular bond pattern 193, this is not a rigid requirement, and it is only necess~ry that the cut line 218 at least cut through the complete length of an angular bond pattern 193 so that two mitt wipes 20 resulting from cut lines 218 are provided with respective peripheral bond lines 54. Because top layer 156 is less wide, i.e., narrower in width, than bottom layer 162, the portions of bottom layer 162 that extend beyond top layer 156 form an access flap member 48 and a dispensi"g flap member 50 on each individual mitt wipe 20.

For the cutting blades 212 to properly cut along the desired cutlines 218 and through respective angular bond patl~llls 193, rotary blade roll 210 is synchroni~ed with rotary bonder 176, the speed at which bonded composite 194 is traveling, the pattern or shape of angular bond paller"s 193, orthe like. This synchronization can be accon,F' shed by any suitable means known in the art, such as by mechan s-' linkage, electro-optical reg;~l,dlion systems, manual adjustment, or the like.

Cutting station 208 can co",prise other mechanisms for cutting, other than blades 212.
For example, cutting station 208 can use fluidjet cutting mechanisms, reciprocating cutting mechanis",s, laser cutting mechani_n,s, or the like.

As bonded composite 194 proceeds through cutting station 208, a plurality of mitt wipes 20 are formed, and then are continuously moved to a stacking station 220. At stacking station' 220, the individually formed mitt wipes 20 are directly stacked into an a"angel"ent illustrated by stack 60. The term Udirectly stackedn, or ~directly stackiny", means that the 21 9~47 individual mitt wipes 20 are stacked one upon anolher, without the necessity of having to aller"dle every other mitt wipe 20, in order to expose portions of an underlying or fol' J~ ;. lg mitt wipe 20 beyond the periphery of an overlaying or uppermost mitt wipe 20. Asexplained with reference to Fig. 3, an underlying or f~ ;. ,g mitt wipe 62 has exposed portions 72 that are visually discemible beyond the peri,uhery 26 of an overlaid or uppermost mitt wipe 20.

Because of the truncate-like shape into which mitt wipes 20 are formed, several important advanlages result. One of these advanlages is that the mitt wipes 20 can be directly stacked in an alter"ati"g fashion, such as stack 60 in Fig. 3. Another i",po,lar,l advantage is the absence of a trimming station for trimming waste material from the composite 194.
The truncate-like shape of mitt wipes 20, and the process of manufacturing them in an a'ta",dling ",anner, naturally provides a cost saving in both the prucess of manufacturing and the product itself. The miK wipes 20 do not have any unnecess~ry or excess material that must be trimmed, nor is there any necessity of having add;tional apparatus or processi"g steps for perfomming the trimming function and dispensing with the waste material in an accept~hly env;,onn,enlal manner.

The types of appardlus available for stacking the individual mitt wipes 20 are well known in the art, and any suitable such apparalus can be used, or modified as necessary.

Following the stacking station 220, the stack 60 of mitt wipes 20 then proceeds to a packaging station 222 for packaging a stack 60 of mitt wipes 20 into the interior 120 of dispenser 80 with the lid member 84 open. This packaging step results in a plurality of individual .lispenser~ 80, such as that illustrated in Fig. 4. The types of appardlus available for packaging station 222 are well known in the art, and any suitable appardlus can be used, or modified as necessary, for accomplishing the packaging of a stack 60 of mitt wipes 20 into a dispenser 80.

While this invention has been descii~ed as having a prefer,~d embodiment, it will be understood that it is capable of further modiricalions. This arp'.c~tion is therefore i"tended to cover any variations, uses, equivalents, or adapt~1;ons of the invention f~ w.;ng the general principles of, and including such departures from the presenl disclosure as come or may come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims (32)

1. A reusable dispenser having a stacked arrangement of disposable mitt wipes therein, said reusable dispenser comprising:
a tub body made of a rigid, flexible material, and comprising a continuous side wall and a bottom wall forming a tub interior and a tub opening, a peripheral rim portion on said continuous side wall, a lid member comprising a continuous side member and a top wall, a peripheral edge portion on said continuous side member, a sealing means between said peripheral rim portion and said peripheral edge portion for sealing said peripheral rim portion and said peripheral edge portion together, and a stacked arrangement of disposable mitt wipes in said tub interior, each said mitt wipe including an interior space and a mitt opening, whereby each said mitt wipe can be fitted on a user's hand.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
a hinge portion joining said lid member to said tub body so that said lid member is movable between a closed position about said tub opening and an open position, and a positive latching means for latching said lid member to said tub body.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said sealing means includes a downwardly extending flange and an upwardly extending flange, said flanges providing complementary sealing edges at said tub opening when said lid member is in a closed position.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said flanges are in mutual contact when said lid member is in said closed position.

5. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein said downwardly extending flange is totally peripherally arranged around said lid member, and said upwardly extending flange is totally peripherally arranged around said tub opening.

6. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein said upwardly extending flange is inwardly disposed of said downwardly extending flange relative to said tub interior.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said peripheral rim portion includes a support surface, and said downwardly extending flange rests on said support surface when said lid member is in said closed position.

8. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said positive latching means comprises an outer finger latch extending downwardly from said peripheral edge portion of said lid member, and wherein a wedge-like extension is on said peripheral rim portion of said tub body, and said wedge-like extension engages said outer finger latch when said lid member is in said closed position.

9. The dispenser of claim 8 wherein said positive latching means further comprises at least one guide pin extending downwardly from said lid member and being spaced inwardly of said outer finger latch, and wherein said continuous side wall of said tub body has an end portion positioned between said outer finger latch and said at least one guide pin when said lid member is in said closed position.

10. The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said outer finger latch includes a wedge-like tip having a locking surface thereon, said wedge-like extension includes a locking surface thereon, and said locking surfaces engage one another when said lid member is in said closed position.

11. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said tub body has a length dimension and a width dimension, one of said dimensions being equal to or less than about 10 centimeters.

12. A reusable dispenser and a stack of disposable mitt wipes, comprising:
a tub body made of a flexible material, and comprising a continuous side wall and a bottom wall forming a tub interior and a tub opening, said continuous side wall including a peripheral rim portion, a lid member hingedly joined to said tub body, and including a peripheral edge portion, a sealing means between said peripheral rim portion and said peripheral edge portion for sealing said peripheral rim portion and said peripheral edge portion together, and a stacked arrangement of alternating disposable mitt wipes in said tub interior.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein said lid member is movable between a closed position wherein said tub opening is closed and an open position wherein said tub opening is open, and further comprising a positive latching means for latching said lid member to said tub body in said closed position.

14. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein said tub body has a length dimension and a width dimension, one of said dimensions being equal to or less than about 10 centimeters.

15. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein said mitt wipes have a solution disposed thereon.

16. The dispenser of claim 13 wherein said positive latching means comprises an outer finger latch extending downwardly from said peripheral edge portion of said lid member, wherein a wedge-like extension is on said peripheral rim portion of said tub body, and said wedge-like extension engages said outer finger latch when said lid member is in said closed position.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein said positive latching means further comprises at least one guide pin extending downwardly from said lid member and being spaced inwardly of said outer finger latch, and wherein said continuous side wall of said tub body has an end portion positioned between said outer finger latch and said at least one guide pin when said lid member is in said closed position.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein said outer finger latch includes a wedge-like tip having a locking surface thereon, said wedge-like extension includes a locking surface thereon, and said locking surfaces engage one another when said lid member is in said closed position.

19. The dispenser of claim 18 wherein said sealing means includes a downwardly extending flange and an upwardly extending flange, said flanges providing complementary sealing edges at said tub opening when said lid member is in said closed position.

20. The dispenser of claim 19 wherein said flanges are in mutual contact when said lid member is in said closed position.

21. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said downwardly extending flange is peripherally arranged around said lid member, and said upwardly extending flange is peripherally arranged around said tub opening.

22. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said upwardly extending flange is inwardly disposed of said downwardly extending flange relative to said tub interior.

23. The dispenser of claim 22 wherein said peripheral rim portion includes a support surface, and said downwardly extending flange rests on said support surface when said lid member is in said closed position.

24. The dispenser of claim 23 wherein said tub body has a length dimension and a width dimension, one of said dimensions being equal to or less than about 10 centimeters.

25. In a dispenser comprising a tub body including a continuous side wall and bottom wall forming a tub interior and a tub opening, and a lid member for closing said tub opening; a stacked arrangement of alternating disposable mitt wipes in said tub interior, each said disposable mitt wipe comprising:
a mitt body having a periphery with tapering sides, and defining an interior space and a mitt opening, and an access flap member at said mitt opening for visually identifying said mitt opening, whereby a user is assisted in easily identifying said mitt opening for proper fitting and use of said mitt wipe.

26. The stacked arrangement of claim 25 wherein each said mitt wipe further comprises a dispensing flap member opposite from said access flap member, thereby assisting a user in individually dispensing a single mitt wipe from said stacked arrangement.

27. The stacked arrangement of claim 26 wherein each said mitt wipe is made of a material comprising an entangled mixture of natural fibers and synthetic fibers.

28. The stacked arrangement of claim 27 wherein said synthetic fibers are ultrasonically bondable.

29. The stacked arrangement of claim 25 wherein said interior space has a width in the range between about 8 to about 13 centimeters.

30. The stacked arrangement of claim 25 wherein said mitt body comprises a top layer and a bottom layer, one of said layers having a solution disposed thereon.

31. The stacked arrangement of claim 30 wherein both of said layers have said solution disposed thereon.

32. The stacked arrangement of claim 30 wherein the other of said layers has a different solution disposed thereon.