Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
  • A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
  • A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
  • A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
  • A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
  • A47K2010/3266—Wet wipes
  • A47K2010/3273—Wet wipes moistened just before use
  • A47K2010/3286—Wet wipes moistened just before use by rollers

Definitions

• the present invention refers to a dispenser of sheet of material for household cleaning and/or personal hygiene.
• the invention refers to a dispenser of non-woven sheets and an associated kit for household cleaning and/or personal hygiene which should be particularly versatile and easy to use.
• Dispensers that can provide dry or moistened sheets of material for the above functions typically consist of a container of various shapes and sizes wherein there is housed a roll of absorbent or moistened material, such as for example cellulosic or non-woven material with two or three layers of cellulose pulp or all-fibre PES, VIS, PP; LUX (spunlace or spunbonded) , which can be pulled out of the container and torn into sheets.
• Such material can have several functions, according to its use.
• it can be used dry as hand towel, or moistened with suitable liquids, such as detergent, dermatological, emollient, skin protective, anti-bacterial, disinfectant liquids or liquids for cleaning various surfaces, including furniture waxes or for personal hygiene.
• suitable liquids such as detergent, dermatological, emollient, skin protective, anti-bacterial, disinfectant liquids or liquids for cleaning various surfaces, including furniture waxes or for personal hygiene.
• suitable liquids such as detergent, dermatological, emollient, skin protective, anti-bacterial, disinfectant liquids or liquids for cleaning various surfaces, including furniture waxes or for personal hygiene.
• the dispenser comprises a base container for a liquid, a support structure for the sheet in the shape of a roll, wherein the structure can be provided with a first position of release of the dry sheet and a second position of release of the sheet moistened with a liquid, elastic means adapted for keeping the support structure into said first position and means actuable for moving said structure into said second position.
• the dispenser described above is quite simple from the construction point of view and easy to use both for selecting a dry and a moistened sheet.
• the problem at the basis of the present invention is to provide a dispenser alternative to those of the prior art and which, in particular, should be easy to manufacture and at the same time very versatile to meet several requirements of the user using different lotions. [0006] . Such problem is solved by a dispenser as claimed in the annexed main claim.
• Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the dispenser according to the invention
• Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the dispenser according to a variant of the invention. [0008] . Therefore, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of sheets of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene. [0009] . It is a further object of the invention to provide a kit for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene comprising the above dispenser and a series of containers for liquids for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene.
• dispenser 1, 100 of the present invention comprises a box element 2 adapted for containing a roll 4 of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene housed so as to freely rotate, soaking means 5 of a portion of said material when it is unwound from roll 4, wherein at least one container 7 containing a liquid for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene is connectable to said soaking means.
• dispenser 1 comprises a box element 2 provided with a housing 3 for a roll 4 of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene housed so as to freely rotate, soaking means 5 of a portion of said material, preferably selectively actuable, at least one housing 6 for a container 7 containing a liquid for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene obtained in the proximity of said soaking means.
• the box element 2 of dispenser 1 can be constructed of any shape and size according to specific requirements or preferences.
• the box element 3 exhibits a substantially parallelepiped shape with an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, a front wall 23, a back wall 24 and two side walls 25.
• the construction material can be that normally used for manufacturing dispensers in general, such as plastic materials, semi-rigid cardboards or metal materials.
• Each of the two upper 21 and lower 22 walls is provided with at least one opening 26 in communication with corresponding housings 6 for containers 7 of the desired liquid substances.
• the- upper wall 21 can preferably be provided with a port D to access housing 3 of roll 4 of cleaning material so as to allow replacement of the exhausted roll.
• Front wall 23 is provided with its own opening 27 as well, which allows the output of the cleaning material.
• opening can be shaped as a slit preferably provided with an aid (not shown) for tearing pieces of the sheet of cleaning material.
• aid may be a conventional edge more or less protruding from the front wall 23 against which a pre-cut piece of said sheet is torn, or a conventional serrated element.
• Housing 3 for a roll 4 of material obtained inside the box element 2 can be provided with a semi- cylindrical hollow seat 8 adapted for seating said roll in a rotating manner for allowing the unwinding of a sheet of material.
• the roll may be mounted on an axis (not shown) removably attached in said housing for allowing the suspended support in rotation thereof. [0016] . Between housing 3 of roll 4 and opening 27 for releasing the material there is obtained a substantially rectilinear path 9 along which the sheet of cleaning material is unwound and optionally subject to soaking with a treatment liquid before coming out of the dispenser.
• stretching means 10 adapted for keeping the sheet of material unwound from the roll stretched and also for guiding said sheet towards the soaking means 5.
• the stretching means 10 is comprised of two opposed tensioning rollers 11, 12 (totally conventional, for example, in the non-woven manufacturing field) between which the sheet of material slides. Rollers 11 and 12 are usually mounted on rotating axes (not shown) attached between the inner faces of the side walls 25 of the box element 2. [0018] .
• the soaking means 5 arranged so as to receive the sheet of material fed by the tensioning rollers 11, 12 and release it after wetting with the desired liquid.
• the soaking means 5 comprises two opposed rollers 51 and 52 between which the sheet of material slides for receiving the liquid.
• these rollers 51 and 52 are remarkably mounted onto respective axes (not shown) attached between the inner faces of the side walls 25 of the box element 2.
• rollers 51 and 52 can be provided with a surface crossed by grooves 53 having the function of distributing the liquid on the entire surface of the rollers, as described hereinafter. [0019] .
• the above path 9 ends with opening 27 from which the sheet of material is released which, as explained hereinafter, may be dry if the soaking means 5 is not supplied with liquid, or otherwise wet.
• the above housings 6 for liquid containers 7 are each provided with an orifice 61 obtained on the bottom wall 62 of housing 6, opposed to opening 26, so as to be at roller 5.
• said housings 6 are arranged in a number of at least one at each roller 5 so as to be specular relative to the sheet of material passing through said rollers and substantially perpendicular relative to the sheet surface.
• a pair of containers 7 housed in the respective housings 6 are arranged so as to be upturned relative to each other while the dispenser is in use, as described hereinafter.
• dispenser 1 may further comprise a valve element (not shown in the drawings) or a tap arranged between said orifice 61 and said soaking roller 5 or said diffuser.
• the valve element or tap allow blocking the diffusion by gravity of the liquid from container 7 to roller 5 to avoid useless waste or the risk of undesired soaking of_ sheet T by capillarity.
• housing 6 for containers 7 of usage liquid can be provided with a reversible locking system for the containers in the usage condition.
• side wall 63 of housing ⁇ is provided with a pair of elastic snap elements 64 provided with a ramp 65 for aiding the introduction of the container and a stop 66 against which the container stops once introduced into the usage position.
• a mechanism for releasing the elastic elements such as a button (not shown) that acts by retracting the elastic elements for allowing the removal of the container from the housing.
• Containers 7 may have any shape and size suitable for adapting to housing 6 and capable of engaging with orifice 61 for releasing the liquid contained therein.
• containers 7 may be provided with a neck portion 71 ending with an opening 73 for the output of liquid.
• opening 73 of containers 7 may be reversibly engaged with sealing means 72.
• said sealing means is a rotating cylinder or ball 72.
• Cylinder 72 acts as a means for diffusing the liquid since once pressed against the respective roller, it moves inwards container 7, freeing opening 73 and thus allowing the liquid to drain by gravity on the soaking roller.
• cylinder 72 facilitates the liquid distribution into container 7 and its laying directly on the surface of the soaking roller 5.
• the above diffuser means and the optional valve element or tap will not be required.
• dispenser 1 may be provided with multiple housings 6 for multiple containers 7 on each of the upper 21 and lower 22 walls.
• conveying channels (not shown) may be provided which, from each orifice 61 of said containers join into a single duct leading in the proximity of the surface of each soaking roller 5 preferably at its median line.
• dispenser 1 may be provided with housings 6 obtained on only one of the two upper 21 or lower 22 walls .
• the box element 2 of dispenser 1 is first loaded with the roll 4 of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene and with one or more containers 7 of usage liquid according to the needs or preferences .
• Roll 4 is loaded by opening port D located on the upper wall 21 and arranging it into seat 8.
• the sheet T of non-woven fabric or other material selected for the above purposes is unwound from the roll and made to pass along path 9 first between the tensioning rollers 11 and 12 and then between the soaking rollers 5, to then come out of the collection and tear opening 27.
• housings 6 are loaded with containers 7 containing the desired liquid.
• containers 7 containing the desired liquid.
• two containers are loaded into dispenser 1, one from the upper wall -21 and the other from the bottom wall 22 so as to be arranged specular relative to sheet T of non-woven fabric.
• dispenser 1 rests on an abutment surface, for example with the bottom wall 22, a container will be arranged upturned whereas the other will be straight, so the upturned container will be the one that is used for soaking sheet T of non-woven fabric.
• dispenser 1 is upturned, of course the reciprocal position of the two containers reverses, with the possibility of changing use of container, and therefore, of substance, without having to replace the containers themselves into the dispenser.
• Containers 7 may be actuated by pressing them inside the respective housings 6 until they reach beyond ramp 65 of the elastic locking means 64. In this position, orifice 61 of housing 6 is engaged by neck 71 of the container. At the same time, cylinder 72 of opening 73 of container 7 is pressed against the respective roller 5 so as to slightly return inside the container and thus make the liquid come out. Following the pulling into rotation of roller 5 caused by the traction of the non-woven sheet, cylinder 72 pressed against said roller 5 is in turn pulled in rotation so as to make the liquid come out and distribute it on the surface of the roller itself.
• dispenser 100 comprises a box element 2 adapted for containing a roll 4 as specified above and housed so as to freely rotate, soaking means 30 of a portion of said material when it is unwound from the roll, wherein at least one container 7 containing a liquid for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene is connectable to said soaking means.
• a box element 2 adapted for containing a roll 4 as specified above and housed so as to freely rotate, soaking means 30 of a portion of said material when it is unwound from the roll, wherein at least one container 7 containing a liquid for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene is connectable to said soaking means.
• the roll 4 of non-woven fabric is rotatably mounted into the box element 2 on an axis X-X similarly to that described with reference for example to the tensioning rollers 11 and 12 of figure 1 and so as to allow the release of sheet T in a substantially vertical direction.
• Cartridges 28 and 29 are provided with a tapered portion 30 comprising the soaking means 5 consisting, in particular, of a cylinder 31 for distributing the usage liquid.
• cylinder 31, in this embodiment can also function as means for sealing the respective cartridge similarly to what described for cylinders or balls 72 described with reference to dispenser 1.
• These cartridges may be supported into the box element 2 by suitable mechanical supports (not shown but fully conventional) that allow arranging the cartridges so that said cylinders are in contact and pressed to each other with the interposition of sheet T of non-woven fabric. In this position, by pulling sheet T downwards on the end of opening 27 of dispenser 100, the two cylinders 31, pressed against each other, slightly return inside the cartridge to let the liquid contained therein drain by gravity.
• cartridges 28 and 29 are similar to the conventional cartridges used, for example, for ink-jet printers.
• one of the two cartridges may be replaced by a contrast element (not shown) which allows cylinder 31 of the single cartridge to rotate on the non-woven sheet T.
• This contrast element may be, for example, a simple roller or a stiff wall that allows pressing the cylinder of the other cartridge inwards.
• dispenser 1 of figure 1 is particularly advantageous for a more familiar or household use, or during a journey. In particular, its most suitable operation provides for resting it onto a horizontal surface and unwinding the sheet along a substantially horizontal, plane. [0048]..
• dispenser 100 of figure 2 may even by hung to a wall of a room such as public toilets, a workshop, a medical-hospital office, for allowing unwinding the roll in a substantially vertical direction.
• a wall of a room such as public toilets, a workshop, a medical-hospital office
• such device does not need being upturned for changing type of solution, but it is possible to use two different solutions to apply on each of the sides of sheet T at the same time, so as to have a sort of "double face" function.
• a further object of the invention is a kit for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene comprising dispenser 1, 100 described above, one or more spare rolls 4 and multiple containers 7 or cartridges containing the same or a different usage liquid as spare refills.
• the kit allows the user to always have a supply of both the cleaning material and of the liquids for soaking said material.
• the use of the dispenser is very versatile and convenient, thanks to the possibility of always being ready for different uses even in difficult situations, such as during a journey.
• the dispenser is particularly advantageous from the environment point of view, and practical as it is not necessary to replace the entire device to change the usage liquid but it is sufficient to replace the containers or the cartridges that may be sold individually as refills.
• the roll of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene may consist of any fibre of cellulosic material, such as conventional paper, or textile or, preferably, non-woven material.
• non-woven fabric in the present description identifies a material produced by combining natural and/or synthetic fibres and/or threads using several methods differing from the weaving of typically textile materials.
• the non-woven fabric may consist of one or more layers of said material which may be manufactured by spun-lace or spunbond technology, mechanical yarning, yarning and spreading/carding or a combination of said technologies for obtaining a multiple-layer non-woven film.
• spunlace technology polyester (PE) , polypropylene (PP) ,
• PLA polylatex
• PVA polyvinylalchohol
• PES polyethylensulfone
• acrylic polymers acrylic polymers
• tencell® three-layer products with the fibres on the two outer sides and fluff pulp in between or two-layer fibre/fluff pulp products
• cotton, viscose are generally short fibres that are interconnected through a hydro-entanglement process.
• the non-woven fabric can alternatively consist of continuous fibres consisting of one or more synthetic or natural polymeric components optionally splittable into single continuous-thread microfibres, or filaments.
• polymeric fibres splittable into microfibres are the splittable multi-component polymeric fibres and the exploded polymeric fibres that originate microfibres thinner than those they are obtained from.
• the non-woven fabric obtained through the above technologies is widely known in the art and will not be detailed further.
• the non/woven fabric thus obtained may be bounded through dynamic treatments such as bonding by stitches or weft (calendering) or by water jets (hydro- entanglement) .
• Other bonding methods known in the art are mechanical yarning, thermo-bonding, chemical bonding.
• the non-woven fabric may be multi-layer composite containing one or more non-woven layers associated to a layer of cellulosic fibres: in these cases, the final composite advantageously combines the mechanical properties of non-woven fabric with the absorbing properties of cellulosic fibres.
• the non-woven fabric can consist of at least one layer of natural or synthetic carded fibres in combination with at least one layer of spunbond or spunlace fibres, optionally spaced with a cellulose pulp fibre layer.
• the non-woven fabric may be of the thermo-embossed calendered, printed or decorated hydro- embossed type according to particular needs or requirements. [0057] .
• the roll of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene can be soaked with potentially any type of liquid normally used for the above purposes.
• the liquid may contain simple substances such as water, alcohol and solvents of various types, or detergents commonly used for both household cleaning (tiled, enamelled surfaces, ceramics, furniture, sinks) and for personal hygiene.
• soaps, fragrances, deodorants, lotions, creams, and cleansing and moisturising oils or disinfectant and anti-bacterial solutions may be used.
• the dispenser may be used for supplying moistened wipes for various concurrently uses, that is, without being forced to empty basins or containers for replacing the liquid according to the needs.
• the dispenser comprises multiple housings for containers or cartridges so as to work as a sort of cartridge belt easily fillable and dischargeable.
• the sheet T of material can advantageously be concurrently soaked on one side with a cleaning solution and on the other side with a protective solution. Such application is particularly useful for example for treating infants' skin.
• a single wipe it is possible to carry out two different treatments, thus avoiding excessive waste of material.
• kit of the invention allows equipping oneself with a series of containers and rolls to meet any requirement and always have a refill of material for surface cleaning, personal care and hygiene ready.
• kit is especially adapted during a journey when, due to the lack of water and detergents, there is the need of cleaning surfaces, hands or disinfecting wounds and excoriations with a single device.
• Dispenser (1; 100) for supplying material for household cleaning and/or personal hygiene and/or for cleaning public toilets and/or a workshop and/or a medical-hospital office and the like compriseing a box element (2) adapted for containing a roll (4) of material for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene housed so as to rotate freely, soaking means (5; 30) of a portion of said material when it is unwound from the roll (4), characterised in that at least one container (7) containing a liquid for household cleaning and/or personal care and hygiene is attachable to said soaking means .
• Dispenser (1; 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the box element has a substantially parallelepipedal shape with an upper wall (21), a lower wall (22), a front wall (23), a back wall (24) and two

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2005
  • 2005-07-15 US US11/988,096 patent/US20090032636A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-07-15 WO PCT/IT2005/000408 patent/WO2007010562A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-07-15 CA CA002613498A patent/CA2613498A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-07-15 CN CNA2005800510624A patent/CN101222871A/zh active Pending
  • 2005-07-15 BR BRPI0520375-9A patent/BRPI0520375A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-07-15 EP EP05778745A patent/EP1903922A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2008
  • 2008-02-11 NO NO20080743A patent/NO20080743L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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