Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
  • B65D83/0805—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall
• • 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
  • A47K7/00—Body washing or cleaning implements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
  • B65D83/0805—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall
  • B65D83/0811—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall with means for assisting dispensing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
  • B65D83/0805—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall
  • B65D83/0811—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall with means for assisting dispensing
  • B65D83/0835—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession through an aperture in a wall with means for assisting dispensing the articles being pulled out of the container
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/08—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
  • B65D83/0894—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession the articles being positioned relative to one another or to the container in a special way, e.g. for facilitating dispensing, without additional support
• • 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
  • A47K10/42—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper dispensing from a store of single sheets, e.g. stacked
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a rigid flip top for a soft pack dispensing container for wipes which features a device to enable the pack to remain in a stable position within a dispenser as wipes are extracted from it.
• Wipes are often sold in dispensing containers that take the form of a soft pack with hermetically sealed side edges and a mouth in the middle of the top side of the pack from which to access the wipes. In order to prevent moisture loss from the pack, this mouth is generally sealed in one of two ways; either by way of a removable self adhesive strip or by way of an integral hard plastic lid assembly called a 'Rigid Flip Top' (RFT).
• RFT 'Rigid Flip Top'
• the latter often consists of a hard plastic frame fixed to the upper side of the soft pack and possibly features a lid or cap connected to it by a hinge mechanism. The frame defines the opening or mouth of the soft pack through which the wipes will be dispensed and is permanently fixed to the soft pack by adhesive, and if present, the lid or cap can be closed after wipes have been dispensed in order to seal the pack.
• Soft pack dispensing containers are becoming increasingly popular because these packs are less expensive to make than hard plastic tubs or canisters, require less raw materials to make them and are perceived to be far more environmentally friendly. It is also well known to deploy wipes that are sold in hard plastic tubs in a lockable dispenser housing, such as described in UK patent application no PCT/GB2007/0038189, wherein the housing allows an empty tub of wipes within the housing to be replaced with a new tub of wipes. Due to the rigid construction of a tub, tubs can be held in a fixed position within the housing without compressing the wipes, thereby giving stability to the wipes as they are extracted from the housing.
• wipe dispenser housings might be located in various places around a building, e.g. in a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, but that container of wipes in each housing should be adapted to perform a different task.
• wipes used in the kitchen may need to be impregnated with a liquid to cut through grease
• wipes used in the bathroom may need to be impregnated with an antiseptic
• wipes used in the baby changing room may need to be impregnated with a gentle cleansing liquid suitable for cleaning the sensitive skin of a baby.
• a container of kitchen wipes should erroneously be placed in a dispenser housing in the baby changing room, a person will end up using a kitchen wipe on the baby's skin which could be detrimental to the baby's health.
• the invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems.
• Figure 1 shows a top view of a soft pack dispensing container of wipes featuring an RFT with its cap in an open position.
• Figure 2 shows the top view of a soft pack dispensing container of wipes featuring an RFT with its cap in a closed position.
• Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the housing revealing the supports, the aperture of the housing and the engagement means with which the sealing cap of the dispensing container cooperates.
• Figures 4(i) to (vi) show cross sectional views of seven different embodiments of RFTs and the corresponding support rails.
• Figure 5 (i) and (ii) show cross sectional views of two different embodiments of RFTs and the corresponding support rails
• Figure 6 (i) and (ii) show cross sectional views of two different embodiments of RFTs and the corresponding support rails
• FIG. 1 there is shown a top view of an RFT A attached to a hermetically sealed soft pack dispensing container of wipes B.
• the soft pack is generally cuboid, having two similar rectangular sides (only one side 8 being here visible), two ends 10, 11, and an upper face 12, and lower face 13 (not here visible).
• the soft pack contains a stack of wipes encapsulated by an outer covering of flexible, impermeable material, typically formed from a sleeve of material bonded at each of the ends 10, 11, so that the soft pack is hermetically sealed, apart from the opening through the RFT A.
• the upper face 12 is rectangular, having two long edges 14, 15 and two short edges 16, 17 where it meets the sides (that is, side 8 and the opposite side not here visible) and ends 10, 11 respectively.
• the lower face 13 has the same dimensions as the upper face.
• the height of the soft pack (the distance between the upper face 12 and the lower face 13) is small relative to the two long edges 14, 15 and two short edges 16, 17.
• the soft pack has an RFT A bonded to the upper face 12.
• the RFT A will usually be rectangular, smaller and possibly in similar proportions to the upper face 12, and centrally positioned, so that the long edges of the RFT A are parallel to the long edges 14, 15 of the upper face 12.
• the RFT A has a central aperture (which conveniently could be circular), which is shown with the tail of a wipe 6 protruding through the aperture 7.
• the aperture may be sealed using a sealing cap 1 , here shown in its open position. Alternatively, some other sealing method to seal the pack may be used like removable self adhesive strip or similar.
• the RFT A features slide rails 3 & 4. These extend along each side of the RFT A, parallel to the long edges 14, 15 of the upper face 12. In use, these slide rails would engage with supports within a housing (not shown ) so as to enable the container of wipes B to be maneuvered into the correct position within the dispenser housing.
• one or more slide rails could be independent longitudinal extensions which are separate from the RFT and could be applied separately, directly to the upper side of the soft pack. These slide rail extensions could be parallel to the long edges 14, 15 of the upper face 12. In use, these extensions which are separate from the RFT would engage with supports within a housing (not shown ) so as to enable the container of wipes B to be maneuvered into the correct position within the dispenser housing.
• FIG. 2 there is shown a top view of an RFT A attached to a hermetically sealed soft pack dispensing container of wipes B, the cap 1 of the RFT A in its closed position.
• the RFT A features slide rails 3 & 4 in the form of extensions to the RFT A.
• slide rails 3 & 4 here shown running parallel with the hermetically sealed edges 10, 11 of the container B could be formed during the process of manufacturing the RFT A or could be bonded or retrofitted to the RFT A.
• the slide rails 3 & 4 shown in Figure 1 extend along the length of the RFT A, parallel to each other and to the short sides 10, 11 of the container B.
• the sealing cap 1 is shown in its closed position, thereby sealing the aperture 7.
• the sealing cap 1 is attached to the RFT A by a stem and hinge 5, the hinge terminating near one of the sliding rails 3.
• the sealing cap 1 features a male lug engagement means 2 which, once the soft pack dispensing container of wipes has been maneuvered into position, connects with an engagement means 21 on the outside of a housing C as shown in figure 3 in order to deter movement of the soft pack dispensing container of wipes during use.
• the housing C comprises an upper panel 30, a base panel 31, and two side panels 32, 33.
• the housing C is generally cuboid, with an openable flap or lid on at least one side, and sufficiently large to accept the soft pack dispensing container B.
• the upper panel 30 of the housing C has two long sides 35, 36 and two short sides 37, 38.
• the housing C features two support rails 23, 24 which extend from the long side 36 inside the housing C.
• the support rails 23, 24 extend parallel to each other and to the short sides 37, 38 of the upper panel 30, located approximately in the mid-section of the upper panel, and the support rails' width corresponds to the width of the slide rails 3, 4.
• the slide rails 3, 4 extend along part of the length of the pack, are typically smaller in length than support rails, the latter extending from side 36 to at least the position 5 on the RFT.
• the support rails 23, 24 are generally hollow in section, with gaps in their perimeter 27, 28; details of the configuration will be described in more detail below.
• the Housing C also features an aperture 22 in the upper panel 30, and female engagement means 21 on the outside. Housing C also has a raised section 29 which allows the cap to pass beneath it as the container of wipes is moved into position within the housing.
• the raised section is small enough such that once the container of wipes is in position, the user is able to open and close the cap without restriction but still large enough to provide cover for the area of the container between the end of the slide rails 3 & 4 and the long side 14.
• the slide rails 3, 4 each have a generally square section, and are spaced from the RFT A by webs 43, 44.
• the web 43 of slide rail 3 is inclined 45° from the vertical, while the web 44 of slide rail 4 is vertical.
• the section of the slide rails shown in figure 4(i) extends in a uniform manner throughout the length of both slide rails.
• the sectional profiles of the support rails 23, 24 correspond and conform to the sectional profile of slide rails 3, 4, so that the slide rails can be inserted into the support rails.
• Each support rail 23, 24 has a hollow square section.
• the section of the support rails shown in figure 4(i) extends in a uniform manner throughout the length of both slide rails.
• Support rail 23 has a gap 27 in its sectional perimeter, at the lower corner, having inclined edges, corresponding to the inclined web 43 of the slide rail 3.
• support rail 24 has a gap 28 in its sectional perimeter, in this case in the lower surface, which corresponding to the vertical web 44 of the slide rail 4.
• the separation between the support rails 23, 24 corresponds to the separation between the slide rails 3, 4.
• the soft pack container A is placed in the dispenser housing C by aligning the slide rails 3, 4 with the support rails 23, 24 so that the ends of the slide rails 3, 4 engage with the hollow sections of the support rails, and pressing the soft pack container forward so that the slide rails 3, 4 slide into the support rails and the soft pack container is fully accommodated within the housing C, and the aperture 7 of the RFT A is aligned within the aperture 22 of the upper panel 31 , and the cap of the RFT A is accessible through the aperture 22 of the housing C.
• the user would then be able to release the sealing cap 1 from the aperture 7 of the RFT A, the hinge 5 which connects the sealing cap 1 to the RFT A allowing the user to flex the sealing cap 1 back so as to enable the male lug component 2 on the sealing cap to engage with the female engagement component 21 which is on the outside of the housing C.
• the cap By removably fixing the sealing cap 1 to the female engagement means, the cap will thereby not impede access to the wipes as they are withdrawn from the dispensing container of A and also help prevent movement of the pack of wipes within the housing C during use.
• the hollow sectional profile of the support rails in Figure 4(i) is such that in order for the pack of wipes to be compatible with housing, the slide rails on the RFT must be of a particular corresponding shape shown in Figure 4(i).
• a convenient material for the manufacture of the RFT and slide rails, and for the support rails is some type of plastic or polymer.
• the slide rail 3 on the left hand side of the RFT is of a wide square shape and the engagement of the web 43 with the side position of narrow gap 27 prevents a horizontal force applied to the pack of wipes from dislodging the pack of wipes from its position.
• the slide rail 4 on the right hand side of the RFT is of a wide square shape and the engagement of the web 44 with the vertical position of the narrow gap 27 prevents the pack of wipes from becoming dislodged due its own weight.
• a stop is included to prevent the user from pushing the container of wipes B too far into the housing C, ensuring that the user can only push the container of wipes B along the support or supports 23 & 24 to a position at which the sealing cap 1 of the container of wipes B can be accessed through the aperture 22 of the housing C and flexed backwards in order for the female engagement means and the lug can engage.
• an end or abutment may be provided on one of the walls of the housing C to prevent the soft pack dispensing container of wipes from being pushed along the support rails beyond a specific point, or some stop member may be provided on the slide rails or the RFT for the same purpose.
• FIGS. 4(ii) to 4(vii) there is shown seven different iterations of front side views of RFT A as shown in figures 1 & 2.
• the RFT A features slide rails 3 & 4 of various shapes and sizes and a sealing cap 1.
• Next to these iterations of the RFT A are the corresponding compatible iterations of the receptacle section 26 comprising the support rails 23, 24 of the dispenser housing C that are required in order for the pack of wipes to be received by the dispenser housing.
• the hollow shapes within 23 & 24 compliment the shapes of the slide rails 3 & 4 respectively so as to enable the user to insert the slide rails 3 & 4 of the RFT into the supports 23 & 24. This then enables the user to maneuver the soft pack dispensing container of wipes B into the desired position, the slide rails thereby sliding within the hollow shapes of the supports 23 & 24 until the correct position for the container of wipes B has been reached.
• the slide rails 3 & 4 shown in iteration (i) can only engage with supports 23 & 24 because the geometric cross sectional shape of the slide rails are compatible with the geometric cross sectional shape of the cavities running through those support rails, and not with any of the geometric shapes of the supports featured in the other iterations.
• a pack of wipes with an RFT featuring slide rails similar to those featured in (i) could therefore only be received into a dispenser housing featuring supports with the respective shapes.
• a pack of wipes with an RFT featuring slide rails as shown in iteration (iv) for example, could not mistakenly be deployed into a dispenser featuring a receptacle section shape as shown in iteration (v), and so on.
• housings may be adapted or labeled for a particular uses, each use being assigned a particular configuration of support rails, so that the particular wipe suitable for that use is supplied with the specific RFT and sliding rails produced for that housing.
• Having different shaped RFT's with dimensions that exclusively compliment the dimensions of the reception sections for specific dispenser housings ensures that only the correct types of wipes are placed within appropriate dispenser housings. Therefore a container of, say, kitchen wipes impregnated with a harsh grease cutting ingredient would simply not fit into a baby wipe dispenser housing fixed next to a baby changing table, because the shape of the RFT fitted onto a soft pack of kitchen wipes would be incongruous to the shape of the supports within the baby wipe dispenser housing. Such a deployment mistake as to the pack of kitchen wipes, which could have detrimental consequences because of the sensitive nature of a baby's skin, could therefore not be made.
• FIG. 5 A similar principle is presented in Figure 5 in which there is shown two different iterations of front side views of RFT A and the respective front side views of the receptacle sections 26 both of which are shown in figures 1 & 2.
• the RFT A features a sealing cap 1 and slide rails 3 & 4 of similar shapes and sizes.
• the slide rails in (i) are separated at a different horizontal spacing to the slide rails featured in (ii).
• a pack of wipes with an RFT featuring slide rails that are spaced as per iteration (i) could therefore not be received into a dispenser housing with support rails spaced apart as per iterations (ii), and vice versa.
• the manufacturer could therefore ensure that only those types of packs of wipes can be received into their intended housings, thereby eliminating the sort of user mistakes mentioned earlier.
• FIG. 6 Another similar principle is presented in Figure 6 in which there is shown two different iterations of front side views of RFT A and the respective front side views of the receptacle sections 26 as shown in figures 1 & 2, both of which are shown in figures 1 & 2.
• the RFT A features a sealing cap 1 and slide rails 3 & 4 of similar shapes and sizes.
• the slide rails in (i) are at a different heights as compared to the slide rails featured in (ii).
• a pack of wipes with an RFT featuring slide rails that are spaced as per iteration (i) could therefore not be received into a dispenser housing with support rails spaced as per iterations (ii), and vice versa.
• the manufacturer could therefore ensure that only those types of packs of wipes can be received into their intended housings, thereby again eliminating the sort of user mistakes mentioned earlier.
• the soft pack container A will be subjected to forces relative to the dispenser housing C, due to users extracting tissues, and the weight of the container itself.
• the insertion axis - the movement of the container is constrained by the stop in one direction, and an openable flap or lid (not here shown) on the side of the housing C in the other direction.
• the material of the slide rails and guide rails (typically plastic), its resilience, and the precise shape and tolerances, will determine how securely the slide rails fit in the guide rails.
• these parameters are chosen so that the container of wipes B can withstand a sufficient force applied in a direction perpendicular to the insertion axis, so that the guide rails do not cause the support rails to flex and deform and allow the slide rails to snap out of the guide rails.
• the bulbous or thickened shape of the ends of the slide rails catch against the corresponding shape of the guide rails so that a force acting in the direction of the stem does not pull the slide rail from the guide rail.
• one slide rail and guide rail (and specifically the stem and gap) is oriented in a different manner to the other slide rail and guide rail, one of the slide rail/guide rail pairs will be able to resist a force applied in a direction perpendicular to the insertion axis.
• the stem and gap of one slide rail/guide rail pairing is suited to resist a horizontal force
• the stem and gap of the other slide rail/guide rail pairing is suited to resist a vertical force.
• an angled force acting perpendicularly to the insertion axis will have a horizontal component and a vertical component, so the vertical component of this force will be resisted by one slide rail/guide rail and the horizontal component by the other slide rail/guide rail.
• one of the stem and gap of one slide rail/guide rail pairing is angled at 45° to the horizontal, so this will resist an angled force while the other slide rail/guide rail pairing resists a vertical force.
• a horizontal force will be resisted by the angled slide rail/guide rail pair, since the slide rail/guide rail pair is angled.
• Each slide rail/guide rail will resist some force in any direction perpendicular to the insertion axis, though it will be seen that it is advantageous if the stem and gap of one slide rail/guide rail pair is angled with respect to the stem and gap of the other slide rail/guide rail pair.
• a soft pack container 50 (visible in figure 2) includes a rigid top 54 and a cap 55, which covers the aperture 63 (visible in figure 9) in the rigid top 54.
• the container includes two longitudinal slide rails 51, 52 disposed generally either side of the container, running in parallel. Each rail has a square cross section, and is supported by a longitudinal flange that in cross section appears like a stem.
• the stem of the left slide rail 51 joins the slide rail vertically from underneath, meeting the lower edge of the square section at approximately mid-way.
• the stem of the right slide rail 52 joins the slide rail diagonally, included at approximately 45 degrees to from the horizontal, meeting the square section at the lower left corner.
• a housing 60 (section of upper panel shown) includes two support rails 61, 62, both of which comprise a hollow square channel to accommodate the slide rails 51, 52.
• the left support rail includes a longitudinal gap on its lower side to accommodate the stem of the slide rail 51
• the right support rail 62 includes a longitudinal gap at bottom left corner of the channel to accommodate the stem of the right slide rail 52.
• the container 50 is slid into the housing 60 (upper panel shown) with the slide rails 51, 52 engaging the correspondingly shaped support rails 61, 62.
• the domed lid 55 of the container 50 may now be opened.
• the domed lid includes a fin 58, while the housing 60 includes a notch 57, which are shaped so that when the domed lid is opened, it can be folded back until it abuts the housing 60, so that the fin 58 on the domed lid 55 engages with the notch 57, so that the lid is conveniently held in the open position and the container aperture 63.
• rail 51 and 52 confers several advantages.
• the right rail 51 engages more securely with the right support rail 61 when subjected to downward forces acting on the container 50 than the left rail 52 and support rail 62.
• the left rail 52 engages more securely with the left support rail when subjected to diagonally and sideways acting forces than the right rail 51 and support rail 61.
• the rails then are adapted to withstand forces in different, non-parallel (i.e. inclined) directions. Using different rail shapes also ensures that only a container intended for use in a particular housing can be fitted.
• a further advantage illustrated in this embodiment is that the container can only be inserted one way round. This ensures that the container is correctly oriented for the fin on the domed lid to engage with the notch on the housing.
• sliding rails 65, 66 on container 50 could comprise differently oriented lugs, left support rails being diagonally inclined while the right support rail extends horizontally.
• Support rails 67, 68 on housing 60 are correspondingly shaped with recesses that are similarly inclined.
• the container and housing could be provided in the same colour. If a user goes to fit an incorrect container in the housing, the difference in colour will clearly indicate that fitting should not be attempted.
• the container and housing could share a pattern. Sections of the container and housing could also share patterns or colours, possibly ones that line up or when the container is being inserted into the housing, or when it is fully inserted, to visually confirm it's correct compatibility.
• the supports of the container and housing could also be colour coded, for example one support rail and one slide rail could share a colour, while the other support rail and slide rail pair are uncoloured, or have a different colour.
• the housing and/or container could also feature or share a legend, symbol or wording to indicate their particular function, for example wording or symbols to indicate that the container (and also the housing) are compatible with Islamic Istinjah obligations.
• the embodiments described herein all show hollow or tubular support rails disposed in the housing into which the wipe containing dispensing inserted, with the RFT for the wipe container having sliding rails having a solid cross section which engage with the support rails and slide inside them.
• the support rails may have a solid section (with supporting web), while the sliding rails of the RFT may have a hollow or tubular section (with a corresponding gap for the web).
• one support rail may have a solid section (with supporting web), while the other support rail has a hollow or tubular section (with a
• the RFT has a corresponding solid section sliding rail and hollow or tubular section sliding rail.
• the support rails and guide rails herein have all been illustrated using continuous examples (conveniently made by extrusion of plastic material for example). It would also be possible though that either or both guide rails and/or support rails are sectional.
• the support rail may be formed from two or more clips, having sections as described and which the guide rail is inserted into as previously, but which do not extend in a continuous longitudinal manner. Similar, the support rail may be continuous, while the guide rail comprises two of more discrete sections.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=50287550

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2014
  • 2014-01-26 GB GB1401268.6A patent/GB2523542A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-11-24 GB GB1420796.3A patent/GB2522514B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2015
  • 2015-01-26 WO PCT/IB2015/050568 patent/WO2015111011A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-01-26 EP EP15715819.7A patent/EP3133971A2/de not_active Withdrawn

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