KR20150096488A - Wipes dispensing container having improved ease of refillability - Google Patents

Abstract

The tissue container includes a dispenser housing defining upper and lower walls, first and second sidewalls, and first and second end walls. The top wall includes a dispensing orifice. The plurality of tissues may be disposed in the interior space and refilled through the exposed orifice to remove the end wall. The lid assembly includes a ring and a flip top. The ring defines an inner region having an inner region length. The thermoplastic elastomer distribution bulkhead extends substantially over the interior region and includes a dispensing slit. The one end of the slit is positioned to improve the ease with which the user can reach the refill orifice and exit the tissue through the dispensing slit.

Description

[0001] Description [0002] WIPES DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING IMPROVED EASE OF REFILLABILITY [0003]

The present invention relates to a tissue dispensing container with improved refillability.

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application number 13 / 721,633 and prior application number 13 / 721,572 both filed on December 20, 2012 and is a continuation-in-part of application number 13 / 777,728 filed February 26, Each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

There are various storage and dispensing containers on the market, especially containers for storing and dispensing wipe-type products. Tissue-like products or tissues have been made of a variety of materials that can be dry or wet during use. The wet tissue may have moisture in a variety of suitable cleaning solutions. Typically, the wet tissue is laminated in a container in a grounded configuration or ungrounded configuration. For example, each of the wet tissue papers stacked in a container may be used with a wet tissue container arranged in a grounded configuration, such as c-type ground, z-type ground, or 1/4 ground configuration, as is well known to those skilled in the art . Occasionally, each folded wet tissue is interfolded with wet tissue immediately above and below the tissue on a stack of tissues. In alternative arrangements, the wet tissues have been placed in a container in the form of a continuous web of material containing perforations suitable for allowing individual wet tissue to be separated from a continuous web of material upon application of a pulling force. These wet tissues were used in baby tissues, hand tissues, personal hygiene tissues, home cleaning tissues, industrial tissues, and the like.

Conventional tissue packages are typically designed to lie on a plane such as a countertop, table, or the like. Such conventional packages often include plastic containers, vats, or packages that provide a sealed environment for the tissue to ensure that the tissue is not dirty or excessively dry. Some of the conventional packages were also configured to distribute each wet tissue one at a time, which could be achieved with one hand after the package was opened. This one hand dispensing at a time by one hand is particularly desirable since the rest of the user or caregiver hand must normally be used simultaneously for other functions. For example, when replacing an infant's diaper product, the carer typically uses one hand to hold and hold the infant in the desired location while dispensing the baby tissue using the other hand to clean the infant.

The " pop-up " configuration of the wet tissue dispenser can advantageously provide one dispensing at a time with the above-mentioned one hand. In the " pop-up " configuration, when separating the tissue from the dispenser, the tissue is in contact with the preceding tissue through an integral connection along an abutment, adhesive bond or perforation line, Pull along the tip of the trailing tissue. Preferably, the trailing edge of the preceding tissue is separated from the leading edge of the trailing tissue while the leading tissue is pulled away from the package, and the leading edge of the trailing tissue is projected from the package. In this way, the leading edge of the trailing tissue is immediately positioned automatically to catch and withdraw from the package, and the trailing tissue before it is now the leading tissue.

In one preferred dispenser, as disclosed in Patent Application No. 13 / 721,633, to Bechyne et al., And assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, the tissue is loaded into the dispenser through the refill opening of the one- Is distributed through the distribution opening of the wall. In certain embodiments of such dispensers, it is possible to reach the refill opening of the end wall, grab the upper tissue in the tissue stack, and allow the upper tissue to escape through the dispensing opening, It may be necessary to let go. In conventional baby tissue dispensers, the dispensing opening is at the center of the top wall in the longitudinal and transverse directions. However, being so centrally positioned is aesthetically ideal, but in certain embodiments, to allow an adult having an average finger length to reach and effectively escape the upper tissue through the dispensing opening, As shown in FIG. Thus, what is needed is a distal-loading, top-distributing dispenser that can more easily drain the tissue through the dispensing opening.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a container of stacked wipes. The container includes a top wall spaced from the bottom wall and generally parallel to the bottom wall, a first sidewall spaced from and parallel to the second sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced from the second sidewall, And a distributor housing defining a generally parallel first end wall. All of the walls together define an interior space. The first end wall may be removed to provide access to the interior space through a refill orifice. The top wall includes a dispensing orifice through which the tissues can be extracted from the interior space. The first end wall is spaced from the second end wall in length dimension and the top wall is spaced from the bottom wall in height dimension. The inner space has an inner space height extending from the inner surface of the upper wall to the inner surface of the lower wall. The dispensing orifice defines a dispensing orifice periphery. The container may further include a stack of wet tissues stacked on top of each other in the height dimension and disposed in the interior space. Each wet tissue is adapted to be extracted from the interior space through the dispensing orifice.

The dispensing orifice is covered by the lid assembly. The lid assembly includes a ring and a flip top. The ring is permanently fixed to the top wall, and the flip top is hingedly connected to the ring. The ring overlaps the peripheral portion of the distribution orifice and extends approximately along the peripheral portion. The ring defines an inner region having an inner region length. The ring has a first ring end near the refill orifice and a second ring end far from the refill orifice. A thermoplastic elastomer distribution bulkhead extends substantially over the inner region and a distribution slit is formed in the thermoplastic elastomer distribution bulkhead. The distribution slit has a first slit end near the first ring end, a second slit end near the second ring end, and a slit length. The slit length extends along the length dimension.

In one embodiment, the first slit end is spaced apart from the first end wall by a first length, the second slit end is spaced from the second end wall by a second length, 2 length.

In another embodiment, at least 60% of the slit length is located between the first ring end and a bisector perpendicular to the length of the inner region at a midpoint of the length of the inner region.

The present invention will be more fully understood and further features will become apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. The drawings are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Similar parts of the package shown in the figures are referred to by the same reference numerals.
Figure 1a shows a front left perspective view representative of one embodiment of the present invention in which the flip top is in the closed position and both end wall detachable caps are attached.
1B is an exemplary view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A in which the flip top is in the open position; FIG.
Fig. 1C is an exemplary view of the embodiment of Fig. 1A in which one end wall detachable cap is not attached.
Figure 2 is a rear right side perspective view representative of the embodiment of Figure Ia in which one end wall detachable tab is not attached.
Fig. 3 is a front view exemplarily showing an embodiment of Fig. 1a.
4 is a cross-sectional view exemplarily showing the embodiment of Fig. 3 cut along line 4-4.
5 is an end view representatively showing an embodiment of Fig. 1C without a terminal wall detachable cap.
6 is a cross-sectional view typically showing the embodiment of Fig. 5 taken along line 6-6.
Figure 6a is a cross-sectional view representative of the embodiment of Figure 5 cut along line 6-6 with both end wall detachable caps attached.
FIG. 7A is an exploded view representative of the embodiment of FIG. 1A with one end wall detachable end cap and a stack of wet tissues. FIG.
Figure 7b is the same view as Figure 1b, except that the tissue is shown in a partially dispensed position.
Fig. 8 is an illustration diagrammatically showing the same embodiment as Fig. 6, along with the front view of the stacking of wet tissues suitable for use in certain embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 9 shows a detail view of the portion of Figure 8 indicated by reference numeral 9.
Figure 10 shows a detail view of an alternative embodiment of the portion of Figure 8,
11 is an exploded view representative of the embodiment of FIG. 1A with both end wall detachable end caps and a lid assembly.
Figure 12a shows a top perspective view of a lid assembly suitable for use in certain embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 12b shows a bottom view of the lid assembly of Figure 12a.
Figure 12c shows a rear view of the lid assembly of Figure 12a.
Figure 12d shows a top view of the lid assembly of Figure 12a.
Figure 12E shows an end view of the lid assembly of Figure 12A.
12F shows a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of FIG. 12D cut along line 12F.
Figure 13A shows an internal perspective view of the first end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 13b shows an internal top view of the first end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 13c shows an external top view of the first end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 13d shows a top plan view of the first end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 13E shows a side plan view of the first end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 14A shows an internal perspective view of the second end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 14b shows an internal top view of the second end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Fig. 14C shows an external top view of the second end wall of the embodiment of Figs. 1-3.
Figure 14d shows a top plan view of the second end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
Figure 14E shows a side plan view of the second end wall of the embodiment of Figures 1-3.
15A shows an embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 located on a surface that is a first orientation.
Fig. 15B shows an embodiment of Figs. 1-3 located on a surface that is a second orientation.
Fig. 15C shows an embodiment of Figs. 1-3 located on a surface that is a third orientation.
Fig. 15d shows an embodiment of Figs. 1-3 located on a surface that is a fourth orientation.
Fig. 15E shows the embodiment of Figs. 1-3 located on the surface which is the fourth orientation.
16A is an exemplary plan view of another embodiment of the present invention in which there is no flip top and a bottom end wall detachable cap is attached.
Figure 16b represents a top view of yet another embodiment of the present invention in which there is no flip top and a bottom end wall detachable cap is attached.
16C illustrates a top view of yet another embodiment of the present invention in which there is no flip top and a bottom end wall detachable cap is attached.
16D representatively shows a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention in which there is no flip top and a bottom end wall detachable cap is attached.

Referring to Figures 1-16, in certain embodiments, the present invention relates to a wet tissue container. Container 20 includes a dispenser housing 22 and a laminate 50 of wipes 52. The dispenser housing 22 includes a top wall 24 spaced from the bottom wall 26 and generally parallel to the bottom wall. The dispenser housing 22 further includes a first sidewall 28 spaced from the second sidewall 30 and generally parallel to the second sidewall. The dispenser housing 22 further includes a first end wall 32 spaced from the second end wall 34 and generally parallel to the second end wall. As used herein, " approximately parallel " means that it is disposed between 0 and 30 degrees relative to each other. The walls 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 are connected together to define an interior space 36. [ In certain embodiments, at least one of the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, the second sidewall 30, and the second end wall 34 are integrally molded with one another . When all the walls 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 are connected, the inner space is preferably not permeable to moisture, and therefore the wet tissues 52 in the inner space are not dried. Preferably, the housing 22 is a polyhedron such as a rectangular parallelepiped.

The housing is rigid. As used herein, " stiffness " means a certain level of rigidity commonly associated with materials used to make part of a wet tissue and a wet tissue. Numerically, in certain embodiments, these materials have a flexural modulus (as measured in accordance with ASTM D790 " Test Method for Flexural Properties of Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials ") of about 100 N / mm < 2 > or more, more specifically from about 1100 to about 1550 N / mm < 2 >.

The first end wall 32 can be moved to provide access to the interior space 36 through the refill orifice 38. For example, in specific embodiments, the first end wall is hingedly connected to one of the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, or the second sidewall 30. In other embodiments, the first end wall 32 is completely removable from the rest of the housing structure.

In the illustrated embodiments, the refill orifices 38 are located at or near the ends of the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, and the second sidewall 30 Is an existing housing opening.

The top wall 24 includes a dispensing orifice 40 through which individual tissues 52 can be extracted (i.e., dispensed) from the interior space 36. In certain embodiments, the dispensing orifice 40 is covered by the lid assembly 42. The lid assembly 42 includes a ring 44 and a flip top 46, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B. The ring 44 may be permanently fixed to the top wall 24 and the flip top 46 may be hinged to the ring at one or more hinges 45. [

The top wall 24 has a thickness and defines an inner surface 25. The bottom wall 26 has a thickness and defines an inner surface 27. The top wall 24 is spaced from the bottom wall 26 by a height dimension 29. The height dimension is perpendicular to both the plane substantially defined by the top wall and the plane substantially defined by the bottom wall. The inner space 36 has an inner space height 37 that extends from the inner surface 25 of the top wall 24 to the inner surface 27 of the bottom wall 26 to a height dimension 29. As used herein, "interior space height" means the maximum distance that exists as a height dimension 29 between the top wall inner surface 25 and the bottom wall inner surface 27. The first end wall 32 is spaced from the second end wall 34 by a length dimension 79.

In certain embodiments, the wet tissues 52 are stacked on each other at a height dimension 29 and disposed within the interior space 36, and each wipe 52 extends from the interior space 36 through a dispensing orifice 40 Preferably by the user, one at a time. The tissues are preferably configured within the stack 50 to provide a " pop-up " distribution. In this configuration, when the tissue is separated from the dispenser, the leading tissue is in operable contact with the leading tissue by interfolding, adhesive bonding, or integral connection along the perforation line, Pull along the tip of the tissue. Preferably, the leading tissue of the leading tissue is separated from the shelf of the trailing tissue while the leading tissue is pulled away from the package, leaving the leading edge of the trailing tissue protruding from the package. In this way, the leading edge of the trailing tissue is held and immediately automatically positioned for subsequent separation from the package, and the previous trailing tissue is now the leading tissue. Alternatively, the container 20 may include a laminate 50 of non-interfolded tissue 52 for " reach-in " It is possible. In the case of such a non-interfacing grounded tissue, no portion of the other tissue may be folded over itself, without being located between or under any of the grounded portions of the adjacent tissue (s).

In certain embodiments, each of the wet tissues 52 of the laminate 50 is brought into contact with one another, such as c-ground, z-ground, or other zigzag ground. In other embodiments, the wet tissues 52 of the laminate 50 are interconnected along a weak perforation line. For example, the tissues may be arranged in the housing as a continuous web of folded interconnected tissues in an accordion-like laminated configuration. The individual tissues may be connected together along a perforation line such as a perforated line to ensure that the trailing tissue is in a position for the user to catch after the preceding tissue has been detached. For example, the tissues may be provided by a web of continuous material having a series of perforations extending across the width of the web of continuous material. Each part of the web of material between successive perforations constitutes one individual tissue. The perforations may be provided by means known to those skilled in the art, such as perforation, indentation, ruling, or sheathing of the material in the web.

The container of the present invention may comprise any suitable number of individual tissues depending on the desired packaging and end use. For example, the container may be configured to include a stack of at least 5 tissues, preferably from about 8 to about 320 individual tissues, more preferably from about 16 to about 64 tissues. Each tissue, in certain embodiments, is approximately rectangular.

Materials suitable for the tissue employed in the present invention are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the tissues 52 may be fabricated from nonwoven materials such as meltblown materials, coform materials, airlaid materials, or bonded carded web materials, hydroentangled materials, high wet strength tissue, Synthetic fibers or natural fibers or combinations thereof. The different aspects of the present invention may contain liquids that can be absorbed or entrained within the tissues to be any solution that can make the tissue a " wet wipe ". The liquid contained within the wetted tissues may contain ingredients that provide the desired wipe characteristics. For example, the ingredients may include water, an emollient, a surfactant, an antiseptic, a chelating agent, a pH buffer, a flavoring, or a combination thereof. The liquid may also include lotions, ointments, and / or medicaments. The amount of liquid contained in each wet tissue may vary depending on the type of material used to provide the wet tissue, the type of liquid used, the type of container used to store the stack of wet tissues, and the desired end use of the wet tissue It can be different. Generally, each wet tissue may contain from about 150 to about 600 wt%, preferably from about 200 to about 400 wt%, of liquid, based on the dry weight of the tissue.

The housing 22 and / or the lid assembly 42 may be opaque or, alternatively, may be transparent or translucent so that the amount of tissue remaining in the container can be visually inspected. The housing and / or lid assembly may be made from a variety of polymers, copolymers, and mixtures including, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and polystyrene.

As discussed above, the first end wall 32 may be removed to provide access to the interior space 36. In certain embodiments, the first end wall 32 constitutes a removable cap 60. The removable cap 60 is not permanently connected to the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, or the second sidewall 30, in certain embodiments. The removable cap 60 and the housing 22 are preferably configured to snap together, for example, in a tongue-and-groove or a rib-and-recess relationship.

In certain embodiments, the second end wall 34 may be removed to provide access to the interior space 36. In certain embodiments, the second end wall 34 includes a removable cap 62. The removable cap 62 is not permanently connected to the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, or the second sidewall 30, in certain embodiments. The removable cap 62 and the housing 22 are preferably configured to be locked together, for example, in a grooved or convex concave relationship.

By providing access to the interior space through both the removable first end wall 32, the removable second end wall 34, or both end walls, the dispenser housing 22 can be removed after the stack of previous tissues is exhausted Can be refilled with a stack of new tissues 50. 7A, a stack of new tissue 50 is inserted into the housing in the refill direction 64. As shown in FIG. The refilling direction 64 is substantially perpendicular to the dispensing direction 41 as exemplified in Figs. 6, 6A and 8.

In certain embodiments, the second end wall 34 includes a permanent layer 34 formed integrally with the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, and the second sidewall 30, ; 35). In such embodiments, the first sidewall 32 includes a first detachable cap 60 (preferably a top wall 24, a bottom wall 26, a first sidewall 28, 30), and the second end wall 34 may include a second detachable cap 62 (preferably a second detachable cap), as well as having the integral permanent layer 35 as described above (Not permanently connected to the top wall 24, the bottom wall 26, the first sidewall 28, or the second sidewall 30). Preferably, the second detachable cap 62 is of substantially the same construction as the first detachable cap 60. In this way, the first end wall 32, in certain embodiments, is completely removable and thus can provide access to the interior space 36, but the second end wall 34 By including an integral permanent layer, the container 20 provides improved structural integrity and / or improved moisture retention. At the same time, by including similar or identical caps 60, 62 on each end of the container in certain embodiments, the container is provided with an appearance that has structural symmetry when fully assembled, It is possible to provide a desirable aesthetic sense. As used herein, " substantially identical in structure " means that the first and second detachable caps are sufficiently structurally similar that they can be switched and attached to opposite ends of the housing, It means that brand names or finger tapes may exist on one cap, but there may be some differences between them as they do not exist in the other cap.

The inner space 36 has an inner space height 37 that extends from the inner surface 25 of the top wall 24 to the inner surface 27 of the bottom wall 26 as described above. The laminate 50 of the tissues 52 defines a laminate height 51. It has been found that if the stack height 51 is the same as the inner space height 37, two problems may occur in some situations. First, dispensing of the top tissue or tissues of the laminate 50 may be impeded if the top 53 of the laminate 50 is pressed too tightly against the inner surface 25 of the top wall 24. Second, the lid assembly 42 may protrude slightly into the interior space 36 through the dispensing orifice 40 in certain aspects of the present invention (discussed in more detail below). The stacking 50 of the tissues 52 is such that the stacking 50 is in contact with the inner space 36 through the refill orifices 38. In this embodiment, , It collides with the inwardly protruding portion of the lid assembly 42, so that the tissues in the container may be wrinkled or the movement of the tissues may be disturbed. For these two reasons, in some embodiments of the container 20, it is desirable to control the stack height 51 of the stack 50 that can be used to refill the container 20. [

To satisfy this requirement, a configuration for restricting the stack height 51 was invented. The refill orifice 38 has a refill orifice height 39 that extends to a height dimension 29. In certain embodiments, the refill orifice height 39 is less than 95% of the interior space height 37, and more specifically less than 90%. One suitable technique for providing a refill orifice height 39 that is less than the inner space height 37 is to use a distal flange. For example, in one embodiment, which is exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, the refill orifice 38 is partially bounded by at least one end flange 70. The distal flange 70 extends from the top wall 24 toward the bottom wall 26 and terminates at the distal flange edge 71. The end flange 70 is formed integrally with the top wall 24 in certain embodiments.

Continuing with FIGS. 5 and 8, in certain embodiments, the refill orifice 38 is surrounded by a continuous end flange 72. The upper portion 74 of the continuous terminal flange 72 extends from the upper wall 24 toward the lower wall 26 and terminates at the upper partial edge 75. Preferably, the upper portion 74 is formed integrally with the top wall 24. [ The lower portion 76 of the continuous end flange 72 also extends from the lower end wall 26 toward the upper wall 24 and terminates at the lower partial edge 77. Preferably, the lower portion 76 is formed integrally with the lower end wall 26. The continuous flange also includes side portions 78,78. In addition to limiting the height 51 of the stack 50 that may be inserted into the housing, the continuous end flange 72 may additionally provide structural integrity to the housing 22, in certain embodiments.

As described above, in certain embodiments, the lid assembly 42 includes a ring 44 and a flip top 46, and the ring 44 is preferably permanently fixed to the top wall 24 . 8-10, and 12A-12F, in certain embodiments, the ring 44 includes an upper portion 47 and a buffer flange 48. As shown in FIG. The upper portion 47 overlaps the distribution orifice periphery 43 and extends approximately along this periphery. The upper portion 47 is a portion of the ring 44 that extends outwardly from the top wall 24 ("outwardly" as used herein means away from the interior space 36). The buffer flange 48 protrudes from the upper portion 47 to the inner space 36. The top wall 24 has a thickness 23 and the buffer flange has a height 49. [ The thickness 23 of the top wall 24 as referred to herein means the thickness measured by any suitable means (such as a caliper) measured about 1 cm from the dispensing orifice periphery 43. The height 49 of the cushioning flange 48 as referred to herein means the distance from the lower side 57 of the upper portion 47 to the distal end 58 of the cushion flange 48. In certain embodiments, the buffer flange height 49 is greater than the top wall thickness 23. For example, in certain embodiments, the height 49 of the buffer flange 48 is at least 20% greater, more specifically at least 50% greater than the thickness 23 of the top wall 24, Is at least 100% greater.

In certain embodiments, the cushion flange 48 defines a cushion flange outer periphery 59. In certain embodiments, the length of the buffer flange outer periphery 59 is less than the length of the distribution orifice periphery 43. Preferably, the length of the buffer flange outer periphery 59 is slightly less than the length of the distribution orifice periphery 43 (e.g., 0% to 2% shorter), so that the buffer flange 48 is positioned within the distribution orifice 40 It will fit snugly.

As described above, in certain embodiments, the first end wall may be removed to provide access to the interior space through the refill orifice 38, and the refill orifice 38 may be provided by at least one end flange, . ≪ / RTI > In certain embodiments, the end flange 70 has a distal flange height 73. [ The distal flange height as referenced herein is the length from the top wall inner surface 25 to the distal flange edge 71, as exemplarily illustrated in Figs. In certain embodiments, the sum of the end flange height 73 and the top wall thickness 23 is greater than the buffer flange height 49. Likewise, as noted above, in certain embodiments, the refill orifices 38 are surrounded by a continuous end flange 72. The upper portion 74 of the continuous terminal flange 72 has a continuous distal flange upper portion height measured from the upper wall inner surface 25 to the upper partial edge 75. In certain embodiments, the sum of the height of the continuous terminal flange upper portion and the thickness of the upper wall 23 is greater than the buffer flange height 49. [ In this way, in certain embodiments, the stack height 51 of the stack 50 used to refill the container 20 is such that when the refill is inserted or after the refill is fully inserted into the interior space 36 The lamination 50 can be controlled so as not to collide with the buffer flange 48 or to not be pressed against the buffer flange.

8-10, the cushioning flange 48 projects from the top portion 47 of the flip top over the inner surface 25 of the top wall 24 into the interior space 36. In some embodiments, . 10, the top wall 24 includes an upper wall flange 66 formed integrally with the top wall 24. The top wall 24 includes a top wall flange 66 formed integrally with the top wall 24. As shown in FIG. In certain embodiments, the top wall flange 66 surrounds the dispensing orifice 40 and extends into the interior space 36. For example, in one preferred process for commercially fabricating the container 20, the dispenser housing 22 is blow-molded and a portion of the material is cut or stamped to form a dispensing orifice 40 . This cutting or stamping step can create a flange 66 in the top wall 24 which, in certain embodiments, can be rough or jagged. In certain embodiments, the buffer flange 48 extends into the interior space 36 more than the top wall flange 66 extends into the interior space 36. For example, in certain embodiments, the cushion flange 48 extends beyond the top wall flange 66 by a distance 61 of at least 1 mm, and more specifically by at least 2 mm. In this way, when the tissue 52 is extracted from the interior space 36 through the dispensing orifice 40, the absorbent flange 48 prevents the tissue from catching or tearing on the top wall flange 66 So that the tissue can pass smoothly through the container without being interrupted.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 13-15, preferably the tissue container 20 is mounted on a flat surface 21. In certain embodiments, the first end wall 32 has a first non-slip peripheral portion 80 and the second end wall 34 has a second non-slip peripheral portion 90. Each non-slip peripheral portion 80, 90 includes a thermoplastic elastomeric material. "Thermoplastic Elastomeric Material" (TPE) is known in the art. In addition, "thermoplastic elastomer material" as used herein includes rubber materials, although rubber is not technically considered a thermoplastic elastomer material as their terminology is conventionally used in the art.

15A, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-skid circumference 80 and the thermoplastic elastomeric material 92 of the second non-skid circumferential portion 90 are positioned such that the bottom wall 26 is flat And comes into contact with the flat surface 21 when facing the surface 21, respectively. 15B, the thermoplastic elastomer material 82 of the first non-skid circumferential portion 80 and the thermoplastic elastomer material 92 of the second non-skid circumferential portion 90 are disposed on the second side wall 30 Come into contact with the flat surface 21 when facing the flat surface 21, respectively. 15C, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-slip peripheral portion 80 and the thermoplastic elastomeric material 92 of the second non-slip peripheral portion 90 are disposed on the first side wall 28 Come into contact with the flat surface 21 when facing the flat surface 21, respectively. 15d, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-skid circumference 80 has a flat surface 21 when the first end wall 32 faces the flat surface 21, / RTI > 15E, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 92 of the second anti-slip peripheral portion 90 has a flat surface 21 when the second end wall 34 faces the flat surface 21 ).

By including the first and second non-skid peripheral portions 80 and 90 in this manner, it is possible, in certain embodiments of the present invention, to provide a flat surface (e.g., a table, a desk, a counter, a dresser, It is possible to provide a tissue container 20 that resists slipping or sliding on a wardrobe shelf, floor, car dashboard, etc.). In other words, by placing the thermoplastic material throughout the peripheries of the first and second end walls as described, the container handler (e.g., a store shelf organizer, shopper, or end user) can be placed on either the bottom wall thereof, , Or one of the end walls, and the container will resist sliding or sliding in each of these orientations. This anti-slip versatility is desirable because a variety of retail outlets or various end-users may choose to orient the dispenser in a variety of ways on a shelf, table, or other surface. Further, when the end user extracts the wet tissue from the dispenser, the tissue dispenser preferably resists sliding and sliding on the underlying table, counter or other surface during extraction. Also, in embodiments in which one or both of the end walls include a removable cap, the non-slippery periphery may improve gripability of the cap (s).

13 and 14, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-slip peripheral portion 80 in certain embodiments includes a continuous non-slip loop 84 (FIG. 8) around the first non-slip peripheral portion 80 And the thermoplastic elastomeric material 92 of the second non-slip peripheral portion 90 forms a continuous seamless loop 94 around the second non-slip peripheral portion 90. This approach can provide ease of processing, a streamlined shape, and ease of handling of the end walls 32,34. In other embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-skid circumferential portion 80 forms a discontinuous intermittent pattern around the first non-skid circumferential portion 80 and the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the second non- The elastomeric material 92 forms a discontinuous intermittent pattern around the second non-slip peripheral portion 90 (not shown).

Referring to Figures 1 and 13, in certain embodiments, the first non-slip peripheral portion 80 includes a first grip tab 86 that includes a thermoplastic elastomeric material 82. The first grip tab 86 extends over the portion of the top wall 24 from the first end wall 32 toward the second end wall 34. In certain embodiments, the first anti-slip perimeter 80 may alternatively or additionally include a second grip tab 88 comprising a thermoplastic elastomeric material 82. The second grip tab 88 extends over the portion of the lower end wall 26 from the first end wall 32 toward the second end wall 34. By including these grip tabs or tabs, the user can more easily grasp and remove the first end wall 32 in certain embodiments to provide access to the interior space 36. Also, in embodiments where the first end wall detachable cap 60 and the second end wall detachable cap 62 are included and otherwise have substantially the same appearance, the presence of one or more grip tabs on the first end wall detachable cap Allows the user to distinguish between the end walls, thereby allowing the user to approach the interior space to compensate for the tissue and know which end wall detachable cap to remove.

13 and 14, in certain embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82 of the first non-shrouded peripheral portion 80 is molded integrally with the non-elastomeric thermoplastic portion 83 of the first end wall 32 . Likewise, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 92 of the second anti-slip peripheral 90 is molded integrally with the non-elastomeric thermoplastic portion 93 of the second end wall 34. Examples of suitable materials for the non-elastomeric thermoplastic part include polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABD), and other materials known in the art as suitable for injection molding or blow molding. In other embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82, 92 is not integrally molded into the non-elastomeric thermoplastic portions 83, 93 in which they are disposed. Preferably, the thermoplastic elastomeric material 82, 92 has a higher coefficient of friction than the non-elastomeric thermoplastic portions 83, 93 on which they are placed based on the coefficient of friction test ASTM D1894-11e1.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 13 and 14, in certain embodiments the container 20 has a first end 31 near the first end wall 32 and a second end 31 near the second end wall 34. [ (33). The container includes a first thermoplastic elastomeric loop (12) wrapped around a first end (31) of the container (20) along a top wall (24), a bottom wall (26), a first side wall (85). The container includes a second thermoplastic elastomeric loop wrapping around the second end 33 of the container 20 along a top wall 24, a bottom wall 26, a first side wall 28, (95). 1 and 13) and / or the second thermoplastic elastomeric loop 95 is a continuous seamless loop (FIGS. 2 and 14), and / or the second thermoplastic elastomeric loop 95 is a continuous continuous loop )to be. In other embodiments, the first thermoplastic elastomeric loop is a discontinuous intermittent pattern of thermoplastic elastomer material, and / or the second thermoplastic elastomeric loop is a discontinuous intermittent pattern of thermoplastic elastomer material (not shown).

In certain embodiments, as shown for example in FIGS. 9-11, the ring 44 overlaps the distribution orifice periphery 43 and extends approximately along this periphery. Referring to Figs. 16A-16D, the flip top is shown with the vessel removed, and the ring 44 defines an interior region 102. Fig. The inner region 102 is an area bounded by the inner edge 97 of the ring 44. The inner region 102 has an inner region length 104. The ring has a first ring end 106 near the refill orifice 38 and a second ring end 108 far from the refill orifice 38.

In certain embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomer distribution barrier 110 extends substantially over the interior region 102. The distribution barrier 110 is a barrier layer separating the tissues received in the interior space 36 from the external environment of the container 20. A distribution slit 100 is formed in the thermoplastic elastomer distribution barrier 110. The tissue can be extracted from the interior space 36 through the dispensing slit 100. [ By using a thermoplastic elastomeric material to form the distribution bulkhead 110, the bulkhead can be temporarily deformed to allow the passage of the tissue pulled through the slit 100 by the user.

The distribution slit 100 has a first slit end 101 near the first ring end 106 and a second slit end 103 near the second ring end 108. In certain embodiments, The slit (100) also has an overall slit length (105) that extends generally along the length dimension (79). 16A and 16B, the slit length 105 has a length dimension 79 from the longitudinal position of the first slit end 101 to the longitudinal position of the second slit end 103 It is the length of a virtual straight line extending in parallel. The first slit end 101 is spaced a first distance 112 from the first end wall 32 and the second slit end 103 is spaced from the second end wall 34 by a second distance 114 Are spaced apart. As referred to herein, the distance from the slit end to the respective corresponding end wall extends from the slit end 101, 103 to the plane defined by the longitudinally innermost surface of each corresponding end wall 32, 34 Is the shortest distance. For example, referring to FIG. 6A, the longitudinally innermost surface of the first end wall 32 may be the inner surface 113 of the detachable cap 60 in certain embodiments. 6A, the longitudinally innermost surface of the end wall may be the inner surface 115 of the permanent layer 35 of the second end wall 34. In another example, referring again to FIG.

In certain embodiments, the first distance 112 is less than the second distance 114. In one embodiment, the first distance is at least 80% of the second distance. Preferably, the first distance 112 is at most about 8 cm, more preferably at most about 7 cm, and most preferably at most about 6 cm. In particular, the first distance 112 is between 2 and 7 cm. When the first slit end 101 is positioned relative to the first end wall 32 and thus the refill orifice 38 in this manner the user can more easily locate his or her fingers or fingers in the refill orifice 38 To hold the upper tissue 52 of the stack 50 and to exit the tissue 52 through the dispensing slit 100. [ In certain embodiments, such as those exemplarily illustrated in Figs. 16A and 16B, the ring is substantially centrally between the first end wall 32 and the second end wall 34 in the longitudinal direction. Although the first distance 112 is less than the second distance 114, in other embodiments, as exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 16C, the slit 100 is configured to extend in the longitudinal direction of the first ring end 106 and the second And is centered between the ring ends 108. This is accomplished by the distribution orifice 40 and the ring 44, both of which are displaced longitudinally toward the first end wall 32. In the embodiments of Figures 16A and 16C, the sine wave portion 117 of the slit is longitudinally centered between the first ring end 106 and the second ring end 108. 16B, conversely, the sinusoidal portion 117 of the slit is not longitudinally centered between the first ring end 106 and the second ring end 108, but instead is directed toward the first end wall 32 Is offset. 16A, although both the sine wave portion 117 of the slit 100 and the ring 44 are longitudinally centered between the first and second end walls 32, 34, Or by the use of her fingers to reach the refill orifices 38 and through the dispensing slit 100 by virtue of the spur portion 118 allowing the slit 100 to extend from the sinusoidal portion of the slit 100. [ You can get the tissue out. In certain embodiments, as shown in Figures 16a and 16b, at least 60%, and in particular at least 70%, of the slit length 105 is formed by the first ring end 106 and the inner region length 104, Is positioned between the bisector 107 extending perpendicularly to the length 104.

Referring to FIG. 16D, in certain embodiments, the refill terminal 120 is longitudinally disposed between the first slit end 101 and the first ring end 106. In embodiments in which the first end wall detachable cap 60 and the second end wall detachable cap 62 include, or otherwise have substantially the same appearance, the presence of the refill end indicator 120 is such that the end of the container By informing the user that it contains a refill orifice 38, the user is able to see which end wall detachable cap is removed to supplement the tissue and to approach the interior space 36. The refill tip indicator 120 may be a printed graphic, a pattern embossed with a thermoplastic elastomeric material, a sticker, or other suitable indicia. In one embodiment, the refill tip indicator 120 is an arrow marked in the refill orifice, as is typically shown in Figure 16D.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the details of the above-described embodiments given for illustration are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel concept and advantages of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the following claims and their equivalents. It should also be understood that many embodiments which do not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, in particular of the preferred embodiments, may be taken into consideration, but the absence of particular advantages does not necessarily imply that these embodiments are outside the scope of the present invention. Please be aware that

Claims (13)

A first sidewall spaced from the bottom wall and generally parallel to the bottom wall, a first sidewall spaced from the second sidewall and generally parallel to the second sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced from the second endwall and substantially parallel to the second endwall A first end wall defining a first end wall, wherein all the walls together define an interior space, wherein the first end wall can be removed to provide access to the interior space through a refill orifice, wherein Wherein the top wall includes a dispensing orifice through which tissues can be extracted from the interior space, wherein the first end wall is spaced from the second end wall in length dimension, wherein the top wall has a height dimension Wherein the inner space extends from an inner surface of the upper wall to an inner surface of the lower wall, The dispensing orifice defining a dispensing orifice periphery; a dispenser housing; And
Wherein the wipes are stacked on top of each other in the height dimension and stacked on the wipes disposed in the inner space, wherein each wipe is extracted from the inner space through the dispensing orifices,
Wherein the dispensing orifice is covered by a lid assembly, the lid assembly including a ring and a flip top, the ring being permanently fixed to the top wall, the flip top being hinged to the ring, Wherein said ring defines an inner region, said inner region has an inner region length, said ring having a first ring end near said refill orifice and a second ring end adjacent said refill orifice, Having a second ring distal end remote from the refill orifice,
Wherein a thermoplastic elastomeric partition wall extends substantially throughout the interior region, wherein a distribution slit is formed in the thermoplastic elastomeric partition wall,
Wherein the distribution slit has a first slit end near the first ring end, a second slit end near the second ring end, and a slit length, the slit length extending along the length dimension, Wherein the first slit end is spaced from the first end wall by a first length wherein the second slit end is spaced from the second end wall by a second length wherein the first length is less than the second length , Stacked wet tissue containers. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the first distance is at most about 8 cm. The container of claim 1, wherein the first distance is between 2 and 7 cm. 4. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slit is longitudinally centered between the first ring end and the second ring end. A first sidewall spaced from the bottom wall and generally parallel to the bottom wall, a first sidewall spaced from the second sidewall and generally parallel to the second sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced from the second endwall and substantially parallel to the second endwall A first end wall defining a first end wall, wherein all the walls together define an interior space, wherein the first end wall can be removed to provide access to the interior space through a refill orifice, Wherein the top wall includes a dispensing orifice through which tissues can be extracted from the interior space, wherein the first end wall is spaced from the second end wall in length dimension, wherein the top wall has a height dimension Wherein the inner space has an inner space extending from an inner surface of the upper wall to an inner surface of the lower wall, The dispensing orifice defining a dispensing orifice periphery; And
Wherein the wipes are stacked on top of each other in the height dimension and stacked on the wipes disposed in the inner space, wherein each wipe is extracted from the inner space through the dispensing orifices,
Wherein the dispensing orifice is covered by a lid assembly, the lid assembly including a ring and a flip top, the ring being permanently fixed to the top wall, the flip top being hinged to the ring, Wherein said ring defines an inner region, said inner region has an inner region length, said ring having a first ring end near said refill orifice and a second ring end adjacent said refill orifice, Having a second ring distal end remote from the refill orifice,
Wherein a thermoplastic elastomeric partition wall extends substantially throughout the interior region, wherein a distribution slit is formed in the thermoplastic elastomeric partition wall,
Wherein the distribution slit has a first slit end near the first ring end, a second slit end near the second ring end, and a slit length, the slit length extending along the length dimension, Wherein at least 60% of the slit length is located between the first ring end and a bisector perpendicular to the length of the inner region at a midpoint of the length of the inner region. 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the first slit end is spaced a first distance from the first end wall, wherein the first distance is at most about 8 cm. 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the first distance is between 2 and 7 cm. 8. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and claim 5, wherein said ring is longitudinally centered between said first end wall and said second end wall. 9. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a refill terminal is disposed longitudinally between the first slit end and the second slit end. 10. The container of claim 9, wherein the refill tip indicator is an arrow displayed in the refill orifice. 11. The container of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first end wall comprises a permanently unattached detachable cap to the top wall, bottom wall, first sidewall, or second sidewall. 12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the second end wall comprises a permanent layer formed integrally with the top wall, bottom wall, first sidewall, or second sidewall, The wall includes a first detachable cap that is not permanently connected to the top wall, the bottom wall, the first sidewall, or the second sidewall, wherein the second end wall includes a top wall, a bottom wall, Or a second detachable cap permanently unconnected to the second sidewall, the second detachable cap having substantially the same structure as the first detachable cap. 13. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the refill orifice has a refill orifice height extending to the height dimension and the refill orifice height is less than 95% of the interior space height.

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