KR20160021198A - Refillable, flexible moist wipes dispenser having offset dispensing orifice - Google Patents

Abstract

The refill type dispenser includes a flexible pouch having a top and bottom portion spaced apart in width dimension. The bottom is terminated at the bottom edge. The pouch has a front wall, a rear wall, and an interior space therebetween. The dispenser includes a dispensing opening formed in the front wall. The dispensing opening has a dispensing opening width that extends into a width dimension, and the dispensing opening defines an intermediate point along its width. The dispenser includes a seam extending approximately in length dimension and disposed approximately at the top of the pouch. The seam can be opened to the open position and resealed to the closed position to connect the front wall to the rear wall. The seam defines the inner edge of the seam and the outer edge of the seam. The intermediate point of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than the inner edge of the seam.

Description

≪ Desc / Clms Page number 1 > REFILLABLE, FLEXIBLE MOIST WIPES DISPENSER HAVING OFFSET DISPENSING ORIFICE WITH OFF-

The present invention relates to a refillable flexible wet tissue dispenser with an offset dispensing orifice.

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. Wet wipes may be wet with a variety of suitable wiping 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 wet 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 dispensers can be classified into two categories: (1) relatively rigid and durable tubing that is relatively large, designed to refill and that does not change volume as the tissue is removed; And (2) a rigid " flip-top " package made of a highly flexible plastic film material that is bulky but less bulky as the tissue is removed. What is needed in the art is that, in certain embodiments, it does not possess the bulk and resistance of a conventional infant tissue " barrel ";Refillable; The volume is reduced as the tissue is removed; It is a tissue dispenser that distributes tissues efficiently.

In one embodiment of the invention, a refillable dispenser for a pre-moistened tissue defines a length dimension and a width dimension. The dispenser includes a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart in a width dimension. The bottom terminates at the bottom edge. The pouch has a front wall, a rear wall, and an inner space between the front wall and the rear wall. The distributor includes a distribution opening formed in the front wall. The dispensing opening has a dispensing opening width that extends in a width dimension, and the dispensing opening defines an intermediate point along its width. The dispenser further includes a removable cover suitable for covering the dispensing opening. The dispenser includes a seam that extends approximately the length dimension and is disposed approximately at the top of the pouch. The joint may be open to the open position and resealed to the closed position to connect the front wall to the rear wall. The open position is configured to define a refill opening. The seam defines an inner edge of the seam and an outer edge of the seam. The intermediate point of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than the inner edge of the seam.

In certain embodiments, the dispenser further comprises a laminate of pre-wet tissue. The tissue defines a lamination width that extends to a width dimension. The inner space defines an inner space extending from the inner to the bottom edge of the seam. The stacking width is X% of the internal space width, where X is at most 90. The midpoint of the distribution opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than the inner edge of the joint by an amount of approximately (100-x)% of the inner space width.

In certain embodiments, the front wall and rear wall are each formed of a flexible material having a flexural resistance between about 40 mg force and 150 mg force, and the flexible material has a thickness between about 8 mil and about 15 mil.

1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a dispenser of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view of one embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention, without a cover assembly.
Figure 2a is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of Figure 2 taken along line 2A-2B with the refill opening in the closed position.
2B is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 2 taken along line 2A-2B, except that the refill opening is shown in the open position.
Figure 3 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a front view of yet another alternative embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention, wherein no cover assembly is present.
Figure 5 is a front view of yet another alternative embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention, wherein no cover assembly is present.

In certain embodiments, the refill-type dispenser 20 includes a pre-wetted or wet tissue, such as a diaper tissue, a toilet tissue, a feminine hygiene tissue, or other tissue stack 22 of a tissue known in the art Accept. The distributor defines a length dimension (21) and a width dimension (23). The dispenser 20 includes a flexible pouch 30 having a top 27 and a bottom 29 spaced from each other by a width dimension 23. The uppermost portion 27 terminates at the uppermost edge 33 and the bottom portion 29 terminates at the lower edge 35. The pouch 30 has a front wall 32, a rear wall 34, and an interior space 36 between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34. [

The dispenser further includes a distribution opening (40) formed in the front wall (32). The dispensing opening 40 may be a hole (Figs. 1-3), a slit (Figs. 4 and 5), or other opening through which the wet tissue may be suitably dispensed. In certain embodiments, the distribution opening 40 has a distribution opening width 42 that extends into the width dimension 23. 3 through 5, the distribution opening width 42 is defined by a first imaginary line 41 passing through a point of the distribution opening 40 closest to the top 27, (22) passing through a point of the distribution opening (40) closest to the first virtual line (43). The dispensing opening 40 defines an intermediate point 44 that is halfway apart along its width 42.

The dispenser 20 further includes a removable cover 50 suitable for covering the dispensing opening 40 in certain embodiments to help prevent the wet tissue from drying during use. The distribution opening 40 is surrounded by the rigid ring 46 and the cover 50 is hingedly attached to the ring 46 through the hinge 48. In this particular embodiment,

The dispenser includes a seam (60) that extends approximately the length dimension (21). The seam is located approximately at the top 32 of the pouch. The joint 60 can be opened to the open position 62 and resealed to the closed position 64. [ In the closed position 64, the seam 60 connects the front wall 32 directly to the rear wall 34, or indirectly, with an intermediate material. The open position 62 is configured to define a refill opening 66. The refill opening 66 allows the user to replenish the tissue supply within the interior space 36. The seam 60 defines a seam inner edge 61 that is circular with respect to the top edge 33 and the seam defining a seam outer edge 63 proximal to the top edge 33. The joint 60 may comprise a single joint inner edge (i.e., a top edge (not shown)), while the joint 60 may include a single or multiple strips or lanes where the front wall 32 is connected to the rear wall. (I.e., the outermost edge of the joint, which is relatively proximal to the top edge 33), with only one joint outer edge (i.e., the innermost edge of the joint, which is relatively circumferential to the top edge 33). In certain embodiments, the seam 60 is a press and seal joint, and / or may comprise a sliding zipper. In certain embodiments, a carrying strap 68 may be attached to the pouch 30, e.g., the top portion 27 of the pouch.

In certain embodiments, the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34 are formed from a flexible material having a flexural resistance between 21.0 mg force and about 300 mg force, respectively. As used herein, " bending resistance " means flexural resistance as measured according to the protocol outlined below. In certain embodiments, the flexible material is between about 21.0 mg force and 150 mg force, more specifically between about 40 mg force and 150 mg force, more specifically between about 40 mg force and 125 mg force, more specifically between about 40 mg force and 100 mg force , More specifically between about 60 mg force and about 100 mg force, and more specifically between about 60 mg force and about 90 mg force. By configuring the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34 with such a material, the pouch 30 is durable, perceived as being of high quality, efficiently processable, cost effective, and in certain embodiments It is flexible enough to minimize the "crinkling" noise according to the manipulation and allow it to bend into a wallet, purse, or similar container, and also thinner and bulky as the tissue supply depletes Will be reduced.

In certain embodiments, the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34 are each at least 5.0 mil (0.127 mm), more specifically at least about 8 mil (0.203 mm), and more specifically about 8 mil (0.203 mm) Is formed from a flexible material having a thickness of between about 15 mils (0.381 mm). As used herein, " thickness " means the thickness as measured according to the protocol outlined below. Materials having the above-described flexural resistance and thickness characteristics are described in the following examples.

In a conventional wet tissue dispenser, the dispensing orifices are centered over the interior space of the container or package, both longitudinally and widthwise. Although certain aspects of the present invention have been developed, in a pouch sized for a stack of tissue having a given length and width, if the tissue stack is positioned too close to the seam 60, the front wall 32, And rear wall 34 tighten the stack of tissue, negatively affecting dispensing. By offsetting the dispensing opening towards the bottom edge 35 of the pouch 30, it has been found that this tightening problem can be minimized.

Thus, in certain embodiments, the intermediate point 44 of the dispensing opening 40 is disposed closer to the bottom edge 35 than the internal edge 61 of the seam. The intermediate point 44 of the dispensing opening 40 is at least 5 mm closer, more specifically at least 10 mm closer to the bottom edge 35 than the inter-joint inner edge 61, More specifically at least 15 mm closer.

Referring to Figures 2 and 2A, in certain embodiments, the dispenser includes a layered body 22 of pre-wet tissue. The laminate has a lamination width (25) that extends to a width dimension (23). The inner space 36 defines an inner space width 37 that extends from the inner joint edge 61 to the bottom edge 35. (For ease of measurement, the inner space width 37 is intentionally described and shown to include the thickness of the bottom wall 80 and should be measured, for example, for purposes herein). In certain embodiments, the lamination width 25 is X% of the internal space width 37, where X is at most 90 and the intermediate point 44 of the dispensing opening 40 is about the width of the internal space width 37 (100-x)% by the amount of the bottom edge (35) than the joint inner edge (61). For example, if the inner space width 37 is 10 cm and the stacking width is 8 cm, the stacking width 25 is 80% of the inner space width 37 and the middle point 44 of the distribution opening 40 is the inner Is disposed closer to the bottom edge 35 than the inner edge 61 of the joint by 20% of the space width 37, i.e., by about 2 cm. The middle point 44 of the opening 40 would be located 4 cm from the bottom edge 35 and 6 cm from the inner edge 61 of the seam in this example.

In certain embodiments of the pouch 30 the front wall 32 includes a top edge 72 and first and second side edges 73 extending vertically from opposite ends of the front wall top edge 72 , 74). Likewise, the rear wall 34 has a top edge 76 and first and second side edges 77, 78 extending perpendicularly from opposite ends of the rear wall top edge 76. In certain embodiments, the front wall 32 includes a first side joint 75 that connects the front wall first side edge 73 to the rear wall first side edge 77, Is connected to the rear wall 34 through a second side joint 79 connecting the edge 74 to the rear wall second side edge 78. The front wall 32 is further connected to the rear wall 34 by a bottom overlap wall 80 which may extend between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34 and which may be integrally formed therewith. For example, in one embodiment, the front wall 32, the rear wall 34, and the bottom overlock wall 80 are all integrally formed from a single sheet of flexible material comprised of M-fold (M-fold) . The M-type ground defines three ground lines (81, 82, 83) extending to a length dimension (21). The M-type ground is permanently retained in place in the first side joint 75 and the second side joint 79.

 Test Procedures and Comparative Examples

Generally speaking, the resistance of a material is its resistance to deflection or deformation (e.g., warping) when acted upon by an applied force. The resistance of the distributor material is determined here for the bending moment generated by the force induced perpendicular to the plane substantially defined by the length and width of the component under test. As used herein, "bending resistance" refers to the resistance measured through a grit resistance test as set forth in the TAPPI standard test T 543 om-11 (bending resistance of paper (Gurley type tester)) , Milligram (mg) force. A suitable testing device is the Gurley Digital Resistance Tester Model 4171-D, manufactured by Teledyne Gurley with offices in Troy, NY, USA. The specimens were cut from the tissue dispenser and tested according to the TAPPI test referred to above. Although the length and width dimensions of the specimen to be cut and tested may be adjusted to accommodate the size or properties of the sample as described in section 6 of the procedure, force measurements for any given sample size may be made using an exact specified Is normalized to correspond to 50.8 mm (2 inches) x 63.5 mm (2.5 inches), as indicated in the TAPPI standard test T 543 om-11, including the use of the conversion factor.

In order to compare certain aspects of the present invention with certain aspects of a conventional distributor, the bending resistance of several distributor materials on the market as well as several prototype distributor materials was measured. For the purposes of the comparative examples in Table 1, a 25.4 mm x 25.4 mm (1 in x 1 in) specimen was placed on each of the flexible distributor walls (cords 1-6 and 9-13) without joints, welds, or other interference elements . The " test length " for these codes was 12.7 mm (0.5 inches). For a very rigid "hard case" dispenser (Code 7-8), cut a 12.7mm x 63.5mm (0.5in x 2.5in) specimen from the cross section of each splitter without joints, corners, reinforcement flanges, or interference elements Respectively. The " test length " for these codes was 50.8 mm (2 inches). "Test length" refers to the gap from the clamp jaws to the pendulum vane of the test apparatus. Five specimens were prepared and measured per sample cord.

The orientation of the material relative to the grit resistance test equipment can affect the measured flexural resistance for some materials. This is because some materials may have microstructure differences of different dimensions (e.g., length to width) resulting from a given manufacturing process (e.g., machine direction versus cross machine direction). As used and claimed herein, " flexural resistance ", in addition to what has been described above, refers to the flatness of the material including the length dimension 21 and the width dimension 23, regardless of the orientation of the sample, It means bending resistance.

In order to contrast certain aspects of the present invention with certain aspects of a conventional distributor, several prototype distributor materials as well as the thicknesses of various commercially available distributors have been measured. The thickness of each material is measured using a Thwing-Albert Model 89-100 thickness tester (available from Thwing-Albert Instrument Co., West Berlin, NJ) or a corresponding device. For the purpose of the comparative example in Table 1, 3 in x 2 in specimens were cut from the cross section of each distributor wall without joints, welds, or other interference elements. Five specimens were prepared and measured per sample cord. Five specimens were prepared and measured per sample cord. The circular top pressure foot has a diameter of 28.7 mm for an area of 645 mm2 (1 in2). Lower foot pressure should have a diameter equal to or greater than the upper foot pressure. The total dead load applied to the test specimen is 235 gm-f (~ 3.57 kPa). The thickness should be measured after a residence time of approximately 3 seconds.

Table 1 lists the flexural resistance and thickness for various materials and also lists weight, mounting location, specimen size, and conversion factor for each material in accordance with the TAPPI Standard Test 543 om-11 as described above. Cords 1-8 are distributor wall materials obtained from commercially available wet tissue dispensers. Code 9-13 is an example of implementing the principles of the present invention. Code 9-11 is an example of using a high density polyethylene film available from Berry Plastics with offices in Chippew and Paul, Wisconsin, USA. Code 12 is an example of a material using a 100% ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) material, Code 13 is an example of a material using an 80% ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) material and 20% polyethylene, Available from the Promotion Services Group of Chicago, USA.

code Explanation weight ( g) From the pivot  Distance in Weight (in) Width (in) Length (in) Conversion factor Average resistance
 (mgf) Average thickness
 (mil) One HUGGIES® Natural Care Soft Pack 32 ct. 5 One One One 2.78 8.01 2.1 2 Pampers® Sensitive Soft Pack 64 ct. 5 One One One 2.78 11.79 3.0 3 Pampers® Baby Fresh® Soft Pack 72 ct. 5 2 One One 5.56 14.40 3.0 4 Wal-Mart Parent's Choice Soft Pack - 80 ct 5 2 One One 5.56 17.63 1.9 5 Walgreens Premium Baby Wipes Soft Pack 5 One One One 2.78 8.20 2.5 6 Target Up & Up Soft Pack 88 wipes 5 2 One One 5.56 19.85 2.3 7 HUGGIES® Natural Care Travel Case 16 ct 200 4 0.5 2.5 14,222 41,528 41.6 8 HUGGIES® Natural Care Tub 64 ct (front panel) 50 4 0.5 2.5 3,556 15,753 31.6 9 6 mil HDPE 5 2 One One 5.56 21.24 5.8 10 8 mil HDPE 25 One One One 13.9 61.85 6.6 11 10 mil HDPE 25 2 One One 27.8 85.90 9.8 12 100% EVA 25 One One One 13.9 69.78 11.7 13 80% EVA / 20% PEl 25 2 One One 27.8 84.79 10.8

As shown in Table 1, Cords 9-13 are all larger than Cords 1-6 (a conventional flexible bag for a wet tissue), but have a significantly lower flexural resistance than Cords 7-8 (a conventional hard container for wet tissue). Also, codes 9-13 are all larger than codes 1-6 (a conventional flexible bag for a wet tissue), but have a significantly smaller thickness than codes 7-8 (a conventional hard container for a wet tissue).

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 (12)

A refillable dispenser for a pre-wet tissue, the dispenser defining a length dimension and a width dimension, the dispenser comprising a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart by the width dimension, the bottom ending at a bottom edge The pouch having a front wall, a rear wall, and an interior space between the front wall and the rear wall,
Wherein the dispenser includes a dispensing opening formed in the front wall, the dispensing opening having a dispensing opening width that extends the width dimension, the dispensing opening defining an intermediate point along its width, Further comprising a removable cover suitable for covering the cover,
Wherein the dispenser includes a seam extending substantially in the length dimension and approximately at the top of the pouch, wherein the seam is open to an open position and resealed to a closed position to connect the front wall to the rear wall, Wherein the open position is configured to define a refill opening, the joint defining an inner edge of the joint and an outer edge of the joint,
Wherein the intermediate point of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than the inner edge of the joint. The refillable dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are formed from a flexible material having a flexural resistance between 21.0 mg force and about 300 mg force, respectively. 3. The refillable dispenser of claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible material has a flexural resistance between about 40 mg force and 150 mg force. 4. The refillable distributor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flexible material has a thickness between about 8 mil and about 15 mil. 5. A refillable distributor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distribution opening is surrounded by a rigid ring and the cover is attached as a hinge to the ring. A refillable dispenser for a pre-wet tissue, the dispenser defining a length dimension and a width dimension, the dispenser comprising a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart by the width dimension, the bottom ending at a bottom edge The pouch having a front wall, a rear wall, and an interior space between the front wall and the rear wall,
Wherein the dispenser includes a dispensing opening formed in the front wall, the dispensing opening having a dispensing opening width that extends the width dimension, the dispensing opening defining an intermediate point along its width, Further comprising a removable cover suitable for covering the cover,
Wherein the dispenser includes a seam extending substantially in the length dimension and approximately at the top of the pouch, wherein the seam is open to an open position and resealed to a closed position to connect the front wall to the rear wall, Wherein the open position is configured to define a refill opening, the joint defining an inner edge of the joint and an outer edge of the joint,
Wherein the intermediate point of the dispensing opening is located closer to the bottom edge than the internal edge of the joint,
Wherein the front wall and the rear wall are each formed from a flexible material having a flexural resistance between about 40 mg force and 150 mg force,
Wherein the flexible material has a thickness between about 8 mil and about 15 mil,
Wherein said dispensing opening is surrounded by a rigid ring and said cover is attached to said loop with a hinge. 7. A refillable distributor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the intermediate point of the dispensing opening is located at least 10 mm closer to the bottom edge than the internal edge of the joint. 8. The refillable dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flexible material has a flexural resistance between about 60 mg force and about 100 mg force. 9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front wall has a top edge and first and second side edges extending perpendicularly from opposite ends of the front wall top edge, And a first side edge and a second side edge extending vertically from opposite ends of the rear wall top edge. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the front wall includes a first side joint that connects the front wall first side edge to the rear wall first side edge, To a rear wall through a bottom side overlock wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall and integrally formed with the front wall and the rear wall, . 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the front wall, the rear wall, and the bottom collapsible wall are all integrally formed from a single sheet of flexible material, the material is comprised of M-folds, Wherein the M-type ground defines three ground lines extending into said length dimension, said M-type ground being permanently held in place in said first side joint and said second side joint. 12. The dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the dispenser further comprises a laminate of pre-wet tissue, the tissue has a lamination width extending to the width dimension,
Wherein the inner space defines an inner space width extending from the inner edge of the joint to the bottom edge,
Wherein the lamination width is X% of the internal space width, where X is at most 90, wherein the intermediate point of the distribution opening is less than the internal edge of the joint by an amount of about (100-x)% of the internal space width And is disposed proximate the bottom edge.

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