MXPA94007851A - Storage and distribution container of trapo hum - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention solves the aforementioned problem by providing an improved container assembly for the storage and distribution of pre-moistened wipes. The assembly is provided in two main parts - a container and a multi-purpose lid. Of course, a seal flap will also be included to seal the wipes inside the container before use and a roll or a plurality of wipes will be provided within the container.

Description

CONTAINER OF WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF HUMID TRAP Messrs. HENRY J. LANDIS, II and RUSSEL J. LANDIS, of United States nationality, both residing at 10800 South Central Avenue, City of Chicago; In the State of Illinois, the United States of America, inventors, cede, sell and transfer to SANFORD CORPORATION, a North American company, with address at 2711 Washington Boulevard, City of Bellwood, State of Illinois, United States of America, all rights over the invention that is described below: DISCLOSURE OF DISCLOSURE An improved container assembly is provided for the storage and distribution of pre-humed tissues. The assembly includes a container and a multi-function lid. The lid engages coincidently with the upper end of the container and further provides an additional storage area for the storage and retention of partially used wipes. The cap also provides a relatively air-tight seal to keep the wipes moist and prevent them from drying out prematurely. A membrane flexibly in the lid enables the wipes, joined to each other by perforations, to be pulled through the membrane of the lid. An individual wipe is separated from the roll with a sharp pull or canister which rips the wipe along the perforation and leaves the remaining wipe extending partially through the membrane. An area below the top closure member of the lid and the membrane provides a sealed area for the storage of partially used wipes. A band joining the upper closure member with the upper closure portion of the lid provides a handle for the initial removal of the container lid so that the consumer can feed the first tissue through the membrane. The matching coupling between the upper portion of the lid and the lower portion of the container provides a secure and tight fit that still enables the lid to be removed by the consumer under relatively easy manual pressure.

STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION BOTTLE OF MOISTED TRAP FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to containers and more specifically to container assemblies directed towards the dispatch of individual sheets or wipes. The container assembly of the present invention comprises a container for accommodating a roll of wipes and a specially designed lid. The lid is detachably attached to the upper part of the container, includes a special compartment for the storage of partially used wipes and also provides a means for dispensing individual towels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wet or pre-wet wipes are a common and popular consumer product. Two uses for pre-used wipes include baby wipes and wipes specially designed to clean erasable ink and "white boards" coated with porcelain or dry erased surfaces. Because the pre-moistened wipes will dry under the prolonged exposure of roll wipes to the atmosphere, air-tight containers are provided for this purpose for storage and distribution of individual wipes. The present invention provides a container for this purpose. Specifically, two problems are associated with the containers currently available for the storage of pre-moistened wipes. As a background, it should be understood that containers or container assemblies are usually provided in two parts, a cylindrical container portion for accommodating a roll of wet wipes and a lid through which the wipes are dispensed. In addition, a seal in the form of a removable protective cap is normally provided in the opening of the container to provide an airtight seal within the container to prolong the life of the wet wipes before buying. The first problem associated with the containers currently available for most wipes is that of the initial opening of the container. The lid must be removed from the container so that the consumer can remove the protective cap and obtain access to the wipes. It is often very difficult to remove the lid of the container. Normally there is no handle or tab for the consumer to hold it to pull the container lid. further, most containers are not provided with a threaded lid / container connection. To remove the lid from the opening of the container to gain access to the wipes, the consumer must first lever the lid of the container. Then, an initial wipe is first fed upward through a narrow opening in the lid through which the wipes are dispensed. In this way, the first problem associated with the container currently available for wet wipes is the lid / container connection. The lids are often difficult to remove from the container and the consumer must remove the lid of the container to obtain initial access to the wipes and feed the wipes through a narrow opening in the lid. A second problem associated with the containers currently available for pre-wet wipes is the lack of storage capacity for partially used wipes. The pre-moistened wipes are expensive and consumers will appreciate a storage place within the container assembly that will accommodate the partially used wipes. This feature will be especially applicable to pre-moistened wipes for use in erasing dry boards. Often, the user of a wipe will only need to clean a corner of a small portion of the dry board and then want to save a small portion of the partially used wipe. Dry wipe dry wipes dry quickly because they are normally moistened with a volatile solvent. Thus, there is a need for an improved container assembly for the storage and distribution of pre-moistened wipes. The container assembly should include a lid that is easy to remove from the container portion so that the user can easily gain initial access to the wipes and feed the initial wipe through the lid. Second, the lid and / or container must include a secondary container or compartment for the storage of partially used wipes. In solving the aforementioned two problems, the present invention provides a container assembly for the storage and dispensing of pre-moistened wipes that is easier to satisfy for the consumer and more economical for the consumer because it retains the wipes partially used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the aforementioned problem by providing an improved container assembly for the storage and distribution of pre-moistened wipes. The assembly is provided in two main parts - a container and a multi-purpose lid. Of course, a seal flap will also be included to seal the wipes inside the container before use and a roll or a plurality of wipes will be provided within the container. The container is preferably of a cylindrical shape because the wipes are conveniently provided in the form of a roll with perforations separating wipes adjacent to each other. The preferred container will include a bottom, a side wall and an open top portion. The upper portion of the container includes an upper ring which defines the opening and a means for frictionally coupling the cover which is preferably disposed below the upper ring. A preferred and convenient means for frictionally coupling the lid is the inclusion of an outwardly projecting collar disposed below the top ring. Suitable alternatives include at least one projection projecting outwards, a series of ribs or protrusions thereby creating a rough area below the top ring to engage the cap. The lid engages coincidently with the upper portion of the container. A lower portion of the container includes a downwardly extending side wall which coincidentally engages the upper portion of the container. In the preferred embodiment, the side wall also includes a means for frictional engagement of the upper portion of the container. The means for frictionally coupling the upper portion of the container may be provided in the form of a collar projecting radially inwardly and engaging with the outer surface of the upper portion of the container at or below the upper ring. Suitable alternatives for the inwardly projecting collar include a rib, a plurality of ribs or a series of inward projecting projections designed to frictionally engage the upper portion of the container. In the preferred embodiment as described above, an inner surface of the cap engages an outer surface of the container and an outer surface of the container engages an inner surface of the cap, of course, an alternative embodiment could provide a cap that is coupled within the upper portion of the container, i.e., an outer surface of the lid engages the inner surface of the container, etc. Also, in the preferred embodiment an outwardly projecting collar is disposed on the upper part of the container. reciepeinte, under the hoop. furthermore, a collar projecting outwards is disposed in the lower portion of the lid. To match the cap on the top of the container coincidentally, the cap is forced downwardly, thereby forcing the collar projecting inwardly from the cap onto the underneath the projecting collar disposed on the upper surface of the container . In this way, the collar projecting inward from the cap is disposed below the collar projecting outwardly from the lid portion of the container. To remove the lid, sufficient force must be applied to the lid to slide the collar projecting outward from the lid portion of the container. By providing a collar projecting outwards smooth rounded on the upper portion of the container. The tap may be coupled in a matching manner on the upper portion of the container to provide a secure fit while providing a setting that makes it relatively easy for the consumer to remove the container lid under normal manual pressure. The lid also includes a top closure portion. The lower closure portion is separated by a flexible membrane through which the wipes are led. The upper closure portion preferably includes a side wall that terminates in an open top portion. A closure member is provided to mate with the top closure portion to seal the mouth of the container. The space limited by the closing member, the side walls of the top closure portion of the lid and the flexible membrane define a storage space that can be used to store partially used wipes. Preferably, the closure member is attached to the lid with a loop or band. When the closure member engages coincidently with the open top of the lid, the loop provides a handle or loop to remove the container lid. The consumer can simply slide one or two fingers into the loop or loop. and pull the lid up to remove easily from the container lid. The membrane is preferably a relatively thin piece of plastic that extends through the lid betwthe upper closure portion and the lower closure portion. Preferably, the membrane contains one or more slits through which the wipes are led. The coupling of the wipe against the membrane is sufficient to tear the perforation, thereby providing a system for dispensing one wipe at a time. In fact, while the wipe is strong enough to pass through the membrane, the perforation is not and only a lower portion of the adjacent wipe extends through the membrane making it easy for the consumer to hold the membrane. next wipe when needed. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved container assembly for the distribution of pre-moistened wipes. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved container assembly for pre-moistened wipes with a lid that can be easily removed by the consumer. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved container with a compartment for partially storing used wipes. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description in which one embodiment has bdisclosed in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container assembly made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the container assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the container assembly shown in Figure 1 with the lid portion removed; Figure 4 is a partial view of the container assembly shown in Figure 1 with the upper closure member in an open position thereby exposing the flexible membrane disposed thereunder; and Figure 5 is a side sectional view of the first container assembly shown in Figure 1 and with the upper closure member in an open position. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily scaled and that the modalities are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, dotted lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In some circumstances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which produce other details difficult to perceive have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Similar reference numbers will be used to refer to like or similar parts of the figure and figure in the following description of the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the container assembly generally indicated at 10 includes a lid 11 and container 12. The lid 11 engages in a matching manner on the upper portion of the container 12. The lid 11 also includes a top closure member 13 which is attached to the lid 11 with a band 14. The band 14 is attached to a lower end of the side wall 15 and, as shown in Figure 2, provides a convenient loop or handle for the consumer to insert a spike 17 through when the lid 11 of the container 12 is removed. By touching the turn collectively to FIGS. 2 and 3, it should be noted that the pre-moistened wipes 31 are kept moist or fresh with the seal flap indicated at 16 in FIG. 3. After the purchase, the consumer removes the tap 11 by inserting a tang 17 (see Figure 2) through the laz created by the band 14 and pulling the lid 11 upwards and for the container 12. Afterwards, the consumer can easily so the tongue 18 for removing the seal 16 from the upper ring 21 of the container 12. Touching the turn to figure 2, as seen in the side view of the lid 11 shown in figure 2, the lid 1 can be divided into a portion upper closure 22 and an upper closure portion 23. Lower closure portion 22 may engage matching the upper portion of container 12. Upper closure portion 23 characterizes an inclined side wall 24. Container 12 also characterized by a side wall 25 and a bottom wall 26. The points of support are indicated in 27, 28. Touching the turn now to figure 3, the recipient 12 accommodates a roll of wipes 31. After purchasing, the consumer withdraws the lid 11 of the container 12 as illustrated in figure 2 and then pull up on the tongue 18 d the seal flap 16 to expose the roll of wipes 31. Then, the consumer holds a towel of the inner side 32 of the roll 31 and food An initial wipe through the slit 33, 34 of the flexible membrane or fabric 35 as shown in FIG. 4, is then replaced by the cover 11 over the upper portion of the container 12 with the initial toweel fed through the membrane 35. A series of perforations separates the individual wipes from roll 3 of wipes. A sharp upward pull on a wipe across the membrane 35 will cause the perforation to break e or slightly above the membrane 35 provided with the one wipe dispensing system at a time. The lower boallit is broken and the remaining ones extend partially through the membrane 35 so that they can be easily held by the consumer when another wipe is needed Touching the turn to Figure 5, a detailed sectional view of the container assembly 10 is provided. By touching the shift first to the lid indicated generally at 11, the lid 11 is divided into an upper closure portion 23 and a lower closure portion. 22 by the flexible membrane 35. The wipes are passed one at a time from the roll 31 of wipes through the slits 33, 34 and the membrane 35 (see Figure 4). The lower closure portion 22 of the lid 11 s coincidentally engages with the upper portion 36 of the container 12. The lower closure portion 22 characterizes an outwardly extending collar or protrusion 37 and that is disposed below the collar or protuberance. 38 b protrudes outwardly into the portion 36 of the container 12. The collar 38 is disposed below the upper ring 41 of the container 12. Because the lid 11 is made of elastic plastic material, the collar 37 can be forced onto the e collar 38 under manual pressure. Furthermore, as discussed above with respect to Figure 2, the collar 3 can be pulled up and over the collar 38 under manual pressure. However, the coupling between the container collar 38 and the receiving section 42 of the lid 11 e in combination with the coupling between the collar 37 of the cap 11 against the collar 38 provides a tight and secure fit of the lid 11 on the upper part of the container 12. Furthermore, depending on the material used to manufacture the lid 1 and the container 12, it would be desirable to provide abutting or closely abutting coupling between the collar 37 and the receiving section 43 disposed below the collar 38 in the container 12 By touching the turn of the upper closure portion 23 of the lid 11, a storage compartment generally indicated at 44 is provided within the defined area by the side wall 45, the membrane 35 and the bottom surface 45 of the closure top member. 13 when the upper closure member is in a closed position as shown in Fig. 1. The storage area 44 provides a convenient place for the storage of partially used wipes thereby making the container assembly 10 an economical way of dispensing pre-moistened wipes storing partially used wipes. The closing member provides a relatively air-tight seal when it is coincidently engaged on the open upper part 47 of the lid 11. Specifically, the flange 48 bites into the groove or slot 51 provided in the upper closure member 13. upper closure member 13 is easily removed by grasping the tongue 52 with a thumb, In addition, the upper closure member 13 provides a nipping sound when closed to tell the consumed that the upper part 13 is properly closed. it should also be noted that to "start" the roll d wipes 31, the lid 11 is pulled out of the container 12, flap 16 is removed from the upper ring 41 and a wipe is held from inside 32 of the roll 31. The initial wipe is then fed upwardly through the membrane 35. After the wipe is fed through the membrane, then the lid 11 can be pushed downwardly into the upper portion 36 of the container 12 to provide the pairing coupling illustrated in Figure 5. It should be understood that additional means other than the collar 38 are provided for the frictional engagement of the lid 11. Specifically, a series d protuberances projecting outwardly or a plurality of ribs may be provided. In addition, other different inwardly extending collar means 37, are available to couple frictionally to the upper portion 36 of the container 12. Again, inwardly extending protuberances, ribs or the like may be provided. A tap could be provided to fit within the upper ring 4 in contrast to the outer side shown in the figures. In addition, any suitable closure member 13 that seals the open top part 47 will be appropriate. The important aspect is to provide an airtight seal to prevent drying of the pre-moistened wipes. Although only one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, once it becomes apparent to those skilled in the art that they can be

Claims (19)

Variations within the spirit and scope of the invention. As a consequence, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims hereinafter and not by any specific wording of the foregoing description. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it was considered as a novelty and, therefore, the following content is claimed as property: CLAIMS

1. - A container assembly for the storage and distribution of wipes, the container assembly is characterized in that it comprises: a cylindrical container for accommodating a roll d wipes, the container includes a bottom, a side wall an open upper portion, the upper open portion includes an upper ring and means for frictionally coupling to a lid, the lid for matching coupling d the upper portion of the container, the lid includes a lower closing portion including a side wall, the side wall of the lower closure portion includes means for frictionally engaging the upper portion of the container, the cover also includes an upper closure portion, a flexible membrane disposed between the upper closure portion and the lower closure portion, an open top portion and a member of superior closure, the membrane enables the wipes to be passed from the recipient Through the membrane up to the upper closure portion, the upper closure member is flexibly attached to the lid, the flexible connection of the upper closure member with the lid provides a handle means to remove the container lid when the upper closing member is coupled coincidently with the open upper portion of the lid.

2. - The container assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper closure portion includes means for storing partially used wipes.

3. - The container assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for frictionally coupling the cover include an outward projecting collar disposed on the upper portion of the container under the upper ring.

4. - The container assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for the means for frictionally coupling the upper portion of the container includes an inwardly projecting collar disposed on the side wall of the lower closing portion of the lid .

5. - The container assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the collar projecting outwardly from the upper portion of the container is arranged above the collar projecting towards the lower closing portion of the lid when the lid is coincidently engaged on the upper portion of the container, the collar projecting inward from the lower closing portion of the lid frictionally engages the colla that projects outwardly from the upper portion of the container lid when the lid is removed of the container.

6. - The container assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper portion of container or container includes a receiving section disposed below the projecting collar, the lower closing portion of the cover includes a receiving section disposed above the collar projecting inwardly, the collar projecting outwardly from the upper portion of the container is in closely abutting engagement with the receiving section of the lower closing portion of the lid and the collar projecting inwardly from the container. The lower closure portion of the lid is in an engagement closely abutting the receiving portion of the upper portion of the container when the lid is coincidentally engaged on the upper portion of the container.

7. - The container assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the frictional coupling means of the upper portion of the container are arranged above the means for frictional coupling of the upper portion of the container, when the cover is coupled in a matching manner. on the top portion of the container.

8. - The container assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that the top portion of the closure includes a side wall extending from the flexible membrane to the open top, the means for storing the partially used tissues provided by a limited area. by the upper closing member d, the side wall of the upper closing portion and the flexible membrane.

9. - The container according to claim 8, characterized in that the flexible connection between the upper closing member and the cover is a band, the band provides the means to remove the container's lid when the upper closing member is coupled coincident with the open top of the lid.

10. - The container according to the claim 9, characterized in that the membrane includes at least one slit for the passage of the wipes through the membrane.

11. - The container according to the claim 10, characterized in that the membran includes a first and a second slit that intersect each other so that the wipes pass through the membrane.

12. - A container assembly for the storage and distribution of wipes, the container assembly characterized in that it comprises: a cylindrical container for accommodating a roll d wipes, the container includes a bottom, a side wall an open upper portion, the upper portion open includes an upper ring and a collar projecting outwardly disposed below the collar, a cap for matingly matching the upper portion of the container, the cap includes a lower closure portion including a side wall, the side wall of the portion bottom closure includes a collar projecting inward from the lower closure portion, the collar projecting inwardly from the lower closure portion of the cap is disposed below the collar projecting outward from the container upper portion. when the lid is coincidently engaged on the upper portion of the container, the lid also includes a portion In the upper closure, a flexible membrane disposed between the upper closure portion and the lower closure portion, the tap also includes an open upper portion and an upper closure member, the upper closure member being coupled in a matching manner to the upper closure member. upper opening of the upper portion of the upper closure portion, the membrane enables the wipes to be passed from the container through the membrane to the upper closure portion, the upper closure portion includes a side wall extending from the flexible membrane up to the open top, an area limited by the upper closure member, the side wall of the upper closure portion and the membrane provide an area for the storage of partially used wipes.

13. - The container assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that the upper portion of container includes a receiving section disposed below the projecting collar, the lower closing portion of the cover includes a receiving section disposed above the container. The collar projecting inwardly, the collar projecting outwardly from the upper portion of the container is tightly abutting abutting the receiving section of the lower closure portion of the cap and the projecting collar of the portion of the cap. The lower closure of the lid is in a coupling closely abutting the receiving section of the upper portion of the container when the lid is coincidentally engaged on the upper portion of the container.

14. - The container according to claim 12, characterized in that a band joins the upper closure member with the lid, the band forms a loop when the upper closing member is coupled coincidently with the open part of the lid, the The band serves as a grip for removing the container lid when the upper closure member is coincidently engaged with the upper part of the lid.

15. - The container according to claim 12, characterized in that the membrane includes at least one slit for passing the wipes through the membrane.

16. - The container according to claim 12, characterized in that the membrane includes a first and a second slit intersecting each other for the passage of wipes through the membrane.

17. - A container assembly for the storage and distribution of wipes, the container assembly is characterized in that it comprises: a cylindrical container for accommodating a roll d wipes, the container includes a bottom, a side wall an open upper portion, the upper portion open includes an upper ring, a receiving section and an outwardly projecting collar disposed between the upper ring and the receiving section, a cover for matingly matching to the upper portion of the container, the cover includes a lower closing portion that includes a stop At the side, the side wall of the lower closure portion includes a collar projecting inward from the lower closure portion, the collar projecting inwardly, and the lower closure portion of the cap being disposed below the collar that is projects outward from the upper portion of container when the lid is coincidently engaged on the super portion ior of the container, the collar projecting outward from the upper portion of the container is in close engagement abutting the receiving section of the lower closing portion of the lid and the collar projecting towards the lower closure portion of the lid is closely coupled with the receiving section of the upper portion of the container when the lid is coincidentally engaged on the upper portion of the container, the frictional engagement between the collar projecting into the lower closing portion of the lid and the collar projecting outward from the upper portion of the container maintain the coincident coupling of the lid on the upper portion of the container, by enabling the lid to be pulled out of the container by manual pressure; the lid also includes a top closure portion disposed on the upper portion of the lower closure portion, a flexible membrane disposed between the upper closure portion and the lower closure portion, an open upper part and an upper closure member, the upper closure portion includes a side wall extending from the flexibl membrane upwardly to the open top, the upper closure member to mate with the open top portion of the upper closure portion, the membrane enables the wipes to pass from the container through the membrane to the upper closure portion, an area limited by the upper closure member, the side wall of the upper closure portion and the flexible membrane that provides an area for the storage of wipes partially used, a band joins the upper closure member with the lid, the band forms a loop when the member or upper closure is coupled in a manner coincident with the upper part of the lid, the band serves as a handle to remove the lid of the container when the upper closure member is coupled coincident with the upper open part of the lid.

18. - The container according to claim 17, characterized in that the membrane includes at least one slit for the passage of the wipes from the container through the membrane and outside the upper open part of the lid when the upper closing member is uncoupling from the top open part of the lid.

19. - The container according to claim 17, characterized in that the membrane includes a first and a second slit intersecting each other for the passage of wipes through the membrane. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed the above description and novelty of the invention, as a proxy of SANFOR CORPORATION, in Mexico City, on the 11th day of October 1994. p. p. SANFORD CORPORATION