US20150048105A1

US20150048105A1 - Container of wipes with dispensing nozzle

Info

Publication number: US20150048105A1
Application number: US14/513,238
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael John Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-30
Filing date: 2014-10-14
Publication date: 2015-02-19

Abstract

Referring to FIG. 6. The invention relates to a container of wipes (3) with a dispensing nozzle (20). The housing (4) is provided containing wet wipes (10). The dispensing nozzle (20) extends from the housing. The nozzle (20) is formed with a resilient aperture (21) through which wipes can be withdrawn from the housing. The resilient aperture (21) is expandable to allow withdrawal of (wipes 10) therethrough, but is biased toward a contracted state. In use a wipe can be withdrawn through the nozzle and separated by rupturing the perforations joining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe with the nozzle expanding as required to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle aperture. The nozzle contracts around the tail of the next adjacent wipe to prevent release of moisture from the inside of the housing and to help prevent wicking of moisture from a wipe tail.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application ser. no. 12/664,179 filed 30 Mar. 2010 with a claim to the priority of British application 0617067.7 filed 29 Aug. 2006, British application 0710596.8 filed 4 Jun. 2007, and PCT application PCT/GB2007/003267 filed 29 August 2007 and published 5 Mar. 2008 as WO2008/025980.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container of wipes with a dispensing nozzle. More particularly this invention concerns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wipes are generally sold in two types of dispensing container:
1) Hard plastic tubs with removable lids which feature a narrow outlet aperture from which the wipes are dispensed. The tub is then sealed with a cap which covers the aperture in order to prevent moisture loss from the tub.
2) Soft packs with hermetically sealed side edges and with a mouth in the middle of the top side of the pack from which to access the wipes. In order to prevent moisture loss from the pack, this mouth is generally sealed in one of two ways; either by way of a removable self adhesive strip or by way of an integral hard plastic lid assembly called a ‘Rigid Flip Top’ (RFT). The latter consists of a hard plastic frame fixed to the upper side of the soft pack with a lid connected to it by hinge. The frame defines the opening or mouth of the soft pack through which the wipes will be dispensed and is permanently fixed to the soft pack by adhesive.
Soft pack dispensing containers are becoming increasingly popular because these packs are less expensive to make than hard plastic tubs or canisters, require less raw materials to make them and are perceived to be far more environmentally friendly.
The wipes within a soft pack dispensing container are generally in a folded, stacked format. They are either in the form of elongate sheets of moistened material with spaced lines of weakness, the separable bond, in the form of lines of perforations dividing one sheet of material into hand sized individual sheets or interleave folded sheets without perforations dividing them into individual sheets. In the case of the latter, a portion of the bottom side of the back end of the first wipe lies flat against the top side of the front end of the second wipe. In this case it is the viscosity of the liquid impregnate or a mild adhesive between the above mentioned wipe ends and not a perforation line that forms the line of weakness, the separable bond between the folded sheets.
In order to access the first wipe from within a soft pack dispensing container the wipe needs to be grasped or pinched with two fingers and pulled through the mouth of the soft pack dispensing container. As a wipe is pulled through the opening, the adjacent wipe is also withdrawn. The first wipe then starts to separate from its adjacent wipe once the line of weakness, the separable bond between the two wipes reaches the narrow mouth of the soft pack dispensing container. A portion of the subsequent wipe, the tail, is supposed to present itself for the next user to.
There are three main problems associated with soft pack containers.
First, when a wipe is withdrawn from them, the wipes separate before the adjacent wipe is fully withdrawn through the mouth of the pack, the result being that the adjacent wipe then lies flat on top of the stack rather than leaving a tail protruding from the pack for the next user to grasp. The user is then forced to scratch around the top of the stack in order to find the end of the top wipe, then insert two fingers into the mouth of the pack in order to grasp the wipe and pull it out through the aperture. Constant repetition of this process can be frustrating to the user.
A second problem occurs if the separable bonds between the wipes fail to rupture as the wipes are removed. This results in a ‘stream’ of wipes being inadvertently extracted from the soft pack container when only one was required.
Third, if the sealing strip or hard plastic lid of the soft pack is not closed properly, moisture will emerge from the container and the wipes which are intended to be moist, will dry out.
Hard plastic tubs from which to dispense wet wipes are also very popular. Wipes dispensed from the latter are usually in the form of elongate continuous sheets of moistened or impregnated material with spaced lines of perforations dividing one sheet of material into hand-sized wipes or towlets. In use of such containers, when a wipe is withdrawn through the aperture, a line of perforations ruptures and a wipe is released from the sheet of material, with the intention again of leaving a tail of the next wipe projecting through the end cap aperture for the next user to grasp.
An example of a hard plastic tub container is described in German Offenlegungschrift DE-A1-40 06 987 (Penaten). The dispenser has an orifice through which sheets of material are pulled. Mention is made of the applications of such sheets or tissues and the various mixtures and types of liquid with which they may be impregnated.
Three problems are associated with plastic hard tub containers which are similar to those associated with soft pack containers.
First, when a wipe is withdrawn from it, the line of perforations ruptures before the wipe is fully withdrawn through the end cap aperture. This results in the tail of the next wipe being left inside the container. The result is that a user needs to remove the end cap and feed the tail of the next wipe to be dispensed through the end cap aperture.
Second if the lines of perforations separating the wipes fail to rupture as the wipe is removed, a ‘stream’ of wipes being inadvertently extracted when only one was required.
A third problem is that if the cap of the hard plastic container is inadvertently left open, moisture will escape through the aperture and the wipes, which are intended to be moist, will dry out.
International Patent Application Number WO-A1-2006/124429 (BKI Holding Corp) to some extent solved the third problem and provides a container for wipes having a center pull feed arrangement for dispensing sheets, typically off a roll. The dispenser includes a tray that supports a web roll which removes excess moisture form a sheet that is being dispensed and returns moisture, by way of a wicking action, to the remaining sheets within the container.
Another dispenser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,137 (James River Paper Company) discloses a device for dispensing individual sheets from a roll wherein the dispenser is in the form of a nozzle. However, it is not apparent how successful this device is at retaining moisture within the container, thereby ensuring that wipes, when dispensed are sufficiently wet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,252 (Georgia Pacific France) discloses a dispenser for wipes which are intended to unwind from the center of a roll outward toward the of the roll. The container includes a nozzle that has a generally frustoconical shape that is shaped and oriented to ease the introduction of as free end of a roll of wipes into and through the orifice. The dispenser shown is relatively complex and comprises a significant number of discrete and relatively complex molded items.
Another container is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,374 (Seaquist Closures Foreign Inc), which discloses a container for dispensing wipes with a structure extending from the body of the container which defines a dispensing surface for directing a stream of wipes from the roll (housed within the container) to a nozzle region from where a single wipe may be torn.
The container has a lid which defines a passage through the lid. A flexible valve is provided through which wipes pass. The flexible valve has self sealing slits which flex in order to permit the passage of towels. However, there still remains the problem, when withdrawing wipes from the container, that either perforations rupture before the wipe is fully withdrawn or lines of perforations separating the wipes fail to rupture, resulting in a stream of wipes being dispensed.
Another dispensing system for wipes is disclosed by Morand, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,240). The center pull dispenser features a nozzle segment with an inner wall having a truncated cone-like configuration which restricts passage of the wipe material as it exits the dispenser. The nozzle features a restrictor element which projects inwardly, orthogonal to the direction of removed wipes. The forces that encourage wipe separation are exerted entirely by this restrictor element. This can result in a leading wipe and a following wipe being separated before the following wipe has exited the nozzle especially if the nozzle features an elongated web contact surface.
(U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,160), Ogawa shows a nozzle made from a highly elastic material having a small diameter hole through which a length of wet wipe is withdrawn. The narrowness of the hole makes it difficult for the user to feed the first wipe through for subsequent dispensing.
Howard, (EP 0110473) describes a container through which wet wipes are dispensed. The seal is in the form of a tapering tube made from flexible material, having a relatively wide mouth for receiving wipes and a relatively narrow orifice for dispensing them. It further includes zones of flexibility which allow the wipes to pass through the seal, and zones of rigidity to promote the onset of rupturing. However, it is still difficult to thread wipes through the nozzle, and wipe separation is still uncertain in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a container of wipes comprising:
a container for wipes, the container comprising:
a free standing, self contained, portable, fully sealed housing that in use receives the wipes, the wipes being formed in a continuous length each wipe being joined to the following wipe by a separable bond, and
a dispensing nozzle extending from and fixedly mounted on a first end of the housing, which is opposite a second end of the housing, the second end enabling the housing to stand on a horizontal surface while product is extracted from the first end, the nozzle having a relatively wide dome shaped base, which tapers radially inwardly, and then curves upward into an annular projection, which terminates at a tip to provide an aperture for the wipes' exit, the annular projection having a resiliently deformable wall,
the annular projection being in a contracted state when no wipe is present in the nozzle while being resiliently expandable to an expanded state to allow withdrawal of wipes therethrough while gripping the wipes such that the inner surface of the annular wall exerts a retarding force on the part of the length of wipes in the annular projection along the length of the annular projection which acts against their withdrawal such that, in use, as a length of wipes is withdrawn through, this retarding force acts to break the separable bonds between each wipe and the following wipe, the nozzle contracting around the tail of the next adjacent wipe which impedes release of moisture from inside the housing and wicking of moisture from the wipe tail, and impedes fall back of the wipe back into the housing.
Upward in relation to the nozzle means in the general exit direction of the wipes out of the nozzle.
The principal application of the nozzle is to containers of wipes which are formed of impregnated material with separable bonds dividing the material into wipes.
The dispensing nozzle extends from the housing, said nozzle being formed entirely or in part from a resiliently deformable material and featuring an annular projection with a resilient aperture through which wipes can be withdrawn from the housing. The nozzle wall has a widened dome shaped base, the shape of which tapers inward toward the annular projection which then curves outward to form the annular projection. The annular projection is adapted to flex in the direction a wipe is being withdrawn, its resilient aperture being biased toward a first contracted position and being expandable to a second expanded position to allow withdrawal of wipes therethrough as a wipe is extracted through the aperture. In use a wipe can be withdrawn through the nozzle, the pressures exerted by the expandable, resilient, deformable inside walls of the annular projection separate the wipes by disturbing the bonds joining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe, said nozzle expands as required to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle aperture, said nozzle contracting around the exposed tail of the next adjacent wipe thereby substantially sealing the container and preventing release of moisture from within it.
The shape of the tapering and the curve can be made smooth in design so as to ensure smooth passage of the wipe material into the annular projection. This ensures that the only pressures that bring about separation of the wipes are those exerted by the resiliently flexible inside walls of the annular projection and not at those sections of the nozzle where the dome tapers and then curves outward to form the annular projection. Should the point at which the nozzle curves outward into the annular projection be angular rather than a smoother shaped curving, pressures to separate the wipes could be exerted at that point prior to the wipes entering the annular projection—which would therefore result in premature wipe separation. Instead, the pressures that bring about wipe separation are exerted entirely from the area comprising the length of deformable inner walls of the annular projection.
It has also been found that the angle of taper (that is, the angle between the tapered inner surface and the main longitudinal axis of the nozzle) should not exceed around 60 or 70 degrees at any point. The non angular shape to the tapering and curves inherent in the design of the invention is intended to ensure that the intended pressures are only exerted once the web has entered into the annular projection, and not before.
The pressures that bring about wipe separation are exerted from the area comprising the length of deformable inner walls of the annular projection. For this reason also, should extra pressures be required to be applied to the wipe, the extra gripping means will only ever be applied to the inside walls of the annular projection. The annular projection alone provides the requisite pressure to separate the web into single sheets.
Because pressures applied by the invention that bring about wipe separation are applied across a much greater surface area, the amount of pressure applied at any specific point can be relatively low. This allows the diameter of the aperture of the annular projection to be wider, and the larger the annular projection aperture, the easier it is for the user to feed the first wipe through said aperture for subsequent dispense.
It follows therefore that increasing the length of the annular projection increases the net level of pressures applied to separate the wipes. So to make a pack of wipes more user friendly, increasing the length of the annular projection could enable for a wider aperture, the levels of pressure applied for separating the wipes remaining the same.
There are various factors that can be varied in the nozzle design; the precise length of the annular projection, the width, the thickness of the material, the nature of the nozzle material (both the elasticity of the material, and the roughness of the inner surface of the nozzle) and the wipe material, all effect what dimensions and suitable shapes give an optimum nozzle design. However, It has been found in practice that the annular projection should be over 3 mm in length to be effective, is ideally over 3 mm, but may be as long as 20 mm.
The nozzle overcomes the aforementioned by providing additional means by which to separate the wipes by spreading the pressures that separate the wipes over a larger surface area. This thereby allows for a wider aperture thus making it easier to thread a wipe through the nozzle and improving its efficiency and adaptability to a greater variety of wet wipe types in the process. The nozzle is composed of a flexible, elastomeric material which prevents the release of moisture from inside the housing, thereby keeping the wipes wet. The dispensing mechanism is therefore cheap to fabricate and easy and reliable to operate.
Preferably the nozzle is dimensioned such that any force pulling the wipe back through the aperture, into the housing, biases the nozzle aperture into a contracted state, thereby preventing wipe fall back and thus avoiding the need to re-thread a tail of a wipe through the aperture.
Ideally ribs, pips, teeth, raised regions, surface roughening or some similar form of gripping means is disposed on an inner surface of the nozzle annular projection. The gripping means are preferably formed from the same material as the nozzle and are resiliently deformable so as to accommodate movement of a wipe being removed from the container.
Ideally the gripping means are formed integrally with the nozzle and ideally in a single shot injection molding process.
The gripping means may be formed in a pattern which is circularly symmetric or radially symmetric around the inner surface of the nozzle annular projection so that these raised ribs or portions are able to engage with a wipe.
The gripping means may be disposed in the form of a continuous spiral or at intervals so as to optimize grip.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nozzle moves from a first contracted position to a second expanded position as a wipe is extracted through the aperture.
So as to assist with insertion of a wipe, in a further embodiment the nozzle wall, tapers in an inward direction from a widened base, and then curves outward into an annular projection defining an aperture at its tip.
Preferably the nozzle is generally teat-shaped and tapers from a widened base to an annular projection which features an aperture at its tip.
As mentioned above, the inside wall of the annular projection advantageously supports one or more gripping means to grip a wipe and apply the pressures that will bring about the outset of separation of the bonds between the emergent wipe and its adjacent wipe and to help prevent a wipe passing back through the nozzle into the container.
By their very nature, the components of the gripping means like teeth or pips, apply concentrated pressures at their apex to the wipe as it passes through the annular projection, pressures which impact the wipe more so than an annular projection featuring just a smooth inside surface. The presence of the gripping means on the inside wall of the annular projection therefore enables for a larger aperture annular projection to exert levels of pressure to bring about separation of the wipes as compared to an annular projection with a smooth inside surface means. The larger the annular projection aperture, the easier it is for the user to feed the first wipe through said aperture for subsequent dispense.
The presence of both a gripping means and the previously mentioned widened dome shaped base of the nozzle therefore makes it easier to thread wipes into the nozzle and through their aperture.
By varying the length of the annular projection or the nature of the elastomer that comprises the nozzle, or by adding a gripping means to the inside surface of the annular projection, the nature and intensity of the pressures that are applied to bring about separation of the wipes can be varied and adapted to various wipe types.
For example, dispensing wipes that have a low tensile strength will be better served by a nozzle with a wider aperture and a longer annular projection to ensure that the separation pressures are applied to the web more gracefully. A more aggressive application of separation pressures could result in such a low tensile strength web tearing prior to separating into single wipes.
A stronger tensile strength web could however require that in order for the wipes to separate into single sheets, the aperture be smaller and there be a gripping means applied to the inside area of the annular projection. In so doing, the annular projection itself could be shorter if needs be.
In each case, the flexible elastomeric nature of the nozzle would enable the container to remain essentially sealed and therefore the wipes to stay wet.
Given the number of variables that can be adjusted, the invention therefore enables a greater variety of wipe types to be dispensed from their containers. Additionally, as mentioned, a widened base and the possibility for the aperture to be wider means that the invention could provide for easier wipe insertion. None of the prior art provides for such levels of flexibility whilst enabling the wipes to stay wet.
Preferably the nozzle projects beyond the outer surface of the container.
The container of the invention may be used in conjunction with a dispensing utility as described in the Applicant's International Patent Application Number PCT/GB2010/051415 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The nozzle can be easily adapted and applied to different types of wipe dispenser. In particular, the container can be a free standing, portable, self contained, fully sealed dispensing container for wipes featuring a dispensing aperture at a first end of the container to dispense product and a second end which can sit on a horizontal surface whilst product is extracted from the first end. The container can be of either hermetically sealed flexible material or hard plastic tub construction. The wipes can be of three different types. Center feed, rolled perforated, folded perforated, interleaved non perforated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example of a nozzle in a contracted and expanded position.

FIGS. 1C show a detail of the embodiment in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show cross section embodiments of a stack of folded interleaved wipes within a housing and a stack of folded perforated wipes within their respective housings.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show an RFT and a cross section of an aforementioned dispenser respectively.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a container of wipes.

FIG. 5A shows a sectional perspective view of another embodiment of a flexible dispensing nozzle.

FIG. 5B shows a sectional perspective view of another embodiment of a flexible dispensing nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hermetically sealed container of wipes.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown in longitudinal section a nozzle 20 with an aperture 21 defined by an annular projection 22.
The inner surface of the nozzle 20 wall has a relatively large diameter at the base 20A which extends with a constant diameter until a radially inwardly tapered shoulder section 20B. Ideally, inner surface of the base 20A meets the inner surface shoulder section 20B with a smooth, gradual curve at region 16. The shoulder section 20B then smoothly curves outward at 20C into the annular projection 22. The inner surface 14 of the annular projection 22 extends with a uniform constant internal diameter to the tip of the nozzle 15.
The tapering and curving, particularly of the transition from the base section 20A to the shoulder section 20B, and the shoulder section to the annular projection 22, can be of a smooth design to enable easier passage of the web into the annular projection.
If we define a taper angle as the angle between a tangent t at a point on the inner surface of the shoulder section 20B and the longitudinal axis of the nozzle y this angle will generally be less than 60° in order that the taper is gentle enough so as not to impede the movement of the wipes prior to their entering the annular projection. The shape of the outer profile of the nozzle will generally follow the shape of the inner surface, but this need not be the case, as the wipe material will not come into contact with it.
When first used, the user will typically have to thread a wipe through the nozzle 20. The wide dome and tapering shape of the nozzle makes feeding the wipe into nozzle easier for the user. The wipes in the container are joined end to end, and as the first wipe is pulled through the nozzle, the second wipe is drawn toward the nozzle behind the first. The tapering inward of the shoulder section 20B and curving outward at 20C of the inner surface of the nozzle wall creates a funnel to direct a wipe through the aperture smoothly, both for the threading operation and during use.
The material of the nozzle, or at least the annular projection, is sufficiently flexible and resilient to move from a first contracted position (FIG. 1A) to a second expanded position (FIG. 1B) as a wipe is extracted through the aperture 21, while exerting an radially inward pressure on the wipe as it is extracted.
During use, the curvature of the shoulder section 20B and region 20C does not impede the movement of wipes from the container up through the nozzle, helping prevent wipes from bunching and clogging the nozzle, or premature severance of perforations before a wipe has fully exited the aperture 21 and exposed the tail of the next adjacent wipe.
The annular projection 22, exerts a pressure on the wipes as they pass along the inner surface 14, which acts to oppose the wipes being withdrawn. As the inner diameter of the annular projection is constant, an equal force is applied at each point along the length of the wipe material in the annular projection. As the junction between a first wipe and a second wipe enters and moves along the annular projection, the retarding force opposing the withdrawal acts increasingly on the second wipe as more of its material enters the annular projection, but lessens on the first wipe as it leaves the annular projection. Further, the junction between the first and second wipe—such as a line of perforations—will generally extend along the annular projection as the wipes pass through. The greatest separating force between a first and second wipe therefore occurs after the second wipe has started to emerge from the aperture of the nozzle.
Thus the uniform diameter, and therefore application of force, along the length of the annular projection, ensures that the separation force between adjacent wipes can be properly controlled, without relying on exact tolerances of the nozzle dimensions and shape and separation force required to part adjacent wipes (which can vary from batch to batch).
The inside wall of the annular projection 22 may support ribs, pips, raised regions, surface roughening or some similar form of gripping means like the teeth 23 to grip a wipe and help prevent a wipe falling back through the nozzle 20 into a container. This gripping means may also provide the pressures required to disturb the separable bonds between the wipes enough to release a wipe from the wipe adjacent to it as it moves through nozzle 20. Instead of annular ratchet teeth, one or more inwardly extending annular or semi-annular ribs (e.g. semi-circular in cross-section) may be used.
As well as a tub of wipes, the nozzle can advantageously be applied to a stacked wipes. FIGS. 2A and 2B show embodiments of a stack of folded interleaved wipes 3 and a stack of folded perforated wipes 5 within their respective housings 4. As to 2A, a portion 12 of the top part of the end of the top wipe 10 is in contact with a portion of the bottom part, not shown, of the front of the adjacent wipe. The viscosity of the wipe impregnate forms a separable bond between the end of the first wipe and the front of the adjacent wipe to which it is interleaved. As the top wipe is extracted from the housing 4, this viscous bond is enough to pull the front of the adjacent wipe from the stack toward the aperture. In use, the pressures applied by the nozzle disturb the bonds enough to cause the top wipe to separate from its adjacent wipe leaving a tail for the next user to grasp.
As to 2B, the top wipe 10 is connected to its adjacent wipe 14 by way of a line of perforations 11. As the top wipe is extracted from the housing 4, the bond formed by the perforation line is enough to pull the front of the adjacent wipe from the stack toward the aperture. In use, the pressures applied by the nozzle disturb the perforations enough to cause them to rupture and for the top wipe to separate from its adjacent wipe leaving a tail from the adjacent wipe for the next user to grasp.
In FIG. 3B, a stack of wipes 24 in a hermetically sealed pack (not shown) deployed within the dispenser 25 features an RFT 26 with two slide rails, 28 & 29, which enables the dispensing container to attach to correspondingly shaped supports 30 & 31, within the dispenser 25. As shown in FIG. 3A, prior to attachment of the pack, the user would first thread a wipe 10 through the nozzle so that the tail of the wipe is exposed for the user to grasp.
Once the pack of wipes has been slid into position and attached to the dispenser housing 25, the RFT 26 is thereby held at the top side of the dispenser 25. The nozzle 20 contracts around the tail of the wipe 10 and not only effectively seals the pack to keep the wipes within the pack (not show) moist, but in so doing the nozzle 20 keeps the top wipe 10 physically detached though not separated from the rest of the stack 24. As the tail of the top wipe 10 is pulled from the dispenser, it pulls along the adjacent wipe 27 physically detaching it from the stack. The pressures exerted by the nozzle at the line of the rupturable bond joining the top wipe and adjacent wipe 27 then causes the two wipes to separate and the nozzle again holds the tail of what was the adjacent wipe in position for the next user to grasp. The latter wipe is now physically detached from the stack.
This mechanism is particularly useful with reference to stacks of low tensile strength flushable wipes. The top wipe of the latter often tends to stick to the top of the stack much more readily than is the case with other wipe types, making them much more difficult to dispense from their packs. The invention keeps the top wipe physically detached from its stack, thereby resolving any such dispense problems.
The viability of the dispenser relies completely on the fact that the nozzle 20 always holds the tail of the wipe 10 firmly in position for the next user to grasp. Without such reliable wipe access, the user would have to constantly dip their fingers into the mouth 32 of the dispenser 25, scratch around the top of the stack and withdraw the fallen wipe through the mouth again. This process would get progressively more difficult as wipes are used and the stack 24 gets smaller thus requiring the user to reach deeper into the dispenser for the fallen wipe.
Deployment within a dispenser 25 also enables wipes to be dispensed using a single hand which is particularly advantageous for those using flushable wipes, to obviate the need to touch the wipes container with soiled hands, and for users of baby wipes to enable them to extract wipes with one hand whilst maintaining contact with baby with the other.
Viability of the dispenser also relies on wipes being extractable from the dispenser in an upward vertical plain. Most users of these portable or fixable dispensers will want extract wipes in this way.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a container 1 of wipes with a dispensing nozzle. Container 1 has a housing formed from cylindrical base 2A with one closed end and an end cap 2B which screws onto the other end of base 2A. Container 1 houses a roll (not shown) of wipes 10, with the wipes being formed on a continuous sheet of impregnated material with spaced lines of perforations (not shown) dividing the sheet of material into wipes.
A teat like rubber dispensing nozzle 20, typically formed from polyurethane, synthetic plastics or similar elastomeric material, extends from an aperture in the end cap 2B and, as shown, projects beyond the outer surface of the container 1.
Nozzle 20 tapers from a widened base 20A to a tip with a resilient aperture 21 through which wipes can be withdrawn from the housing as shown. The resilient aperture 21 is expandable to allow withdrawal of wipes 10 therethrough but being biased toward a contracted state. Nozzle 20 is flexible whereby the nozzle will flex toward a direction a wipe is being withdrawn.
In use a wipe 10 can be withdrawn through the nozzle 20 and separated by rupturing the perforations joining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe with the nozzle expanding as required to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle aperture. The nozzle then contracts around the tail of the next adjacent wipe to prevent release of moisture from the inside of the container 1 housing and to help prevent wicking of moisture from a wipe tail.
Nozzle 20 may take a variety of different shapes and constructions. A few examples are described below.
FIG. 5A shows another embodiment of a nozzle 50. The nozzle 50 has an circular edge 35, from which a widened base 52 tapers upward and inwards, until it curves or turns upward at shoulder 36. The nozzle then forms an annular projection 38, projecting substantially upward to a rim 42 which defines the aperture 41 of the nozzle. The annular projection is straight sided when the nozzle is considered in longitudinal section, that is, the annular projection has a uniform, constant width from the shoulder 36 (or a little above the shoulder) up to the rim (or just short of the rim if the rim is smoothly curved).
The circular edge may be attached directly to the top of a tub of wipes, or bonded to the upper surface of a soft pack of wipes. Here, the base 52 of the nozzle joins the circular rim 35 with a relatively thick radial portion of material 51, however, this may be determined by ease of manufacture and strength considerations. The nozzle may of course be integrally formed, so that there is no distinct edge or boundary with the wipe container at all. The shape of the outer profile of the nozzle will generally follow the shape of the inner surface, but this need not be the case, as the wipe material will not contact it.
The inner surface 37 of the annular projection 38 shows two rows of pyramid shaped teeth 40, each row arranged to form a circle. The base of each pyramid shape tooth 40 is formed on the annular projection and the apex pointing radially inwards. In this embodiment, the teeth 40 are circumferentially separated by flat regions 46 on the inner surface 37 of the annular projection, and the rows are separated by a band. FIG. 5B shows a similar embodiment, wherein the annular projection extends to a greater length, and supports three rows of pyramid shaped teeth 40. The projection of each tooth 40 may be formed with a corresponding cavity 45 on the outer surface of the annular projection 38, or the pyramid of the tooth may be completely solid, with the outer surface of the annular projection not having a cavity.
The material of the nozzle is resilient, so that it is flexible but will return to its formed shape, and exert a force resisting deformation. The diameter of the annular projection 38 is chosen such that the stream of wipes, as it passes through the annular projection, presses against the inner surface of the annular projection, causing the annular projection to radial expand, and so exert an inwardly radial force on the stream of wipes, tending to resist the movement of the wipes through the nozzle. This resistance is enhanced by the teeth 40, though it is to be noted that other enhancements can comprise ridges, pips, dots, and other shapes that extend inwardly from the inner surface of the annular projection, and a roughening of the inner surface. It will be seen that the flexibility of the material, the diameter of the annular projection, and the nature of the inner surface of the annular projection are all factors on the retarding force that the nozzle exerts on the wipes.
The stream of wipes, as for previous embodiments, comprises a plurality of wipes that are joined substantially end to end (though they may be somewhat interleaves or overlapping), and with some type of breakable bond between adjacent wipes (such as perforations, regions of weakness, or by separable adhesion).
Before use of the container of wipes is begun, the upper end of the first wipe is introduced through the nozzle. This may be done by the user, or when the container is being assembled.
In order to use the container of wipes, the first wipe is pulled through the nozzle. The bond between the first wipe and the following wipe draws the following wipe toward the nozzle. Each subsequent wipe is then draw upward and through the nozzle in the same manner.
As a stream or rope of wipes are pulled through the nozzle 50, the stream is gently directed from whatever position the wipes are in the container below the nozzle, over the tapering widened base 52 m over the shoulder 36 and then through the annular projection 38. The tapering widened base does not exert any significant retarding force on the stream of wipes, it is only the annular projection which is exerting the retarding force on the wipes.
Since the diameter of the annular projection is substantially constant, the force exerted by the inner surface of the annular projection is the constant along the length of the annular projection.
As the tail of the first wipe exits through the annular projection of the nozzle, the head of the following wipe is drawn through the annular projection behind the first wipe. As the bond or join between the first wipe and the subsequent wipe travels up through the nozzle, the retarding force exerted on the first wipe decreases, while the retarding force exerted on the following wipe increases, as less of the first wipe is in contact with the inner surface of the annular projection, and more of the following wipe is in contact. Generally also, the line of the bond or join between the first wipe and second wipe is not drawn through the nozzle at the same position in the annular projection, but one part will lead the rest of the join. This means that as the last part of the join exits the top of the annular projection of the nozzle, the force between the two wipes is at its highest. The join or bond between adjacent wipes is designed to break near this force. When this break occurs, the first wipe separates from the following wipe to be used, while the following wipe is left with a region extending from the top of the nozzle. The inward force exerted on the protruding wipe by the annular projection along its length also significantly slows moisture loss through wicking if a moist wipes are being used.
This even distribution of force is in contrast to a nozzle with a more sudden constriction, which tends to concentrate the retarding force at a single place, leading to premature breakage when the force between wipes is too great, so the following wipe does not protrude, or leading to a failure to separate when the force between wipes is too little, so an unwanted stream of wipes is pulled out when only a single wipe is desired.
The annular projection 38 may alternatively—or Additionally—support surface roughening, ribs, pips, raised regions or some similar form of gripping means instead of teeth. The inner surface of the annular projection may not feature any additional gripping means at all should the properties of the elastomer provide the inner surface with enough gripping means to encourage wipes to separate into single sheets as they pass through the nozzle, and to prevent them from slipping back into their container.
FIG. 6 shows the nozzle applied to a hermetically sealed pack of wipes 3. The housing 4 would typically be made from a flexible waterproof cellophane type material, hermetically sealed at both ends 8 & 9. The upper surface of the housing features a mouth 14 surrounded by the frame 15 of a fixed rigid flip top (RFT) assembly 16 which is typically made from a rigid plastic material like polypropylene. The RFT 16 has a closable lid 17 to help keep the wipes moist when the pack is not in use. The mouth 14 is covered by flexible nozzle 20 through which wipes pass and exit the housing 4. The flexible nozzle 20 features a dome shaped base 20A which tapers inward 20B and curves outward 20C into to an annular projection 22 with an aperture 21 through which the wipes exit from the housing 4. The pressures exerted by the nozzle disturbs the bonds enough between the top wipe and its adjacent wipe to cause them to separate leaving sufficient tail of the emergent adjacent wipe 10 for the next user to grasp.
Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The invention may take a form different to that specifically described above. For example nozzles may be formed integrally with a container or retro-fitted to existing containers.
Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and it will be understood that features from one or more of the aforementioned embodiments may be incorporated into a different containers and/or nozzles,
Various embodiments of the invention have been described, by way of example only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the examples described without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A container for wipes, the container comprising:

a free standing, self contained, portable, fully sealed housing that in use receives the wipes, the wipes being formed in a continuous length each wipe being joined to the following wipe by a separable bond, and

a dispensing nozzle extending from and fixedly mounted on a first end of the housing, which is opposite a second end of the housing, the second end enabling the housing to stand on a horizontal surface while product is extracted from the first end, the nozzle having a relatively wide dome-shaped base, which tapers radially inwardly, and then curves upward into an annular projection, which terminates at a tip to provide an aperture for the wipes' exit, the annular projection having a resiliently deformable wall,

the annular projection being in a contracted state when no wipe is present in the nozzle while being resiliently expandable to an expanded state to allow withdrawal of wipes therethrough while gripping the wipes such that the inner surface of the annular wall exerts a retarding force on the part of the length of wipes in the annular projection along the length of the annular projection which acts against their withdrawal such that, in use, as a length of wipes is withdrawn through, this retarding force acts to break the separable bonds between each wipe and the following wipe, the nozzle contracting around the tail of the next adjacent wipe which impedes release of moisture from inside the housing and wicking of moisture from the wipe tail, and impedes fall back of the wipe back into the housing.

2. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the annular projection is of substantially constant internal diameter.

3. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the annular projection features ribs, pips, dots, teeth, raised regions, surface roughening or other gripping means on the inner surface which engages with the line of weakness that join the wipes as a wipe is withdrawn to separate a wipe from an adjacent wipe.

4. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the nozzle is shaped such that any force pulling a wipe back through the aperture into the housing biases the nozzle aperture into the contracted state.

5. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the annular projection is formed from a flexible elastomer such that it flexes away from the housing in a direction as a wipe is being withdrawn.

6. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the nozzle is formed from a flexible elastomer such that it flexes away from the housing in a direction as a wipe is being withdrawn.

7. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the tapered section of the nozzle is smooth and does not impede wipes being drawn through the nozzle.

8. The container of wipes defined in claim 7 wherein the junction between the tapered section and the annular section curves smoothly and does not impede wipes being drawn through the nozzle.

9. The container of wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the annular projection includes ribs, pips or other gripping formations fixed on the inner surface of the nozzle in a circularly symmetric array and engaging into the perforations in the sheet of material as a wipe is withdrawn to separate a wipe from an adjacent wipe.

10. The container for wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the ribs or pips are arrayed at different radial intervals around the inner surface of the nozzle.

11. The container for wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the ribs, pips or gripping formations are a continuous spiral or at intervals so as to optimize grip.

12. The container of wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the ribs, pips or gripping formations are formed from the same material as the nozzle.

13. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the length of the inner surface of the annular projection is between 3 mm and 20 mm.

14. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the angle of taper does not exceed 70° at any point.

15. The container for wipes defined in claim 1, wherein the nozzle projects beyond an outer surface of the container.

16. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the housing is hermetically sealed and made from a flexible material.

17. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the housing made from a plastic material like polypropylene and has a removable lid.

18. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous length of wipe material features separable line of weakness between the wipes in the form of lines of perforations.

19. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous length of material features separable lines of weakness between the wipes formed from an adhesive connection between the back section of one wipe and the front section of its adjacent wipe.

20. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous length of material features separable lines of weakness between the wipes that are a combination of both lines of perforations between some of the wipes and adhesive connection between the back section of one wipe and the front section of its adjacent wipe for other wipes, both types being within the same continuous length of material.