KR101446480B1 - Container of wipes with dispensing nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wipe container (1) having a dispensing nozzle (20). A housing 2A, 2B having a wipe 10 is provided. The wipe 10 is formed of a continuous sheet of material having spaced lines of holes 11 that divide the sheet of material into wipes. The dispensing nozzle 20 extends from the housing. The nozzle 20 is formed with an elastic opening 21 through which the wipe can be pulled out of the housing. The resilient opening 21 can be expanded to enable it to be withdrawn (wipes 10) through this opening, but more concentrated in the retracted condition. When in use the wipe can be pulled through the nozzle and is required to allow the passage of the wipe through the nozzle opening to expand the nozzle and rupture the hole connecting the wipe and the next adjacent wipe. The nozzle is retracted about the end of the next adjacent wipe to help evaporate moisture from the interior of the housing and prevent wicking of moisture from the wipe tip.

Description

CONTAINER OF WIPES WITH DISPENSING NOZZLE < RTI ID = 0.0 >

The present invention relates to a wipe container with a dispensing nozzle.

It is known to incorporate the wipe into the container. Such a container typically includes a cylindrical housing with a sealing end and an open end. The wipe is housed in the housing. Ideally, an end cap sealing the container in a sealed environment is provided for the open end so as not to be affected by the outside. An end cap is also provided with an opening through which the wipe is dispensed and the opening is generally located within the recess receiving the end cap.

The wipes are generally in the form of a continuous, continuous sheet of wet or impregnated material having spaced perforation lines that divide one sheet of material into a hand-wipe or paper towelette. When such a container is used, the perforation line is ruptured and the wipe is ejected from the sheet of material so that when the wipe is removed through the opening, the distal end of the next wipe coming through the cap opening is left.

One embodiment of a container is disclosed in German Offenlegungschrift DE-A1-40 06 987 (penaten). The dispenser has an orifice through which the sheet of material is pulled. The application of such sheets or tissues and various mixtures and liquid types which may be impregnated will be described.

There are three main problems associated with such vessels. When removing the wipe from the container, the perforation line is often ruptured before the wipe is completely removed through the cap opening. Thereby, the distal end of the next wipe is left inside the container. As a result, the user must remove the cap and supply the distal end of the next wipe to be dispensed through the cap opening.

Another problem is that when the wipe is removed, the perforation line separating the wipe sometimes fails to rupture, so that a 'stream' of the wipe is unexpectedly drawn when only one wipe is needed.

Another problem is that the wipes to be damped are dried because of wicking if they are not stored and used for a long time, and because the vapors can escape from the container through the capsule opening.

GB-A-2 002 327 describes a wipe container with a hemispherical soft rubber nozzle having an opening which expands when the wipe passes. DE-A-8 707 614 also discloses a hemispherical nozzle. In a container as described in EP-A-0 107 487, the wipe passes through an opening in a flat rubber membrane, which is deformed into a conical shape when the tissue is passed, and the edge of the orifice of the opening is in the form of a tooth or dull serrated and crenalization. EP-A-0 110 473 describes a wipe container with a nozzle having a relatively wide circular mouth that tapers abruptly into an elliptical orifice. The end of the nozzle is deflected to a more open position when the wipe is pulled through the nozzle and then the end of the nozzle is retracted to provide a rupturing presure to the wipe. In all of these vessels, the wipe passing through the outlet or nozzle is gripped by the circumference of the orifice through which the wipe passes and is separated from the next wipe. However, such gripping of the nozzles does not always separate the wipes being pulled from the next wipe so that only the short length or " tail " of the next wipe is left and rather the first wipe is separated too quickly from the next wipe So that the user leaves little or no end to grip the next wipe, or too slowly or not at all, so too many subsequent wipes are pulled out of the container.

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It is therefore clear that there are two conflicting requirements. On the one hand, the container must be kept close to the sealed environment so that the wipes are not affected as far as possible to ensure moisture retention, while on the other hand, the wipes are excessively tight The grip on the tightened wipe causes an unexpected or premature ripping of the wipe.

The present invention overcomes the problems described above by providing additional means for causing the onset of rupture along the perforations. Thereby, an improved dispenser is provided that is cheap to manufacture, easy to operate, and reliable.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wipe container having a dispensing nozzle,
a) a housing for receiving a wipe in use, and
b) a dispensing nozzle extending from the housing,
The wipe comprises a continuous infiltration material sheet and has spaced apart perforations that divide the continuous impregnation material sheet into wipes, the dispensing nozzle having an elastic opening to allow the wipe to be removed from the housing, Previously, the nozzle wall tapered inwardly from the wider base and bent outwardly into the annular projection providing an elastic inner wall, which, when the wipe is pulled through the elastic opening, takes out the wipe through the opening And is deflected toward the retracted state so that, in use, the wipe is removed through the nozzle and the tearing line that connects the wipe to the adjacent wipe when the nozzle is about to contract around the end of the immediately adjacent wipe A dispensing nozzle is provided.
In use, the wipe is withdrawn through a nozzle and separated by rupturing the perforations connecting the wipe to the next wipe with the nozzle being inflated when the passage of the wipe through the nozzle opening is required, the nozzle being separated from the interior of the housing Shrinks around the end of the next adjacent wipe to prevent moisture from escaping and to help prevent wicking of the moisture from the wipe tip.
The provision of a nozzle wall that narrows inwardly from the wide base prevents the wipes from gathering and blocking the nozzle. The nozzle wall then bends outwardly into an annular projection to form an elastic inner wall. This resilient inner wall provides a more effective gripping means than that provided by the outer half of the opening seen in the prior art nozzles and prevents premature opening of the perforation line before the wipe completely exits the opening and the adjacent end of the next wipe is exposed Prevent cutting.

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Ideally, the nozzle is shaped to help prevent moisture from escaping from the interior of the housing and to prevent wicking absorption of moisture from the wipe tail. The present invention overcomes the existing problems and disadvantages associated with dispensing moist wipes as the inventors recognize that there is an optimal frictional force that needs to be applied. This frictional force should be small enough to prevent the paper towel or wipe from being damaged (torn) when it begins to pull, but it should be small enough to allow the paper towel or wipe to be pulled out. This friction is known as the coefficient of static friction. However, once the wipe moves and is pulled through the orifice, other forms of friction take precedence. This is called dynamic friction and is smaller than the static friction coefficient. This is due in part to motion and to the liquid boundary established partially between the tissue and the opening formed in the nozzle. However, the nozzle must still be able to apply sufficient gripping force to the wipe to allow the wipe to start tearing or to apply a sufficient magnitude of force to promote tearing of the wipe.

Preferably, therefore, the nozzle has a dimension such that any force through the opening and retracting the wipe into the housing deflects the nozzle opening in a contracted state, thereby preventing premature rupture or tearing of the wipe, So that you do not have to reinsert the wipe.

Preferably, the nozzle is formed of a flexible protrusion capable of bending the nozzle toward the direction in which the wipe is pulled out.

Ideally, a rib, pip or some similar additional type of gripping means is disposed on the inner surface of the nozzle. These ribs, pip or grip means are preferably formed of the same material as the nozzle and elastically deformable to accommodate movement of the wipe to be removed from the container.

Ideally, the rib, lip or grip means is integrally formed with the nozzle and is ideally formed by a single shot injection molding process.

The ribs, pip, or any other raised areas may be formed in a pattern that is circularly symmetric or radially symmetric about the interior of the nozzle in the region beneath the orifice and / or the orifice, So that this raised rib or portion can engage the wipe along some or all of the length of the annular projection, not just the orifice.

The ribs, pip or any other raised areas may be arranged in a continuous spiral form or spaced along some or all of the length of the annular projection, not just in the orifice, so as to optimize gripping.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nozzle moves from the first retracted position to the second expanded position as the wipe is pulled through the opening. The nozzle portion near the opening is adjusted to change order as it moves from the first retracted position to the second expanded position.

Preferably, the nozzle is generally nipple-shaped and is inclined from the wide bottom toward the tip, and an opening is provided in the tip.

In another embodiment, as the wipe is removed to separate the wipe from the adjacent wipe, the container further supports a pair of toothed portions spaced apart from the nozzle engaging into the perforations in the sheet of material.

In another embodiment, to assist insertion of the wipe, the nozzle wall is tilted inwardly from the wide bottom and then bent outwardly into an annular projection defining an interior hole in the wall of the projection. As described above, the inner wall of the protrusions advantageously prevents the wipe from passing back through the nozzle and back into the container, but only one or more to grip the wipe along some or all of the length of the annular protrusion, not just the orifice Ribs, gripping means or ratchet teeth.

Preferably, the nozzle projects beyond the outer surface of the container.

The container of the present invention may be used in combination with a dispenser as described in the co-pending International Patent Application No. PCT / GB07 / 003189, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a container.
Figures 2a and 2b show examples of nozzles in contraction and expansion positions.
Figs. 3A and 3B show an example of a second nozzle at the retracted and inflated positions.
Figures 4A and 4B show an example of a third nozzle at the contraction and inflation position.
Figures 5A and 5B illustrate an example of a third nozzle at the retracted and inflated positions.

Referring to Figure 1, a wipe container 1 with a dispensing nozzle is shown. The container 1 has a housing formed of a cylindrical base 2A and the housing has an end cap 2B screwed into one end of the one closed end and the other end of the cylindrical base 2A. The container 1 is provided with wipes on a continuous sheet of impregnable material having a spaced line for receiving a roll of wipes 10 and separating the material sheets into wipes.

A dispensing nozzle 20, typically in the form of a nipple formed of polyurethane, synthetic plastic or similar resilient material, extends from the opening in the end cap 2B and protrudes beyond the outer surface of the container 1, as shown . Thus, the nozzle 20 exists beyond the opening of the dispenser so that access to the wipe is easy, if used in conjunction with the dispenser, as described in the aforementioned International Patent Application.

The nozzle 20 tapers from the widened base 20A to the tip 20B and is formed with a resilient opening 21 that can be pulled out of the housing shown by the wipe. The resilient opening 21 can be expanded to enable the wipe 10 to be pulled through this opening, but more concentrated in the retracted condition. The nozzle 20 is flexible so that the nozzle will bend towards the direction in which the wipe is pulled out.

In use, the wiper 10 can be pulled out through the nozzle 20 and the perforation 11, which extends the nozzle and connects the wipe to the next adjacent wipe when it is required to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle opening, . The nozzle is then retracted around the end of the next adjacent wipe to help prevent evaporation of moisture from the interior of the container (1) housing and prevent wicking of moisture from the wipe tip.

The end cap (2B) supports a set of annular toothed portions (30) disposed about the nozzle (20). The toothed portion engages a hole in the sheet of material as the wipe is pulled apart to separate the wipe from the adjacent wipe. The toothed portion also ensures that the next adjacent wipe has a predetermined length substantially equal to the distance between the nozzle opening and the toothed portion.

The nozzle 20 may take a variety of different shapes and configurations. Some embodiments are described below.

A first embodiment of a nozzle 20 having an opening 21 in Figures 2a and 2b is shown in cross-section and this opening is defined by a curled ring 22 which is in contact with a first From the retracted position (Figure 2a) to the second extended position (Figure 2b). As shown, when moving from the first retracted position to the second extended position, a portion of the nozzle adjacent the opening is inverted. The nozzle 20 has a shape such that any force pulling the wipe through the opening into the housing in the expanded state deflects the nozzle opening from its expanded state to its contracted state.

Another embodiment of a nozzle 20 having openings 21 in Figures 3a and 3b is shown in cross-section and this opening is defined by a curled tip 22 whose tip is pulled out through the opening 21 (Fig. 3A) to the second extended position (Fig. 3B). As shown, when moving from the first retracted position to the second extended position, a portion of the nozzle adjacent the opening is inverted. The nozzle has a shape such that any force pulling the wipe through the opening into the housing in the expanded state deflects the nozzle opening from its expanded state to its contracted state.

Another embodiment of a nozzle 20 having an opening 21 in Figures 4a and 4b is shown in cross-section and this opening is defined by a curved apex 22 which is positioned such that the wipe passes through the opening 21 Is moved from the first retracted position (Fig. 4A) to the second extended position (Fig. 4B) when pulled out.

The present invention can take different forms from those specifically described above. For example, the teeth 30 may be omitted.

5A and 5B show a fourth embodiment of a nozzle 20 with an opening 21 in cross-section, the opening being defined by an annular protrusion 22 which protrudes through the opening 21 (Fig. 5A) to the second extended position (Fig. 5B) when they are pulled out. Before the wipe is inserted, the wall of the nozzle 20 has a base portion 20A tapered inward toward the annular projection 22 and widened outwardly (20C) into the annular projection 22. Tapering the wall inward and bending outward creates the funnel so that the wipe is smoothly gathered through the opening. This prevents the wipe from clumping and blocking the nozzle, or preventing the premature opening of the hole before the wipe completely escapes from the opening 21 and exposes the end of the next adjacent wipe.

Which can support one or more ratchet teeth 23 that can be positioned in the area beneath the orifice and / or the orifice so as to hold the wipe to help prevent the wipe from falling back into the container through the nozzle 20. [ The inner wall of the projection 22 is shown in Figs. 5A and 5B. Instead of an annular ratchet tooth, one or more annular ribs (e.g., having a vertical cross-section of semicircular) may be used.

The nozzles described herein can be used in connection with a dispenser as described in Applicant's above-mentioned international patent application when fitted into a container. In this regard, the housing of the wipe of the present invention may have an external shape that matches the internal shape of the wipe distributor chamber. This ensures that the housing is stable during a large amount of use and ensures that the user accurately positions the tub so that the sealing cap of the tub is accurately aligned with the receiving means of the dispenser upon insertion into the dispenser.

Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention can take different forms from those specifically described above. For example, the nozzle may be integrally formed with the container or may be retro-fitted to an existing container.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described and it will be understood that one or more of the above-mentioned embodiments may be integrated with different vessels and / or nozzles.

It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention have been described by way of example only and modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (22)

A wipe container having a dispensing nozzle,
a) a housing for receiving a wipe in use, and
b) a dispensing nozzle extending from the housing,
Wherein the wipe is made of a continuous impregnating material sheet and has spaced apart perforations for dividing the continuous impregnating material sheet into wipes,
The dispensing nozzle is provided with an elastic opening to allow the wipe to be removed from the housing,
Before the wipe is inserted, the nozzle wall tapers inward from the wide base and is bent outwardly into the annular projection providing an elastic inner wall,
The inner wall is inflatable and deflectable toward the retracted condition so that when the wipes are pulled through the elastic opening, the wipes can be taken out through the opening and, in use, the wipes are taken out through the nozzle, The end portion of the wipe is separated by tearing the perforated line connecting the wipe and the adjacent wipe,
Wherein the nozzle shrinks around an end portion of an immediately adjacent wipe to prevent the release of moisture from the interior of the housing and to prevent wicking of moisture at the end of the wipe. delete 2. The dispenser container of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured to deflect the nozzle opening into a retracted state, with any force pulling the wipe back through the opening into the housing. 4. The wipe container of claim 1 or 3, wherein the nozzle is formed as a flexible protrusion such that the nozzle is bent toward a direction in which the wipe is taken. 4. The wipe container of claim 1 or 3, wherein the nozzle moves from a first retracted position to a second expanded position when the wipe is pulled through the opening. delete 4. The wipe container of claim 1 or 3, wherein the nozzle is generally teat-shpaed, tapers from a wide base to a tip, and an opening is formed at the tip. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the inner wall of the protrusion is adapted to engage a wipe to prevent one or more ribs, a ratchet tooth or gripping means or gripping means located about or below the orifice, And a dispensing nozzle. 4. The wipe container of claim 1 or 3, wherein the nozzle protrudes past the outer surface of the container. 4. The device of claim 1 or 3, wherein the container further supports a set of teeth spaced from the nozzle, the set of teeth engaging a perforated line in the sheet of material when the wipe is removed to separate the wipe from the adjacent wipe , Wipe container with dispensing nozzle. A nozzle for use in the wipe container of any one of claims 1 or 3, wherein the nozzle comprises a projection formed of an elastically deformable material that bends toward a direction in which the wipe is pulled, has an opening defined therein, Wherein the resiliently deformable material has a static modulus of elasticity so that it can be used to remove a small paper towelette or wipe, The force is small enough not to inadvertently tear the small paper towel or wipe at the start of the pull and the dynamic coefficient of friction is large enough to impart a gripping force to the wipe so that a small paper towel is large enough Promotes the initiation of tearing the wipes along a vulnerable pre-formed line, Exposing the end of the program, the nozzle. 12. The nozzle of claim 11, comprising a rib, pip or gripping means disposed on the interior surface. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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