Cloth dispenser system

Abstract

A cloth dispensing system for hanging on a wall or roll towel holder. The dispensing system allows for cloth wipers to pop up from a box after one wiper is pulled out. The cloth wipers are pulled from the dispensing box with relative ease through a diamond-shaped opening.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/311,649, filed Aug. 10, 2001 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Background Of The Invention

[0002] Rags, towels or other cloth like materials are often used for commercial and resident cleaning purposes. Rags and the like are typically sold by weight in bags containing a number of crumpled rags of varying size and number. Another disadvantage to the prior art packaging of rags is that the rags cannot be easily dispensed nor hung up in convenient locations.

[0003] It is also known in the prior art to provide paper or cloth towels in a roll which can be mounted on a towel dispenser which can be conveniently located. One disadvantage to this type of dispensing system is that in an industrial setting, the towels are essentially unprotected and may become dirty due to the environment. It is also known to provide paper or cloth towels in an interfolded manner and disposed in a rectangular box having a dispensing slot, wherein each cloth may be dispensed one at a time. However, one disadvantage to this type of dispenser is that the box is not designed to be mounted in a convenient location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is a dispensing system for dispensing wipers and capable of being mounted on a roll towel holder. The dispensing system is substantially a rectangular box. The box has a top with a dispensing hole, two long sides being sized for mounting on a conventional paper towel rack, and two short sides having opposed holes aligned for receiving the roll towel holder.

[0005] In addition, another embodiment of the present invention, which dispenses a plurality of wipers, is a box having a top end and a front end side with an opening. Also, the invention contains an insert for mounting the wipers inside the box wherein the width of the insert is greater than one half the length of the wiper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] FIGS. 2,3,4 and 5 are side views of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIGS. 9,10,11 and 12 are side views of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 13 shows the handle of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIGS. 14 and 15 show the insert of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 16 shows the wipers of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIGS. 17,18 and 19 show the insert and the wipers of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIGS. 20 and 21 show an opened top view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIGS. 22 and 23 show the front view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] A first embodiment of a dispenser box is shown generally at 100 in FIG. 1. The dispenser box 100 comprises a box having an opening 180 and is sized to hold a stack of interfolded cloths, wipers, rags or towels 170 (hereinafter ‘wipers’). The dispenser 100 is preferably made of cardboard and rectangular in shape with a top 110, a bottom 120, two opposed parallel long sides 130 and two opposed parallel short sides 140. The opening 180 is located on the top 110 of the dispenser 100. For easy use, the opening 180 is preferably diamond-shaped. This shape allows the wipers 170 to be removed from the dispenser 100 in an efficient manner.

[0019] The dispenser 100 has two opposed holes 160 located preferably in the center of the short sides 130 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These holes 160 are configured to be mounted on a convention roll towel holder as shown in FIG. 6A. Thus, the length of the box and size of the holes 160 are preferably sized so to be mounted in a conventional towel holder or roll dispenser, which is preferably in the range of about 10.5 to 11.5 inches, and more preferably 11 inches.

[0020] As stated above, the dispenser 100 contains a stack of interfolded rags 170. The length of the rags Lw is preferably shorter than the length of the dispenser Ld. This difference in length allows for a gap located between the rags 170 and each of the short sides 130 of the dispenser 100, so that the ears or male end of the roll towel arm of the conventional roll towel holder may fit inside the dispenser 100 through the holes 160. These rags 170 are interfolded inside the dispenser 100 in order for one rag 170 to be pulled from the opening 180 so the next rag 170 becomes partially out of the dispenser 100 ready to be pulled out as shown in FIGS. 2,5 and 6.

[0021] A second embodiment of a dispenser system 200 is shown in FIG. 7. This dispenser 200 comprises a box which has a lower rectangular tray 205 having opposed parallel sidewalls 250 and an upper front side 210. The upper front side 210 is preferably connected to the sidewall 250 of the lower tray 205 with a crease or fold line 206 therebetween, so that the front side 210 may be folded into a an open position or a closed position in order to secure a plurality of cloth wipers 290 therein. The box 200 is preferably substantially rectangular in shape. It is preferred that the front side 210 have side flaps 212a,b which can be folded into the tray 205 when the front side 210 is folded into a closed position. It is additionally preferred that the front side 210 further comprise a front flap 214 having opposed tabular ends 216. The opposed tabular ends 216 are inserted into aligned slots 207 of the tray sidewalls 250 so that the front side 210 is secured into a closed position. The front flap 214 preferably has a hole 218 for receiving a handle 260 mounted upon the sidewall 250 of the tray 205 therethrough. It is additionally preferred that the entire dispenser 200 be formed from one sheet of material, such as cardboard.

[0022] The handle 260 is preferably attached to the top sidewall 250 of the dispenser 200. The handle 260 is preferably made from plastic and allows the dispenser 200 to be conveniently carried as well as allow the entire dispenser 200 to be hung from a hook.

[0023] The front side 210 of the dispenser 200 has a perforated section 224 and a hole 225. The perforated section 224 may be removed by a user to reveal a larger aperture 270. The aperture 270 is preferably T shaped, wherein the length of the upper portion of the T shaped aperture 270 is preferably greater than half the length of the front side 210, and the width of the T shaped aperture is preferably greater than half the width of the front side 210. It is more preferred that the length of the upper portion of the T shaped aperture 270 be greater than three quarters the length of the front side 210, and the width of the T shaped aperture 270 be greater than three quarters the width of the front side 210. Thus it is desired to provide a large dispensing aperture 270 in order to facilitate easy dispensing of the wipers 290 from the dispenser.

[0024] The stack of wipers 290 are folded over an insert 300 as shown in FIG. 19. The wipers 290 are each preferably cut to substantially the same shape and size. The wipers 290 further are preferably clean cut with straight edges. The insert 300 is preferably a thin, sturdy rectangular sheet as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The wipers 290 and insert 300 are then mounted within the tray 205 of the dispenser as shown in FIG. 20 so that the folded end is adjacent the handle 260 and the free ends of the wipers 290 are adjacent the bottom end. It is important for ease of dispensing of the wipers 290 that the width of the insert Wl is greater than one-half of the length of the wipers Lw as shown in FIGS. 16-18. Thus when the dispenser 200 is suspended from the handle 260 or oriented in a vertical position, the wipers 290 are suspended i.e., hang freely over the insert 300. The width of the insert Wl is less than the width of the tray 205 of the dispenser 200. This gap in width Gw facilitates dispensing by preventing friction or contact between the wiper 290 and the top of the box during dispensing. In order to further facilitate dispensing, the depth of the tray 205 of the dispenser 200 is sized so that the wipers 290 and insert 300 in combination are free to rock forward and back during dispensing. It is preferred that the depth of the tray 205 be at least a half inch greater than the depth of the wipers 290 mounted upon the insert 300. In order to still further facilitate dispensing, it is preferred that the length of the insert with the wipers 290 mounted thereon be less than the length of the box. This gap in length GL allows the wipers 290 and insert in combination to rock from side to side in order to overcome the friction between the wipers 290 during dispensing. Thus, allowing the wipers to rock back and forth and from side to side reduces the friction between the wiper 290 being dispensed and the adjoining wiper 290.

[0025] In order to dispense the wiper 290, a user first suspends the box 200 from the handle 260 or otherwise vertically orients the box 200 so that the top of the box with the handle 260 is vertically upward. This allows the wipers to be suspended over the insert 300. Next, the user removes the perforated section 224 to expose a T shaped opening 270. The user then grasps the end of the wiper 290 located near the base of the T, and pulls the wiper 290 vertically upward and then out. The pulling of the wiper 290 upward rocks the combination of the insert 300 and wipers 290 from side to side and front to back in order to reduce the frictional engagement of the dispensing wiper 290 with the adjoining wiper 290.

[0026] Thus, a dispensing system is provided which allows for an easy to use and portable dispensing box 200 which contains a predetermined number of wipers 290 having a uniform size and shape. The dispensing system further provides a handle 260 for ease of portability and for hanging. The dispensing system further protects the wipers 290 from the industrial environment. In addition, a second type of dispensing system is provided comprising a plurality of interfolded wipers 170 mounted within a substantially rectangular dispensing container 100 having opposed sidewalls 140 with opposed holes 160. The length of the dispenser 100 is sized to fit within standard or conventional roll towel dispensers.

[0027] While the invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the intended spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dispensing system for dispensing wipers and capable of being mounted on a roll towel holder, the dispensing system comprising: a substantially rectangular box comprising a top having a dispensing hole, two long sides being sized for mounting on said conventional paper towel rack; and two short sides wherein said two short sides comprise opposed holes aligned for receiving said roll towel holder.

2. The dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein said opening is shaped like a diamond.

3. The dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein said rags are interfolded.

4. The dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the length of said rags is less than the length of said box.

5. A dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of wipers, the dispensing system comprising:

a box having a top end and a front side having an opening;

an insert for mounting the wipers thereon wherein the width of the insert is greater than one half the length of the wiper.