PAPERBOARD WIPES CARTON

Abstract

A paperboard carton for containing wet wipes is disclosed. The top of the carton can be at an angle to the bottom of the carton. The carton can have a plastic closure fitment. The carton can contain a hollow coreless roll of wet wipes.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to wet wipes dispensers and, more particularly, paperboard containers containing wet wipes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wipes dispensers generally consist of a plastic container with a resealable dispensing port. A pre-moistened roll or stack of perforated sheets is stored in the container. Wipes have been traditionally dispensed as a stack in sheet form from a tub-like container with a hinged lid on the top that overlaps the upper outer edge of the container when the lid is closed. The lid is opened and individual or singularized sheets of the wipes may be dispensed. Wipes may also be stacked and packaged in a refill softpack.

Another type of container that has been used for wipes includes a plastic wipe log canister in which the wipes are pulled from the center of a hollow coreless roll having perforated sheets and through a flexible opening in the lid at the top of the canister in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the roll. These canisters generally have a snap top cover that is opened to expose a piece of the wipe through the flexible opening. The piece of the wipe can then be pulled out of the flexible opening to remove the desired amount of wipes. Once pulled out the wipe can then be torn off, usually at a perforation, and the cover closed.

These wipe packaging methods have their shortcomings. Plastic tub containers and plastic roll canisters are expensive and not readily crushable for easy disposal. Wipes softpacks are difficult to adequately seal and require reaching into the softpack for each wipes usage.

To overcome these problems of prior art wet wipes containers, wet wipe containers of the present invention are designed for convenience, disposability and cost effectiveness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and others will be readily appreciated by the skilled artisan from the following description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. As used herein, positional terms, such as “bottom” and “top” and the like, and directional terms, such as “up”, “down” and the like, are employed for ease of description in conjunction with the drawings. Further, the terms “interior”, “inwardly” and the like, refer to positions and directions toward the geometric center of embodiments of the present invention and designated parts thereof. The terms “exterior”, “outwardly”, and the like, refer to positions and directions away from the geometric center. None of these terms is meant to indicate that the described components must have a specific orientation except when specifically set forth.

Figures illustrating the components of this invention and the container show some conventional mechanical elements that are known and that will be recognized by one skilled in the art. The detailed descriptions of such elements are not necessary to an understanding of the invention, and accordingly, are herein presented only to the degree necessary to facilitate an understanding of the novel features of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the above objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, one aspect of the present invention comprises a dispenser for wet wipes comprising a paperboard container having an angled, substantially planar top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing a coreless roll of wet wipes; and a dispensing fitment having a body attached to the top surface and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed; wherein the lead end of individual wipes is dispensed from the center of the roll through the dispensing opening.

In accordance with the above objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, another aspect of the present invention comprises a dispenser for wet wipes comprising a paperboard container having a top with one or more top surfaces, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing wet wipes; and a dispensing fitment having a body attached to one or more of the top surfaces and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed; wherein one or more of the top surfaces of the container is not parallel to the bottom surface of the container.

In accordance with the above objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, another aspect of the present invention comprises a dispenser for wet wipes comprising a paperboard container having a top with one or more top surfaces, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing a coreless roll of wet wipes; and a dispensing fitment having a body attached to a top surface and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed; wherein the lead end of individual wipes is dispensed through the dispensing opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particularly exemplified systems that may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.

All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

As used herein, forms of the words “comprise”, “have”, and “include” are legally equivalent and open-ended and do not exclude additional unrecited elements, compositional components, or method steps. Accordingly, the term “comprising” encompasses the more restrictive terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “surfactant” includes two or more such surfactants.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein.

In the application, effective amounts are generally those amounts listed as the ranges or levels of ingredients in the descriptions, which follow hereto. All percentages, ratios and proportions are by weight, and all temperatures are in degrees Celsius (° C.), unless otherwise specified. All measurements are in SI units, unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise stated, amounts listed in percentage (“%'s”) are in weight percent (based on 100% active) of the cleaning composition alone. It should be understood that every limit given throughout this specification will include every lower, or higher limit, as the case may be, as if such lower or higher limit was expressly written herein. Every range given throughout this specification will include every narrower range that falls within such broader range, as if such narrower ranges were all expressly written herein.

The term “plastic” is defined herein as any polymeric material that is capable of being shaped or molded, with or without the application of heat. Usually plastics are a homo-polymers or co-polymers of high molecular weight. Plastics fitting this definition include, but are not limited to, polyolefins, polyesters, nylon, vinyl, acrylic, polycarbonates, polystyrene, and polyurethane.

Dispenser

The dispenser is suitably a paperboard container constructed from a paperboard laminate comprising optional barrier layers and inner and outer layers of a heat-sealable material such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). Because the paperboard laminate can be liquid resistant, there may be no need for an additional interior tub or containment device. Because the paperboard container is folded compared to a plastic container which is molded, the paperboard container can assume a variety of shapes not feasible with molded plastic containers. The container of the present invention may be of any suitable shape and size, such as but not limited to, cubical, cuboidal, polyhedral, spherical, hemispherical, domed, pyramidal, conical, cylindrical, conical frustum, pyramidal frustum, and combinations thereof, which can store and dispense the product in sheet form. The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 are merely some illustrations of possible embodiments of the present invention and not to be considered limiting in any fashion as to the shape or physical form of the container.

The dispenser is suitably of the planar flat top type (FIG. 1) and is a dispenser for wet wipes comprising a paperboard container having an angled, substantially planar top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing a coreless roll of wet wipes, and a dispensing fitment having a body attached to the top surface and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed. In a suitable embodiment (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), the container 11 has a planar top surface 22 and a planar bottom surface 23, with an angle 24 so that the planar top surface 22 is not parallel to the planar bottom surface 23 of the container. The angle 24 is suitably greater than 2 degrees, greater than 4 degrees, greater than 5 degrees, greater than 8 degrees, greater than 10 degrees, greater than 15 degrees, or from 2 to 15 degrees. In one embodiment of the invention, the top surface 22 and the bottom surface 23 are parallel and the top surface 22 is not angled. The interior 26 of the container 11 contains a roll 21 of wipes with the lead end 20 of individual wipes dispensed through the dispensing opening 16. The angled top allows for easier and more ergonomic product dispensing that a flat top that is parallel to the bottom surface. In one embodiment, the top is parallel to the bottom. The paperboard carton may be any shape, but a rectangular (not shown) or square bottom portion (FIG. 1) is suitable for efficient storage. In one embodiment, the carton has a round bottom.

In one embodiment, the container may take another form such as a gable top container (FIG. 3) and is a dispenser for wet wipes comprising a paperboard container having a top with one or more top surfaces, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing wet wipes; and a dispensing fitment having a body attached to one or more of the top surfaces and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed, wherein one or more of the top surfaces of the container is not parallel to the bottom surface of the container. In FIG. 3, the top of the container is a gabled top comprising a pair of oppositely sloping side surfaces 31.

Suitable plastic dispenser fitments can be designed and attached to the paperboard as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,886 to Dirksing and U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,747 to Lawson, where flanges are used to attach the fitment to the paperboard container. The paperboard container suitably includes a pre-cut opening for attaching a dispenser fitment, such as a fitment described in U.S. Pat. App. 2005/0279757 to Bitowft et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,886 to Dirksing, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,747 to Lawson. A suitable dispenser comprises a fitment 10 with a resealable cover 15 and dispensing port 16 (FIG. 1). Other suitable wipes dispenser fitments are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,156 to Chong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,514 to Frazier, and references therein. In one embodiment the dispenser fitment is a resealable label 41 (FIG. 4) and adhesive, as described in U.S. Pat. App. 2004/0164085 to Kitching et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,465 to Niki et al.

Wipes

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate of the product in sheet form is a continuous web of sheet material, preferably divided by a plurality of multiple lines of frangibility, such as perforations, running at predetermined intervals substantially transversely to the major axis of the web and defining plurality of individual wipes. A suitable form of wet wipes for use with the dispenser system is a hollow coreless roll 21 (FIG. 2). The hollow coreless, center-pull roll product is formed by overlapping convolutions of web material positioned within the interior. The coreless, center-pull roll product has a central opening extending therethrough defined by an innermost convolution of the web material and a lead end connected to the innermost convolution. The lead end 20 is dispensed through the dispensing opening 16 (FIG. 2).

Other suitable embodiments include cored rolls (hollow cores, solid cores and partially solid cores), solid coreless rolls, and stacks of sheets. In suitable embodiments, the substrate of the product in sheet form is a plurality of discrete individual wipes which are interleaved. This interleaving may be of any suitable configuration, including, but not limited to, “Z-fold”, “C-fold”, “S-fold” etc., and combinations thereof.

The manufacture of substrates for use herein forms no part of this invention. The following discussion is for convenience of formulation, but is not intended to limit the type of substrate used herein. The substrate of the product in sheet form may include, but is not limited to, woven or nonwoven webs of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or mixtures of natural and synthetic fibers. Suitable natural fibers include, but are not limited to, cellulosic fibers, such as wood pulp or pulp fibers, cotton, and rayon. Suitable synthetic fibers include fibers commonly used in textiles, including, but not limited to, polyester and polyolefin, such as, polypropylene fibers. It is preferred that the substrate be selected from the group consisting of woven substrates, nonwoven substrates, foams, laminates, films, sponges, and combinations thereof. The selection of the substrate is at the discretion of the formulator, and may be based on many factors, including, but not limited to, the intended use of the product in sheet form, cost, the material used in the lateral edges, processability and the like. Various forming methods can be used to form a substrate for use in the present invention. For example, when the substrate is fibrous, it can be made by nonwoven dry forming techniques, such as air-laying, or alternatively by wet laying, such as on a papermaking machine. Other nonwoven manufacturing techniques, including, but not limited to, techniques such as adhesive bonding, melt blown, spunbonded, needle punched, carding, coforming, and hydroentanglement and lamination methods may also be used.

The wipes of the different aspects of the present invention can contain a liquid which can be any solution which can be absorbed into the wipes, thus making them “wet wipes.” The liquid contained within the wet wipes can include any suitable components which provide the desired wiping properties. For example, the components can include water, emollients, surfactants, disinfectants, food-safe disinfectants, oxidants, bleaches, preservatives, chelating agents, pH buffers, fragrances or combinations thereof. The liquid can also contain lotions, ointments and/or medicaments.

The composition can contain virtually any useful liquid compositions. Simple liquids such as water, alcohol, solvent, etc. can be useful in a variety of end uses, particularly cleaning and simple wiping applications. The liquid can be a simple cleaner, maintenance item or a personal care liquid suitable for dermatological contact with an adult, child or infant. Such compositions can be used in hospitals, schools, offices, kitchens, secretarial stations, etc. The compositions can also comprise more complex liquids in the forms of solutions, suspensions or emulsions of active materials in a liquid base. In this regard, such compositions can be active materials dissolved in an alcoholic base, aqueous solutions, water in oil emulsions, oil in water emulsions, etc. Such compositions can be cleaning materials, sanitizing materials, or personal care materials intended for contact with human skin, hair, nails, etc. Cleaning compositions used generally for routine cleaning operations not involving contact with human skin can often contain a variety of ingredients including, in aqueous or solvent base, a soil-removing surfactant, sequestrants, perfumes, etc. in relatively well-known formulations. Sanitizing compositions can contain aqueous or alcoholic solutions containing sanitizing materials such as triclosan, hexachlorophene, betadine, quaternary ammonium compounds, oxidizing agents, acidic agents, and other similar materials. Such compositions can be designed for treating or soothing human skin, including moisturizers, cleansing creams and lotions, cleansers for oily skin, deodorants, antiperspirants, baby-care products, sun block, sun screen, cosmetic-removing formula, insect repellent, etc.

The amount of liquid contained within each wet wipe can vary depending upon the type of material being used to provide the wet wipe, the type of liquid being used, the type of container being used to store the stack of wet wipes, and the desired end use of the wet wipe. Generally, each wet wipe can contain from about 150 to about 600 weight percent and desirably from about 200 to about 400 weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the wipe for improved wiping. In a particular aspect wherein the wet wipe is made from a coform material comprising from about 30 to about 40 weight percent polymeric microfibers based on the dry weight of the wipe, the amount of liquid contained within the wet wipe is from about 250 to about 350 weight percent and desirably about 330 weight percent based on the dry weight of the wet wipe. If the amount of liquid is less than the above-identified range, the wet wipes can be too dry and can not adequately perform. If the amount of liquid is greater than the above-identified range, the wet wipes can be over saturated and soggy and the liquid can pool in the bottom of the container.

Uses

Cleaning wipe dispensers are convenient items that provide moistened sheets or wipes for a variety of uses. Typically, cleaning wipes are formulated for specific purposes that include infant wipes, personal care wipes, dishwashing wipes, hard surface treatment wipes, disinfectant wipes, cosmetic or sanitary wipes, hand wipes, wipes used in car cleaning, household or institutional cleaning or maintenance, computer cleaning and maintenance and any other area in which a flexible substrate having a useful liquid treatment composition has application.

While this detailed description includes specific examples according to the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many variations of these examples that would nevertheless fall within the general scope of the invention and for which protection is sought in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dispenser for wet wipes comprising:

a. a paperboard container having one top surface wherein the top surface is an angled, substantially planar top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing a coreless roll of wet wipes; and

b. a dispensing fitment having a body attached to the top surface and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed;

c. wherein the lead end of individual wipes is dispensed from the center of the roll through the dispensing opening.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the angle between the top surface and the bottom surface is greater than 5 degrees.

3. A dispenser for wet wipes comprising:

a. a paperboard container having a top with one or more top surfaces, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing wet wipes; and

b. a dispensing fitment having a body attached to one or more of the top surfaces and having a resealable dispensing opening through which the wet wipes are dispensed;

c. wherein one or more of the top surfaces of the container is not parallel to the bottom surface of the container.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the wet wipes comprise wipes selected from the group consisting of cored rolls, hollow coreless rolls, and stacks of sheets.

5. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the wet wipes comprise a hollow coreless roll.

6. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the container is constructed from a paperboard laminate comprising inner and outer layers of a heat-sealable material such as low density polyethylene.

7. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the container additionally comprises at least one barrier layer.

8. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the dispensing fitment has a resealable cover.

9. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the dispensing fitment has a resealable cover comprising a resealable label.

10. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the bottom surface is square.

11. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the bottom surface is rectangular.

12. (canceled)

13. A dispenser for wet wipes comprising:

a. a paperboard container having a top with one or more top surfaces, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and an interior portion containing of wet wipes; and

d. wherein one or more of the top surfaces of the container is not parallel to the bottom surface of the container, and

e. wherein there is no additional interior tub or containment device.

14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the top of the container is a gabled top comprising a pair of oppositely sloping side surfaces.

15. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the container is constructed from a paperboard laminate comprising inner and outer layers of a heat-sealable material such as low density polyethylene.

16. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the container additionally comprises at least one barrier layer.

17. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the dispenser has a dispensing fitment having a body attached to a top surface and the dispensing fitment has a resealable cover.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the dispensing fitment has a resealable cover comprising a resealable label.

19. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface is square.

20. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface is rectangular.

21. (canceled)

22. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the wet wipes are part of a coreless roll.

23. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the wet wipes are a stack of sheets.