WIPE DISPENSER

Abstract

A wipe dispenser includes a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes. The housing includes a first end and a side wall extending from the first end. The side wall includes an elongated opening configured for dispensing the wipes in a substantially flat manner. The wipe dispenser also includes a lid that is removably coupled to a second end of the housing opposite of the first end.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/073,928, filed Jun. 19, 2008. The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/073,928 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disposable towels or wipes may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, personal care for cleaning or wiping a portion of a person, medical applications such as in a hospital, testing or care facility, and dairy applications such as in the farming industry. The towels or wipes may be either moistened or dry and may be used on the body of a person, on an animal, or on a surface.

Disposable towels or wipes are often formed as a continuous strip of material that is adapted to be separated into individual wipes by perforations extending laterally across the strip. Such traditional wipes are generally provided in a cylindrical roll and are dispensed by pulling the wipes from the inside or center of the roll. The roll is typically housed in a cylindrical container (e.g., such as a 1- or 5-gallon plastic bucket). The container typically has an opening on one end through which the wipes are pulled. As the perforations clear the opening, the individual wipes can be separated from the strip by tearing the roll along the perforation.

However, there are several problems with such wipes and wipe dispensers. For instance, when the wipe is pulled from the center of the roll, it typically emerges from the container in a twisted, spiraled, or “roped” manner. Additionally, when a wipe is pulled from the container and separates from the roll at the perforation, the next wipe in the roll may not remain exposed through the opening in the container and instead may fall back into the container. This causes a user to have to open the container (e.g., by removing the lid from the plastic bucket) to retrieve the free end of the roll and thread it back through the opening in the container. It can often be difficult and time consuming to open the container and rethread the wipes through the cover. Furthermore, the roll of wipes are often used repeatedly throughout the day; having to straighten or rethread the roll of wipes can represent a substantial amount of lost time and frustration for a worker.

It would be advantageous to provide a wipe dispenser that addresses at least one of the problems described above.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a wipe dispenser includes a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes. The housing includes a first end and a side wall extending from the first end. The side wall includes an elongated opening configured for dispensing the wipes in a substantially flat manner. The wipe dispenser also includes a lid that is removably coupled to a second end of the housing opposite of the first end.

According to another embodiment, a wipe dispenser includes a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes. The housing includes a closed end, an open end opposite of the closed end, and a side wall extending between the closed end and the open end. The side wall has an opening formed therein through which the wipes are dispensed. The wipe dispenser also includes a member rotationally engaged with one of the ends of the housing and having a projection for engaging the roll of wipes.

According to another embodiment, a system for dispensing a wipe in a substantially flat manner includes a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes. The housing includes an elongated opening on a side of the housing, wherein the wipes are configured to be taken from an outside of the roll of wipes and dispensed through the elongated opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wipe dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial front perspective view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial rear perspective view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 1 taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 1 with the lid removed to show a roll of wipes provided inside the wipe dispenser.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a wipe dispenser according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the wipe dispenser of FIG. 7 taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-10, a wipe dispenser 10 is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. The wipe dispenser 10 is configured to receive, hold, and dispense a roll 20 of wipes 22 (e.g., disposable wipes). The wipe dispenser 10 comprises a housing 30 and a cover or lid 60, the housing 30 and lid 60 being adapted to contain the roll 20 therein. According to an exemplary embodiment, the disposable wipes 22 may be dry, or moistened with a suitable sterilizing or cleaning compound such as chlorhexidine gluconate, lactic acid, and/or iodine formulations. According to another exemplary embodiment, the wipe dispenser 10 dispenses moistened, sterilizing wipes 22 (e.g., that are used in the farming industry such as to wipe down the teats of a cow before a milking machine is applied to the teats).

According to various exemplary embodiments, the wipe dispenser 10 may include wipes for a wide variety of applications, such as, for example, medical applications, industrial applications, institutional applications, or household applications. For example, the wipe dispenser 10 could be used in dispensing wipes used for cleaning and sanitizing portions of a person or in physical facilities such as a hospital, a food service facility, a medical testing facility, a nursing home facility and the like. Additionally, the wipe dispenser 10 could be used for dispensing wipes used in cleaning and sanitizing objects in a hospital such as medical equipment, examination rooms, patient treatment rooms and the like. Furthermore, the wipe dispenser 10 may be used in cleaning or sanitizing operations for hotels, public bathrooms or industrial manufacturing operations. Still other applications for the wipe dispenser 10, according to other exemplary embodiments, may include a grocery store, where the wipe dispenser 10 could be provided adjacent to the source of available shopping carts so that shoppers could clean and/or sanitize the shopping cart before use. The wipe dispenser 10 could also be mounted in a home adjacent to a diaper changing table for a baby to provide easy access to suitable wipes to be used in cleaning the baby or the surface in and around the baby changing table. The applications for a wipe dispenser 10 according the invention are near limitless: the wipe dispenser 10 can be used anywhere ready access to a dry or moistened wipe 22 would be beneficial.

The size of the wipe dispenser 10 may vary depending on the intended application. For example, a wipe dispenser for a household use may be configured with twenty wipes per roll while a wipe dispenser for an industrial application, such as dairy farming, may be configured with 700 wipes per roll. According to an exemplary embodiment, the wipes 22 are formed from a non-woven material.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the roll 20 is a continuous strip of material separated into a multitude of individual wipes 22 by a series of perforations 24 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 9). The roll 20 has a hollow center 26. According to an exemplary embodiment, the hollow center 26 of the roll 20 does not include a support tube (e.g., a cardboard or plastic tube), thereby minimizing cost and waste. Unlike conventional moistened wipe rolls, wipes 22 are preferably dispensed from the outside of the roll 20 instead of from the hollow center 26 of the roll 20. By pulling wipes 22 from the outside of the roll 20, the wipes 22 can be removed from the wipe dispenser 10 as flat sheets (e.g., in a substantially flat manner) instead of being twisted or spiraled as they would be if pulled from the center of the roll 20.

Roll 20 is received in the housing 30 (e.g., bucket, tub, container, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, the housing 30 is a container having a closed end and an open end that is formed from an injection molded polymer. According to other exemplary embodiments, the housing 30 may be formed from sheet metal or any other suitable material. The housing 30 includes an end wall 32 and a side wall 36 that extends substantially perpendicular from the edges of the end wall 32. The relative height of the side wall 36 and the effective diameter of the housing 30 may be varied according to the size and shape of the roll 20.

A slot or opening 40 is formed in the side wall 36. Wipes 22 are dispensed through the opening 40. According to an exemplary embodiment, the opening 40 is an elongated slot. The opening 40 may be substantially surrounded by a pair of flanges 42 (e.g., ridges, lips, etc.) which extend (e.g., project, protrude, etc.) from the side wall 36. According to an exemplary embodiment, the opening 40 may be located on a side of the housing 30 opposite of the clip 48 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5). According to other exemplary embodiments, the opening 40 may be located elsewhere on housing 30 (e.g., opening 40 may be formed in the left or right side of the housing 30).

According to an exemplary embodiment, if the wipe dispenser 10 is configured to dispense moistened wipes 22, sealing members (not shown) may be provided to at least partially close opening 40 and decrease the amount of time before wipes 22 dry out. According to one exemplary embodiment, the sealing members may be fins or blades formed by co-molding a softer, resilient material with the material that forms the main body of the housing 30. The sealing members are positioned along the length of the flanges 42 to effectively create a substantially air-tight seal. Upon removal of a wipe 22, the sealing members are deformed to allow a wipe 22 to be pulled from the interior of housing 30.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the flanges 42 include a recessed feature or notch 44 which provides a space that allows a user to easily grasp a portion of a wipe 22 and pull it out of the housing 30. According to one exemplary embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1-6, the notch 44 is provided proximate to one end of the side wall 36. According to another exemplary embodiment as seen in FIGS. 7-10, the notch 44 is provided proximate to the middle of the side wall 36.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the roll 20 is provided in a substantially vertical orientation such that the individual wipes are dispensed through opening 40 in a substantially tangential direction in relation to the axis of rotation of the roll 20. By having the wipes 22 dispensed tangentially, the wipes 22 are less prone to premature separation along perforations 24. In this regard, wipes 22 are prevented from falling back into the housing as is the case for traditional wipes that are dispensed out the top of a container, thus avoiding the need for a user to have to rethread the wipes 22 through the opening 40. Additionally, the flanges 42 help to retain the wipes 22 in the proper position in order to prevent premature separation of the wipes 22. Furthermore, even if a wipe 22 is prematurely separated, the notch 44 of the flanges 42 allows a user to easily access an exposed portion of the wipe 22, without having to open the lid 60 to in order to rethread the wipes 22.

The opening 40 preferably is of a length that is at least as great as the width of the roll 20 so that individual wipes 22 may be dispensed from the roll 20 as a flat sheet. By allowing a user to draw wipes 22 from the wipe dispenser 10 as a flat, untwisted sheet, the user no longer needs to untwist or unwrap the individual wipe 22. Eliminating such an intermediate step can provide a relatively large aggregate reduction in the time needed to repeatedly perform a task. In the example of a dairy farming application where a large number of cows are milked several times daily, the step of cleaning teats of the cows is repeated hundreds of times each day. A small time savings realized by providing the wipe 22 in a flat, untwisted, and ready to use condition can equate to several hours of labor savings each day.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the opening 40 may be a star- or X-shaped opening in side wall 36 that is, for instance, formed by a pair of perpendicular slits. Providing such an opening on side wall 36 would allow individual wipes 22 to be dispensed from roll 20 without becoming twisted as they would be if drawn from an opening in the top of the housing 30 from the inside of the roll 20.

As a user removes wipes 22 from the wipe dispenser 10, the roll 20 of wipes 22 rotates inside the housing 30. To decrease the effort needed to rotate the roll 20 and decrease the chance a wipe 22 may be prematurely separated from the roll 20 along a perforation 24 (e.g., because of crimping or jamming in the housing), the roll 20 is preferably supported by a member shown as a spindle 50 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10). According to an exemplary embodiment, the spindle 50 is a plastic component that is formed with a support platform or plate 52 and a protrusion 54 (e.g., post, projection, extension, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the spindle 50 is rotationally engaged with the end wall 32 and is positioned or located by the protrusion 34 extending into the housing cavity from the end wall 32. The protrusion 34 nests (e.g., is rotationally engaged) with the hollow, complementary protrusion 54 of the spindle 50, seen best in FIGS. 5 and 10. The plate 52 supports the roll 20 while the protrusion 54 is provided in the hollow center 26 of the roll 20, generally aligning the roll 20 with the longitudinal axis 58 about which the spindle 50 rotates. Because the hollow center 26 of the roll 20 lacks a separate core and may be relatively asymmetrical, the extension may be tapered to allow a user to more easily place the hollow center 26 of the roll 20 onto the protrusion 54. The relative height and diameter of the protrusion 54 (as well as the protrusion 34) may be varied according to the size and shape of the hollow center 26 of the roll 20 in order for a user to more easily place the hollow center 26 of the roll 20 onto the protrusion 54.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the spindle 50 rotates on a plastic-to-plastic bearing surface formed between the end wall 32 and the plate 52. Depending upon the material selected for the housing 30 and the spindle 50, along with the dimensions of the perforations 24 in the roll 20, ideally no lubrication or bearings or the like is necessary to permit free rotation of the roll 20 within the housing 30.

According to other exemplary embodiments, the roll 20 may be held within the housing 30 and aligned with the longitudinal axis 58 with other mechanisms. For example, spindles 50 or other features may be provided only at the top of the roll 20 or at both the top and the bottom of the roll 20. For instance, a member such as a rod or shaft may be provided inside the housing 30 that extends generally all the way through the roll 20. Additionally, an extension may be provided on the spindle 50. Providing at least one spindle, member, shaft, rod, or extension eliminates the need to provide the roll 20 with a separate core.

The top of the housing 30 is preferably closed by a lid 60 (e.g., cap, cover, etc.). The lid 60 is complementary in shape to end wall 32 and is removably coupled to the housing 30 opposite the end wall 32. According to an exemplary embodiment, the top of the housing 30 may have a feature (lip, indentation, etc.) configured to aid in coupling the lid 60 to the top of the housing 30. According to another exemplary embodiment, the lid 60 may be removably coupled to housing by a hinge (not shown).

To create a generally air-tight seal, a sealing member (not shown) such as a gasket or o-ring may be included between the lid 60 and the housing 30. Such a sealing member may be provided as a separate element, may be molded as a single integral body with either the lid 60 and/or the housing 30, or may be a coating applied to the lid 60 and or the housing 30. According to various exemplary embodiments, the lid 60 may further include a handle (not shown) and/or other feature (not shown), for example, a lip, ridge, notch, etc. located along an edge of the lid 60 in order to facilitate the opening and closing of the lid 60.

The wipe dispenser 10 may be mounted and/or transported in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, a clip 48 is coupled to the housing 30 generally opposite of the opening 40. Clip 48 may allow a user to clip the wipe dispenser 10 to a belt or item of clothing. Carrying the wipe dispenser 10 in this way allows the user to keep both hands free for other tasks. Ideally, the clip 48 is integrally molded with the housing 30.

According to another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a strap 70 may be coupled to rings 46 provided on the housing 30 to allow the user to hang the wipe dispenser 10 from their torso (e.g., over the chest, over the shoulder, or around the waist). In some applications, the wipe dispenser 10 needs to be carried by a user. In such applications, the wipe dispenser 10 may be mounted to another object such as a cart. According to still another exemplary embodiment, the wipe dispenser 10 may be stationary and may be coupled to a wall (e.g., by a bracket).

As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.

It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.

References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

It is also important to note that the arrangement of the wipe dispenser, as shown, is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited herein. Many modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention unless specifically recited in the claims. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as described herein. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and/or omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure as expressed herein.

Claims

1. A wipe dispenser comprising:

a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes and comprising: a first end; and a side wall extending from the first end and comprising an elongated opening configured for dispensing the wipes in a substantially flat manner; and

a lid removably coupled to a second end of the housing opposite of the first end.

2. The wipe dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a spindle rotationally engaged with one end of the housing.

3. The wipe dispenser of claim 2, wherein the spindle comprises a projection for engaging a hollow center of the roll of wipes.

4. The wipe dispenser of claim 3, wherein the projection of the spindle rotationally engages with a projection of the end of the housing.

5. The wipe dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one flange projecting from the side wall adjacent the elongated opening.

6. The wipe dispenser of claim 5, wherein the at least one flange comprises a notch configured to allow a user to access a wipe, wherein the notch is located near at least one of an end of the at least one flange and substantially a middle of the at least one flange.

7. The wipe dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one flange further comprises a sealing member extending substantially the length of the at least one flange.

8. The wipe dispenser of claim 7, wherein at least one of the lid and the housing comprises a sealing member configured to seal the lid to the housing.

9. A wipe dispenser comprising:

a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes and comprising a closed end, an open end opposite of the closed end, and a side wall extending between the closed end and the open end, the side wall having an opening formed therein through which the wipes are dispensed; and

a member rotationally engaged with the closed end of the housing and having a projection for engaging the roll of wipes.

10. The wipe dispenser of claim 9, wherein the closed end comprises a projection that is configured for rotational engagement with the member.

11. The wipe dispenser of claim 9, wherein the opening is a star-shaped opening.

12. The wipe dispenser of claim 9, wherein the opening is an elongated slot.

13. The wipe dispenser of claim 12, wherein the side wall comprises at least one flange extending out from the side wall and substantially surrounding the elongated slot.

14. The wipe dispenser of claim 13, wherein the at least one flange comprises a notch configured to allow a user to access a wipe from the roll of wipes.

15. A system for dispensing a wipe in a substantially flat manner comprising:

a housing configured to receive a roll of wipes and comprising an elongated opening on a side of the housing, wherein the wipes are configured to be taken from an outside of the roll of wipes and dispensed through the elongated opening.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a spindle rotationally engaged with a first end of the housing.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the housing further comprises a pair of flanges substantially surrounding the elongated opening.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the pair of flanges each comprise a sealing member.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the pair of flanges each comprise a notch configured to allow a user to access a wipe.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises at least one member configured for mounting the housing.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one member is at least one of a clip and a ring.