Structure for sealing and dispensing cleaning articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545482-B2
Application number	US-202118261526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A sealing and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing cleaning articles includes a sealing and dispensing structure. The sealing and dispensing structure includes a floor defining a bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure and a perimetric flange adjoined to the floor at an interior bottom. The perimetric flange and the floor at least partially defining a side and a bottom of a dispensing compartment. The sealing and dispensing structure further includes a dispensing orifice extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning articles into the dispensing compartment and an access orifice extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning articles stored in the container. The sealing and dispensing structure also includes an outer lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with and seal an interior top of the perimetric flange and form a top of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position and an inner lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with and seal the access orifice and form at least a portion of a bottom of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sealing and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing cleaning articles comprising:
a floor defining a bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure; a perimetric flange adjoined to the floor at an interior bottom, the perimetric flange and the floor at least partially defining a side and a bottom of a dispensing compartment; a dispensing orifice extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning articles into the dispensing compartment; an access orifice extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning articles stored in the container; an outer lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with and seal an interior top of the perimetric flange and form a top of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position wherein the outer lid is connected to the perimetric flange by at least one outer lid hinge having an outer lid hinge axis, the at least one outer lid hinge allowing the outer lid to be reversibly rotated around the outer lid hinge axis between an open and closed position; and an inner lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with and seal the access orifice and form at least a portion of the bottom of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position such that the dispensing orifice is open while the inner lid is in the closed position and the outer lid is in an open position, wherein the dispensing orifice is uncovered by the inner lid when the inner lid in the closed position, wherein the inner lid is connected to the perimetric flange by at least one inner lid hinge having an inner lid hinge axis, the at least one inner lid hinge allowing the inner lid to be reversibly rotated around the inner lid hinge axis between an open position and the closed position, wherein the inner lid hinge axis is external to the perimetric flange such that the inner lid is configured to open outward and away from the access orifice, wherein the inner lid hinge includes a mechanism that biases the inner lid into either the open or closed position such that the inner lid will automatically default to the open position or the closed position, whichever is closest to the position the inner lid was left by a consumer; and wherein the outer lid hinge axis and the inner lid hinge axis are orthogonal to one another along an external surface of the perimetric flange.

2 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the outer lid seals the interior top of the perimetric flange with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

3 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the outer lid comprises a latch and the perimetric flange comprises a receiving notch adapted to receive the outer lid latch to reversibly lock the outer lid in the closed position.

4 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner lid seals the access orifice with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

5 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner lid comprises a latch and access orifice comprises a receiving notch adapted to receive the inner lid latch to reversibly lock the inner lid in the closed position.

6 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the access orifice comprises greater than 30% of the surface area of the floor.

7 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the surface area of the access orifice to the dispensing orifice is about 5 to 1 or greater.

8 . A container for storing and dispensing cleaning articles comprising a sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 and a housing for storing the cleaning articles, wherein the perimetric flange is adapted to connect to the housing and the perimetric flange and the housing are connected or wherein the housing and the perimetric flange are unitary.

9 . A container of claim 8 , further comprising cleaning articles stored in the housing, the cleaning articles are selected from the group consisting of wet wipes, pre-moistened towelettes, and cleaning cloths.

10 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , further comprising a disposable seal sealing the dispensing orifice, the access orifice, or both.

11 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 1 , wherein the floor defines a flat surface.

12 . A sealing and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing cleaning articles comprising:
a floor defining a bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure; a perimetric flange around the floor, the perimetric flange having an exterior wall and an interior wall, the interior wall having an interior perimeter, a bottom, and a top, the floor adjoined to the perimetric flange at the bottom of the interior wall, the interior wall defining a circumference of a dispensing compartment and the floor at least partially defining a bottom of a dispensing compartment; a dispensing orifice extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning articles into the dispensing compartment; an access orifice extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning articles stored in the container, the access orifice having an interior perimeter; an outer lid connected to the perimetric flange by at least one outer lid hinge having an outer lid hinge axis, the at least one outer lid hinge allowing the outer lid to be reversibly rotated around the outer lid hinge axis between an open position and a closed position, the outer lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with the top of the interior perimeter of the interior wall and form a top of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position; and an inner lid connected to the perimetric flange by at least one inner lid hinge having an inner lid hinge axis, the at least one inner lid hinge allowing the inner lid to be reversibly rotated around the inner lid hinge axis between an open position and a closed position, inner lid hinge axis being external to the perimetric flange such that the inner lid is configured to open outward and away from the access orifice, the inner lid having a size and shape adapted to mate with the interior perimeter of the access orifice and form at least a portion of the bottom of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position such that the dispensing orifice is open while the inner lid is in the closed position and the outer lid is in an open position, wherein the dispensing orifice is uncovered by the inner lid when the inner lid in the closed position, wherein the inner lid hinge includes a mechanism that biases the inner lid into either the open or closed position such that the inner lid will automatically default the open position or the closed position, whichever is closest to the position the inner lid was left by a consumer; and wherein the outer lid hinge axis and the inner lid hinge axis are orthogonal to one another along an external surface of the perimetric flange.

13 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 12 , wherein the outer lid seals the interior top of the perimetric flange with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

14 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 12 , wherein the outer lid comprises a latch and the perimetric flange comprises a receiving notch adapted to receive the outer lid latch to reversibly lock the outer lid in the closed position.

15 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 12 , wherein the inner lid seals the access orifice with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

16 . A sealing and dispensing structure of claim 12 , wherein the inner lid comprises a latch and access orifice comprise

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Lee Jongsoo Jacob
• Lin Ming-Huang
• Morgan Traneil C
• Schulz Thomas H
• Yang Ning

Classifications

• B65D2251/1058

  Latching mechanisms · CPC title

• B65D83/08 Primary

  for dispensing thin flat articles in succession (for surgical scalpel blades A61B17/3215) · CPC title

• B65D51/20

  Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing {(B65D51/185 takes precedence; co-operating with an auxiliary container for additional articles or materials B65D51/28)} · CPC title

• A47K2010/3266

  Wet wipes · CPC title

• A47K10/32

  Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper · CPC title