Wipes dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549646-B2
Application number	US-96320810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2010
Priority date	Dec 8, 2010
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

Wipe dispensers are provided wherein particular wipe-gripping and wipe-ripping structures are provided to overcome problems encountered with the prior art. Particularly, gripping and ripping structures are provided to prevent the removal of more than one wipe at a time from a dispenser and to prevent a following wipe from falling back into the interior of a container when separated from a lead wipe being removed from the container. In particular embodiments, structures are provided to avoid pinching an individual's finger when feeding a wipe up through the gripping and ripping structures. In yet other particular embodiments, a boss is provided to prevent wipes from bunching up during the dispensing thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wipes dispenser comprising:
a container having an interior holding a plurality of wipes that are interconnected such that pulling on a lead end of a lead wipe of said plurality of wipes causes a following wipe of said plurality of wipes to also be pulled and follow said lead wipe;
an aperture defined through an exterior wall of said container;
a semi-rigid bridge member spanning said aperture and extending exteriorly beyond said exterior wall to define a bridge apex of said bridge member;
a feed slit in said bridge member communicating with the interior of the container through said aperture, said feed slit presenting a slit apex and extending downwardly from said slit apex to a right-side terminal slit end and to a left-side terminal slit end, wherein said slit apex, said right-side terminal slit end and said left-side terminal slit end define a feed plane extending away from said exterior wall, said slit apex being located on said feed plane at a distance further away from said exterior wall than the location of both said left-side terminal slit end and said right-side terminal slit end on said feed plane, and wherein said plurality of wipes are removed from said container by being pulled through said feed slit, said feed slit separating a lead wipe from a following wipe as said lead wipe is pulled through said feed slit.

2. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said bridge member is arcuate.

3. The wipes dispenser of claim 2 , wherein said bridge member is a dome extending over said aperture.

4. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said feed plane extends at from 5 to 90 degrees relative to said aperture.

5. The wipes dispenser of claim 4 , wherein said feed slit is sinusoidal, providing peaks and valleys that define wipe-spreading teeth, said sinusoidal feed slit being sinusoidal in a direction perpendicular to said feed plane.

6. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said feed slit is sinusoidal, providing peaks and valleys that define wipe-spreading teeth, said sinusoidal feed slit being sinusoidal in a direction perpendicular to said feed plane.

7. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-bunching boss surrounding and extending downwardly from said aperture toward said plurality of wipes, said wipes being pulled against said anti-bunching boss as they are pulled toward and through said feed slit, the pulling of said wipes against said anti-bunching boss urging a following wipe to remain behind its respective lead wipe to prevent wipes from bunching up at said feed slit.

8. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said feed plane extends such that said slit apex does not pass through said bridge apex.

9. The wipes dispenser of claim 8 , wherein said container has a front and a rear and said feed plane extends in a direction away from said front of said container toward said rear of said container.

10. The wipes dispenser of claim 9 , wherein said container includes a cap pivotally secured at said rear of said container and adapted to close over said bridge member, said cap further adapted to interfere with the pulling of a lead wipe in the direction of said rear of said container.

11. The wipes dispenser of claim 8 , wherein said feed slit includes a top side and a bottom side, said wipes dispenser further comprising a lead wipe raked against said top side of said feed slit.

12. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said feed plane extends at from 20 to 70 degrees relative to said aperture.

13. The wipes dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said feed slit consists of a single feed slit defining said slit apex and extending downwardly from said slit apex to said right-side terminal slit end and said left-side terminal slit end.

Assignees

• Ray Eugene W
• Gmerek Iii Michael J
• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Ray Eugene W
• Gmerek Iii Michael J

Classifications

• B65D83/0805

  through an aperture in a wall · CPC title

• A47K2010/3266

  Wet wipes · CPC title

• A47K10/3818 Primary

  with a distribution opening which is perpendicular to the rotation axis · CPC title

• A47K10/38 Primary

  the web being rolled-up · CPC title

• B65D83/08

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