US20060266761A1 - Tubular dispenser for cleansing wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

A tubular dispenser comprises a long slender tubular outer body having an inner surface defining a spiral groove, a long slender tubular inner body accommodated within the outer body, the inner body defining a longitudinal slit, a bottom seat accommodated within the inner body and having a knob accommodated in the longitudinal slit and spiral groove, a dispensing lid having a plurality of cross-wise slits disposed proximate to a first end of the tubular body, a rotatable base operable to rotate the inner body with respect to the outer body and thereby urging the bottom seat toward the dispensing lid, and a self-hinged lid covering the dispensing lid at the first end of the tubular body.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
• This patent application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/670,180 filed on Apr. 11, 2005, and entitled Portable Feminine Accessory Storage and Carrying System, incorporated herein by reference.
• This patent application is related to co-pending patent application (Attorney Docket No. 34863.3) filed on Apr. 11, 2006, and entitled Carrier for Feminine Hygiene Products, incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• Moistened cleansing wipe products have become an important product category that has found a wide variety of applications for adults, children, and babies. These products are typically manufactured by impregnating sheets made of non-woven fabric with a suitable solution. Examples include hand wipes, face or body cleansing wipes, wipes for skin treatment, and skin conditioning wipes. Many women also prefer to use wipes impregnated with appropriate non-stinging cleansing liquid for hygienic cleaning of the vaginal area.
• Feminine hygienic cleansing wipes are typically packaged in individual pouches. Other moistened wipe products have been packaged in rectangular box-like containers and cylindrical containers. These bulky containers typically hold hundreds of the moistened wipes and are not meant to be portable or carried in a purse.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a tubular dispenser for hygienic wipes;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of a tubular dispenser for hygienic wipes; and
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the advancement of a seat bottom operable to urge moistened wipes upward toward the dispensing end.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• It is desirable to provide a more streamlined container and dispenser for moistened hygienic wipes that enable a woman to discreetly carry it in her hand or her purse. Although pre-existing individually-wrapped wipes are small discreet packages, it is undesirable to carry several such packages loose and disorganized in a purse. Other wipe containers are too large and unwieldy for portable applications. Existing refillable baby wipe clam-shell type containers are still too bulky to be carried in many women's purses.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of atubular dispenser10 forhygienic wipes12.Tubular dispenser10 includes atop lid14 and a slender tubularouter body16. Preferably,top lid14 is self-hinged15 toouter body16. A dispensinglid18 has a number ofcross-wise slits20 to enable the moistened wipes to be dispensed one-by-one. Dispensinglid18 may be integral with a refill tube inserted into slender tubularouter body16. The refill tube contains wipe refills and may be sold separately fromtubular dispenser10.Top lid14 preferably incorporates asmall opening22 to facilitate attachment to a lanyard hook orswivel hook23, for example.Top lid14 may also include atab24 operable to meet and grab acatch26 suitably disposed onouter body16 near the dispensing opening. Tubularouter body16 further includes arotatable base28 with a plurality of parallel longitudinal grooves.
• Preferably, the slender outline oftubular dispenser10 makes it easy to carry and conceal in the user's hand or purse.Tubular dispenser10 may be similarly dimensioned as a feminine tampon, for example. Therefore, the slender body of the tubular dispenser may have a diameter of about one to two inches, for example. Preferably, the tubular dispenser has a diameter of no more than two inches. The length of the tubular dispenser is preferably no more than nine inches, for example.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of atubular dispenser10 for hygienic wipes. Tubularouter body16 ofdispenser10 comprises aspiral groove30 disposed on an inner surface ofouter body16.Outer body16 is operable to accommodate an innertubular body32 with alongitudinal slit34. Innertubular body32 houses abottom seat36 with a substantially horizontally-extendingknob38.Knob38 can be accommodated inlongitudinal slit34 ofinner body32 andspiral groove30 ofouter body16.Longitudinal slit34 further comprises short upper andlower extensions40 and42, respectively, thus having a generally Z-shaped configuration. The dispensing lid may be integral with innertubular body32 that functions as a refill tube inserted into slender tubularouter body16.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the advancement of abottom seat36 operable to urge moistened wipes upward toward the dispensing end oftubular dispenser10. Asrotatable base28 is rotated by the user, the inner body rotates with respect to the outer body, andbottom seat36 and the moistened wipes folded and disposed thereon, are urged upward by the action ofknob38 of thebottom seat36 traversing along spiral groove30 (represented by dashed lines) andlongitudinal slit34. The moistened wipes are urged against the cross-wise slits of dispensinglid18, and thus facilitating the removal of wipes on-by-one by the user.
• Tubular dispenser10 may be constructed of rigid cardboard, plastic, and other like materials.Inner body32,bottom seat36 and dispensinglid18 are preferably constructed of plastic and other like materials because these parts interface directly with moistened wipes. The entire tubular dispenser may be disposed of when all the moistened wipes contained therein have been exhausted. Alternatively, the refill tube may be discarded and thetubular dispenser10 recharged with fresh moistened wipes contained in a refill tube.
• Tubular dispenser10 is small, compact, and easy to carry in the user's hand or purse. The tubular dispenser can also be hooked onto a purse or backpack strap for easy portability. The moistened wipes are easily accessible by the users and easy to remove from the dispenser. In addition to moistened wipes,dispenser10 may be used to house and carry other items such as dry tissues or towelettes impregnated with a cleansing solution, for example.
• Although a specific mechanism for advancing the bottom seat of the dispenser is described and claimed herein, the invention does not preclude other conventional means of urging the bottom seat toward the dispensing opening of the dispenser. Alternatively,tubular dispenser10 may be implemented without a bottom seat or advancement mechanism. The cleansing wipes may be arranged or organized in such a way that the withdrawal of one sheet brings up a next sheet through the cross-wise slit opening so that an advancement mechanism is not required.
• Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art should understand that they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all such changes, substitutions and alterations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

Claims (18)

1. A tubular moistened wipe dispenser comprising:

a long slender tubular body having a diameter between about one to about two inches;

a dispensing lid having a plurality of cross-wise slits disposed proximate a first end of the tubular body; and

a self-hinged lid covering the dispensing lid at the first end of the tubular body.

2. The dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising means for urging moistened wipes disposed in the long slender tubular body toward the dispensing lid.

3. The dispenser ofclaim 2, further comprising a rotatable base operable to actuate the urging means.

4. The dispenser ofclaim 2, wherein urging means comprises:

a spiral groove defined on an inner surface of the outer body;

a long slender tubular inner body accommodated within the outer body, the inner body defining a longitudinal slit; and

a bottom seat accommodated within the inner body and having a knob accommodated in the longitudinal slit and spiral groove.

5. The dispenser ofclaim 4, further comprising a rotatable base operable to rotate the inner body with respect to the outer body and thereby urging the bottom seat toward the dispensing lid.

6. The dispenser ofclaim 4, wherein the long slender tubular body is adapted to accept moistened wipes refills.

7. The dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising a refill tube having the dispensing lid with a plurality of cross-wise slits.

8. The dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the self-hinged lid defines a small opening for coupling to a hook.

9. The dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising a hook coupled to the self-hinged lid.

10. A tubular moistened wipe dispenser comprising:

a long slender tubular body;

a dispensing lid having an opening disposed at a first end of the tubular body; and

a bottom seat accommodated within the tubular body;

means for urging moistened wipes disposed on the bottom seat toward the dispensing lid; and

a lid covering the dispensing lid at the first end of the tubular body.

11. The dispenser ofclaim 10, further comprising:

a long slender tubular inner body accommodated within the tubular body, the inner body defining a longitudinal slit;

the bottom seat accommodated within the inner body and having a knob accommodated in the longitudinal slit and spiral groove; and

a rotatable base operable to rotate the inner body with respect to the outer body and thereby urging the bottom seat toward the dispensing lid.

12. The dispenser ofclaim 11, wherein the long slender tubular inner body is a refill tube operable to contain a plurality of moistened wipes.

13. The dispenser ofclaim 11, wherein the dispensing lid is formed integral with the long slender tubular inner body, the dispensing lid opening comprises a plurality of cross-wise slits.

14. The dispenser ofclaim 10, wherein the dispensing lid opening comprises a plurality of cross-wise slits.

15. A tubular dispenser comprising:

a long slender tubular outer body having an inner surface defining a spiral groove;

a long slender tubular inner body accommodated within the outer body, the inner body defining a longitudinal slit;

a bottom seat accommodated within the inner body and having a knob accommodated in the longitudinal slit and spiral groove;

a dispensing lid having a plurality of cross-wise slits disposed at a first end of the tubular inner body;

a rotatable base operable to rotate the inner body with respect to the outer body and thereby urging the bottom seat toward the dispensing lid; and

a self-hinged lid covering the dispensing lid at the first end of the tubular body.

16. The tubular dispenser ofclaim 15, wherein the long slender tubular outer body has a diameter of about one to about two inches, and a length of no more than nine inches.

17. The dispenser ofclaim 15, wherein the self-hinged lid defines a small opening for coupling to a hook.

18. The dispenser ofclaim 15, further comprising a hook coupled to the self-hinged lid.

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