US3368522A - Wet wipe sheet dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 N CORDIS WET WIPE SHEET DISPENSER 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 5,

Feb. 13, 1968 CORDS WET WIPE SHEETDISPENSER 2 SheetsSheet 2 Original Filed Dec.

United States Patent 7 Claims. (Cl. 11s-43) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed herein a multiple supply of sequentially delivered, disposable sanitary cleansing and wiping sheets; and apparatus for storing such sheets in a wetted condition and for dispensing the sheets on demand ready for use.

This application is a division of co-pending application Ser. No. 412,872, filed Nov. 19, 1964, entitled Storing and Dispensing Apparatus for Wet Wipe Sheets, which is a division of Ser. Nd. 73,874, filed Dec. 5, 1960, now abandoned, and entitled Wet Wipe Sheet Dispenser.

This invention relates to a disposable sanitary cleansing and Wiping sheet adapted for use in personal hygiene. More particularly, it pertains to such a sheet and apparatus for storing such sheets in a Wetted condition and dispensing ready for use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a multiple supply of such pre-Wetted sheets and a dispenser therefor. A further object is to provide sheets which are soft and pliable when wetted, and which are readily disposable in household plumbing. Another object is to provide a sheet to supplement the use of toilet tissue. An additional object is to provide a dispenser for the delivery of a pre-wetted sheet from a multiple supply, such pre-Wetting being of the entire supply before delivery. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly, the invention comprises a sheet of absorbent material having the properties of disposable paper towels and certain toilet issues having the desired wet strength. The paper may be absorbent on one surface and moderately non-absorbent (as by high calendering) on the other surface without adversely affecting disposability of the single application sheet. The sheets may be continuous, the desired amount being cut or torn 01f, or in the form of a stack of pre-cut, pro-folded, pre-wetter sheets, each when unfolded providing a single application sheet. The continuous supply may be in the form of a roll, pre-folded in a continuous zigzag strip, or the like.

To facilitate the treading of the continuous strip, whether roll or zigzag, into the dispenser, a lead tab, string, ribbon or the like may be provided.

The folded single sheets are preferably stored in a pre-Wetted condition whereas the continuous supply may in one embodiment be entirely pre-Wetted, and in another embodiment "be wetted as it is delivered from the dispenser.

The sheets or strips may comprise dual layers provided with a calendered surface or other moisture barrier between the two layers. If desired, the two layers may be separated as by a knife separator and only one layer wetted before dispensing as described herein.

The fluid used to Wet the sheet typically comprises water and alcohol, although other materials may be used to give the initial wet condition of the sheet and the quick drying effect when applied to the skin or other surface to be cleansed. The fluid may be scented; it may be antiseptic, with or without healing properties. Suitable preservatives and anti-mold agents may be included as necessary.

In one form of the invention, the fluid components in a concentrate are provided within a frangible capsule within an absorbent mass, such as a sponge or fibrous pad. Water is added to the mass and the capsule broken or dissolved to release the components. Enough water is provided in this and the other embodiments to saturate or subsaturate the cleansing sheet with the aqueous medium depending upon the desired use or application of the wet wipe sheet. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a roll of a continuous strip of paper or a stack of prefolded individual sheets saturated with an aqueous medium and hermetically sealed within a water impervious container or envelope such as a plastic wrapper.

This invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of a dispenser for a continuous roll in which the entire supply roll may be prewetted;

FIGURES 2 and 2a are fragmentary vertical sections of modifications of the dispenser provided with means for wetting the sheet during delivery;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective, partly in section, of another embodiment of dispenser having supply of fluid maintained therein; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of an apparatus for storing and deliverying pre-wetted, pre-cut, folded sheets from a stack or continuous strip.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the roll of paper 10 is disposed within the housing 11 having hinged cover 12 and relivery slot 13 including hinged closure and cutting plate 14 provided with return spring 15. The .pre-wetted paper is threaded through slot 13, under plate 14, and over ledge 16 and the cutting edge 14a.

To dispense a sheet 16a, the plate 14 is lifted against the action of the spring 15 as shown at 14' and a selected length of paper 10a is withdrawn; the plate 14 is then released so as to clamp the paper between the edge 14a and the adjacent edge 16a of ledge 16. Then by pulling the sheet 10a upwardly against the edge 1411, the single application sheet 10a is separated from the roll 10. This leaves a short strip between plate 14 and ledge 16 to be grasped for delivering the next sheet.

The paper may be marked as by printing to indicate the proper size of sheet for a single use. Also, at spaced points highly calendered cross strips may be provided which are substantially less wet and remain stronger than the main body of wet-ted sheet 100. Similarly, continuous longitudinal medial or marginal treated or calendered strips may be provided on the sheet to give added strength to the wet sheet and thereby assist in the separation of the single service sheet from the roll 10. Medial reinforcing may also be eifected by stitching with a disintegrating thread.

In FIGURE 2, a dispenser is provided which includes a housing 20 having cover 21, a sump 22 for the treating fluid and including applicator roller 23. In this embodiment the paper threaded under the roller 23 and through the sump 22 is wetted on both sides. When only one side is wet, the applicator is mounted at the top of the sump 22 as shown in FIGURE 2a. The paper then travels over the applicator 23 which may be a roller as shown or a sponge, wick, capillarly brush, or the like.

It is contemplated that the sump 22 and applicator 23 may be within the housing 20 as shown in FIGURE 2a or exterior thereof and adjacent the discharge port 24 as shown in FIGURE 2. A high water vapor pressure is maintained in the housing 20 and prevents premature drying out of the pre-wetted supply. Tear edge 27 or 27' is used to separate the sheet 26a from the supply roll 26 as will be readily apparent from the manipulations described above with respect to FIGURE 1 and cutting edge 14a.

The dispenser of FIGURE 3 includes a top-opening box or container 30 with friction fit cover 31. As shown, the fioor of the box 30 is provided with absorbent pad 32 having a concave upper surface 32a which cradles the paper roll 33. The pre-wetted paper threads through the slot 34 between the cover 31 and the top edge of the front wall of the container 30 which is lower than the other three walls. The desired length 33a of paper is separated by tearing over the edge 35 of the cover.

If desired, the pad 32 may contain a capsule of paper treating agent which is released by saturating the pad 32 with water (and thereby dissolving the capsule) or by breaking the capsule, or both.

The apparatus of FIGURE 4 is adapted for use with re-cut, folded, pre-wet units 40 stacked within the elongated chamber 41 on floating platform or follower plate 42 which is raised by spring 43, the top-most unit 40a being pressed upwardly against depressors 44 and 45 which project inwardly from hinged cover 46. The hingemost or rear depressor 45 is the longer and continues to depress the rear portion of the stack 40 when the cover 46 is lifted. whereas the front depressor 44 releases the front portion of the top unit 40a so that it may be grasped through the notch 47 and peeled from the stack. Closing the cover 46 again depresses the entire stack stored within the dispenser.

The apparatus of FIGURE 4 may also be used to dispense a stack comprising a continuous zigzag strip, a cutting edge 46a being provided on the cover 46 to facilitate the separation of the single use sheet from the zigzag strip when the cover 46 has been closed.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to certain embodiments thereof, it should be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that modifications may be made therein in view of the teachings without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for a wet wipe cleansing sheet comprising a generally cubical, open-toppped container having a closed bottom and four upstanding walls with four top edges, a friction-fit cover engaging and sealing three contiguous top edges thereof, one top edge being spaced downwardly from the cover when closed to provide a delivery slot, a pre-wetted continuous strip supply of said wet wipe cleansing sheets adapted to be delivered through said slot, said cover having an overhang co-extensive with said slot and projecting thereover, and a mass of absorbent material saturated with an aqueous medium in said container, said absorbent material comprising a pad on the bottom of the container on which said supply rests and is stored in wick-flow contact with said pad, said projecting overhang providing an edge for separating the delivered portion of the sheet from the remainder in the container and leaving an exposed portion for grasping in removing the next portion.

2. The article and dispenser of claim 1 wherein said overhang comprises a curvilinear projection of the top surface of the said cover.

3. The article and dispenser of claim 1 wherein said pad comprises a sponge and is substantially co-extensive with the bottom wall of said container.

4. The article and dispenser of claim 1 wherein said continuous supply is a roll of paper, cradled by and freely rotatable in contact with said pad, and wherein said roll comprises areas of relatively higher wet tensile strength than the wet strength of the major portion of the roll thereby facilitating the separation of individual segments from the roll.

5. The article and dispenser of claim 1 wherein a transverse segment of the said exposed portion is retained within said delivery slot and is substantially co-extensive therewith to block free ventilation of the dispenser, thereby retarding drying out of the pre-wetted supply of wet wipe cleansing sheets remaining in said dispenser after the delivery of at least one of said sheets from said slot.

6. A dispenser for a wet wipe cleansing sheet comprising a generally cubical open-topped container having four top edges, 21 cover engaging and sealing three contiguous top edges, the front edge being downwardly spaced from the cover -to provide a delivery slot therebetween, said cover having an overhang co-extensive with said slot and projecting thereover, and a quantity of an aqueous medium confined in a lower portion of said container, said projecting overhang providing an edge for separating a delivery portion of the sheet from a pre-wetted sheet supply stored in the container and leaving an undelivered portion available beneath said overhang for grasping in removing the portion next to be delivered.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said aqueous medium is held by absorbent material on the bottom of the container, the vapor space thereabove being saturated with vapors of the aqueous medium and preventing drying out of the pre-wetted sheet before delivery from the dispenser.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 360,373 3/1887 Chester 11865 660,877 10/1900 Woody 118264 1,208,701 12/1916 Trenner 225-32 1,244,837 10/1917 Crowell 11843 1,389,003 8/1921 Huff. 1,431,605 10/ 1922 Stone 11843 1,708,725 4/1929 Huenpfner 118-43 1,726,089 8/ 1929 Uttz 118264 1,869,664 8/1932 Castle 11843 2,456,068 12/1948 Liben 22159 2,457,293 12/ 1948 Winger 11843 2,499,017 2/1950 Callaway et al. 11843 2,500,066 3/1950 Gaunt 1182.64 2,565,887 8/1951 Salfisberg 206-56 2,604,205 7/1952 Patterson 22159 X 2,619,398 11/1952 Kenmotsu 22159 2,710,590 6/1955 Gerard 118-43 X 2,737,149 3/1956 Collins et al. 11843 2,741,220 4/ 1956 Belisle 118405 2,763,237 9/1956 Harris 11843 X 2,794,419 6/1957 Warner et al. 118419 2,840,080 6/1958 Clark 206-56 X 2,898,883 8/1959 Reid et al 118419 3,018,756 1/1962 Kilham 18-264 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

' J. P. MCINTOSH, Assistant Examiner.

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