Towelette dispensing article

Details Towelette dispensing article Towelette dispensing article

2001-05-02

2003-02-18

Yu, Mickey (Department: 3728)

Special receptacle or package

For folded sheetlike article

C206S233000, C206S812000, C220S835000, C220S839000, C221S048000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06520331

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a resealable container for dispensing chemically impregnated towelettes.
2. The Related Art
Chemically impregnated pads, sheets and tissues (collectively defined as towelettes) are established articles of commerce. They are generally utilized for personal hygiene, cosmetic purposes and household cleaning applications. Fluid impregnated wipes require packaging which avoid evaporation of solvents. Dry towelettes impregnated with dry chemical coatings (e.g. surfactant compositions) require exclusion of atmospheric moisture during storage periods. Problems arise where a stack of impregnated towelettes are packed together in a common container. Dispensing of a single item requires resealability of the container to prevent the items from either drying out or absorbing unwanted moisture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a towelette dispenser which can maintain a stack of towelettes sealed from the atmosphere during extended storage periods, especially after multiple openings for dispensing of individual tissues.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A dispensing article, particularly for towelettes, is provided which includes:
a container body having a floor panel, left and right side panels opposite one another arising from the floor panel, front and rear panels opposite one another arising from the floor panel, an open mouth defined by upper edges of the front, rear and side panels, a button flap unitarily formed with the front panel, and a button projecting outwardly from a surface of the button flap;
a lid having a roof panel hingedly joined to the container body, and a latch flap unitarily formed with and projecting downward from the roof panel;
wherein the latch flap includes an aperture shaped to receive the button therein, the latch and button flaps being more flexible than other sections of the lid and container panels.
Further, the invention provides a towelette dispensing article which includes:
a stack of towelettes;
a container body receiving the towelettes and having a floor panel, left and right side panels opposite one another arising from the floor panel, front and rear panels opposite one another arising from the floor panel, an open mouth defined by upper edges of the front, rear and side panels, a button flap unitarily formed with the front panel, and a button projecting outwardly from a surface of the button flap;
a lid having a roof panel hingedly joined to the container body, and a latch flap unitarily formed with and projecting downward from the roof panel;
wherein the latch flap includes an aperture shaped to receive the button therein, the latch and button flaps being more flexible than other sections of the lid and container panels.
Advantageously the container front panel and button flap will have a relative thickness ranging from less than about 4:1 to more than about 1:1. Particularly preferred is a relative thickness ratio from about 3:1 to about 1.5:1. Those thinner areas represented by the button flap allow for resilient movement for sealing between the latch flap and button. A similar relative thickness relationship is preferred for the lid and latch flap.
Aperture and button may have any shape. Round shapes are preferred and an oval is particularly optimum.
Materials suitable for construction of the dispensing article include plastics such as polyolefins, polyesters and polyamides. Preferred are polypropylene and polyethylene, with the former most useful.
Along the upper edge of the panels defining the open mouth is a sealing band unitarily formed with the panels and of a thickness comparable to the button flap. In a similar arrangement, a lid band is unitarily formed with the panels of the lid. The lid band has a thickness comparable to that of the latch flap and extends along a periphery of the roof panel.
Insertable within the dispensing article is a refill canister. Walls of the canister are thinner than the panels of the container by a factor of about 2 or greater. While the container and lid are preferably produced through injection molding, the refill canister is produced by a thermoform process. Polyolefins are the plastic of choice for the refill canister.
Advantageously the floor panel of the container body includes a transparent window to allow viewing of a label on an outer bottom surface of the refill canister. There also may be a transparent window within the roof panel of the lid for observation of contents within the dispensing article.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3651983 (1972-03-01), Haugen
patent: 3836044 (1974-09-01), Tilp et al.
patent: 4314651 (1982-02-01), Gaiser et al.
patent: 4730731 (1988-03-01), Allison
patent: 4890742 (1990-01-01), Allison
patent: 4925041 (1990-05-01), Pehr
patent: 5050737 (1991-09-01), Joslyn et al.
patent: 5785179 (1998-07-01), Buczwinski et al.
patent: 5996797 (1999-12-01), Flaig
patent: 6269969 (2001-08-01), Huang et al.

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