Wet towelette and dry towel dispenser apparatus

Details Wet towelette and dry towel dispenser apparatus Wet towelette and dry towel dispenser apparatus

1998-10-07

2001-02-20

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3615)

Article dispensing

Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article

With casing or support

C221S286000, C221S287000, C221S197000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06189730

ABSTRACT:

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to paper towel containers, more particularly to dual-compartment and single compartment dispenser apparatus for storing and dispensing dry paper towels and/or pre-moistened paper towelettes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common to provide a supply of paper towels in public washrooms for use in drying one's hands after washing. Paper towels also are stored in home dispensers for use in cleaning kitchen and toilet surfaces, and for similar washing and drying applications. There are limitations in the usefulness of dry paper towels, however. In particular, they are not very effective for sanitizing and disinfecting dry surfaces contaminated with bacteria and similar micro-biological agents.
More recently, there have become available containers and packets of pre-moistened paper wipes known as towelettes. These are useful in sanitizing one's hands and environmental surfaces because, in addition to containing water (which, of course, helps dissolve contaminants) such pre-moistened towelettes often contain alcohol or other disinfectants. A limitation in the adoption of such towelettes, particularly with respect to their provision in public rest room facilities, is that the moistening agents are particularly volatile. Therefore, the towelettes must be kept in more or less air tight containers until just prior to use.
Complex mechanisms been proposed for holding paper towels and moistening them just prior to dispensing, or simultaneously therewith. Some of these dispense both wet and dry paper products. A problem with such machinery is that it tends to be hard to fill, delicate, expensive, prone to failure, and subject to vandalism—not to mention that it tends to require the stocking of specialized, hard-to-find papers and chemical wetting agents. By the same token, public rest room facilities often are tended by unskilled individuals who have neither the time nor the training to stock and maintain complex electromechanical apparatus for dispensing both dry towels and wet towelettes. Nor do small businesses, many of which are in out-of-the-way locations, want to have to stock exotic and expensive supplies.
There is a need, therefore, for a wipe dispenser that is capable of supplying dry paper towels and/or pre-moistened paper towelettes which is easy to refill and simple to operate, and which uses off-the-shelf supplies that are readily available throughout the country.
Prior developments in this field may be generally illustrated by reference to the following information disclosure statement:
U.S. Patent Documents
U.S. Pat. No.
Patentee
Issue Date
5,443,084
R. Saleur
Aug. 22, 1995
4,017,002
R. Doyle et al.
Apr. 12, 1977
Des. 344,830
H. Carter et al.
Mar. 1, 1994
4,984,530
V. Dutton
Jan. 15, 1991
4,776,649
A. ten Wolde
Oct. 11, 1988
Des. 342,635
H. Carter et al.
Dec. 28, 1993
U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,084 describes a container having a plurality of compartments for storing separate sets of dry paper towels and the like. Also included is means for moistening one set of dry towels prior to the dispensing thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,530 describes another container that stores separate sets of dry towels and has apparatus for wetting one set as it is dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,002 teaches a portable container for storing and dispensing pre-moistened towelettes. This type of prior-art container may be used within the device of the present invention, as discussed below.
The remaining patents are representative of what was found in a search of the art.
It therefore will be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved wipe dispenser apparatus which addresses the problems of construction, effectiveness and ease of use that are attendant in the prior art. In this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known art, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to teach a new and improved wet towelette and dry towel dispenser apparatus which has all of the important advantages of the prior art and few, if any, of the disadvantages.
The present invention is a dispenser that may be used to provide wet towelettes for cleaning and disinfecting and dry paper towels for drying. It finds application in sanitizing toilets, baby changing areas, kitchen work surfaces and kitchen utensils, as well as for thoroughly cleaning the user's hands. This dispenser can be used at home, as well as in the public rest rooms and other areas of such commercial establishments as restaurants, day care facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and the like. The pre-moistened towelette wipes made available by this device can be used to kill common germs found on toilet seats, toilet handles, faucet handles, door handles, countertops, bassinets, appliances, and the like. To clean, refresh, sanitize and deodorize an environmental surface, the user need only tear off a pre-moistened towelette from the dispenser, wipe the surface clean, then remove a dry towel and use it to further clean and dry the surface.
The invention preferably comprises a wall or door-mounted wipe container having two separate compartments, one for holding readily available packet stacks (or rolls) of dry paper towels of standard size, and one for holding a re-sealable container of pre-moistened paper towelettes. The latter containers may be found in retail and wholesale outlets everywhere and come in generally cylindrical tubs of two or three standard sizes. A longitudinal slot is provided in the bottom of the first container compartment for permitting egress of the dry paper towels, as is common.
A new aperture is provided in the bottom of the second compartment for providing egress to the wet towelettes, in cooperative placement with respect to the cross slit aperture found in the lid of towelette tubs. Examples of such towelette tubs are sold under the brand name WET ONES, available from Personal Care Group, Inc. of Montvale, N.J., and THICK BABY WIPES from Walgreen Co. of Deerfield, Ill.
A hinged and locked front panel or cover gives ready access to both compartments for instant refilling. A standard switching flap (see Part No. T1966-T1967 from Fort Howard Co. of Green Bay, Wis.) may be included for converting the device from multifold towels to C-fold towels. Other than that, the lock and the hinged front cover are the only moving parts of the dispenser. Hence, the apparatus is very durable as well as easy to install, clean and maintain.
FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wipe dispensing apparatus which has all, or nearly all, of the advantages of the prior art, while simultaneously overcoming most of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved dispensing apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. Parts of the dispensing apparatus disclosed herein may be injection molded and others vacuum molded.
A further object or feature of the present invention is a new and improved dispensing apparatus which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a novel towel/towelette dispensing apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the public, thereby making the dispensing apparatus economically available to consumers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel dispensing apparatus wherein an increased ease of assembly, access, loading, and unloading is permitted relative to the wipe dispenser art.
Another object or feature is a new and improved dispensing apparatus that is easy to use, attractive in appearance and suitable for mass production.
An object of this invention is to provide mea

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