BACKGROUND

There is a variety of storing and dispensing containers in the market, particularly those for storing and dispensing personal care products. Personal care products, particularly wipes, have been made from a variety of materials which can be dry or wet when used. Wet wipes can be moistened with a variety of suitable wiping solutions. Typically, wet wipes have been stacked in a container in either a folded or unfolded configuration. For example, containers of wet wipes have been available wherein each of the wet wipes stacked in the container has been arranged in a folded configuration such as a c-folded, z-folded or quarter-folded configuration as are well known to those skilled in the art. Sometimes the folded wet wipes have also been interfolded with the wet wipes immediately above and below in the stack of wet wipes. Wet wipes have also been placed in containers in the form of a continuous web of material which includes perforations to separate the individual wet wipes and which is wound into a roll. Such wet wipes have been used for baby wipes, hand wipes, household cleaning wipes, industrial wipes, and the like.

The conventional containers which contain wipes have typically been designed to be positioned on a flat surface such as a countertop, table, or the like. Such conventional packages have generally provided a plastic container, tub or package which provides a sealed environment for the wet wipes to ensure that they do not become dirty and/or overly dry. To access the wipes, many containers have an access lid that is opened by pressing a button on top of the container. Some of these conventional packages have been configured to provide one at a time dispensing of each wet wipe after the container has been opened.

Typically, these dispensers required the stack of wipes to be placed in a horizontal position with a parallel dispensing partition above the stack so that the wipes are dispensed in an upward fashion. While this design has excellent dispensing performance, it requires a large space footprint when free-standing and limits wall mounting opportunities. Therefore, there is a need to provide a container for dispensing wipes that may be placed in an upright position without affecting dispensing performance. SUMMARY

A container for storing wipes is disclosed. The container for storing wipes includes a container base including a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall defining an interior cavity for storage of a stack of wipes. The container includes a dispensing panel having a dispensing partition formed therethrough. Within the interior cavity of the container, a support portion is positioned for support of the bottom of the stack of wipes. The support portion forms a support portion angle between about 100 degrees and about 115 degrees with the bottom wall. A container designed as described places the wipes stack in a vertical position thus reducing the footprint should the dispenser be placed on a toilet tank or countertop. Furthermore, the wipes being placed in a vertical position allow for more versatile and durable wall-mounting options while providing adequate dispensing performance.

For adequate dispensing to exist, there must be enough head space, or a minimum distance, between the stack of wipes and the dispensing partition. A minimum head space allows for suitable dispensing when the container is filled with wipes to the fullest configuration possible. For the container described herein to provide adequate dispensing, there must be a minimum head space distance between the dispensing partition and a top of the stack of wipes while present in the interior cavity in a full configuration of at least 1.25 cm. More desirably, the minimum head space distance between the dispensing panel and the top of the stack of wet wipes is between about 1.25 and about 2.5 cm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

A full and enabling disclosure thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures in which: Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary container with the lid open.

Figure 2 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary container base without the lid.

Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternative container of Figure 1 with the lid and top of the container open including a stack of wipes. Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternative container of Figure 1 with the lid open including a stack of wipes.

Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternative container of Figure 1 with the lid and top of the container open including a stack of wipes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally stated, a container for storing wipes is disclosed. The container for storing wipes includes a container base including a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall defining an interior cavity for storage of a stack of wipes. The container includes a dispensing panel having a dispensing partition formed therethrough. Within the interior cavity of the container, a support portion is positioned for support of the bottom of the stack of wipes. The support portion forms a support portion angle between about 100 and about 1 15 degrees with the bottom wall. A container designed as described places the wipes stack in a vertical position thus reducing the footprint should the dispenser be placed on a toilet tank or countertop. Furthermore, the wipes being placed in a vertical position allow for more versatile and durable wall-mounting options while providing adequate dispensing performance.

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not meant as a limitation. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment or figure can be used on another embodiment or figure to yield yet another embodiment. It is intended that the present disclosure include such modifications and variations.

As illustrated in Figures 1-1 1 , a container 10 for storing personal care products having a lid structure 12 and a container base 1 1. The lid structure 10 and container base meet at an outer seam to provide the necessary fit to prevent moisture loss. The container base 1 1 has a front wall 14, a back wall 16, a top wall 18 and a bottom wall 20. The front wall, back wall, top wall and bottom wall together form an interior cavity 22. The walls of the container may be planar or curved and are typically a rigid construction. As used herein, rigidity means a level of stiffness commonly associated with materials used to manufacture tubs containing wet wipes or parts thereof. Numerically, these materials typically have a flexural modulus (as measured in accordance with ASTM D790 "Standard Test Method for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials") of at least 100 Newtons per square millimeter. In particular embodiments, the lid-activation button has a flexural modulus of between about 1100 to about 1500 Newtons per square millimeter. For example, the strengthening rib of the lid- activation button 30 may be at least 1350 Newtons per square millimeter if the remainder of the container 12 is 1215 Newtons per square millimeter.

The container base 11 also includes a dispensing panel 15 with a dispensing partition 17 formed therethrough. In an exemplary embodiment, the dispensing panel 15 contains a pop-up style dispensing partition wherein a flexible, rubber-like material or sheet having a dispensing partition 17 such as a slit or hole through which individual wet wipes are removed from the container base 11. Examples of flexible rubber-like materials used in the container of the present disclosure include thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) materials that can be used to provide acceptable dispensing. Materials which can be employed include (but are not limited to): any of the family of styrenic-based TPE's (i.e. styrenic block copolymer compounds); styrenic-based TPE's containing rubber modifiers such as Kraton™, Santoprene™, or other rubber modifiers; specialty copolymers, such as ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers (e.g. EMAC™ of the Eastman Chemical Company); thermoset rubbers; polyurethane; alloys; amides; engineering TPE's; olefmic-based; olefinic vulcanizates; polyester-based; polyurethane-based. One such material for the flexible, rubber-like sheet could be that manufactured by the GLS Corporation of McHenry, IL known as resin OM 1060. Some particular properties of the Oml 060 can be: specific gravity of 0.90 g/cc (per ASTM D792); hardness (Shore A durometer) of 60 (ASTM D2240); and compression set of 29 percent at room temperature (per ASTM 395B). Another such material for the flexible, rubber-like sheet could be that manufactured by the GLS Corporation of McHenry, IL and known as resin #G2701. The G2701 material is another one of the resins in the product family of TPEs. G2701 is a styrenic-based material and is in the family of Styrenic block copolymer compounds. Some particular properties of the G2701 can be: specific gravity of 0.90 g/cc (per ASTM D792); hardness (Shore A durometer) of 68 (ASTM D2240); and compression set of 24 percent at room temperature, 96 percent at 70°C. (per ASTM 395B). Another similar material is known as G2755 and also sold by GLS Corporation. In addition, a lubricant (e.g., wax) can be added to lower the coefficient of friction of the continuous slit which can benefit injection molding, wet wipes dispensing, and physical handling of the flexible orifice. The G2701 TPE resin with 0.25 percent wax additive sold by GLS Corporation and known as #LC217- 189 can be used.

Stored within the interior cavity 22 of the container 10 is a stack of wet wipes 26. In exemplary embodiments, the stack of wet wipes 26 stored in the container are wet wipes that are used for baby wipes, flushable moist wipes, household cleaning wipes, industrial wipes, and other similar wiping products.

Materials suitable for the wipes of the present disclosure are well known to those skilled in the art. For wet wipes, these can be made from any material suitable for use as a moist wipe, including meltblown, coform, air-laid, bonded-carded web materials, hydroentangled materials, high wet-strength tissue, and the like, and can comprise synthetic or natural fibers, or combinations thereof. The wipes of the different aspects of the present disclosure can contain a liquid which can be any solution that can be absorbed into the wipes, thus making them "wet wipes." The liquid contained within the wet wipes can include any suitable components that provide the desired wiping properties. For example, the components can include water, emollients, surfactants, preservatives, chelating agents, pH buffers, fragrances, or combinations thereof. The liquid can also contain lotions, ointments and/or medicaments. The amount of liquid contained within each wet wipe can vary depending upon the type of material being used to provide the wet wipe, the type of liquid being used, the type of container being used to store the stack of wet wipes, and the desired end use of the wet wipe. Generally, each wet wipe can contain from about 15 to about 600 weight percent and desirably from about 200 to about 400 weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the wipe for improved wiping.

The product, e.g., wipes or wet wipes, can be arranged in the dispenser in any manner which provides convenient and reliable one at a time dispensing and which assists the wipes in not becoming dirty and/or overly dry. For example, the wipes may be arranged in the dispenser or container as a plurality of individual sheets arranged in a stacked configuration to provide a stack of wipes which may or may not be individually folded. The wipes may be individual wipes which are folded in a c-fold, z-fold, quarter fold or other zigzag fold or interfolded or non-interfolded configurations as are known to those skilled in the art. The individual wipes can be interfolded or in other ways related such that the leading and trailing end edges of successive wipes in the stacked configuration overlap, for "pop-up" dispensing. In such a configuration, the leading end edge of the trailing wipe is loosened from the stack by the trailing end edge of the leading wipe as the leading wipe is removed by the user. The wipes can be interfolded to facilitate such dispensing by means known to those skilled in the art.

Yet alternatively, the wipes can be arranged in the dispenser as a continuous web of interconnected wipes which are folded in an accordion-like stacked configuration or a roll. The individual wipes can be connected together along lines of frangibility, such as lines of perforations, to ensure that the trailing wipe is in position for grasping by the user after the leading wipe is removed. For example, the wipes can be provided by a continuous web of material which has a series of lines of frangibility extending across the width of the web. The portion of the web of material between successive lines of frangibility provides each individual wipe. The lines of frangibility can be provided by means known to those skilled in the art such as perforations, indentations or cuts in the web of material. For example, the lines of frangibility or perforations can be provided in the web of material by passing the web of material between a die cutter roll and anvil roll. After the lines of frangibility have been incorporated into the web of material, the web can then be arranged in a stacked configuration for easy insertion into the dispenser during formation thereof.

Each wipe is generally rectangular in shape and defines a pair of opposite side edges and a pair of opposite end edges which can be referred to as a leading end edge and a trailing end edge. The leading end edge of each wet wipe is typically positioned in the dispenser under the dispensing orifice to be grasped by a user to facilitate a removal of the wipe from the container.

A stack of wipes 26 is generally rectangular in shape and has a height, HI, measured from a stack bottom to a stack top, a width, Wl, measured from a first stack end to a second stack end and a length measured from a front of the stack to the back of the stack of wipes. Typically, the width, Wl, of the stack of wipes 26 has the largest magnitude of measure on the stack of wet wipes. As defined herein, the stack of wipes 26 is in a horizontal position when placed so the bottom of the stack is in a vertical position when placed on an end. When the stack of wipes is placed in the horizontal position, it has the largest footprint. By storing the stack of wipes 26 in a vertical position, less of a footprint is used by the container for storage. In this embodiment, the depth, Dl, of the container as illustrated in Figure 1 is less than the width, Wl, of the stack of wipes 26. Within the interior cavity 22 of the container, a support portion 28 is positioned for support of the bottom of the stack of wipes at an angle to allow the stack of wipes to be placed in a vertical position. The support portion 28 forms a support portion angle a between about 100 and about 115 degrees with the bottom wall. More desirably, the support portion 28 forms a support portion angle a between about 100 and about 115 degrees relative to the bottom wall. The support portion 28 may be constructed in any manner known to one skilled in the art to provide the angled support portion. For example, illustrated in Figure 5, the support portion may be a planar material 60 extending substantially the entire height of the container from the bottom or back wall of the container. In other embodiments, the support portion 28 may be a series of ribs extending up the back wall of the container 10. In another example as illustrated in Figures 2-4, the support portion 28 may be a first ridge 44 extending from the bottom wall 20 of the container 10 that supports the first end of the stack of wipes 26 and second ridge 46 extending from the back wall 16 supporting the second end of the stack of wipes 26. Other examples of support portions 28 known to those skilled in the art are also possible as long as the support portion 28 provides an support portion angle 28 described above relative to the bottom wall 20.

Use of an angled support portion 28 allows for the stack of wipes 26 to be stored within the container in a vertical position that is different than conventional storage. As described above, typically stacks of wipes are stored in a horizontal orientation wherein the footprint of the stack of wipes is the greatest. Thus, the container using an angled support portion storing the stack in a vertical position does need to have a footprint allowing for easier placement on the back of the toilet tank or counter top.

Another benefit to placement of the stack of wipes in a vertical position is a better moisture profile in the stack of wipes after extensive storage. Moisture from wipes stored in a horizontal position over long timer periods tends to seep down to the bottom of the stack due to gravity. By storing the stack of wipes in a vertical position, any moisture displaced will be present in the entire stack of wipes.

In exemplary embodiments, a base support portion 40 may extend from the bottom of the support portion 28 to maintain the integrity of the stack of wipes. The base support panel 40 may form a base support panel angle β of between about 85 and 95 degrees with the support portion 28. Desirably, the base support panel β extends at a 90 degree angle from the support portion 28 so that the stack of wet wipes 26 is maintained in the stack from the top to the bottom of the stack. The base support panel 40 may extend to the front wall 14 or any distance to provide the desired amount of individual wipes.

The container 10 can store any suitable number of individual wipes depending upon the desired packaging and end use. For example, the container 10 can be configured to include a stack of wipes which can include at least about 5 wipes and desirably from about 8 to about 320 individual wipes, and more desirably from about 16 to about 80 wipes. The size and shape of the stack of wipes is dependent upon the size and shape of the container and vice versa. However, for adequate dispensing to exist, there must be enough head space X, or a minimum distance, between the stack of wipes and the dispensing partition. A minimum head space distance X allows for suitable dispensing when the container is filled with wipes to the fullest configuration possible. For purposes herein, the stack of wipes 26 is in its fullest configuration when the top of the stack of wipes sits at the end of the base support panel 40 when present as illustrated in Figure 5. In embodiments without a base support panel 40, the stack of wipes is in its fullest configuration when the top of the stack of wipes first hits the front wall of the container 11 as illustrated in Figure 6. The head space distance, X, is measured from the dispensing partition 15 to the closest portion of the stack of wipes 26. For the container base 10 described herein to provide adequate dispensing, there must be a minimum head space distance X between the dispensing partition 17 and a top of the stack of wipes 26 while present in the interior cavity in a full configuration of at least 1.25 cm. More desirably, the minimum head space distance X between the dispensing partition 17 and the top of the stack of wet wipes 26 is between about 1.25 and about 2.5 cm.

The container base 11 may be split into a container top 42 to a container bottom 48 to allow a consumer access to contents of the container 10 therethrough. In some embodiments, the container top 42 is connected to the container bottom 48 by a hinge 22 to enable a user have access the dispensing partition and the wipes stored within the container 10. A consumer may then be able to, if desired, refill the container 10 with additional wipes. In other embodiments, the container bottom 48 is simply the bottom wall 20 of the container 10. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 20 may be removed to enable a user to refill the container.

The lid structure 12 may be formed as an integral part of the container 10 or may be positioned over a container base 11. In an exemplary embodiment, the lid structure 12 is connected to a container base 11 by a hinge 22 to enable a user have access to the dispensing partition and the wipes stored within the container 10. In some embodiments, a tension member 50 may be positioned against the lid structure 12 and container base 11 at the hinge 22. The tension member may be formed by a band or strip of flexible rubber or plastic, such as silicone, and/or a metal spring. The end of the tension member forces against the lid structure 12 to urge apart the lid structure 12 and container base 11 when a consumer opens the lid structure 12. The lid structure 12 may be opened by pressing a button or implied by a latch that may be pulled by a user.

The dispensing panel 17 may be placed at any angle relative to the bottom wall. However, in exemplary embodiments, the dispensing panel lies in a plane within ±10 degrees of the support portion to ensure proper dispensing. Desirably, the dispensing panel is substantially parallel to the support portion so that is forms the same angle as the support portion angle a.

Desirably, the container 10 defined herein allows for more diverse functioning of the dispenser. The design of the container 10 allows for the wipes to be dispensed from the container 10 when the container 10 is in an upright configuration wherein the container 10 sits on the bottom wall 20. Alternatively, the design of the container 10 allows for the wipes to be dispensed from the container when the container 10 is in a horizontal configuration wherein the container sits on its back wall 16. Furthermore, the design of the container 10 allows for the wipes to be dispensed from the container when the container is in an upside down configuration wherein the container sits on its top wall 18. The angled support portion 28 allows for adequate dispensing in each of these directions.

Accordingly, the different aspects and features of the present disclosure can provide containers for wipes which, when compared to conventional containers for wipes, provide improved same container storage and dispensing. While the container, useful for purposes of this present disclosure, has been specifically illustrated in the figures, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different container designs are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated that the foregoing description, given for purposes of illustration, is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Example

The performance of the angled dispenser can be measured more directly by demonstrating the dispensing consistency of the dispenser. To illustrate the dispensing performance of the angled support portion, dispensing efficiency through the container with various support portion angles described herein was measured. To determine the dispensing efficiency, containers as described herein were tested including containers with 100 degree, 102.5 degree and 105 degree support angle portions. Five separate stacks of 42 KLEENEX® COTTONELLE FRESH® Folded Wipes (Commercially available from Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, WI) were pulled manually from the containers to calculate a dispensing failure rate. The separate stacks of wipes included three clips or sets of 14 wipes connected by perforations, with each subsequent clip connected by an adhesive. A dispensing failure is defined as a tear, a fall back or a multiple pull through. A tear is a wipe tearing as it is pulled through the partition. A fall back is the subsequent wipe falling back into the interior of the container. A multiple pull through is defined as more than a single wipe being pulled from the container with a single pull. Each time any of these actions occurred it was considered a dispensing failure. The percentage of dispensing failures is calculated as the number of dispensing failures divided by the number of wipes in the stack.

Table 1 : Dispensing Failure Rates Table 1 illustrates that containers having an arc-shaped dispensing partition as defined herein have less dispensing failures than containers having planar dispensing partitions. In particular, containers having a support portion forming an angle relative to the bottom wall of the container of about 102.5 degrees illustrated the best average dispensing performance of about 10.95 percent. Additional tests run with containers having a 90 degree support portion angle and a 120 degree support portion angle illustrated unacceptable dispensing efficiency.

Other modifications and variations to the appended claims may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims. It is understood that features of the various examples may be interchanged in whole or part. The preceding description, given by way of example in order to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the claimed invention, is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and all equivalents thereto.