Structure for sealing and dispensing a cleansing product

Abstract

A seal and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing a cleaning product includes a seal and dispensing structure. The seal and dispensing structure includes a floor defining a bottom of the seal and dispensing structure and a peripheral flange adjoining the floor at an interior bottom. The peripheral flange and the floor at least partially define sides and a bottom of a dispensing compartment. The seal and dispensing structure further includes a dispensing aperture extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning product into the dispensing compartment and an access aperture extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning product stored in the container. The seal and dispensing structure further includes an outer cover sized and shaped to mate with and seal an interior top of the peripheral flange and form a top of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position and an inner cover sized and shaped to mate with and seal the access aperture and form at least a portion of a bottom of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] A variety of storage and dispensing containers are available on the market, particularly those for storing and dispensing cleaning products. Cleaning products (especially wipes) are made from a variety of materials and can be used dry or wet. Wet wipes can be moistened with a variety of suitable wiping solutions. Typically, wet wipes are placed in a container in the form of a continuous material web, which includes perforations for separating individual wet wipes and is wound into a roll. Cleaning products (such as wet wipes) have been used for baby wipes, hand wipes, household cleaning wipes, industrial wipes, and more.

[0002] The wet wipes are also stacked in the container in a folded or unfolded configuration. For example, a container for wet wipes may be used, in which the individual wet wipes stacked in the container are arranged in a folded configuration, such as a C-fold configuration, Z-fold configuration, or quarter-fold configuration well known to those skilled in the art. Sometimes, the folded wet wipes are also interleaved with the wet wipes directly above and below them in the stack of wet wipes.

[0003] Traditional containers for wiping products are typically designed to sit on flat surfaces such as countertops or tables. These traditional packages usually come in plastic containers, buckets, or pouches that provide a sealed environment for the wet wipes to reduce the likelihood of them becoming soiled and / or drying prematurely. Many containers have a retrieval lid for accessing the wipes, which can be opened by pressing a button or releasing a latch on the top of the container. Some of these traditional packages are configured to dispense each wet wipe one at a time, which can be done with one hand after opening the container. This one-handed, one-at-a-time dispensing is particularly desirable because the user's or caregiver's other hand often needs to be used for other functions simultaneously. For example, when changing a baby's diaper, a caregiver typically uses one hand to hold the baby in the desired position while the other hand attempts to dispense the wet wipe to clean the baby. The caregiver may not want to take their eyes off the baby to open the container and retrieve the wipes.

[0004] A wide variety of wet wipe dispensing containers are available on the market today. These containers can be broadly categorized into two types: hand-held and pop-up. Hand-held containers provide wipe rolls that are perforated at the edges and dispensed from a vertical cylindrical container. In the pop-up category, some containers offer flat, staggered stacks of wipes, which are most commonly dispensed from a bucket.

[0005] However, dispensing wipes from such conventional containers is not entirely satisfactory. For example, with hand-operated containers, consumers need to reach into the container to begin dispensing wipes (or restart dispensing if a malfunction occurs). This requires accessing the personal care product through a relatively large opening in the lid. Similarly, with pop-up containers with a stack of wipes, the pop-up feature sometimes malfunctions, and the user needs to reach into the container to retrieve the next wipe. In both types of containers, these large openings provide a path for contamination of the wipes and allow them to dry during storage before consumer use. Therefore, there is a need for a dispenser with a sealing and dispensing structure that allows consumers to access wipes more easily when needed, while also allowing the access opening to be closed when not in use. In this way, the incidence of wet wipe contamination and premature drying can be reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned needs, a sealing and dispensing structure for a container used for storing and dispensing cleaning products has been invented. In a particular embodiment, the sealing and dispensing structure for a container used for storing and dispensing cleaning products includes: a base plate defining the bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure; and a peripheral flange abutting the base plate at an inner bottom. The peripheral flange and the base plate at least partially define the sides and bottom of a dispensing compartment. The sealing and dispensing structure further includes: a dispensing orifice extending through the base plate for dispensing individual cleaning products (e.g., wipes) into the dispensing compartment; and a retrieval orifice extending through at least a portion of the base plate for retrieval of the cleaning products stored in the container. The sealing and dispensing structure further includes: an outer cover sized and shaped to mate with and seal the inner top of the peripheral flange, and forming the top of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position; and an inner cover sized and shaped to mate with and seal the retrieval orifice, and forming at least a portion of the bottom of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position.

[0007] In certain embodiments, the outer cover is connected to the peripheral flange via at least one outer cover hinge having an outer cover hinge axis, which allows the outer cover to rotate reversibly between an open and closed position about the outer cover hinge axis. The outer cover seals the inner top of the peripheral flange with a pressure seal or friction seal (or other mechanically engaged seal, such as a hook and loop) or adhesive seal. In some embodiments, the outer cover includes a latch, and the peripheral flange includes a receiving recess adapted to receive the outer cover latch to reversibly lock the outer cover in a closed position.

[0008] In certain embodiments, the inner cover is connected to the peripheral flange via at least one inner cover hinge having an inner cover hinge axis, which allows the inner cover to rotate reversibly between an open and closed position about the inner cover hinge axis. The outer cover seals the inner top of the peripheral flange with a pressure seal or friction seal (or other mechanically engaged seal, such as a hook and loop) or adhesive seal. In some embodiments, the inner cover also includes a latch, and the access hole includes a receiving recess adapted to receive the inner cover latch to reversibly lock the inner cover in the closed position.

[0009] In a particular embodiment, a sealing and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing cleaning products is provided. The sealing and dispensing structure includes: a base plate; a peripheral flange surrounding the base plate; a dispensing orifice; a retrieval orifice; an outer cap; and an inner cap. The base plate defines the bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure. The peripheral flange has an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall having an inner periphery, a bottom, and a top. The base plate abuts the peripheral flange at the bottom of the inner wall, the inner wall defining the circumference of a dispensing compartment, and the base plate at least partially defining the bottom of the dispensing compartment. The dispensing orifice extends through the base plate for dispensing individual cleaning products into the dispensing compartment. The retrieval orifice extends through at least a portion of the base plate for retrieving cleaning products stored in the container, the retrieval orifice having an inner periphery. The outer cap is connected to the peripheral flange via at least one outer cap hinge having an outer cap hinge axis, the at least one outer cap hinge allowing the outer cap to rotate reversibly between an open position and a closed position about the outer cap hinge axis. The outer cap is sized and shaped to mate with the top of the inner periphery of the inner wall and forms the top of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position. The inner cover is connected to the peripheral flange via at least one inner cover hinge having an inner cover hinge axis, which allows the inner cover to rotate reversibly between an open and closed position about the inner cover hinge axis. The size and shape of the inner cover are adapted to mate with the inner periphery of the access hole and form at least a portion of the bottom of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position.

[0010] In certain embodiments, a container for storing and dispensing cleaning products is provided, the container including a sealing and dispensing structure and a housing for storing the cleaning products. In one embodiment, a peripheral flange is adapted to connect to the housing, and the peripheral flange and the housing are connected. In another embodiment, the housing and the peripheral flange are integral. Cleaning products such as wet wipes, pre-moistened towels, cleaning cloths, [other?] are stored in the housing. The container may also include a disposable seal that seals a dispensing port, an access port, or both.

[0011] In one embodiment, the acquisition hole occupies more than 30% of the surface area of ​​the base plate. In another embodiment, the ratio of the surface area of ​​the acquisition hole to the surface area of ​​the distribution hole is about 5 to 1 or greater. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The invention will be more fully understood and additional features will become apparent when referenced to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. The drawings are merely representative and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The same parts of the containers shown in the drawings are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0013] Figure 1 A top view of the sealing and dispensing structure is shown, with the inner and outer covers each in the open position.

[0014] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the sealing and dispensing structure attached to the housing is shown, with the inner and outer covers each in the closed position.

[0015] Figure 3 A perspective view of the sealing and dispensing structure is shown, with the inner and outer covers each in the open position.

[0016] Figure 4 A side view of the sealing and dispensing structure attached to the housing is shown, with the inner cover in the open position. Detailed Implementation

[0017] This invention aims to solve problems related to the storage and dispensing of products such as wipes and wet wipes from containers, as well as problems related to contamination and drying of such wipes in containers. Figures 1 to 4 As typically shown, the present invention provides a storage and dispensing container 100 for cleaning articles 400. The cleaning articles 400 can be various flexible types of articles, such as wipes, wet wipes, or other articles intended for individual dispensing. The container 10 typically includes a housing 300 and a sealing and dispensing structure 200. The housing 300 can be rigid (such as a plastic bucket) or flexible (such as a pouch).

[0018] refer to Figures 1 to 4 The container 100 includes a sealing and dispensing structure 200 and a housing 300 for containing cleaning products 400.

[0019] The sealing and dispensing structure 200 includes a base plate 210 and a peripheral flange 220. The base plate defines the bottom of the sealing and dispensing structure, and the peripheral flange is adapted to connect to a housing 300 for storing cleaning articles 400 and abuts the base plate 210 at its internal bottom. The peripheral flange 220 and the base plate 210 at least partially define the sides and bottom of the dispensing compartment 270. The sealing and dispensing structure 200 also includes a dispensing orifice 230 extending through the base plate 210 for dispensing the cleaning articles 400 individually from the housing 300 into the dispensing compartment 270, and a receiving orifice extending through at least a portion of the base plate 210 for retrieving the cleaning articles 400 stored in the housing 300. The sealing and dispensing structure 200 also includes an outer cover 250 and an inner cover 260. The outer cover is sized and shaped to mate with and seal the inner top of the peripheral flange 220 and form the top of the dispensing compartment 270 when in the closed position. The inner cover is sized and shaped to mate with and seal the access hole 240 and form at least a portion of the bottom of the dispensing compartment 270 when in the closed position.

[0020] like Figure 2 As illustrated, the sealing and dispensing structure 200 includes a dispensing compartment 270 defined at the bottom by a base plate 210 and an inner cover 260 (when in the closed position), at the top by an outer cover 250 (when in the closed position), and at the periphery 222 by the inner wall 224 of a peripheral flange 220. The inner wall 224 of the peripheral flange 220 connects to the base plate 210 at the inner bottom of the peripheral flange. Thus, the dispensing compartment 270 is separated from the interior of the housing 300 by the base plate 210 and the inner cover 260 (when closed). In this fourth state (described below), only the front edge of the individual personal care article 400 is within the dispensing compartment 270, and the dispensing compartment 270 is closed to the environment. The dispensing compartment 270 can be accessed by moving the outer cover 250 to the open position (the third state discussed below) to allow access to the front edge of the cleaning article therein. Therefore, the dispensing compartment 270 can conveniently dispense the cleaning products 400 while protecting the cleaning products 400 stored in the housing 300 from contamination and drying as much as possible.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the dispensing hole 230 is any opening through the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200, allowing dispensing of a single cleaning product 400. Figure 1 and 4As shown, the dispensing orifice 230 has a nozzle with a ribbed or star-shaped opening, one of which extends into the receiving orifice 240. This shape allows the leading edge of a single cleaning article 400 to be pulled upward through the receiving orifice 240 and placed into the dispensing orifice 230. The shape of the dispensing orifice 230 further allows the user to pull the remainder of the cleaning article 400 out of the housing for use while simultaneously pulling the leading edge of the next cleaning article 400 through the dispensing orifice 230 and into the dispensing compartment 270. The tension provided by the dispensing orifice 230 helps to separate one cleaning article 400 from the next as it is pulled through the dispensing orifice 230.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the dispensing hole 230 has a relatively small surface area compared to the surface area of ​​the base plate 210 and / or the receiving hole 240 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200. For example, the surface area of ​​the dispensing hole may be about 10% or less of the total surface area of ​​the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200, preferably about 20% or less, or about 25% or less. In other exemplary embodiments, the ratio of the surface areas of the receiving hole 240 to the dispensing hole 230 is about 4 to 1 or greater, preferably about 5 to 1 or greater, or about 10 to 1 or greater.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the access hole 240 is any opening through the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200 that allows a consumer to access the cleaning product 400 stored in the housing 300. Access to the cleaning product 400 stored in the housing 300 is typically only required when starting (or restarting) dispensing the cleaning product 400, as described above. Generally, the dispensing hole 230 is too small to provide the necessary access to the cleaning product 400 stored in the housing 300 (i.e., a consumer's fingers would not be able to pass through the dispensing hole 230). Therefore, while no particular shape is required, the size and shape of the access hole 240 allow a consumer to pass through the base plate 210 and grasp the cleaning product 400 from at least the top of a roll or stack of cleaning products 400 stored in the housing 300.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving hole 240 has a larger surface area compared to the surface area of ​​the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200. For example, the surface area of ​​the dispensing hole may be about 20% or more of the total surface area of ​​the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200, preferably about 30% or more, or about 25% or more, or about 50% or more.

[0025] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As illustrated, the size and shape of the outer cover 250 are designed to mate with and seal the top of the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220. In a particular embodiment, the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220 is circular, and the outer cover 250 is also circular and has a diameter slightly smaller than that of the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220. In this way, the edge of the outer cover 250 contacts and seals the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220. The seal between the edge of the outer cover 250 and the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220 can be maintained solely by friction or pressure between the edge of the outer cover 250 and the inner periphery 222 of the peripheral flange 220.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the outer cover 250 may be secured in a closed position by an outer cover latch 254 that engages a corresponding receiving recess 226 on the peripheral flange 220 for the outer cover latch 254. The outer cover latch 254 reversibly engages the receiving recess 226 on the peripheral flange 220 for the outer cover latch 254 and locks the outer cover in the closed position. The consumer can then disengage the outer cover latch 254 from the receiving recess 226 on the peripheral flange 220 to open the outer cover 250. This type of recess and latch is known in the art.

[0027] In a particular embodiment, the outer cover 250 is attached to the peripheral flange 220 by any means that allows the outer cover to reversibly move from an open position to a closed position. Such means are known in the art and include hinges (e.g., movable hinges), flexible strips extending from the outer cover 250 to the peripheral flange 220, and chain links. Figure 1 and 4 As illustrated, the outer cover 250 is connected to the peripheral flange 220 via an outer cover hinge 252 having an outer cover hinge axis X. In operation, the outer cover hinge 252 allows the outer cover 250 to reversibly rotate about the outer cover hinge axis X from an open position to a closed position and back. The hinge may include a mechanism for biasing the outer cover 250 to an open or closed position. Essentially, if a consumer leaves the outer cover 250 in a position between the open and closed positions, the outer cover 250 will automatically default to either the open or closed position, whichever position is closest to the position left by the consumer.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 4As illustrated, the size and shape of the inner cover 260 are designed to mate with and seal the top of the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240. In a particular embodiment, the shape of the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240 and the edge of the inner cover 260 are identical, and the edge of the inner cover 260 is slightly smaller than the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240. In this way, the edge of the inner cover 260 contacts and seals the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240. The seal between the edge of the inner cover 260 and the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240 can be maintained solely by friction or pressure between the edge of the inner cover 260 and the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the inner cover 260 may be secured in the closed position by an inner cover latch 264, which engages a corresponding receiving notch (not shown) on the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240 for the inner cover latch 264. The inner cover latch 264 reversibly engages the receiving notch on the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240 for the inner cover latch 264 and locks the inner cover in the closed position. The consumer can then disengage the outer cover latch 264 from the receiving notch on the inner periphery 242 of the access hole 240 for the inner cover latch 264 to open the inner cover 250. Such notches and latches are known in the art.

[0030] In a particular embodiment, the inner cover 260 is attached to the peripheral flange 220 by any means that allows the outer cover to reversibly move from an open position to a closed position. Such means are known in the art and include hinges (e.g., movable hinges), flexible bands extending from the inner cover 260 to the peripheral flange 220, and chain links. Figures 1 to 4 As illustrated, the inner cover 260 is connected to the peripheral flange 220 via an inner cover hinge 262 having an inner cover hinge axis Y. In embodiments, the outer cover hinge axis X and the inner cover hinge axis Y may be orthogonal to each other, parallel to each other, or offset from each other at any angle between them.

[0031] In operation, the inner cover hinge 262 allows the inner cover 260 to reversibly rotate about the inner cover hinge axis Y from the open position to the closed position and back. The hinge may include a mechanism for biasing the inner cover 260 to the open or closed position. Essentially, if the consumer leaves the inner cover 260 in a position between the open and closed positions, the inner cover 260 will automatically default to either the open or closed position, whichever position is closest to the position left by the consumer.

[0032] In a particular embodiment, in a first state, the dispensing port 230, the receiving port 240, or both, may be sealed with a disposable seal (not shown) that seals the cleaning article 400 within the housing 300 prior to the first dispensing of the cleaning article 400. Once the disposable seal (not shown) is removed, the dispensing port 230 and the receiving port 240 are unsealed, thereby allowing the dispensing and receiving of the cleaning article 400.

[0033] In the second state, both the outer cover and the inner cover are in the open position. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 This second state allows the user to access the cleaning product 400 stored in the housing 300 by reaching through the access hole 240 into the housing 300. In this state, the personal care product 400 can be pulled upwards and through the dispensing hole 230 to move the front edge of the personal care product 400 into the dispensing compartment 270.

[0034] The inner cover 260 can then be rotated from the open position to the closed position about the inner cover hinge axis Y. In this third state, the inner cover 260 engages with the access hole 240 and seals the access hole away from the dispensing chamber 270, thereby also sealing it away from the environment. In this state, the interior of the housing 400 is exposed to the dispensing chamber 270 and is therefore exposed to the environment only through the relatively small dispensing hole 230. Furthermore, only the leading edge of the individual cleaning article 400 is exposed to the dispensing chamber 270 and is therefore exposed to the environment. Thus, the chance of the cleaning article 400 in the housing 300 becoming contaminated or drying out is significantly reduced (compared to the second state and conventional containers).

[0035] After using one or more of the cleaning products 400, the outer cover 250 can then be rotated from the open position to the closed position about the inner cover hinge axis X. In this fourth state, the outer cover 250 engages with and seals the peripheral flange 220, thus sealing the dispensing compartment 270 closed. In this way, the cleaning products 400 (including a single cleaning product 400 with its leading edge extending through the dispensing orifice 230) are completely sealed from the environment.

[0036] When another cleaning product 400 is needed, the outer cover 250 can rotate from the closed position to the open position (i.e., return to the third state) about the outer cover hinge axis X to allow access to the dispensing compartment. Similarly, if it is necessary to retrieve the cleaning product 400 stored in the housing 300 (e.g., if the cleaning product 400 is pulled through the dispensing hole 230 and falls back into the hose 300), the inner cover 260 can rotate from the closed position to the open position (i.e., return to the second state) about the inner cover hinge axis Y to allow access to the interior of the housing 300.

[0037] In a particular embodiment, a disposable seal (not shown) is provided. The disposable seal can be any device used to seal the dispensing orifice 230 and / or the receiving orifice 240 from the environment, thus sealing the cleaning product 400 within the housing 300 before the first dispensing of the cleaning product 400. The disposable seal (not shown) is discarded after removal. This type of disposable seal is known in the art. Exemplary disposable seals include a film, a perforated portion of a base plate, and a shrink wrap. Preferably, the disposable seal is a film adhered to the base plate 210 of the sealing and dispensing structure 200 and covering and sealing the dispensing orifice 230 and the receiving orifice 240. It should be understood that the disposable seal may also cover the inner cap 260 if the inner cap 260 is in the closed position before the first use of the personal care product 400.

[0038] The housing 300 of the present invention can be made of various materials and have various configurations. The housing 300 can be made of flexible or rigid materials and can have any shape suitable for containing and storing cleaning products 400. The housing 300 can be a rigid cylinder with a solid bottom and a top opening. The housing 300 can be a flexible pouch made of a polyester film laminated to a polyethylene film. The polyester film can be reverse-printed, thus printed between two layers of film. Alternatively, a single-layer surface-printed film can be used. The single-layer film can consist of one or more layers of polyolefin and, in certain embodiments, is formed by co-extrusion.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the housing and the peripheral flange are integral. As used herein, the term "integral" means monolithic or forming a single structure. Essentially, the peripheral flange and the housing can be formed as a single piece that cannot be separated without compromising the integrity of the container. Thus, the housing can simply be part of a container suitable for containing cleaning products. In other embodiments, the housing and the peripheral flange are separate parts, with the peripheral flange adapted to be attached to the housing, and the peripheral flange and the housing connected.

[0040] Cleaning products 400 (e.g., wipes or wet wipes) can be arranged in the housing 300 in any manner that provides convenient and reliable one-at-a-time dispensing and helps prevent the wipes from becoming soiled and / or overdry. For example, wipes can be arranged in the container in a spiral winding configuration as known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, wipes can be arranged in the housing 300 as a continuous web of interconnected wipes in an accordion-like stack configuration or rolled up. Individual wipes can be joined together along fragile lines such as perforated lines to ensure that after a wipe is removed, a subsequent wipe is in place for the user to grasp. For example, wipes can be provided from a continuous web of material having a series of fragile lines extending across the width of the web. Alternatively, wipes can be arranged in the container as multiple individual sheets arranged in a stack configuration to provide a stack of wipes that may or may not be individually folded. The wipes can be individual wipes folded in a C-fold, Z-fold, quarter-fold, or other zigzag, staggered, or non-staggered configuration, as known to those skilled in the art. Cleaning article 400 may include multiple wipes stacked on top of each other in a non-staggered configuration for "hand-held" dispensing. A portion of a material mesh between continuous fragile lines provides for each individual wipe. The fragile lines may be provided in a manner known to those skilled in the art, such as perforations, indentations, or cuts in the material mesh.

[0041] Depending on the desired packaging and end use, the container 100 of the present invention may include any suitable number of individual wipes. For example, the container may be configured to include a stack of wipes that may include at least about 8 wipes, and desirably about 16 to about 320 individual wipes, and more desirably about 16 to about 64 wipes. The size and shape of the wipe roll or stack depend on the size and shape of the container. In a particular embodiment, each wipe is generally rectangular in shape and defines a pair of opposing side edges and a pair of opposing end edges, referred to herein as front edge and rear edge. The front edge of each wet wipe is typically positioned in the container 100 to be grasped by a user through a retrieval orifice 240 and pulled out through a dispensing orifice 230 for easy removal of a single wipe from the container. Removing a wipe through the dispensing orifice 230 serves to pull the front edge of the next wipe through the dispensing orifice 230 and into the dispensing compartment 270, where the next wipe may reside and be available to the user when the next wipe is needed.

[0042] Materials suitable for use with the wipes of this invention are well known to those skilled in the art. For wet wipes, these wet wipes can be made from any material suitable for use as wet wipes, including meltblown fabric, co-formed fabric, air-spun fabric, bonded carded fabric, hydroentangled material, high wet strength tissue, etc., and can contain synthetic or natural fibers or combinations thereof. Wipes of different aspects of this invention may contain liquid, which can be any solution that can be absorbed into the wipe, thereby making it a "wet wipe". The liquid contained in the wet wipe may include any suitable component that provides the desired wiping performance. For example, the component may include water, emollients, surfactants, preservatives, chelating agents, pH buffers, fragrances, or combinations thereof. The liquid may also contain lotions, ointments, and / or pharmaceuticals. The amount of liquid contained in each wet wipe may vary depending on the type of material used to provide the wet wipe, the type of liquid used, the type of container used to store the stack of wet wipes, and the desired end use of the wet wipe. Generally, based on the dry weight of the wipe, each wet wipe may contain about 150 to about 600% by weight, and preferably about 200 to about 400% by weight, of liquid to improve wiping. The housing 300 and / or the sealing and dispensing structure 200 may be transparent or translucent to provide an indication of the amount of wipe remaining in the container 100. The sealing and dispensing structure 200 and / or the housing 300 may be made of any suitable material, including cardboard, paperboard, various polymers, copolymers and blends, including, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene and other polymers, or composite materials.

[0043] Therefore, different aspects and features of the present invention can provide containers for wiping materials that, compared with conventional containers for wiping materials, offer improved moisturizing properties, anti-fouling properties, and / or improved wiping material dispensing. While the invention has been described in detail with respect to its specific aspects, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon gaining an understanding of the foregoing, will readily conceive of alternative forms, variations, and equivalents of these aspects. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be assessed as the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A seal and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing a cleaning product, comprising: a floor defining a bottom of the seal and dispensing structure; a perimeter flange adjoining the floor at an inner bottom, the perimeter flange and the floor at least partially defining sides and a bottom of a dispensing compartment; a dispensing aperture extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning product into the dispensing compartment; an access aperture extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning product stored in the container; an outer lid sized and shaped to mate with and seal an inner top of the perimeter flange and form a top of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position, wherein the outer lid is connected to the perimeter flange by at least one outer lid hinge having an outer lid hinge axis that allows the outer lid to reversibly rotate about the outer lid hinge axis between an open position and the closed position; and an inner lid sized and shaped to mate with and seal the access aperture and form at least a portion of a bottom of the dispensing compartment when in a closed position, wherein the inner lid is connected to the perimeter flange by at least one inner lid hinge having an inner lid hinge axis that allows the inner lid to reversibly rotate about the inner lid hinge axis between an open position and the closed position, wherein the inner lid hinge axis is located outside of the perimeter flange such that the inner lid is configured to open outward and away from the access aperture, wherein the inner lid hinge includes a mechanism that biases the inner lid to the open position or the closed position such that the inner lid will automatically default to whichever position is closest to a position of a left over inner lid; and wherein the outer lid hinge axis and the inner lid hinge axis are orthogonal to each other.

2. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein the outer lid seals the inner top of the perimeter flange with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

3. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein the outer lid includes an outer lid latch and the perimeter flange includes a receiving notch adapted to receive the outer lid latch to reversibly lock the outer lid in the closed position.

4. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein the inner lid seals the access aperture with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

5. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein the inner lid includes an inner lid latch and the access aperture includes a receiving notch adapted to receive the inner lid latch to reversibly lock the inner lid in the closed position.

6. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein the access aperture occupies more than 30% of a surface area of the floor.

7. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a surface area of the access aperture to the dispensing aperture is 5 to 1 or greater.

8. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 1, further comprising a disposable seal that seals the dispensing aperture, the access aperture, or both.

9. A container for storing and dispensing a cleaning article, comprising the seal and dispensing structure of claim 1 and a housing for storing the cleaning article.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the perimeter flange is adapted to be connected to the housing, and the perimeter flange and the housing are connected.

11. The container of claim 9, wherein the housing and the perimeter flange are integral.

12. The container of claim 9, further comprising a cleaning article stored in the housing.

13. The container of claim 12, the cleaning article is selected from the group consisting of a wet wipe, a premoistened towelette, and a cleaning cloth.

14. A seal and dispensing structure for a container for storing and dispensing a cleaning article, comprising: a floor defining a bottom of the seal and dispensing structure; a perimeter flange surrounding the floor, the perimeter flange having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall having an inner perimeter, a bottom, and a top, the floor abutting the perimeter flange at the bottom of the inner wall, the inner wall defining a circumference of a dispensing compartment, and the floor at least partially defining a bottom of a dispensing compartment; a dispensing aperture extending through the floor for individually dispensing the cleaning article into the dispensing compartment; an access aperture extending through at least a portion of the floor for accessing the cleaning article stored in the container, the access aperture having an inner perimeter; an outer lid connected to the perimeter flange by at least one outer lid hinge having an outer lid hinge axis, the at least one outer lid hinge allowing the outer lid to reversibly rotate about the outer lid hinge axis between an open position and a closed position, the outer lid being sized and shaped to mate with a top of the inner perimeter of the inner wall, and forming a top of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position; and an inner lid connected to the perimeter flange by at least one inner lid hinge having an inner lid hinge axis, the at least one inner lid hinge allowing the inner lid to reversibly rotate about the inner lid hinge axis between an open position and a closed position, wherein the inner lid hinge axis is external to the perimeter flange such that the inner lid is configured to open outward and away from the access aperture, the inner lid being sized and shaped to mate with the inner perimeter of the access aperture, and forming at least a portion of a bottom of the dispensing compartment when in the closed position, wherein the inner lid hinge includes a mechanism that biases the inner lid to the open position or the closed position, such that the inner lid will automatically default to whichever position is closest to a position of a left over inner lid; and wherein the outer lid hinge axis and the inner lid hinge axis are orthogonal to each other.

15. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the outer lid seals an interior top of the perimeter flange with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

16. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the outer cap includes an outer cap latch and the perimeter flange includes a receiving notch adapted to receive the outer cap latch to reversibly lock the outer cap in the closed position.

17. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the inner cap seals the access aperture with a pressure seal or a friction seal.

18. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the inner cap includes an inner cap latch and the access aperture includes a receiving notch adapted to receive the inner cap latch to reversibly lock the inner cap in the closed position.

19. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the access aperture comprises more than 30% of the surface area of the base plate.

20. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, wherein the ratio of the surface area of the access aperture to the dispensing aperture is 5 to 1 or greater.

21. The seal and dispensing structure of claim 14, further comprising a disposable seal that seals the dispensing aperture, the access aperture, or both.

22. A container for storing and dispensing a cleaning article comprising the seal and dispensing structure of claim 14 and a housing for storing the cleaning article.

23. The container of claim 22, wherein the perimeter flange is adapted to connect to the housing and the perimeter flange and the housing are connected.

24. The container of claim 22, wherein the housing and the perimeter flange are integral.

25. The container of claim 22, further comprising a cleaning article stored in the housing.

26. The container of claim 22, the cleaning article is selected from the group consisting of a wet wipe, a pre-moistened towelette, and a cleaning cloth.

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