Wipes Dispenser Landing Member Geometry for Roping Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wipe dispensers often suffer from 'roping' issues, where the lead wipe fails to fully separate from the following wipe, leading to waste and inconvenience, as well as the tendency for the lead wipe to fall back into the container.
Innovation Solution
A wipes dispenser design featuring a removable lid with a rigid landing member that forms an angle less than 90° with the container's exterior wall, incorporating a gripping channel and a secondary aperture, which allows for efficient separation of wipes and easy retrieval of the lead wipe, reducing roping and fall-back issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional wipe dispenser design is used, then the structure is simple, but the lead wipe fails to fully separate from the following wipe causing roping
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser structure is segmented into multiple functional components: a container body, a removable lid, a rigid landing member extending into the interior region, and a gripping channel. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function - the landing member provides a structured separation path while the gripping channel actively engages and pulls the lead wipe away from following wipes, resolving the roping issue without requiring excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid landing member acts as an intermediary element between the wipe stack and the user's pulling action. It provides a fixed structural reference point that the lead wipe must pass over, creating a mechanical advantage for separation. The gripping channel then serves as a mediator that actively engages the lead wipe and pulls it through the landing member, ensuring complete separation from following wipes.
2Ease of operation
If the lead wipe is pulled vertically from the container, then the dispensing action is simple, but the lead wipe tends to fall back into the container
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping channel is pre-configured to engage the lead wipe at a specific location before the user's pulling action begins. The channel's geometry is designed to catch and hold the lead wipe's leading edge, ensuring that when the user pulls vertically, the wipe is already positioned for successful extraction. This preliminary engagement prevents the wipe from slipping back into the container during the dispensing motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid landing member extends from the top rim toward the middle of the interior region, creating a three-dimensional structural element that the lead wipe must navigate over. This vertical dimension within the container's interior region provides an additional mechanical barrier that prevents the wipe from falling back, while the gripping channel adds another dimensional constraint that guides the wipe's extraction path.
3Ease of operation
If a rigid landing member extending into the interior region is used, then wipe separation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid landing member is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a structural barrier for wipe separation, serves as an anchor point for the gripping channel, defines the geometry of the dispensing aperture, and creates the mechanical advantage needed for lead wipe extraction. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the gripping channel is designed to separate wipes, then roping is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping channel is merged with the rigid landing member as an integrated structure rather than being a separate component. This combining of functions into a single molded or fabricated element simplifies the manufacturing process compared to assembling multiple separate parts. The channel's geometry is designed to be formed in a single operation, reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining the wipe-separating functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Wipes dispensers for dispensing interconnected wipes. An exemplary wipes dispenser may include a container body and a removable lid forming an interior region into which a plurality of interconnected wipes may be disposed. Pulling on a lead end of a lead wipe causes a following wipe to also be pulled and follow the lead wipe. The removable lid may cover at least a portion of the container aperture. A landing member in the lid covers at least a portion of the container aperture by extending from a top rim of the container body toward the middle of the interior region. A gripping channel may be provided through the landing member, through which the lead end of the lead wipe may be threaded. The landing member may include a concavely shaped portion. The landing member may include a thickened portion, e.g., surrounding the gripping channel.