Wipe Dispensing Cap Structure for Fall-Back and Roping Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing containers for preimpregnated wipes face issues such as 'fall-back' of wipes, difficulties in separation due to 'roping', inconsistent tension requirements, and leakage of volatile components, especially when the roll is nearly exhausted.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing cap with a partly stationary and partly moveable plate, featuring a dispensing orifice offset from the center, surrounded by flexible lobes and a depending brace wall, which provides consistent tension and minimizes snagging, and a top closure cap for sealing to prevent evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If wipes are provided in a continuous roll in a cylindrical dispensing container, then a large number of individual wipes can be provided within the container, but the wipes tend to form spirally wound configurations or 'ropes' which are difficult to separate from the next adjacent wipe
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing means is divided into multiple functional components: a dispensing slot for wipe extraction, a retention member with gripping surfaces to hold the dispensed wipe, and a separation mechanism featuring a free end that can be pulled to separate wipes. This segmentation allows each component to address specific problems in the dispensing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention member acts as an intermediary between the roll of wipes and the user. It temporarily holds the dispensed wipe in a controlled manner, preventing it from falling back into the container while allowing easy separation from the next wipe through its free end. This intermediary structure resolves the conflict between retaining wipes and enabling separation.
2Quantity of substance
If the roll of wipes is nearly exhausted and the inner diameter of the interior cavity increases, then the orientation of individual wipes being dispensed varies along the geometry of the circular empty diameter, but this causes inconsistent tension requirements and makes dispensing more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing means is designed to be tolerant of multidirectional delivery of wipes. The retention member and separation mechanism can accommodate varying orientations of wipes as they are extracted from the roll, maintaining consistent gripping and separation functionality regardless of the roll's inner diameter or wipe orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design parameters of the dispensing means, particularly the retention member's gripping surfaces and the separation mechanism's free end, are optimized to maintain effective operation across a range of wipe orientations and tensions. This allows consistent performance from full to nearly exhausted rolls.
3Loss of substance
If a dispensing cap with sealing function is used, then volatile or evaporable components within the composition can be contained, but the cap may be easily but inadvertently opened or fail to properly seal, permitting components to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing means provides self-retention functionality where the retention member automatically holds the dispensed wipe without requiring user intervention to close or secure the cap. The design inherently prevents wipe fall-back into the container, reducing the need for reliable cap sealing and minimizing opportunities for inadvertent opening.
4Ease of operation
If the dispensing means provides retention of the next wipe to be withdrawn, then the wipe can be readily grasped by the consumer, but the construction should also compensate for multidirectional delivery of wipes varying along the geometry of the circular empty diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The retention member is designed with universal functionality to handle wipes in multiple orientations. Its gripping surfaces and free end can effectively retain and present wipes regardless of their direction of delivery from the roll, combining retention capability with adaptability to varying geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention member features an asymmetric design with a fixed portion attached to the dispensing means and a free end that can flex and adapt to different wipe orientations. This asymmetric structure provides both retention and tolerance to multidirectional delivery effectively.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a dispensing cap adapted to be removably, or permanently affixed to a container comprising a plurality of interconnected individual wipes, which dispensing cap includes a partly stationary and partly moveable plate having a dispensing orifice a portion being defined by a stationary plate part, a further portion of the dispensing orifice being defined by a moveable plate part.