Wipe Dispenser Flange Bending Mechanism to Reduce Jam and Fallback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wet wipe dispensers often experience issues with 'multiples' and 'fallbacks' due to improper release mechanisms and insufficient head space, leading to jams and tears, especially when extracting the first several wipes from a snugly packed package.
Innovation Solution
A storing and dispensing container with a flexible film pouch and a rigid flip top flange that bends to create additional headspace, featuring hinges defined by reduced thickness, width, or rigidity, and strengthening ribs, allowing for reliable one-at-a-time dispensing and reducing the likelihood of jams and fallbacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the flexible pouch material fits snugly around the stack of wipes to minimize head space, then the package structure is compact and stable, but the first several wipes become difficult to extract and may bunch, stick, or tear
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is designed to be dynamically transformable between a planar configuration (when not in use) and a bent configuration (during wipe extraction). The hinge mechanism allows the flange to change its spatial arrangement, creating temporary head space during the extraction process while returning to its compact form when idle. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing structural stability during storage and operational ease during extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange utilizes the third dimension (vertical displacement) by bending upward to create head space. Instead of expanding the pouch horizontally or increasing overall package volume, the solution employs vertical movement of the flange structure to generate the necessary extraction space, effectively using dimensional change to resolve the space constraint contradiction.
2Strength
If the flange is made large to provide sufficient support and structure, then the dispensing orifice is well-supported, but the flange plane occupies excessive space and interferes with wipe extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The flange transitions from a static, space-occupying structure to a dynamic, adaptive structure. During normal storage, the flange maintains its compact planar form. During extraction, it dynamically bends to create head space, providing structural support only when and where needed without permanently occupying excessive volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange resolves the space occupation issue by utilizing vertical dimension through bending, rather than expanding horizontally. This allows the flange to maintain adequate structural support while minimizing its footprint in the horizontal plane where wipe extraction occurs.
3Strength
If the connection between successive wipes is made strong to prevent multiples, then wipes are held securely in the package, but the succeeding wipe cannot break free and protrude for subsequent dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between successive wipes employs local quality variation through a composite structure: a strong adhesive bond along most of the interface prevents unwanted separation (multiples), while a localized line of weakness (perforations or reduced adhesion zone) allows controlled breaking. This spatial variation in connection strength resolves the contradiction by providing both security and separability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection interface is segmented into two functional zones: a strong bonding region that prevents multiples and a weak breaking region (line of weakness) that enables separation. This segmentation allows the single connection structure to perform dual functions of both holding and releasing, resolving the strength versus separability contradiction.
4Ease of operation
If the connection between successive wipes is made weak to allow easy breaking free, then wipes can separate for dispensing, but the succeeding wipe falls back through the dispensing orifice into the container
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure uses local quality variation with a strong adhesive bond covering most of the interface to provide reliable holding, combined with a localized line of weakness that enables controlled separation. This prevents both excessive strength (causing multiples) and excessive weakness (causing fallback), achieving reliable dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange performs preliminary action by bending to create head space and accommodate wipe bunching before the wipe fully exits the package. This preparatory spatial adjustment prevents the succeeding wipe from falling back, ensuring reliable dispensing while maintaining easy separation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A storing and dispensing container includes a stack of moist wipes, a film pouch, and a rigid flip top that has a lid connected to a flange by a hinge. The flange is affixed to an outer surface of the pouch and surrounds a dispensing orifice. The flange can assume bent and unbent states. The flange has first and second hinges that each extend along a first bending axis, such than when a top wipe is extracted from the package through the dispensing orifice, the first bending axis is pulled away from the stack, and the flange bends about the first bending axis to assume the bent state. In particular embodiments, the hinges can be defined by areas of reduced flange thickness, reduced flange width, and/or reduced flange rigidity. The flange can include a plurality of strengthening ribs, and hinges can be defined by gaps in the ribs.