Refillable Wipes Container Lock-Key Seal for Moisture Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refillable wipes containers often suffer from compatibility issues when refilled with wipes from different manufacturers, leading to potential degradation of brand perception and increased manufacturing complexity due to moisture impervious barriers.
Innovation Solution
A refillable wipes container design featuring a lock-and-key mechanism, where a lock portion on the container engages with a key portion on the refill pack to form a moisture impermeable barrier over the dispensing orifice, ensuring compatibility only with specific refill packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a refillable wipes container includes an opening covered by a moisture impervious lid or barrier, then moisture loss from wet wipes is minimized, but the complexity of the container structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the moisture impervious barrier function with the lid structure itself. The lid includes an aperture that is directly covered by a moisture impervious barrier material that is integral to the lid construction, eliminating the need for separate barrier components. This merging of functions reduces structural complexity while maintaining moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible moisture impervious barrier material (such as aluminum foil or plastic film) that is stretched across the aperture of the lid. This thin film approach provides effective moisture protection without adding significant structural complexity, as the flexible material can be easily integrated into the lid design and maintained during normal use.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a refillable wipes container from one manufacturer is refilled with wipes from another manufacturer, then consumer choice and market competition increase, but brand perception and product quality assurance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric locking and key features between the container and refill packs. The container includes a locking mechanism (such as a lock tab or interlocking feature) that corresponds to a specific key feature on authorized refill packs. This asymmetric design ensures that only refill packs from the same manufacturer or authorized sources can be properly inserted and secured, preventing incompatible refills while maintaining brand quality assurance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary identification features on both the container and refill packs, such as matching codes, shapes, or mechanical features, that ensure compatibility before the refill process begins. This preliminary action prevents incompatible refills from being inserted into the container, thereby maintaining brand perception and product quality assurance while still allowing consumer choice within the authorized ecosystem.
3Ease of operation
If a button/spring configuration is used to open the moisture impervious barrier, then wipe accessibility is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the barrier opening function from a complex button/spring mechanism and implements it through a simpler manual tearing or peeling action. The moisture impervious barrier is designed with a tear line or peelable edge that allows users to easily access wipes by manually separating the barrier material, eliminating the need for buttons, springs, or other mechanical opening devices. This reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable or single-use moisture impervious barrier that is integrated into the lid. The barrier is designed to be easily removed or torn away once, providing wipe accessibility for the duration of the container's use. This approach eliminates the need for complex reusable mechanical opening mechanisms, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining ease of operation throughout the product lifecycle.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2B
AI summary
A wipes product comprising a reusable container (510) for storing and dispensing wipes. The wipes product including a lock portion (520) disposed on the major lid and configured to engage with a key portion (538) to form a substantially moisture impermeable barrier over the dispensing orifice (535) when the lock portion and the key portion are engaged. The wipes product also includes a package of wipes comprising the key portion, the package of wipes being disposed in the interior storage space.