US20010019064A1

US20010019064A1 - Cleaning towel dispenser

Info

Publication number: US20010019064A1
Application number: US09/816,200
Authority: US
Inventors: Alain Jacques; Richard Verreault
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-09-21
Filing date: 2001-03-26
Publication date: 2001-09-06

Abstract

A towel dispenser (20) comprising a case container (24) and one lid (22) attached to the container (24) by a hinge (40). A removable inner box (26), placed upside down in the case container defines an inner case compartment (27) destined to receive a pile of wet towels (30). The inner box has a bottom (31) and a jagged slot (29) provided in the bottom to dispense towels. The slot of the lid and the passage of the towels through the jagged slot allow the dispensing, by traction, of towels stored in a controlled atmosphere chamber. The compartment can be divided into two closed chambers, a wet one (28) and a dry one (32) by a partition (52) to allow the use of a second type of towels. One can also install a lid compartment (25) (FIG.7).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention belongs to the family of the plastic casings and in particular of those being able to contain piles of towels, dry or wet, and especially those that comprise a cleaning solution, for example, to be used for glasses, hand, visor, monitor or cosmetic solutions like cleansing cream or make-up remover, or absorbent towels or paper towels.

PRIOR ART

A review of the prior art has revealed the following patents:

FR 2233020, Cordi, Jan 1975 shows wet towels, folded and stored in a container with double wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,092 Morand Jun. 15, 1993 shows intrelaced towels in small piles.

Switzerland 259082 external lid with lid

U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,281 folded paper dispenser

U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,417 wet towels in a container held on a pedestal with paper roll.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,564 Enloe Mar. 9, 1965 reveals a folded paper rolling method.

EP 157628, undulations keep the sheets aligned.

OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGES

It is a general objective of the invention to provide a portable dispenser to transport two piles of towels: wet and dry. More particularly to provide a tight and hinged box comprising a dispenser and a lid, with a removable inner container that features two compartments.

DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings in which: [0011]
FIG. 1 is a broken view of a dispenser of towels for cleaning glasses. [0012]
FIG. 2 is a perspective of the interior of a compartment of the dispenser. [0013]
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the dispenser. [0014]
FIG. 4 is a front side elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 3. [0015]
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 3. [0016]
FIG. 6 is a section view of the dispenser of FIG. 3. [0017]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment. [0018]
FIG. 8 is an outer view of the embodiment of FIG. 7. [0019]
FIG. 9 is a section view of the embodiment of FIG. 7. [0020]
FIG. 10 is a section view of an open dispenser. [0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the description which follows and the drawings which accompany it, similar numerals refer to identical parts in the various figures. [0022]
FIG. 1 illustrates a [0023] dispenser 20, of the case type, made of plastic and comprising a lid 22 which can close onto a container 24. An inner box 26 having a wet compartment 28 dispenses a pile of wet towels (dotted) 30 through a jagged slot 29, in dotted line, and a dry compartment 32 is dispensing a pile of dry towels 34 through a rectilinear slot 33, in dotted line. A female edge 36 seals the device when closing onto a male edge 38. Rounded corners 39 are present on the perimeter. There is a hinge 40, at the back, and a tongue 42 which fits into a gap 44. On the front a lid clasp 46 can couple with a container clasp 48 by means of a clasp catch 49. Parallel central low center walls 50 receive a partition 52 (FIG. 2) to allow the dispenser to be more rugged and airtight.
FIG. 2 shows the [0024] inner box 26 divided by the partition 52 into two separate closed chambers: the wet compartment 28 and the dry compartment 32. Both jagged 29 and rectilinear 33 slots are located at the bottom 31.
FIG. 3 shows the [0025] lid 22 and its corners 39. The hinge 40 is located at the back. The lid clasp 46 and the container clasp 48 are located on the center front side. A rectangular identification imprint 54 is on the top surface. FIG. 4 shows the dispenser 20, the lid 22 and the container 24 with a contour showing a case lid side angle 56 and the container side angle 58.
FIG. 5 shows the [0026] dispenser 20, closed, illustrating the hinge 40 shape.
FIG. 6 shows the interior of [0027] dispenser 20. It illustrates the upside down embedding of the removable inner container box 26. In the wet chamber 28 the jagged slot 29 permits dispensing of the wet towels 30. In the dry compartment 32 the rectilinear slot 33 permits dispensing of the dry towels 34. FIG. 6 also shows the embedding of the female edge 36 around the male edge 38, allows the dispenser to be airtight when closed. The hinge 40 is also airtight. One also notices the introduction of a partition 52 between central low walls 50.
FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the [0028] dispenser 20. It features a thin lid compartment 25 and a thin case inner compartment 27. Each container features a single opening, a jagged slot 29, in the thin case inner compartment 27, and a preferably elongated opening 60 in the lid compartment 25.
FIG. 8 shows the [0029] jagged slot 29 that permits dispensing of the wet towels that are centrally located in the thion case inner compartment 27 that combines with the case container 24.
FIG. 9 shows the [0030] female edge 36 that fits against the male edge 38 when the case is closed. It also shows the lid compartment 25 and the case inner compartment 27 that define superposed cartridges 62 pivoting around the hinge 40.
FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of an opened [0031] case dispenser 20, lid opened. The lid 22 is attached to the case container 24 at an angle of 125 degrees and pivoted around the hinge 40. The partition 52, in the inner box 26, delimits, once fitted between the low walls of the container 24, two compartments: the wet compartment 28 and the dry compartment 32. One also sees the male edge 38 of the container 24.
FIG. 11 illustrates a three compartment embodiment comprising two [0032] wet chambers 28 and a dry one 32, as defined in a case container compartment 53, by the partition 52 which is part of the container 24. Two jagged slots 29 for wet towels 30 are distanced from the partition 52. The dry towels are dispensed through the elongated opening slot 60 in the lid 22. This central slot 60 is superposed to the partition 52 to be distanced from the wet towels, when the lid 22 is closed.

SYNOPSIS AND EMBODIMENTS

In short, the invention is a [0033] dispenser 20 comprising a container 24 and a lid 22 attached to the container by means of a hinge 40. A removable inner container box box 26 placed upside down in the container 24 and defines an inner compartment 27 to receive a pile of towels 30, the removable inner box 26 comprising a bottom 31 and a jagged slot 29 provided in the bottom to dispense the towels.
The case is airtight when closed. A [0034] hinge 40 permits opening the lid. The wet towels are maintained in a controled atmosphere and can be pulled out through the jagged opening 29.
There can be a second compartment in the lid. This [0035] lid compartment 25 comprises a slot to dispense a second type of towels. The inner box and the lid compartment are superposed when the lid is close.
The airtight means comprise a [0036] male edge 38 forming three male sides around the container 24 and one female edge forming three females sides around the lid 22 intended to cover the male edge. The hinge covers part of a fourth side. This fourth side comprises a pair of short extensions on the male sides and a thickening of wall of the lid to complement the short extensions.
The [0037] inner box 26 can also comprise a partition 52 which defines two closed compartments, one comprising a pile of towels of a type and the neighbouring one a pile of towels of a complementary type. Each compartment features an opening to dispense the towels.
The cartridge [0038] 62 (FIG. 9) is thinner than the lid and can be positioned in either direction in the lid.
Other embodiment are possible. For example the [0039] lid compartment 25 or the inner compartment 27 can be removable or not.
A typical method can involve the following steps: [0040]
manufacture of the [0041] lid compartment 25 and/or a compartment 27
storage of the towels in these compartments, [0042]
sealing of these compartments through microwave heating. [0043]
The cartridges of FIGS. [0044] 2 or 8, simple or double, can be also sealed. These cartridges and containers can also have dimensions of the double of what they appear presently. A further embodiment may feature a single chamber with a single opening. The jagged opening may take the shape of an undulation and may also be almost rectilinear but with bumps that create a resistance to hold back towels when one towel is pulled out. Another embodiment may also feature a rectilinear opening but narrow enough to create the necessary resistance to separate the wet towels when one is pulled out.
It should be understood that the embodiment process of the present invention as described hereabove, in reference to the attached drawings, has been given for information only and not limited in the least, and that it may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the basic idea or scope of the present invention. [0045]

Other embodiments are possible and limited only by the scope of the appended claims:



CAPTION

20.	dispenser
22.	lid
24.	container
25.	lid compartment
26.	inner box
27.	compartment
28.	wet compartment
29.	jagged slot
30.	wet towels
31.	bottom
32.	dry compartment
33.	rectilinear slot
34.	dry towels
36.	female edge
38.	male edge
39.	rounded corners
40.	hinge
42.	tongue
44.	gap
46.	clasp of lid
48.	clasp of container
49.	latch
50.	central low walls
52.	partition
53.	container
54.	imprints
56.	angle of lid
58.	angle of container
60.	slot
62.	cartridge

Claims

I claim:

1. A cleaning towel dispenser (20) container comprising:

a container (24) and a lid (22) attached to said container (24),

a removable inner box (26) placed upside down in said container (24) and defining an inner compartment (27) to receive a pile of wet towels (30), said inner box (26) comprising a bottom (31) having a length and a width and a jagged slot (29) to dispense towels of a width corresponding to said length of said bottom, said slot being elongated, thin and jagged (29), and made in said bottom (31), centrally widthwise and on all of said length,

airtight means of attach said container (24) and said lid (22) in a closed position, the passage of said wet towels (30) through said jagged slot (29), permitting the use, by pulling, of towels maintained in a controlled atmosphere.

2. The dispenser of

claim 1

comprising a removable lid container box (25) comprising an elongated slot (60) to dispense a second type of towels (34), said removable inner box (26) and said lid container box (25) occupying a superposed position and a space permitting a closed position of said lid.

3. The dispenser of

claim 2

wherein second box (25) is removable.

4. The dispenser of

claim 1

wherein said airtight means comprise a bottom edge (38) forming three male sides around said container (24) and a female top edge (36) forming three female sides intended to cover said bottom edge (38), a hinge (40) covering partly a fourth side, said fourth side comprising a pair of short extensions of said male sides and a thickening of wall of said lid intended to complement said short extensions.

5. The dispenser of

claim 1

wherein said inner box (26) comprises a partition (52) which defines two compartments, a compartment (28) comprising a pile of towels of a type and a neighbouring compartment (32) comprising a pile of towels of a complementary type, each one of said compartments having elongated slots (33) or jagged opening slots (29) each type of slot corresponding to a type of towels and to dispense said towels.

6. The dispenser of

claim 1

wherein said inner box (26) is removable and is destined to be removed and replaced to insert one or more piles of said towels.

7. The dispenser of

claim 6

wherein said removable inner box is destined to allow a single loading of said piles of said towels.

8. The dispenser of

claim 7

also comprising means of sealing in place said removable inner box (26), the top of said inner box (26) being sealed against a bottom of said container (24).

9. The dispenser of

claim 8

wherein said means of sealing comprise the use of a microwave oven permitting the fusion of said removable inner container 26 against said bottom of said container (24).

10. The dispenser of

claim 6

wherein said cartridge (62) is thinner than said lid (22) and is positioned in either direction of said lid.

11. A pocket dispenser (20) comprising:

a container (24) and a lid (22) attached said container (24),

an inner box (26) upside down in said container (24) and defining a compartment (27) to receive a pile of wet towels (30), having a length and a width, said inner box (26) comprising a bottom (31) having a length and a width, said length of said bottom corresponding to said width of said towel, said box (20) being characterized by:

said bottom (31) comprising a jagged slot defining a opening generally rectilinear but comprising undulations, and located centrally widthwise and on all of said length,

airtight means to attach said container (24) and said lid (22) in a closed position, for a controlled atmosphere, the opening of said lid (22) and the passage of said towels (30) through said opening, by traction, allowing the distribution of said wet towels.

12. The dispenser of

claim 11

wherein said opening has a length, a thickness, summits and hollows and an amplitude between a summit and a hollow, the number of summits for a pocket dispenser being from 2 to 7, said amplitude being of a ratio from 1 to 5, more or less 50%, that is between 1:2 and 1:8, and said thickness being from 1,5 to 2,5 times a thickness of a towel.