PREPARATION AND DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR HOT, MOIST TOWELS

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact, efficient means for containing, preparing and dispensing moist, hot towels especially for airline passengers. The container of the invention includes a bottom (14) formed at least partially of heat insulating material that is adapted to contain a stack (18) of, for example, disposable towels and that has self-supporting sidewalls. A top cover (12) is included that is similarly shaped, but of a slightly smaller dimension so that it will fit inside the cavity of the bottom. In use, the disposable towels are placed within the bottom cavity, and preferably using the cavity of the top, the desired amount of hot water is added to the towels. In cases where the bottom is less than full of towels, the top may be inverted and used to express excess water by pressing against the towels with the bottom tipped so as to drain the excess water. The hot, moist towels may then be dispensed one at a time. After use, the towels may be collected in the container, the top replaced and the entire contents discarded.

Description: The present invention is directed to dispensing containers particularly adapted to be used in connection with hot, moist disposable towels. More particularly, it is directed to a container for storing and dispensing moist towels comprising a receiver part and a cover part, said receiver having sufficient rigidity to retain its shape under use conditions, a cavity that is of a size and shape to receive a stack of superimposed towels, a flat base (16), and self-supporting sidewalls having free edges defining a container opening (22) at the top, the sidewalls being tapered (A) and extending outwardly from said base. It has become customary in airline travel in first class compartments and on longer flights for other passengers as well to provide hot, moist towels for passengers to refresh themselves prior to and after dining and at other times, depending upon the length of the flight. Other opportunities for using such hot, moist towels will be apparent such as, for example, banquet dining or other occasions where cleansing or refreshment for groups of people may be desired, such as in seafood restaurants. Airline passengers, in particular, have found such refreshment to be desirable, and the use of such hot, moist towels could be considered to provide a competitive advantage. More widespread use, however, has been hindered by the fact that the present practice of heating trays of such towels by sprinkling hot water requires that excess water be removed and that the towels be collected, stored and laundered. This procedure is time-consuming and, as a result, expensive, often occupying essentially the full time of a cabin attendant on larger-capacity aircraft. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a more efficient means for supplying airline passengers and others in appropriate circumstances with the benefit of such hot, moist towels without the attendant drawbacks of current methods. The container of the present invention is directed to such improvements and benefits. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous patents exist relating to containing and dispensing premoistened towelettes. Examples include U.S. Patent No. 4,428,497 to Julius, Dwan and Tullar, dated 31 January 1984; U.S. Patent No. 4,000,816 to Spruyt, dated 4 January 1977; U.S. Patent No. 3,841,466 to Hoffman and Spruyt, dated 15 October 1974; U.S. Patent No. 3,836,045 to Duby and Jones, dated 17 September 1974, and U.S. Patent No. 3,784,056 to Spruyt and Hoffman, dated 8 January 1974. None teaches or suggests containers adapted to package, moisten, heat, dispense and collect moist, hot towels. A container for holding liquids comprising a body and cover therefor is also known from US-A-2489616 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a container the cover of which serves a multifunctional purpose owing to the specific geometrical construction of the combined cover and receiver. More precisely, the container according to the invention is characterized in that: the cover has a flat base and tapered sidewalls extending outwardly therefrom, the cover having a size and shape such that, the rims of the cover sidewalls engage in such a way with the innerside of the receiver sidewalls that the cover fits within the receiver; the cover sidewalls are tapered such that when said cover is inverted on said stack of superimposed towels, with said flat base facing downwards, it fits nestingly in said receiver without engaging said receiver sidewalls. In use, dry towels are packaged and stored in the container and, when use is desired, the cover is removed and a predetermined amount of hot water sprinkled liberally on top of the disposable towels, and then towels are dispensed. In cases where unused towels remain for a subsequent use, they may be resaturated in the original container. After saturation of the towels in such a case, the cover is inverted and used to squeeze excess water from the towels. The moist towels may then be dispensed from the receiver of the container individually and remain hot for an extended period of time. Preferred embodiments include those where the cover and receiver are made of insulating material such as a foam and also where the cover and receiver sealingly engage in a pressure fit for packaging purposes. A further preferred embodiment includes an additional cavity formed in the cover that provides a cup measuring the desired amount of hot water for heating the towels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of the present invention in a closed form. FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the container of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2 and showing the towel contents. FIG. 3 illustrates the container of FIG. 1 in an open configuration and receiving hot water for moistening the towel contents. FIG. 4 illustrates the container of FIG. 3 with the cover removed and ready for dispensing hot, moist towels. FIG. 5 illustrates the container of FIG. 2 after remoistening unused towels and with the cover positioned to squeeze out excess moisture. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Turning to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated in perspective and in cross-section a container 10 in accordance with the present invention. As shown, container 10 generally includes cover 12 and receiver 14. Receiver 14 has a flat base surface 16 with dimensions generally determined by the arrangement of towel contents stack 18. That is, for convenience, if the towels are arranged in a rectangular stack the base cavity and, as a consequence, the flat surface will normally be rectangular and of a size adequate to contain the stack. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, however, the receiver 14 has self-supporting sides 20 that extend outwardly so that the upper opening of receiver 14 is larger than base 16. While the degree to which the sides extend outwardly is not critical, preferably form an angle A as shown with a line perpendicular to the base, and the angle is preferably in the range of from about 0° to 30° with the range of 4° to 10° being most preferred. The size and shape of cover 12 is determined by that of receiver 14 so as to provide a closure. As shown, preferably the outside dimensions of the cover 12 which contact the opening 22 of receiver 14 are just enough smaller than the opening dimensions so that a pressure fit may be obtained by forcing cover 12 into the opening of receiver 14. In a further preferred embodiment, receiver 14 contains a notch 15 on at least two, preferably all four, inside surfaces of walls 20 so as to stop the edges of cover 12. From the receiver opening contacting portion of cover 12, the cover includes tapered sides 24 which are formed at an angle selected so that, when inverted, cover 12 will nest within receiver 14 leaving sufficient space for liquid to pass and be released from receiver 14. While, for this purpose, many variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, preferably the cover sides are formed at an angle B, as shown from a line perpendicular to the cover base, that is in the range of from about 2° to 32°, most preferably, 6° to 16°, and at least about 2 degrees greater than the angle A of slope of the receiver sides, most preferably in the range of from about 2 to 10 degrees greater. Cover 12 preferably terminates in a flat portion 27 which may be used as discussed below for forcing release of excess water. The upper edges of receiver 14 may contain two or more opposing notches 17 to facilitate removal of cover 12. As shown, to reduce storage space, cover 12 preferably nests within receiver 14 in the closed position and is level with the top of recever sidewalls 20. Turning to FIG. 3, the container of FIG. 1 is shown with the cover removed, filled with hot water 28, and towel contents 18 being heated by the addition of the hot water. In a preferred embodiment, cover 12 is generally hollow and the hollowed-out cavity portion is of a predetermined volume and is marked, such as by line 19, so that the amount of hot water 28 needed to provide the desired degree of saturation of contents 18 may be readily determined. In this manner the need for other measuring means is avoided. As shown in FIG. 4, the moist, hot towels may be readily removed and dispensed to airline passengers or other users. Once the towels have been dispensed, the receiver may act as a convenient collector for the used towels, and the entire contents and container may be discarded. Turning to the preferred embodiment of FIG. 5, once the towel contents 22 have been saturated with hot water, excess water may be removed by pressing cover 12 in an inverted position against the contents within receiver 14. In a preferred embodiment the taper of sides 24 of cover 12 is selected so that sufficient space 26 remains between the sides 24 of the cover and sides 20 of the receiver to permit the water to be readily drained. For this purpose cover 12 preferably has flat portion 27. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the receiver portion, at least, of the container is formed at least partially of material having sufficient rigidity to retain its shape under use conditions and a relatively high heat insulating value. Preferably the material has an "R" value per inch of thickness expressed as Ft² °F hour per Btu of at least 2 (i.e 10.38 J.cm thickness/h.cm².°C). Certain polystyrenes have a value expressed in such terms as 6.37 (i.e 33.05 J.cm thickness/h.cm².°C), for example. This provides dual advantages of facilitating handling of the container including hot towels and hot water as well as extending the period of time that the moist towels remain hot for dispensing purposes. Such materials of high insulating values are well known and include materials such as foamed rubbers, foamed plastics, and corrugated or multi-walled papers. The preferred material of construction is expanded small-bead polystyrene, since it may be readily formed into the desired shape and is of low cost. While it is not as essential that cover 12 be formed of such heat insulating material, it is preferred, particularly when cover 12 is to be used as a measuring device for the addition of hot water or to be used to squeeze out excess hot water. In the absence of such a requirement, cover 12 may be formed of any material consistent with its shape retention and cost requirements. Such other materials include, for example, nonfoamed plastics. The towels, while not forming part of the present invention, may be needle-punched or formed of woven textile materials. For many applications, disposable towels formed of nonwoven or paper materials are preferred for cost and convenience. These fabrics will have sufficient wet strength properties to withstand the application of hot water, dispensing and use of the towels. Such materials are well known for wet wipe applications and include nonwovens such as carded webs, meltblown webs, spunbonded webs and spunlaced webs. Preferred towel materials are woven cotton and meltblown polyethylene. As discussed above, the general shape of the container will visually be determined by the towels to be dispensed. While rectangular shapes are desired as providing a compact package that may be readily handled and stored, other shapes such as circular, oval, and the like may be used. Example: A container in accordance with the invention and as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 was made by expanded polystyrene molding. The receiver had a rectangular base surface with the following outside dimensions 5-1/4 inches x 7-1/4 inches (13.3 cm x 18.4 cm). The sides had an outward slope at 6° from vertical, and the material of construction was expanded small bead polystyrene at a thickness of 3/8 inches (0.95 cm). This resulted in an interior volume of 1708 cc and interior base dimensions of 4-3/8 inches x 6-3/8 inches (11.1 cm x 16.2 cm). The height of the interior cavity was 3-3/4 inches (9.5 cm). The cover was formed of the same material at the same thickness with sides sloping inward at an angle of 9° from vertical and a height of 1-7/8 inches (4.8 cm) so that the cover surface on the outside formed a rectangle having an area of 1804 cm². The volume of the cover cavity to fill line was 666 cc which was determined to conveniently hold the amount of water desired to sufficiently moisten the intended towel contents. A stack of 25 towels of an individual rectangular shape of 14 cm x 8.1 cm and 113 square centimeters in area was placed into the receiver of the container, and the cover cavity was filled with hot water at a temperature of 185°F (85°C) to the fill line. This water was then poured over the towels, saturating them. The towels were then dispensed one at a time and over a period of about 30 minutes, and it was observed that the last towel remained warm and moist. After dispensing, the used towels ere collected in the receiver, the cover replaced and the entire contents discarded. When compared with the time necessary to saturate reusable washcloths, dry them, and collect them for reuse, and considering the amount of storage and preparation time involved with conventional practice, the present invention provides a highly efficient and quick means for preparing and dispensing hot, moist towels. As a result, this hot towel feature may be made more readily available and enhance the comfort of users, particularly those involved in commercial airline travel. The availability of compact storage in accordance with the invention also adds to the advantages and may make the use of such hot, moist towels on smaller aircraft more readily available.

Claims: A container (10) for storing and dispensing moist towels (18) comprising a receiver part (14) and a cover part (12), said receiver having sufficient rigidity to retain its shape under use conditions, a cavity that is of a size and shape to receive a stack of superimposed towels (18), a flat base (16), and self-supporting sidewalls (20) having free edges defining a container opening (22) at the top, the sidewalls being tapered (A) and extending outwardly from said base (16) ; characterized in that : the cover (12) has a flat base (27) and tapered sidewalls (24) extending outwardly therefrom, the cover having a size and shape such that the rims of the cover sidewalls engage in such a way with the innerside of the receiver sidewalls that the cover (12) fits within the receiver (14) ; the cover sidewalls (24) are tapered (B) such that, when said cover is inverted on said stack of superimposed towels (18), with said flat base (27) facing downwards, the cover (12) fits nestingly in said receiver without engaging said receiver sidewalls. The container of claim 1 wherein the receiver sidewalls (20) extend outwardly to form a receiver sidewall angle (A) with a line perpendicular to the receiver base (16) in the range of from 0° to 30° and the cover sidewalls extend outwardly to form a cover sidewall angle (B) with a line perpendicular to the cover base (27), said cover sidewall angle (B) being at least 2° greater than said receiver sidewall angle (A). The container of claim 1 or 2 wherein the cover (12) fits within the receiver (14) in the closed position and the inside face of the receiver sidewalls (20) contain a notch (15) to provide a stop for the cover (12) in the closed position. The container of anyone of claims 1 to 3 wherein the free edge of at least one sidewall (20) of the receiver (14) contains a notch (17) to facilitate removal of the cover (12) from the closed position. The container of anyone of claims 1 to 4 wherein the cover (12) contains a cavity of sufficient size and is marked to contain a predetermined amount of hot water to heat and moisten said stack of towels (18). The container of anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiver (14), and optionally the cover (12), are formed from a heat insulating material. The container of claim 6 wherein the heat insulating material is expanded polystyrene. The container of anyone of claims 2 to 7 wherein the receiver sidewall angle (A) is in the range of from 4° to 10° taken from said perpendicular. The container of anyone of claims 1 to 8 wherein, when the cover in the closed position, the cover base (27) is generally level with the free edges of the sidewalls (20) of the receiver (14). The container of anyone of claims 2 to 9 wherein the cover sidewall angle (B) is in the range of from 2° to 32° taken from said perpendicular. The container of anyone of claims 2 to 10 wherein the cover sidewall angle (B) is in the range of from 6° to 16° taken from said perpendicular.

Inventors: COTTON, JAMES DENNIS
Applicants: KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: A47K7, B65D81, A47K10