Patent Publication Number: US-2012024736-A1

Title: wipe container and housing system

Description:
The present invention relates to a wipe container and housing system. 
     It is well know to provide a container of wipes in which a tub of wipes is provided having an aperture or nozzle in a sealing cap through which wipes are dispensed. Such a container is disclosed in my previous UK patent application no PCT/GB2007/003267. It is also well known to house such a tub of wipes in a housing, such as described in my previous UK patent application no PCT/GB2007/0038189, wherein the housing allows an empty tub of wipes in the housing to be replaced with a new tub of wipes. 
     It may be desirable that a number of similar wipe container housings might be located in various places around a building, e.g. in a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, but that container of wipes in each housing should be adapted to perform a different task. For example wipes used in the kitchen may need to be impregnated with a liquid to cut through grease, wipes used in the bathroom may need to be impregnated with an antiseptic, and wipes used in the baby changing room may need to be impregnated with a gentle cleansing liquid suitable for cleaning the sensitive skin of a baby. If however a container of kitchen wipes should erroneously be placed in a container housing in the baby changing room, a person will end up using a kitchen wipe on the baby&#39;s skin which could be detrimental to the baby&#39;s health. 
     The invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem. 
     According to the present invention there is provided a wipe container and housing system comprising at least two different types of housing and at least two different types of wipe container, wherein each housing is provided with a unique and different first cooperating component and each wipe container is provided with a unique and different second cooperating component such that, in use, each housing is only able to receive a wipe container when the first and second cooperating components are mutually compatible. 
     Preferably the first and second cooperating components are male/female or female/male cooperating components. 
     In one embodiment one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing aperture and the second cooperating component is provided adjacent such end. 
     In another embodiment one end of the wipe container supports a wipe dispensing aperture and the second cooperating component is provided remote from such end. 
     In another embodiment the second component on each wipe container is provided both adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing aperture and adjacent the end of the container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture. 
     Preferably the first component on a housing is in the form of an insert component whereby each type of housing is similar in size and shape with the exception of a different type of insert component. 
     Preferably the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal a wipe dispensing aperture, and the co-operation of the second component with the first component orientates the position of the cap relative to the housing. Preferably the cap is orientated such that it lies adjacent the back of the housing when removed from the wipe aperture. 
     Preferably the wipe container includes a hinged cap to seal a wipe aperture, and the hinged cap features a one or more indents which co-operate one or more protrusions on the housing system of a corresponding shape such that the cap fits over the protrusion or protrusions in order to keep the cap from impeding free access to the wipes. 
    
    
     
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a wipe container housing and a container of wipes with a second component adjacent the wipe dispensing aperture, and 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a wipe container housing and a container of wipes with a second component at an end remote from the wipe dispensing aperture. 
     
    
    
     Referring to  FIG. 1  there is shown a wipe container  1  and a container housing  10 . 
     Wipe container  1  has a cylindrical tub  2  with a sealed end  3  at one end, and a lid  4  at the other end. Lid  4  has a wipe dispensing nozzle  5  for wipes  5 A, and cap  6  hinged to lid  4  by strap  7 . Lid  4  has a second component in the form of a female recess  8  in the form of a “quadrant of a circle” on the opposite side of the lid to strap  7 . Container is similar to known containers but with the addition of recess  8 . Recess  8  is thus is adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing aperture in the form of nozzle  5 . 
     Housing  10  has a semi-eliptical body having a front component  11 A hinged to a back component  11 B about hinge pins  12 A, 12 B. Back component  11 B is supported off a surface by an L-shaped stand  13 . Front component  11 A is hinged forward as shown to insert a wipe container into the housing  10  and is then hinged up to mate with back component  11 A to hide the container  1 . An insert in the form of an annular tray  14  is provided connected to the hinge pins  12 A, 12 B. Tray  14  is adapted to receive lid  4  when the container  1  is placed in the housing and has a circular aperture  15  to allow wipes  5 A to pass through the aperture  15 , and tray  14  has a first component in the form of a “quadrant-shaped” male projection  16  to be received in recess  8  on lid  4 . When the wipe container  1  is placed on tray  14 , cap  6  can be passed through aperture  15  and located in a cap receiving recess  17  in stand  13 . Aperture  15  has an extension  15 A to receive strap  7 . 
     Quadrant recess  8  and “quadrant-shaped” projection  16  from first and second cooperating components such that only a container of wipes with a recess  8  will fit on tray  14  and hence in housing  10 . Also the co-operation of the second component with the first component orientates the position of the cap  6  relative to the housing  10  such that it lies adjacent the back of the housing when removed from the wipe aperture so it can be inserted into recess  17 . 
     It is envisaged that a system would be sold having a plurality different types of wipe containers  1  each with a different shaped recess (e.g. quadrant-shaped, triangular, square etc) and each dispensing a different type of wipe. For example the containers with quadrant-shaped recesses could dispense kitchen wipes, containers with triangular recesses could dispense bathroom wipes, and containers with square shaped recesses could dispense baby wipes. The system would also have a plurality of different types of wipe container housings  10  with different shaped projections (e.g. quadrant-shaped, triangular, square etc) and each receiving only one type of wipe dispenser. For example the housings with quadrant-shaped projections could receive kitchen wipe containers, housings with triangular projections could dispense bathroom wipe containers, and housings with square shaped projections could dispense baby wipes. In use, the system thus encouraging or allowing only one type of wipe container housing to receive one type of wipe container, i.e. each housing is only able to receive a wipe container when the first and second cooperating components are mutually compatible. This ensures the correct type of wipe is used for a given purpose, e.g. to help prevent a kitchen wipe being used on the body. 
     Because the projection on each housing is formed in an insert, most of the housing can be made from a common tool and only different types of insert need be made and installed in a housing to convert the housing into a type suitable for a particular wipe container. 
     Instead of the projection being on the housing and the recess in the wipe container, the recess could be on the housing and the projection on the container. Also other types of first and second cooperating components could be used, e.g. projections and recesses on both the housing and wipe container or opposing or attracting magnets. Also a system of matching colours or numbering could also be used. The colour or the number of the first component could visibly match that of the second component encouraging the user to put only one type of wipe container into one type of wipe housing. To further ensure that the correct type of wipe container is used within a given wipe housing, a combination of both matching colours or numbering of both the first and second components could be used in conjunction with the components co-operating due to their shape. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  there is shown a wipe container  1  and a container housing  10  identical to that shown in  FIG. 1  except that a second component in the form of triangular recess  20  on wipe container  1  is provided (instead of recess  8 ) adjacent the end of the container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture, and an insert provides a first component in the form of a triangular projection  21  (instead of projection  16 ) at the end of housing  10  remote from tray  14 . As in the arrangement of  FIG. 2 , the co-operation of the second component with the first component orientates the position of the cap  6  relative to the housing  10  such that it lies adjacent the back of the housing when removed from the wipe aperture so it can be inserted into recess  17 . 
     Again it is envisaged that a number of different types of wipe containers could be provided each with different shaped recess to be accommodated in different types of housing each with different types of projections. Again other types of first and second cooperating components could be used, e.g. projections and recesses on both the housing and wipe container, matching colours or opposing or attracting magnets. Similarly, a combination of recesses or indents may be provided at both the adjacent end of the container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture and also the end adjacent of the container supporting the wipe dispensing aperture. 
     The features of the present invention may be combined with the features disclosed in co-pending patent applications PCT/GB2007/003267 and PCT/GB2007/0038189 the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     The invention may take a form different to that specifically described above. For example the second component on each wipe container could be both adjacent the end of the container supporting a wipe dispensing aperture and adjacent the end of the container remote from a wipe dispensing aperture, e.g. the container could have both recess  8  and  20  and housing  10  could have projection  21  and  16 . 
     Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.