Patent Publication Number: US-2017354299-A1

Title: Device for the withdrawal of wet wipes

Description:
The present invention relates to a device for the withdrawal of wet wipes, in particular for disinfection, comprising a container, in which the wet wipes are contained, a support in which the container is insertable and is held, and a closure device for sealing of the container. 
     Containers which contain wet wipes are known in diverse designs. In particular wet wipes for disinfection are usually offered in dispensers. These containers are often provided with a lid having a click closure. To open this click closure, the container must be held by one hand. The container is clicked up and opened using the other hand. The wet wipe can then be taken from the container. The container has to be closed again well. The click mechanism of the lid must click in. With containers of this kind there exists the risk that the lid provided with click closure does not close optimally, whereby the moistening agent of the wet wipes located in the container can evaporate, which severely impairs the effectiveness of the wet wipes, in particular for disinfection, and can make them unusable. With click mechanisms of this kind there also exists the risk that after removal of a wet wipe from this container the lid is not fully closed, which results in a quick evaporation of the moistening agent of the wet wipes, with the above-mentioned consequences. 
     When the wet wipes of a container have been used up, the container is therefore empty. This container can be disposed of and recycled. There are also containers however which can be used repeatedly; for refill of the wet wipes, these wipes are delivered in a sealed, air-tight bag. This bag can be inserted into the container, cut open, and, by the starting end, the first wet wipe can be pushed through the opening with the tear-off lip in the lid region. After placing on of the lid, this container is usable again. 
     The object of the invention is hence to create a device for the withdrawal of wet wipes from a container, which has a lid, by means of which the container can be optimally closed, which makes it possible to open the lid as well as to take the wipes from the container using one hand, and with which, after removal of a wet wipe, the lid can be completely closed in a simple way. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention in that the support comprises a receiving part provided with an opening, in which the open container is insertable and is detachably held; a lid forming the closure device which is pivotably held on the support and is held via a spring element in an opened position and in a position closing the opening; a sealing element fixable on the support which surrounds the opening of the container inserted into the support and which comes to rest, in a sealing way, against the lid when the latter is in the closed position. 
     The support for this device for the withdrawal of wet wipes can be fixed in a simple way, for example, to a stationary stand, a wall or the like. The lid can be opened with one hand. The desired wet wipe can be pulled out through the opening with the tear-off lip. The wet wipe to be removed can be separated from the following wet wipes via the tear-off lip. The lid can be pivoted back with slight pressure and automatically ends up, by means of the spring action, in the position closing the opening. The container is optimally sealed shut; the moistening agent of the wet wipes located in the container cannot evaporate. 
     Preferably the support comprises a carrier plate, in which a continuous recess is made, in which recess the receiving part, which is of annular design, is inserted. The newly delivered container can be inserted in the receiving part in opened state. The receiving part is provided with holding means which correspond to the respective means of the container. This can be a carabiner lock, for example. This can be of screw-closure type, but other solutions are also conceivable. 
     Preferably the support is provided with a mounting plate connected to the carrier plate, via which mounting plate the support is attachable to holding means. As already mentioned, these holding means can be designed as a stand. These holding means can however also be a wall or the like. 
     Preferably the spring element consists of a leaf-shaped element which is disposed on the lid, whereby a simple production is achievable, and which ensures a secure effectiveness. 
     A crosspiece is disposed on the support, on which crosspiece the leaf-shaped element is supported. Thereby achieved is that the lid is automatically held in the opened position and in the closed position. 
     Preferably the lid is pivotable about a pivot pin held on the support, which pivot pin, with respect to the support region of the leaf-shaped element, is disposed on the crosspiece in such a way that the lid upon pivoting toward the closed position is pressable in a resilient way into this closed position and upon pivoting toward the open position is pressable into this open position. By means of this design an optimal closing and opening of the lid is made possible in a simple way. 
     Preferably a stop for limiting the open position of the lid is provided on the crosspiece. The lid can thereby be brought from the opened position into the closed position again in a simple way. 
     Another advantageous embodiment of the invention consists in that the carrier plate and the mounting plate attached thereto are made of a non-rusting sheet metal. The support can thereby be produced in a simple way by means of a punching step and a bending step. 
     Preferably reinforcement ribs are provided between the carrier plate and the mounting plate, whereby the support is reinforced. 
     Also the lid can be made of a non-rusting sheet metal so that the lid is also able to be produced in a simple way by punching and bending. 
     Preferably, in the region remote from the pivot pin, the lid is provided with an area protruding beyond the carrier plate. This protruding area makes it possible for the lid to be opened out of the closed position in a simple way single-handedly. 
    
    
     
       An embodiment of the invention will be explained more closely in the following, by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings. 
         FIG. 1  shows in a three-dimensional representation a device according to the invention for the withdrawal of wet wipes with inserted container and closed lid; 
         FIG. 2  shows the device according to the invention for the withdrawal of wet wipes according to  FIG. 1 , with opened lid; 
         FIG. 3  shows a sectional view through the device with closed lid; 
         FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of the device during the opening of the lid, which is located in a first interim position; 
         FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of the device during the opening of the lid, which is located in a second interim position; 
         FIG. 6  shows a sectional view of the device with completely opened lid; 
         FIG. 7  shows a detail view in section of the supports around the lid with the leaf-shaped spring element, in closed state of the lid; 
         FIG. 8  shows the detail view in section according to  FIG. 7 , whereby the lid is slightly open however; 
         FIG. 9  shows the detail view according to  FIG. 7 , whereby the lid is in a further opened position however; and 
         FIG. 10  shows the detail view according to  FIG. 7 , whereby the lid is in an almost completely opened position. 
     
    
    
     The device  1  according to the invention for withdrawal of wet wipes can be taken from  FIGS. 1 and 2 . This device  1  comprises a support  2 , formed by a carrier plate  3 , which is connected to a mounting plate  4  that is aligned at a right angle to the carrier plate  3 . The carrier plate  3  is provided with a continuous recess  5 , in which an annular receiving part  6  is inserted, as will be described later. In the annular receiving part  6  a container  7  can be detachably inserted in which the wet wipes are contained in a known way (not shown). The annular receiving part  6  is provided with a closure ring  8  above the carrier plate  3 . Inserted between annular receiving part  6  and closure ring  8  can be a plate  9 , in which a tear-off lip  10  is provided in a known way. 
     Reinforcement ribs  22  can be used for reinforcement of the connection between carrier plate  3  and mounting plate  4 . 
     The opening  11  formed by the closure ring  8  is closable by means of a lid  12 . For this purpose the closure ring  8  is designed as sealing element, which co-operates with a sealing ring  13  attached on the lid, so that the opening  11  is sealed in a tight way in the closed position of the lid  12 , as is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As will be described later in detail, attached on the lid  12  is a spring element  14 , which is designed as leaf-shaped element  15 . The lid  12  is pivotable about a pivot pin  16 , which is held on the carrier plate  3 , and is pivotable from a closed position, represented in  FIG. 1 , into an opened position, represented in  FIG. 2 . As will be described in detail later, the spring element  14  serves the purpose that the lid  12 , on the one hand, is pressed resiliently into the closed position, and, on the other hand, is held in the open position. 
     The support and the lid can be formed from a non-rusting metal sheet. Production can take place in a simple way by means of a punching and bending step. Of course other suitable materials are also conceivable, for example on the basis of plastic. 
     Shown in  FIGS. 3 to 6  is the device  1  with the support  2 , consisting of carrier plate  3  and mounting plate  4 . Held in the carrier plate  3  is the annular receiving part  6 . Placed on the carrier plate  3  is the closure ring  8 . Inserted between the annular receiving part  6  and the closure ring  8  is the plate  9 , in which the tear-off lip  10  is disposed. The annular receiving part  6 , the closure ring  8  and the plate  9  are attached to the carrier plate  3  via screws  17 . The screws  17  are disposed in a way regularly distributed around the circumference of the annular receiving part  6 . 
     The container  7  is usually delivered in a closed state, filled with wet wipes. In a known way (not shown), for example, a lid can be placed on the container  7  via a snap or bayonet closure, so that the container  7  is provided with corresponding holding elements on its upper rim. A corresponding holding element can be attached in the annular receiving part  6 . Thus the container  7  can be inserted in the annular receiving part  6  in a simple way, and is thus connected to the support  2 . Of course containers with other closure possibilities can also be used. It is also conceivable that the container is provided with a screw closure; the receiving part  6  would then just have to be correspondingly adapted so that containers of this kind could also be inserted into a support  2 . 
     The lid  12  is held in a way pivotable about the pivot pin  16  fixed on the carrier plate  3 .  FIG. 3  shows the lid  12  in the closed position. The sealing ring  13  attached on the lid  12  thereby rests against the closure ring  8 . The container  7  is thereby sealed in an air-tight way. To open the device  1 , the lid  12  can be raised, as can be seen  FIG. 4 . For this purpose, in the region remote from the pivot pin  16 , the lid  12  is provided with an area  18  protruding beyond the carrier plate  3 . At this protruding region  18  the lid  12  can easily be raised using one hand or even one finger, but also with the elbow or lower arm, in order to gain access to the wet wipes which are accommodated in the container  7 . Shown in  FIG. 5  is the situation in which the lid is already open wide.  FIG. 6  shows the lid in the completely opened position. This completely opened position of the lid is limited by a stop  19 . The lid  12  is held resiliently in this position, as will be described later. In this position a wet wipe can easily be removed from the device  1 . To achieve this, an edge region or a corner of the wet wipe is held in the tear-off lip  10 ; the wet wipe is removed. The beginning of the next wet wipe is in turn held in the tear-off lip  10 . After withdrawal of the needed wet wipes from the device, the lid can be brought into the closed position again by means of slight pressure using one hand, an elbow or lower arm. 
     The pivot pin  16  is visible in  FIGS. 7 to 10 , which pivot pin is connected to the carrier plate  3  via a bracket or holder  20 . The lid  12  is borne in a way pivotable about this pivot pin  16 . Attached to the lid  12  is the leaf-shaped element  15 , which serves as spring element  14 . This leaf-shaped element  15  co-operates with a crosspiece  21 , which is likewise fixed to the carrier plate  3 . Fixed to the crosspiece  21  is in addition the stop  19 . 
     Shown in  FIG. 7  is the situation in which the lid  12  is in the closed position. The leaf-shaped element  15  thereby supports itself in a resilient and pretensioned way on the crosspiece  21 . The lid  12  is thus held resiliently in this closed position. 
     Upon lifting of the lid  12 , as is shown in  FIG. 8 , the leaf-shaped element  15 , which is attached to the lid  12 , shifts in a sliding way rearward owing to the configuration of the pivot pin  16  with respect to the crosspiece  21 . The spring tension thereby increases slightly. 
     With further lifting of the lid  12 , as is shown in  FIG. 9 , the leaf-shaped element  15  shifts still further rearward with respect to the crosspiece  21 . The spring tension increases a little more and reaches in this position approximately the maximum. 
     With further lifting of the lid  12 , as is shown in  FIG. 10 , the leaf-shaped element  15  shifts still further rearward with respect to the crosspiece  21 . The spring tension of the pretensioned leaf-shaped element  15  now causes the lid  12  to be pressed into the open position, which is then reached when the leaf-shaped element  15  makes contact with the stop  19 . Thus the lid  12  is held in the open position via the leaf-shaped element  15 , which serves as spring element  14 . 
     A slight pressure on the lid  12  in the direction of the closing position suffices to close the lid. The previously described course of action now runs in reverse order. With a sufficiently advanced movement of the leaf-shaped element  15  with respect to the crosspiece  21 , the lid  12  is finally pressed into the closed position, shown in  FIG. 7 , and is held in this closed position. 
     With this inventive solution, a device for the withdrawal of wet wipes is obtained in which the closing lid, which is held in the closed position via spring pressure, can be brought into the opened position by simple lifting, whereby the lid is held in this opened position again by spring pressure. The wet wipe can be easily removed from the container. For closing of the lid  12  once again, a slight pressure suffices. The lid  12  ends up in the closed position and again remains held in this position. Achieved thereby is an ease of use. Ensured in the closed position of the lid is that the container is sealed tightly and thus no moistening agent can evaporate. Also ensured is that one does not forget to close the lid.