Patent Abstract:
A roll form toilet wipes dispenser including a housing defining an interior cavity, one open side, and an opening about a front of the housing, a side panel removably received within the open side of the housing and carrying a mandrel thereon, and an openable front cover connected to the housing adjacent the opening on the front of the housing, the front cover and the front opening cooperatively defining a discharge slot for withdrawing the wipes, the front cover having a protrusion extending therefrom in a direction of the housing and protruding through the discharge slot for engaging the wipes to assist in separating the sheets.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/480,056 filed Apr. 28, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF. THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of toilet wipes and dispensers for dispensing the same, and more particularly, to roll form flushable toilet wipes configured to tear into sheets of a predetermined length upon withdrawal from a dispenser, and a dispenser configured to house the roll form toilet wipes rotatably therein and cooperate in tearing the roll into sheets upon withdrawal of the wipes from the dispenser. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Toilet paper is well known in the art for personal cleaning after the use of the toilet and for cleaning the toilet between uses. Toilet paper is typically found in either roll form configured to be torn into sheets at the time of use, or as individual sheets packaged flat within a container. While roll form toilet paper is typically dry, individual sheets are often moist and include one or more of a sanitizing agent and a moisturizing agent. Individual sheet type toilet paper is often referred to as “toilet wipes.” 
     Roll form toilet paper, while economical and suitable for use with a dispenser having a simple design, is dry and thus does not provide adequate personal cleaning and/or sanitizing. Further, because some toilet paper tears into sheets more easily than others, and because conventional dispensers do not include means for constraining the rotation of the roll, users often use significantly more paper than needed, resulting in waste and cost. Still further, even in the event that roll form toilet paper was moist, existing roll form dispensers are not configured to retain the moisture, and paper loaded on existing dispensers would quickly dry out over time. 
     As for toilet wipes packaged flat within a container, the individual nature of the sheets requires them to be partially overlapped or folded together in the packaging such that the withdrawal of the top sheet pulls the underlying sheet along therewith into position for subsequent withdrawal. Individual sheet type wipes also require their own disposable package to retain the moisture, which disadvantageously requires a shelf or other horizontal surface in the area of the toilet for storage and access, wastes the packaging when the wipes are used up, and requires a variety of package designs to meet customer preference. 
     Accordingly, what is desired are toilet wipes provided in roll form configured for use with a reusable roll form type dispenser, and a dispenser configured to retain the moisture of the roll form toilet wipes. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the foregoing and overcome the disadvantages of prior art toilet wipes and dispensers, embodiments of a roll form flushable toilet wipe and associated dispenser for dispensing the same are provided herein. 
     In one aspect, the roll form toilet wipes are moist and are configured to be torn into sheets with assistance from the dispenser. 
     In another aspect, the roll form toilet wipes include a continuous length of wipe divided into individual sheets. 
     In another aspect, the sheets are divided by perforations, slits or thinning along the width of the wipe. 
     In another aspect, the wipes engage a feature on the dispenser when withdrawn to assist in separating the sheets. 
     In another aspect, each sheet includes a slot coextensive with the division between sheets that is engaged by a feature of the dispenser. 
     In another aspect, the slot adjacent the division between sheets is defined by slits through the wipe. 
     In another aspect, the feature on the dispenser for separating the sheets protrudes through the wipe. 
     In another aspect, the roll form toilet wipes are moist with at least one of a sanitizing, moisturizing, antibacterial or antiviral agent. 
     In another aspect, the dispenser is reusable, wall-mounted and configured to house roll form toilet wipes therein in a rotatable manner. 
     In another aspect, the dispenser is substantially sealed to retain the moisture of the roll form toilet wipes. 
     In another aspect, the dispenser is side loaded and includes a mandrel that may be affixed to the housing or to the removable cover. 
     In another aspect, the dispenser includes a thin, elongate widthwise slot at the front of the dispenser through which the wipes are withdrawn. 
     In another aspect, the slot is defined by the housing and a hinged cover. 
     In another aspect, the dispenser includes a protrusion on the hinged cover that protrudes into the slot for engaging the wipes as the wipes are withdrawn to assist in separating the sheets. 
     In another aspect, the protrusion engages the area on the wipes adjacent the division between the sheets. 
     Additional features, aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present various embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are better understood when the following detailed description of the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front and left side perspective view of a dispenser according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front and right side perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a right side elevation view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side elevation view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  front elevation view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a back elevation view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  including a toilet wipes roll according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing the toilet wipes roll installed within the dispenser; and 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  shown the front cover is the open position to illustrate the toilet wipes roll engaging feature. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the representative embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be both thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention and enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make, use and practice the invention. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the various drawings. 
     Referring to the drawings, exemplary embodiments of a roll form toilet wipe and associated dispenser are provided. The dispenser as shown is generally configured to be mounted to a supporting surface, such as a vertical wall, using any conventional fastener. The dispenser may be constructed from any material, for example metal, polyethylene, polypropylene and other plastics. Although a specific dispenser shape is shown, it is envisioned that the dispenser may have alternative shapes while achieving the same functionality. Separable components of the dispenser, for example the removable side portion and hinged cover, may sealingly engage the housing to substantially seal the housing against moisture loss. The level of sealing may be adjusted based upon the application, installation environment and properties of the associated roll form toilet wipe. 
     Referring specifically to  FIGS. 1-8 , the toilet wipes roll dispenser is shown generally at reference numeral  10 . The dispenser  10  generally includes a housing  12 , a hinged front cover  14 , and a removable side panel  16 . The housing  12  has a shape generally corresponding to the size and shape of a conventional roll of toilet paper. As shown, a portion of the housing  12  extends rearwardly beyond a cylindrical portion  18  and provides structure clear of the rotation of the roll for securing the housing  12  to a supporting structure. Another portion of the housing  12  extends forwardly beyond the cylindrical portion and, together with the hinged front cover  14 , defines a widthwise, thin, elongate discharge slot  20  through which the wipes are withdrawn. 
     The front cover  14  is hinged along its upper edge such that the front cover  14  can be raised or “opened,” exposing the entire length of the slot  20  and providing access to the interior roll, such as in the event of a snag. A portion of the front cover  14  can overlap the housing  12  and may engage the housing  12  by interference fit and/or sealing engagement. The hinge  22  may be a living hinge, such as a thin flexible hinge made from plastic that joins the rigid front cover  14  and the housing  12  together while allowing them to bend along the line of the hinge  22 . The hinge may be manufactured by an injection molding process that creates the housing  12 , front cover  14  and hinge  22  at one time as a single part, and remains functional over the life of the dispenser  10 . Suitable material choices for the housing  12 , front cover  14  and the hinge  22  can include, but are not limited to, polyethylene and polypropylene, due to their excellent resistance to fatigue. It is envisioned that alternative hinge types may be used to interconnect the housing  12  and the front cover  14 . 
     The removable side panel  16  is generally disc-shaped and includes finger-graspable features  24  on the outside face for turning the side panel  16  by hand. The side panel  16  may engage the housing  12  by interference fit, or may be externally threaded and configured to engage an internally threaded housing  12  as shown. The side panel  16  has an external diameter generally corresponding to, and preferably sized slightly larger than, the external diameter of a full roll of toilet wipes. The side panel  16  is removed from the housing  12  to remove the empty roll and reload a full roll. The internal mandrel  26 , which rotatably supports the roll of toilet wipes thereon, may be attached to the inner wall of the housing on the side opposing the side panel  16 , or may be attached to the interior wall of the side panel  16 , for example concentrically aligned on the side panel  16  as shown in  FIG. 9 . The mandrel  26  may or may not rotate relative to the side panel  16  and/or the housing  12 . 
     A protrusion  30  extends from the inner major face of the front cover  14  in the direction of the housing  12 . As described in detail below, the protrusion  30  extends into the slot  20  and contacts the continuous wipe to assist in separating the wipe into sheets. Referring specifically to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  11 , the protrusion  30  is molded into the front cover  24  and defines a recess  28  in the outer major face of the front cover  14  that can serve as a handle for assisting in opening and closing the front cover  14 . 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 10 , a roll form or toilet wipes is shown generally at reference numeral  32 . The roll  32  includes a continuous length of wipe divided into a plurality of sheets  38  separated by a perforation, slit, thinning or other engineered weakness at predetermined intervals along the width of the wipe shown generally at reference numeral  34 . The roll  32  further a slot  36  adjacent the division between each sheet  38  that contacts, engages with or “snags” on protrusion  30  as the wipe is withdrawn through the slot  20  of the dispenser  10  to assist in separating the individual sheets  38 . The slot  36  is defined by slits through the wipe and has a shape about corresponding to the shape of the protrusion  30 , at least in the widthwise direction. As shown, the slot  36  is rectangular and shares one long side with the division between sheets shown at  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the slot  36  is caught on the protrusion  30  as the wipe passes over the protrusion as a result of the user pulling on the wipe. Sheets pass over the protrusion until the slot  36  is reached, and at that point the protrusion  30  is received in the slot and hampers withdrawal of the next upstream sheet, assisting in the tearing of the sheet from the upstream sheet. The inclusion of the slots  36  along the roll  32  and the presence of the protrusion  30  on the front cover cooperate to assist in separating a single sheet from the continuous roll, along with the pulling force from the user. When a sheet  38  is torn away, the user opens the front cover, grabs the next sheet in line and pulls, repeating the tear away process. Thus, the dispenser  10  and roll  32  cooperate to provide a single sheet to the user at a time. In an alternative embodiment the tabs  40  extending from the next sheet may have a length sufficient to protrude beyond the front cover, and thus the tabs  40  may be grabbed to advance the roll as opposed to having to open the front cover  14 . 
     The wipe can be dry, but is preferably moist and is coated or impregnated with at least one of a sanitizing, moisturizing, antibacterial or antiviral agent. The wipes can optionally include fragrance. 
     In specific embodiments, the discharge slot  20  can be tapered and downwardly extending. The housing  10  may be mounted on any surface, such as a wall adjacent a toilet, in the same manner as a conventional toilet paper holder. While the particular dispenser  10  described herein is manually-operated by either pulling a sheet downwardly through the discharge slot  20  or by rotating the mandrel  26  with the finger-graspable features  24 , an alternative embodiment envisions the use of an automatic system by which a push-button, motion detector or similar device initiates the dispensing of a single sheet through the discharge slot  20  to be removed for use, thus avoiding or minimizing contact between the user and the dispenser. 
     The foregoing is a description of roll form toilet wipes and associated dispenser given by way of example only. Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments may perform similar functions and/or achieve similar results. Any and all such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1