CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A CONTAINER FOR STORING AND DISPENSING WIPES

Abstract

It is provided a container (10) for storing and dispensing wipes (42), comprising a mainly flat bottom sheet (12) for bordering an interior volume (20) at the bottom and a jacket sheet (14) for bordering the interior volume (20) at its lateral sides, wherein the jacket sheet (14) is sealed to the bottom sheet (12) via several, particularly at least three or four, bottom sealing strips (18), wherein the bottom sealing strips (18) protrude outwards away from the interior volume (20). Due to the flat bottom sheet (12) and the outwardly protruding bottom sealing strips (18) a falling over of the container (10) is hindered so that a facilitated handling of a container (10) for dispensing wipes (42) is enabled.

Claims

1. A container for storing and dispensing wipes, the container comprising: a substantially flat bottom sheet for bordering a bottom side of an interior volume of the container, and a jacket sheet for bordering lateral sides of the interior volume of the container, wherein the jacket sheet is sealed to the bottom sheet via a plurality of bottom sealing strips, and wherein the bottom sealing strips protrude outwards away from the interior volume.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein a part of the bottom sheet bordering the interior volume is arranged in a generally horizontal plane.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom sealing strips are inclined downwards away from the interior volume by an angle α with respect to a plane of the bottom sheet of 30°≤α≤60° in an unstressed state.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom sheet and the jacket sheet are made from a thermoplastic material.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom sheet and the jacket sheet are each coated one an inside surface facing the interior volume with a protection layer for sealing the interior volume.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the jacket sheet is sealed along with a plurality of lateral sealing strips, the lateral sealing strips protrude outwards away from the interior volume, and at least one of the lateral sealing strip is sealed to one of the bottom sealing strips.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the jacket sheet comprises a dispenser opening for dispensing wipes, and further comprising a closure, the closure comprising; a frame for bordering the dispenser opening, wherein the frame is sealed to the jacket sheet, a dispenser collar for covering partially the dispenser opening and for holding a wipe, and a lid for closing the dispenser collar, wherein the dispenser collar is detachably connected to the frame.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the jacket sheet is sealed via a top sealing strip for bordering a top side of the interior volume, wherein a top sheet (26) protrudes from the top sealing strip away from the interior volume, wherein the top sheet provides a handle for carrying the container.

9. The container of claim 1, further comprising a roll of several in series interconnected wipes in the interior volume.

10. The container of claim 7, wherein a cross sectional area of the dispenser opening bordered by the frame is smaller than a maximum diameter of the roll.

11. The container of claim 9, further comprising a liquid cleaning agent at least partially filling the interior volume.

12. A method for manufacturing a container comprising: sealing a jacket sheet to a bottom sheet with a plurality of bottom sealing strips protruding outwards away from an interior volume of the container, placing a roll of interconnected wipes onto the bottom sheet inside the interior volume, and sealing the interior volume by sealing the jacket sheet with a top sealing strip after the roll is placed onto the bottom sheet.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sealing a lateral side of the jacket sheet with at least one lateral sealing strip after or before the roll is placed onto the bottom sheet.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least partially filing the interior volume with a liquid via a closable dispenser opening in the jacket sheet, after sealing the lateral side of the the jacket sheet.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is provided by diluting a concentrated cleaning agent with water to a predefined concentration, wherein the diluting takes place inside the interior volume or outside the interior volume.

16. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom sheet and the jacket are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

17. The container of claim 5, wherein the protection layer comprises polyethylene.

18. The container of claim 3, wherein the angle is α=45°±5° in the unstressed state.

19. The container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bottom sealing strips comprises at least three bottom sealing strips.

20. The container of claim 6, wherein the plurality of lateral sealing strips comprises at least three lateral sealing strips.

Description

[0024] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter, wherein the described features can constitute each solely or in combination an independent aspect of the invention. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1: is a schematic exploded perspective view of a container at a first stage of production,

[0026] FIG. 2: is a schematic perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 at a second stage of production,

[0027] FIG. 3: is a schematic perspective view of the container of FIG. 2 at a third stage of production,

[0028] FIG. 4: is a schematic perspective view of the container of FIG. 3 at a fourth stage of production,

[0029] FIG. 5: is a schematic plan view of a closure of the container of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 and

[0030] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a detail of the closure of FIG. 5.

[0031] The container 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is designed as pouch, which is provided by welding a bottom sheet 12 to a separate jacket sheet 14. The bottom sheet 12 may be provided at a flat and even rectangular foil placed onto a ground. The jacket sheet 14 is wrapped in circumferential direction for providing four lateral sides of the container 10. In the illustrated embodiment the jacket sheet 14 comprises at each lateral side a strip 16 protruding outwards in mainly horizontal direction. The jacket sheet 14 is fixed to the flat bottom sheet 12 by welding the strips 16 to the material of the bottom sheet 12 so that at the bottom of each lateral side a bottom sealing strip 18 is provided which protrudes away from an interior volume 20 bordered by the bottom sheet 12 and the jacket sheet 14. The bottom sealing strips 18 may protrude outwards and/or downwards particularly by an angle of around 45° inclined to the mainly horizontal plane of the bottom sheet 12. The bottom sealing strips 18 are connected with each other so that a continuous air-tight sealing in circumferential direction is provided. In addition a lateral sealing strip 22 protruding outwards away from the interior volume 20 are provided at the corners of the jacket sheet 14 between two neighboring lateral sides. The lateral sealing strips 22 provides an increased form stiffness of the container 10 and provides an air-tight sealing at the free ends of the jacket sheet 14 in one corner. The lateral sealing strips 22 are provided by welding two parts of the jacket sheet 14 together. The lateral sealing strips 22 are connected with the bottom sealing strips 18 so that the container 10 is air-tight sealed and leakage-free.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 2 the interior volume 20 may be closed at the top by means of a top sealing strip 24 where two or more opposing parts of the jacket sheet 14 are welded together. A top sheet 26 which may be one-part with the jacket sheet 14 protrudes upwards from the top sealing strip 24. The top sheet 26 comprises a handle opening 28 so that a handle 30 is provided for carrying the container 10 by hand. The jacket sheet 14 comprises a dispenser opening 32 which is provided by a frame 34 of a closure 36. The frame 34 is provided in an opening of the jacket sheet 14 and air-tightly connected to the jacket sheet 14 preferably by welding.

[0033] The container 10 can be manufactured by different producing methods. For example it is possible, that the lateral side strips 16 are sealed first in a way that the lateral side strips 16 protrudes outwards. Afterwards the jacket sheet 14 can be turned inside out, so that the lateral side strips 16 protrudes inwards. Subsequently the strips 16 can be sealed to the bottom sheet 12 so that the provided bottom sealing strips 18 protrudes outwards. The lateral side strips 16 can be sealed to the bottom sheet 12 inside the container 10 providing an fluid-tight sealing. The sealing of the top sealing strips 22 can take place before or after the jacket sheet 14 is turned inside out. When the lateral sealing strips 22 protrude outwards, it is possible, that the sealing strips could be folded over the outside surface of the bottom sheet 12 such that the lateral sealing strips 22 are exterior to the container but protrude only partially outwards. Particularly the lateral sealing strips 22 located outside the interior volume 20 can be folded onto the jacket sheet 14 contacting the jacket sheet 14 within a two-dimensional contact area.

[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 3 the dispenser opening 32 can be partially closed by a dispenser collar 38 which is detachably connected to the frame 34 via an air-tight bayonet closure. The dispense collar 38 comprises several bendable projections 40 protruding radially inwards into the dispenser opening 32 within the plane of the associated lateral side of the container 10. The projections 40 may hold a wipe 42 of an endless roll 44 of interconnected wipes 42 as illustrated in FIG. 4. A lid 46 is provided for, particularly air-tightly, closing the remaining cross section of the dispenser opening 32 which is not covered by the projections 40. When the dispenser collar 38 is attached to the frame 34 the dispenser collar 38 may be inserted into the frame 34 while the lid 46 protrudes mainly upwards. Subsequently the dispenser collar 38 may be turned inside the frame 34 for closing the bayonet closure between the dispenser collar 38 and the frame 34. Finally the lid 46 may protrude mainly downwards so that the lid 46 may collect drops dropping down from a wet wipe 42. In a preferred embodiment the lid 46 protrudes mainly downwards in the assembled state of the closure 36 when the lid 46 is opened. The lid 46 is connected to the dispenser collar 38 via a strap 48 so that the lid 46 is loss-proof connected even in the opened state as illustrated in FIG. 5. Particularly the projections 40 are designed as parts of an area of a circle. Particularly preferred four projections 40 are provided, wherein each projection 40 is designed as a quadrant. Due to the rounded tip of the projections 40 pointing to the center of the dispenser opening 32 the risk, that the wipes 42 can be damaged by the tips of the projections 40 is reduced. The dispense collar 38 particularly comprises a hole 50 communicating with the interior volume 20 of the container 10. The hole may be preferably provided at a corner between a circumferential rim of the dispenser collar 38 and a part inside the circumferential rim which closes the dispenser opening 32 partially. Drops dropping down from a wet wipe 42 can be collected by the dispense collar 38 and led to the hole 50 so that the drops can be feed back into the interior volume 20 of the container 10.