GB2443183A

GB2443183A - Dispenser for wipes having two chambers

Info

Publication number: GB2443183A
Application number: GB0617066A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-08-29
Filing date: 2006-08-29
Publication date: 2008-04-30
Also published as: GB0617066D0

Abstract

A dispenser 1 for wipes 1 comprises a first chamber 10 to house a first container "X" of wipes having a wipe extracting aperture "Y", the first chamber 10 allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture and a second chamber 20 provided to house soiled wipes or, alternatively, a second container of wipes. A connector 40 is provided to connect the first and second chambers 10,20 to a support member to hold the dispenser at a desired location. The dispenser may further comprise a target (such as a painted-on circle) at which soiled wipes can be thrown so that they drop into the second chamber.

Description

1 2443183 Title: Dispenser for Wines The present invention relates to a

dispenser for wipes.

It is common practice to request workers in the health services to clean their hands after touching contaminated surfaces or patients in order to prevent the spread of infection. A similar practice occurs in the food industry where workers are required to keep their hands clean whilst handling food. This involves frequent washing of hands with a suitable cleaning agent even for situations of minor contamination. Because the process of washing hands requires use of a basin, which is rarely easily accessible, and/or the use of cleaning gel and cleaning off with a towel, many workers simply fail to conform to their obligations because this process is both time consuming and inconvenient.

The invention seeks to solve this problem by providing an elegant looking, secure, highly location flexible dispenser for anti bacterial wet wipes to enable convenient, cleaning of hands, surfaces, implements or even other parts of the body if required.

According to the present invention there is provided a dispenser for wipes comprising: a) a first chamber to house a first container of wipes having a wipe extracting aperture, said first chamber allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture, b) a second chamber to house soiled wipes and, alternatively, a second container of wipes substantially the same as the first container of wipes, and c) a connector to connect the first and second chambers to a support member to hold the dispenser at a desired location.

Preferably the connector is a releasable connector whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another. Preferably the releasable connector is formed from first and second interlocking components. Preferably the first component is secured to the dispenser and the second component secured to a support member whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another. Preferably a lock is provided to releasably lock the first and second components together.

Preferably the first chamber has a wall section which moves from a first position to secure the container of wipes in the chamber to a second position to allow withdrawal and replacement of the container of wipes. Preferably the first chamber wall section is lockable in the first position.

The first chamber wall section may be a hinged flap.

Preferably the second chamber is adapted to store a soiled wipe storage device and, alternatively a second container of wipes. The soiled wipe storage device may be a bag or container.

Preferably the storage device includes an aperture to receive soiled wipes. Preferably the second chamber has a wall section which moves from a first position to secure the storage device and, alternatively, the second container of wipes in the chamber to a second position to allow withdrawal and replacement of the storage device or second container of wipes. Preferably the second chamber wall section is lockable in the first position. The second chamber wall section may be a hinged flap.

Preferably a common key is provided to lock the first chamber wall section in the first position, and to the second chamber wall section in the first position. Preferably the common key further operates a releasable connector lock to lock the dispenser on a support member.

Preferably the first and second chambers are connected by a bridging member. Preferably the first and second chambers and the bridging member form a unitary structure. The dispenser may be generally ellipsoid in shape. Preferably the bridging member supports the releasable connector. Preferably the first chamber is located above the second chamber spaced by the bridging member. Preferably the first and second chambers project forward of the bridging member. Preferably panels are provided between the first and second chamber whereby the bridging member is located at one end of a recess formed by the first and second chamber and said panels. Preferably the panels are removable.

Preferably the wipe extracting aperture of a container in the first chamber is spaced from and opposes an aperture to receive soiled wipes or the wipe extracting aperture of a second container in the second chamber.

Preferably the bridging member supports a target which soiled wipes can be thrown at.

Preferably the bridge member includes receiving means to receive a sealing cap from the container of wipes. The receiving means may be formed in a projection extending from the bridging member.

The first chamber may be smaller than the second chamber.

Preferably the first chamber has an internal shape to accommodate an external shape of the wipe container whereby to support the container firmly. Preferably the first chamber includes an aperture through which projects the wipe extracting aperture of the wipe container thereby allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture.

Preferably the second chamber includes an aperture to support the storage device aperture or through which projects the wipe extracting aperture of a wipe second container. The storage device aperture may be provided by a bottle neck in the second chamber or a waste bag neck.

The support member may be a floor or shelf stand, wall mounting, clamp for a tubular structure (such as a hospital bed or trolley), clamp for an edge of sheet material, or the like.

The invention also extends to a dispenser as above defined in combination with a container of wipes and a soiled wipe storage device or second container of wipes.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure IA shows a perspective view of one embodiment, Figure lB shows a cross section view of Figure 1, Figures 2A and 2B show a views of the embodiment of Figures IA and LB but with the addition of panels, and Figures 3A and 3B shows an alternative embodiment with a second container of wipes instead of a soiled wipe storage device.

Referring to Figures IA and 1 B there is shown a dispenser I for wipes. Dispenser I is generally ellipsoidal in shapes and may be formed of any suitable material such as moulded in plastics and as a unitary structure.

Dispenser I has a first chamber 10 to house a container "X" of wipes having a wipe extracting aperture "Y". First chamber 10 has a main body II and a wall section in the form of a flap 12 hinged to the first chamber body 11 by a pivot pins 13A,13B. Flap 12 hinges from a first position (as shown in the drawing) to secure the container "X" of wipes in the chamber 10 to a second position away from the body 11 (not shown) to allow withdrawal and replacement of the container "X" of wipes. The first chamber flap 12 is lockable in the first position e.g. with a key The first chamber 10 includes an aperture 14 through which projects the wipe extracting aperture "Y" of the wipe container thereby allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture.

The first chamber may have an internal shape to accommodate an external shape of the wipe container whereby to support the container firmly. For example part of the external shape of container "X" could be square and part of the internal shape of the first chamber could be square thereby preventing rotation of the container in the first chamber.

Dispenser I has a second chamber 20 to house soiled wipes in a soiled wipe storage device in the form of a bag "A" (or other suitable waste container). Bag "A" includes a neck aperture in the form of an annular collar "B" which may be formed from two semicircular sections hinged together which can be brought together to seal the bag "A" when bag "A" is discarded.

Second chamber 20 has a main body 21 and a wall section in the form of a flap 22 hinged to the second chamber body 21 by a pivot pins 23A,23B. Flap 22 hinges from a first position (as shown in the drawing) to secure the bag "A" in the chamber 20 to a second position away from the body 21 (not shown) to allow withdrawal and replacement of the bag "A" of wipes. The second chamber flap 22 is lockable in the first position e.g. with the same key "Z". Second chamber 20 includes an aperture 24 to support the collar "B".

As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, instead of a bag "A", the second chamber could support a second container "X" of wipes. The wipe extracting aperture of a wipe second container could be supported in aperture 24. In such a case there would be no waste wipe receptacle like bag "A" so waste wipes would need to be discarded in an alternative receptacle like a floor bin.

The first chamber tO is located above the second chamber 20 and is connected to and spaced by a bridging member 30 which is formed as a unitary structure with the first and second chamber bodies 11,21. The first and second chambers 10,20 project forward of the bridging member. The wipe extracting aperture of container "X" in the first chamber 10 is spaced from and opposes collar "B" aperture of bag "A" (or the wipe extracting aperture of a second container in the second chamber 20 in the embodiment of Figure 3).

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, panels 31,32 are provided between the first and second chamber and releasably connect to the bridging member 30. The bridging member is located at one end of a recess formed by the first and second chambers 10,20 and panels 31,32. The bridging member supports a target (e.g. a circle printed thereon) which soiled wipes can be thrown at. If desired a sealing cap "W" on container "X" could engage with a receiving means (see Figure I B), e.g. a recess 33 in the bridging means or formed by a projection on the bridging means. The cap "W" The bridging member 30 supports a connector 40 to Connect the first and second chambers 10,20 to a support member to hold the dispenser at a desired location. The support member may be a floor or shelf stand, wall mounting, clamp for a tubular structure (such as a hospital bed or trolley), clamp for an edge of sheet material, or the like. Within a hospital or clinic, the support member may be a floor stand, wall or bedside cabinet mounting, or perhaps a clamp for a tubular structure (such as a hospital bed or medicine trolley). For food handlers, the support member may be a clamp for a point of sale counter, a mounting for a vertical structure (wall or kitchen equipment for example), or the like.

In use, it is envisaged that numerous dispensers of the type described and defined above could be used in, for example, health locations such as emergency medical, hospitals or in food handling locations. Within both it is necessary to be able to expediently re-allocate dispensers as the need changes. For example a dispenser will be required to be attached to a medicine trolley while medicines are being dispensed by the nurse to enable easy access to a cleansing wipe. After the medicines have been dispensed, the dispenser can be easily released from its medicine trolley clamp and re-allocated back to a wall, bed or bedside cabinet mounting, drip feed stand etc. Similarly a dispenser can be re-allocated from food handler's point of sale' counter positions as they close to perhaps other point of sale' positions, or to drive through sales positions' or to walls for customers to use etc. Preferably the connector is a releasable connector whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another. In the drawings, the releasable connector 40 is formed from first and second interlocking components 41,42, e.g. with male and female connecting parts. The first component 41 is secured to the dispenser I and the second component 42 secured to a support member whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another. A lock 43 is provided to releasably lock the first and second components 4 1,42 together. Lock 43 may be operated by common key "Z". I0

In use, it is envisaged that numerous dispensers of the type described and defined above could be located in health locations such as hospitals or in food processing locations. The connector second component would be designed to mount at many different locations so that a wipe would readily be available to all workers. It is envisaged that each wipe would be impregnated with an appropriate cleaning agent. If a waste wipe storage device is used in the second chamber, each wipe can be used and disposed of immediately.

The first chamber may be smaller than the second chamber. This may be desirable so because a waste wipe storage device may need to be larger than a wipe container to accommodate all the wipes once used and crumpled up. A larger second chamber could still accommodate the same size container of wipes as the first chamber.

The first chamber may have one or more projections adjacent the wipe extracting aperture adapted to engage in perforations between wipes whereby to assist in separating one wipe from another. The second chamber may have has a wipe extracting aperture, and second chamber having one or more projections adjacent the wipe extracting aperture adapted to engage in perforations between wipes whereby to assist in separating one wipe from another. With the first chamber located above the second chamber spaced by the bridging member, this ensures each wipe is pulled at an angle to the dispenser thereby forcing engagement between the or each projection and perforations between wipes.

It will be appreciated that once dispenseis are mounted in suitable locations, only the containers of wipes or waste wipe storage devices need to be replaced as they are fully consumed. It is envisaged that a container of wipes and a waste wipe storage device may be sold in a common package.

Whilst the dispenser may be sold separate to the container of wipes or the waste wipe storage device, the invention also extends to a dispensing device as above defined in combination with a container of wipes and a soiled wipe storage device or second container of wipes.

The dispenser of the invention may be used in conjunction with a container as described in patent application no 0617067.4, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

* Iurther modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. _._ 4

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Claims

1. A dispenser for wipes comprising: a) a first chamber to house a first container of wipes having a wipe extracting aperture, said first chamber allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture, b) a second chamber to house soiled wipes and, alternatively, a second container of wipes substantially the same as the first container of wipes, and c) a connector to connect the first and second chambers to a support member to hold the dispenser at a desired location.

2. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 1, wherein the connector is a releasable connector whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another.

3. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 2, wherein the releasable connector is formed from first and second interlocking components.

4. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 3, wherein the first component is secured to the dispenser and the second component secured to a support member whereby the dispenser can be moved from one support member to another.

5. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a lock is provided to releasably lock the first and second components together.

6. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber has a wall section which moves from a first position to secure the container of wipes in the chamber to a second position to allow withdrawal and replacement of the container of wipes.

7. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 6, wherein the first chamber wall section is lockable in the first position.

8. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the first chamber wall section may be a hinged flap.

9. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the second chamber is adapted to store a soiled wipe storage device and, alternatively, a second container of wipes.

10. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 9, wherein the soiled wipe storage device may be a bag or container.

II. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the storage device includes an aperture to receive soiled wipes.

12. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the second chamber has a wall section which moves from a first position to secure a soiled wipe storage device or second container of wipes in the chamber to a second position to allow withdrawal and replacement of the storage device and, alternatively, a second container of wipes.

13. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 12, wherein the second chamber wall section is lockable in the first position.

14. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the second chamber wall section may be a hinged flap.

15. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 7 and 13, wherein a common key is provided to lock the first chamber wall section in the first position, and to lock the second chamber wall section in the first position.

16. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 15, wherein the common key further operates a connector releasable connector lock to lock the dispenser on a support member.

17. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second chambers are connected by a bridging member.

18. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 17, wherein the first and second chambers and the bridging member form a unitary structure.

19. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the bridging member supports the releasable connector.

20. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 17, 18, or 19, wherein the first chamber is located above the second chamber spaced by the bridging member.

21. A dispenser for wipes according to any of claims 17 to 20, wherein the first and second chambers project forward of the bridging member.

22. A dispenser for wipes according to any of claims 17 to 21, wherein panels are provided between the first and second chamber whereby the bridging member is located at one end of a recess formed by the first and second chamber and said panels.

23. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 22, wherein the panels arc removable.

24. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the wipe extracting aperture of a container in the first chamber is spaced from and opposes an aperture to receive soiled wipes or the wipe extracting aperture of a second container in the second chamber.

25. A dispenser for wipes according to any of claim 17 to 24, wherein the bridging member supports a target which soiled wipes can be thrown at.

26. A dispenser for wipes according to any of claims 17 to 25, wherein the bridge member includes receiving means to receive a sealing cap from the container of wipes.

27. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 26, wherein the receiving means may be formed in a projection extending from the bridging member.

28. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber may be smaller than the second chamber.

29. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber has an internal shape to accommodate an external shape of the wipe container whereby to support the container firmly.

30. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber includes an aperture through which projects the wipe extracting aperture of the wipe container thereby allowing manual access to the wipe extracting aperture.

31. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the second chamber includes an aperture to support a storage device aperture or through which projects the wipe extracting aperture of a wipe second container.

32. A dispenser for wipes according to claim 3!, wherein the storage device aperture may be provided by a bottle neck in the second chamber or a waste bag neck.

33. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein the support member may be a floor or shelf stand, wall mounting, clamp for a tubular structure, clamp for an edge of sheet material, or the like.

34. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim, wherein dispenser is generally ellipsoid in shape.

35. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber has one or more projections adjacent the wipe extracting aperture adapted to engage in perforations between wipes whereby to assist in separating one wipe from another.

36. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the second chamber has a wipe extracting aperture, said second chamber having one or more projections adjacent the wipe extracting aperture adapted to engage in perforations between wipes whereby to assist in separating one wipe from another.

37. A dispenser according to claim 35 or 36, wherein the first chamber is located above the second chamber spaced by the bridging member so as to ensure the wipe is pulled at an angle to the dispenser thereby forcing engagement between the or each projection and perforations between wipes.

38. A dispenser for wipes according to any preceding claim in combination with a first container of wipes and a soiled wipe storage device or second container of wipes.

39. A dispenser for wipes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.