Refillable, flexible moist wipes dispenser having offset dispensing orifice

Abstract

A refillable dispenser includes a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart in a width dimension. The bottom terminates at a bottom edge. The pouch has a front wall, a back wall, and an interior space therebetween. The dispenser includes a dispensing opening formed in the front wall. The dispensing opening has a width that extends in the width dimension, and the dispensing opening defines a midpoint along its width. The dispenser includes a seam that extends generally in a length dimension and that is disposed generally at the pouch top. The seam can be opened to an open position and resealed to a closed position to connect the front wall to the back wall. The seam defines a seam inner edge and a seam outer edge. The midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A refillable dispenser for pre-moistened wipes, the dispenser defining a length dimension and a width dimension, the dispenser comprising a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart in the width dimension, the bottom terminating at a bottom edge, the pouch having a front wall, a back wall, and an interior space between the front wall and the back wall,
 the dispenser comprising a dispensing opening formed in the front wall, the dispensing opening having a dispensing opening width that extends in the width dimension, the dispensing opening defining a midpoint along its width, the dispenser further comprising a movable cover adapted to cover the dispensing opening,   the dispenser comprising a seam extending generally in the length dimension and disposed generally at the pouch top, wherein the seam can be opened to an open position and resealed to a closed position to connect the front wall to the back wall, the open position configured to define a refill opening, the seam defining an seam inner edge and a seam outer edge,   wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge.   
     
     
         2 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed at least 10 millimeters closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge. 
     
     
         3 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall and the back wall are each formed from a flexible material having a bending resistance of between 21.0 milligrams of force and about 300 milligrams of force. 
     
     
         4 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material has a bending resistance of between about 40 milligrams of force and 150 milligrams of force. 
     
     
         5 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material has a bending resistance of between about 60 milligrams of force and about 100 milligrams of force. 
     
     
         6 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material has a thickness of between about 8 mils and about 15 mils. 
     
     
         7 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing opening is surrounded by a rigid ring, wherein the cover is hingedly attached to the ring. 
     
     
         8 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall has a top edge and first and second side edges that extend perpendicularly from opposite ends of the front wall top edge, and wherein the back wall has a top edge and first and second side edges that extend perpendicularly from opposite ends of the back wall top edge. 
     
     
         9 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 8 , where the front wall is connected to the back wall via a first side seam that connects the front wall first side edge to the back wall first side edge, via a second side seam that connects the front wall second side edge to the back wall second side edge, and via a bottom gusset wall that extends between and is formed integrally with the front wall and the back wall. 
     
     
         10 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the front wall, the back wall, and the bottom gusset wall are all integrally formed from a single sheet of flexible material, the material configured in an M-fold, the M-fold defining three fold lines that extend in the length dimension, the M-fold permanently held in place along the first side seam and the second side seam. 
     
     
         11 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser further includes a stack of pre-moistened wipes, the wipes defining a stack width that extends in the width dimension,
 wherein the interior space defines an interior space width that extends from the seam inner edge to the bottom edge,   wherein the stack width is X% of the interior space width, wherein X is at most 90, and wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge by an amount of approximately (100-x)% of the interior space width.   
     
     
         12 . A refillable dispenser for pre-moistened wipes, the dispenser defining a length dimension and a width dimension, the dispenser comprising a flexible pouch having a top and a bottom spaced apart in the width dimension, the bottom terminating at a bottom edge, the pouch having a front wall, a back wall, and an interior space between the front wall and the back wall,
 the dispenser comprising a dispensing opening formed in the front wall, the dispensing opening having a dispensing opening width that extends in the width dimension, the dispensing opening defining a midpoint along its width, the dispenser further comprising a movable cover adapted to cover the dispensing opening,   the dispenser comprising a seam extending generally in the length dimension and disposed generally at the pouch top, wherein the seam can be opened to an open position and resealed to a closed position to connect the front wall to the back wall, the open position configured to define a refill opening, the seam defining an seam inner edge and a seam outer edge,   wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge,   wherein the front wall and the back wall are each formed of a flexible material having a bending resistance of between about 40 milligrams of force and 150 milligrams of force,   wherein the flexible material has a thickness of between about 8 mils and about 15 mils,   and wherein the dispensing opening is surrounded by a rigid ring, the cover being hingedly attached to the ring.   
     
     
         13 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed at least 10 millimeters closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge. 
     
     
         14 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the flexible material has a bending resistance of between about 60 milligrams of force and about 100 milligrams of force. 
     
     
         15 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the front wall has a top edge and first and second side edges that extend perpendicularly from opposite ends of the front wall top edge, and wherein the back wall has a top edge and first and second side edges that extend perpendicularly from opposite ends of the back wall top edge. 
     
     
         16 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the front wall is connected to the back wall via a first side seam that connects the front wall first side edge to the back wall first side edge, via a second side seam that connects the front wall second side edge to the back wall second side edge, and via a bottom gusset wall that extends between and is formed integrally with the front wall and the back wall. 
     
     
         17 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 16 , wherein the front wall, the back wall, and the bottom gusset wall are all integrally formed from a single sheet of flexible material, the material configured in an M-fold, the M-fold defining three fold lines that extend in the length dimension, the M-fold held permanently held in place at the first side seam and the second side seam. 
     
     
         18 . The refillable dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the dispenser further includes a stack of pre-moistened wipes, the wipes defining a stack width that extends in the width dimension,
 wherein the interior space defines an interior space width that extends from the seam inner edge to the bottom edge,   wherein the stack width is X% of the interior space width, wherein X is at most 90, and wherein the midpoint of the dispensing opening is disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the seam inner edge by an amount of approximately (100-x)% of the interior space width.