Wet wipe dispenser system

Abstract

 A dispenser system for wet wipes is disclosed and described, said dispenser system comprising a bag with a removal opening on which a closure piece is mounted, wherein the closure piece has a lid element for closing the removal opening, wherein a planar wipe material is contained in the bag, and comprising a container with an opening and a lid serving to close the opening, wherein the lid has a recess, wherein the recess and the closure piece are provided with means such that the closure piece and the recess can be brought releasably into engagement, in such a way that the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser system for wet wipes, in particular for wipes that are soaked with an antibacterial liquid cleaning composition such as a surface disinfectant.

[0002] Wet wipe dispenser systems are known in which a roll of wipes is inserted into a container of the dispenser, disinfectant is poured over the roll of wipes, the innermost wipe of the roll is pulled into the removal opening of a container lid, and the lid is fitted onto the dispenser and closed.

[0003] A disadvantage of the known wipe dispenser systems is the relatively high risk of microbial contamination. In particular, the wet wipes can be contaminated by the user initially placing the web roll of wipes by hand into the dispenser system and/or by the user having to reach through the removal opening of the dispenser system in order to pull the first wipe of the web roll through the opening. In addition, contamination of the wipe material may occur because parts of the dispenser system coming into contact with the wipes, e.g. the lid of the removal opening, are normally reused and therefore have to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses.

[0004] US 2012/0223178 A1 describes a dispenser system comprising a standup bag which, in its interior, can accommodate a roll of wipes. The dispenser system further comprises a closable lid to provide access to the open interior of the bag, wherein the lid can be connected to the bag either by a weld seam or a mechanical attachment such as a locking ring.

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to make available a dispenser system for wet wipes that is easy and safe to use. The dispenser system according to the invention is intended to ensure in particular that the wet wipes cannot be contaminated by the user. Furthermore, the dispenser system is intended to be as stable as possible, and parts of the dispenser system are intended to be reusable.

[0006] These objects are achieved by a dispenser system for wet wipes, said dispenser system comprising:

• a bag on which a closure piece is mounted, wherein the closure piece has a lid element for closing a removal opening in the bag, wherein a planar wipe material is contained in the bag, and
• a container with an opening and a lid serving to close the opening, wherein the lid has a recess,

wherein the recess and the closure piece are provided with means, such that the closure piece and the recess can be brought releasably into engagement, in such a way that the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

[0007] The bag of the dispenser system according to the invention is preferably formed from a flexible material. In particular, the material of the bag is chosen such that a simple connection to the closure piece can be made. For example, the bag is formed from thermoplastics, such as polyolefins, e.g. polyethylene and/or polypropylene, or multi-layer film composites which, in addition to at least one polyolefin layer, comprise at least one layer of, for example, PET, aluminium, etc. The bag is, in particular, a single-layer flat bag. Examples of suitable bags include four-edge sealed bags, tubular bags, satchel bags, cross-bottom bags, block-bottom bags and satchel-bottom bags.

[0008] The bag is dimensioned such that its interior can contain the planar wipe material.

[0009] The wipe material can be made up in particular from natural or synthetic fibres and is preferably a woven textile fabric, foam or nonwoven. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the wipe material is a nonwoven. Particularly preferably, a plurality of interconnected wipes are used in the form of a perforated roll. In this case, the perforation of the wipes is fine enough to provide optimal tearing and to ensure that no further wipes are unnecessarily pulled from the dispenser system.

[0010] It is also preferable that the wipe material is not already soaked from the outset with a soaking solution such as an aqueous or alcoholic disinfectant solution. Instead, the wipe material is preferably initially dry and is only soaked with a desired soaking solution by the person using the wipes. This has the particular advantage that no soaked wipes have to be stored over a long period of time, which would reduce the useful life of the wipes, since the soaking solutions normally used have limited stability. Instead, with the dispenser system according to the invention, dry wipes can be stored over a long period of time, and, just before they are used, the user can soak the wipes with the desired soaking solution, including ones with limited stability. A further advantage of this embodiment is that, when wipes are supplied in the dry state, their lower weight means that the costs of transportation are reduced by comparison with those for systems that have already been soaked. The specific weight of the component parts of the dispenser system according to the invention is very low.

[0011] In principle, the wipe material used according to the invention can be soaked with any conventional disinfection solutions, e.g. solutions based on quaternary compounds (for example quaternary ammonium compounds), octenidine, chlorhexidine, peracetic acid or alcoholic disinfection solutions, such that the wipes can be used to disinfect medical products, e.g. ultrasound heads, or other surfaces in hospitals, nursing homes, emergency services and general practices. Furthermore, the wipe material of the dispenser system according to the invention can also be soaked with cleaning solutions.

[0012] The bag of the dispenser system according to the invention preferably already has a removal opening. This removal opening can produced, for example, by punching a hole into the bag. The removal opening is preferably located in a central area of the bag. This has the advantage that, when using a roll of perforated wipes, the innermost wipe of the roll can be easily guided through the removal opening, and the further wipes of the roll can also be removed without any great mechanical resistance. The removal opening of the bag is therefore preferably arranged in an area that can be easily placed over the axis of a roll of wipes. However, it is also conceivable that a user produces the removal opening only when connecting the bag to the lid of the container; in other words the removal opening is not already provided by the manufacturer.

[0013] The removal opening of the bag should preferably be dimensioned such that individual wipes of the wipe material can be easily guided through the removal opening, and such that a user can easily introduce soaking solution into the interior of the bag through the removal opening.

[0014] A closure piece, which has a lid element for closing the removal opening, is mounted on the bag, if appropriate in the area of the already present removal opening.

[0015] The dispenser system according to the invention moreover has a container with an opening, and a lid serving to close the opening. The container serves to accommodate the bag of the dispenser system together with its closure piece and the wipes contained in the bag. For this purpose, it is preferably a rigid container made from materials such as plastics, metals or other rigid materials. In particular, conventional containers of wet wipe dispenser systems, for example so-called disinfection buckets, can be used as the container.

[0016] The lid of the container has at least one recess. The recess of the container lid and the closure piece of the bag are provided with means such that the closure piece and the recess can be brought releasably into engagement and the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

[0017] The dispenser system according to the invention permits the following procedure.

[0018] First of all, the bag is made available, which can have a removal opening and on which a closure piece is mounted, wherein at least one side edge of the bag is not yet closed. The planar wipe material, e.g. a roll of perforated nonwoven material, is then introduced into the bag through the open side. The free end of the wipe material, e.g. the innermost wipe of the roll, is guided through the removal opening and secured on the closure piece, for example by a holding element described below. The open edge of the bag is then closed, e.g. by thermal welding, sealing, gluing, clamping or ultrasonic welding. Optionally, the bag thus obtained, with the wipe material contained therein, can subsequently be sterilized if necessary. This can be done, for example, with ethylene oxide or gamma irradiation.

[0019] The bag thus produced can then be supplied to the consumer.

[0020] At the time of use, the closure piece of the bag is brought into engagement with the recess of a lid forming part of a container already in the possession of the consumer or of a likewise newly supplied container, such that the closure piece is fixed on the lid. The bag can now be placed in the container, and the container can be closed with the lid.

[0021] Before the wet wipes are used, the lid element of the closure piece is opened for the first time, if appropriate a removal opening is produced, and soaking solution is poured through the removal opening into the bag. The closure piece can preferably be designed in such a way that means are provided from which it is possible to tell whether the closure piece has already been opened.

[0022] The dispenser system according to the invention is therefore characterized by many advantages. One particular advantage of the dispenser system according to the invention is that the risk of microbial contamination is greatly reduced by comparison with the known systems used today. With the system according to the invention, the closure piece does not have to be taken off when filling the bag with soaking solution. Furthermore, the user no longer has to reach inside the device in order to thread through the free end of the wipe material. Instead, in the system according to the invention, the wipe material can already be introduced into the bag, and its free end secured on the closure piece, by the manufacturer under controlled conditions, such that contamination can be ruled out. Moreover, by the provision of the bag, i.e. of an element made of simple and inexpensive material, the wipe material is protected effectively from contamination by the reusable components, e.g. the container. Moreover, by comparison with dispensing systems composed only of a standup bag and of a corresponding closure piece, the system according to the invention has the advantage that it is mechanically more stable through the use of rigid structural parts, i.e. the container and the lid of the latter. Nonetheless, the reusable nature of the rigid structural parts leads to less waste.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure piece has a collar which is aligned with the removal opening, wherein the lid element is mounted on the collar, on the end thereof remote from the removal opening. It is particularly preferable if the lid element is secured on the collar pivotably or via a thread. A collar is a simple way of providing the necessary engagement means for an engagement with the lid, and it also has the stability necessary for this purpose.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collar of the closure piece has a first flange and a second flange, wherein a preferably circumferential groove is formed between the first and second flanges, and the edge of the recess is arranged in the groove when the closure piece is in engagement with the lid. It is particularly preferable if the second flange constitutes the material portion of the closure piece that is connected to the bag, e.g. by adhesive bonding, heat sealing, clamping or ultrasonic welding. In addition, the two flanges, preferably arranged in planes extending parallel to each other, represent a reliable form of engagement means, in which the lid of the container then simply has to be pushed onto the collar by a rectilinear movement.

[0025] According to a development of the invention, the edge of the recess in the lid has two rectilinear portions extending parallel to each other, and an abutment portion connecting the rectilinear portions. Particularly preferably, the abutment portion is semicircular. Such a construction is in particular adapted to a collar with a circular cross section.

[0026] In one embodiment of this development, the edge of the recess has at least one elastic locking projection. Particularly preferably, the edge of the recess has two locking projections, which locking projections are provided on the connection between the rectilinear portions and the abutment portion. The main purpose of one or more elastic locking projections is to fix the closure piece of the bag more securely on the lid of the container and to indicate to the user that the end position of the closure piece in the recess has been reached.

[0027] To further increase the reliability of the fixing of the closure piece on the lid, the lid according to another preferred embodiment has an elastic tab that extends from the end of the recess lying opposite the abutment portion into the opening formed by the recess. Like the elastic locking projections, this elastic tab prevents accidental release of the engagement between the closure piece and the lid. A further effect of the elastic tab is that the closure piece can be more easily introduced into the recess, with the elastic tab being bent away from the plane of the lid. Moreover, the elastic tab serves to cover a part of the recess in the lid, as a result of which the bag is protected from external contaminants.

[0028] According to another preferred embodiment, the collar of the closure piece has, on its inside, a holding element extending away from the wall of the collar, with which holding element a wipe can be secured on the closure piece, such that the user does not have to reach inside the bag to remove a wipe.

[0029] In this embodiment, the holding element preferably has a fixed or elastic material portion provided with an incision. Particularly preferably, starting from the end of the material portion opposite the wall of the collar, the incision extends in the direction of the wall of the collar. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the holding element is characterized in that the edges separated by the at least one incision lie directly on each other, at least along part of the length of the incision. This has the advantage that the wipe is held securely and does not fall back into the bag. In another preferred embodiment, the fixed or elastic material portion has, at the end of the incision directed towards the wall of the collar, an opening, e.g. a circular or elliptic hole.

[0030] The incision and optionally the opening serve to ensure that a wipe is held on the closure piece, such that the user does not have to reach inside the bag to remove a wipe, which could result in contamination. In particular, the holding element is designed in such a way that that the interconnected wipes are separated from each other at the provided perforation during removal, and, in addition, a well-defined portion of the following wipe peeps out from the removal opening after the previous one has been torn off. This portion of the following wipe should not be so small that it cannot easily be taken hold of and, moreover, it should also not be so bulky that the lid element of the closure piece can no longer be closed.

[0031] According to another preferred embodiment, the closure piece of the dispenser system has a flap element.

[0032] According this preferred embodiment It is more preferable that said flap element is pivotable away from the lid element and preferably has a sharp edge. It is then possible, by pressing the flap element into the bag, to form the removal opening in the latter, this only being done for the first time by the user, such that the flap element, before it is pressed into the bag, provides proof that the bag has not been opened before.

[0033] It is particularly preferable that said flap element has a punched-out area, preferably shaped as a continuous slit starting from one edge, for receiving the wipe material, by which the wipe material is held on the flap element and can be prevented from falling back into the interior of the bag.

[0034] The flap element can then be closed, by pulling out the wipe material previously threaded through the recess, or pivoted onto the closure piece. In the closed state, the flap element prevents dirt from entering the bag. A further and optionally flexible holding element on the closure piece facilitates the separation of the individual nonwoven wipes from the roll, while the punched-out area on the flap element ensures that the wipe material can be held securely and cannot fall back into the bag.

[0035] Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the closure piece can have a pivotable handle element, which makes transporting the bag without the container easier.

[0036] Finally, locking elements can be provided on the outer wall of the collar, extend from the outer wall towards the bag and are inclined with respect to the outer wall, said locking elements being able to be bent elastically towards the outer wall. In such an embodiment, the closure piece can be secured on the lid of the container by pressing the collar through the recess provided therein, the locking elements being bent towards the collar. When the locking elements have passed the recess completely, they pivot away again from the collar and prevent the closure piece from automatically coming loose from the recess. However, if the closure piece is to be released, the locking elements have to be actively bent towards the collar.

[0037] The subject matter of the invention also includes a bag forming part of the above-described dispenser system according to the invention. That is to say, the invention further relates to a bag with a removal opening on which a closure piece is mounted, wherein the closure piece has a collar aligned with the removal opening, and the collar has, on the end remote from the removal opening, a lid element for closing the removal opening, wherein a planar wipe material is contained in the bag, and the closure piece is provided with means such that the closure piece can be brought releasably into engagement with a recess of a container lid, in such a way that the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

[0038] The subject matter of the invention further relates to a bag arrangement with a bag on which a closure piece is mounted, wherein the closure piece has a collar aligned with the removal opening, and said collar has, on the end remote from the removal opening, a lid element for closing the removal opening, wherein a planar wipe material is contained in the bag, and the closure piece is provided with means such that the closure piece can be brought releasably into engagement with a recess of a container lid, in such a way that the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

[0039] According to preferred embodiments of said bag arrangement,
a removal opening is formed in the bag, on which removal opening the closure piece is mounted, and/or
the collar has a first flange and a second flange, and a circumferential groove is formed between the first and second flanges, and/or
the collar has, on its inside, a holding element extending away from the wall of the collar, and/or
the holding element has an elastic or fixed material portion with an incision, and/or
the closure piece has a flap element, which is arranged between the lid element and the bag and which is pivotable away from the lid element. Preferably, said flap element has a punched-out area for receiving the wipe material; and/or
the closure piece has a pivotable handle element, and/or
locking elements are provided on the outer wall of the collar, extending from the outer wall towards the bag and are inclined with respect to the outer wall, said locking elements being able to be bent elastically towards the outer wall.

[0040] The invention is also directed to a container of the dispenser system according to the invention. Accordingly, the invention also relates to a container with an opening, and with a lid serving to close the opening, wherein the lid has a recess, wherein the recess is provided with means such that the recess can be brought releasably into engagement with a closure piece of a bag, in such a way that the closure piece is fixed on the lid.

[0041] According to preferred embodiments of said container,
the edge of said recess has two rectilinear portions extending parallel to each other, and an abutment portion connecting the rectilinear portions, said abutment portion being more preferably semicircular, and/or
said edge of said recess having at least one elastic locking projection, and still more preferably said edge of the recess having two locking projections provided on the connection between the rectilinear portions and the abutment portion, and/or
said lid has an elastic tab that extends from the end of the lid lying opposite the abutment portion into the opening.

[0042] The present invention is explained below with reference to a drawing that shows only preferred illustrative embodiments. In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the first illustrative embodiment of a dispenser system according to the invention for wet wipes,

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view along the line II-II from Figure 1,

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the first preferred illustrative embodiment of a lid,

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the first preferred illustrative embodiment of a lid, with a closure piece to be brought into engagement,

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the first preferred illustrative embodiment of the dispenser system from Figure 1,

Figure 6 shows a plan view of the closure piece of the first preferred illustrative embodiment,

Figure 7 shows a first perspective view of a closure piece of a second preferred illustrative embodiment,

Figure 8 shows a plan view of the closure piece of the second preferred illustrative embodiment,

Figure 9 shows a second perspective view of the closure piece of the second preferred illustrative embodiment, and

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the closure piece with a part of the lid of the second preferred illustrative embodiment.

[0043] Figures 1, 2 and 5 show a first illustrative embodiment of a dispenser system 1 according to the invention with a container 3, which has a lid 5 serving to close an opening of the container 3, and with a bag 21 made of flexible material, such as a film, which is provided with a removal opening 15, on which in turn a closure piece 9 is mounted. The closure piece 9 is provided with a lid element 13, with which the removal opening 15 can be closed. Moreover, the bag 21 contains a roll of wipe material 17, the free end of which is guided through the removal opening 15 and the closure piece 9. The lid 5 has a recess 7, with which the closure piece 9 is brought into engagement, such that the closure piece 9 is fixed on the lid 5.

[0044] As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the edge of the recess 7 is defined by two rectilinear portions 31, 33 extending parallel to each other, and by a semicircular abutment portion 35 connecting these portions. Moreover, from the end of the recess 7 lying opposite the abutment portion 35, a tab 11 extends parallel to the portions 31, 33 into the recess 7. As can also be seen from Figure 3, locking projections 37, 39 are provided at the transition between the semicircular abutment portion 35 and the portions 31, 33.

[0045] The closure piece 9 has a collar 23 and, on the end remote from the removal opening 15, the lid element 13 which serves to close the removal opening 15 and which is mounted pivotably on the collar 23. However, it is also conceivable that the lid element 13 can be screwed onto the collar 23. In the view according to Figures 1, 2 and 5, the lid element is shown in the opened position, whereas the view according to Figure 4 shows the lid element in its closed position.

[0046] At the end of the collar 23 remote from the lid element 13, and adjacent to the removal opening 15, a first flange 25 and a second flange 27 are provided on the collar 23, which flanges extend parallel to each other, with a groove 29, in this case a circumferential groove 29, formed between them. The surface of the second flange 27 facing away from the groove 29 is connected to the bag 21, for example by welding. As is seen in particular from Figures 2 and 6, the embodiment of the closure piece 9 shown in these figures is characterized in that the groove 29 does not extend about the full circumference of the closure piece 9 but instead only partially around it. The groove 29 is particularly preferably formed in those areas of the closure piece 9 that come into engagement with the rectilinear portions 31, 33 and the abutment portion 35 of the lid.

[0047] As Figures 2, 4 and 5 show in particular, the semicircular abutment portion 35 and the rectilinear portions 31, 33 of the edge of the recess 7 engage in the groove 29 of the collar 23, such that the closure piece 9 is fixed on the lid 5. The locking projections 37, 39 prevent the collar 23 from moving away from the abutment portion 35.

[0048] In the position in which the closure piece 9 is in engagement with the lid 5 (see Figure 2), the tab 11 lies on the second flange 27 of the closure piece 9, and the edge of the tab 11 facing towards the abutment portion 35 also lies on an edge adjacent to the collar 23 and therefore likewise prevents a movement of the closure piece 9 away from the abutment portion 35.

[0049] As can be seen finally from Figure 6, the collar 23 has, internally on its inner wall, a holding element 19 that extends away from the latter. The holding element 19 has an elastic or fixed material portion 41 with an incision 43. Starting from the end of the material portion 41 at a distance from the wall of the collar 23, the incision 43 extends in the direction of the wall of the collar 23. At the end of the incision 43, the material portion 41 also has an opening 45. The free end of the wipe material 17 guided through the removal opening 15 and through the closure piece 9 can be held in the incision 43 or in the opening 45, such that said wipe material 17 cannot fall back into the bag 21, and a user can always take hold of the free end, such that he does not have to reach deep inside the bag 21 and thus into the disinfecting solution. The opening 45 thus ensures that the wipes are held firmly and also that the wipes are easy to separate from the roll. In the embodiment according to Figure 4, the opening 45 has a circular geometry.

[0050] The above-described illustrative embodiment of a dispenser system 1 for wet wipes can be produced as follows.

[0051] Firstly, the bag 21 is provided which has the removal opening 15 over which the described closure piece 9 is mounted. Initially, at least one side edge of the bag 21 is not yet closed. Thus, a bag 21 with at least one open edge is preferably firstly produced, after which a punched-out area is introduced into the bag 21, and the closure piece 9 is connected to the bag 21 in the area of the removal opening 15 formed by punching. This is done by a procedure in which the surface of the second flange 27 facing away from the lid element 13 is welded to the bag 21.

[0052] Thereafter, the planar wipe material, i.e. the roll of wipe material 17, is inserted into the bag 21 via the open side. The free end of the wipe material, e.g. the innermost wipe of the roll, is guided through the removal opening 15 and secured on the holding element 19. The open edge of the bag 21 is then closed. If necessary, the bag 21 thereby obtained can subsequently be sterilized together with the wipe material 17 contained therein.

[0053] The bag 21 thus produced can then be supplied to the consumer separate from the container 3.

[0054] The consumer then brings the closure piece 9 of the bag 21 into engagement with the recess of a lid 5 forming part of a container 3 already in the possession of the consumer or of a likewise newly supplied container 3 (see Figures 4 and 5), such that the closure piece 9 is fixed on the lid 5. This is done as follows in the illustrative embodiment.

[0055] The collar 23, with the lid element 13 in the closed position, is guided through the recess 7 in the area of the tab 11, for which purpose the tab 11 has to be bent out from the plane of the lid 5. The collar 23, in the plane of the lid 5, is then guided along the portions 31, 33 of the edge, with the second flange 27 bearing on the lid 5 from below, such that the semicircular abutment portion 35 engages with the groove 29 between the flanges 25, 27. To do this, the collar 23 has to be moved past the locking projections 37, 39 and these have to be pivoted away from each other.

[0056] When the abutment portion 35 in the groove 29 bears on the collar 23, the tab 11 can then pivot back again almost into the plane of the lid 5, as is shown in Figure 2. The edge of the tab 11 facing towards the abutment portion 35 then likewise bears on an edge of the closure piece 9 formed between the first and second flanges 25, 27 and holds same in position.

[0057] The combination of the lid 5 and of the attached bag 21 with wipe material 17 can now be inserted into the container 3.

[0058] Before use of the wet wipes, the lid element 13 of the closure piece 9 is opened for the first time, and soaking solution 47 is introduced into the bag 21 via the removal opening 15, which soaking solution 47 can also be supplied separately to the consumer.

[0059] Individual wipe sections can then be removed, the free end always being secured on holding element 19.

[0060] Figures 7 to 10 show the closure piece 9' of a second illustrative embodiment of a system according to the invention. This closure piece 9' also has a flange 25 on which a bag (not shown in Figures 7 to 10) is secured by welding. However, in contrast to the first illustrative embodiment, the bag initially has no removal opening.

[0061] This closure piece 9' also has a collar 23 which extends away from the flange 25 and thus away from the bag, wherein a lid element 13 is hinged pivotably on the collar 23 at the end remote from the bag. Moreover, a flap element 51 is mounted on the closure piece 9' between the bag (not shown) and the lid element 13, which flap element 51 has a preferably sharp edge 53 and extends in the plane of the flange 25 inside the collar 23 when the bag is welded onto the flange 25. However, the flap element 51 can be pivoted away from the lid element 13 towards the bag, the sharp edge 53 then cutting an opening into the bag, this opening forming the removal opening.

[0062] The flap element 51 also has a rectilinear punched-out area 55 extending away from the edge that runs parallel to the edge along which the flap element 51 is hinged on the collar 23 of the closure piece 9'. The punched- out area 55 also has a circular opening 57, such that wipe material can be pulled through the linear portion of the punched-out area 55 towards the circular opening 57 and the wipe material is held and centred therein. As will also be seen, a holding element 19 with an incision 43 is again provided in the interior of the collar 23, such that wipe material guided through the opening 57 can be separated using the holding element 19.

[0063] The closure piece 9' moreover has a handle element 59 mounted pivotably on the flange 25, such that a user can easily carry the bag arrangement composed of bag and closure piece 9'.

[0064] Moreover, Figures 9 and 10 in particular show that locking elements 61 are provided on the outer wall of the collar 23 and extend away from said outer wall towards the bag or the flange 25, wherein the locking elements 61 are inclined with respect to the outer wall of the collar 23. Furthermore, the locking elements are elastic, such that they can be bent towards the outer wall of the collar 23.

[0065] In the second illustrative embodiment of a system according to the invention, the locking elements 61 allow the closure piece 9' to be secured releasably as follows on the lid 5 (shown only partially in Figure 10).

[0066] The closure piece 9' is pushed with the collar 23 through the recess 7 provided in the lid 5, the dimensions of the recess 7 corresponding substantially to the dimensions of the collar 23. In the process, the locking elements 61 are bent elastically towards the outer wall of the collar 23, and, when the locking elements 61 have passed the recess 7 completely, they automatically pivot back out on account of their elasticity, such that the closure element 9' cannot easily slide back out of the recess 7. Instead, the closure piece 9' is locked in the recess 7. However, if the closure piece 9' with the bag attached to it is to be released from the lid 5, the locking elements 61 simply have to be pressed towards the collar 23. Thus, in this second illustrative embodiment too, the bag arrangement composed of the bag and of the closure piece 9' can easily be secured on the lid 5 in a releasable manner.

[0067] After the closure piece 9' has been mounted on the lid 5, the lid element 13 in this illustrative embodiment is opened and the flap element 51 is pivoted downwards away from the lid element 13, wherein the sharp edge 53 of the flap element 51 cuts the necessary removal opening into the bag (not shown). Thus, the flap element 51 before it is pivoted down, or the bag when it is not yet provided with an opening, provides proof that the bag has not been opened before.

[0068] After the removal opening has been produced, soaking solution can also be introduced into the bag in this illustrative embodiment and the wipe material prepared for use. The wipe material can then be pulled into the punched-out area 55 and the circular opening 57, such that, by pulling on the free end of the wipe material, the flap element 51 is then pivoted back on the closure piece 9'. In this way, the removal opening that has previously been formed is substantially closed, such that no contamination can enter the interior of the bag, while at the same time wipe material can be pulled through the opening 57 and portions of it can be cut off in the incision 43 of the holding element 19.

[0069] It will be noted at this point that the bag arrangement with the above-described closure piece 9' according to the second illustrative embodiment can also be used separately without a container. Thus, the combination composed of a bag and of the closure piece 9' of the second illustrative embodiment represents an independently inventive concept, and the locking elements 61 are not needed in the case of a separate use independently of a container.

[0070] The illustrative embodiments of a dispenser system according to the invention thus have many advantages. One advantage, first of all, is that the risk of microbial contamination is greatly reduced by comparison with the known systems used today. In the systems according to the invention, the closure piece 9 does not have to be taken off when filling the bag with soaking solution. Furthermore, the user no longer has to reach inside the interior of the receptacle in which the wipe material 17 is accommodated. In the system according to the invention, the wipe material 17 is already introduced into the bag 21, and its free end secured on the closure piece 9, by the manufacturer under controlled conditions, such that contamination can be ruled out. Moreover, by the provision of the bag 21, i.e. of an element made of simple and inexpensive material, the wipe material is protected effectively from contamination by the reusable components, e.g. the container 3. Moreover, by comparison with dispensing systems composed only of a stand-up bag and of a corresponding closure piece, the system according to the invention has the advantage that it is mechanically more stable through the use of rigid structural parts, i.e. the container 3 and the lid 5 of the latter. Nonetheless, the reusable nature of the rigid structural parts 3, 5 leads to less waste.

Claims

1. Dispenser system (1) for wet wipes, said dispenser system comprising:

- A bag (21) on which a closure piece (9, 9') is mounted, wherein the closure piece (9, 9') has a lid element (13) for closing a removal opening (15) in the bag (21), wherein a planar wipe material (17) is contained in the bag (21), and

- A container (3) with an opening and a lid (5) serving to close the opening, wherein the lid has a recess (7),

wherein the recess (7) and the closure piece (9, 9') are provided with means (11, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39) such that the closure piece (9) and the recess (7) can be brought releasably into engagement, in such a way that the closure piece (9, 9') is fixed on the lid (5).

2. Dispenser system (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the closure piece (9, 9') has a collar (23) which is aligned with the removal opening (15), wherein the lid element (13) is mounted on the collar (23), on the end thereof remote from the removal opening (15).

3. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 1 or 2, wherein the collar (23) has a first flange (25) and a second flange (27), wherein a preferably circumferential groove (29) is formed between the first and second flanges (25, 27), and wherein the edge of the recess (7) is arranged in the groove (29) when the closure piece (9) is in engagement with the lid (5).

4. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the edge of the recess (7) has two rectilinear portions (31, 33) extending parallel to each other, an abutment portion (35) connecting the rectilinear portions, and two locking projections (37, 39), provided on the connection between the rectilinear portions (31, 33) and the abutment portion (35).

5. Dispenser system (1) according to Claim 4, wherein the lid (5) has an elastic tab (11) that extends from the end of the recess (7) lying opposite the abutment portion (35) into the opening (15).

6. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the collar (23) has, on its inside, a holding element (19) extending away from the wall of the collar (23).

7. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the closure piece (9, 9') has a flap element (51), which is arranged between the lid element (13) and the bag (21) and which is pivotable away from the lid element (13).

8. Dispenser system according to Claim 7, wherein the flap element (51) has a punched-out area (55) for receiving the wipe material (17).

9. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the closure piece (9) has a pivotable handle element (59).

10. Dispenser system (1) according to one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein locking elements (61) are provided on the outer wall of the collar (23), extend from the outer wall towards the bag (21) and are inclined with respect to the outer wall, said locking elements (61) being able to be bent elastically towards the outer wall.

11. Bag arrangement with a bag (21) on which a closure piece (9, 9') is mounted, wherein the closure piece (9, 9') has a collar (23) aligned with the removal opening (15), and the collar (23) has, on the end remote from the removal opening (15), a lid element (13) for closing the removal opening (15), wherein a planar wipe material (17) is contained in the bag (21), and the closure piece (9, 9') is provided with means (25, 27, 29) such that the closure piece (9, 9') can be brought releasably into engagement with a recess (7) of a container lid (5), in such a way that the closure piece (9, 9') is fixed on the lid (5).

12. Bag arrangement according to Claim 11, wherein the collar (23) has a first flange (25) and a second flange (27), and a circumferential groove (29) is formed between the first and second flanges (25, 27).

13. Bag arrangement according to one of Claims 11 or 12, wherein the closure piece (9) has a flap element (51), which is arranged between the lid element (13) and the bag (21) and which is pivotable away from the lid element (13).

14. Bag arrangement according to one of Claims 11 to 13, wherein the closure piece (9) has a pivotable handle element (59).

15. Bag arrangement according to one of Claims 11 to 14, wherein locking elements (61) are provided on the outer wall of the collar (23), extend from the outer wall towards the bag (21) and are inclined with respect to the outer wall, said locking elements (61) being able to be bent elastically towards the outer wall.

16. Container (3) with an opening, and with a lid (5) serving to close the opening, wherein the lid (5) has a recess (7), wherein the recess (7) is provided with means (11, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39) such that the recess (7) can be brought releasably into engagement with a closure piece (9, 9') of a bag (21), in such a way that the closure piece (9, 9') is fixed on the lid (5).

17. Container (3) according to Claim 16, wherein the lid (5) has an elastic tab (11) that extends from the end of the lid (5) lying opposite the abutment portion (35) into the opening (15).

Drawing