Wet wipes are known in the art as an implement for applying, removing, or simultaneously applying and removing substances to and from a surface. For example, wipes may be used to apply emollients and remove exudates from the skin when changing a diaper. Such wipes are generally provided in a package, which may be a rigid or semi-rigid container. A rigid or semi-rigid container may provide a convenient and aesthetically pleasing storage solution for regular use. In some instances, it may be desirable for a wipes container to be relatively lightweight. A lightweight container may be easier to handle while also minimizing material costs. In order to provide a lightweight container, the walls of the container may need to be relatively thin and made of a lightweight material such as plastic. The containers may be nestable such that a plurality of containers may stack on top of each other.
In some processes, nestable containers may be manufactured in one facility and then may be shipped to another facility to be filled with wet wipes. For purposes of shipping and handling, the containers may be stacked on top of each other. During the shipping process, the stacks of nestable, thin-walled containers may be subjected to various forces that may cause the walls of the container to deform. If a container deforms, the container may get stuck inside of an adjacent container in the stack of containers. Once the stacks of containers are at the wipes packaging facility, the stacks of containers may be fed to the wipes packaging process. An apparatus may be used to separate the nested containers from the stack. However, the separating apparatus may not be able to separate containers that are stuck together in shipment. As a result, containers that are stuck together may get jammed in the packaging equipment or may cause damage to the packaging equipment. The wipes packaging process may have to be shut down in order to remove the jammed containers or to repair damaged equipment.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a nestable, thin-walled container that is able to be stacked with a plurality of similar thin-walled containers without the nestable containers sticking together.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds