HK1019845A - Folded sheet dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Folded sheet dispenser

The present invention relates to folded sheet dispensers and, more particularly, to dispensers for withdrawing folded tissue sheets, towels, or the like from a base. The present invention is more particularly directed to a sheet dispenser for alternately withdrawing toilet paper from the bottom.

The present invention provides a dispenser having a bottom surface defining an opening, such as a dispensing opening. The opening is much longer than it is wide. The opening is adapted to be narrowed by the width of the opening when a web of such material as tissue or a towel sheet is passed through the opening.

In one embodiment, the dispenser includes front and rear walls connected by spaced side walls. The rear wall of which is adapted to secure the dispenser to the support member. In this embodiment, the length of the opening is generally transverse to the direction of the front wall, and preferably perpendicular to the front wall. The openings are generally rod-shaped, oval, star-shaped, dumbbell-shaped, quadralobe-shaped, oval, keyhole-shaped and/or rectangular in shape. The shape of the opening may be other shapes as long as the width thereof can narrow the paper sheet material passing therethrough.

The material dispensed by the dispenser may be a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets of paper. Each sheet includes a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the side edges connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge are separated by the leading edge and the trailing edge. During the dispensing of such material, in particular the dispensing of the folded sheets, the two side edges of the folded sheets are brought towards each other or converge from the width of the dispensing opening when said sheets pass through the dispensing opening. In this way, the paper sheet can be said to be "narrowed" by the width of the drop opening as it passes through or past the drop opening.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a dispenser for dispensing individual sheets from a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets is provided. The dispenser includes a chamber for receiving a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets. The chamber includes a floor, a vertically oriented front wall and a vertically oriented rear wall, wherein the front and rear walls are separated by spaced apart vertically oriented side walls connected thereto. The bottom surface defines a sheet drop opening having a length substantially greater than a width. The length direction of the opening is transverse to the direction of the front wall. A plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets, preferably a plurality of vertically stacked interleaved sheets, are stored in the chamber and are supported by the bottom surface. Each sheet includes a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge are separated by spaced side edges. When the sheet is ejected from the dispenser through the dispensing opening, the sides of the sheet are pushed inward by the width of the dispensing opening. The openings are generally rod-shaped, oval, star-shaped, dumbbell-shaped, quadralobe-shaped, oval, keyhole-shaped and/or rectangular in shape.

Embodiments of the invention are described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser with a portion broken away;

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken through section line 1-1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a dispenser;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken through line 2-2 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 3A-E are schematic views of various dispensing openings;

figures 4A-B are cross-sectional views of a dispenser showing a sequence of delivery of a plurality of vertically stacked interleaved sheets; and

figure 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the sides of the dispenser shown in figure 1 with a plurality of stacked sheets of paper in use.

Referring to FIG. 1, a dispenser 10 for dispensing tissue or towel from the bottom is shown. The dispenser 10 includes a chamber 12 for containing dispensed material, preferably folded sheets, and more preferably vertically stacked interleaved sheets (see figures 4A and 4B).

The chamber 12 includes a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, and two side walls 18 and 20. The front wall 14 and the rear wall 16 are preferably vertically disposed and separated by spaced vertical side walls 18 and 20. The rear wall 16 is preferably secured to a support surface (fig. 4A and 4B), such as a wall, in a conventional manner, such as by bolts, adhesives, nails, brackets, screws, etc. In this manner, the front wall 14 of the dispenser 10 is the closest individual component (not shown) facing the rear wall 16.

In one embodiment, the chamber 12 further includes a bottom surface 22. The bottom surface 22 is preferably "dihedral", i.e., the bottom surface 22 is formed by two surfaces 24 and 26 that intersect each other along the edge 28 at an angle greater than or less than 180. The surfaces 24 and 26 may be planar or curved.

The bottom surface 22 also includes a portion that forms a drop opening 30. The length of the drop opening 30 is indicated by the dash-dot line a and the width by the dash-dot line B. Width B is oriented generally parallel to either the rear wall 16 or front wall 14 direction and generally transverse or perpendicular to one of the side walls 18 and 20. Length a is generally transverse or perpendicular to either back wall 16 or front wall 14 and generally parallel to one or both of side walls 18 and 20. The direction of the opening 30 corresponding to the bottom surface 22 may also be considered "front to back", i.e., where the slightly longer of the two dimensions a and B is oriented from the front wall 14 to the rear wall 16.

FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispenser 10, more clearly illustrating the position of the opening 30 relative to the bottom surface 22, and particularly relative to the surfaces 24 and 26.

FIG. 2 shows a dispenser 10A that is very similar to the dispenser 10 except that the opening 30 is limited to the surface 24 of the bottom surface 22.

FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view of the dispenser 10A, more clearly showing the position of the opening 30 relative to the bottom surface 22, and particularly relative to the surfaces 24 and 26.

Figures 3A-E illustrate examples of dispenser openings 30 of various shapes. The respective lengths of each of the shapes in fig. 3A-E are indicated by the dotted line a. The respective width of each shape in fig. 3A-E is indicated by the dotted line B.

In some examples, as in fig. 3C and 3D, the dotted lines B1 and B2 represent different widths in the respective shapes. However, in these examples, the length A is generally greater than the widths B1 and B2.

The dispensing opening 30 shown in fig. 1 and 2 is shaped as a "stick". The dispensing opening 30 shown in fig. 3A has a "star" shape 32. The shape 34 of the drop opening 30 shown in fig. 3B is "quadralobal". The shape 36 of the discharge opening 30 shown in fig. 3C is "dumbbell-shaped". The shape 38 of the drop opening 30 shown in fig. 3D is "keyhole-shaped". The shape 40 of the dispensing opening 30 shown in fig. 3E is "oval".

Referring to fig. 4A and 4B, each of the two columns 42 and 44 shown in the figures includes a plurality of vertically stacked folded paper sheets 46, and particularly a plurality of vertically stacked interleaved paper sheets. Further, in each column 42 and 44, each sheet 46 is folded upwardly upon itself generally in half so that the folded half wraps around the trailing edge 54 of the sheet directly below it and the leading edge 52 of the sheet directly above it. Each column 42 and 44 is held by the bottom 22 in a dispenser 48. The dispenser 48 is similar to the dispensers 10 and 10A. For clarity in describing the folded sheets 46, only the front wall 14, the rear wall 16, the bottom 22 and the dispensing opening 30 of the dispenser 48 are shown. As previously described, the dispenser 48 may be secured to a support surface 50, such as a wall, by securely mounting the rear wall 16 to the support surface 50.

The interfolding shown in figures 4A and 4B allows the sheets to be sequentially dispensed "front to back". In other words, referring to FIG. 4A, a portion of the paper sheet 46 drawn from the opening 30 is closer to the front wall 14 than to the rear wall 16. Thus, the sheet 46 in FIG. 4A is in a "front" stage in front-to-back order. As the remainder of the sheet 46 is drawn through the opening 30 (fig. 4A) of the dispenser 48, the leading edge 52 of the next sheet 46 extends out of the opening 30 (fig. 4B). A portion of the sheet 46 of paper extending through the opening 30 in fig. 4B is closer to the rear wall 16 than to the front wall 14. Thus, the sheet 46 in FIG. 4B is in the "rear" stage in front-to-rear order.

Referring to FIG. 5, the dispenser 10 is shown in a dispensing configuration. A portion of the side walls 18 and front wall 14 are cut away to show a column 42 of a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets 46 positioned in the chamber 12 of the dispenser 10. The bottom surface 22 holds a plurality of vertically stacked folded paper sheets 46.

As mentioned before, the length of the drop opening 30, indicated by the dash-dot line a, is longer than the width, indicated by the dash-dot line B. The orientation of the dispensing opening 30 is described with reference to the length and/or width direction of the opening relative to the front wall 14 and/or rear wall 16, and in particular the side walls 18 and/or 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, length A is generally transverse to front wall 14 and rear wall 16, and is preferably perpendicular to front wall 14 and rear wall 16, and generally parallel to side walls 18 and 20. Another description of the orientation of opening 30 is, for example, that width B is generally transverse relative to side walls 18 and/or 20, and preferably perpendicular to side walls 18 and/or 20, and generally parallel to front wall 14 and/or rear wall 16.

Fig. 5 also shows a portion of a sheet of paper 46 extending through the dispensing opening 30. Further, the leading edge 52 of the paper sheet 46 extends downwardly from the opening 30, and each side edge 56 extends downwardly from the opening 30. During dispensing of the sheets 46 from the dispenser 10, the side edges 56 of the sheets 46 approach each other inwardly or converge within the width B of the opening 30 as the sheets pass through the opening 30. In this manner, it is believed that the sheet 46 is "narrowed" by the width B of the opening 30 as the sheet 46 passes through or past the opening 30. In accordance with the present invention, it may be desirable to configure the stacked folded paper sheets 46 such that the leading edge 52 extending out of the opening 30 is parallel to the width B (i.e., perpendicular to the length A).

The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments.

Claims (12)

1. A dispenser includes a bottom surface with an opening having a length greater than a width, the width of the opening adapted to narrow material passing through the opening.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a front wall and a rear wall connected by spaced side walls, wherein the rear wall is adapted to secure the dispenser to the support member and the length of the opening is generally transverse to the direction of the front wall.

3. The dispenser as in claim 2, wherein the length of the opening is substantially perpendicular to the front wall.

4. A dispenser having a bottom surface for holding material dispensed through an opening defined by said bottom surface, wherein the length of the opening is longer than the width, and the width of said opening narrows the material passing therethrough.

5. The dispenser as in claim 4, wherein the material includes a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by side edges, wherein the side edges of the material are urged inwardly by the width of the opening as the material passes through the opening.

6. The dispenser as set forth in claim 4 or 5 wherein said material is further defined as a plurality of vertically stacked interleaved sheets.

7. The dispenser of claim 4,5 or 6, further comprising a front wall and a rear wall connected by spaced side walls, wherein the rear wall is adapted to secure the dispenser to the support member, and wherein the length of the opening is generally transverse to the direction of the front wall.

8. The dispenser as in claim 7, wherein the length of the opening is substantially perpendicular to the front wall.

9. A dispenser for dispensing a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets, comprising:

a compartment for receiving a plurality of vertically stacked folded paper sheets, the compartment comprising a bottom surface and a vertically oriented front wall and a vertically oriented rear wall, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are separated by spaced apart vertically oriented side walls;

wherein the bottom surface defines an opening having a length substantially greater than a width, and generally the length of the opening is transverse to the direction of the front wall;

a plurality of vertically stacked folded sheets stored in the compartment and supported by the bottom surface, wherein each sheet includes a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by spaced side edges, the side edges of the sheets being urged inwardly by the width of the opening as they pass therethrough.

10. The dispenser as in claim 9, wherein the length of the opening is substantially perpendicular to the front wall.

11. The dispenser as in claim 9 or 10, wherein the folded sheets are further interleaved sheets.

12. The dispenser as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening is generally selected from the group consisting of a rod, an oval, a star, a dumbbell, a quadralobe, an ellipse, a keyhole, and a rectangle.