Patent Application
20240262563
Sheet materials, such as tissue paper and wet wipes, are often interfolded into stacks or clips and placed into a dispenser such that upon removal of one sheet, a subsequent sheet is partially dispensed having an exposed portion that extends from the dispenser's opening. This method of “pop-up” sheet dispensing is convenient for many applications since the next sheet is readily presented for quick access. However, the pop-up sheet dispensing feature can become unreliable as the height of the dispenser increases and/or the stack height of the remaining sheets decreases. When this occurs, the partially dispensed sheet can “fall-back” into the dispenser's interior where it is inconvenient to reach. Frequently, the dispensing opening's design prohibits easy access to the substrate to restart the pop-up dispensing feature. In facial tissue dispensers, the opening and the poly window used to hold the popped-up sheet in position can be damaged or destroyed when reaching into the dispenser to retrieve the fallen sheet. The damage can cause additional incidences of fall-back to occur and prevent the substrate from staying in position ready to dispense.
Various dispensers have been designed to solve this problem. Some dispensers use biasing springs to lift the sheet material towards the opening, movable bottoms that lift the sheet material, or other methods to force the clip against the dispensing opening to ensure more reliable dispensing. While such methods can reduce the incidence of dispensing failures due to fall-back, the dispensers tend to be expensive or require inconvenient manipulation of the dispenser during use to prevent fall-back from occurring. Also, some executions have an additional opening into the bottom or sides of the dispenser for sheet removal as the sheets are depleted that, can be negatively perceived by people using the dispenser as unsanitary. In general, people would prefer not to adjust or manipulate the dispenser during use. They merely want to dispense a sheet reliably from the start until all the sheets have been dispensed without having to adjust the dispenser.
A collapsible box for facial tissue is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,633. The upper part of the box has several perforated tear-away portions or strips to reduce the overall height of the dispenser. In order to reduce the height of this dispenser, the upper part of the box must be torn away while the lower tray is progressively located closer to the top of the box. This can help reduce the incidence of fall-back; however, such a dispenser is not convenient to use. Excessive manipulation is required to progressively move the lower tray in a series of small steps because the lower tray has a relatively short side panel as compared to the much longer side panel on the upper portion that is torn away each time the lower tray is moved.
Another dispenser for stacked sheets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,959 entitled Box for Dispensing Stacked Sheets issued to Watkins on Oct. 31, 1967. In this dispenser, the cover section of the dispenser with the dispensing opening can be removed and pushed down into the bottom section as the stack of sheets is depleted. This can help reduce the incidence of fall-back; however, the cover has a relatively short side panel as compared to the side panel of the bottom section. As a result, when the stack is nearly depleted the sheets are dispensed from within the confines of the bottom section since the longer bottom side panel extends significantly above the cover. This reduces access to the popped-up sheet since it can no longer be reached or grabbed from the side, but instead must be grabbed only from the top by reaching into the bottom section. Furthermore, this dispenser can trap dirt, dust, or lint in the bottom section since the bottom side panel extends significantly above the cover as the cover drops into the bottom section creating a cavity that can trap debris.
Still another dispenser for stacked sheets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,156. This dispenser includes top and bottom portions that may be telescoped relative to one another to vary the dispenser overall height. In this manner the height of the dispenser can be reduced as the sheet material is depleted or where the height can be adjusted by simply pushing down on the dispenser's top.
Therefore, what is needed is an economical dispenser that reduces the incidence of fall-back and also avoids the problems with prior dispensers. Also, what is needed, is a dispenser that is either self-adjusting or that can be adjusted with a minimum of manipulation.
The present invention provides a dispenser for sheet materials comprising a top panel having a dispensing opening disposed thereon and a bottom panel having a movable portion that allows a user to adjust the position of the sheet material disposed within the dispenser. The movable portion may be defined, in-part, by a line of weakness extending along a portion of the bottom panel and first and second carton side panels. Generally, the user may move the movable portion from a first to a second position by breaking the line of weakness and separating a portion of the bottom and side panels. Once liberated, the separated portion of the panels—bottom panel, first side panel and second side panel—may be moved from a first position to a second position. When the panels are placed in a second position the internal volume of the dispenser may be decreased and the sheet materials may be moved towards the dispensing opening. This can help reduce the incidence of fall-back, as when the sheet materials are nearly depleted the sheets are dispensed from a position closer to the dispensing opening.
Accordingly, in certain embodiments the dispenser of the present invention comprises a top panel having a dispensing opening disposed thereon, a pair of opposed side panels, a bottom panel and a movable portion defined by lines of weakness disposed on the bottom panel and each of the first and second side panels. The dispenser may further comprise a pair of opposed end panels and together the dispenser panels—top, side, end, and bottom—provide the dispenser with a substantially cubic shape. In certain instances, the dispensing opening may be configured with a dispensing window and a slit to facilitate “pop up” dispensing of the sheet materials.
In other embodiments the present invention provides a dispenser for sheet material that is initially configured with the entirety of the dispenser side panels and bottom panel intact. Once a portion of the sheet materials are dispensed the user can adjust the volume of the dispenser by separating a portion of the side panels and bottom panel along a line of weakness and repositioning the separated portion of the panels to a second position. In this manner, the overall dispenser height may be adjusted by the user to alleviate problems with access to the exposed sheet or excessive manipulation to change the dispenser's height can be avoided.
In another embodiment the present invention provides a dispenser comprising a dispenser for a stack of folded sheet material, the dispenser comprising an interior volume defined by a top panel, a pair of opposed end panels, a pair of opposed side panels, and a bottom panel. The dispenser further comprising a stack of folded sheet material disposed within the dispenser interior volume and in contact with the bottom panel. The folded sheet material is dispensed through a dispensing opening disposed on the top panel. The distance between the upper most sheet in the stack and the dispensing opening may be adjusted by moving the bottom panel from a first to a second position. Movement of the bottom panel is accomplished by separating a portion of the bottom panel along a line of weakness and moving the separated portion of the bottom panel upward towards the dispensing opening.
In still another embodiment the present invention provides a dispenser for a stack of folded sheet material, the dispenser comprising a top panel, a pair of opposed end panels, a pair of opposed side panels, a bottom panel, a dispensing opening disposed on the top panel and lines of weakness disposed on the bottom panel and the pair of opposed side panels, wherein upon breaking of the line weakness a portion of the bottom panel is movable from a first position to a second position.
In yet another embodiment the present invention provides a dispenser for a stack of folded sheet material comprising a bottom panel and first and second side panels foldably connected to the bottom panel and separated by a fold line, a dispensing opening opposite of the bottom panel and lines of weakness disposed on the bottom and first and second side panels, the lines of weakness extending across the fold line and configured such that upon breaking of the lines of weakness a portion of the bottom panel is movable from a first position to a second position.
The above aspects and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:
Repeated use of reference characters in the specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the invention.
As used herein, “moveable portion” generally refers to a portion of the dispenser, such as one or more dispenser panels, that is moveable by a user from a first position to a second position. Generally, dispensers of the present invention have a movable portion formed from at least a portion of at least two adjacent dispenser panels, such as a first side panel and an adjacent bottom panel. In particularly preferred embodiments a movable portion is defined by one or more lines of weakness, which are broken by a user to release a portion of a dispenser panel that may then be moved from a first position to a second position by the user.
As used herein, “sheet material” generally refers to a flexible substrate, which may be useful for household chores, cleaning, personal care, health care, food wrapping, and cosmetic application or removal. Non-limiting examples of suitable substrates for use with the dispenser include nonwoven substrates; woven substrates; hydro-entangled substrates; air-entangled substrates; paper substrates comprising cellulose such as tissue paper, toilet paper, or paper towels; waxed paper substrates; coform substrates comprising cellulose fibers and polymer fibers; wet substrates such as wet wipes, moist cleaning wipes, moist toilet paper wipes, and baby wipes; film or plastic substrates such as those used to wrap food; shop towels; and metal substrates such as aluminum foil. Furthermore, laminated or plied together substrates of two or more layers of any of the preceding substrates are also suitable.
As used herein, “dispensing height” generally refers to the distance between the top panel and the upper most portion of the bottom panel. In certain instances, a dispenser of the present invention may have an initial dispensing height which is substantially equal to the height of the dispenser in its initial, unperturbed, state. The dispensing height may thereafter be reduced by reconfiguring the dispenser such that a portion of the bottom panel is moved from a first, initial, position to a second position.
As used herein, “line of weakness” generally refers to any region or area of weakened material, preferably having a length but not necessarily a defined width, that facilitates separating portions of the substrate from one another or that indicates optimal separation locations. A line of weakness can include linear and non-linear patterns, such as curvilinear patterns of weakness. A line of weakness includes a perforation or other series of cuts, a thinning or breakage or separation of material, or a strip of a different kind of material bridging between adjacent portions of material that is more easily torn or broken than the adjacent portions, and which allows the user to separate the adjacent portions along the line of weakness. A line of weakness can further include a single extended slit or cut.
As used herein, “fold line” generally refers to all manner of lines that define hinge features of the blank or folded carton and facilitate folding portions of the blank or carton with respect to one another, or otherwise indicate optimal panel folding locations for the blank or carton. A fold line may be formed from a crease, a scored line, an embossed line, or a debossed line.
As used herein, terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “end” and “sides” are referenced according to the views presented. It should be understood, however, that the terms are used only for purposes of description and are not intended to be used as limitations. Accordingly, orientation of an object or a combination of objects may change without departing from the scope of the invention. As a point of reference for the claims and in the present specification, the term “top” refers to a panel or side of the package with an opening device or opening.
As used herein, “opening” generally refers to a removed or otherwise cut-away portion of the dispenser which allows access to the articles contained within the interior volume and allows for the articles to be removed therefrom.
It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary construction.
Generally, the present invention provides a dispenser for storing and dispensing a stack of sheet material, such as a stack of folded tissue sheets and more particularly a folded stack of facial tissue sheets. The height of the dispenser, particularly the dispensing height of the dispenser, may be adjusted by the user once a portion of the sheets have been dispensed to alleviate one or more problems often associated with dispensing, such as the incidence of dispensing failures due to fall-back, Adjusting the dispensing height is generally achieved by providing a the dispenser with a bottom panel that is movable from a first position to a second position. Generally, the second position places a portion of the bottom panel closer to a dispensing opening that has been disposed on the panel of the dispenser opposite of the bottom panel. In this manner the sheet material, which generally rests on the bottom panel, is moved closer to the dispensing opening and the dispensing height is reduced.
Accordingly, the dispensers of the present invention generally comprise a bottom panel and more particularly a bottom panel in folded communication with a pair of side panels. The dispenser bottom and side panels can be any shape or size that will accommodate movement of the bottom panel between a first and second position. Further, any suitable shape can be used so long as the function of the dispenser is maintained. Suitable shapes can include triangular, square, rectangular, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, oval, circular, star shaped or fluted. The overall size of the dispenser and the shape of the side panels can be designed as needed to properly dispense the sheet material placed within the dispenser. The size and shape of the dispenser can be influenced by the size of the sheet material being dispensed, how the sheets are folded prior to placement in the dispenser, the number of sheets placed into the dispenser, the orientation of the stack and configuration of the stack within the dispenser, and the characteristics of the material being dispensed. Often more than one acceptable shape will work to properly dispense the sheet material.
In certain instances, it may be desirable to provide a carton of sufficient size to facilitate reliable dispensing of sheet material disposed therein. For example, the carton and stack of sheet material disposed therein may be configured such that distance between the upper most sheet in the stack and the top panel of the carton is initially from about 0 to about 5.0 cm. As sheets are dispensed from the carton, the carton may be reconfigured by moving the bottom panel from a first, initial position, to a second position such that the distance between the upper most sheet in the stack and the top panel of the carton is from about 0 to about 5.0 cm. In this manner the optimal distance between the top panel and the upper most sheet in the stack may be maintained even after a portion of the sheets have been dispensed.
In certain preferred embodiments the dispenser comprises a bottom panel and oppositely disposed top panel where the panels are rectangular and have a width from about 10 to about 15 cm. The top and bottom are joined by opposing side panels, which may have a height of from about 7 to about 15 cm. Such a size is useful for dispensing standard size facial tissue sheets in a flat carton when folded into a stack and placed within the dispenser. Generally, in its folded configuration and with the bottom panel in a first position, the dispenser is substantially rectangular. The initial dispensing height is from about 5 to about 15 cm, such as from about 7 to about 12 cm. When the bottom panel is reconfigured by moving it to a second position, the initial dispensing height is preferably reduced by at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 20%, more preferably at least about 30%, such as from about 10 to about 70%, such as from about 20 to about 60%. In this manner the carton may have an initial dispensing height of about 11 cm and a second dispensing height of about 5 cm after the carton has been reconfigured.
In another embodiment, the top panel and bottom panel comprised squares having a width dimension of about 11 cm and length dimension of about 11 cm. The bottom and side panels are joined by a pair of side panels having a height of about 12 cm. Such a size is useful for dispensing standard size facial tissue sheets in an upright carton when folded into a stack and placed within the dispenser. The tissue or sheet material can be folded into quarter sheet size by folding once in half and then folding once more in half again. The quarter sheet size tissues can be interleaved to provide pop-up dispensing. Such is believed to hold more tissues than a standard upright dispenser where the stack is folded into a U shape since interior volume is more efficiently filled with less wasted space. The initial height of the foregoing dispenser may have an initial dispensing height of about 12 cm and a second dispensing height of about 6 cm once the user has moved the bottom panel to its second position.
Regardless of the shape and size of the dispenser, it is generally preferred that the dispensing height is reduced by movement of a moveable portion from an initial, first, position to a second position and the reduction in height is at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 20%, more preferably at least about 30%, such as from about 10 to about 70%, such as from about 20 to about 60%. For example, a dispenser may be provided with an initial dispensing height ranging from about 5 to about 12 cm and upon reconfiguration of the dispenser by moving a portion of the bottom panel to a second position the dispensing height may range from about 2.5 to about 6 cm.
The dispenser of the present invention may be used to dispense dry or wet sheet material. In one embodiment, the dispenser is provided with an interior volume for receiving and storing a stack of folded tissue sheets. The folded stack can be folded to provide either reach-in or pop-up dispensing of the sheet material that, in one embodiment, comprises pop-up dispensing for multiple facial tissue sheets. In another embodiment, the dispenser housed a folded stack of tissue sheets and was a reach-in dispenser where the sheet material did not pop-up. The stack may comprise an upper most sheet, which may be dispensed from the dispenser through a dispensing opening, and a bottom most sheet. The bottom most sheet, generally rests upon, and is supported by, a portion of the dispenser bottom panel. Generally, the bottom most sheet in the stack remains in contact with at least a portion of the bottom panel regardless of whether the carton is in a first, initial, configuration or has been reconfigured by the user to second configuration.
Referring now to the figures one embodiment of a dispenser for sheet material according to the present invention is illustrated. The dispenser 10 may comprise a top panel 20, a bottom panel 30, opposed first and second end panels 40, 42 and opposed first 50 and second 52 side panels. The panels 20, 30, 40, 42, 50, 52 form a parallelepiped having a generally cubic shape that may be configured to receive, store, and dispense a stack of facial tissue sheets. The shape of the side panels or the overall dispenser, however, is not critical so long as a line of weakness may be disposed along at least two continuous panels to facilitate at least a portion of the bottom panel to be moveable between a first and a second position.
In certain embodiments the dispenser 10 may be provided with a dispensing opening 22, which may be disposed on the top panel 20. If desired, a dispensing window 24 with a slit 26 disposed thereon may be provided to cover at least a portion of the dispensing opening 22. The dispensing window can be made of plastic, film, paper, nonwovens, or other flexible substrate that assists in holding the exposed sheet in place. The shape and dimensions of the slit may be any one of a number of well-known shapes or sizes. Preferably the slit is shaped and sized to facilitate pop-up dispensing of a sheet material stored within the dispenser.
If the dispenser is used to dispense wet sheet material, an appropriate cover or cap can be used to close the dispensing opening to prevent the substrate from drying out. For example, a flexible cover having a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive can be used. Alternatively, a rigid flip-type cover or cap can be attached to the dispenser. Alternative covers for retaining moisture while dispensing sheet materials are readily known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
With particularly reference to
In the non-limiting embodiment shown in
Accordingly, in certain embodiments the dispenser comprises first spaced apart lines of weakness disposed at least partially on the bottom panel and the first side panel and extending across the first folded edge and second spaced apart lines of weakness disposed at least partially on the bottom panel 30 and the second side panel and extending across the second folded edge. In certain instances, the bottom panel may have a longitudinal length dimension and the first and second lines of weakness forming a given pair may be spaced apart from one another from about 20 to about 90% of the longitudinal length of the dispenser. In still other instances the first and second lines of weakness forming a given pair are disposed on the bottom substantially parallel to one another and extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length dimension of the dispenser from an inboard position to a fold line separating the bottom and side panel. Regardless of the arrangement and shape of the lines weakness, they are generally configured such that upon breaking of the lines of weakness a portion of a dispenser panel, such as a dispenser bottom panel, is moveable from a first to a second position.
With further reference to the non-limiting embodiment illustrated in
The terminal ends of the lines of weakness are generally spaced part from one another and provide for a portion of unweakened side panel there between. For example, with reference to
In a particularly preferred embodiment, such as that illustrated in
The intact central rib 60 is shown in detail in
Breaking of the lines of weakness and folding of a portion of the bottom panel enables the dispensing height to be adjusted from a first, initial, dispensing height to a second dispensing height. In this manner the dispensing height may be adjusted by a user depending on the amount of sheet material remaining in the dispenser. By reducing the overall height of the dispenser, improved sheet dispensing can be achieved by reducing or eliminating sheets from falling back into the interior of the dispenser. The improvement is believed to occur since a shorter distance between the stack of folded sheets and the dispensing opening increases the likelihood that the dispensed sheet will remain in frictional contact with the following sheet long enough to pull the following sheet partially through the dispensing opening.
Additional advantages for a dispenser having an adjustable height include: signaling a person the dispenser is nearing depletion because the dispenser is adjusted to a second position, providing for a dispenser that can be provided in different configurations without changing the overall footprint of the dispenser, an aesthetic advantage by providing a dispenser having two distinct appearances depending on the dispensing height, or reducing the empty/depleted look of the dispenser for reach-in dispensing as the sheet material is removed.
The dispenser 10 is initially provided in a first configuration having a dispensing height (H1) approximately equal to the height of the side panel 50. The dispenser height is adjusted from the initial dispensing height (H1) to the final dispensing height (H2) by breaking first 32, 34 and second 36, 38 lines of weakness and folding a portion of the panel 30 along first and second fold lines 47, 49. In this manner the second dispensing height (H2) is less than the initial dispensing height (H1) and the internal volume of the dispenser is reduced. The user may reconfigure the dispenser from a first configuration to a second configuration having a reduced dispensing height when approximately half of the sheets are dispensed thereby reducing the dispensing height by approximately one-half.
The initial dispensing height (H1) can be any size needed based upon the necessary capacity of the dispenser for the number of sheets desired and the volume required based on the sheet's thickness and the way the sheets are folded. In some embodiments, the dispenser can have an initial dispensing height (H1) between about 5 to about 30 cm, such as from about 5 to about 15 cm. The final dispensing height (H2) will depend on the dimension of the dispenser bottom and side panels and the length of the line of weakness extending along a portion thereof. In some embodiments, the dispenser may be configured to have final dispensing height (H2) between about 2 and 20 cm, such as from about 2 to about 10 cm.
For example,
With reference now to
Beneath the removable surfboard there may be a dispensing widow that may be pre-attached to the carton blank. The dispensing window can be made from suitable sheet materials such as a film, nonwoven, or paper material that can retain a partially a dispensed sheet, such as a facial tissue, within the dispensing opening for pop-up dispensing. Alternatively, the dispensing window can be eliminated and fingers or tabs projecting into the dispensing opening can be used to retain a partially dispensed sheet.
With further reference to
Finally, the blank 100 includes a tab 110 connected to the first panel 102. Tab 110 is utilized to secure the fourth panel 106 to the first panel 102 in constructing a carton that can be made from the blank 100. Alternatively, the tab may be disposed on the fourth panel and used to secure the fourth panel to the first panel when the blank is folded to form a carton according to the present invention.
The carton blank 100 further comprises a movable portion defined, in-part by paired lines of weakness 112, 114 and 116, 118 disposed on the third panel 108 and extending along a portion of the second and fourth panels 104, 106. The lines of a weakness 112, 114 and 116, 118 generally originate at first and second crease lines 113, 115 and extend to third and fourth crease lines 111, 117 crossing fold lines 105 and 107, respectively. The pair of opposed crease lines 113, 115 disposed on the third panel 106 generally defines a rib therebetween that remains intact once the lines of a weakness 112, 114 and 116, 118 are broken to move the movable portion from a first to a second position in-use.
The various components of the blank can be made from any suitable material that can be folded into a carton and may receive lines of weakness that may be broken with a small amount of applied force. Suitable materials can include cardboard, carton stock, paper board, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and ABS plastic amongst other suitable alternatives.
Other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. It is understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged in whole or in part. All cited references, patents, or patent applications in the above application for letters patent are herein incorporated by reference in a consistent manner. In the event of inconsistencies or contradictions between the incorporated references and this application, the information present in this application shall prevail. The preceding description, given by way of example in order to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the claimed invention, is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and all equivalents thereto.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US21/36776 | 6/10/2021 | WO |
