Combined fluid and pop-up sheet product dispensing system

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6431405
  • Patent Number
    6,431,405
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, December 13, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 13, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Derakshani; Philippe
    • Bus; Thaeh H.
Abstract
A system combining a fluid dispenser (10) and a pop-up sheet dispenser (12). The fluid dispenser is a bottle (14) with a spray pump (18), while the sheet dispenser (12) is a tub (28) with an opening (30) through which sheets pop out. The two dispensers snap together to trap and store sheets from a longitudinally folded web ready for pop-out dispensing. The primary embodiment may be used for spray cleaner and paper towels, for example. The sheet dispenser (12) provides the system's base, dispensing from a roll (29) with its core (44) held vertically in the tub (28), located by the tub's core-locating hub (40). The fluid dispenser (10) snaps vertically down into the sheet dispenser (12), acting as its lid and further locating the roll (29) with its hub-stem (26). The roll (29), held loosely by the two hubs, may spin within the system. The tub (28), opening (30), and roll (29) may together rotate relative to the fluid dispenser (14) to reorient the opening (30).In a secondary embodiment, the sheet dispenser (112) dispenses from a stack (129) held vertically between the the bottle (114) and the tub (128) which are side-by-side and snap together horizontally. Again, the bottle (114) acts as a lid for the tub (128).A tertiary embodiment demonstrates how the primary embodiment may be reapplied to other products, such as cosmetic fluids and sheets.
Description




BACKGROUND




1. Field of Invention




This invention is directed toward combined dispensing of related but dissimilar items, more specifically to an improved system for the combined dispensing of fluid and sheet products.




The invention is also directed toward a method for dispensing fluids in combination with sheet products.




2. Description of Prior Art




Fluid and sheet products are frequently intentionally combined in use across a broad range of applications, from liquid cleansers and paper towels to cosmetic liquids and pads. Managing these combinations of separate items is usually somewhat involved and can be inconvenient.




A good example of such inconvenience can be found in the difficulties surrounding using a spray cleaner in combination with a roll of paper towels. Spray cleaners are usually used in combination with paper towels, typically on a roll. But without a third hand, it becomes difficult to juggle the roll of towels, the sprayer, and the wad of towels used to wipe with. So in the process of cleaning, consumers usually end up constantly picking up and putting down the bulkiest item, the towels. In the process, the towels often get wet or dirty (after all, it is usually wet or dirty where one is cleaning), knocked over, or squashed, or the roll can roll away or become unraveled, wasting towels or forcing consumers to sloppily re-roll them, etc. Additionally, it can be frustrating to find both sprayer and towels when they are needed, since although they are frequently used together, they are not typically stored together. This is due not only to the large size and considerable bulk of the roll of towels, but also to the fact that the towels are just as susceptible to unwinding and getting wet or dirty in storage as they are in use.




So it is evident from the above example that it would be desirable to provide means which would not only allow the user to find both fluid and sheets readily at hand when needed, but would also: allow the user to dispense both freely while still having a free hand to use the dispensed items; prevent the towels from unraveling; protect them from getting wet or dirty; and store them safely and space-efficiently.




Many further examples of the difficulty of managing separate fluid and sheets exist, but the above example should be sufficient to illustrate the overall nature of such problems.




Consequently, many developments have been attempted with the goal of more conveniently combining fluids and sheet products.




Three primary directions have resulted:




The first direction has been to pre-combine fluid and sheets in non-dispensing single compartment package, and numerous pre-moistened wipes and the like of such nature have been developed. However, this overall approach has a number of major inherent disadvantages, including: the consumer loses the ability to control the amount of fluid applied to the sheet; pre-moistened sheets are not wet enough to thoroughly saturate a surface; they are not dry enough to wipe surfaces dry; the fluid and sheet material may not react well together over time and may so become degraded; and it is difficult to retain moisture in the sheets and expensive to provide the packaging to do so.




The second direction has been to combine fluid packages and sheet packages in joined or multi-compartment packages in which one or both compartments are non-dispensing. While this approach allows users to readily find and transport necessary items together from location to location, such packages must be disassembled into separate parts before use, in which case the user ends up with the typical set of previously described problems associated with the manipulation and use of separate sheet product and fluid product items.




The third direction has been to create devices which allow for simultaneous dispensing of both products without requiring any disassembly, essentially unified dispensers rather than combined packages. Such unified dispensers are usually either fixed, portable, or mobile. Fixed dispensers are intended for constant use in a single location only (such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,582,645, a “Combination Liquid Soap Dispenser and Towel Rack,” issued to W. F. Findley in 1926), while portable dispensers may be moved occasionally from location to location (such as the free-standing embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,271, a “Dispenser and Liquid Applicator for Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, and the Like” to Gold in 1975), and mobile dispensers are intended for constant, uninterrupted movement both from location to location and within a location. Since the present invention relates primarily to the mobile variety of dispensers, further discussion here will focus substantially on prior art which has wholly or partly attempted to address the issue of mobility. Since I will be showing that none of these devices are truly mobile, I will refer to them as semi-mobile systems.




Many examples of semi-mobile combined fluid and sheet dispensers exist in the prior art, dating back many years; yet none have achieved widespread and lasting commercial success. The prior art clearly demonstrates a long-felt need, but configurations provided have all been cumbersome, inconvenient, or incomplete. A further review of the most pertinent prior art should serve to underscore this point:




An early phase of development in the prior art is described by a series of U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 603,316, to J. W. Bush in 1898, U.S. Pat. No. 1,255,772 to Miller in 1918, U.S. Pat. No. 1,523,297 to Savery in 1925, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,676 to Cournoyer in 1985. All describe essentially the same overall configuration: a cylindrical sheet roll dispenser with a narrow slit out of which to dispense the towels; and a second and smaller cylindrical dispenser for fluid located entirely within the core of the sheet roll. At the point of fluid dispensing, Bush describes a dipping wand, Miller a plain threaded cap, Savery a nozzle, and Cournoyer a small pump. The above combined dispensers all had many inherent disadvantages: they required consumers to thread towels through a very narrow slot in a very confined space; they provided only limited fluid reservoirs given the small size of the towel roll core; they provide inadequate gripping means; and they were all only semi-mobile. Bush's, Miller's and Savery's devices would require constant picking up and putting down, because they all require two-handed operation and leave no hand free for using dispensed product or holding items to be cleaned. Coumoyer's device would be exceedingly awkward to use in mid-air and would likely need to be first put down on a surface before it could be properly operated. Thus, in addition to numerous other problems, none of these devices were truly mobile.




A further phase of development in the prior art seems to address the issue of limited fluid space provided in the towel roll core in earlier devices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,224 to McInerny in 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,872 to Daniels, Jr., in 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,989 to Saraceni in 1998, all illustrate the same new configuration: rather than confining the fluid reservoir to the space within the towel roll, they expand the reservoir outside the towel roll and to the opposite end away from their fluid dispensing outlet. These devices are essentially spray or pump bottles with long necks going through paper towel rolls. This overall configuration has many inherent disadvantages: bottles with such long necks and such wide bases are difficult and exceedingly expensive to mold (in fact, it is often not reasonably possible to mold such packages in plastics which require stretch-blow molding, such as the most typical kinds of very clear plastic used in packaging today); long-necked, wide-based bottles are also exceedingly difficult to empty in use, because the diptubes, once down the long neck, cannot draw from the wide base when the package is partially emptied and angled in use (spray packages are in fact most often angled in use, so this is a real issue); long-necked, wide-based bottles are also difficult for manufacturers to fill on the packing line because fluid fills the base slowly and then suddently shoots up when it reaches the neck, creating the potential for spills; long-necked, wide-based bottles are further hard to fill on manufacturer's packing lines because bottles require a certain amount of empty headspace by volume which appears exaggerated in a long neck and is objectionable to consumers who think they're being shorted; bottles which are too tall and unstable (in this case, primarily the Daniels, Jr. bottle) can't be filled on a manufacturing line without the use of special and costly “puck” systems to allow the bottles to stand vertically upright for filling; since the towel rolls must slide down over these thin necks, it is no longer possible to have an ergonomically superior angled “pistol grip” shaped neck inexpensively molded into the bottle, otherwise the current norm for trigger sprayer bottles; the towels are now exposed and unprotected, not only to contamination by the surrounding environment, but by the system itself, since the towels are directly under the dispenser nozzle, where they will likely be spoiled by drips; the devices are large, ungainly and awkward to handle (the McInerny device provides no gripping means and is thus, like the Cournoyer device above, essentially only suitable for countertop use, while the Daniels and Saraceni patents both suffer from a low center of gravity far from the hand, which would make them unusually difficult to rotate and maneuver in use, even granted their huge size); and none of these systems allow for true mobile use. The Mclnerny device was probably never intended for true mobile use, given the suitability for countertop use only noted above. And neither the Saraceni nor the Daniels device provided any means for towel stopping when tearing. Which meant the user of either of these devices would have had to simply try to rip towels off, one-handed, as fast as possible, hoping they could break a towel free before the whole roll unraveled. Of course this is impractical and must frequently if not usually have failed. Therefore, the users themselves would have had to provide the braking, giving up their grip on the trigger sprayer and braking the roll with one hand to pull a towel free with the other. This would leave one with a dispensed towel in one hand and the body of the towels in the other. Some juggling would then have to be done and something likely put down and picked up again to regain a grip on the trigger sprayer, thereby canceling out the advantages of this purportedly mobile system. Thus, in addition to numerous other problems, none of these devices were truly mobile.




Additionally, the broadest possible commercial application for such combined dispensing devices is in the arena of disposable packaged goods, where they would be sold next to their counterparts, the individually packaged products they combine, e.g., alongside paper towels in the supermarket paper towel aisle or alongside spray cleaners in the cleaner aisle. However, none of the prior art specifically mentioned above would be suitable for such sale, because all the devices have one or more of the following problems: too expensive to be disposable and sold alongside disposable; too big or bulky to fit on standard supermarket shelves; no protected area for a label; too difficult or expensive to package for sale; too unattractive to be appealing to consumers; not obvious enough for shoppers to quickly understand.




Finally, all instances of the prior art specifically mentioned above dispense paper towel rolls, while none seek to novelly improve the manner in which individual towels are dispensed. The present invention, however, will utilize my co-pending patent for reliable and inexpensive pop-up dispensing from a continuous, perforated web, which will eliminate all the difficulty associated with standard dispensing from a roll, such as off-perforation tearing, overdispensing, unraveling, or the need to use two hands, and will instead provide all the ease-of-use and one-handed benefits inherent to pop-up dispensing systems.




SUMMARY




A combined dispensing system comprising a fluid dispenser and a pop-up sheet dispenser which snap together to trap and store sheets ready for pop-out dispensing. The system allows for simultaneous one-handed dispensing of either dispenser, and lets a user clean uninterrupted while walking around and without having to stop to set anything down. The sheets are double-folded, so they take up less space and provide for a smaller system, and held in a container and protected from getting wet, dirty, or deformed. The system is small, convenient, inexpensive and easy to use or store.




Further, it may readily be adapted to the combined dispensing of other related fluids and towels, such as cosmetics and cosmetic pads.




Objects and Advantages




Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are to provide a combined fluid and sheet material dispensing system which:




is always immediately ready for use without requiring any assembly or disassembly (other than refilling);




provides easy refilling and rethreading of sheet material;




protects sheet products from dirt, moisture and other contaminants, both in use and in storage;




protects sheet products from being crushed, wrinkled, or otherwise physically malformed, both in use and in storage;




reduces bulk of paper towels while still allowing dispensing of full-size material;




reduces overall bulk of dispenser; thus making it more convenient to hold, carry or store;




has an ample fluid reservoir commensurate to the quantity of sheet material being dispensed;




can be stored in environments normally damaging to sheet materials;




can readily access and dispense nearly 100% of its fluid reservoir at nearly any common angle of use;




provides a package with a center of gravity higher and closer to the hand aiding in package rotation and maneuvering in use;




provides a package of conveniently small size for use;




permits inexpensively molding a superior ergonomic grip into the bottle;




is so inexpensive to manufacture that it can be considered disposable;




can be readily stretch-blow molded in crystal clear plastic;




can be readily filled on the manufacturer's packing line without requiring a puck system;




can be readily filled on the manufacturer's line without the appearance of objectionable underfill;




is small enough to fit on standard supermarket shelves;




is suitable for sale without any additional packaging other than a label;




provides a protected area for a label;




is attractive enough to be appealing to consumers;




and is obvious enough to be readily understood by consumers.




Further objects and advantages of my invention are to provide a combined fluid and sheet material dispensing system which:




provides control over sheet products such that they do not accidentally self-dispense, both in use and in storage;




provides means for a single sheet to be dispensed without requiring a second hand to restrain the remainder of undispensed sheets;




allows the user a free hand to use dispensed products;




does not in any part need to be set down in use or during use of any subsequent products dispensed from it;




eliminates negatives of typical roll-dispensing systems, such as off-perforation tearing, overdispensing, unraveling, or the necessity of two handed dispensing;




allows for simple, pop-up dispensing of sheet materials; and




provides truly one-handed mobile operation, allowing constant, uninterrupted use both from location to location and within a location.




Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.











DRAWING FIGURES




In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.





FIG. 1A

is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention fully loaded and ready for use.





FIG. 1B

shows the system loaded and disassembled into its two major sub-dispensers.





FIG. 1C

shows the system loaded and further disassembled into relevant subcomponents.





FIG. 1D

shows the loaded fluid dispenser detached from the sheet dispenser and a roll of towels being loaded in or removed and further shows a double-folded sheet which has been drawn out.





FIG. 1E

shows the system unloaded and with the rest of the fluid dispenser cut away from the capping region.





FIG. 1F

is a right view of the system sheared in half.





FIG. 2

shows the system of


2


fully disassembled into all its relevant subcomponents.















REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS


























 10




fluid dispenser







 12




pop-up sheet dispenser







 14




bottle







 16




screw threads







 18




pump







 20




diptube







 22




neck







 24




female snap-groove







 26




roll-locating hub stem







 28




tub







 30




dispensing slot







 32




lead-in notch







 34




male snap-groove







 36




recessed label panel







 38




bump-guards







 40




roll-locating push-up hub







 42




bottle push-up indentation







 44




roll core







 46




pop-up presentment







 48




dispensed sheet







 50




leading sheet







 52




capping region







110




(2nd) fluid dispenser







112




(2nd) sheet dispenser







114




(2nd) bottle







116




(2nd) screw threads







118




(2nd) pump







120




(2nd) diptube







122




(2nd) neck







124




(2nd) female snapgroove







128




(2nd) tub







129




(2nd) stack







130




(2nd) dispensing slot







134




(2nd) male snap groove







146




(2nd) pop-up presentment







152




(2nd) capping region






















DESCRIPTION—FIGS.


1


A TO


1


E—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT





FIG. 1A

shows the preferred embodiment of the combined dispensing system of the present invention system assembled and fully loaded with product.

FIG. 1B

shows the system taken apart into its two sub-dispensers, an upper fluid dispenser


10


and a lower sheet dispenser


12


.





FIG. 1C

shows the fluid dispenser


10


and sheet dispenser


12


taken apart as well.




The upper fluid dispenser comprises a 22 oz. (including a small additional amount of room for headspace required in manufacturing) bottle


14


, likely blow-molded HDPE (high density polyethylene) or stretch blow-molded PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), with screw threads


16


(of course a bayonet mount or other attachement means could be used as well) for the attachment of a trigger-sprayer type pump


18


including a diptube


20


. The bottle


14


further has an ergonomic pistol-grip neck


22


, a concentric female snap-groove


24


, and a roll-locating hub stem


26


.




The lower sheet dispenser comprises a tub


28


and a roll


29


of full size perforated 9 by 11 inch paper towels pre-folded in half longitudinally before rolling, such that the roll is only 4.5 inches tall. The towels are dispensed through a slot


30


with a lead-in notch


32


. Of course, the towels need not be folded longitudinally; they could be cut down to 4.5 inches wide.




The sheet dispenser


12


is a Pop-Up Sheet Product Dispensing System as described in my following U.S. patent application, which is incorporated herein by reference: Ser. No. 09/737,608, filed Dec. 13, 2000 titled “Pop-Up Sheet Product Dispensing System,” naming Aram Irwin as inventor. The sheet dispenser


12


could also dispense more common perforated towels.




The tub


28


further has a concentric male snap-groove


34


matching the female snap-groove


24


on the fluid dispenser's bottle


14


, a recessed label panel area


36


bounded by upper and lower bump-guards


38


(which allow the systems to rub up against one another in the manufacturing and packing lines and on supermarket shelves without scuffing the label wrapped around the label panel area


36


), and a bottom roll-locating push-up hub


40


. The tub may be molded by a variety of means, including blow molding and stretch-blow molding, in which case the dispensing slot


30


and lead-in notch


32


are produced in a secondary operation on the manufacturing line after molding, and injection molding, in which case the slot


32


and lead-in notch b may be molded in.




Note that the bottom portion of the fluid dispenser


14


including and below the female snap-groove


24


forms an integral, molded-in cap for the sheet dispenser. This capping region


52


is shown in

FIG. 1E

with the rest of the fluid dispenser


10


cut away for clarity.




After manufacture, the fluid dispenser


10


may be snapped into the sheet dispenser


12


and filled on a packing line without the need for pucks, since the broad base provided by the sheet dispenser


12


allows the fluid dispenser


10


to remain stable vertical.




So that the assembled system may be more clearly seen,

FIG. 1F

further shows the loaded system sheared in half in a right side view.




Referring to

FIG. 1F

, the bottle


14


has a push-up indentation


42


sufficiently deep so that it will not likely pop out in the other direction over time. This is so that the bottle


14


may reliably stand on the hub stem


26


during the brief periods of time the dispenser is disassembled for product loading. The diptube


20


is long enough so that when the pump


18


is screwed onto the bottle


14


, the diptube hits the push-up indentation


42


inside and pushes off of it into the very bottom of the hub stem


26


, thus ensuring that the pump


18


can almost completely empty out the bottle


14


in use. To ensure that no fluid is trapped in the upper portion of the bottle


14


, the upper base wall is sloped downward very slightly, draining all fluid down into the hub stem


26


. The hub stem


26


is also slightly tapered towards the bottom so that in assembly and refill it may easily locate and slide within the roll core


44


.




Note here that the hub stem


26


could be longer or shorter: it could be barely a dimple, as long as it still gives the roll


29


something to spin on, or it could reach all the way to the bottom of the tub


28


to mate and interlock with the tub's roll-locating push-up hub


40


, which could also be molded so it reaches further up into the roll core


44


. However, making the hub stem


26


longer or the push-up hub


40


deeper could drive up manufacturing costs since such deep features would be harder to mold. Also, making the hub-stem


26


very short would not only eliminate a small quantity of fluid reservoir, it would effectively turn the bottle


14


into a very wide-based bottle, and such bottles are difficult to pump empty, as previously described in the background section above.




Since in operation the roll


29


must spin relative to the rest of the system, sufficient clearance must be provided between the outer portion of the roll


29


and the tub


38


, between the roll core


44


and the hub stem


26


, and between the roll core


44


and the roll-locating push-up hub


40


. It may also be desirable to form the hub stem


26


with vertical facets, flutes, or the like, which would serve to protect the hub stem


26


from “panelling” or deforming over time, a typical problem with thin-walled cylindrical sections of bottles. If such panelling were to occur, it could cause the hub stem


26


to frictionally engage the roll core


44


, making it difficult for the roll


29


to spin on the hub stem


26


in operation. Finally, the degree of fit between the bottle's male snap-groove


34


and the tub's female snap-groove


28


should be sufficient to ensure both packages remain firmly together during operation, but no so firmly that the fluid dispenser


10


and the sheet dispenser


12


may no longer rotate relative to one another, a desirable characteristic further explained in the operational section below.




OPERATION—FIGS.


1


A TO


1


F—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




In operation: in one hand, the user holds the system in mid-air by the neck


22


with one or two fingers on the pump


18


. The user may then proceed to spray surfaces needing cleaning, and when a towel is needed to wipe with, the pop-up presentment


46


protruding from the sheet dispenser's dispensing slot


30


may be readily grasped and pulled with the other hand. This rotates the roll of towels inside the stationary system, andvancing the web of the roll out of the dispensing slotproduces a full size, folded sheet


48


, shown in

FIG. 1D

, which, in the manner of typical pop-up sheet dispensing systems, tears off by itself and leaves the next sheet from the roll


29


wedged in the dispensing slot, forming another pop-up presentment


46


for the next use. The user may draw forth this towel in virtually any manner, at any speed, in any direction, with essentially no attention given to the matter, and the pop-up system will still work. The user may then proceed to spray and wipe until the towel


48


is used up, at which point they may toss it out and pull forth another towel


48


. In this fashion, the user may progress unhindered in their cleaning from location to location and throughout any given location, until either their fluid or towels run out, without ever having to set the system down, change grips, or deal with the many problems produced by non-pop-up towel dispensing. Thus, the system is truly mobile.




The system is also ambidextrous and adaptable to changing users or changing situations, because the towel dispenser


12


may be rotated at any time relative to the fluid dispenser


10


, thus changing the orientation of the dispensing slot


30


. The system is also to a degree self-correcting in terms of the alignment of the slot


30


relative to the user, since if sheets are tugged in a new direction, that action itself rotates the sheet dispenser


12


to a degree in the new direction. The degree of self correction is regulated by how easy it is to rotate the sheet dispenser relative to the fluid dispenser, a factor controlled by how tightly the snap-grooves


24


and


34


are designed to mate and the amount of frictional engagement they then produce in rotation, an amount that could vary considerably in different materials.




Although the system is designed to be inexpensive enough to dispose of, some consumers will choose to refill it.




To refill the fluid dispenser


10


, the user would unscrew the pump


18


from the bottle


14


, pour in new fluid, and screw the pump


18


back on the bottle


14


. Note that the towel roll


29


remains fully enclosed and safe from drips and spills during this operation.




To refill the sheet dispenser


12


, the user grasps the tub


28


firmly around the midsection with one hand and pops the fluid dispenser


12


out of the tub


28


. One may then set the fluid dispenser


10


aside, standing on its hub stem


26


. The used up roll core


44


may then be removed from the tub


28


and recycled. A refill roll


29


may be unwrapped and a leading sheet


50


, seen in

FIG. 1D

, bent outwards and aligned with the lead-in notch. Roll orientation is essentially unimportant. The rolls may be loaded such that they spin clockwise or counterclockwise in dispensing, and they may be loaded in folded edge first or the opposite edge first. It may be very marginally easier to pull the folded edge of the lead sheet


50


in first, but this is a minor point.

FIG. 1D

then shows how a roll


29


may be simply slid into or out of the sheet dispenser


12


, without difficult threading. The roll


29


should locate itself on the tub's roll-locating push-up hub


40


. At this point, the fluid dispenser


10


may be retrieved and aligned with the sheet dispenser


12


by inserting the tip of the hub stem


26


into the roll core


44


. The fluid dispenser and the sheet dispenser may then be snapped back together.




Note that because the dispensing slot


30


and lead-in notch


32


cut through the rim of the tub


28


, the rim of the tub


28


is allowed to expand outwards. This expansion makes it easier to remove the fluid dispenser


10


from the sheet dispenser


12


, easier to insert the fluid dispenser


10


back into the sheet dispenser


12


, and easier to load a fresh roll of towels


29


. The lead-in notch


32


and dispensing slot


30


are widened into a slight V-shape during the aforementioned expansion at the rim of the tub, making loading and unloading towels easier.




After reloading fluid or sheet materials, the system is then ready for re-use. After use, the system is immediately ready for storage by the user with no further effort, since the pop-up presentment


46


, firmly grasped by the dispensing slot


30


, prevents the roll


29


from accidental dispensing and blocks contaminants from entering the sheet dispenser. Given its relatively small size and the fact that its sheets are protected, it may then be stored almost anywhere.




DESCRIPTION—FIG.


2


—SECOND EMBODIMENT





FIGS. 2

shows a second embodiment of the present invention.




The fluid dispenser


110


comprises a bottle


114


, likely blow-molded HDPE (high density polyethylene) or stretch blow-molded PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), with screw threads


116


(of course a bayonet mount or other attachement means could be used as well) for the attachment of a trigger-sprayer type pump


118


including a diptube


120


. The bottle


114


further has an ergonomic pistol-grip neck


122


, an integral, molded-in capping region


152


around which runs a female snap-groove


156


.




The sheet dispenser


112


comprises a tub


128


and a sheet supply suitable for pop-up dispensing, comprising a perforated continuous web, which would preferably be longitudinally folded to provide for larger sheets, accordion folded into a stack


129


. Of course, pre-cut separate sheets, z-folded into an interleaved stack suitable for pop-up dispensing could be used instead, but likely at greater expense. The towels are dispensed from the stack


129


through a dispensing slot


130


. The tub


128


further has a concentric male snap-groove


134


matching the female snap-groove


124


on the fluid dispenser's bottle


114


. The tub may be molded by a variety of means, including injection molding, in which case the dispensing slot


130


can be molded in, and vacuum-forming, blow molding and stretch-blow molding, in which case the dispensing slot


130


is produced in a secondary operation on the manufacturing line after molding.




Note that the portion of the fluid dispenser's bottle


114


which includes the the female snap-groove


124


and the portion of the bottle


114


it surrounds, form an integral, molded-in cap for the sheet dispenser, or capping region


152


.




OPERATION—FIG.


2


—SECOND EMBODIMENT




In operation: in one hand the user holds the system in mid-air by the neck


122


with one or two fingers on the pump


118


. The user may then proceed to spray surfaces needing cleaning, and when a towel is needed to wipe with, the pop-up presentment


146


protruding from the sheet dispenser's dispensing slot


130


may be readily grasped and pulled by the other hand, advancing the web of the stack out of the dispensing slot to produce a sheet which, tears off by itself and leaves the next sheet from the stack


129


wedged in the dispensing slot


130


, forming another pop-up presentment


146


for the next use. The user may draw forth this towel in virtually any manner, at any speed, in any direction, with essentially no attention given to the matter, and the pop-up system will still work. The user may then proceed to spray and wipe until the towel is used up, at which point they may toss it out and pull forth another towel. In this fashion, the user may progress unhindered in their cleaning from location to location and throughout any given location, until either their fluid or towels run out, without ever having to set the system down, change grips, or deal with the many problems produced by non-pop-up towel dispensing. Thus, the system is truly mobile.




Although the system is designed to be inexpensive enough to dispose of, some consumers will choose to refill it.




To refill the fluid dispenser, the user would unscrew the pump


118


from the bottle


114


, pour in new fluid, and screw the pump


118


back on the bottle


114


. Note that the towel stack


129


remains fully enclosed and safe from drips and spills during this operation.




To refill the sheet dispenser


112


, the user grasps the tub


128


firmly around the midsection with one hand and pops it free from the fluid dispenser


112


. A refill stack


129


may be then unwrapped and a placed inside the tub


128


. The tub


128


may then be snapped back onto the fluid dispenser


110


, and a lead sheet pulled through the dispensing opening


130


to form the first pop-up presentment


146


.




After reloading fluid or sheet materials, the system is then ready for re-use. After use, the system is immediately ready for storage by the user with no further effort, since the pop-up presentment


146


, firmly grasped by the dispensing slot


130


, prevents the roll


129


from accidental dispensing and blocks contaminants from entering the sheet dispenser


112


. Given its relatively small size and the fact that its sheets are protected, the system may then be stored almost anywhere.




CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE




After reading the above descriptions of the invention, the reader will see that the combined fluid and sheet product dispensing system of the present invention: is always immediately ready for use without requiring any assembly or disassembly (other than refilling); provides easy refilling and rethreading of sheet material; protects sheet products from dirt, moisture and other contaminants, both in use and in storage; protects sheet products from being crushed, wrinkled, or otherwise physically malformed, both in use and in storage; reduces bulk of paper towels while still allowing dispensing of full-size material; reduces overall bulk of dispenser; thus making it more convenient to hold, carry or store; has an ample fluid reservoir commensurate to the quantity of sheet material being dispensed; can be stored in environments normally damaging to sheet materials; can readily access and dispense nearly 100% of its fluid reservoir at nearly any common angle of use; provides a package with a center of gravity higher and closer to the hand aiding in package rotation and maneuvering in use; provides a package of conveniently small size for use; permits inexpensively molding a superior ergonomic grip into the bottle; is so inexpensive to manufacture that it can be considered disposable; can be readily stretch-blow molded in crystal clear plastic; can be readily filled on the manufacturer's packing line without requiring a puck system; can be readily filled on the manufacturer's line without the appearance of objectionable underfill; is small enough to fit on standard supermarket shelves; is suitable for sale without any additional packaging other than a label; provides a protected area for a label; is attractive enough to be appealing to consumers; and is obvious enough to be readily understood by consumers.




Further objects and advantages of my invention are to provide a combined fluid and sheet material dispensing system which: provides control over sheet products such that they do not accidentally self-dispense, both in use and in storage; provides means for a single sheet to be dispensed without requiring a second hand to restrain the remainder of undispensed sheets; allows the user a free hand to use dispensed products; does not in any part need to be set down in use or during use of any subsequent products dispensed from it; eliminates negatives of typical roll-dispensing systems, such as off-perforation tearing, overdispensing, unraveling, or the necessity of two handed dispensing; allows for simple, pop-up dispensing of sheet materials; and provides truly one-handed mobile operation, allowing constant, uninterrupted use both from location to location and within a location.




Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but rather as illustrations of some of the presently prefered embodiments of this invention. Many other variations are possible. For example: the overall shape of the systems could change in appearance while essentially maintaining the same functionality; the hub stem could be longer or shorter; towels could be folded longitudinally more than once or not at all; different types of sprayers, pumps or fluid dispersal systems could be use, or no system at all, with the fluid simply poured out; the towel dispenser need not be pop-up; the system could be scaled up or down in size; it could be fixably or removably mounted to a surface; it could dispense any kind of liquid; it could dispense powders, granules, gases or other materials instead of liquids; it could dispense any kind of sheet material; it could be intended for use in a different orientation; proportion of fluids to sheets could be changed; non-structural portions could be cut away; the dispensing slit could be of a different shape; the bottle could be designed for a different grip, etc.




Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.



Claims
  • 1. In a combined dispensing system for the dispensing of dissimilar yet related products, and more specifically for the combined dispensing of sheet and fluid products, the invention comprising:(a) a sheet dispenser comprising: a sheet-holding enclosure, a dispensing opening in said sheet holding enclosure, and a sheet supply of sheet material of a pattern and grouping appropriate for dispensing through said dispensing opening, (b) a fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid-holding container, and dispensing means for dispensing fluid from said container, and (c) integral capping means for allowing said fluid dispenser to act as a removable cap to access and refill stored sheets in the sheet dispenser and in which said capping means further serve as the primary means by which said sheet dispenser and fluid dispenser are connected together to form a combined sheet and fluid dispenser, said integral capping means when employed further allowing full access to said dispensing opening, said integral capping means comprising: an integral lid shape formed together with said fluid-holding container, a cappable opening in said sheet-holding enclosure, and connecting means for repeatable unattachment and reattachment between said integral lid shape and said cappable opening, whereby the manufacturer saves cost which would normally have been expended towards a separate lid, towards further attachment means for joining said sheet dispenser and said fluid dispenser, and towards additional assembly costs; whereby weight is minimized, providing for a more lightweight and easier to carry and use system for the consumer and providing for reduced shipping costs for the manufacturer; whereby an uncomplicated and easy to understand system with a minimal number of parts is presented to the consumer both upon first inspection when seen on supermarket shelves and upon further use at home; and whereby an inexpensive and easy to use combined fluid and sheet dispensing system is provided for the consumer.
  • 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sheet dispenser is a pop-up dispensing system, whereby a portion of a single sheet is presented through said opening and the grasping and withdrawal of the presentment through said opening causes said sheet dispenser to dispense that single sheet, such action leaving a portion of the next sheet held in said opening and similarly presented for the next use.
  • 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said connecting means are integrally formed together with said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, whereby further manufacturing cost is saved.
  • 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said integral connecting means are mating snap-grooves.
  • 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said mating snap grooves are engaged by the action of the rim of said cappable opening snapping over said integral lid shape.
  • 6. The system of claim 4, wherein said mating snap grooves are engaged by the action of the rim of said cappable opening snapping into said integral lid shape.
  • 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, when said integral capping means are employed, themselves form an internal cavity fully containing said sheet supply, whereby said sheet supply is protected from contamination and physical deformation.
  • 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, when said integral capping means are employed, themselves form an internal enclosure containing said sheet supply, said internal enclosure formed to house a roll with a core and formed to include integral roll-locating hubs, whereby said roll may freely spin within said internal cavity.
  • 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sheet dispenser serves as a base or stand for the fluid dispenser.
  • 10. In a combined dispensing system for the dispensing of dissimilar yet related products, and more specifically for the combined dispensing of sheet and fluid products, the invention comprising:(a) a fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid-holding container, and dispensing means for dispensing fluid from said container, and (b) a sheet dispenser comprising: a sheet-holding enclosure, a dispensing opening in said sheet holding enclosure, and a sheet supply of sheet material of a pattern and grouping suitable for pop-up dispensing through said dispensing opening, (c) connecting means for repeatable unattachment and reattachment between said fluid dispenser and said sheet dispenser, and (d) pop-up dispensing means for allowing said sheet supply to be dispensed through said opening such that a portion of a single sheet is presented through said opening and the grasping and withdrawal of the presentment through said opening causes said sheet dispenser to dispense that single sheet, such action leaving a portion of the next sheet held in said opening and similarly presented for the next use, whereby the user may, while walking and without reliance on any surface for placement of any items, dispense fluid with one hand and sheets with the other and thus always have a free hand to wipe with while moving and cleaning uninterruptedly from location to location and within a given location and without concern that sheets may accidentaly self-dispense either in use or, when the user is finished, in storage, hereby the user is afforded an easy to use, convenient, and truly mobile system for the combined ispensing of fluid and sheet products.
  • 11. The system of claim 10, wherein said connecting means are integrally formed together with said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, whereby further manufacturing cost is saved.
  • 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said integral connecting means are mating snap-grooves.
  • 13. The system of claim 10, wherein said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, when said integral standing means are employed, themselves form an internal cavity fully containing said sheet supply, whereby said sheet supply is protected from contamination and physical deformation.
  • 14. The system of claim 10, wherein said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, when said integral standing means are employed, together form an internal enclosure containing said sheet supply, said internal enclosure formed to house a roll with a core and formed to include integral roll-locating hubs, whereby said roll may freely spin within said internal cavity.
  • 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the fluid dispenser serves as a cap or lid for the sheet dispenser.
  • 16. A method for dispensing combined dissimilar, yet related products, and more specifically a method for dispensing sheet and fluid products in combination, said method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a sheet dispenser comprising: a sheet-holding enclosure, a dispensing opening in said sheet holding enclosure, and a sheet supply of sheet material of a pattern and grouping appropriate for dispensing through said dispensing opening, (b) providing a fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid-holding container, and dispensing means for dispensing fluid from said container, and (c) providing an integral capping means for allowing said fluid dispenser to act as a removable cap to access and refill stored sheets in the sheet dispenser and in which said capping means further serve as the primary means by which said sheet dispenser and fluid dispenser are connected together to form a combined sheet and fluid dispenser, said integral capping means when employed further allowing full access to said dispensing opening, said integral capping means comprising: an integral lid shape formed together with said fluid-holding container, a cappable opening in said sheet-holding enclosure, and connecting means for repeatable unattachment and reattachment between said integral lid shape and said cappable opening, whereby the manufacturer saves cost which would normally have been expended towards a separate lid, towards further attachment means for joining said sheet dispenser and said fluid dispenser, and towards additional assembly costs; whereby weight is minimized, providing for a more lightweight and easier to carry and use system for the consumer and providing for reduced shipping costs for the manufacturer; whereby an uncomplicated and easy to understand system with a minimal number of parts is presented to the consumer both upon first inspection when seen on supermarket shelves and upon further use at home whereby an inexpensive and easy to use combined fluid and sheet dispensing system is provided for the consumer.
  • 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said the providing said sheet dispenser further comprises providing a pop-up dispensing system, whereby a portion of a single sheet is presented through said opening and the grasping and withdrawal of the presentment through said opening causes said sheet dispenser to dispense that single sheet, such action leaving a portion of the next sheet held in said opening and similarly presented for the next use.
  • 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing said connecting means further comprises the step of are integrally formed said connecting means together with said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure, whereby further manufacturing cost is saved.
  • 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of providing and subsequently employing said capping means further comprises the step of forming between said fluid holding container and said sheet-holding enclosure an internal cavity fully containing said sheet supply, whereby said sheet supply is protected from contamination and physical deformation.
  • 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the sheet dispenser further comprises the step of forming an integral base or stand for the fluid dispenser into the sheet dispenser.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is entitled to the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/170303, filed Dec. 13, 1999, which is incorporated here by reference. This application hereby incorporates by reference, in its entirety and for all purposes, my U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/737,608, filed Dec. 13, 2000, titled “Pop-Up Sheet Product Dispensing System,” naming Aram J. Irwin as inventor.

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603316 Bush May 1898 A
1255772 Miller Feb 1918 A
1523297 Savery Jan 1925 A
1582645 Findley Apr 1926 A
3865271 Gold Feb 1975 A
4436224 McInerny Mar 1984 A
4516676 Cournoyer May 1985 A
D363214 Parola et al. Oct 1995 S
5671872 Daniels, Jr. Sep 1997 A
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6138874 Audrey Oct 2000 A
6216920 Baggett Apr 2001 B1
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/179303 Dec 1999 US