The present invention relates to dispensers for supplying sheets of material, such as tape flags and/or paper notes, from coherent stacks of such sheets. The invention is particularly related to such dispensers that hold and supply sheets from a plurality of stacks of flexible sheets.
The art is replete with dispensers for supplying sheets of material that are adapted to mark portions of substrates such as written documents. Sheets from Post-it® brand flag and note pads available from 3M Company are used extensively as such sheets, and are particularly useful for that purpose because a repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive with which they are coated allows them to be placed on and removed from a document without damage to the document. A wide variety of such sheets are available to suit various needs and purposes of the user. For example, in addition to having different sizes and colors, some sheets are made of paper, while other sheets are made of a polymeric material; some sheets are opaque, so as to allow the user to write a message on the sheet, while other sheets are substantially transparent to allow easy viewing of the document to which the sheet is attached; and some sheets have a large percentage of the surface coated with adhesive, while other sheets have only a small percentage of the surface coated with adhesive.
The variety of such sheets has resulted in a similar variety of dispensers, because the dispensing characteristics of the sheets also vary with, for example, sheet size or shape, type of sheet material, amount and location of adhesive on the sheet, and so on. The dispensers are typically optimized for dispensing a particular type of sheet (for example, polymeric sheets having a majority of one surface coated with adhesive, or paper sheets having only a narrow strip of adhesive on one surface). Dispensers tend to be either (1) of the type in which the bottom sheet of the stack of sheets is attached to the bottom of the housing or the stack is otherwise restricted from significant movement in the housing, and the sheets are dispensed through a fairly wide slot as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,270 Fujisawa et al., or (2) of the type in which the stack of sheets is free to reciprocate or shuttle in the housing as the sheets are dispensed, and the sheets are dispensed through a rather narrow slot as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,825 to Miles et al.
A user may desire or have need to use sheets of more than one type (e.g., sheets of different colors, sizes, and/or materials). Accordingly, dispensers for use with multiple stacks of sheets are known. However, presently available multi-stack dispensers have deficiencies. For example, multi-stack dispensers using a “shuttling” action to dispense individual sheets are segmented into multiple slots or compartments with each slot or compartment containing a single stack of sheets to allow independent movement and maintain lateral spacing of the stacks. Such dispensers are complex to form and do not lend themselves well to automated assembly. In addition, multi-stack dispensers are typically designed for stacks having sheets with a common construction (e.g., the same sheet material, amounts of adhesive, sizes, etc.) and use the same method of dispensing (e.g., shuttling movement or restricted movement), and are not suitable for use with stacks having sheets with different constructions or requiring different methods of dispensing.
One aspect of the invention described herein provides a dispenser package for dispensing flexible sheets. In one embodiment according to the invention, the dispenser package comprises a plurality of stacks of flexible sheets. The sheets of each stack comprise a layer of material having opposite top and bottom major side surfaces and first and second opposite ends. Each sheet has a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on a second end portion of one of the side surfaces adjacent the second end while being free of adhesive on both of the side surfaces on a first end portion thereof adjacent the first end. The sheets are releasably adhered to each other by adhesion of the coatings of pressure sensitive adhesive to form the stack with adjacent ends of the sheets aligned and with the first and second ends of successive sheets in the stack being adjacent. A carrier member supports the plurality of stacks of flexible sheets, wherein a lowermost sheet of each of the plurality of stacks is adhered to the carrier member to restrict movement of each stack relative to the carrier member. The carrier member has transverse side edges substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets. An enclosure comprising walls defines a chamber in which the carrier member and stacks of sheets thereon are positioned. The enclosure walls comprise a bottom wall defining a bottom side of the chamber, a top wall defining a top side of the chamber, and transverse side walls substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall has a portion defining a generally central transverse slot substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets, the top wall positioned adjacent an uppermost sheet of each of the plurality of stacks with the first end of the uppermost sheet of each stack projecting through the slot. The transverse side walls of the enclosure are spaced from the transverse side edges of the carrier member and the first and second ends of the sheets to afford end-to-end movement of the carrier member and stacks of sheets thereon within the chamber.
In another embodiment according to the invention, the dispenser package comprises a plurality of stacks of flexible sheets. The sheets of each stack comprise a layer of material having opposite top and bottom major side surfaces and first and second opposite ends. Each sheet has a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on a second end portion of one of the side surfaces adjacent the second end while being free of adhesive on both of the side surfaces on a first end portion thereof adjacent the first end. The sheets are releasably adhered to each other by adhesion of the coatings of pressure sensitive adhesive to form the stack with adjacent ends of the sheets aligned and with the first and second ends of successive sheets in the stack being adjacent. A carrier member supports the plurality of stacks of flexible sheets, wherein a lowermost sheet of each of the plurality of stacks is adhered to the carrier member to restrict movement of each stack relative to the carrier member. The carrier member has transverse side edges substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets, wherein a distance between the transverse side edges of the carrier member is at least as large as a distance between the first and second ends of the sheets of all of the plurality of stacks. An enclosure comprising walls defines a chamber in which the carrier member and stacks of sheets thereon are positioned. The enclosure walls comprise a bottom wall defining a bottom side of the chamber, a top wall defining a top side of the chamber, and transverse side walls substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall defines a transverse slot substantially parallel to the first and second ends of the sheets, the top wall positioned adjacent an uppermost sheet of each of the plurality of stacks with the first end of the uppermost sheet of each stack projecting through the slot. The transverse side walls of the enclosure are spaced from the transverse side edges of the carrier member such that a distance between the transverse side edges of the carrier member is in the range of 88 to 98 percent of a distance between the transverse side walls of the enclosure. As a selected uppermost sheet of one of the plurality of stacks is pulled through the slot, the carrier member and stacks of sheets thereon all move from an initial position to a final position as the first end of an underlying sheet adhered to the selected sheet is pulled through the slot and projects through the slot after the selected uppermost sheet is fully peeled from the underlying sheet.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein:
In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
Referring now to
Various repositionable adhesives can be used. Suitable repositionable adhesives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,140 (Silver); U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,731 (Merrill et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,152 (Baker et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,318 (Howard); U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,569 (Delgado); U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,457 (Blackwell) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,617 (Cooprider et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,241 (Takamatsu et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,237 (Cooprider et al.); U.S. RE 37,563 (Cooprider et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,625 (Crandall et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,748 (Kesti et al.). The repositionable adhesive can be solvent based, or water based.
Referring to the exemplary sheet embodiment of
In the sheets 14 illustrated in
Referring now to
As noted above, the stacks 12 secured to carrier member 38 may comprise sheets 14 having substantially similar construction, or may comprise sheets 14 having substantially different construction. In one embodiment, the sheets 14 of one of the plurality of stacks 12 are formed from a polymeric material, and the sheets 14 of another one of the plurality of stacks 12 are formed from paper. In one embodiment, the sheets 14 of one of the plurality of stacks 12 have a first size, and the sheets 14 of another one of the plurality of stacks 12 have a second size different from the first size. In one embodiment, the sheets 14 having a first size have an end-to-end distance (i.e., from first end 16 to second end 18) greater than an end-to-end distance of the sheets 14 having a second size. In one embodiment, the sheets 14 having a first size have a transverse width (i.e., parallel to first and second ends 16, 18) greater than a transverse width of the sheets 14 having a second size. In yet another embodiment, the reduced adhesion or adhesive-free first end portions 32 of the sheets 14 of one of the plurality of stacks 12 are smaller in area than the adhesive-coated second end portions 34, and the reduced adhesion or adhesive-free first end portions 32 of the sheets 14 of another one of the plurality of stacks 12 are larger in area than the adhesive-coated second end portions 34.
Referring now to
The transverse side walls 48 are substantially parallel to the first and second ends 16, 18 of the sheets 14, and are spaced from the transverse side edges of the carrier member 38 and the first and second ends 16, 18 of the sheets 14 to afford limited end-to-end movement (e.g. shuttling) of the carrier member 38 and stacks 12 of sheets 14 thereon within the chamber 42 and thus provide relative movement between the slot 50 and the uppermost sheets 14a. Thus, when the uppermost sheet 14a of one of the plurality of stacks 12 is dispensed (as described in greater detail below), the carrier member 38 and all of the stacks 12 secured thereto undergo end-to-end movement. In one embodiment, the carrier member 38 and side walls 48 are sized and positioned such that the distance between the transverse side edges 39 of the carrier member 38 is in the range of 88 to 98 percent of the distance between the transverse side walls 48 of the enclosure 40. In one embodiment, carrier member 38 and chamber 42 are also dimensioned to afford limited movement of carrier member 38 in a direction parallel to transverse side edges 39 (and first and second ends 16, 18 of sheets 14), such that carrier member 38 and stacks 12 thereon move or “float” within chamber 42 in three dimensions.
The relative movement between the portion of the top wall 46 defining the slot 50 and the uppermost sheet 14a from an initial carrier member 38 position (
The uppermost sheet 14a on each of the plurality of stacks 12 is resiliently bent so that first ends 16 and first end portions 32 project through the slot 50 and rest against an abutment surface 60 on top wall 46 adjacent opposing sides of slot 50. The abutment surfaces 60 insure the first end portions 32 of the sheets 14a projecting through the slot 50 are spaced from the top wall 46, so that the first end portion 32 may be easily grasped by a user. In one embodiment, because of the relationship between the abutment surfaces 60 and the position of the adhesive 26, release coatings 28, 30, and/or tabs 37 as described with respect to
In one exemplary embodiment, the dispenser package 10 comprises four stacks 12 of sheets 14. The stacks 12 have dimensions of approximately 1.5 inches by 2 inches (3.8 cm by 5.1 cm), 1.5 inches by 1 inch (3.8 cm by 2.5 cm), 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches (3.8 cm by 1.3 cm), and 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches (3.8 cm by 1.3 cm) and are each of a different color. The stacks 12 are attached to a carrier member 38 made from 22 mil PET film having dimensions of approximately 2.01 inches by 4.66 inches (5.1 cm by 11.8 cm). The stacks 12 are separated from each other on the carrier member 12 by a distance of approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm). The transverse side walls 48 of the enclosure 40 are spaced apart by a distance of approximately 2.17 inches (5.5 cm), such that the carrier member 38 width of 2.01 inches (5.1 cm) is approximately 93% of the distance between side walls 48. Slot 50 is centrally positioned between side walls 48 and has a width of approximately 0.375 inches (0.95 cm).
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3691140 | Silver | Sep 1972 | A |
3857731 | Merrill, Jr. et al. | Dec 1974 | A |
4166152 | Baker et al. | Aug 1979 | A |
4416392 | Smith | Nov 1983 | A |
4770320 | Miles et al. | Sep 1988 | A |
4781306 | Smith | Nov 1988 | A |
4907825 | Miles et al. | Mar 1990 | A |
4993590 | Windorski | Feb 1991 | A |
5158205 | Bodziak et al. | Oct 1992 | A |
5551595 | Mertens et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
5571617 | Cooprider et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
5663241 | Takamatsu et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
5714237 | Cooprider et al. | Feb 1998 | A |
5755337 | Linn | May 1998 | A |
5755356 | Bastiaens et al. | May 1998 | A |
5756625 | Crandall et al. | May 1998 | A |
5769270 | Fujisawa et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
5824748 | Kesti et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
RE37563 | Cooprider et al. | Feb 2002 | E |
6514585 | Pearson et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6681452 | Holland | Jan 2004 | B1 |
D508955 | Jour | Aug 2005 | S |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
WO 9636493 | Nov 1996 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070175913 A1 | Aug 2007 | US |