The present disclosure generally relates to dispensers and, more particularly, relates to dispensers for sanitary tissue products.
Sanitary tissue products in the form of paper towels, shop towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, wet or dry wipes, and table napkins, for example, find great utility among users who value affordability, ease of use, and disposability. Sanitary tissue products are used in virtually every household, including in kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, and garages, for example. Sanitary tissue products, such as rolls of paper towels or hand towels, are often dispensed from sanitary tissue product holders, from which they may be unrolled one or more sheets at a time. These sanitary tissue product holders can have two projections, wherein each end of a core of a roll of a sanitary tissue product can engage a projection to rotatably retain the sanitary tissue product thereto. To tear off a sheet, a user would generally inhibit the roll from rotating with one hand and tear the sheet off of the roll with the other hand (i.e., two hand dispensing). Such sanitary tissue product holders are generally not located in bathrooms for aesthetic or other reasons. Sanitary tissue products, such as paper towels or hand towels, however, have great utility in bathrooms for many purposes, such as hand drying, makeup removal, and/or cleaning, for example. In view of the utility that sanitary tissue products can provide in a bathroom setting or other settings, dispensers should be provided that are more aesthetically pleasing and more functional than current sanitary tissue product holders. Furthermore, dispensers that can provide one hand dispensing are desirable.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part, to a dispenser for a sanitary tissue product. The dispenser comprises a base and a lid comprising an arcuate portion. An aperture is defined in the arcuate portion. The lid or the base is movable relative to the other between an open position and a closed position and the lid and the base define a receiving cavity when the lid and the base are in the closed position. The lid or the base comprises a first side wall and a second side wall. When the lid and the base are in the closed position, a first edge of the arcuate portion is positioned adjacent to the first side wall, a second edge of the arcuate portion is positioned adjacent to the second side wall, and the arcuate portion extends intermediate the first side wall and the second side wall in a direction generally perpendicular to a plane of the first side wall.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part, to a dispenser for a sanitary tissue product. The dispenser comprises a base and a lid comprising an arcuate portion. An aperture is defined in the arcuate portion. The base or the lid comprises a first side wall and a second side wall. The lid or the base is movable relative to the other between an open position and a closed position and the lid and the base define a package-receiving cavity when the lid and the base are in the closed position. The dispenser comprises a package of sanitary tissue products positioned within the package-receiving cavity. The package of sanitary tissue products comprises a bottom wall and an arcuate portion defining an opening therein. The bottom wall and the arcuate portion of the package of sanitary tissue products form an article space. The package of sanitary tissue products comprises a plurality of sanitary tissue products positioned within the article space.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed, in part, to a refill for a sanitary tissue product dispenser. The refill comprises a package of sanitary tissue products comprising a bottom wall and an arcuate portion defining an opening therein. The bottom wall and the arcuate portion together form an article space. The package of sanitary tissue products comprises a plurality of sanitary tissue products positioned within the article space and a removable portion positioned over the opening.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Various non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the dispensers for sanitary tissue products disclosed herein. One or more examples of these non-limiting embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the dispensers for sanitary tissue products specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting example embodiments and that the scope of the various non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one non-limiting embodiment may be combined with the features of other non-limiting embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.
“Fiber” as used herein means an elongate physical structure having an apparent length greatly exceeding its apparent diameter, i.e., a length to diameter ratio of at least about 10. Fibers having a non-circular cross-section and/or tubular shape are common. The “diameter” in this case may be considered to be the diameter of a circle having a cross-sectional area equal to the cross-sectional area of the fiber. More specifically, as used herein, “fiber” refers to fibrous structure-making fibers. The present disclosure contemplates the use of a variety of fibrous structure-making fibers, such as, for example, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, any other suitable fibers, or any combination thereof.
“Fibrous structure” as used herein means a structure that comprises one or more fibers. Nonlimiting examples of processes for making fibrous structures include known wet-laid papermaking processes and air-laid papermaking processes. Such processes typically include the steps of preparing a fiber composition in the form of a suspension in a medium, either wet, more specifically aqueous medium, or dry, more specifically gaseous, i.e., with air as medium. The aqueous medium used for wet-laid processes is oftentimes referred to as a fiber slurry. The fibrous suspension is then used to deposit a plurality of fibers onto a forming wire or belt such that an embryonic fibrous structure is formed, after which drying and/or bonding the fibers together results in a fibrous structure. Further processing the fibrous structure may be carried out such that a finished fibrous structure is formed. For example, in typical papermaking processes, the finished fibrous structure is the fibrous structure that is wound on the reel at the end of papermaking, and may subsequently be converted into a finished product, e.g., a sanitary tissue product.
“Sanitary tissue product” as used herein means one or more finished fibrous structures, converted or not, that is useful as a wiping implement for post-urinary and post-bowel movement cleaning (e.g., toilet tissue or wet or dry wipes), for otorhinolaryngological discharges (e.g., facial tissue and wet or dry wipes), and multi-functional absorbent and cleaning uses (e.g., paper towels, shop towels, and hand towels). The sanitary tissue products can be embossed or not embossed, creped or uncreped, and can be single-ply or multi-ply.
The various dispensers of the present disclosure can be configured to dispense sanitary tissue products. The sanitary tissue products can have a multitude of functions, such as cleaning or wiping body surfaces, cleaning generally, medical usage, receiving bodily discharges, hand drying, face drying, and/or makeup removal, for example. Such sanitary tissue products can be provided within the dispensers and/or within refills that are configured to be positioned within the dispensers. The sanitary tissue products can be provided in stacks, sheets, folded sheets, interfolded sheets, C-folded sheets, Z-folded sheets, semi-folded sheets, rolls, or in any other suitable configuration for a particular use. The dispensers can be configured to dispense one or more sanitary tissue products at a time. In one embodiment, the dispensers can be configured for one hand dispensing of one or more sanitary tissue products or can be configured for two hand dispensing of one or more sanitary tissue products.
In various embodiments, portions of the dispensers that abut, are positioned against, and/or rest on a surface, such as a countertop or the top of the back of a toilet, can comprise suction cups, hook and/or loop fasteners, hook and hook fasteners, magnets, other suitable fasteners, adhesives, and/or high coefficient of friction materials (e.g., rubber), for example. Such features can at least inhibit the dispensers from moving or sliding during dispensing of one or more sanitary tissue products. In one embodiment, a complimentary fastener, such as an opposite pole magnet to a magnet on the dispenser can be attached to the surface on which the dispenser will be positioned, for example. In still other embodiments, the dispensers can be weighted or can have sufficient weight to prevent, or at least inhibit, movement or sliding during dispensing. In one embodiment, the dispensers can comprise hangers extending therefrom or hangers attachable to the dispensers. The hangers can be used to hang the dispensers from towel racks, towel bars, doors, or other items or surfaces. The hangers can be straps that can be attached to a portion of the dispensers on one end and can be removably attached to another portion of the dispensers on the other end. The straps can enable hanging the dispensers on a towel rack or a towel bar. In other embodiments, both ends of the straps can be removably attached to portions of the dispensers. Such removable attachment can be through the use of hook and loop fasteners, hook and hook fasteners, tabs on the straps engaging slots in the dispensers, and/or any other suitable methods of removable attachment. In one embodiment, the dispensers can have portions that define one or more apertures therethrough. Fasteners, such as nails or screws, can be positioned at least partially through the apertures to retain the dispensers to a surface, such as a wall, for example.
In one embodiment, a portion of the dispensers of the present disclosure can be positioned intermediate a towel bar or towel rack (hereafter “towel bar”) and a wall to retain the dispensers to the wall. In other embodiments, the dispensers can be hung from the towel bar or otherwise engaged with the towel bar. When engaged, in some form, with various towel bars, the dispensers of the present disclosure can be configured to dispense sanitary tissue products “over the bar” or “under the bar.” “Over the bar” means the sanitary tissue product is dispensed from a location on the dispenser 10 that is above (vertically) the towel bar, when a portion of the dispenser is situated between the towel bar and a wall. “Under the bar” means the sanitary tissue product is dispensed from a location on the dispenser 10 that is below (vertically) the towel bar, when a portion of the dispenser 10 is situated between the towel bar and a wall. The dispenser of
In one embodiment, referring to
One advantage of the dispenser 10 is that can have a universal function when engaged with a towel bar, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, referring to
In various embodiments, the base 16 and the lid 18 can be movable with respect to each other between an open position (e.g.,
In one embodiment, the lid 18 can comprise an arcuate portion 20 having a first edge 22, a second edge 24, a first end 26, and a second end 28. Either the base 16 or the lid 18 can comprise or be attached to a first side wall 30 and a second side wall 32 of the dispenser 10. The first side wall 30 can be positioned adjacent to the first edge 22 at least when the dispenser 10 is in the closed position. Likewise, the second side wall 32 can be positioned adjacent to the second edge 24 at least when the dispenser is in the closed position. The first and second side walls 30 and 32 can each comprise a bottom surface 34 configured to engage with, be formed with, and/or associate with a portion of the base 16. The first and second side walls 30 and 32 can also each comprise an arcuate surface 36. The arcuate surfaces 36 can be formed with the first and second edges 22 and 24 of the arcuate portion 20 or can be configured to be engaged with or be positioned adjacent or proximate to the first and second edges 22 and 24 of the arcuate portion 20. In one embodiment, the arcuate portion 20 can extend intermediate, or at least partially intermediate, the first side wall 30 and the second side wall 32 in a direction generally perpendicular or transverse to a plane of the first side wall 30 or a plane of the second side wall 32. In one embodiment, the first and second side walls 30 and 32 can have a first length 38 and the arcuate portion 20 can have a second length 39. The first length 38 can be generally equal to the second length 39, or greater or less than the second length 39. The lengths can be measured using a ruler or a tape measure, measuring from one end of a side wall to the other end of a side wall, and from one end of the arcuate portion to another end of the arcuate portion. The measurements will be taken in a linear direction about the longest portion of each side wall and the longest portion of the arcuate portion.
As described above, the dispenser 10, such as the arcuate portion 20, for example, can comprise the slot 12 defined therein. The slot 12 can be positioned at any suitable orientation or position on the arcuate portion 20. In various embodiments, the slot 12 can be positioned a first distance from the first end 26 and a second distance from a second end 28, wherein the first distance can be greater than the second distance, less than the second distance, or generally equal to the second distance. In one embodiment, the first distance can be at least twice as great as the second distance, three times as great as the second distance, four times as great as the second distance, and so forth, for example. The first distance can be measured by using a flexible tape measure and measuring, about a central axis, C, of the dispenser 10, from the first end 26 to the most proximate portion of a side wall of the slot 12. The second distance can be measured by using a flexible tape measure and measuring, about the central axis, C, of the dispenser 10, from the second end 28 to the most proximate portion of a side wall of the slot 12. The flexible tape measure is used because of the arcuate nature of the arcuate portion 20. The slot 12 can have any suitable size and shape and can have design elements, such as curved portions, for example, forming a perimeter thereof. In any event, the slot 12 can be suitable for dispensing the sanitary tissue products 14 therethrough. In one embodiment, the slot 12 can be configured to cause perforations between sheets of the sanitary tissue products being dispensed therethrough to break or at least partially break. In other embodiments, the sanitary tissue products may be individual sheets not having perforations.
In one embodiment, the receiving cavity 17 can be configured to receive any number of unpackaged sanitary tissue products 14 or one or more packages of sanitary tissue products 14. In various embodiments, the sanitary tissue products 14 can be stacked, folded, rolled, and/or otherwise suitably manufactured and/or arranged such that they can be easily dispensed from the dispenser 10. In certain embodiments, the sanitary tissue products 14 can be suitably manufactured and/or arranged such that one individual sanitary tissue product 14 can be dispensed at a time. In the event that the sanitary tissue products 14 are packaged, they can be packaged using a film wrapper, a polymeric film wrapper, a wrapper comprising cellulosic and/or nonwoven fibers, a container, or any other suitable sanitary tissue product covering and/or containing material.
In one embodiment, again referring to
In one embodiment, the opening 46 of the refill 40 can be created prior to inserting the refill 40 into the dispenser 10, for example, by tearing or separating a perforated or scored portion of the arcuate portion 44 away from the refill 40 or by pulling portions of the arcuate portion 44 away from each other. In various embodiments, referring to
In one embodiment, to insert the refill 40 into the dispenser 10, the base 16 and the lid 18 of the dispenser 10 can be moved into the open position (e.g.,
In one embodiment, referring to
In one embodiment, referring to
In one embodiment, referring to
In various embodiments, the dispenser 110 can have the same or similar features as the dispenser 10 described above, such as weight features to enable one hand dispensing, attachment features to mount the dispenser 110, and the like. Such features will not be discussed again here in detail for brevity.
In one embodiment, the base 116 can comprise a bottom wall 119. The bottom wall 119 can be generally concave or arcuate. The base 116 can comprise a first edge 122, a second edge 124, a first end 126, and a second end 128. Arcuate projections 129 can extend from the bottom wall 119, in a direction toward the lid 118, from each of the first edge 122 and the second edge 124. The arcuate projections 129 can function to receive or guide portions of the lid 118 during engagement of the base 116 and the lid 118. The arcuate projections 129 can fit within the lid 118 or can fit outside of the lid 118 when the base 116 is engaged with the lid 118. If the base 116 comprises an arcuate bottom wall 119, the arcuate nature of the base 116 can essentially mimic the curvature of an arcuate portion 120 of the lid 118 to make dispensing the sanitary tissue products 114 easier in that a central portion of the sanitary tissue products 114 will be positioned closer to a dispensing aperture in the lid 118, thereby reducing fallback of the sanitary tissue products 114.
In one embodiment, the lid 118 can comprise the arcuate portion 120. The arcuate portion 120 can define a dispensing aperture, such as slot 112, therein. The sanitary tissue products 114 can be dispensed through the slot 112. The slot 112 can include various design features such as curved side walls for aesthetic purposes or dispensing purposes, such as to help aid in breaking perforations between one sheet of the sanitary tissue product 114 and another sheet of the sanitary tissue product 114. The lid 118 can comprise a first end wall 162, a second end wall 164, a first side wall 166, and a second side wall 168. The first and second end walls 162 and 164, the first and second side walls 166 and 168, and the arcuate portion 120 can define the cavity or package-receiving cavity 117, when combined with the bottom wall 119 of the base 116. In various embodiments, the first and second end walls 162 and 164 can be formed with the base 116 instead of the lid 118 and can extend from the first end 126 and the second end 128 of the base 116 in a direction toward the lid 118. In other embodiments, the first and second side walls 166 and 168 can be formed with the base 116 instead of the lid 118 and can extend from the first edge 122 and the second edge 124 in a direction toward the lid 118. In such an embodiment, the arcuate projections 129 may not be provided.
In various embodiments, the slot 112 can extend to one or more of the first end wall 162, the second end wall 164, the first side wall 166, and the second side wall 168. Such slots 112 are illustrated in dashed lines in
In one embodiment, the dispensers of the present disclosure can be reusable or disposable. Disposable dispensers can be comprised of cellulosic fibers, such as paper stock, cardboard, other fibers, and/or other suitable or biodegradable materials. In general, disposable dispensers can be purchased with a plurality of sanitary tissue products positioned in a receiving cavity thereof and such dispensers may not be refillable. Reusable dispensers can be comprised of plastic, metal, wood, anti-microbial materials, anti-bacterial materials, and/or any other suitable materials. In general, reusable dispensers can be purchased with or without sanitary tissue products positioned in a receiving cavity thereof or with or without a refill positioned therein. These reusable dispenses can be multi-use dispensers. When the supply of sanitary tissue products within a reusable dispenser is exhausted, a consumer can insert additional sanitary tissue products or a refill of additional sanitary tissue products to the receiving cavity of the reusable dispenser. The refills can be purchased at the same store or location as the reusable dispenser was purchased. The refills can comprise films, polymeric films, and/or materials comprising cellulosic fibers and/or nonwoven fibers surrounding a plurality of sanitary tissue products.
In one embodiment, the refills can comprise a perfume or fragrance therein or thereon. In other embodiments, the sanitary tissue products within the refills can comprise the perfume or fragrance. In still other embodiments, the film or other material forming the outer covering of the refills can comprise the perfume or fragrance. Once inserted into a cavity of the dispenser, the perfume or fragrance can diffuse through an aperture, such as the slot 12, in the dispenser into an environment surrounding the dispenser to provide a pleasant scent to the environment.
The various dispensers of the present disclosure can comprise transparent or see through “windows” that enable a consumer to view into the receiving cavity of a dispenser and/or the article space of a refill and determine how many sanitary tissue products remain or to determine the status of the sanitary tissue products. In one embodiment, a portion of a film surrounding a refill can be transparent or see through to allow a user to view the sanitary tissue products in an article space. The dispensers and/or the refills can comprise indicia, such as branding information, thereon or formed in outer surfaces thereof. In one embodiment, portions of the dispensers can comprise one or more light sources that can act as night lights, for example. In various embodiments, the one or more light sources can be operably linked to switches or motion detectors to activate the light sources. The lights sources can be powered by any suitable sources, such as a battery, for example. In one embodiment, the dispensers can comprise one or more sealing members configured to seal the receiving cavities of the dispensers to inhibit air from entering and exiting the receiving cavity. Such seals can be useful when sanitary tissue products, such as wet wipes, are positioned within the receiving cavities to inhibit the wet wipes from drying out. In other embodiments, the seals can be useful in inhibiting contamination, such as dirt, from entering the receiving cavities. In one embodiment, the seals can be positioned intermediate the lid and the base. In various embodiments, a flexible membrane can extend into the slots of the dispensers. The flexible membrane can have one or more openings therein for dispensing sanitary tissue products, such as wet wipes, therethrough. The flexible membrane can help maintain sanitary tissue products, such as wet wipes, within a cavity of a dispenser in a wet or sanitary condition.
In various embodiments, the dispensers of the present disclosure can have slots, apertures, or recesses therein configured to receive scent packets, such that a scent can be diffused into an environment surrounding the dispensers. In other embodiments, the scent packets may be attachable to the dispensers.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any embodiment disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such embodiment. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/479,978 filed on Apr. 28, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61479978 | Apr 2011 | US |