Methods and Apparatus for Storing and Dispensing Flexible Sheet Materials

Abstract

Methods and apparatus may permit the storage of flexible sheet materials in a space-efficient manner and may provide a continuous point-of-use dispensing capability of such sheet materials at such stored location. Serially joined sheet materials may be separated from one another at sheet materials separation zones utilizing interference tabs having yieldable configurations, intra-planar configurations, trans-axial configurations, movement resistive configurations, and projective configurations. Such interference tab configurations may permit the simplified design and construction of a sheet materials dispensation apparatus, and multiple flexible sheet materials may be serially joined for use with such configurations. A substantially rigid enclosure for storing such serially joined sheet materials and incorporating an interference tab having one or more of such configurations may be dimensioned to dispense sheet materials from within an open-ended receptacle, for example a refuse container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substantially rigid enclosure in one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a substantially rigid enclosure having a sheet material disposed through a sheet materials dispensation slot in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a substantially rigid enclosure having a sheet material separated at a sheet materials separation zone in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a straight sheet materials dispensation slot having a lengthwise axis in one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a curved sheet materials dispensation slot having a lengthwise axis in one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a sheet material deformed within a terminal portion recess in one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual view of a sheet materials separation zone disposed between two serially joined sheet materials in one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual view of a drawstring established on a serially joined sheet material in one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a resistance projection disposed on a yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab in one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a sheet material engaged to a resistance projection disposed on a yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab in one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an open-ended receptacle having an expanded and placed sheet material disposed therein in one embodiment.

Claims

1. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus comprising: a sheet materials storage area;a substantially rigid enclosure disposed about said sheet materials storage area;a sheet materials dispensation slot disposed through said substantially rigid enclosure having a lengthwise axis and established in communication with said sheet materials storage area;a terminal portion recess disposed along a first edge of said sheet materials dispensation slot and displaced from said lengthwise axis of said sheet materials dispensation slot;a base portion recess disposed along a second edge of said sheet materials dispensation slot and displaced from said lengthwise axis of said sheet materials dispensation slot;a yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab having a base portion and a terminal portion and joined to said substantially rigid planar sheet materials containment surface at said base portion within said base portion recess and extended across said lengthwise axis of said sheet materials dispensation slot and terminating at said terminal portion within said terminal portion recess;a narrow sub-terminal dimension of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab defined by a cutaway established around each side and through at least part of said base portion of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab;a sheet materials resistance projection disposed on said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab configured to resist a movement of at least a portion of a sheet material drawn from said sheet materials storage area through said sheet materials dispensation slot.

2. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab comprises a sheet materials override tab.

3. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said terminal portion recess comprises a matched terminal portion recess.

4. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a cutout selected from the group consisting of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab and said sheet materials dispensation slot.

5. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab defined by a cutaway established around each side and through at least part of said base portion of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab further comprises a sheet materials wraparound zone.

6. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said sheet materials resistance projection comprises a surface selected from the group consisting of a blunt surface and a sharp edge.

7. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said sheet materials resistance projection comprises a sheet materials resistance projection configured to separate at least two serially joined sheet materials at a sheet materials separation zone.

8. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein said sheet materials separation zone comprises a sheet materials separation zone selected from the group consisting of perforations, at least one gap, and at least one in-line gap centered within a line of perforations.

9. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid enclosure comprises a dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure for placement within an open-ended receptacle.

10. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 9, further comprising receptacle-dimensioned expansion and placement bags stored within said sheet materials storage area.

11-20. (canceled)

21. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus comprising: a sheet materials storage area;a sheet materials utilization area;a substantially rigid planar sheet materials containment surface separating said sheet materials storage area and said sheet materials utilization area;a sheet materials dispensation slot disposed through said substantially rigid planar sheet materials containment surface having a lengthwise axis and established in communication with said sheet materials storage area and said sheet materials utilization area;a terminal portion recess disposed along a first edge of said sheet materials dispensation slot and displaced from said lengthwise axis of said sheet materials dispensation slot;a yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab having a base portion and a terminal portion and joined to said substantially rigid planar sheet materials containment surface at said base portion and extended across said lengthwise axis of said sheet materials dispensation slot and terminating at said terminal portion within said terminal portion recess.

22. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said sheet materials dispensation slot comprises a unidirectional slot.

23. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 22, wherein said unidirectional slot comprises a one-way flap disposed along one edge of said unidirectional slot.

24. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said sheet materials dispensation slot comprises a straight slot and wherein said lengthwise axis comprises a straight axis.

25. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21 wherein said sheet materials dispensation slot comprises a curved slot and wherein said lengthwise axis comprises a curved axis.

26. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said sheet materials dispensation slot comprises a sheet orientation confinement slot.

27. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said terminal portion recess comprises a terminal portion recess selected from the group consisting of a curved terminal portion recess, a polygonal terminal portion recess, and a pointed terminal portion recess.

28. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said terminal portion recess comprises a matched terminal portion recess.

29. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said terminal portion recess comprises a sheet material deformation confinement recess.

30. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab comprises a cutout.

31. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said sheet materials dispensation slot comprises a cutout.

32. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab comprises a trans-axial tab selected from the group consisting of a trans-axial tab centered relative to said lengthwise axis, a trans-axial tab shifted off-center relative to said lengthwise axis, a trans-axial tab perpendicular to said lengthwise axis, and a trans-axial tab intersecting said lengthwise axis.

33. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab comprises a sheet materials override tab.

34. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab comprises a sheet materials axial displacement tab.

35. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said terminal portion comprises a terminal portion selected from the group consisting of a curved terminal portion, a polygonal terminal portion, and a pointed terminal portion.

36. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, further comprising a base portion recess disposed along a second edge of said sheet materials dispensation slot and wherein said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab is joined to said substantially rigid planar sheet materials containment surface within said base portion recess.

37. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 36, wherein said base portion recess comprises a sheet materials wraparound zone.

38. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 37, wherein said wraparound zone comprises a cutaway on each side of said base portion of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab.

39. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, further comprising a sheet materials resistance projection disposed on said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab configured to resist a movement of said sheet materials drawn through said sheet materials dispensation slot.

40-92. (canceled)

93. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said containment surface comprises a constituent part of a substantially rigid enclosure disposed about said sheet materials storage area.

94. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 93, wherein said substantially rigid enclosure comprises a substantially rigid enclosure selected from the group consisting of a sealed substantially rigid enclosure and a reloadable substantially rigid enclosure.

95. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 93, wherein said substantially rigid enclosure comprises a dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure for placement within an open-ended receptacle.

96. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 95, wherein said dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure comprises a dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure selected from the group consisting of a rectangular substantially rigid enclosure, an elliptical substantially rigid enclosure, a trapezoidal cross-sectioned substantially rigid enclosure, a flush-fit substantially rigid enclosure, a dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure for placement at the bottom of a rectangular open-ended receptacle, a dimensionally coordinated substantially rigid enclosure for placement at the bottom of a tubular open-ended receptacle.

97. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 95, wherein said open-ended receptacle comprises a refuse container.

98. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 93, further comprising multiple sheet materials serially joined by sheet material separation zones stored within said sheet materials storage area.

99. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 98, wherein said sheet materials comprise sheet materials selected from the group consisting of rolled sheet materials, folded sheet materials, and stacked sheet materials.

100. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 98, wherein said sheet material separation zones comprise sheet material separation zones selected from the group consisting of perforations, at least one gap, and at least one in-line gap centered within a line of perforations.

101. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 98, wherein said sheet materials comprise flexible bags.

102. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 101, wherein said flexible bags comprise receptacle-dimensioned expansion and placement bags.

103. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 101, wherein each said flexible bag further comprises a sheet materials dispensation slot-dimensioned drawstring configured to open and close said flexible bag.

104. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 103, wherein said drawstring further comprises an elastic drawstring.

105. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 98, wherein said multiple sheet materials comprise coded sheet materials selected from the group consisting of color coded, tactile coded, alphanumerically coded, transparency coded, serially coded, and coded by at least one distinguishing characteristic.

106. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 98, further comprising a securement element joined to said substantially rigid enclosure.

107. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 106, wherein said securement element comprises a securement element selected from the group consisting of a mechanical fastener, an adhesive fastener, a magnetic fastener, Velcro, and a screw.

108. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable interference tab comprises a yieldable interference tab having a narrow sub-terminal dimension.

109. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 108, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension comprises a shaft portion of said yieldable interference tab having a width dimension narrower than a width dimension of said terminal portion.

110. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 108, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension comprises a width dimension of said base portion narrower than a width portion of said terminal portion.

111. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 108, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension comprises a narrow sub-terminal dimension defined by a cutaway established around each side of said base portion.

112. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 108, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension comprises a narrow sub-terminal dimension located on the opposite side of said lengthwise axis relative to said terminal portion.

113. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 108, wherein said narrow sub-terminal dimension comprises a yield zone of said yieldable intra-planar trans-axial interference tab.

114. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, further comprising a yield profile of said yieldable interference tab selected from the group consisting of a substantially curved yield profile, a substantially pivoted yield profile, and a yield profile having an angular displacement from 0 degrees to 90 degrees.

115. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable interference tab comprises a yieldable interference tab selected from the group consisting of a sheet material movement responsive yieldable interference tab and a sheet material movement facilitative yieldable interference tab.

116. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable interference tab comprises an increased resistance yieldable interference tab.

117. A sheet materials dispensation apparatus as described in claim 21, wherein said yieldable interference tab comprises a sheet materials resistance projection repositioned yieldable interference tab.

118-145. (canceled)