Patent Application
20120080443
The invention relates to packaging for dispensing products, particularly disposable paper products.
Disposable paper products in the form of paper towels, toilet tissue, and table napkins find great utility among users who value affordability, ease of use, and disposability. Paper products are used in virtually every household, including in kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, and garages. In each setting various dispensers are known. Paper towels, for example, are often dispensed from a horizontally-disposed bar, from which they can be unrolled one at a time. Likewise, toilet tissue is known to be dispensed from wall-mounted horizontally-disposed rolls.
Paper table napkins are generally not provided in roll form, but instead are provided in folded, stacked form. Paper table napkins, such as Bounty® Quilted Napkins, can be formed from a 12-inch by 12-inch one ply paper folded twice to form a 6-inch by 6-inch folded paper napkin, which can then be supplied as a stack of napkins ready for use.
Because paper table napkins are provided in folded, stacked form, dispensers for holding such napkins come in a variety of forms. Some dispensers are essentially box-like, open-top enclosures, in which the stack of napkins lie flat. Some dispensers are essentially parallel panels between which a stack of napkins can stand in a vertical orientation.
Known configurations of napkin dispensers have drawbacks, including cost, effectiveness, and general consumer acceptance. For example, flat-stacked dispensers are generally inexpensive and unattractive, or expensive and attractive. Vertical-stack dispensers can also be expensive and/or unattractive for home use, and can also be generally difficult to use because of the changing width of a stack of napkins.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a napkin dispenser that is both relatively inexpensive, and attractive for use.
Further there is a need for a durable, inexpensive napkin dispenser for home use.
There is also an unmet need for an attractive dispenser suitable for kitchen or dining room use which is durable, inexpensive, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing.
A package for dispensing products is disclosed. The package has a substantially rectangular-shaped bottom panel joined to four side walls, each of which meet adjacent side walls to form an open, four-sided enclosure. A first side of each side wall defines an interior sidewall portion and a second side of each side wall defines an exterior sidewall portion. The interior sidewall portions are substantially at a right angle to the bottom panel. The exterior sidewall portions of a first pair of opposing sidewalls are substantially at a right angle to the bottom panel. The exterior sidewall portions of a second pair of opposing sidewalls are substantially at an angle less than a right angle with respect to the bottom panel.
A napkin dispenser of the present invention can be made from a die-cut blank of relatively heavy paper stock, such that when folded in a predetermined manner forms what can be called an open top box structure, referred to herein as a package for dispensing products, or, alternatively, a dispenser.
A dispenser 10 of the present invention is shown in
Dispenser 10 has a bottom 12 and sidewalls 14 joined to the bottom to form an open-top box-like structure. In the embodiment shown in
Sidewalls 14 each have interior portions 16 and exterior portions 18. In an embodiment, the angle made between bottom 12 and any one of the interior sidewall portions 16 is about ninety degrees, or a right angle, as indicated at 13 in
In an embodiment, dispenser 10 can have a thumb slot 20 in the form of a notch, slot, or other opening that permits access to a portion of an edge of a napkin when the napkin is in the dispenser. In use, napkins can be accessed and removed by grasping an exposed edge portion in the thumb slot 20 and lifting and/or pulling. Grasping can be with a thumb and forefinger (thus the terminology “thumb” slot) or any other suitable manner.
Generally straight-walled box-like dispensers are not aesthetically pleasing. To provide for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance, and to aid in overall stability, a dispenser 10 of the present invention can have sidewalls 14 with exterior portions 18 that are not oriented at right angles with respect to bottom 12. That is, the exterior sidewall portions 18 can be oriented at an angle less than or greater than a right angle with respect to the bottom 12. Cross-sectional views of
As shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In an embodiment, exterior sidewall portion 18 of sidewalls 26 can have openings 34 which can be die-cut shaped openings in the shape of geometric shapes, flowers, hearts, and the like. Openings 34 provide for an attractive visual effect by allowing a line of sight from outside package 10 to panel 36 or other surfaces lying interior to the gap defined between interior sidewall portion 16 and exterior sidewall portion 18 of sidewalls 26. For example, a visually attractive printed color or pattern can be printed on panel 36, such that upon viewing package 10, a line of sight through opening(s) 34 extends through exterior sidewall portion 18 and to the printed portion of panel 36. In this manner, due to the separation formed by the gap defined between interior sidewall portion 16 and exterior sidewall portion 18 of sidewalls 26, shadowing and spacing combine to form a pleasing depth of field visual effect.
Top edge 22 of at least one sidewall 14 can be folded to have a radius of curvature R measured to an outside surface as shown in
The overall configuration of package 10 has several benefits associated with dispensing products, such as paper napkins The presence of sidewall portions 14 that extend at an angle less than a right angle, provide for an extended bottom portion, shown as extended bottom portion 37 in
Blank 40 comprises various foldable panels, each connected as shown to adjacent panels, and numbered as shown in
Panels 50 are each folded upwardly at Fold A and over to form a double thickness of paperboard with panels 52. As is evident, the externally exposed surface of Fold A forms top edge 22 of sidewall portions 24. An opening, such as opening 42 can be formed across Fold A, such that upon folding, opening 42 forms thumb slot 20 of finished package 10. Adjacent panels 50 and 52 can then be folded upwardly at Fold B to a position substantially at right angles to panel 56 (which forms bottom 12 of finished package 10) to complete sidewall portions 24 of finished package 10.
Next, each panel 54 can be folded inwardly sufficient to engage an opposing panel 54 via tab 46 and slit 44 connection means. Panels 54 form panels 36 of finished package 10.
Next, panels 60 are folded upwardly about Fold E until they are approximately at right angles with their respective panels 64. Panels 62 are folded downwardly about Fold F until they are approximately at right angles with their respective panels 64.
Next, panels 58 are folded upwardly at Fold D, and panels 64 are folded inwardly at Fold G over the top of interlocked panels 54. Once folded over, panels 64 can be slid against bottom panel 56, and glued into place at panel 62 or otherwise interlocked into place by fitting panels 60 and/or 62 or other panels into place. For example, in one embodiment, panels 60 can be fit into openings formed by the irregular shape of panels 50 as shown in
As can be appreciated by the description herein, the sloping, optionally curvilinear, exterior sidewall portions 18 can be achieved by variously placing Fold D outwardly from the position represented in
Other advantages and benefits are achieved by the package 10 described herein. In an embodiment, blank 40 can be printed on one side (the side away from the viewer as viewed in
In an embodiment, sidewalls 14 can have printed thereon various indicia indicating to a user that the stack of product, such as paper napkins, is low, and new product should be obtained. For example, a horizontal line at a predetermined height from bottom 12 can indicate the product supply is low. The line can be accompanied by textual indicia, such as “time to reorder.” In an embodiment reorder information can be printed onto bottom 12 such that it is visible once the last of the product has been removed.
In another embodiment, rather than opening 42 providing for thumb slot 20, a partially perforated portion which can follow the lines indicating opening 42 can allow for a portion of the opening to be removed, hinged inwardly, and providing a spring-biased “finger” resting on the topmost napkin in a stack of napkins.
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 invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. 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 invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
