Paper Towel Dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser includes a housing surrounding a volume, an opening formed within a bottom wall of the housing to expose the volume to an environment external to the dispenser, and an insert disposed within the housing. The insert includes first and second sidewalls oriented parallel to each other, an opening formed in a bottom wall of the insert and aligned with the opening of the housing, angled guide walls extending inward from the first and second sidewalls and toward the opening, and a volume disposed between the sidewalls of the insert configured to receive a product stack e.g., paper hand towels. The angled guide walls are configured to reduce the volume of the product stack adjacent the bottom wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to the field of lavatory accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a product dispenser, e.g., a paper hand towel dispenser. Specifically, a preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a paper towel dispenser include an insert that reduces the volume of the paper towel dispenser adjacent its opening in order to slightly bow the stack of product at the opening and aid in extraction of the product form the dispenser with reduced tearing.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Product dispenser, e.g., paper towel dispensers, commonly used with commercial lavatory systems generally include a container for holding a supply of either stacked paper towels or rolled paper towel. In the instance of stacked paper towels, the interior of the container is generally rectangular in shape and the stacked paper hand towels are merely shoved by a maintenance person into the space. Typically, maintenance personnel tend to overfill the dispenser by placing as many paper towels within the container as possible. By overfilling and the dispenser, the paper towels end up exerting a large amount of force on themselves and the lowest towel at the discharge opening is likely to tear due to this large pressure force. Further, the generally rectangular shape of the interior of the container results in the force being placed equally along the entire length of the paper towel, which also makes it likely to tear.

Additionally, maintenance personnel are typically unable to see inside of the container to know whether the dispenser needs to be filled or not. While some dispensers known in the art may include a cutout, the stack of paper hand towels within the dispenser is not easily seen through these cutouts. As such, it is not uncommon for maintenance personnel to either ignore their responsibility altogether until notified by a visitor that the paper towels are empty or “top off” the stack of paper towels with each check. In addition, when different models of dispenser are installed in commercial bathrooms with locks, maintenance personnel end up needing to go through many keys to find the right key to open a specific dispenser.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a paper towel dispenser that alleviates the tearing issue by providing an interior orientation of the container that alleviates pressure from the center of the paper towel and allows for a user to easily grab and remove the paper towel without tearing. Further, it would be desirable to provide a paper towel dispenser with an indication system that easily indicates to maintenance personnel that the level of paper towels within the container and/or whether the container needs to be refilled. Additionally, there is a need in the art for a locking mechanism for a dispenser that allows a uniform key to be used across dispenser.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a paper towel dispenser including an insert that reduces the volume of the paper towel dispenser adjacent its opening in order to slightly bow the stack of product at the opening and aid in extraction of the product from the dispenser with reduced tearing. In addition, the paper towel dispenser includes a limit plate with indicator tap and associated indicator opening on the exterior of the paper towel dispenser.

In accordance to an embodiment of the invention, a product dispenser, preferably a paper hand towel dispenser, includes a housing surrounding a volume, an opening formed within a bottom wall of the housing to expose the volume to an environment external to the paper towel dispenser, and an insert disposed within the housing. The insert includes first and second sidewalls oriented parallel to each other, an opening formed in a bottom wall of the insert and aligned with the opening of the housing, angled guide walls extending inward from the first and second sidewalls and toward the opening, and a volume disposed between the sidewalls of the insert configured to receive paper towels. The angled guide walls are configured to reduce the volume adjacent the bottom wall. As a result, the stack of product adjacent the opening at the bottom wall is bowed to reduce pressure on the product and aid in extraction of the product form the dispenser with reduced tearing.

According to another aspect of the invention, the paper towel dispenser may also include a limit plate disposed within the paper towel dispenser. The limit plate has an upper location spaced apart from the top wall of the housing and is configured to move downward toward a lower location as paper towels are removed from the volume. Additionally, the limit plate may include an indicator tab configured to align with an indicator opening of the housing when the limit plate approaches or is in the lower location.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, each of the first and second sidewalls of the insert include an opening extending along the length of the sidewall. The limit plate includes a first extension tab extending from a first end thereof and a second extension tab extending from a second end thereof. The first and second extension tabs extends through the openings of the first and second sidewalls of the insert respectively.

According to another aspect of the invention, the insert may be separated into an upper portion and a lower portion. The first and second sidewalls of the insert are included in the upper portion, while the bottom wall and angled guide walls of the insert are included in the lower portion. Additionally, the lower portion may also include a front wall extending upward from a front edge of the bottom wall and a rear wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall. Further, the upper portion may also include a first front wall portion extending inward from a front edge of the first sidewall and/or a second front wall portion extending inward from a front edge of the second sidewall. The first and second front wall portions are spaced apart from each to provide a space therebetween, which is aligned with the indicator opening of the housing. Alternatively, an indicator opening aligned with the indicator opening of the housing may be formed in either of the front and second front wall portions.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the paper towel dispenser may include a lock within the housing. The lock includes a locking plate displaced from a top plate of the housing and a locking mechanism coupled to an inner surface of the housing. The locking plate includes a locking tab with an opening. Meanwhile, the locking mechanism includes a latch rotatable around a pivot axis and configured to engage the opening in a locked orientation, a tension device coupled to the latch and configured to exert a force on the latch to maintain it in the locked orientation, and a magnet coupled to the latch. The magnet is configured to interact with a key to overcome the force of the tension device and transition the latch to an unlocked position. Additionally, the locking mechanism may be configured to be adjustably mounted to the inner surface of the housing in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

These and other aspects and objects of the present invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A clear conception of the advantages and features constituting the present invention, and of the construction and operation of typical mechanisms provided with the present invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate the same elements in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a product dispenser, preferably for a paper towel dispenser for dispensing paper hand towels, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the paper towel dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the paper towel dispenser of FIG. 1 in an open orientation;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the paper towel dispenser of FIG. 3 in the same open orientation;

FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of an insert of the paper towel dispenser initially shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a limit plate of the paper towel dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the limit plate of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the limit plate of FIGS. 6 and 7 disposed within the insert of FIG. 5 at an upper location;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the limit plate of FIGS. 6 and 7 disposed within the insert of FIG. 5 at a middle location;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the limit plate of FIGS. 6 and 7 disposed within the insert of FIG. 5 at a lower location;

FIG. 11 is a rear isometric view of the paper towel dispenser of FIG. 1 with its top plate in an exploded format;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a locking system of the paper towel dispenser in a locked position, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of a locking system of the paper towel dispenser in an unlocked position, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a rear isometric view of an insert of the paper towel dispenser according to another embodiment of the invention.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the word connected, attached, or terms similar thereto are often used. They are not limited to direct connection but include connection through other elements where such connection is recognized as being equivalent by those skilled in the art.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments described in detail in the following description.

Throughout this description, various terms denoting direction, such as left and right, front and rear, up and down, top and bottom, and the like may be used. The directions are not intended to be limiting but are used to describe relationships of elements with respect to each other in the accompanying drawings. Unless mutually exclusive, it is contemplated that the elements may be reversed, for example, by turning a component around or upside down without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

Turning initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a dispenser 10 for preferably dispensing paper hand towels is shown according to one embodiment of the invention. The paper towel dispenser 10 includes a housing 12 having sidewalls 14, a top wall 16, a bottom wall 18, and a back plate 20 surrounding an inner volume 22 of the paper towel dispenser 10. The inner volume 22 of the dispenser 10 is configured to receive a product stack, such as a stack of disposable paper hand towels. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the sidewalls 14 are shown as a rounded structure. Meanwhile, in varying embodiments of the invention, the sidewalls 14 can include any number of sidewalls formed into any shape. While the bottom wall 18 is shown oriented at an angle with respect to the front surface 26 of the housing 26. Preferably, the bottom wall 18 is oriented at an angle between 0° and 90° from horizontal. More preferably, the bottom wall 18 may be oriented at an angle between 15° and 45°. Even more preferably, the bottom wall 18 may be oriented at an angle of 30°.

The bottom wall 18 may include an opening 24 formed therethrough in order to expose the inner volume 22 of the paper towel dispenser 10 to a user. In turn, a user is able to remove product, such as stacked paper towels, from the inner volume 22 of the paper towel dispenser 10 via the opening 24. Additionally, a surface of the housing 12, such as a front surface 26 of the sidewalls 14 may include a lock indicator 28 disposed adjacent the upper edge of the sidewalls 14 to indicate the location where a key may be placed to unlock the paper towel dispenser 10. This will be described in further detail below. In varying embodiments of the invention, the lock indicator 28 may be located at any location on the housing 12.

The housing 12 may include an indicator opening 30 formed in the front surface 26 of the sidewalls 14. Preferably, the indicator opening 30 is located adjacent the bottom plate 18 of the housing. It is anticipated that the indicator opening 30 may be either completely open to the inner volume 22 of the dispenser 10 or include a clear barrier that is visually open to the inner volume 22 of the dispenser 10. In turn, a maintenance person may inspect the paper towel dispenser 10 through the indicator opening 30 to determine if product needs to be added to the paper towel dispenser 10. In other embodiments of the invention, the indicator opening 30 may be located at any location on the housing 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the paper towel dispenser 10 is shown in an open orientation 32 as opposed to the closed orientation 34 of FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, the sidewalls 14, top wall 16, and bottom wall 18 may be pivotable away from the back plate 20 and an associated support frame 36 to open and expose the inner volume 22 of the paper towel dispenser 10. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the sidewalls 14, top wall 16, and bottom wall 18 are collectively pivotably hinged to the support frame 36 of the back plate 20 via a pivot point 37 disposed within a lower region adjacent the bottom of the support frame 36 and sidewalls 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dispenser 10 may further include a link 38 having an upper end disposed within a opening 41 in the support frame 36. The upper end of the link 38 is slidably engaged with the opening 41 of the support frame 36 so that it may traverse the length of the opening 41 as the dispenser 10 is opened and closed. A lower end of the link 38 is pivotably coupled to the sidewalls 14 of the housing 12. As a result, the link 38 is able to control the stop location of the sidewalls 14, top wall 16, and bottom wall 18 as they are pivoted away from the back plate 20 in order to prevent damage of the housing 12 or associated wall upon which the housing 12 is mounted.

The representative embodiment of the invention further depicts a locking plate 29 disposed in an upper region of the housing 12 and displaced from the top wall 16 of the housing 12 when in the closed orientation 34. The locking plate 29 may be in the form of a cantilevered plate extending outward from an upper portion of the support frame 36 and toward the front surface 26 of the housing 12. In other embodiments of the invention, the locking plate 29 may extend in any direction toward a later described locking mechanism 33 associated with the lock indicator 28. Further, the locking plate 29 may include a tab 31 extending from a distal end thereof.

The dispenser 10 also includes an insert 40 removably disposed within the housing 12 and within the inner volume 22 of the dispenser 10. The insert is shown in further detail in FIG. 5. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the insert 40 includes a front wall 42, first and second sidewalls 44, 46, and a bottom wall 48. The bottom wall 48 is oriented at the same or similar angle as the bottom wall 18 of the housing 12.

Similar to the bottom wall 18 of the housing 12, the bottom wall 48 of the insert 40 includes an opening 50 to provide access to an inner volume 54 of the insert 40, which will contain the product stack. Preferably, the insert 40—specifically, the bottom wall 48 and opening 50 of the insert 40—is made from a smooth material, such as, but not limited to, plastic, to aid in the smooth dispense of the product and limit tearing when compared to other materials, such as sheet metal. In addition, the edges of the opening 50 are preferably rounded to aid in the smooth dispense of product from the dispenser 10. The opening 50 of the insert 40 and the opening 24 of the housing are configured to be aligned with each other when the housing 12 is in the closed orientation 34. Likewise, the insert 40 may include an indicator opening 52 similar to the indicator opening 30 of the housing 12 that is aligned with the indicator opening 24 of the housing 12 when the housing 12 is in the closed orientation 34. It is contemplated that the indicator opening 52 of the insert 40 may be sized larger in width and/or length than the indicator opening 30 of the housing 12 to prevent obstruction of the view into the inner volumes 22, 54 of the housing 12 and insert 40, respectively, which become aligned with each other when the housing 12 is in the closed orientation 34.

The insert 40 further includes angled walls 56, 58 disposed at a lower region of the insert 40. As shown, each angled wall 56, 58 extends from a lower surface of a respective sidewall 44, 46 at an angle toward the bottom wall 48. Specifically, the angled walls are oriented at an angle to reduce the width and volume 54 of the insert 40 as it approaches the bottom wall 48. Each angled wall 56, 58 may be oriented at any angle between 0° and 90° with respect to vertical. Preferably, each angled wall 56, 58 is oriented at a 45° angle. As a result, the width of the insert 40 is the smallest at the bottom wall 48. The angled walls 56, 58 are configured to cause the stack of product to slightly bow and aid in extraction of the product form the dispenser 10 with reduced tearing.

FIG. 5 further illustrates each sidewall 44, 46 including a respective vertical slot or opening 60, 62 formed therein and extending along a partial length of the sidewall 44, 46. While the representative embodiment of the invention depicts the openings 60, 62 being off-center and closer to the front wall 42, varying embodiments of the invention may locate the openings 60, 62 at any location along their respective sidewall 44, 46. Further yet, it is contemplated that the upper end of each opening 60, 62 may be spaced apart from the upper edge of the sidewall 44, 46 or extend all the way to the upper edge of the sidewall 44, 46 resulting in the opening 60, 62 being open at the upper edge of each sidewall 44, 46. The openings 60, 62 of the sidewalls 44, 46 will be further discussed below.

In the representative embodiment of the invention, the insert 40 may also include a support plate 64 extending horizontally between opposite angled walls 56, 58 to provide rigidity to the insert 40. In other embodiments of the invention, the support plate 64 may extend between sidewalls 44, 46 or a combination of the angled walls 56, 58 and sidewalls 44, 46.

Referring next to FIGS. 6 and 7, a limit plate 66 is shown according to an embodiment of the invention. The limit plate 66 includes a horizontal main plate 68 with first and second extension tabs 70, 72 extending from the distal ends of the main plate 68. As shown in FIG. 7, the extension tabs 70, 72 are in a T-shape with extension portions 74, 76 that are thinner than respective end tabs 78, 80. In particular, the width of the extension portions 74, 76 is sized to fit within the width of the previously discussed openings 60, 62, respectively. In turn, the end tabs 78, 80 are sized to have a larger width than the respective openings 60, 62 in order to prevent lateral movement of the limit plate 66 as the extension portions 74, 76 traverse the openings 60, 62 and the limit plate 66 moves vertically through the volume 54 of the insert 40.

The limit plate 66 may also include one or more indicator tabs 82 extends downward from a front edge 84 of the limit plate 66 adjacent the front wall 42 of the insert 40. While the representative embodiment of the invention illustrates the use of two indicator tabs 82 extending perpendicular from the front edge 84 of the limit plate 66, other embodiments of the invention may include any number of indicator tabs 82 extending at any angle in the downward direction from the front edge 84 of the limit plate 66. The purpose of the indicator tabs 82 will be described in further detail below.

Next, FIGS. 8-10 depict the limit plate 66 disposed in the insert 40 at a variety of locations. First, FIG. 8 depicts the limit plate 66 disposed in the insert 40 at an upper location 86. As discussed above, when the limit plate 66 is disposed in the insert 40 the main plate 68 extends horizontally between the sidewalls 44, 46 of the insert 40. In particular, the extension portions 74, 76 of the extension tabs 70, 72 extend through respective openings 60, 62 and the end tabs 78, 80 of the extension tabs 70, 72 are located outside the volume 54 of the insert 40 and help maintain the main plate 68 of the limit plate 66 within the volume 54 of the insert 40. At the upper location 86, the limit plate 66 is disposed at the upper most limit established by the openings 60, 62. That is, the extension tabs 70, 72 are located at or adjacent to the upper edge of the openings 60, 62, respectively. At the upper location 86, the volume 54 of the insert 40 is at its largest volume to allow a stack of product to be place within the volume 54 of the insert 40. When refilling the dispenser 10, a maintenance person is able to lift the limit plate 66 to the upper location 86 in order to fill the volume 54 of the insert 40 with product. In turn, the limit plate 66 is able to reduce or limit the ability of a maintenance person to overfill the dispenser 10.

Next, FIG. 9 depicts the limit plate 66 disposed in the insert 40 at an intermediate location 88. When in the intermediate location 88, the extension tabs 70, 72 are located at an intermediate location spaced apart from both the upper edge and the lower edge of the openings 60, 62, respectively. At the intermediate location 88, the volume 54 of the insert 40 is reduced when compared to the upper location 86 of FIG. 8. As product is removed from the dispenser 10 by a user, the limit plate 66 moves with the top of the stack of product. As such, user of the dispenser 10 causes the limit plate 66 to move from the upper limit 86 to the intermediate limit 88.

Next, FIG. 10 depicts the limit plate 66 disposed in the insert 40 at a lower location 90. When in the lower location 90, the extension tabs 70, 72 are located at or adjacent the lower edge of the openings 60, 62, respectively. At the lower location 90, the volume 54 of the insert 40 is reduced to its smallest when compared to the upper location 86 of FIG. 8 and the intermediate location 88 of FIG. 9. As more product is removed from the dispenser 10 by a user, the limit plate 66 moves from the intermediate limit 88 to the lower location 90 as the stack of product becomes smaller.

When the limit plate 66 is located at the lower location 90, the indicator tabs 82 of the limit plate 66 become aligned with the indicator openings 30, 52 of the housing 12 and insert 40, respectively. As such, when the limit plate 66 is at the lower location 90, the indicator tabs 82 provide a notification to the maintenance person that the dispenser 10 needs to be refilled. The indicator tabs 82 may be colored, textured, or otherwise differentiated to be easily identifiable when aligned with the indicator openings 30, 52. In varying embodiments of the invention, the indicator openings 30, 52 may be located or sized to provide indication of a need to refill prior to the lower location 90.

Referring now to FIG. 11, a rear view of the dispenser 10 is shown with the top wall 16 shown in an exploded orientation to depict a representative location and alignment of the locking plate 29, locking tab 31, and locking mechanism 33 of a lock 92 within the housing 12 of the dispenser 10. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the back plate 20 and support frame 36 of the housing 12 may be in the form of a mounting frame that allows the dispenser 10 to be mounted to a wall.

Next, FIG. 12 depicts the lock 92 in a locked orientation 94 according to an embodiment of the invention. The locking tab 31 of the locking plate 29 includes an opening 96 formed therein and configured to receive a latch 98 of the locking mechanism 33. The latch 98 is rotatable about a pivot axis created by a pin 100. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the pin 100 is secured to a bracket 102 attached to or commonly formed with a bracket mount 104 extending from each side of the bracket 102 in order to mount the bracket 102 and associated components to a mounting plate 106 of the locking mechanism 33. In turn, the mounting plate 106 may be coupled to are formed unitary with an inner surface 27 of the housing 12.

The locking mechanism 33 includes a tension element 112, such as, but not limited to, a coiled spring aligned with the pivot axis, that maintains the latch 98 and lock 92 in the locked orientation 94 of FIG. 12 as its neutral position. That is, without any other forces exerted on the locking mechanism 33, the latch 98 is configured to sit within the opening 96 of the locking tab 31 to prevent the housing 12 from being transitioned from the closed position 34 to the open position 32.

The locking mechanism 33 may also include a counter force element 114, such as, but not limited to, a magnet, configured to exert a force on the latch 98 in response to placement of a key element, such as, but not limited to, another magnet. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the magnet 114 is coupled to the latch 96 at a surface adjacent the mounting plate 106 and the inner surface 27 of the housing 12. The lock indicator 28 shown in FIG. 1 identifies a location adjacent the magnet 114 of the locking mechanism 33.

In turn, a maintenance person may place a magnet key to the lock indicator 28 in order to interact with the magnet 114 of the locking mechanism 33 and transition the lock 92 from the locked orientation 94 to the unlocked orientation 116 of FIG. 13. Preferably, interaction between the magnetic key and the magnet 114 of the locking mechanism 33 overcomes the force of the tension element 112 and causes the latch 98 to rotate about the pin 100 so that the latch 98 is no longer disposed within the opening 96 of the locking tab 31. Once the latch 98 is no longer disposed within the opening 96 of the locking tab 31, the housing 12 may be transitioned from the closed position 34 to the open position 32.

In the representative embodiment of the invention, each bracket mount 104 may include a textured surface 108 formed thereon and configured to interfit with a textured surface 110 of the mounting plate 106. The textured surfaces 108, 110 are configured to variably interfit with each other along a vertical plane. As such, the vertical alignment of the latch 98 of the locking mechanism 33 in the locked position 94 with respect to the opening 96 of the locking tab 31 may be adjusted by moving the bracket 102 and bracket mounts 104 to have the textured surface 108 interfit with different regions of the textured surface 110. A fastener 118 may then be used to attach each bracket mount 104 to the mounting plate 106 and lock together the textured surfaces 108, 110.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, an additional one or more fasteners 120 associated with one or more bracket mounts 104 may be tightened or loosened to adjust the horizontal alignment of the latch 98 of the locking mechanism 33 in the locked position 94 with respect to the opening 96 of the locking tab 31.

Referring again the bracket 102 of the locking mechanism 33, FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate the bracket 102 as a U-shaped bracket that at least partially surrounds the other components of the locking mechanism 33, such as the latch 98, magnet 114, and tension element 112. The pin 100 is run from one arm of the U-shaped bracket 102 to another arm of the U-shaped bracket 102 to provide the pivot axis and secure these components within the bracket 102. The bracket 102 further includes an opening 122 formed in a wall thereof that allows passage of the latch 98 and magnet 114 as they rotate between the locked orientation 94 of FIG. 12 and the unlocked orientation 116 of FIG. 13.

Now referring to FIG. 14, insert 240 is shown according to another embodiment of the invention. Similar to insert 40, insert 240 is removably disposed within the housing 12 and within the inner volume 22 of the dispenser 10. Insert 240 includes first and second sidewalls 244, 246, angled walls 256, 258, and a bottom wall 248.

The insert 240 is separable into an upper portion 200 and a lower portion 202. The upper portion includes sidewalls 244, 246, which are oriented parallel to each other to provide a consistent inner volume 254 aligned with the length of the sidewalls 244, 246. The upper portion 200 of the insert 240 may further include one or more partial front walls 204, 206 extending perpendicular from front edges 245, 247 of the respective sidewalls 244, 246. As shown in FIG. 14, the partial front walls 204, 206 are configured to extend inward from the front edges 245, 247 of the respective sidewalls 244, 246 for a distance less than the distance between the sidewalls 244, 246. As a result, a space 210 is provided between the partial front walls 204, 206.

The upper portion 200 of the insert may further include at least one partial rear portion 208 extending perpendicular from one or both of the rear edges 249, 251 of the respective sidewalls 244, 246. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the partial rear portion 208 extends perpendicular from the rear edge 249 of the first sidewall 244 for a distance less than the distance between the sidewalls 244, 246. It is further contemplated that the height of the partial rear portion 208 may be equal to or less than the height of the first sidewall 244. Further yet, the partial rear portion may be disposed at any location along the rear edge 249.

In varying embodiments of the invention, the indicator opening 30 of the housing 12 may be aligned with the space 210 between the partial front walls 204, 206. Alternatively, either or both of the front walls 204, 206 of the upper portion 200 of the insert 240 may include an indicator opening (not shown) formed therein and configured to be aligned with the indicator opening 30 of the housing 12 when in the closed orientation 34.

The lower portion 202, includes the angled walls 256, 258 and the bottom wall 248. The angled walls 256, 258 are configured to extend from respective top edges 214, 216 (aligned with the bottom edges 218, 220 of respective sidewalls 244, 246 of the upper portion 200, when the upper portion 200 and the lower portion 202 are aligned) at an angled toward the bottom wall 248. Specifically, the angled walls 256, 258 are oriented at an angle to reduce the width and volume 254 of the insert 240 as it approaches the bottom wall 248. Each angled wall 256, 258 may be oriented at any angle between 0° and 90° with respect to vertical. Preferably, each angled wall 256, 258 is oriented at a 45° angle. As a result, the width of the insert 240 is the smallest at the bottom wall 248. The angled walls 256, 258 are configured to cause the stack of product to slightly bow and aid in extraction of the product form the dispenser 10 with reduced tearing.

The bottom wall 248 is oriented at the same or similar angle as the bottom wall 18 of the housing 12 and includes an opening 250 to provide access to the inner volume 254 of the insert 240. Preferably, the bottom wall 248 of the insert 240 is made from a smooth material, such as, but not limited to, plastic, to aid in the smooth dispense of the product and limit tearing when compared to other materials, such as sheet metal. In addition, the edges of the opening 250 are preferably rounded to aid in the smooth dispense of product from the dispenser 10. The opening 250 of the insert 240 and the opening 24 of the housing are configured to be aligned with each other when the housing 12 is in the closed orientation 34.

The lower portion 202 also includes a front wall 222 and a rear wall 224. The front wall 222 extends upward front a front edge 226 of the bottom wall 248 until aligned with the same plane as the upper edges 214, 216 of the angled walls 256, 258. The front wall 222 further extends between the angled walls 256, 258. Meanwhile, the rear wall 224 extends upward ward from a rear edge 228 of the bottom wall 248 and between the angled walls 256, 258. In the representative embodiment of the invention, the rear wall may include three portions 224a-c. Central portion 224b extends upward at an angle from the rear edge of the bottom wall 248, while side portions 224a, 224c extend from each corner of the bottom wall 248 and is triangular in shape to extend between the side edges of the central portion 224b and the side edges of the respective angled walls 256, 258.

When disposed within the housing 12, the upper portion 200 and the lower portion 202 are aligned as shown in FIG. 14. Each portion 200, 202 may be independently placed within the housing 12 and/or coupled together and placed within the housing 12. When aligned, lower edges 218, 220 of the sidewalls 244, 246 of the upper portion 200 are aligned with the upper edges 214, 216 of the angled walls 256, 258 of the lower portion 202. In addition, an upper edge of the front wall 222 of the lower portion 202 is aligned with lower edges of the partial front walls 204, 206 of the upper portion 200. The resulting volume 254 has a consistent width along the height of the upper portion 200 and a changing width along the height of the lower portion 202.

Similar to the sidewalls 44, 46 of insert 40, the sidewalls 244, 246 of insert 240 including respective vertical slots or openings 260, 262 formed therein and extending along a partial length of the sidewall 244, 246. Varying embodiments of the invention may locate the openings 260, 262 at any location along their respective sidewall 244, 246. Further yet, it is contemplated that the upper end of each opening 260, 262 may be spaced apart from the upper edge of the sidewall 244, 246 or extend all the way to the upper edge of the sidewall 244, 246 resulting in the opening 260, 262 being open at the upper edge of each sidewall 244, 246. The openings 260, 262 of the sidewalls 244, 246 are configured to interact with the limit plate 66 discussed above.

Although the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the present invention is disclosed above, practice of the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be manifest that the various additions, modifications, and rearrangements of the features of the present invention may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept.

Moreover, the individual components need not be formed in the disclosed shapes, or assembled in the disclosed configuration, but could be provided in virtually any shape, and assembled in virtually any configuration. Furthermore, all the disclosed features of each disclosed embodiment can be combined with, or substituted for, the disclosed features of every other disclosed embodiment except where such features are mutually exclusive.

It is intended that the appended claims cover all such additions, modifications and rearrangements. Expedient embodiments of the present invention are differentiated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising: a housing surrounding a volume;an opening formed within a bottom wall of the housing to expose the volume to an environment external to the dispenser, the bottom wall oriented at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees; andan insert removably disposed within the housing, the insert including: first and second sidewalls oriented parallel to each other;an opening formed in a bottom wall of the insert and aligned with the opening of the housing; andangled guide walls extending inward from the first and second sidewalls and toward the opening; anda volume disposed between the sidewalls of the insert configured to receive a product stack, the angled guide walls configured to reduce the volume adjacent the bottom wall.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a limit plate disposed within the dispenser, the limit plate having an upper location spaced apart from the top wall of the housing and configured to move downward toward a lower location as the product stack is removed from the volume.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the limit plate further comprises an indicator tab configured to align with an indicator opening of the housing when the limit plate approaches or is in the lower location.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the insert includes an indicator opening formed therein and configured to align with the indicator opening of the housing, wherein the indicator tab of the limit plate is configured to align with the indicator opening of the insert when the limit plate approaches or is in the lower location.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the indicator opening of the insert is sized larger than the indicator opening of the housing.

6. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the each of the first and second sidewalls of the insert include a opening extending along the length of the sidewall; wherein the limit plate includes a first extension tab extending from a first end thereof and a second extension tab extending from a second end thereof, the first and second extension tabs extending through the openings of the first and second sidewalls of the insert respectively.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the insert comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separable from each other; wherein the upper portion includes the first and second sidewalls of the insert; andwherein the lower portion includes the bottom wall and angled guide walls of the insert.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the lower portion further includes a front wall extending upward from a front edge of the bottom wall and a rear wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall.

9. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the upper portion further includes at least one of a front wall portion extending inward from at least one of a front edge of the first sidewall and a front edge of the second sidewall.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the at least one front wall portion is configured to extend between the first and second sidewalls for distance less than a distance between the first and second sidewalls to provide a space between the front edges of the first and second sidewalls; and wherein the space is aligned with an indicator opening of the housing.

11. An insert for a dispenser, the insert comprising: first and second sidewalls oriented parallel to each other;an opening formed in a bottom wall of the insert and aligned with an opening of the dispenser; andangled guide walls extending inward from the first and second sidewalls and toward the opening; anda volume disposed between the sidewalls of the insert configured to receive paper towels, the angled guide walls configured to reduce the volume adjacent the bottom wall.

12. The insert of claim 11, further comprising a limit plate movable within the insert, the limit plate having an upper location and configured to move downward toward a lower location as the paper towels are removed from the volume.

13. The insert of claim 12, wherein the limit plate further comprises an indicator tab configured to align with an indicator opening of the dispenser when the limit plate approaches or is in the lower location.

14. The insert of claim 13, wherein the indicator tab of the limit plate is configured to align with an indicator opening of the insert when the limit plate approaches or is in the lower location, the indicator opening of the insert configured to align with the indicator opening of the housing.

15. The insert of claim 14, wherein the indicator opening of the insert is sized larger than the indicator opening of the housing.

16. The insert of claim 12, wherein the each of the first and second sidewalls of the insert include a opening extending along the length of the sidewall; wherein the limit plate includes a first extension tab extending from a first end thereof and a second extension tab extending from a second end thereof, the first and second extension tabs extending through the openings of the first and second sidewalls of the insert respectively.

17. The insert of claim 11, wherein the insert comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separable from each other; wherein the upper portion includes the first and second sidewalls of the insert; andwherein the lower portion includes the bottom wall and angled guide walls of the insert.

18. The insert of claim 17, wherein the lower portion further includes a front wall extending upward from a front edge of the bottom wall and a rear wall extending upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall.

19. The insert of claim 17, wherein the upper portion further includes a first front portion extending inward from a front edge of the first sidewall.

20. The insert of claim 19, wherein the upper portion further includes a second front portion extending inward from a front edge of the second sidewall; and wherein the first and second front portions are spaced apart from each to provide a space therebetween; andwherein the space is aligned with an indicator opening of the dispenser.