Not applicable.
Not applicable.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to personal care items. More particularly, the invention relates to a tissue advancement device for facial tissue boxes.
The present invention relates to a device that keeps tissues pushed up toward the retrieval point of a tissue box. When a tissue box is full accessing the tissue is easy, as a tissue typically sticks out through the top of the box. As one tissue is pulled out it automatically causes the next tissue in line to take its place. This process works well with a new or fairly full tissue box. However, when the tissue box is not full yet still has some tissues in it, as the protruding tissue is pulled out of the box the next tissue does not always take its place. This is because the frictional cling between the top tissue and its immediate follower is not enough to ensure that the following tissue extends the distance between the tissues in the box and the opening of the box to be exposed through the opening of the box. Instead, the other tissues often fall back to the bottom of the box. When this happens a user must reach into the box to retrieve a tissue for use. As the contents of the tissue box become less, this retrieval process occurs more and more until the box is fully depleted.
There are many problems with reaching into a tissue box to retrieve a tissue. For example, when a user needs a tissue in a hurry and must reach into the tissue box, the user usually extracts multiple tissues, which is wasteful. Also, since the user must reach into the box, the user may not retrieve a tissue as quickly as they need it. Also, reaching in through the top of the box causes the slit at the top of the box to become wider and bigger, which means the box cannot grip tissue very well and only exacerbates the problem of the tissue falling to the bottom of the box. In addition, reaching in for tissue is not convenient and can be time consuming, wasteful and difficult for anyone with grip, mobility or dexterity problems such as a person with arthritis of the hands or carpel tunnel. Furthermore, reaching into the tissue box can dirty and possibly contaminate the remaining tissues, as any germs or nasal discharge that may be on the hands gets transported into the tissue box where these germs can collect and even multiply.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for generally ensuring that tissues in a tissue box remain near the opening of the box.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.
Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.
Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.
Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom.
References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.
As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.
It is to be understood that any exact measurements/dimensions or particular construction materials indicated herein are solely provided as examples of suitable configurations and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Depending on the needs of the particular application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of the following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternative implementation details.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention and at least one variation thereof provide a tissue advancement device that generally ensures that facial tissue is conveniently accessible in an individual container even when the total contents of the container is low. In many preferred embodiments, the tissue advancement device comprises a spring-loaded platform that fits upon the interior floor of a facial tissue container and advances the tissues upward towards the retrieval aperture of the container. Some preferred embodiments also comprise a stud/aperture locking system that enables the device to be locked in a closed position when the device is not in active use to require less storage space.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In the present embodiment, device 301 makes it faster and easier to access facial tissues 305 from box 303 by lifting tissues 305 to retrieval aperture 307 of box 303 and generally preventing tissues 305 from falling to the bottom of box 303, which generally ensures that tissues 305 remain easily accessible directly from retrieval aperture 307 even when box 303 is near empty. Device 301 generally eliminates the need to retrieve tissues 305 by inserting a hand or fingers into box 303. This helps preserve the cleanliness of facial tissues 305 within box 303 and generally eliminates the transfer of dirt and germs upon facial tissues 305 within box 303, which protects the user from secondary contamination and/or infection, generally prevents tissues 305 in box 303 from becoming a breeding ground of germs and helps users maintain their goals regarding their health. The easy access of tissues 305 with the use of device 301 helps anyone with dexterity and grip issues such as, but not limited to elderly, arthritic or otherwise relevantly disabled persons. Furthermore, device 301 can reduce waste by enabling a user to retrieve only the amount of tissue 305 they desire rather than unintentionally removing multiple sheets of tissue 305 when the contents of box 303 are low. Additionally, tissues 305 can easily tear when being retrieved by hand, and this tearing can make them unusable as intended. Device 301 generally eliminates this waste as well. Less tissue waste means less landfill waste or less flushing of the toilet to dispose of the tissue. Device 301 can extend the length of use of facial tissues containers by controlling this unintentional waste, which can save money and can satisfy environmental concerns of users.
Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will readily recognize that tissue advancement devices such as, but not limited to, device 301 may be used in a wide variety of environments. For example, without limitation, these devices can be beneficial for households, especially households that go through a lot of tissue such as, but not limited to, households with kids, elderly people, or those who suffer from allergies. Tissue advancement devices may also be used by the many public facilities that provide facial tissues within their environments such as, but not limited to, office buildings, hospitals, doctors' offices, schools, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, and many other facilities to help these facilities reduce waste, costs and liabilities and to help reduce the spread of germs.
Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will readily recognize that alternate embodiments may be implemented with a multiplicity of additional features such as, but not limited to, means for releasing fragrance, odor absorbers, nightlights, antimicrobial coatings, rustproof springs, etc. One alternate embodiment may comprise means for indicating the approximate quantity of tissues remaining such as, but not limited to, a thin, flexible plastic strip attached to the top plate that varies in color from the top to the bottom, for example, without limitation, from white to pink to red. As the top plate advances upward, this strip extends with it. The user can look into the slot into which the device was inserted to see what portion of the strip is showing and, depending on the color that is visible, know how far the device is extended. Another alternate embodiment of the present invention may be incorporated directly into facial tissue containers. In this embodiment, the top plate may be produced of a lightweight paperboard material or a lightweight plastic, and the end of the spring opposite the top plate may be attached directly to the lower plane of the container. Such embodiments may also be implemented in various different types of containers such as, but not limited to baby wipe containers. In addition, alternate embodiments can be produced in various colors and may or may not include various images and/or logos, which may or may not be of registered trademark and/or copyright status.
Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of providing a tissue advancement device according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. For example, the particular implementation of the plates may vary depending upon the particular type of advancement means used. The advancement means described in the foregoing were directed to spring implementations; however, similar techniques are to use advancement means other than springs such as, but not limited to, materials that are able to compress and expand repeatedly such as, but not limited to, foam or sponges, or pieces of material such as, but not limited to, plastic or rubber formed into compressible shapes such as, but not limited to, z-shapes, circular shapes, v-shapes, etc. Non-spring implementations of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
920632 | Oliver | May 1909 | A |
1901243 | Horwitt | Mar 1933 | A |
2886391 | Simpson | May 1959 | A |
3066825 | Saxe | Dec 1962 | A |
3121510 | Holzwarth et al. | Feb 1964 | A |
3306566 | Paulson et al. | Feb 1967 | A |
3425595 | Shapira | Feb 1969 | A |
3767083 | Webb | Oct 1973 | A |
4045102 | Austin | Aug 1977 | A |
4664507 | Fukae et al. | May 1987 | A |
4838436 | Bailey | Jun 1989 | A |
4905869 | Grigsby et al. | Mar 1990 | A |
4915273 | Allen | Apr 1990 | A |
4997105 | Fischer | Mar 1991 | A |
5562328 | Schottenfeld | Oct 1996 | A |
6552284 | Drago | Apr 2003 | B1 |
7178689 | Wieser et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7568593 | Cittadino et al. | Aug 2009 | B2 |
20060102641 | Cittadino et al. | May 2006 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20120305586 A1 | Dec 2012 | US |