Dispenser and stack of sheet products

Abstract

A dispenser and a stack combination. A dispenser that contains a stack of sheet products and which defines a dispensing path from a product reservoir containing and holding the stack to a dispensing opening through which the sheet products are dispensed. A stack of interfolded webs wherein the lines of weakness of one web are offset from the lines of weakness of another web in a longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. A dispenser, comprising: at least one stack of interfolded webs, wherein the stack comprises at least two webs, including: a first elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the first web; and a second elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the second web; wherein the webs are interfolded to form the stack so that the lines of weakness of the first web are offset from the lines of weakness of the second web in a longitudinal direction of the first web; a housing defining a product reservoir, wherein the at least one stack of interfolded webs is contained in the product reservoir; and a dispensing opening at a front of the housing, the opening extending below a first nip, wherein the housing comprises a front wall forming a front wall of the product reservoir, wherein the front wall has a front wall surface facing the front of the housing, and a rear surface facing a rear of the housing, wherein the front wall surface of the front wall is revealed by opening a refill door of the dispenser when the refill door is opened for refilling the product reservoir, wherein the refill door opens horizontally along a vertical axis, wherein a leading portion of the webs of the stack is supported in a dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening, wherein the weight of the stack is downwardly oriented to bare against a bottom of the stack and the leading portion of the first and second webs extends from a top of the stack.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the leading portion extends upwardly from the top of the stack.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first nip is provided at or adjacent the dispensing opening that engages opposing major surfaces of the webs, wherein the first nip has a first nip part and a second nip part, wherein the dispensing path extends between the first nip part and the second nip part.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, comprising a second nip along a dispensing path traversed by the leading portion of the webs from the product reservoir to the first nip, wherein the second nip engages opposed major surfaces of the webs.

5. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the first nip is released upon opening a door to refill the product reservoir.

6. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the second nip engages against the major surfaces of the webs to resist the web moving backwards along the dispensing path and is configured to, upon movement of the webs forwardly along the dispensing path, release a nip force on opposed major surfaces of the web to allow the web to move forwardly.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein a guide member comprises a blocking surface, wherein the blocking surface is on an underside of the guide portion, wherein the blocking surface is configured for preventing the at least one stack from extending above the blocking surface in the dispensing path, and wherein the webs pass above the blocking surface in the dispensing path.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the webs extend upwardly from the top of the stack, are supported at an apex portion of the dispensing path and then extend downwardly to the dispensing opening, with respect to a dispensing direction along the dispensing path.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the apex portion of the dispensing path is positioned above the top of the product reservoir and the dispensing opening is positioned below the top of the product reservoir.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the webs are wrapped about a curved apex portion in transition from an upwardly extending part of the webs to a downwardly extending part of the webs along the dispensing path to the dispensing opening.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein a first nip is provided at or adjacent the dispensing opening that engages opposing major surfaces of the webs, wherein the first nip has a first nip part and a second nip part, wherein the dispensing path extends between the first nip part and the second nip part, further comprising a second nip along a dispensing path traversed by the leading portion of the webs from the product reservoir to the first nip, wherein the second nip engages opposed major surfaces of the webs, wherein the second nip is provided at the apex portion of the dispensing path.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein a guide member defining the apex portion of the dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening forms one part of the second nip engaged against one major surface of the webs and a second part of the nip opposed to first part of the nip engages the opposed major surface of the webs to thereby grasp the web at the apex portion of the dispensing path.

13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispensing path is defined by at least one guide member supporting the webs in the dispensing path.

14. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is configured so that a preceding stack in the product reservoir has to be lifted up in the product reservoir to position a new, succeeding stack in the product reservoir underneath the preceding stack.

15. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein a guide member defines an apex portion of the dispensing path so that the dispensing path extends in a direction normal to the stacking direction of the dispenser so that a portion of at least one of the webs hangs spaced from a front wall of the dispenser in the normal direction at the dispensing opening.

16. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the lines of weakness are formed by openings through the web and connecting parts, wherein the lines of weakness have an average ratio of connecting parts to spaces of 4/100 to 8/100.

17. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the product reservoir comprises a plurality of the stacks of interfolded, offset webs and adjacent stacks are joined to one another so that pulling the webs through the dispensing path of a preceding stack pulls through the webs of a succeeding stack as a result of a joint at the interface of the two stacks.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present disclosure will be described in more detail below, with reference to the Figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary arrangement of interfolded webs wherein the lines of weakness of one web are offset from the lines of weakness of another web in a longitudinal direction. The figure is highly schematic for the purposes of illustrating the interfolding pattern and the locations of the lines of weakness along the webs.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The dispenser is shown in a substantially full state with a leading portion of the stack not yet positioned in a dispensing path and not yet positioned adjacent to a dispensing opening. The dispenser is shown in an open state in which a door of a dispenser is open to allow for filling and loading the dispenser ready for dispensing.

(4) FIG. 3 shows the dispenser of FIG. 2 in which a product reservoir is in a significantly more depleted state. FIG. 3 shows a leading portion of the web in the dispensing path, which will protrude from the dispensing opening when the door is closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows first and second webs 1, 2 that are interfolded with one another so that the lines of weakness indicated by the filled-in dots are longitudinally offset for one web as compared to the other. The fold locations are indicated by the letter F. The first and second webs 1, 2 are folded with laterally extending fold lines so that the webs together are compressed into an accordion like state to form a stack of interfolded webs. The fold lines for the first web 1 and the fold lines for the second web 2 are longitudinally coincident with respect to the longitudinal direction of the webs 1, 2.

(6) The lines of weakness for a given web 1, 2 extend laterally and define longitudinally extending separable products P.sub.WN between adjacent lines of weakness (where W stands for the web number and N stands for the product number counted consecutively starting from the leading product). The laterally extending fold lines F divide the products P.sub.WN into a certain number of panels M. In the shown embodiments each product P.sub.WN is composed of two panels divided by a fold line F. In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1, the lines of weakness of each web are longitudinally aligned with a fold line F in the other web.

(7) The webs 1, 2 in FIG. 1 are shown in a longitudinally more straightened configuration then they would be when compressed. In the natural compressed state of the stack, each panel of one web lies flat against an adjacent panel of the other web. A more realistic representation of what a stack of interfolded, offset webs will look like is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, with respect to reference signs 5, 6, 7, 8.

(8) The present disclosure is not limited to the particular interfolded configuration shown in FIG. 1. For example, it is envisaged that each product P could be divided into one, two, three or more panels. The number of webs could be greater than the two shown. For example, stacks with three, four or more interfolded, offset webs could be provided in the dispenser and stack combination of an embodiment of the present disclosure. Yet further, the lines of weakness of one web do not have to be longitudinally aligned with a fold line of the other web. Thus, the lines of weakness in each web could be provided between fold lines in the other web, such as half way between, or otherwise. Each stack could include at least 100 sheet products P.sub.WN, at least 200, at least 300, at least 400, at least 500, at least 1000 and even at least 2000 sheet products.

(9) The dispenser and stack combination according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a dispenser 10 comprising a product housing 11 defining an interior area forming a product reservoir for containing at least one, preferably a plurality, of stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 of interfolded, offset webs. The product housing 11 defines a front wall 13, a rear wall 15 and first and second sidewalls 14 connecting the front wall 13 and the rear wall 15. These walls 13, 14, 15 together define an interior area for containing the plurality of stacks 5, 6, 7, 8. The walls 13, 14 and 15 are shaped so as to fit with the cross sectional dimensions of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 when the cross section is taken across the stacking direction.

(11) The front wall 13 is partially open in that it defines an opening extending in a stacking direction between opposed front wall parts that are respectively connected to first and second sidewalls 14. The rear wall 15 and the first and second sidewalls 14 cover respective sides of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8, whereas the front wall only partly covers a front side of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8. This partially open front wall is useful for loading the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 into the interior area defined by the product housing 11, as will be discussed in more detail below.

(12) The product housing 11 further comprises a base member 12 against which the weight of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 rests and which forms a bottom wall of the interior area defined by the product housing 11. A top of the product housing 11 is at least partly open so that a leading portion of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 can be fed from the interior area defined by the product housing 11 to a dispensing path and ultimately to a dispensing opening 20 detailed below.

(13) The dispenser 10 further comprises a guide member 16. The guide member 16 defines the dispensing path from a top of the interior area defined by the product housing 11 upwardly and over an apex portion 17 of the guide member 16 and then downwardly along a relatively planar portion 19 of the guide member 16 extending substantially directly downwardly, through a nip 29 and finally into a dispensing opening 20. The guide member 16 defines a blocking surface 18 that projects into the interior area defined by the product housing 11 so that the product housing 11 cannot be filled upwardly beyond the blocking surface 18. From the blocking surface 18, the guide member 16 transitions into an apex portion 17 that is curved so that a leading portion of the first and second webs can smoothly traverse an upwardly extending portion of the dispensing path to a downwardly extending portion of the dispensing path. The downwardly extending portion of the dispensing path is defined at least in part by a substantially planar portion 19 of the guide member 16 that extends directly downwardly so as to be parallel to the front wall of the product housing 11. An end of the apex portion 17 of the guide member 16 transitions into the planar portion 19. The guide member 16 transitions from the planar portion 19 into a portion 22 projecting away from the front wall 13 of the product housing 11 toward the dispensing opening 20, wherein a first part 21 of a dispensing opening nip 29 is disposed on the projecting portion 22. After the nip part 21, the guide member 16 defines at its end a curved chute portion 23 that curves so that webs hanging in the downward direction are diverted outwardly through the dispensing opening 20. In particular, the chute portion 23 curves from an orientation extending downwardly, or parallel to the front wall 13 of the product housing 11, to a configuration pointing outwardly from the front wall 13 to the dispensing opening 20.

(14) The guide member 16 covers at least a majority of a front side of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8, which is to say it extends laterally along at least most of the width of the front wall of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 (where the length of the stack is to be taken in the stacking or dispensing direction), to thereby support and guide the webs 1, 2 across the webs lateral extent as the webs traverse the dispensing path defined by the guide member 16.

(15) The dispenser 10 further comprises a door 12 that is hingedly mounted with respect to the product housing 11 and the guide member 16 between an open configuration in which the product housing 11 can be filled or refilled and a closed position for normal dispensing. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the door 12 in the open position. The door 12 is hingedly mounted with respect to the product housing 11 so that a rotation axis extends in a stacking direction of the dispenser and so that in the open configuration, the open space defined between the opposed parts of the front wall 13 is exposed.

(16) The door 12 defines the dispensing opening 20. Thus, when the door 12 is in the closed position, a user grasps a sheet product and dispenses it through the dispensing opening 20 in the door 12. Secured to the door is a second part 24 of the nip 29 that is positioned opposed to the first part 21 to engage on opposed major surfaces of the leading portion of the webs being dispensed through the dispensing opening when the door 12 is in the closed position. When the door is in the opened position shown, the first and second parts 21, 24 of the nip 29 come apart because the second part 24 of the nip 29 moves with the door 12. This causes a nip force on the webs previously in the nip 29 to be released when the door is in the open position 12 and to be enforced when the door 12 is in the closed position relative to the product housing 11.

(17) The door 12 has a guiding surface 25 mounted to it that cooperates with a projecting part 22 of the guide member 16 to guide the webs away from the front wall 13 of the product housing to a position projecting slightly from the general plane of the door 12 so that with the webs held in the nip 29, a protruding portion of one of the webs hangs in spaced relation in a direction normal to the front wall 13 of the product housing 11 from the door 12 at the dispensing opening 20, which provides an easy to comprehend and easy to physically grasp presentation of the protruding portion of the webs for dispensing through the dispensing opening 20.

(18) In FIG. 3, a second nip 26 is illustrated, which is pivotally mounted to the product housing 11 so that a bar 27 opposes the apex portion 17 of the guide member 16, whereby the apex portion 17 and the bar 27 form opposed parts of the nips 26 for respectively engaging on opposed major surfaces of the first and second webs. The rod 27 is pivotable to release a nip force of the nip 26 to allow the first and second webs to move forwardly in the dispensing direction, but serve to resist movement of the first and second webs backwardly in the dispensing direction.

(19) In FIG. 3, a leading portion 30 of the first and second webs can be seen as extending over the guide member 16 beyond the first nip 29 to provide at least one of the first and second webs projecting at the dispensing opening for grasping by the user when the door 12 is in the closed position. In the substantially depleted state of the product housing 11, the stack 8 rests against the base 9, while the leading portion 30 extends from a top of the stack 8 at a bottom of the product housing 11, up through a majority of the length of the product housing 11 in the stacking direction (or the dispensing direction) to a position passing over an apex portion 17 of the guide member 16 along the dispensing path defined by the guide member 16 to the dispensing opening 20 as previously described. In the substantially depleted state, the stack 8 defines a compressed accordion structure where the panels lie parallel with one another, whereas the part of the leading portion that extends from the bottom of the product housing 11 defines an extended accordion structure, where an angle between the panels is extended to greater than 90° and toward 180° in order to allow the leading portion 30 to bridge the gap between the stack 8 and the apex portion 17. The lines of weakness in the leading portion 30 are thus weighted down by the first and second webs 1, 2 lifted away from the stack 8 which rests against the base 9. It is for this reason that increased strength lines of weakness as described above has been made use of.

(20) An operation of refilling and filling the dispenser 10 will now be described.

(21) The door 12 is moved to the open position so as to expose the front wall 13 of the product housing 11 and the central space that extends laterally between opposed parts of the front wall 13 and which extends in a stacking direction from a bottom to a top of the product housing 11.

(22) When the door 12 is opened, the first nip 29 is released, which could cause the leading portion 30 to fall back into the product housing 11 and crumple on to the top of the stack 8 because the majority of the weight of the leading portion 30 lies inside the product housing 11 and behind the apex portion 17 of the guide member 16 along the dispensing path. In order to prevent such web fallback, the second nip 26 is provided, which nips the first and second webs 1, 2 of the leading portion 30 even when the door 12 is in the open position.

(23) Assuming the product housing 11 is empty, a first stack 5, 6, 7, 8 can be fed through a filling opening 28 defined between a bottom of the front wall 13 and the base 9. A second stack 5, 6, 7, 8 can be positioned in the interior area defined by the product housing 11 by lifting the previous stack upwardly to create room to accommodate the next stack.

(24) A stack can be lifted by hand using the space between the first and second parts of the front wall 13. This process of lifting and inserting can be repeated until the product reservoir defined by the walls 13, 14 and 15 of the product housing 11 is filled.

(25) An attendant then takes first and second webs 1, 2 from a top of the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8, passes the webs over the apex portion 17 of the guide member 16 and positions the first and second webs 1, 2 along the guide member 16 so as to extend beyond the first part 21 of the nip 29. The door 12 is then closed so that the second part 24 of the nip 29 is brought into an opposed position with the first part 21 of the nip 29 so that opposed major surfaces of the first and second webs 1, 2 are engaged by the nip 29. With the door member 12 closed and the first nip 29 engaged, part of the first and second webs 1, 2 will project beyond the first nip 29 and at least one of those webs 1, 2 will be exposed for grasping at the dispensing opening 20.

(26) With reference to FIG. 3, a refilling operation will be described with the product reservoir defined by the housing 11 being substantially depleted. In FIG. 3, it is shown that just one partial stack 8 is remaining in the interior area or product reservoir defined by the product housing 11.

(27) In order to insert a new stack, the present stack 8 shown in FIG. 3 is lifted from the base 9 by hand making use of the space between the laterally spaced front walls 13. The new stack is inserted in the opening between the bottom of the front wall 13 and the base 9 with the previous stack 8 in a position lifted far enough up the product housing to accommodate the new stack.

(28) An operation of dispensing sheet products of the first and second sheets 1, 2 will now be described. Referring to FIG. 3 and envisaging the door 12 in the closed position, the leading portion 30 will protrude for grasping at the dispensing opening 20. When a user grasps this protruding portion, the user will be grasping one of the first and second webs 1,2, since a natural result of offset lines of weakness of the webs 1,2 is that one of the first and second webs will protrude beyond the other during dispensing in an alternating manner.

(29) Assuming the user is grasping the first web, the user will be grasping a part of a sheet protract P.sub.1N, wherein the sheet product P.sub.1N is part way behind the first nip 29 in the dispensing direction and part way beyond the nip 29 in the dispensing direction. The second web 2 has only a marginal leading portion that protrudes beyond the first nip 29 so that the user will naturally grasp the more advanced, in the dispensing direction, first web 1. As the first web 1 is pulled through the first nip 29, the second web 2 is pulled through with it as a natural consequence of the face to face interaction between the first and second webs 1, 2. Once the remaining part of the sheet product P.sub.1N of the first web 1 is pulled marginally beyond the first nip 29, the resistance provided by the first nip 29 is such as to cause tearing of the first web 1 at the line of weakness defining the sheet product P.sub.1N to thereby separate the sheet product dispensed for the user. Having carried out this operation, part of a sheet product P.sub.2N of the second web 2 will extend through the first nip 29 and be more advanced relative to the marginal leading part of the first web 1 protruding from the first nip 29. The user will thus naturally grasp the second web 2 and the process will be repeated so that a sheet product is alternatingly dispensed from the first web 1 and the second web 2 in a way that provides a protruding portion at the dispensing opening 20 that automatically presents itself and its function for pulling on for further dispensing to the user.

(30) During dispensing of the first and second webs 1, 2, the second nip 26 is released when the webs are moved forward by a pivoting action associated with the rod member 27. When dispensing is ceased, the rod member 27 naturally falls back so as to engage the first and second webs at the second nip 26 to prevent fallback of the leading portion 30 of the webs 1, 2.

(31) The stacks are joinable to one another during the filling or refilling operation in that a bottom of an old stack and/or a top of a new stack is provided with an adherence layer, which joins the webs of the old stack to the webs of the new stack in such a way that as the end of the old stack is pulled into the dispensing path, the webs of the new stack are pulled with it. It may be that an attendant has to release a covering layer in order to expose the adherence material for joining the bottom of one stack to the top of an adjacent stack.

(32) Various alternatives to the embodiments shown in the Figures could be provided, as would be appreciated by the skilled person.

(33) For example, the dispenser shown in the figures is particularly tall so that a plurality of stacks can be positioned together so that the stacking direction of each stack is aligned in the top to bottom direction. In particular, the embodiment shows that four stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 can be accommodated in the dispenser 10. The principles of the present disclosure, namely the synergistic advantages achieved by combining an upward dispensing dispenser with offset interfolded webs, is applicable to other applications, including dispensers that can only contain just over one full stack or can only contain two full stacks or dispensers wherein the stacks are of smaller sizes. For example, if the number of sheet products in the stacks 5, 6, 7, 8 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is greater than 1000, we envisage a dispenser that is designed to house two full stacks having between 50 and 200 sheet products in each stack.

(34) In the shown embodiment, the guide member 16 is a single member. We envisage, however, that the guide member 16 could be separated into more than one part, particularly a respective part for each of the parts 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23 described above.

(35) In the embodiments, the first nip 29 is provided by opposed rollers and the second nip is provided by a pivotable bar 27 and an apex portion 17 of the guide member 16. It can be envisaged that the second nip could also be provided by opposed rollers that allow the leading portion 30 of the webs 1, 2 to pass in the forward direction along the dispensing path but to resist movement of the leading portion 30 in the rearward direction along the dispensing path. While rollers are used for the first nip 29, other known nip configurations can be utilized, such as suitably cooperating smoothly curved surfaces.