Dispenser for dispensing sheet products
10899534 ยท 2021-01-26
Assignee
Inventors
- Matti Ellonen (Ismaning, DE)
- Alessandro Galata (Ismaning, DE)
- Arnaud Montcru (Saint Ouen, FR)
- Thomas Le Gall (Kunheim, FR)
Cpc classification
B65B61/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65B25/141
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D83/0894
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65B11/004
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D83/0847
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B65D5/54
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D83/08
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A47K10/42
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65B11/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A dispenser for dispensing sheet products includes a plurality of walls connected to each other, defining an interior volume, and a stack of sheet products received in the interior volume. A removable panel is provided at a top wall of the plurality of walls. The dispenser is configured so that, upon removal of the removable panel, an opening in the top wall for removing sheet products is revealed. The dispenser has a firmness in the range of 20 to 140, in particular, 70 to 90.
Claims
1. A dispenser for dispensing sheet products, the dispenser comprising: a plurality of walls connected to each other, defining an interior volume; a stack of sheet products received in the interior volume; and a removable panel provided at a top wall of the plurality of walls, wherein the dispenser is configured so that, upon removal of the removable panel, an opening in the top wall for removing sheet products is revealed, and wherein the dispenser has a firmness in a range of 70 to 130 displacement units, wherein the firmness of the dispenser is measured by applying a pressure of 13.9 kPa to the dispenser in a central portion of the top wall in a direction from the top wall towards a bottom wall of the plurality of walls, and, after a lapse of a period of time of 5 seconds after starting an application of the pressure, determining a displacement of the top wall, from its initial position towards the bottom wall, in the central portion thereof where the pressure is applied, and the firmness of the dispenser is defined as the displacement of the top wall thus determined, given in displacement units defined as 1 displacement unit equals 0.1 mm of displacement of the top wall as measured during application of the pressure.
2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein each of the sheet products received in the interior volume has a water-absorption capacity in the range of 10 to 15 g/g, wherein each of the sheet products received in the interior volume has a density in the range of 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.11 g/cm.sup.3, wherein the sheet products received in the interior volume are cellulose based tissue paper sheet products, wherein perforations are provided in the top wall, the perforations defining at least a part of the removable panel, wherein the removable panel is removably attached to a portion of the top wall through perforation bridges arranged between the perforations, wherein a length of the perforation bridges is in a range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, wherein the removable panel extends to a side wall of the plurality of walls so that a portion of the removable panel is present at the side wall, wherein the opening in the top wall has an elongate shape, wherein the opening extends in the top wall, along a longitudinal direction of the opening, over 90% or less of a length of the top wall in the longitudinal direction of the opening, wherein the opening extends in the top wall, along a transverse direction of the opening which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof, over 20% or less of a width of the top wall in the transverse direction of the opening, wherein the plurality of walls is made of a pliable material, wherein the plurality of walls substantially has a rectangular prism shape or a cubic shape, wherein the dispenser further comprises a sleeve arranged so as to at least partially surround the top wall, two opposing end walls of the plurality of walls and the bottom wall, wherein the sleeve is slidable relative to the plurality of walls, wherein the sleeve is made of a first material, the plurality of walls is made of a second material, and the second material is more flexible than the first material, wherein the sleeve has a see-through window arranged at the top wall, and wherein adjacent sheet products in the stack of sheet products are interfolded with each other.
3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein adjacent sheet products in the stack of sheet products are interfolded with each other.
4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls is made of a pliable material.
5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls substantially has a rectangular prism shape or a cubic shape.
6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the removable panel extends to a side wall of the plurality of walls so that a portion of the removable panel is present at the side wall.
7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sheet products received in the interior volume are cellulose based sheet products.
8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein each of the sheet products received in the interior volume has a density in a range of 0.03 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.30 g/cm.sup.3.
9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein each of the sheet products received in the interior volume has a water-absorption capacity in a range of 8 to 18 g/g.
10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein perforations are provided in the top wall, the perforations defining at least a part of the removable panel.
11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the removable panel is removably attached to a portion of the top wall through perforation bridges arranged between the perforations.
12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein a length of the perforation bridges is in a range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.
13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the opening in the top wall has an elongate shape.
14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the opening extends in the top wall, along a longitudinal direction of the opening, over 90% or less of a length of the top wall in the longitudinal direction of the opening.
15. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the opening extends in the top wall, along a transverse direction of the opening which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof, over 20% or less of a width of the top wall in the transverse direction of the opening.
16. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a sleeve arranged so as to at least partially surround the top wall, two opposing end walls of the plurality of walls and the bottom wall.
17. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the sleeve is slidable relative to the plurality of walls.
18. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the sleeve is made of a first material, the plurality of walls is made of a second material, and the second material is more flexible than the first material.
19. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the sleeve has a see-through window arranged at the top wall.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Various additional features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description of one or more illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, explain the one or more embodiments of the invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(14) Particular embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(15)
(16) The dispenser 2 is a dispenser for dispensing sheet products and includes a plurality of walls connected to each other, defining an interior volume. The plurality of walls includes a top wall 4, a bottom wall 6, a first side wall 8, a second side wall 10 opposite the first side wall 8, a first end wall 12, and a second end wall 14 opposite the first end wall 12. All of these walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 are substantially planar walls. As is shown in
(17) The plurality of walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 is made of a pliable sheet material, in particular, a plastic sheet material, e.g., a polymer sheet material, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester or the like.
(18) A stack of sheet products (not shown), in particular, a stack of tissue paper sheet products, is received in the interior volume defined by the plurality of walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14. For example, the sheet products may be cellulose based tissue paper sheet products.
(19) Adjacent sheet products in the stack of sheet products are interfolded with each other. The stack of sheet products is received in the interior volume in a compressed state, i.e., in a state in which the stack of sheet products is compressed in the direction from the top wall 4 towards the bottom wall 6.
(20) A removable panel 16 is provided at the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8. The removable panel 16 is formed by perforations 18 provided in the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8. The perforations 18 penetrate the sheet material of the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8. The removable panel 16 is thus removably attached to portions, i.e., remainders, of the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8 through perforation bridges 19 (see
(21) Hence, the removable panel 16 is formed by a sequence of perforations 18, the sequence extending from the top wall 4 to the first side wall 8.
(22) These perforations 18 are illustrated in greater detail in
(23) As is shown in
(24) Further, the blank includes four side flaps 7 and four side flaps 9 forming the first side wall 8 and the second side wall 10, respectively, in the folded state of the dispenser 2.
(25) The perforations 18 are arranged so as to be symmetric with respect to a center line C of the removable panel 16 which extends along the center of the removable panel 16 in the width direction thereof, i.e., in the direction from the first end wall 12 towards the second end wall 14 (see
(26) This symmetric arrangement of the perforations 18 ensures that the tearing force during removal of the removable panel 16 is evenly distributed along the removable panel 16. Hence, the removable panel 16 can be removed in a particularly controlled and precise manner.
(27) As is illustrated in
(28) Hence, the spacing between adjacent perforation bridges 19 at the first side wall 8 and at the portion of the top wall 4 in the vicinity of the first side wall 8 is larger than the spacing between adjacent perforation bridges 19 at the remainder of the top wall 4.
(29) Alternatively, a spacing between adjacent perforation bridges 19 at the first side wall 8 may be the same as a spacing between adjacent perforation bridges 19 at the entire top wall 4. In particular, the spacing between adjacent perforation bridges 19 may be substantially constant throughout the entire removable panel 16.
(30) The length of the first perforations 18a may be in the range of 4 mm to 9 mm, e.g., 6 mm. The length of the second perforations 18b may be in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm. The length of the perforation bridges 19 may be in the range of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, e.g., 1 mm.
(31) The number of the first perforations 18a may be in the range of 3 to 15, 5 to 13, or 7 to 11, for example, 9.
(32) As is further illustrated in
(33) In this way, removal of the removable panel 16 is further facilitated. In particular, by arranging the first perforations 18a in this manner, a user can remove the portion 20 of the removable panel 16 from the remainder of the first side wall 8 more easily, also enabling a better grip of this portion 20.
(34) As is shown in
(35) The removable panel 16 extends along the top wall 4 over approximately the entire length of the top wall 4 in the direction from the first side wall 8 towards the second side wall 10 (see
(36) The portion 20 of the removable panel 16 present at the first side wall 8 extends along the first side wall 8 over approximately 30% of the height of the first side wall 8 in the direction from the top wall 4 towards the bottom wall 6.
(37) The part of the removable panel 16 provided at the top wall 4 has a straight shape, i.e., a shape with straight edges, the straight edges being substantially parallel to the long side edges of the rectangular top wall 4.
(38) The ends of the removable panel 16 in the direction from the first side wall 8 towards the second side wall 10 have curved, e.g., semi-circular, shapes, as is shown in
(39) The removable panel 16 can be removed, i.e., removed from the remainders of the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8, by tearing off the removable panel 16 along the perforations 18. Upon removal of the removable panel 16, an opening in the top wall 4 for removing sheet products is revealed, i.e., formed.
(40) In particular, a user can grip the removable panel 16 so that his thumb touches the portion 20 of the removable panel 16 present at the first side wall 8 and his index finger touches the part of the removable panel 16 present at the top wall 4 in a position close to the short side edge 22 of the top wall 4. In this way, the end of the removable panel 16 which is arranged at the short side edge 22 can be safely and firmly gripped by the user, enabling removal of the removable panel 16 in a simple, efficient and precise manner.
(41) Hence, the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment allows for the sheet products received in the interior volume to be removed in a simple and efficient manner.
(42) The dispenser 2 as shown in
(43) In the following, the process of measuring the firmness of the dispenser 2 will be detailed with reference to
(44)
(45) As a first step of the firmness measurement process, the dispenser 2 is placed on the support table 802 so that the top wall 4 thereof faces upward, as is shown in
(46) As is further shown in
(47) After arranging the dispenser 2 and the displacement sensor 800 in this manner, a weight 900, weighing 1 kg, is placed on the pressure application means 806 (see
(48) After the lapse of a period of time of 5 seconds after starting the application of the pressure to the dispenser 2 by placing the weight 900 on the pressure application means 806, the displacement of the top wall 4, from its initial position towards the bottom wall 6, in the central portion thereof where the pressure is applied is determined. Specifically, this displacement is displayed by the control unit 808. As is shown in
(49) The firmness of the dispenser 2 is defined as the displacement of the top wall 4 thus determined, given in displacement units defining multiples of 0.1 mm. Hence, the displacement amount of 8.00 mm corresponds to a firmness value of 80 displacement units.
(50) By configuring the dispenser 2 so as to obtain a firmness lying in the range of 20 to 140, i.e., a firmness of 80 in the present embodiment, an adequate dispensing force can be achieved, allowing for the sheet products to be removed in a reliable and efficient manner. In particular, a user can conveniently remove a sheet product without risk of damaging the product in the process. Further, the removal process of subsequent sheet products is not compromised. At the same time, the shape of the dispenser 2 is maintained, in particular, during and after the step of removing the removable panel 16 so as to reveal the opening, thus avoiding deformation of the dispenser 2, in particular, the opening thereof. Hence, the integrity of the dispenser 2 can be reliably maintained.
(51) The high degree of dispensability and maintenance of shape for dispensers such as the dispenser 2 of the first embodiment has been confirmed in numerous consumer tests.
(52) Each of the sheet products received in the interior volume of the dispenser 2 has a water-absorption capacity in the range of 8 to 18 g/g, or 10 to 15 g/g. The water-absorption capacity of the sheet products is determined according to European standard ISO 12625-8:2010.
(53) Each of the sheet products received in the interior volume of the dispenser 2 has a density in the range of 0.03 g/cm3 to 0.30 g/cm3, or 0.05 g/cm3 to 0.11 g/cm3.
(54) The dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment is manufactured by providing a wall material for forming the plurality of walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, i.e., the pliable sheet material detailed above.
(55) The wall material is provided with the removable panel 16 by perforating the wall material, i.e., by providing the perforations 18 in those portions of the wall material which will form parts of the top wall 4 and the first side wall 8.
(56) Subsequently, the wall material is cut, i.e., cut to size, e.g., using a cutting tool, such as a cutting blade or the like.
(57) In the process of cutting the wall material, the removable panel 16 formed by the perforations 18 is used as a cutting mark. The cutting mark indicates where, i.e., at which position or positions, the wall material is to be cut. Thus, the wall material can be cut in a particularly precise and efficient manner, without the need to provide an additional cutting mark.
(58) As the next step in the manufacturing method, the cut wall material is folded around a stack of sheet products so that the plurality of walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 is formed by the folded wall material and the stack of sheet products is received in the interior volume defined by the plurality of walls 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14.
(59) Subsequently, the folded wall material is fixed in its position, e.g., by securing portions of the wall material to each other, for example, through an adhesive and/or by welding.
(60)
(61) The dispenser 102 of the second embodiment differs from the dispenser 2 of the first embodiment only in the shape of the part of the removable panel provided at the top wall. Hence, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(62) Specifically, as is shown in
(63) The dispenser 102 according to the second embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment.
(64)
(65) The dispenser 202 of the third embodiment differs from the dispenser 2 of the first embodiment only in that the removable panel is arranged so as to extend also to the second side wall. Hence, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(66) As is shown in
(67) The first portion 220 of the removable panel 216 and the second portion 230 of the removable panel 216 have the same configuration. Specifically, the first and second portions 220, 230 of the removable panel 216 have the same configuration as the portion 20 of the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment.
(68) The removable panel 216 is formed by a sequence of perforations 218, the sequence extending from the first side wall 208 over the top wall 204 to the second side wall 210, as is shown in
(69) The dispenser 202 according to the third embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment.
(70)
(71) The dispenser 302 of the fourth embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the dispenser 2 of the first embodiment and differs only in the details of the structure of the first side wall. Therefore, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(72) Specifically, as is shown in
(73) The fold over portions 340 are arranged so that there is a gap between the portions 340 in the width direction of the first side wall 308, as is shown in
(74) The dispenser 302 according to the fourth embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment.
(75) In the method of manufacturing the dispenser 302 of the fourth embodiment, the cut wall material is folded so as to form the fold over portions 340, wherein only a single layer of wall material is present in the region of the first side wall 308 where the portion 320 of the removable panel is present.
(76)
(77) The dispenser 402 of the fifth embodiment differs from the dispenser 302 of the fourth embodiment only in the configuration and arrangement of the fold over portions.
(78) Hence, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(79) As is shown in
(80) In contrast to the fold over portions 340 of the dispenser 302, the fold over portions 440 are folded over so as to overlap each other in an overlap region 450 arranged in the center of the first side wall 408 in the width direction of the first side wall 408. In this overlap region 450, three layers of sheet material are arranged on top of each other. In the remainder of the fold over portions 440, two layers of sheet material are arranged on top of each other.
(81) The fold over portions 440 have a tapered shape in the direction from the lateral edges of the first side wall 408 towards the center of the first side wall 408 in the width direction of the first side wall 408. Specifically, the fold over portions 440 are tapered so that an extension thereof along the height of the first side wall 408 decreases in the direction from the lateral edges of the first side wall 408 towards the center of the first side wall 408. In the center of the first side wall 408 in the width direction of the first side wall 408, the fold over portions 440 extend only along a part, e.g., approximately 50%, of the height of the first side wall 408, as is shown in
(82) The dispenser 402 according to the fifth embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 302 according to the fourth embodiment.
(83)
(84) The dispenser 502 of the sixth embodiment differs from the dispenser 402 of the fifth embodiment only in the configuration and arrangement of the fold over portions and in the arrangement of the removable panel. Thus, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(85) Specifically, as is shown in
(86) Moreover, the arrangement of the removable panel 516 differs from the arrangement of the removable panel 16 of the dispenser 2 and the removable panel of the dispenser 402 in that the first side wall 508 to which the removable panel 516 extends is arranged at a long side of the rectangular prism shape of the plurality of walls, i.e., at a long side edge of the top wall 504 (see
(87) The dispenser 502 according to the sixth embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 402 according to the fifth embodiment.
(88)
(89) The dispenser 602 of the seventh embodiment differs from the dispenser 2 of the first embodiment only in that an additional sleeve 700 is provided. Hence, a repeated description of the configuration of the remainder of the dispenser is omitted.
(90) As is shown in
(91) Specifically, the sleeve 700 extends along the plurality of walls over approximately 70% of the length of the plurality of walls in the direction from the first side wall 608 towards the second side wall 610.
(92) The sleeve 700 is made of a material which is less flexible and pliable, i.e., more rigid, than the sheet material of the plurality of walls. In particular, the sleeve 700 may be made of cardboard.
(93) By providing the sleeve 700, the stability and robustness of the dispenser 602 are further improved, in particular, during shipping and storing the dispenser 602. Further, the sleeve 700 improves the stackability of the dispenser 602.
(94) The sleeve 700 is slidable relative to the plurality of walls in the direction from the first side wall 608 towards the second side wall 610. Hence, the sleeve 700 can be removed in a particularly simple manner, facilitating removal of the removable panel and access to the stack of sheet products.
(95) The sleeve 700 has a see-through window 710 arranged at the top wall 604 of the plurality of walls, as is shown in
(96) Although this is not shown in
(97) The see-through window 710 of the sleeve 700 may be arranged at least substantially over the see-through window of the top wall 604. In this way, a user can see a portion of the sheet products received in the interior volume also when the sleeve 700 is slid over the plurality of walls.
(98) The dispenser 602 according to the seventh embodiment is manufactured substantially in the same manner as the dispenser 2 according to the first embodiment. After forming the plurality of walls and fixing them in their position, the sleeve 700 is slid over the plurality of walls in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular prism shape.
(99) To this end, the embodiments described above are only descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various variations and modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention by those of ordinary skills in the art, without departing from the design and spirit of the present invention. The variations and modifications should all fall within the claim scope defined by the claims of the present invention.