DISPENSER FOR CELLULOSE PRODUCTS IN SHEET FORM

Abstract

The dispenser includes a prismatic container (1) defined by: a substantially rectangular bottom wall (2); a first pair of opposite lateral walls (3, 4); a second pair of opposite lateral walls (5, 6). Each lateral wall (3, 4, 5, 6) extends from the bottom wall (2) toward a respective upper end edge (3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) and the upper edges (3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) of the lateral walls (3, 4, 5, 6) surround an upper opening (7) of the prismatic container (1), opposite the bottom wall (2). The dispenser further includes a substantially rectangular closing plate (8), including an opening (9) for picking up the cellulose products in sheet form. Each lateral wall (3, 4) of the first pair of lateral walls includes a respective cutout (10, 11) extending in a direction oriented from the upper opening (7) toward the bottom wall (2). Each of two opposite edges (12, 13) of the rectangular plate (8) includes a respective appendage (14, 15) adapted to be slidingly engaged along a respective of the cutouts (10, 11).

Claims

1. A dispenser for cellulose products in sheet form comprising: a prismatic container defined by: a substantially rectangular bottom wall; a first pair of opposite lateral walls; a second pair of opposite lateral walls; wherein each lateral wall extends from the bottom wall toward a respective upper end edge; and wherein the upper edges of the lateral walls surround an upper opening of the prismatic container, opposite the bottom wall; a substantially rectangular closing plate, comprising an opening for picking up the cellulose products in sheet form contained in the prismatic container, said closing plate being adapted to slide in the prismatic container along said lateral walls; wherein each lateral wall of the first pair of lateral walls comprises a respective cutout extending in a direction oriented from the upper opening toward the bottom wall; and in that each of two opposite edges of the rectangular plate comprises a respective appendage adapted to be slidingly engaged along a respective one of said cutouts.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the closing plate, the bottom wall and the opening have a rectangular shape with a longer side and a shorter side and wherein the first pair of lateral walls are arranged at the shorter side of the base wall and of the opening.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein in proximity of the upper edge of at least two of said lateral walls respective stops are provided adapted to prevent the rectangular plate from being accidentally separated from the prismatic container when a cellulose product in sheet form is extracted from the container through said opening of the rectangular plate.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein in proximity of the upper edge of each lateral wall of said second pair of lateral walls a respective stop is provided, adapted to prevent the rectangular plate from being accidentally separated from the prismatic container when a cellulose product in sheet form is extracted from the container through said opening of the rectangular plate.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said plate comprises at least one rib on a face of the plate facing the bottom wall when the plate is mounted between the lateral walls of the container, said at least one rib extending along the opening of the plate.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the opening of the plate has an elongated shape with a larger dimension and a smaller dimension, and wherein along two opposite edges extending along the larger dimension of the opening two respective ribs extend, protruding from a face of the plate facing the bottom wall when the plate is mounted between the lateral walls of the container.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the larger dimension of the opening of the plate extends orthogonally to the edges of the plate on which said appendages are provided.

8. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein each rib is joined to the opening of the plate (8) with a preferably rounded corner.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plate has a perimeter edge protruding from the face of the plate which, in use, is facing the lower wall of the container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will be better understood by following the description and the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention. More particularly, in the drawings:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an axonometric view of the container without the upper closing plate;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view from above of the plate of the container;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows an axonometric view from below of the plate of the container;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows an exploded axonometric view of the dispenser with a pack

[0026] FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the dispenser mounted and filled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0027] The dispenser, indicated as a whole with 100, comprises a container 1 approximately cubic or prismatic in shape and with a rectangular base. The dimension of the container 1 is such as to accommodate a pack or stack 20 of napkins or handkerchiefs (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5). The container 1 comprises a lower or bottom wall 2 from which lateral walls extend. More in particular, from the bottom wall 2 there extend two opposite lateral walls 3 and 4 and further two opposite lateral walls 5 and 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls 3 and 4 extend from the shorter sides of the bottom wall 2 which has an elongated rectangular shape. The walls 5 and 6 extend from the longer edges of the bottom wall 2.

[0028] Each of the two opposite walls 3 and 4 has a vertical cutout, i.e., orthogonal to the bottom wall 2. The cutouts are indicated with 10 and 11. Both the cutouts 10 and 11 extend up to the upper edges 3A, 4A of the respective walls 3, 4. In other words, the upper edges 3A, 4A of the walls 3 and 4 are interrupted at the cutouts 10 and 11.

[0029] Along the upper edges 5A and 6A of the lateral walls 5 and 6 two protrusions 16, 17 are provided, which form stops for a plate 8 described below.

[0030] The upper edges 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A of the lateral walls 3, 4, 5, 6 define an empty wall or upper opening 7 of the container 1. The opening 7 is closed by a plate 8 when the dispenser 100 is in use. The plate 8 has a rectangular shape substantially the same as the shape of the bottom wall 2 and of the upper opening 7 of the container 1. A respective appendage 14, 15 is provided along each of the short edges, indicated with 12 and 13, of the plate 8. Each of these appendages 14, 15 slidingly engages a corresponding one of said cutouts 10, 11. In this way, a guide system of the plate 8 along the lateral walls 3, 4, 5, 6 of the container 1 is obtained. To facilitate vertical sliding of the plate 8 in the inner volume of the container, delimited by the walls 3, 4, 5 and 6, the width of each cutout 10, 11 is preferably slightly larger than the length of the respective appendage 14, 15, i.e., of the dimension of said appendages in the direction parallel to the edge of the plate 8 from which they protrude.

[0031] In advantageous embodiments the plate 8 is very thin, to reduce the amount of polymer material required for its production. A perimeter edge, visible in particular in FIG. 3, can be provided to stiffen the plate 8. Preferably, the perimeter edge protrudes from the lower face of the plate 8, i.e., from the face that, in use, is facing the bottom wall, so as not to be visible.

[0032] The plate 8 has a central opening 9 for removing the handkerchiefs from the stack or pack 20. Preferably, the opening 9 has a rectangular and preferably elongated shape. In embodiments disclosed herein, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 3, ribs 18, 19 extend along the long sides of the opening 9 of the plate 8. The ribs 18, 19 extend from the lower face of the plate 8, i.e., from the face that, in use, is facing the inside of the container 1 and the bottom wall 2. The ribs 18, 19 are preferably joined with a rounded edge to the upper face of the plate 8, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

[0033] In mounted configuration, with the pack 20 of handkerchiefs inserted in the container 1, the ribs 18, 19 press on the upper surface of the pack 20 of napkins with a limited contact surface. On the one hand, this retains the pack of handkerchiefs and, on the other, provides a guide effect to facilitate removal of the handkerchiefs that are pulled by the user to be removed from the container 1. The purpose of the ribs 18, 19 is also to stiffen the plate 8, which acts as a cover of the container 1, preventing it from warping downward.

[0034] The perimeter edge of the plate 8 and the ribs 18, 19 provide the plate 8 with a structural strength without excessively increasing its weight and maintaining a reduced thickness. In less advantageous embodiments, the plate 8 can have a uniform thickness equal to the height of the perimeter edge and/or of the ribs 18, 19.

[0035] To load the pack or stack 20 of handkerchiefs into container 1 the upper closing plate 8 can be removed by appropriately tilting it with respect to the horizontal so as to move one of its long edges beyond the corresponding stop 16 or 17. After loading the stack of napkins the plate 8 can be repositioned in the container 2, with a movement opposite the one performed for its removal, making the plate 8 descend by gravity until it is resting on the stack or pack 20 of handkerchiefs. The user can then extract single handkerchiefs, picking them up through the opening 9 of the plate 8. As the stack 20 is consumed, the plate 8 descends by gravity toward the bottom of the container 1.