Dispenser for sheet products

Abstract

An in-counter or in-wall dispenser including a product housing and a cover is disclosed. The cover is pivotally mounted so as to pivot between an open position providing access to the interior volume defined by the product housing for loading a new stack of sheet products and a closed position so that the sheet products are only accessible through a dispensing opening in the cover for one at a time dispensing of sheet products from the product housing. First and second tab-like members project from an interior surface of the product housing into the interior volume. With the cover open, the first and second tab-like members engage in a margin or border area of a front face of the sheet products positioned closest to the dispensing opening to hold at least the engaged part of the sheet products spaced from an interior surface of the anterior cover.

Claims

1. A dispenser, comprising: a front face including a dispensing opening having a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent, which is equal to or shorter than the longitudinal extent, the dispensing opening for dispensing individual sheet products of a stack of sheet products; a product housing including at least one side wall, wherein an interior surface of the front face and an interior surface of the at least one side wall define, at least in part, an interior volume for receiving the stack; and at least one hold back tab projecting from and removably attached to a side of the dispenser in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent for engaging a border of a front face of the stack and for holding the stack back from the interior surface of the front face of the dispenser, wherein the dispenser has a central axis extending through the center of each sheet product in the stack and through the front face of the dispenser, wherein the at least one hold back tab has opposed major surfaces extending along a plane perpendicular to the central axis, and wherein one of the major surfaces is arranged to engage along the border of the front of the stack.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab comprises first and second tabs that engage different portions of the border of the front area of the stack.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the different portions are opposed portions of the front face of the stack.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser defines the interior volume as a rectangular prism having rear and front faces and four side faces extending therebetween, wherein there are two opposed longer side faces and two opposed shorter side faces, wherein the at least one tab is arranged at a longer side face of the interior volume, and wherein longer sides of the interior volume correspond to stack side faces with folds and the shorter sides of the interior volume correspond to stack cut side faces.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab projects into the interior volume by a distance of at least 5 mm.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the interior volume has a z-axis extending through a centre of the sheet products in the stack and through the front face of the dispenser and perpendicular to an x and y axis, wherein the at least one tab is arranged to protrude in the direction of the x or y axis by a percentage of the x or y dimension of the interior volume by 5% to 40%.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the interior volume has a z-axis extending through a centre of the sheet products in the stack and through the front face of the dispenser and perpendicular to a x and y axis, wherein the dimensions of the interior volume are such that the y axis dimension thereof is greater than the x axis dimension thereof, wherein the at least one tab is arranged to project along the y axis or an axis parallel to the y axis, and additionally or alternatively the at least one tab is arranged so as to be centrally located in the interior volume with respect to the x axis.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab is located so that a rearward surface thereof for engaging the front face of the stack is spaced within 2 cm of the interior surface of the front face of the dispenser along an axis passing through the sheet products in the stack and passing through the front face, wherein the parallel axis passes through the tab.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab comprises opposed major surfaces including a front surface and a rear surface for engaging a front face of the stack, wherein the front surface is spaced from an interior surface of the front face of the dispenser along an axis passing through the sheet products in the stack and passing through the front face, wherein the parallel axis passes through the tab.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab includes a fixed end fixed to the side of the dispenser and a free end projecting into the interior volume for engaging the front face of the stack.

11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab is attached to a sidewall of the product housing and project into the interior volume relative to the at least one sidewall.

12. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a spring for urging the stack toward the front face of the dispenser.

13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab has a thickness between opposed major surfaces of 3 mm or less.

14. A dispenser, comprising: a product housing defining an interior volume for containing a stack of sheet products; a cover that is openable with respect to the product housing to reveal a loading opening through which a stack of sheet products enters the housing for loading the product housing with a new stack of sheet products, the cover being able to be closed with respect to the product housing to close the loading opening; and at least one tab projecting from and removably attached to a part of the product housing defining an outer periphery of the interior volume, where the projection is into the interior volume for engaging a front face of the stack and for holding the stack of sheet products in the product housing relative to the loading opening when the cover is opened and for holding the stack of sheet products a distance from the cover such that the front face does not contact the cover when the cover is closed, wherein the front face is the face of the stack that is revealed when the cover is opened.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one tab does not move with opening and closing of the cover.

16. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the cover includes a dispensing opening through which individual sheet products are dispensable when the cover is closed.

17. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the loading opening is defined by a frame, or at least part of a frame, that mates with the cover when the cover is closed and which extends about a front end of the interior volume.

18. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the cover is mounted to pivot between the opened and closed positions.

19. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one tab is provided in the form of one or more flat members having opposed major surfaces, a rear one of the opposed major surfaces for engaging a front face of the stack.

20. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one tab is located between 5 and 20 mm of the loading opening, wherein the loading opening is the entrance opening to the interior volume for stack loading.

21. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising a spring for biasing the stack of sheet products toward the cover, wherein the stack is held compressed in the product housing between the at least one tab and the spring when the cover is opened.

22. A dispenser, comprising: a product housing defining an interior volume for containing a stack of sheet products; a front face including a dispensing opening through which individual sheet products of the stack are dispensable from the dispenser; and at least one hold back member for holding the stack back from an interior surface of the front face, wherein the at least one hold back member projects into the interior volume in a stack engaging configuration and wherein the at least one hold back member is positioned out of the way of the stack in a stack loading configuration, wherein the at least one hold back member is moveable between the stack engaging configuration and the stack loading configuration, wherein the at least one hold back member is arranged so that when a stack is passed over the at least one hold back member during stack loading, the at least one hold back member is caused to move from the stack engaging configuration to the stack loading configuration.

23. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the stack engaging configuration requires a relatively large protrusion into the interior volume as compared to the stack loading configuration.

24. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the at least one hold back member is biased to return to the stack engaging configuration when in the stack loading configuration.

25. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the at least one hold back member is disposed so that when the stack clears the hold back member, the at least one hold back member springs from the stack loading configuration to the stack engaging configuration.

26. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the at least one hold back member includes a fixed end and a free end, wherein the free end is rotatable relative to the fixed end from the stack engaging configuration to the stack loading configuration.

27. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the at least one hold back member is flexed into a collapsed configuration in the stack loading configuration.

28. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the at least one hold back member is pressed relatively flat against or extends relatively parallel to an interior surface of the product housing in the stack loading configuration, and wherein the at least one hold back member projects into the interior volume relative to the interior surface in the stack engaging configuration.

29. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the dispenser comprises a mouth opening through which the stack of sheet products is loaded into the interior volume, and the at least one hold back member is positioned at the mouth opening and projects interiorly from a periphery of the mouth opening in the stack engaging configuration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 with the cover in the open position so that an interior volume of the product housing can be seen;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a top view of a removable frame and cover portion of the dispenser of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4a shows a plan view of of a tab-like member separated from the dispenser of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 4b shows a cross-sectional view of the tab-like member of FIG. 4a;

(7) FIG. 4c shows a plan view of the frame portion of the dispenser of FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 5 shows a close-up view of an alternative tab-like member in a dispenser according to another embodiment of the invention;

(9) FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of yet another alternative tab-like member in a dispenser according to another embodiment of the invention;

(10) FIG. 7 shows a close-up view of yet another alternative tab-like member in a dispenser according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

(11) FIG. 1 shows a dispenser design making use of the hold back means of the present invention. The hold back means itself cannot be seen in FIG. 1. The dispenser includes a product housing and a cover. The dispenser includes a flange at the front of the product housing so that the product housing passes through a cut-out in a wall, such as a countertop, for the flange to seat on a front surface of the wall. The cover is pivotally mounted so as to pivot between an open position providing access to the interior volume defined by the product housing for loading a new stack of sheet products and a closed position so that the sheet products are only accessible through a dispensing opening in the cover for one at a time dispensing of sheet products from the product housing.

(12) FIG. 2 shows the dispenser with the cover in an open position so that an interior volume of the product housing can be seen. Hold back means is provided in the form of first and second tab-like members projecting from an interior surface of the product housing into the interior volume, the interior volume being for accommodating a stack of sheet products. The first and second tab-like members engage in a margin or border area of a front face of the sheet products positioned closest to the dispensing opening to hold at least the engaged part of the sheet products spaced from an interior surface of the anterior cover. In the specific embodiment shown, a frame is provided to which the cover is pivotally attached. The first and second tab-like members are secured to the frame and project into an interior area defined by the frame. The first and second tab-like members are positioned on opposite long sides of a rectangular cross-section of the interior volume so as to engage opposite folded sides of the sheet products rather than cut sides.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a removable frame and cover portion of the dispenser, which is removably mountable to the product housing. This removability of the frame and cover is an optional feature of an embodiment of the present invention. It can be well envisaged that the hold back means of the present invention are applicable with more traditional sheet product dispensers. The frame has a depth in the stacking direction and is provided with cut-outs so that the tab-like members can be mounted in the cut-outs so as to project from the cut-outs in order that the tab-like members are mounted closer to the dispensing opening in the depth direction of the frame than if the cut-outs were not present and the tab-like members were mounted to a rear side of the frame.

(14) FIG. 1 shows a dispenser 1 including a product housing 2 including four sidewalls 3, 4 and a base 5. The dispenser 1 also includes a cover 6 that includes a centrally located dispensing opening 7. The cover 6 may be pivoted relative to the product housing 2 between open and closed positions. In the view of FIG. 1, the cover 6 is in the closed position.

(15) The dispenser 1 is an in-counter dispenser, which is provided with a flange 8 for seating on a front surface of a wall, such as a counter top, to which the dispenser 1 is mounted. When mounted, the flange 8 surrounds a cut-out in the wall. The product housing 2 is positioned through the cut-out and is disposed at least partly behind the wall. Thus, facing the front surface of the wall, the user only sees the cover 6 and the dispensing opening 7 of the dispenser, and does not see the hidden product housing 2. In order to secure the dispenser 1 to the wall, the dispenser 1 includes keys 9 that pass through a sidewall 4 of the product housing 2 to engage a rear surface of the wall. Such a key system for mounting the dispenser to a wall, such as a counter top, is merely exemplary as the exemplified tab-like hold back means is also applicable to more conventional dispensers, for example a dispenser in which a flange is screwed or otherwise fastened to the wall.

(16) The dispenser 1 defines an interior volume 11 (partly shown in FIG. 2) for receiving a stack of sheet products such as napkins. In particular, the interior volume 11 is defined at least in part by interior surfaces of the cover 6, the sidewalls 3, 4 and the base 5. Disposed in the interior volume 11 is a spring 10 and a platform (not shown). The stack of sheet products is laid on the platform and the spring 10 biases the platform toward the dispensing opening 7. The platform is reciprocally movable within the interior volume in the rear to front direction, so as to be moveable away from and toward the dispensing opening 7.

(17) In the particular dispenser 1 of FIG. 1, the cover 6 is pivotally mounted to a frame 12, as can be seen in FIG. 3. The frame 12 is removably mounted to the flange 8 at the top of the product housing 2 in a way that allows the frame 12 to pop off when the cover 6 is subjected to such a great pivoting force that there is a danger of a hinge mechanism 13 between the cover 6 and the frame 12 breaking. The removable frame 12 thus protects the hinge mechanism 13 from damage as a result of a user pivoting the cover 6 beyond a limit open position with too much force. This removable cover idea is merely exemplary as the tab-like members may be applied to more conventional dispensers of sheet products that do not have such a pop off frame 12 and cover 6.

(18) The dispenser 1 further includes first and second tab-like members 15, 16, as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The dispenser can be considered as having X, Y and Z axes as shown in FIG. 3. The Z axis extends through a centre of the base 5 of the product housing 2 and through a centre of the dispensing opening 7, and through a centre of the sheet products in the stack. The X and Y axes are perpendicular to the Z axis, where a short sidewall 3 of the product housing 2 extends along the Y axis and a long sidewall 3 of the product housing 2 extends along the Y axis. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 extend in the XY plane. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 project from an interior surface defining the interior volume 11 and project parallel to the Y axis into the interior volume. In the shown embodiment, the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are secured to the frame 12 in a manner that will be described in further detail below with respect to FIGS. 4a-c.

(19) FIGS. 4a and 4b show different views of a tab-like member separated from the dispenser. The tab-like member is a flat piece of polymer material that includes a hole through the thickness of the tab-like member for mounting the tab-like member to the dispenser.

(20) FIG. 4c shows a plan view of the frame portion of the dispenser to show the relative position of the cut-outs into which the tab-like members are placed and which also shows fastening holes in the frame. A fastener will be applied through the fastener hole of the tab-like members and through the fastening holes of the frame to mount the tab-like members to the dispenser. The tab-like members are provided in the form of thin pieces of flexible polymer material so that they can flex downwardly when a new stack of sheet products is pushed past them and so that they resiliently spring back into a more projecting position in order to engage on the front face of the new stack.

(21) The first and second tab-like members are provided at a central location with respect to opposed sidewalls, particularly the long sidewalls 4, of the product housing 2 along the X axis. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 project relative to an interior surface of the respective sidewall 4 into the interior volume in the Y direction by an amount of between 5 mm and 20 mm, or 10 mm and 15 mm. A greater projection distance will ensure that the front face of the stack of sheet products is engaged, but a smaller distance will reduce contact area providing a smoother dispensing function. The balance between these competing constraints in the dispenser of FIG. 1 has been settled at a projection of about 10 mm.

(22) The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are spaced from an interior surface of the cover 6, which provides a roof to the interior volume defined by the dispenser 1, and this spacing may be a distance of less than 10 mm and less than 5 mm. The spacing ensures that at least part of a front face of the stack is held back from the interior surface of the cover 6 to reduce or eliminate friction between the interior surface of the cover 6 and the front face of the stack. This is especially important in light of the spring force applied by the spring 10, tending to force the front face of the stack onto the interior surface of the cover 6. This pressure can be reduced or removed entirely by the first and second hold back tabs 15, 16. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 also serve this function if dispenser 1 is mounted so that the spring force of the spring 10 applies horizontally, rather than vertically as is more often the case, when the pressure applied to the sheet products will be greater because the spring force is not counter acted by gravity. Accordingly, the dispenser 1 can be mounted horizontally or vertically, or any orientation therebetween, and smooth dispensing, resistant to tearing of the sheet products, can be secured.

(23) The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are sized to engage only in a margin area of a front face of the stack of sheet-like products so as to reduce the contact area. Further, the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are tab-shaped, which ensures that they only extend to a limited extent along the margin, again ensuring a reduced contact area. The dimension of the first and second tab-like members along the margin or in the Y direction is between 10 mm and 100 mm, 20 mm and 90 mm, 30 mm and 80 mm, 30 mm and 70 mm, 30 mm and 60 mm, 30 mm and 50 or 35 mm and 45 mm. In a specific embodiment, the Y dimension of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 is about 40 mm.

(24) Referring now to FIGS. 4a-b, an embodiment of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 can be seen. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are flat so as to have opposed major surfaces 17, 18. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 include a fastening hole 21 for receipt of a fastener therethrough to mount the first and second tab-like members to the dispenser 1. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are flexible so as to bend in a desired direction, namely in a direction along the Z-axis that the stack is passed in order to load the dispenser 1. The flexibility comes from, at least in part, the nature of the material used to make the first and second tab-like members 15, 16, namely a polymeric material in the present case, and the thickness of the flat members 15, 16 between the opposed major surfaces 17, 18. In certain embodiments, the polymer material may be nylon 6/6 or any other material having similar inherent flexibility. The thickness of the material is less than 5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm or 2 mm and, in a particular embodiment, is about 1 mm in thickness.

(25) The frame 12 is provided with a cut-out 19 extending in the Z direction for receiving one of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16, as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4c. The cut-out 19 allows the frame 12 to support a front major surface 17 of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16, but the rear major surface 18 is not positioned against a corresponding support structure. The result is that the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are more prone to flexing in the direction of loading a stack of sheet products along the +Z axis than in the opposite direction along the Z axis. That is, the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are more resistant to flexing in a direction along the Z axis toward the dispensing opening 7. This means that the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 flex easily so as to be less projecting when flexed in this direction by the loading of the stack, but resist flexing in the opposite direction so as to engage and hold back parts of the front face of the stack of sheet products.

(26) The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are positioned in opposed cut-outs 19 in the frame 12 and fasteners (not shown) are applied in respective fastener receiving holes 21 of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 and respective fastener receiving holes 20 (FIG. 4c) in the frame 12.

(27) In use, the dispenser 1 will be mounted to a wall, such as a vertical wall or a horizontal counter top, so that most of the product housing 2 is hidden behind the wall. The flange 8 will be seated on a front surface of the wall, while keys 9 will contact or be positioned adjacent to a rear surface of the wall so that a dispenser 1 is secured to the wall in the +Z and Z direction. The cover 6 may be opened to reveal at least part of an interior volume for receiving a stack of sheet products. The optional frame 12 and the flange 8 surround a mouth opening to the interior volume through which the stack of sheet products are passed in the Z direction to load the dispenser 1 with a stack.

(28) A rear face of the stack of sheet products will contact the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 as the stack of sheet products is passed into the interior volume and will flex the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 in a rearward direction so as to move the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 into an out of the way or less projecting position. The rear face of the stack will contact the platform (not shown) and the platform and the stack will be moved deeper into the product housing 2 against the bias of the spring 10. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 will be held in the flexed, substantially non-projecting, position by side faces of the stack of sheets. The first and second tab-like members 15, 16 will only spring back into a projecting position, where this projecting position is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, once a front face of the stack of sheet products has cleared a distal end of the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 (where the distal end should be understood as distal in the projecting direction along the Y axis).

(29) The first and second tab-like members 15, 16, once in the projecting position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will engage on opposed margins of a front face of the stack of sheet-like products, so that the stack of sheet-like products is held compressed between the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 and the platform, where the compression comes from the spring force of the spring 10. The cover 6 may be closed so that the sheet products in the stack can only be accessed through the dispensing opening 7. In the closed position shown in FIG. 1, an interior surface of the cover 6 is spaced from the front face of the stack of sheet products at least at the opposed margin portions contacting the first and second tab-like members 15, 16. The front face of the sheet products may bulge in a central region between the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 toward the dispensing opening 7, which will allow a front most individual sheet product in the stack to be conveniently grasped and withdrawn through the dispensing opening 7.

(30) When an individual sheet product is withdrawn through the dispensing opening 7, it will be pulled from under one of the tab-like members 15, 16 and will then move from under the other of the tab-like members 15, 16 so as to be released from the product housing 2 and to allow the sheet product to be dispensed through the dispensing opening 7. In an interfolded sheet product stack, a subsequent sheet product will be pulled partly through the dispensing opening with the sheet product that has been entirely dispensed. In this way, part of a next front most sheet product in the stack will protrude through the dispensing opening 7 for convenient grasping by a user.

(31) During dispensing, an individual sheet product is only forced by the spring 10 into contact with the tab-like first and second members 15, 16 at relatively small contact area portions, so that frictional force during withdrawal of the sheet product is relatively low, thereby providing resistance to tearing of the sheet product and securing a smooth dispensing operation. The front face of the stack of sheet products is, to a large extent, held back from an interior surface of the cover 6 so that the problems with pressure between the front face of the stack and the interior surface of the cover 6 in the prior art, causing tearing of sheet products that are dispensed, are avoided by the disclosed dispenser solution.

(32) A number of alternative implementations for the stack hold back means of FIGS. 2 to 4c can be envisaged.

(33) FIG. 5 shows an alternative implementation of the tab-like members of the present invention in which a rigid tab-like member projects into the interior volume to engage a front face of a stack of sheet products. This embodiment serves as a useful hold back means, but loading of a new stack of sheet products into the product housing is not as convenient as with the flexible tabs of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c, because tab-like member of FIG. 5 is not able to move out of the way of the stack during stack loading.

(34) FIG. 5 shows a tab-like hold back member that is fixed, which cannot be flexed, rotated, pivoted, reciprocated or otherwise moved out of the projecting position during stack loading. The tab member 25 of the alternative embodiment in FIG. 5 defines a ledge on a rear side that extends in the XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis and which has a ramped surface on a front side. The ledge surface provides an engagement surface for contacting a front face of a stack of sheet products to serve the hold back function. The ramped rear surface eases loading as it gradually forces a side face of the stack interiorly as the stack moves in the Z direction during loading.

(35) The fixed tab-like member 25 of the alternative of FIG. 5 provides an implementation that is relatively straightforward to construct, but, even with the ramped rear surface, makes a loading operation more difficult for a maintenance person because of the extra force required to move the stack in the Z direction. The sheet products in the stack may also be slightly damaged during loading because the fixed tab member 25 does not have the ability to move out of the way, as with the flexible tab construction of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c. Nonetheless, the fixed tab member 25 does serve the hold back function, thereby providing the dispenser with resistance to sheet product tearing during dispensing as compared to if the fixed tab member 25 was not present and the front face of the stack of sheet products was being forced directly against an interior surface of the cover 6.

(36) FIG. 6 shows yet another alternative embodiment for the tab-like members in which the tab-like member is pivotally mounted to the dispenser, so that it rotates, rather than flexes, downwardly during loading of a stack of sheet products. A spring is provided to cause the tab-like member to move back into the projecting position to engage on a front face of the stack of sheet products once the stack of sheet products has moved clear of the tab-like member during loading. The tab-like member is configured so as to rotate downwardly from the projecting position, but to resist rotating upwardly so as to properly provide the hold back function.

(37) In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 6, the tab-like member 27 is provided as a rotatable tab member. A cradle portion 26 is fixedly secured relative to the dispenser, particularly to the frame 12 by way of, in the shown embodiment, a fixing pin 29. The pivotable tab member 27 is rotatably mounted to the cradle by way of a rod 28 being rotatably received in the cradle portion 26. The tab member 27 is thus able to rotate into an out of the way position during stack loading, but does not rotate in the opposite direction from the projecting position because it is prevented from doing so by the frame 12 abutting the tab member 27 at the cut-out 19. As with the flexible tab implementation of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 4c, the rotatable tab member 27 is able to move downwardly from a projecting position as a result of contact of a rear face of new stack of sheet products during loading. Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c, the rotatable tab member 27 is able to spring back to the projecting position, by way of a torsion spring 30 in the shown embodiment. Further, the rotatable tab member 27 is able to rotate rearwardly so as to move out of the way of the stack of sheet products during loading, but resist movement toward the front of the dispenser so that the sheet products are held back from the interior surface of the cover 6 by the rotatable tab member 27 not rotating out of a projecting, stack engaging position.

(38) The alternative embodiment of FIG. 6 offers equivalent functionality to the flexible tab of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c in terms of holding the front face of the stack of sheet products back from the interior surface of the cover 6 and in terms of moving out of the way of the stack of sheet products caused by movement of the stack of sheet products during loading. However, the cradle 26 and the spring 30 will increase the cost of manufacture in this alternative solution. It may, however, be advantageous as compared to the flexible tab solution in that the tab member 27 can be made more rigid, thereby allowing a more precise determination of the hold back position of the stack.

(39) FIG. 7 shows yet another alternative embodiment in which a tab-like member is associated with spring legs that splay apart in order to move the tab-like member into a less projecting position relative to the interior volume of the product housing for stack loading and which cause the tab-like member to spring back once the stack of sheet products is clear of the tab-like member to engage on the front face of the stack of sheet products.

(40) In FIG. 7, a tab member 31 is not moved out of the way in the Z direction as with the flexible tab embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c and the rotatable tab embodiment of FIG. 6. Instead, the tab member 31 moves reciprocally in the XY plane, specifically parallel to the Y axis, between a retracted position (which is a position within the frame 12 in the particular embodiment shown) and a projecting position for engaging a front face of the stack of sheet products to hold the stack of sheet products back from an interior surface of the cover 6. In FIG. 7, the reciprocal tab member 31 is associated with spring legs 32 for biasing the tab member 31 into the projected position. The tab member 31 is secured in the Z direction, relative to the dispenser by a fastening pin 34. The reciprocal tab member 31 also includes a slot 33 that is oriented in the Y direction, which receives the fastening pin 34 therein, to guide reciprocal motion of the tab member 31.

(41) The alternative embodiment of FIG. 7 provides a suitable hold back function, and also is able to be moved out of the way into a retracted position by spreading the spring legs 32 apart. In the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 4c and the alternative embodiment of FIG. 6, clearance room must be provided in the Z direction for the flexible tab 15, 16 or the rotatable tab 27 to spring back from an out of the way position to a projecting position during stack loading. Although this clearance is relatively minor and can be provided simply by a slight compression of a full stack of napkins, there will be a very small limitation on the size of the stack in the Z direction that can be fit into the dispenser as a result of this clearance requirement. The embodiment of FIG. 7 does not suffer from this disadvantage as the reciprocal tab member 31 only moves in the XY plane. However, the flexible tab embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c and the rotatable tab embodiment of FIG. 6 has the advantage that they move out of the way in the direction of loading of the stack, which means that the stack more automatically, and without requiring any further input by a maintenance person, moves the tab member into a stack loading position purely by contacting the stack and moving with the stack.

(42) Other, non-illustrated alternative embodiments can be envisaged by the skilled person. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4c, there is a plurality of hold back members 15, 16. It can be imagined that just one hold back member could be provided to contact on one side of a front face of the stack. Alternatively, instead of first and second tab-like members 15, 16, three, four, five, six, etc. or more hold members could be provided, distributed along just first and second sidewalls 4 for engaging folded sides of the stack of sheet products and not cut sides, or a plurality of holdback members could be distributed so as to be provided on three or more sides of a front face of the stack. It can also be imagined that a continuous member could be provided for engaging a margin area of a front face of a stack of sheet products, suitably dimensioned so that the contact area is reduced as compared to when, as in the prior art, the whole front face of the stack of sheet products is pressed against an interior surface of the cover 6.

(43) In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4c, the hold back members are provided as projecting tabs that have a generally rectangular shape when viewed in plan, along the Z direction. One can imagine semicircle, triangle, square and other shapes for the projecting tab members when viewed in plan. It can also be imagined that the first and second tab-like members 15, 16 are provided so as to project relative to the short sidewalls 3, rather than the long sidewalls 4, although this would generally involve engaging on a cut side of a front face of the stack of sheet products, which does not, generally, have as tight manufacturing tolerances as the folded sides.

(44) In the various alternative embodiments presented herein, the hold back structure can engage a margin area of a front face of the sheet products, is able to contact a front face of a stack of sheet products irrespective of an opening and closing state of the cover, and is able to move between a loading configuration in which the structure is less projecting and a projecting configuration for engaging on a front face of the stack of sheet products when the stack is loaded. These three aspects can be independently implemented to achieve advantages described herein, or implemented in any combination to achieve a synergy in the combination of advantages.