FILM/FOIL DISPENSER AND CONTAINER FOR A FILM/FOIL DISPENSER

Abstract

A film/foil dispenser that includes a container (1) in which a rolled-up film/foil tape (7) is stored. A support element is disposed on the container (1) between a retrieval opening and a separating device for severing a portion of the film/foil tape (7) so as to be movable such that the projecting height (H) of the support element in relation to a contact face (31) is increased by way of the influence of force of an entrainment member (37) on a movable actuation element of the container (1). Due to this, the spacing between an end portion of the film/foil tape (7) and the contact face (31) is increased such that said end portion is more readily grippable.

Claims

1. A film/foil dispenser comprising a container (1) in which a film/foil tape (7), rolled up on a core (5) to form a film/foil roll (3), is stored, the container (1) comprises a retrieval opening for pulling out an end portion of the film/foil tape (7), and a separating device, spaced apart from said retrieval opening, for severing a pulled-out end portion of the film/foil tape (7), a support element protrudes on a contact face (31) of the container (1), which is disposed between the retrieval opening and the separating device, said support element is movable such that a projecting height (H) thereof in relation to the contact face (31) is variable, and an actuation element which is movable in relation to the support element, interacts with the support element, and includes an entrainment member (37) and is configured for exerting a deflection force on the support element that moves the support element such that the projecting height (H) thereof in relation to the contact face (31) is increased.

2. The container (1) for a film/foil dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein this container (1) is configured as a folded box having a flap lid (19), and the retrieval opening comprises an intermediate space between the flap lid (19) and a front wall (9) of the folded box, the support element comprises a support tongue (29) which is articulated so as to be pivotable on the front wall (9), and the entrainment member (37) of the actuation element is configured on a front tab (23) of the flap lid (19) that overlaps the support tongue (29) when the flap lid (19) is closed.

3. The container (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the actuation element comprises a clearance (27) on the front tab (23), and the entrainment member (37) for the support tongue (29) comprises an edge portion of the front tab (23) that delimits the clearance (27).

4. The container (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the entrainment member (37) comprises at least one offset that protrudes on an internal side of the front tab (23).

5. The container (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the offset that protrudes on the internal side of the front tab (23) is a punched and folded-over lobe of the front tab (23).

6. The container (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least part of the contact face (31) is configured as an adhesive zone having an adhesive layer.

7. The container (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the support tongue (29) or a region of the contact face (31) that is contiguous to the support tongue (29) is not configured as an adhesive zone.

8. The container (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support tongue (29) is configured to be elastically resilient and in a non-stressed rest position has a positive projecting height (H) in relation to the contact face (31).

9. A method for providing a grippable end portion of a film/foil tape (7) in a film/foil dispenser as claimed in claim 1, comprising: upon moving the actuation element, bring the entrainment member (37) of the actuation element to bear on the support element to exert a deflection force on the support element, moving the support element by virtue of said deflection force such that the projecting height (H) of said support element in relation to the contact face (31) is increased, resulting in a spacing of the end portion of the film/foil tape (7) in relation to the contact face (31) in the region of the support element also increasing such that the film/foil tape (7) is more readily grippable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The invention will be described in more detail hereunder by means of some figures in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a film/foil dispenser having an opened container and a film/foil roll stored therein; and

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a punched blank of the container of the film/foil dispenser of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a film/foil dispenser which comprises an elongate container 1 in which a film/foil roll 3 having a film/foil tape 7 of plastic that is rolled up on a cylindrical core 5 is stored. The container 1, preferably as a cuboid folded box, is made of cardboard or corrugated cardboard, for example of cardboard having a wall thickness between approx. 0.5 mm and 1 mm. This container 1 comprises a box body having a front wall 9, a base 11, a rear wall 13, and two approximately cuboid end walls 15a, 15b, of which the edge lengths are between 35 mm and 70 mm, for example. The external length L1 of the box body is in the range from 20 cm to 52 cm, for example.

[0024] Bearing points 17a, 17b for rotatably mounting the core 5 are disposed on the internal sides of the end walls 15a, 15b. A flap lid 19 is pivotably articulated on the upper edge of the rear wall 13, wherein the rear longitudinal edge of a cover face 21 of the flap lid 19 is contiguous to the rear wall 13. This flap lid 19 in the case of the view onto the film/foil dispenser as illustrated in FIG. 1 is opened such that the interior is visible.

[0025] The flap lid 19, so as to be contiguous to the front longitudinal edge of the cover face 21, comprises a front tab 23 which in the case of the embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1 extends across the entire length of the container 1 and in the case of a closed container 1 covers an upper portion of the front wall 9. The folded box in the original state preferably comprises an initial use protection feature. The latter may be configured as a strip 23a of the front tab 23 that is detachable along a perforation line P and that at the lower side is also connected in an analogous manner to the box body. In the case of the illustration of the folded box in FIG. 1, this strip is not visible as the latter has already been detached. The lower edge 25 of the front tab 23 that remains and is visible after the strip 23a has been detached corresponds to the perforation line P.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a punched blank of the folded box of FIG. 1, in which the strip 23a has not yet been detached from the front tab 23. The punched edges are illustrated as thick lines, whereas fold lines are illustrated as comparatively thin lines. Interrupted thick lines are perforation lines P for separating mutually contiguous regions of the folded box. A front internal wall 10 adjoins the upper edge 9a of the front wall 9. Said front internal wall by means of a fold F, preferably by means of two folds F that are configured so as to be mutually spaced apart by a minor spacing of 2 mm to 5 mm, for example, is articulated so as to be capable of being turned back on the front wall 9. The front internal wall 10 is folded over into the interior of the box body.

[0027] Close to the lower edge 25 the front tab 23 comprises a punched-out clearance 27 in the shape of a gap opening which extends in the longitudinal direction of the folded box. A support tongue 29 protrudes on the front wall 9 in the region of the upper edge 9a, approximately in the center of the box body. In the case of the embodiment of the folded box as illustrated in FIG. 1, the support tongue 29 is a portion of the front wall 9 that is punched along a semi-circular line and that is articulated on the upper edge 9a on the box body and that has been pivoted to the front. In the absence of any additional external force that acts on the support tongue 29, the support tongue remains in a rest position in which said support tongue on the front wall 9 protrudes to the front, or encloses a pivot angle of greater than 0 in relation to the latter. Elastic material properties and that region of the folded box that, contiguous to the upper edge 9a of the front wall 9, is bent backward contribute toward the support tongue 29 in the non-stressed rest position protruding to the front on the front wall 9. The support tongue 29, and/or the connection thereof to that portion of the container 1 that is contiguous to the former, preferably has an elasticity or at least a residual elasticity which in the case of the support tongue 29 being deflected from the rest position thereof causes a reversing force, or a reversing torque, respectively, in the direction of the rest position. This has the result of the support tongue 29, in the absence of external forces, assuming a rest position in which said support tongue 29 protrudes by a minimum projecting height H on a contact face 31 of the front wall 9. The contact face 31 is that region of the container 1 on which a film/foil portion bears when the latter, after having been pulled out through a retrieval opening of the container 1, is severed from the film/foil reserve by means of a separating device of the film/foil dispenser. In the case of a film/foil dispenser as is illustrated in FIG. 1, the retrieval opening is the intermediate space between the flap lid 19 and the front wall 9 of the folded box. The separating device comprises a guide gap 33 and a cutting blade 35 that is displaceable along this guide gap 33. The guide gap 33, at approximately mid-height of the box body, extends across a region of the front wall 9 that is somewhat shorter than the entire length L1 of the latter.

[0028] The clearance 27 is disposed and aligned on the front tab 23 such that the support tongue 29 in the case of a closed flap lid 19 protrudes into this clearance 27 in such a manner that the lower edge of the clearance 27 and the edge of the support tongue 29 engage by mutual undercuts. This should apply at least when the front tab 23 bears directly on the contact face 31 or on an end portion of the film/foil tape 7 that bears on the contact face 31. Thus, the lower edge of the clearance 27 is a stop or an entrainment member 37, respectively, that entrains the support tongue 29 in the case of the flap lid 19 being opened, and pivots said support tongue 29 outward and/or upward. On account thereof, the projecting height H of the support tongue is increased. The film/foil tape 7 in the region of the front terminal edge thereof at the support tongue 29 is pulled away from the contact face 31 and may be readily gripped there.

[0029] The support tongue 29 that is configured so as to be pivotable on the container 1 is a special embodiment of a support element that is configured so as to be movable on the container 1. In the case of alternative embodiments, this support element may also comprise an element (not shown) that is displaceably mounted on the container, and/or an elastically deformable element such as a coil spring or a foam-material part, for example. That surface of the support element that comes into contact with the film/foil is preferably configured such that the former does not damage the film/foil. When the support element and/or the contact face 31 in the region of the support element is configured such that the film/foil adheres thereon to a lesser degree than to other regions of the contact face 31, the film/foil tape 7 can be more readily gripped there. This may be achieved, for example, in that the contact face 31 comprises regions that are covered with a lacquer layer or an adhesive layer, except however that region having the support tongue 29. If and when the support tongue 29 does not adhere to the film/foil well, the former may pivot back to the rest position thereof in an almost unimpeded manner when the flap lid 19 is opened further and the support tongue 29 is no longer held back by the lower edge of the clearance 27.

[0030] The lower edge of the clearance 29 is generally an actuation element which is disposed so as to be movable in a guided manner on the container 1, and is operatively connected to the support element. The actuation element generally comprises an entrainment member 27 which is configured and disposed such that the latter, in the case of the actuation element being moved in an effective direction, acts on the support element, or exerts a force in the effective direction on the support element, respectively, such that the projecting height H of the latter in relation to the contact face 31 is increased.

[0031] In the case of the embodiment of the film/foil dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1, the actuation element is the flap lid 19 per se, wherein the lower edge of the clearance 27 is the entrainment member 37, or acts as such, respectively. Alternatively or additionally to the lower edge of a clearance 27, the actuation element or the entrainment member 37, respectively, may also comprise an offset that protrudes on the internal side of the front tab 23, for example, which offset in the case of a closed flap lid 19 engages by undercut that periphery of the support tongue 29 that projects on the contact face 31 (not illustrated). In particular, the clearance 27 on the front tab 23 may comprise two incisions which are disposed so as to be T-shaped, or a corresponding punching, for example, in the case of which the two exposed triangular portions as entrainment members are folded back or turned back, respectively (not illustrated). Alternatively, the front tab 23 in the region of the lower edge 25 of the front tab 23 could comprise a strip that in the cross section is V-shaped and is folded back, and that in the case of a closed flap lid 19 engages by undercut the support tongue 29 in a hook-type manner (not illustrated).

[0032] Depending on the embodiment of the container 1, the front tab 23 may extend across the entire length L1 of the container 1, or alternatively may extend only across a portion of the front tab 23 that corresponds with the support tongue 29. Instead of only one support tongue 29, the container 1 may comprise a plurality of support elements that are disposed so as to be distributed across the length of the container 1. This of course also applies to the corresponding entrainment members 37 of the actuation element.

[0033] In the case of alternative embodiments of the film/foil dispenser, the container 1 may also be configured in a different manner. In particular, the container 1 may also be embodied without a flap lid 19, and/or comprise a separate retrieval opening for pulling out the film/foil tape 7, for example an exit gap on the front wall 9, the rear wall 13, or the cover face 21. The separating device may also be configured in a different manner, and may comprise a tear-off edge having cutting teeth, for example, or a cutting device having a guide rail (not illustrated) that is fastenable to the folded box, and a cutting blade 35 that is displaceable along this guide rail. The separating device may also be disposed in the region of a longitudinal edge of the container, for example. In particular, the separating device may also be plug-fitted onto an upper edge of a box body (not illustrated).