TO-GO INDIVIDUAL-DISPENSIBLE NAPKIN CONTAINER SYSTEM, A KIT COMPRISING THE SAME AND A DISPENSER AND A METHOD OF DISPENSING NAPKINS TO TO-GO CUSTOMERS

Abstract

There is provided herein a to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system. The system consists of a single stack of 4 to 6 individual non-connected paper napkins packaged in a paper or plastic wrapper. The system permits the number of napkins dispensed to individual customers to a pre-regulated amount and avoids waste. The system of individually packaged napkins can be provided in a dispenser for easy customer access or can be provided by a to-go food provider in amounts of one system for each personal serving of to-go food. The system can also be opened and have individual napkins dispensed therefrom when located in a dispenser thus providing for an alternative use of the napkin container system.

Claims

1. A to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system consisting of: a single vertical stack of about 4 to about 6 individual non-connected paper napkins packaged in a paper or plastic wrapper, the wrapper having two longitudinal edges and two horizontal edges which edges define a front side and an opposing rear side of the wrapper, the wrapper having a series of perforations along one longitudinal edge which are configured to provide for an opening along the longitudinal edge, and wherein a closure tab is adhered to a rear side of the packaging and is configured for extending from a rear side of the packaging over the opening to reseal the opening after it has been opened by adhering the closure tab to the front side of the packaging.

2. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the single vertical stack is not the result of a perforation of two adjacent stacks.

3. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the vertical stack of about 4 to about 6 individual non-connected paper napkins is 4 napkins.

4. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the paper napkins are made of a cellulose material.

5. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the paper napkins are either rectangular or square.

6. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the paper wrapper is made of cardboard.

7. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the plastic wrapper is a transparent plastic wrapper.

8. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the plastic wrapper is made from a single layer of material.

9. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the plastic wrapper is made from at least one of woven materials, knitted materials, nonwoven materials, plastic films, and laminates.

10. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the plastic wrapper is made from a polymer film which includes an outside layer that is made from a polyolefin.

11. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 10, wherein the outside layer is made from a polymer film that is capable of accepting an ink.

12. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 10, wherein the outside layer is embossed.

13. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 10, wherein the outside layer, contains a logo or written indicia.

14. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 10, wherein the outside layer is a thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) material.

15. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 10, wherein the outside layer is any one of a styrenic block copolymer compound, a styrenic-based TPE containing rubber modifiers, an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, a thermoset rubber; a polyurethane, an amide, an engineering TPE, and an olefinic vulcanizate.

16. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the wrapper has a series of perforations along both longitudinal edges.

17. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system of claim 1, wherein the closure tab is a semi-circle closure tab of from about of an inch up to about 1.5 inches in length and about of an inch up to about of an inch in width.

18. A kit comprising a dispenser and a plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems each of which consist of a single vertical stack of about 4 to about 6 individual non-connected paper napkins packaged in a paper or plastic wrapper, the wrapper having two longitudinal edges and two horizontal edges which edges define a front side and an opposing rear side of the wrapper, the wrapper having a series of perforations along one longitudinal edge which are configured to provide for an opening along the longitudinal edge, and wherein a closure tab is adhered to a rear side of the packaging and is configured for extending from a rear side of the packaging over the opening to reseal the opening after it has been opened by adhering the closure tab to the front side of the packaging and wherein the dispenser is configured to accept the plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems in a manner configured for individual dispensation.

19. The kit of claim 18 wherein, the dispenser is a cardboard box dispenser which is rectangular or square and which has a top opening for loading of the system of wrapped paper napkins therein.

20. A method of dispensing napkins to to-go customers comprising: providing a plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems each of which consists of a single vertical stack of from about 4 to about 6 individual non-connected paper napkins packaged in a paper or plastic wrapper, the wrapper having two longitudinal edges and two horizontal edges which edges define a front side and an opposing rear side of the wrapper, the wrapper having a series of perforations along one longitudinal edge which are configured to provide for an opening along the longitudinal edge, and wherein a closure tab is adhered to a rear side of the packaging and is configured for extending from a rear side of the packaging over the opening to reseal the opening after it has been opened by adhering the closure tab to the front side of the packaging and providing a dispenser wherein the dispenser is configured to accept the plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems in a manner configured for individual dispensation; and, providing each to-go customer with an individual-dispensable napkin container system for each person consuming food in a to-go order from the dispenser.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the an individual-dispensable napkin container system of the present invention;

[0048] FIG. 2 is a side view of the individual-dispensable napkin container system of the present invention;

[0049] FIG. 3 is an overhead view of the front face of an individual-dispensable napkin container system of the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a cardboard box dispenser of the individual-dispensable napkin container systems of the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 4b is a perspective view of a manual dispensing of an individual-dispensable napkin container system from the carboard dispenser of FIG. 4a;

[0052] FIG. 4c is a perspective view of a dispensing of a single napkin from an opened individual-dispensable napkin container system of the present invention;

[0053] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sleeve dispenser containing a series of individual-dispensable napkin container systems of the present invention.

[0054] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word exemplary or illustrative means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation described herein as exemplary or illustrative is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0056] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-5 there is provided a to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system 100. The to-go individual-dispensable napkin container system 100 can consist of a single vertical stack 102 of from about 4 to about 6 individual non-connected paper napkins 103 packaged in a paper or plastic wrapper 104, the wrapper having two longitudinal edges 106 and two horizontal edges 108 which edges 106/108 define a front side 110 and an opposing rear side 112 of the wrapper 104, the wrapper 104 having a series of perforations 114 along one longitudinal edge 106 which perforations 114 are configured to provide for an opening 116 along the longitudinal edge, and wherein a closure tab 118 is adhered to a rear side 112 of the packaging 104 and is configured for extending from a rear side 112 of the packaging 104 over the opening 116 to reseal the opening 116 after it has been opened by adhering the closure tab 118 to the front side 110 of the packaging 104.

[0057] In another embodiment, the outside layer of the wrapper 104 can contain a logo or name 120 of the to-go restaurant for improved marketing purposes.

[0058] In another aspect of the invention, the perforations 114 can provide for an opening of the wrapper 104 by grasping a front surface 110 and a rear surface 112 of the wrapper 104 and pulling in opposite directions such that the perforations 114 are torn into an opening 116 such as is shown in FIG. 4c.

[0059] The closure tab 118 can have an adhesive 122 thereon that can be reused several time to close the longitudinal opening 116 when a napkin 103 is removed to prevent the soiling and accidental dispensing of further napkins 103 from the wrapper 104.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 4b and 5, there can be provided herein a kit comprising a dispenser 124 and a plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems 100 and wherein the dispenser 124 is configured to accept the plurality of to-go individual-dispensable napkin container systems 100 in a manner configured for individual dispensation as is shown in FIGS. 4b and 5. As shown in FIG. 5 the dispenser 124 can be configured to be placed on a table top (not shown) or hung on a wall (not shown).

[0061] In one aspect of the invention, the dispenser is a sleeve dispenser 124 (see FIG. 5) which can be loaded with the system of wrapped napkins 100 from a top opening/upper portion 126 and dispensed from a bottom opening 128 therein. The sleeve dispenser 124 can be a rectangular sleeve with a front face 130 that can be opened to permit filling of the dispenser 124. The front face 130 can also have a lower portion 132 which does not open when the upper portion 126 of the front face 130 is opened so as to permit a placement and alignment of the systems of wrapped paper napkins 100 therein in a straight fashion to permit easy dispensing once the upper part 126 of the front face 130 is inserted on the dispenser 124.

[0062] Referring now to FIG. 4b, the dispenser can be a cardboard box dispenser 132 which is rectangular or square and which has a top opening 134 for loading of the system of wrapped paper napkins 100 therein. The cardboard box dispenser 132 can have a slot 136 on a bottom front side 138 of the dispenser 124 which permits the napkin container systems 100 to be dispensed one by one.

[0063] Referring now to FIG. 4c, one napkin 103 can be dispensed from one napkin container system 100 while the napkin container system 100 is located in a dispenser 124, after which the closing tab 118 can be closed to retain the remaining napkins 103 in the napkin container system 100 in the dispenser 124 without dispensing the entire napkin container system 100.

[0064] Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it is understood that any of the features presented in the embodiments may be integrated into any of the other embodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.