Dispenser for dispensing sheet material

• US 20030201274A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Antwain Demone, Ziegenfuss, Robert C., Bischoff, Victoria L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,779,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/61
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/424 dispensing from the bottom part of the dispenser A47K10/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser includes a housing having an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets, and at least one door coupled to the housing. The door provides access and closure to the internal compartment, and the door has at least a portion of a dispensing opening formed therein through which individual sheets are dispensed. The door is configured to move into the internal compartment to provide an opened loading position for loading a stack of sheets. The door is also configured to move into alignment with adjacent portions of the housing when in a closed dispensing position such that the door abuts adjacent portions of the housing to provide a closure and hides an entry point into the dispenser, thereby providing an illusory appearance of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser, comprising:

a housing having an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets; and

a pair of doors pivotably coupled to the housing and providing access and closure to the internal compartment, at least one of the pair of doors having at least a portion of a dispensing opening formed therein through which individual sheets are dispensed, the doors configured to each pivotably move into the compartment to provide an opened loading position for loading a stack of sheets, the doors configured to each pivotably move into alignment with adjacent portions of the housing when in a closed dispensing position such that the doors abut to hide an entry point into the dispenser and to provide an illusory appearance of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein each of the doors includes an end pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a free end movable into the internal compartment.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein each free end includes a portion of the dispensing opening, and each free end is positioned in an abutting position relative to the other when the doors are position in the closed dispensing position, each free end configured to cooperate to provide the dispensing opening, the abutting position of the doors configured to provide a general appearance to a user of being one of integrally formed with the housing and fixedly coupled to the housing when in the closed dispensing position.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the abutting position of the doors hides the entry point into the compartment to reduce or prevent vandalism of the dispenser.

5. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein each of the doors moves into the internal compartment and into the opened loading position and the stack of sheets being loaded therein is positioned above the free end of each door to provide a clearance position to permit the doors to be moved back to the closed dispensing position.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the clearance position provides a clearance space, so that when the doors are moved into the closed dispensing position, the newly loaded stack of sheets moves down, adjacent the doors for dispensing and the clearance space prevents the stack of sheets from being compressed in the dispenser.

7. A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser, comprising:

a housing having an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets; and

at least one door coupled to the housing and providing access and closure to the internal compartment, the door having at least a portion of a dispensing opening formed therein through which individual sheets are dispensed, the door configured to move into the internal compartment to provide an opened loading position for loading a stack of sheets, the door configured to move into alignment with adjacent portions of the housing when in a closed dispensing position such that the door abuts adjacent portions of the housing to provide a closure and to hide an entry point into the dispenser, thereby providing an illusory appearance of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the at least one door is further defined as a pair of doors.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein each of the doors includes an end pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a free end movable into the internal compartment.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein each free end includes a portion of the dispensing opening, and each free end is positioned in an abutting position relative to the other when the doors are position in the closed dispensing position, each free end configured to cooperate to provide the dispensing opening, the abutting position of the doors configured to provide a general appearance to a user of being one of integrally formed with the housing and fixedly coupled to the housing when in the closed dispensing position.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the abutting position of the doors hides the entry point into the compartment to reduce or prevent vandalism of the dispenser.

12. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein each of the doors moves into the internal compartment and into the opened loading position and the stack of sheets being loaded therein is positioned above the free end of each door to provide a clearance position to permit the doors to be moved to the closed dispensing position.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the clearance position provides a clearance space, so that when the doors are moved into the closed dispensing position, the newly loaded stack of sheets moves down, adjacent the doors for dispensing and the clearance space prevents the stack of sheets from being compressed in the dispenser.

14. A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser, comprising:

a housing having an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets; and

a pair of doors coupled to the housing providing access and closure to the internal compartment, the doors each having a coupled end pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a free end movable into the internal compartment, each free end having at least a portion of a dispensing opening formed therein, each free end positioned in an abutting position relative to each other and configured to cooperate to provide the dispensing opening through which individual sheets are dispensed when the doors are positioned in a closed dispensing position, the doors in the abutting position configured to provide a point of entry into the internal compartment when the free ends are moved into the internal compartment to provide an opened loading position and access to the internal compartment, the abutting position of the doors hiding the point of entry when the doors are in a closed dispensing position and the doors positioned adjacent other portions of the dispenser such that the doors provide an outward illusory appearance to a user of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser to prevent tampering or vandalism by a user.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein each of the doors moves into the internal compartment and into the opened loading position and the stack of sheets being loaded therein is positioned above the free end of each door to provide a clearance position to permit the doors to be moved to the closed dispensing position.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the clearance position provides a clearance space, so that when the doors are moved into the closed dispensing position, the newly loaded stack of sheets moves down, adjacent the doors for dispensing and the clearance space prevents the stack of sheets from being compressed in the dispenser.

17. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the abutting position of the doors provide a general appearance to a user of being one of integrally formed with the housing and fixedly coupled to the housing when the doors are in the closed dispensing position.

18. A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser, comprising:

a housing having a compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets; and

at least one door pivotably coupled to a lower end of the housing and providing access and closure to the compartment, the door having at least a portion of an opening formed therein through which individual sheets are dispensed, the door configured to pivotably move into the compartment when the door is pushed inward toward the compartment to provide an opened loading position for loading a stack of sheets in the compartment, the stack of sheets being pushed upward into the compartment and compressed so that the stack of sheets are moved to a clearance position above an upper edge of the door such that no sheets in the compartment extend below the upper edge of the door during loading of sheets in the compartment, said clearance position permitting the door to move back to a closed dispensing position after loading and preventing over-filling of the compartment, the door configured to pivotably move into an alignment with the adjacent portions of the housing such that the door abuts adjacent portions of the housing to provide a closure and to hide an entry point into the dispenser, thereby providing an illusory appearance of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser, the sheets moved adjacent to the door for dispensing when the door is positioned into the closed dispensing position, the sheets having space to un-compress for effective dispensing.

19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the at least one door is further defined as a pair of doors.

20. The dispenser of claim 19, wherein each of the doors includes an end pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a free end movable into the internal compartment.

21. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein each free end includes a portion of the dispensing opening, and each free end is positioned in an abutting position relative to the other when the doors are position in the closed dispensing position, each free end configured to cooperate to provide the dispensing opening, the abutting position of the doors providing a general appearance to a user of being one of integrally formed with the housing and fixedly coupled to the housing when in the closed dispensing position.

22. The dispenser of claim 21, wherein the abutting position of the doors hides the entry point into the compartment to reduce or prevent vandalism of the dispenser.