Top-dispensing absorbent sheet dispenser

• US 20060102642A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCA Tissue North America LLC (Svenska Cellulosa AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Tissue North America LLC (Svenska Cellulosa AB)
• Inventors: Formon, John S., Muntzing, Janne
• Granted Patent: US 8,757,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/45
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/421 dispensing from the top of the dispenser A47K10/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness

Abstract

A pop-up type dispenser is provided for paper towels, in which a specially sized and shaped hole in the dispenser top cooperates with a stack of paper towels housed in the dispenser. The towel stack has at least two interfolded webs of perforated absorbent sheet material in which the perforations of one web are not aligned with the perforations of an adjacent web. The towels may be withdrawn through the opening one sheet at a time, by a user pulling on a first sheet of said one web protruding through said opening without needing to touch a next sheet on the adjacent web or a subsequent sheet on the one web.

Claims

1. A dispenser for absorbent sheet products, comprising a body that covers a stack of paper products to be disposed within said dispenser, said body comprising an opening on an upper surface thereof, wherein said opening has a size and shape such that a stack of absorbent sheet products to be disposed within said dispenser and formed of at least two interfolded webs of perforated absorbent sheet material in which the perforations of one web are not aligned with the perforations of an adjacent web may be withdrawn through said opening one sheet at a time, by a user pulling on a first sheet of said one web protruding through said opening without the user needing to touch a next sheet on said adjacent web or a subsequent sheet on said one web, said next sheet on said adjacent web protruding through said opening each time a first sheet on said one web is withdrawn and detached from said one web, without said adjacent sheet falling downwardly from said opening back into said body.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises four sides and a top, said opening being formed in said top.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said body further comprises a bottom adapted to support a stack of interfolded absorbent sheet products disposed in said dispenser.

4. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said body is sufficiently heavy so as not to lift up off of a horizontal supporting surface when an absorbent sheet contained therein is withdrawn therefrom solely by pulling upwardly on said first sheet.

5. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said body weighs at least about 24 oz.

6. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser is free of structure for urging a stack of absorbent sheet products disposed therein upwardly toward said opening.

7. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said opening is generally circular.

8. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said opening has a surface area in the range from about 0.78 in2 to about 2.40 in2.

9. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein said surface area is about 1.10 in2.

10. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said opening has an aspect ratio not exceeding about 5:

1.

11. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said body has a height greater than its width.

12. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a stack of absorbent sheet products disposed within said dispenser.

13. The dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said stack of absorbent sheet products comprises at least two interfolded webs of perforated or tabbed material, wherein the perforations or tabs on one web are not aligned with the perforations or tabs on an adjacent web.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the perforations or tabs on each web are equally spaced by a same amount, such that each sheet withdrawn from said dispenser is of a constant size.

15. The dispenser according to claim 14, wherein each sheet on each web is folded to form at least three panels per sheet.

16. The dispenser according to claim 15, wherein each said first sheet overlaps each said next sheet by greater than the length of one panel.

17. The dispenser according to claim 16, wherein each said first sheet overlaps each said next sheet by at least about 1.5 panel lengths.

18. The dispenser according to claim 12, wherein each said web is a paper having a basis weight in the range from about 10 lb to about 40 lb per 3000 m².

19. The dispenser according to claim 18, wherein each web is a two-ply web in which each ply has a basis weight of about 13 lb.

20. The dispenser according to claim 18, wherein each web is a one-ply TAD (through-air dried) web having a basis weight of about 24 lb.