Sheet and dispenser package therefor

• US 4,770,320 A
• Filed: 06/03/1987
• Issued: 09/13/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Loder, Harry A., Emmel, John J., Miles, Alden R., Nygard, James C., Schwandt, Theodore F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US07/057,625
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 221/33, 221/45, 221/46, 206/39.7, 206/39.3, 206/494, 402/79, 283/81, 281/1, 428/192, 428/194
• US Class Current: 221/33
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/005 Supports for note-pads B42F9/00 takes precedence; underlays B43L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0805 through an aperture in a wall
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0894 the articles being positioned relative to one another or to the container in a special way, e.g. for facilitating dispensing, without additional support
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/023 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0241 Repositionable or pressure sensitive adhesive

Abstract

A sheet including a layer of flexible polymeric material having a coating of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on a second end portion that is generally transparent when adhered to a substrate, while being free of adhesive along a visually distinctive first end portion. A pad of the sheets in a stack with adjacent ends of the sheets aligned and with the first and second ends of successive sheets adjacent can be disposed in a chamber partially defined by a top wall having a slot through which the first end portion of the uppermost sheet projects. Relative movement is afforded between the top wall and the uppermost sheet to afford, as the uppermost sheet is pulled through the slot, alignment of the slot with successive portions of the uppermost sheet toward its second end as those successive portions are peeled from the stack. In a final relative position between the top wall and the uppermost sheet the slot is along the second end portion of that sheet and the first end portion of the underlying sheet to cause movement of the first end portion of the underlying sheet through the slot with the second end portion of the uppertmost sheet to leave the first end portion of the underlying sheet projecting through the slot after the uppermost sheet is removed.

Claims

1. A dispenser package comprising:

a plurality of flexible sheets, each of said sheets comprising a layer of material having opposite top and bottom major side surfaces and first and second opposite ends, having a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on at least a second major end portion of said bottom side surface adjacent said second end, said sheets being releasably adhered to each other by adhesion of said coatings of pressure sensitive adhesive to portions of the top surfaces of underlying sheets adjacent the first ends of the underlying sheets to form a stack with adjacent ends of said sheets aligned and with the first and second ends of successive sheets in said stack being adjacent, and having means for preventing adhesion of minor first end portions of said sheets adjacent said first ends to underlying sheets in said stack;

an enclosure comprising walls defining a chamber in which said stack of sheets is positioned, said walls including a top wall including a portion defining a generally central transverse slot parallel to said ends of said sheets positioned adjacent an uppermost sheet in said stack with the first end portion of said uppermost sheet projecting through said slot; and

means for affording relative movement between the portion of said top wall defining said slot and said uppermost sheet from initial to final relative positions to afford as said uppermost sheet is pulled through said slot alignment of said slot with successive portions of said uppermost sheet toward the second end of said uppermost sheet as said successive portions are peeled from an underlying sheet in said stack to which said uppermost sheet is adhered, in said final position said slot being along the second end portion of said uppermost sheet and the first end portion of said underlying sheet to afford folding of said underlying sheet and movement through the slot of the first end portion of said underlying sheet with the second end portion of said uppermost sheet to leave, after said uppermost sheet is fully peeled from said underlying sheet, the first end portion of said underlying sheet in a position projecting through said slot and said top wall and said underlying sheet in said initial position relative to each other.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is repositionable, and said first end portions of said sheets are brightly colored and are free of adhesive on said bottom surfaces to provide said means for preventing adhesion of minor first end portions of said sheets adjacent said first ends to an underlying sheet.

3. A package according to claim 1, wherein said sheets are each formed from only a single layer of polymeric material, said second end portions of said sheets are printed with a brightly colored ink, and said adhesive coated second end portions are generally transparent when adhered to a substrate.

4. A package according to claim 1 wherein said bottom surfaces of said sheets are entirely coated by said pressure sensitive adhesive, and said means for preventing adhesion of minor first end portions of said sheets adjacent said first ends to underlying sheets in said stack comprises coatings of release material on parts of the top surfaces of said underlying sheets adjacent said second ends.

5. A package according to claim 1 wherein said chamber defined by said walls affords shuttling end to end movement of said stack within said chamber to provide said means for affording relative movement between said top wall and said uppermost sheet from said initial to said final relative positions.

6. package according to claim 1 wherein said said top wall is movable on the rest of said walls defining said chamber to provide said means for affording relative movement between said top wall and said uppermost sheet from said initial to said final relative positions.

7. A package according to claim 1 wherein said top wall has opposed parallel cylindrically convex guide surface portions leading to opposed parallel linear guide surface portions extending at generally a right angle to the major portion of the top wall to define said slot, said opposed parallel linear guide surface portions having a length in a direction normal to the stack of greater than about 0.5 centimeter.

8. A dispenser package comprising:

a plurality of flexible sheets, each of said sheets comprising a layer of flexible polymeric material, having opposite major side surfaces and first and second opposite ends, and having a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on a second end portion of one of said side surfaces adjacent said second end while being free of adhesive on both of said side surfaces along a first end portion thereof adjacent said first end, said sheets being releasably adhered to each other by said coatings of pressure sensitive adhesive to form a stack with adjacent ends of said sheets aligned and with the first and second ends of successive sheets in said stack being adjacent;

an enclosure comprising walls defining a chamber in which said stack of sheets is positioned, said walls including a top wall ihcluding a portior defining a generally central transverse slot positioned adjacent an uppermost sheet in said stack with the first end portion of said uppermost sheet projecting through said slot; and

means for affording relative movement between the portion of said top wall defining said slot and said uppermost sheet from initial to final relative positions to afford, as said uppermost sheet is pulled through said slot, alignment of said slot with successive portions of said uppermost sheet toward the second end of said uppermost sheet as said successive portions are peeled from an underlying sheet in said stack to which said uppermost sheet is adhered, in said final position said slot being along the second end portion of said uppermost sheet and the first end portion of said underlying sheet to afford folding and movement through the slot of the first end portion of said underlying sheet with the second end portion of said uppermost sheet to leave, after said uppermost sheet is fully peeled from said underlying sheet, the first end portion of said underlying sheet in a position projecting through said slot and said top wall and said underlying sheet in said initial position relative to each other.

9. A package according to claim 8 wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is repositionable, and said first end portions of said sheets are smaller in area than said second end portions and are brightly colored.

10. A package according to claim 8 wherein said sheets are each formed from only a single sheet of polymeric material, said second end portions of said sheets are printed with a brightly colored ink, and said adhesive coated second end portions are generally transparent when adhered to a substrate.

11. A package according to claim 8 wherein said chamber defined by said walls affords shuttling end to end movement of said stack within said chamber to provide said means for affording relative movement between said top wall and said uppermost sheet from said initial to said final relative positions.

12. A package according to claim 8 wherein said top wall has opposed parallel cylindrically convex guide surface portions leading to opposed parallel linear guide surface portions extending at generally a right angle to the major portion of the top wall to define said slot, said opposed parallel linear guide surface portions having a length in a direction normal to the stack of greater than about 0.5 centimeter.