Apparatus for serially dispensing folder sheet products

• US 7,661,553 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Industrivärden AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Industrivärden AB)
• Inventors: Zeiron, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar; Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US11/583,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20070034638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 221/46, 221/45, 221/35, 221/56, 221/305, 221/52, 221/59, 221/60, 221/57, 361/385, 312/333, 312/71, 312/46, 312/61
• US Class Current: 221/46
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/427 with means for urging the whole stack towards the dispensing opening, e.g. a spring

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing folded sheet products from a stack of folded sheet products, includes: an open-ended body, a front panel provided with a dispensing opening, a rear panel, and a transverse panel located between the front and rear panels. The dispenser further includes a support member for receiving the stack of the folded sheet products and at least one locking mechanism located between the support member and at least one longitudinal wall of the open-ended body.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing folded sheet products from a stack of said folded sheet products, said dispenser comprising:

an open-ended body;

a front panel, provided with a dispensing opening;

a rear panel;

a transverse panel located between said front and rear panels;

a support member for receiving said stack of said folded sheet products, said support member being movable with said front panel between open and closed positions of said dispenser;

and at least one locking mechanism located between the support member and at least one longitudinal wall of the open-ended body for releasably retaining said front panel and said support member in said closed position,

wherein each locking mechanism is resiliently biased into a locking position,

wherein each locking mechanism is provided with an actuator located on the support member, and

wherein each actuator engages with a through hole in a corresponding longitudinal wall, in order to lock the support member in said closed position, each said actuator being actuated from outside said open-ended body.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein each actuator is located at one end of a resilient member arranged to bias the actuator into said through hole.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the resilient member is a resilient tongue.

4. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the resilient member is attached to the support member.

5. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the resilient member comprises an integrated attachment section and resilient section.

6. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the resilient member is integrated with the support member.

7. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein each actuator is located at one end of a pivoting lever.

8. The dispenser according to claim 7, further comprising a locking member located on an opposite end of the lever, and said locking member being resiliently biased into contact with the support member.

9. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing means located between said transverse panel and the open-ended body, which biasing means spring loads the support member, the front face and the transverse panel in the direction of the front end of the dispenser.

10. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the biasing means is arranged to displace the support member, the front face and the transverse panel a predetermined distance out of the dispenser upon release of the locking mechanism.

11. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein each actuator is located in at least one side wall of the open-ended body.

12. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is located in a bottom wall of the open-ended body.

13. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is located in a top wall of the open-ended body.

14. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein each actuator is arranged to cooperate with a bevelled guide surface adjacent the front end of said wall, upon closing of the dispenser.