Article dispensing – Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article – With casing or support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-04-10
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article
With casing or support
C221S045000, C221S048000, C221S049000, C221S061000, C206S494000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pop-up tissue dispensers. Specifically, the invention described herein pertains to the folding configuration of interleaved tissues and the cylindrical dispenser therefor.
Tissue dispensers are designed to dispense individual tissues or similarly folded sheet product. Typically, the dispenser is comprised of a dispensing package and tissues in combination. The package contains an opening through which a single tissue is accessible and easily releasable from the rest of the tissues within the package. The pop-up style tissue dispenser provides a practical way to access individual tissues with minimal effort. The dispenser is generally parallelepiped in shape with overall dimensions that allow the user to place the dispenser anywhere accessibility to individual tissues is desirable.
These pop-up tissue dispensers are not always practical. In particular, the overall dimensions of the dispenser package can be limiting at times when the user wants to access a tissue, but the dispenser can not be conveniently located within reach. This problem occurs often when the user is in any location that does not have sufficient space for the dispenser to be placed.
Small packages of tissues are a useful alternative to the usual pop-up dispenser, but these packages usually contain tissues that are difficult to remove singly and equally difficult to unfold. The tissues may be smaller in overall size and are often of lesser quality than a typical full-size tissue. Furthermore, one has to carry the package on their person at all times to ensure convenient accessibility whenever a tissue is needed. These packages can be designed as a pop-up style dispenser, but the tissue must be unfolded to its full size prior to use. Although these small packages can be used when use of a larger box of tissues is not practical, many other inconveniences must be tolerated.
Driving an automobile poses additional problems. A typical box of full-size tissues may be out of reach if the box has been placed on the floor or in the back seat area. Small packages of tissues can also be inaccessible or difficult to find while driving. To help alleviate this particular problem, some automobiles have a specific location within the console, door or ceiling that is designed to accommodate a pre-packaged box of tissues. This enables the driver to access the tissues conveniently as needed. But not all automobiles are designed with such a tissue box holder.
These alternatives to a pop-up style dispenser do not provide adequate convenience in these situations, especially while driving. And because a person can spend a large amount of time travelling in automobiles, there is a need for a new pop-up style tissue dispenser that is both accessible and convenient to use while driving and at times when a larger box of tissues is not practical.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention described herein addresses the need to create a pop-up style tissue dispenser that allows for improved accessibility over currently available dispensers while maintaining the overall convenience of a pop-up style dispenser.
The invention comprises a cylindrical dispensing package and tissues in combination. The dispensing package is cylindrical in shape with a dispensing opening at one end. A plurality of tissues is sequentially disposed in the dispensing package in a specific interleaved pattern. The invention is designed to dispense facial tissues as well as any other types of folded sheet product, such as dry or moistened wipes, fabric softener sheets, or the like. Thus, the term “tissue” is used herein to describe any type of individual sheet product.
Each tissue is first pre-folded to reduce one dimension of the tissue to approximately one half its original length. This dimension shall be referred to as the width. The pre-folded tissue has lead and trailing edges that are parallel to the width of the tissue, the distance between which defines the length of the tissue. Two interfolds are made which are parallel to the lead and trailing edges. The first interfold is located approximately one-eighth of the tissue length from the lead edge and the second interfold is located approximately one half of the remaining length from the first interfold to the trailing edge. These interfolds impart a Z-like configuration to the tissue. Successive tissues are interleaved with the trailing edge of the accessible tissue, or leading tissue, located below the leading edge of the following tissue, creating an area of overlap between the tissues. The entire clip of interleaved tissues is oriented with the lead and trailing edges and interfolded edges at the top and bottom of the cylindrical dispensing package. Additionally, the clip of tissues is rolled about the longitudinal centerline of the dispensing package so that the longitudinal edges of the tissues are within close proximity of each other. This tissue configuration and orientation allow individual tissues to be dispensed vertically through the dispensing opening. The dispensing opening effectively causes the separation of adjacent tissues by constricting the tissue following the leading tissue near the first interfold. The leading tissue pulls the leading edge of the following tissue through the dispensing opening as it is removed from the dispenser by means of friction or other static forces. The following tissue becomes accessible upon removal of the leading tissue.
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