Article dispensing – Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article – Adaptable to use with different size articles
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-20
2003-07-01
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article
Adaptable to use with different size articles
C221S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585129
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to napkin dispensers and more particularly to a napkin dispenser with a modified dispensing aperture to prevent the unwanted dispensing of bunches of napkins.
BACKGROUND
Napkin dispensers are well known in the art. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,454 of Salzmann et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,252 of Hope, Jr. et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,028 of Merila. One problem and indeed one of the major disadvantages of napkin dispensers of the class generally utilized to dispense interfolded napkins is the tendency for a user to grasp and remove an entire group of napkins, wastefully discarding what is not used. This problem is sometimes believed to be aggravated by bunching at the dispensing aperture and various means have been attempted to reduce or eliminate the problem of wastage of a plurality of napkins.
There is disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,703 to De Luca a device from preventing napkins from bunching at the dispensing opening in a napkin dispenser including a pair of pressure relief rods along the upper and lower portions of the dispenser face plate. The purpose of the rods is to relieve pressure between the face plate and the center portion of the napkin stack. Accordingly, the friction between each napkin is substantially reduced, thereby permitting individual napkins to be withdrawn from the dispenser without displacing napkins remaining in the stack.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,415 to Radek a napkin dispenser configured for disposition on a table or counter including a top axis opening for loading and removing napkins. The opening is generally rectangular or may taper slightly from one end to the other. A salient feature is at the edges of the opening extend outwardly providing a relatively narrow peripheral arcuate flange or lip around the opening, the effect of which is to lead a napkin gently outwardly without likelihood of damaging the napkin. The design is reported to promote extraction of a single napkin at a time, resulting in substantial economy of operations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,442 also to Radek there is disclosed another napkin dispenser with a generally rectangular opening with a concavely arcuate edge on one side from which the napkins are extracted. Two opposed sides of the opening are provided with a pair of relatively narrow spring biased leaves resiliently extendable into the container to facilitate loading, the free edges of the leaves being longitudinally gently oblique and widening toward the arcuate edge of the opening. The various features are reported to contribute toward convenient extraction of the napkin without damage.
The various techniques employed in the prior art for promoting extraction of a single napkin from an interfolded napkin dispenser are believed to have met with rather limited success, perhaps due to the relative complexity of the designs and the unpredictability of the consumer's behavior. In accordance with the present invention there is provided a uniquely configured dispensing aperture which restricts the ability of a napkin consumer from inserting his or her fingers into the interior of the interfolded napkin dispenser.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
There is provided in accordance with the present invention a napkin dispenser for dispensing a stack of interfolded napkins including an enclosure with a top, bottom, sidewalls, a back wall and a dispensing wall provided with a dispensing aperture spanning along its major axis at least the transverse dimension of an interfolded napkin to be dispensed therethrough; a pressure carriage slidably mounted in said enclosure provided with biasing means; the enclosure and pressure carriage are configured to receive a stack of interfolded napkins between the dispensing wall and the pressure carriage such that the biasing means urge the carriage and thus the stack of interfolded napkins towards the dispensing wall. The dispensing aperture defines a narrow elongated slit about its central portion and a pair of open areas about its terminal portions. The narrow elongated slit typically spans more than about 50 percent of the transverse dimension of an interfolded napkin being dispensed therethrough. The narrow elongated slit would still more typically span more than about 70 percent of the transverse dimension of an interfolded napkin being dispensed therethrough. The elongated slit generally has an opening width of from about {fraction (1/16)} inch to about ⅝ inch with from about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch being typical. Particularly preferred are embodiments wherein the narrow elongated slit has an opening width of from about ¼ inch to about ⅜ inch.
At either end of the narrow elongated slit of the dispensing aperture are terminal portions having an open area span (i.e. open diameter) of at least about ½ inch. The terminal portions preferably have an open area span of at least about ¾ inch and most preferably an open area span of at least about 1 inch. This open area span is required since the interfolded napkin dispensers are frequently replenished by a technician who fails to interfold the added napkins with the napkins already in the dispenser. Thus, when one interfolded stack charged to the dispenser is finished, the last napkin does not frictionally engage the next stack of napkins which has been loaded into the container so that the napkin being dispensed fails to draw the next napkin through the aperture. In this situation the user must have an ability to insert his or her fingers into the napkin dispenser in order to draw out the next napkin. By restricting this open geometry to the terminal portions the chances of a consumer grasping a plurality of bunched napkins is very much reduced.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a novel retraining insert for use in a napkin dispenser of the class including an enclosure with a top, bottom, sidewalls, a back wall and a dispensing wall provided with a dispensing aperture of relatively uniform dispensing width spanning along its major axis at least the transverse dimension of an interfolded napkin to be dispersed therethrough. The napkin dispenser typically includes a pressure carriage slidably mounted in the enclosure provided with biasing means wherein the enclosure and pressure carriage are configured to receive the stack of interfolded napkins between the dispensing wall and the pressure carriage such that the biasing means urge the pressure carriage and thereby the stack of interfolded napkins toward the dispensing wall. The napkin retaining insert is provided for modulating the dispensing width of the dispensing aperture. The insert is mounted on the dispensing wall and projects into the dispensing aperture of uniform width and as positioned is configured in dimension to define a narrow elongated slit about the central portion of the dispensing aperture as well as a pair of open areas about the terminal portions of the dispensing aperture. The open portions function as noted above, that is, wherein a stack of napkins which is not interfolded with the preceding stack loaded into the dispenser can be grasped so that the next collection of interfolded napkins can be dispensed without opening the napkin dispenser. Generally the napkin dispenser insert is of suitable dimensions to define the aperture characteristics referred to above. Typically the insert is adhesively mounted on the interior of the dispensing wall and is substantially planar with first and second parallel sides adjacent arcuatc sides therebetween, such that the arcuate sides will cooperate with the aperture in the dispensing wall to define the open terminal areas. In such embodiments the first parallel side is typically longer than the second parallel side and the longer or first parallel side is secured to the interior of the dispensing wall.
In general, the present invention relates to an improved dispensing aperture in a napkin dispenser including means for defining a restricted central portion of the aperture wherein
Moody John R.
Neveu Jean-Louis
Yardley Craig D.
Ferrell Michael W.
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Noland Kenneth W.
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