Soap leaf dispenser

Details Soap leaf dispenser Soap leaf dispenser

1999-06-30

2001-02-06

Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)

Article dispensing

With lock, latch, or seal for container and/or support

C221S306000, C221S309000, C206S039000, C206S039500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182860

ABSTRACT:

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to dispensers, and in particular to a new and useful soap leaf dispenser for dispensing thin leaves of soap.
The presence of a slot in a dispenser to allow a finger to touch the top of a first sheet in a stack of sheets to dispense one sheet from a container has been used in many different environments and for many different purposes. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 1,815,083 to Weinberg.
A dispenser, which can open to replenish its content is also well known as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,525 to Fleischer.
Containers which are based on cosmetic cases are also known. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,237 to Steiman. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,311 to Garcia.
Mechanical dispensers for soap leaves are also known. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,731 to Hettinga. Self sealing dispenser packs to avoid entry of liquid are also known and exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,317 Sussman, et al.
Other patents show other examples of dispensers for dispensing thin sheet-like materials such as razor blades, credit cards and the like, or other uses for cosmetic compact type containers.
The most pertinent patents know to the applicants are:
U.S. Pat. No.
Inventor(s)
1,815,083
Weinberg
2,269,525
Fleischer
2,346,488
Hoffmaster, et al.
2,557,323
Testi
3,109,538
Boxer
4,018,237
Steiman
4,170,914
Carrier
4,240,564
Pritchard
4,265,366
Schillinger, et al.
4,286,731
Hettinga
4,735,317
Sussman, et al.
4,739,902
Joslyn, et al.
4,770,320
Miles, et al.
4,826,014
Schefer
4,887,739
Parker
4,907,825
Miles, et al.
4,913,311
Garcia
5,080,223
Mitsuyama
5,125,505
Kurosaki
5,154,292
Bartucca, et al.
5,409,133
Gringer
5,417,345
Smith
5,560,476
Lee
5,718,329
Ippolito, et al.
5,730,319
Gray, et al.
5,755,356
Bastiaens, et al.
5,848,723
Krautsack
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a plastic dispenser for dispensing individual leaves of soap or other consumable leaves from a stack of leaves stored in the dispenser. The dispenser includes top and bottom plastic halves or case portions which are connected to and aligned with each other by four pins extending from one container half into holes in the other container half. The pins are held in the holes by friction to hold the case portions or halves together. A coin is used in a pry slot formed at the sides of the dispenser between the case portions, to pry the two halves apart and open the case for replenishing the supply of soap leaves in the dispenser.
One edge of the dispenser has an outlet slot with a length and width selected for dispensing one leaf at a time. A curved finger opening which exposes the top surface of the stack of leaves near the outlet slot, is covered by a piece of reusable adhesive tape for protecting the soap and keeping the leaves in the dispenser. The tape is partly removed to expose the finger opening and outlet slot and then the user can use her or his finger to contact the top leaf and eject the top leaf through the slot.
The outlet slot is designed with the upper dispenser half, which is also preferably transparent to view the supply of leaves in the dispenser, having an upper lip overhang, over a lower lip of the outlet slot. The lower lip also includes an inner raised, continuous or interrupted rail to help the top leaf slid through the outlet slot. In this way, any water droplets which fall onto the upper dispenser half will drip off the edge of the upper lip without getting into the outlet slot and thus destroying the very water sensitive stack of soap leaves in the dispenser. This water-shedding design feature is in addition to the peel-off tape feature for the dispenser.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2346488 (1944-04-01), Hoffmaster et al.
patent: 2557323 (1951-06-01), Testi
patent: 3286823 (1966-11-01), Gillespie
patent: 3421658 (1969-01-01), Cooksey
patent: 4170914 (1979-10-01), Carrier
patent: 5161711 (1992-11-01), Picozza et al.
patent: 5688394 (1997-11-01), McBride, Jr. et al.

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