Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
m e present invention relates generally to the containers or boxes of
facial tissues which are designed to allow and facilitate the progressive
removal of tissues from such a box through the discharge end o~ening
which facilitates the removal of one tissue at a time and are designed
for household and personal use and in the Hotel/Mbtel ba~hroom and
guestroom areas.
The facial tissue box has never really found its proper place in the
household kitchen and is typically found on top of the refrigerator or
some other unaccessible location.
A facial tissue is often needed in the kitchen for hygienic purposes
or for small cleanups but the user selects a more expensive Faper towel
because they are more accessible in that the top opening facial tissue
box with the protruding tissue is also not conducive to the kitchen in
that th~ tissue can become contaminated.
An object of this invention is to provide a facial tissue container
which is mounted on the underside of the kitchen top cabinet where it is
out of sight except for the protruding tissue and where the facial tissue
is alw ys in the same location and leaves the counter space c~mEletely
free for other purposes and because the tissue extends horizontally it is
protected from being oontiminated but always rea~dily accessible.
Another object of the invention is to provide a facial tissue
--- 2 1 ~
container which can hold a larger nunber of tissues and can also be used
for the removal of a set number of interlayered tissues which can then
be used as a packet of facial tissues for use elsewhere. The facial
tissue container is quickly released and hinged down to remove a pack of
more than one tissue and does not disturb the remaining tissues in the
container.
Another object of the invention is to provide a low cost, permanent
container made of semi-rigid injection molded plastic in various solid ~-
colours for permanently attaching to the underside of a structure and
can be quickly released with a push bar to allow it to be hinged down
for easy access or to be completely removed from the attachment bottom
plate for washing of the container for sanitary purposes and for placing
a new packet of tissues in the container.
A further object of this invention is to provide a penmanent, new
,,-
and novel, container which will accept packets of facial tissues which
have been compressed and restrained by a plastic sleeve or paper wrapper
which are further enclosed and compressed in a plastic wrap~er bulk
packa~e of nine or twelve tissue packets. The bulk packs and ccmpressed
packets will reduce volume required for shipping and warehouse space ~-
and these savings will reduce the cost to the manufacturer for the now
used cardboard boxes and the corrugated cardboard boxes used for
transportation with substantial reductions in household waste to the
municipal landfill sites. The bulk packs will mean a higher return to
the manufacturer and reduced prices to the end user and savings to the
environment.
Another obj~ct of this invention is to provide a reusable container
--- with an end opening where the tissues are removed horizontally from the
`~ end opening. Because the tissues depend on the interply friction
- 4 -
2~J~5
bet~-een the layers to be progressively removed, the horizontal design
allows for a greater area of friction to assist in tissue removal. The
end opening of the container is not affected by gravity which disrupts
the tissue removal with top opening containers or boxes which are now
the standard for the industry.
Another object of this invention is to provide a separate floating
top friction F~ate which is crowned or raised on the centerline portion
which will then allow a space to be provided between the top of the
tissues and the underside of the friction plate to prevent the tissues
fran being jamned against the top plate as they are placed inside the
container which causes the first lot of tissues to be restricted when
they are removed and causes theln to tear and be wasted. mis space is
provided under the top friction plate which floats on top of the tissue
packet as the tissues are removed as shown in the drawings. m e top
floating plate provides a positive pressure to the tw~ edges of the
tissues to maintain the friction necessary for proper tissue removal and
leaves a space to facilita~e the removal of the tissues at the
centerline of the container and prevents jamning and tearing of the
tissues when they are removed.
Broadly, the present invention provides a reusable container for
tissues which are supplied in a b~lk packet and which are removed at the
end of the container, one tissue at a time. The floating friction plate
to the top of the tissue packet assists in controlling the interply
- 5
2 ~ UJ2~1~
friction between the plys of tissues to allow one tissue to be removed
at any time. The container is fitted with a detachable bottcm Elate for
attachment to the underside of the support structure similar to a
kitchen top cabinet in a horizontal inverted position. The bottcm
attachment plate is fitted with a quick release feature which allows the
container to be hinged down or to be ccmpletely removed for washing or
for receiving a new tissue packet.
m e packet of interlayered tissues of a preset width and length and
of 300 tissues, more or less, are ccmpressed in height and held with a
wrapper or poly sleeve and then multiples of these packets are further
compressed and placed in a poly wrap in multiples of six, nine or twelve
to form an economical bulk package of facial tissues in a low cost
plastic wrap bag, the faciaL tissue will be provided in a more
economical and efficient, bulk facial tissue packet, which is a saving
to the manufacturer and the end user and the environment and reduces
landfill volumes and costs.
~ ven before bulk packs of facial tissue packets are manu~actured and
sold it is possible to remove the facial tissues frcm the now familiar
disposable tissue boxes, which have interfolded tissues, and place the
pack of tissue inside the end opening container for use in the kitchen
or other household area such as a bathroom or baby change table as
impaied by this invention.
-- 6 --
2 1 ~
RRIEP DEscRrpTI~N OF TE~ DRAHrNGS
_
m e invention will now be dscribed merely by way of illustration
with reference to the acccmpanying drawings in which:
FIGURF (1) is a perspective view of the facial tissue container as
it wDuld be installed under the top counter in a kitchen with a tissue
being removed.
FIGURE (2) is an end view of the container mounted under the top
counter in an inverted horiaontal position as it w~uld appear to the
user.
PIGURE (3) is a side view of the facial tissue container as it w~uld
-- be mounted under a kitchen top counter showing the facial tissue being
removed and the rear wall of the kitchen.
PIGDRF (4) is an exploded view of the parts which are essential to
this facial tissue container system. Item 1 is the container itself,
item 30 is the packet of buLk tissue, item 10 is the top floating plate,
and item 20 is the mounting plate to the kitchen cabinet (41).
FIGURE (5) is a plan view of the attachment plate which mounts to the
cabinet.
PIGURE (6~) is a section through the release mechanism of the
attachment plate and the end hinge with the essential parts of the
container.
- 7 -
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2 1 ~
FIGUR~ (6B) is a section through the rear hinge portion of the
attach~ent plate and the rear wall of the container. -
:
pI~RRe (7) is an end view of the top floating plate.
pIGuRe (8) is a plan view of the top floating plate.
FIGuRe (9) is a section through the container showing the tissue
being partly removed.
PIGUR~ (10) is a section through the container with the top tissue
being completely removed with the second tissue partially removed.
,- PIGUR~ (11) is the section through the container with the tissue
removed and the next tissue remaining in place.
PIGURE (12) is a sectional view of the container mounted ~nder a
kitchen cabinet with the container hinged down for removal of a set
nuober of tissues or hinged down to remove the container for washing and
for placing a new packet of tissue.
FIGURES (13, 14 and 15) are views of the packet of tissues which are
placed in the container showing the interlayer system of these tissues
with one tissue being removed.
PqGURE (16) is a pachet of tissues as it would come off the initial
tissue manufacturing line and cut to length.
~:
-- 8 --
R ~ 7~ ~:
2~J~
FIGURE (17) is the standard packet of tissues having been compressed
with a paper wrapper.
PqGURE (18) is a bulk bundle of tissues with six or nine tissue
packets.
FI3URE (19) is a bulk container in a plastic wrapping of six pachets
of facial tissue with a carrying handle.
~
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_ 9 _ '
.. _..... .. __ .
i ~ r~ ."~,,",,''V'
2 1 0 ~ h l~ 5
F~CIRL TISSU~ CDNAaIhhR FOR ~DUNTING UNDER A SIRlCTURE
DESCRIITIoN OF T9E ~K~KKnv E~eoDIH@NTs
Referring first to FIGURE (1), there is indicated therein generally
at (1) one embodiment of this tissue container in accordance with this
5 invention. ~he device (1) includes an injection molded plastic
container with an open bottom and with reinforcea edges (6), which has a
top (4), and sides (3) and oEposite ends (2) and (5) and a pre-designed
end opening (8) with a top Eortion (9) and a vertical portion (8) which
exEoses the packet of facial tissues (30) which are in layered
interlocking sheets (39) and the edge of this oEening (8) and (9) are
reinforced with an increased thickness and the open bottom of the
container allows the packet of facial tissues to be placed into the
container through the open bottam and the bottom attachment plate (20)
which attaches the container to the underside of the kitchen top cabinet
(41).
Referring further to FIGURE (1), the container (1) has opposed sides
(3) which have an opening (7) which also has reinforced edges which
allows the tissues inside tne container to be visible and also allows a --
hand hole for handling the container when it is being removed from its
attachment plate (20). The protruding tissue (31) is visible at the end
opening (8) of the container in the end wall (2) and the opposite end
wall (5) is sho~n with the top floating plate (10) riding on top of the
tissue package (30) and the individual tissues (39) where the oEen,space
between the top floating plate (10) and the tissues (39) is sho~n as ~:~
(14). Also shown in FIGU~E (1) is the kitchen cabinet with the bottom
;'`' : (41) and the cabinet doors (42) and the cabinet framing (44). The
-10- ;'~
~aJ~
inverted facial tissue container (1) can now be seen attached to the
attachment plate (20) where the protruding tissue (31) thru the end
opening (8) is easily re~oved by the user from the packet of tissues
(30) as an individual tissue (39) from underneath the top floating plate
(10) at the assigned space (14) underneath the top plate.
Referring to FIGURE (2) the end view of the inverted container (1)
sho~s the protruding tissue (31) underneath the top floating plate (10)
with the centerline space (14) and the upswept sides (17) and with the
attachment plate (20) the rear hinge (25) connects thru the slot (5A) in
the rear wall (5) of the tissue container (1). Also shown in FIGURE (2)
are the release bars (23) of the top attachment plate and the top
cabinet is again shown as the bottom (41) and the rear well (43) and the ~
front door panels (42) against the rear wall of the kitchen (45). ~`
Referring to FIGURE (3) the inverted tissue container is shown
~ 15 mounted on the attachnent plate (20) as a side view of the container
mounted horizontally under the kitchen cabinet with the rear hinge (25)
and the slot (SA) in the rear wall (5) of the container (1) and the
front opening (8) which extends thru to the bottom (9) and the
protruding tissue (31) underneath the top floating plate (tO) w~th the
rear flared portion of the top plate and the front open space (14) and
as previonsly noted the tissue packet (30) is visible thru the side
openings (7) of the container (1).
Referring now to FIGURE (4), a vertical exploded view of the various
elements of this invention, are shown with the inverted horiz~ntally
mounted container (1) and the bulk tissue packet (30) in the plastic
(35) or paper sleeve (3oD)) which has ~een compressed (32) to a reduced
height (34) from the individual tissues (39) which are of a ~-
pre-detenmined width (38) and length (37) and the lettering and
2~a~
instructions (35A) are printed on the packet sleeve t35) ~here a cutline
(36) is also indicated.
Again referring to FIGURE (4), the top floating plate (10) is sho~n
wi'ch the front ends (11) which are parallel to the end wall opening (2)
5 and have an eleptical cutout at the front end which is longitudinal to
the centerline (13) of the top plate (20) and with the upswept rear end
(17) ~^hich is again parallel to the container end (5) and the space for
the efficient removal of the tissue under the top floating plate is
indicated as (14).
Again referring to FIGURE (4), the top attachment plate (20) lbhich
is the bottam of the container (1~ is shown as it h~uld be attached to
the underside of the kitchen cabinet (41 ) and the top release bars (23)
with the main body (21) and the release ribs (22) which engage with the
reinforced edges (6) of the inverted container and the rear hinge is
15 shown as (25) protrudes thru the q1ot (5A) in the end wall (S) of the
inverted container (1 ).
Referring now to FIGURE (5 ) this is the plan view of the bottom
attachment Eilate ~20) and the main body (21) which has the attachment ':.
ribs (22) and the release bars (23) and the rear hinge (25) with :
20 sections (6A) and (6B) which are further detailed in FIGtRE (6A) and - ~:
FIGURE (6B).
FIGURE (6A) is a section thru the side edges of the attachment plate ;~ ~.
(20) where the mounting screws (25) are fixed to the cabinet bottcm (41) :~
and the release bar (23) engages with the reinforced edges (6) of the
25 container sidewalls (3) and the hinge (25) is shown protruding thru the :
slot (5A) in the container. The top floating plate (10) is also shown
a,ver the individual tissue layers (39) which gives a top opening space
:~, (14). .
- 12 -
2~i24~
In FIGURE (6B) which is a section thru the end hinge area of the
bottan attachnent plate, the kitchen cabinet bottom (41) supports the
attachment plate (20) where the rear hinge (25) protrudes thru the slot
(5A) at the rear wall (5) of the container.
Referring to FIGURES (7) and (8) of the top floating plate, the
FIGURE (7) is the end view whereas the FIGURE (8) is the plan view of
the top floating plate showing the front edges (16) at the end ~
opening where the eleptical cutout (15) allows the progressive removal
of tissue and the ups~ept edges (12) allow the edges (11) of the plate
to rest on the tissue packet with the longitudinal centerline (13) which
results in the open space (14) underneath the top floating plate and the
direction in which the tissues are removed is shown as an imFosed arrow
(18).
Referring to FIGURES (9, 10, and 11) the end view of the inverted
- ~ 15 container (1) is shown attached to the bottom attachment plate (20) ~-
which is again attached to the kitchen counter (41) with the counter
doors (42) and the end hinge (25) and the slot (5A) in the end wall of
the inverted container.
In FIGURE (9) the top floating pl~te (10) is showl on a horizontal ~-
plane (11) where the protruding tissue (31) is shown thru the end
opening (8) in the end wall (2) of the container (1) and the packet of
tissues (30) and the bottcm of the top floating plate (10) are basically
level and horizontal on the lines (11) and (11B).
In FIGURE (10) where a tissue is being renw ed (31) to protrude
further to location (31A) the top floating plate is elevated vertically
on a slight incline from (11B) to (11C) which allows the tissue to
project vertically up against the top floating plate (10) and the plate
` - moves forward from location (17) to location (17B) with the front edges
- 13 -
of the plate (16) resting against the front wall (2) at the location
(16~) and the second tissue (31B) is slightly projecte~ thru the end
opening (8) in the end w~ll (2).
With FIGURE (11) the projecting tissue (31A) has now been removed
arxl the second progressive tissue (31B) is now extended out to be shown
as (31) and the top floating plate and the tissue packet (30) have now
been returned to a level horizontal plane (11) and (11B). The top
floating Elate has also returned to location (17) and the front end has
retracted to location (16).
m e FIGURES (9, 10, and 11) are a sequence of the way in which this :
top floating plate (10) controls the removal of the facial tissues (30)
thru the end opening (8) of the end wall (2) of the container and the
top floating plate is allowed to move vertically thru the action of the ~:
removal of the protruding tissue (31) as is explained above. ~:
Referring to FIGURE (12) which is a side view of the attached
horizontal tissue container (1) to the attach~ent plate (20) at the
kitchen cabinet (41) where the facial tissue container can be hinged
down to location (51) and/or (52) fran the horizontal location (50) and . :
the top floating plate (10) is elevated (53) in order to remove a set
number of tissues (54) in a direction (55).
?he tissue container (1) is hin~ed down on the rear hinge (25~ thru
the slot (5A) in the rear end wall (5) of the container and the c~nElete
container can be removed off the rear hinge (25) in the direction (57)
for comFlete removal for sanitary washing and the replacement of a new
packet of facial tissues.
Referring to FIGURES (13, 14, and 15) we are indicating the type of
~-- interlayered tissues (30) in a pre-detennined length (37) and a
pre-determined width (38) and a height (34) with the individual tissues
- 14 -
2 ~ U ~ ` ~ a
(30A and 30B) with the interwaven plys (30C) and the FIG~RE (15) shows
the protruding tissue (31) where it is progressively removed fran the
packet of tissues at location (31A) and (31B~ and where the underlying
tissue (31C) is progressively removed thru the end opening by the
friction (30C) between the layers of tissue.
Referring to FIGURES ~16, 17, 18, and 19) which show the
pre-determined packet of tissue (30) with a pre-determined width (38)
and length (37) composed of individual tissues (39) to a height of (34A)
which is pre-cut to the length (37) as it is produced from the
production line where it then proceeds to FIGURE (17) where the height
is compressed (32) to a reduced height (34) and retained by a paper
wrapper (3oD) andVor a plastic sleeve where the compressed packets are
then accumu~ated in a package of six to nine to t~-elve packets where the
length (37) and the width (37A) or (37B) is further compressed to the
,. :
-~ 15 height (37C) by a pre-detenmined force (37D) and placed inside a plastic
wrapper (51) where the individual packets of tissue (30) now becomes a
bulk tissue package where it is contained in a disposable plastic
wrapper with a pre-determined width (37), and a height (37C) and a width
for six units (37A) or nine units (37B) and the plastic wrapper (51)
also contains a integral plastic strap handle (52). This bulk package
(50) of pre-compressed tissue packets (30) is as sho~n in FIGURE (19)
which has been produced from the tissue packets produ~ed from the
production line as shown in FIGURE (16).
It will also be understood that numerous mcdifications and
variations can be made in the structures described herein without
departing from the scope of the invention. As already explained the
device can be used for the facial tissue which is already enclosed in
'. :.,
~-~ cardboard boxes in that this container is more serviceable. Okher
- 15
variations and modifications are also possi~le and will be apparent to
those conversant in container design with plastic-fonning technology and :
with the technology already at hand by the various facial tissue
- manufacturers in the production of bulk packaging of units of productwhich can be compressed to reduce costs by volu~e reduction.
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~ ~ - 16 - :~-
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