Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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_ PATENT APPLICATION MARCH 3, 1994
DISPC6ABLE FACIAL TISSUE DISPENSER
(I) R~R~U~J~D - Field of Invention
This invention relates to a disposable tissue dispenser for serially
dispensing interfolded and interlayered tissue sheets, one tissue at a
time through an integral end opening in the dispenser.
(II) - RA~ J.~ - Cross Reference bo Relabed Applications
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nle enclo æ d invention relates to the inventor's previously applied
for patent, Serial Nh. 2097527, dated June ~nd, 1993 and entitled
"TISSUE BOX ~CR BULK TI~SUE PACKET6", wherein the inventor makes claim
for a ~acial tissue container with an end opening in the end wall for
the progressive removal of facial tissues one at a time. This previous
invention of an end opening container for bulk tissue packets was for a
free-st~n~ing container of a semi-permanent nature.
A second patent application, Serial N~. 2,105,245, dated August 31,
1993, entitl~ "FACIAI. Tl6~U~ ~)NI~ ER l~ M(~JN'I'lN~ ~INI)~I~ A ~TRI~`IJ~R",
includes the same embodiments of the first application except that the
container has been inverted and mounted horizontally to a support
structure and also uses bulk packets of tissues from a bulk pack.
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~nyD - Discussion of Prior Art
~eretofore, as disclosed in the prior art on sheet dispensing
devices where the sheet is removed from a top opening, it is possible to
divide these devices into two groups as follows:
Those where the tissue is controlled by the top surface of the
container and which allows the tissue to be removed and grips the next
tissue to prevent it from falling back into the container as taught by
K.M. Enloe, dated February 20, 1968, US ~atent No. 3,36~,699; which
teaches the use of a pair of planar lip-like constrictin~ members -- to
grip the tissues.
Again in the invention by H.N. Nelson, dated Feburary 6, 1962, US
Patent No. 3,019,~44; teaches the use of a narrow slot "- generally
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key-shaped panel disposed in co-planar portion --" which grips the
tissues, as they are removed at the to~ surface.
Also in the patent by H.~. Scholz, dated February 20, 1968, U.S.
Patent Nb. 3,~69,698; which also teaches an improved arrangement of the
tissues them ælves and w~lich are removed from a slot or flexible lip
material to grip the successive tissues at the top level of the
container.
The second generally taught method of tissue control in facial
tissue containers is where an internal control plate which has a slot or
opening where the tissue passes through the plate and then through the
top opening in the top surface of the container as taught by the
invention of D.T. ~cott, dated September 21, 19~5, U.S. Patent
_ 25 3,207,360; where the "- receptacle and a light weight, substantially
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~ flat discharge control plate --." and which " - moves up and down in the
~ receptacle when the stack of sheets becomes partially depleted, -".
Again in the invention by D.T. Scott, dated September 19~6, ~An~ n
Patent 742,552; he teaches the same use of a " - substantially flat
discharge control plate --" and " -- movable upwardly during withdrawal
of the uppermost tissue - ".
Also H.M. Nelson, dated January 1968, Canadian Patent 775,998;
teaches an internal plate of various shapes and with various shaped
openings which is substantially flat and moves upward with the tissues
when removed and has a perforated cut score line in the top cover of the
disposable container which pre-determines the internal control plate.
A~ain perhaps one of the earliest U.S. Patents for a dispensing
device was by D.W. Hudson, dated August 1923, U.S. Patent 1,4~2,180;
which teaches a control plate which is curved and not flat and has a
slot to allow the dispensing of a folded napkin and which remains
substantially motionless -- and exerts a " - constant downward
pressure - upon the stack of interfolded sheets, - ".
Generally the tissue dispensing containers are all of a disposable
nature and generally constructed of number 220 cardboard sheet which is
the ncmenclature used in the industry. The containers with internal
floating plates have been abandoned for the more popular top gripping
tissue containers for tissue control. ~bwever, these containers have a
tendency for the tissues to drop back into the container when they are
partially depleted and the top opening does not easily allow the hand or
fingers to be placed inside the container to remove the next tissue,
these disposable containers although widely used have proved to be
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inconvenient and wasteful when cont~ining a number of tissues over one
hundred and appro~ching three hundred.
All the previous inventions which taught an internal control plate
used a substantially flat plate which moved vertically within the
container for the full height inside the container and moved upward with
the tissue as it was withdrawn and then fell back by gravity. This
falling back had the tendency to pull the tissue down into the container
which proved inconvenient and undesirable and caused their abandonment.
Although a large top opening allows the hand or fingers to be thrust
inside the container to remove a tissu~ this further damages the
cardboard control plate. Also the tissues were not visible at all times
which caused the user to think that the container could be empty and
this too led to the abandonment of the invention.
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(IV) oBJECTS AND ADv~NTAr~R~
- 15 Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are a
control plate which is substantially different and teaches a new control
means over the succeeding plies of tissues to allow them to be removed
from the end opening of the dispenser one tissue ~t a time. The control
plate which has an engineered shape with ~ crown on the longitudinal
centerline of the plate promotes the tissues to flow from side to side
underneath the control plate in the unrestricted space provided by the
crowned shape of the plate which plate is allowed to oscillate
vertically at the end opening of the dispenser as is shown in Figure
(9), (10), and (11) where as a tissue is withdrawn it lifts the control
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plate to cause it to lift from front to back while maintaining a
controlled pressure on the top-most tissue by the design of the upswept
edges of the control plate it has two edges in contact with the top
tissue at any given time to maintain a controlled interply friction
between the successive layers of the facial tissue. As is shown in
Figure (8) the control plate is in the nonmal flat position and the
weight of the plate, frorn tests conducted, was found should weigh
between 20 and 30 gr~ms and should be of a rigid material which would
maintain a smooth, slick surface which would prevent the tissue from
snagging and which would retain its designed shape.
The control plate would also be made frorn a low cost material made
similar to the molded kraft paper Snack ~lates which would retain its
molded shape desired for the top floating control plate over the
expected life of the dispenser as shown in Figures (5) and (6) and as
_ 15 depicted by these patent drawings. m e relatively flat control plates
as taught in the befor~nentioned patents were of a conventional
untreated flat cardboard and were not molded to a designed shape which
is as described and detailed in my invention.
The dispenser or disposable container as envisioned in my invention
is similar to the containers now used by all the major facial tissue
manufactuers and is of a low cost, recycled cardboard material
designated as number 2~0 sheet stock which is the standard of the
industry. As shown in Figure (1) the cardboard box or container would
have a perforated end panel which would be removed by the user.
When the cardboard container was filled with facial tissues on the
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_ manufacturing production line, the floating control plate would then also
_ be placed inside the container and on top of the facial tissues and the
box would then be sealed by conventional means now used by the industry.
The facial tissue top opening box has been the most popular dispenser
for facial tissues in the home and office and also in Hotel/Mbtel guest
locations and aut~mobiles and wherever people are to function.
The top opening boxes of a quantity of 150 tissues have been most
popular for years and l~w the manufacturers in order to produce a more
economical quantity of tissues have made a similar box of ~00 or more
tissues using the same top opening "pop-up" box design for the tissues
and after they are partly used the tissues tend to fall back into the box
and are difficult if not impossible for small children and others to
remove conveniently and quickly. m e cardboard boxes of ~00 tissues
contain double the number of facial tissues as the original 150 facial
_ 15 tissue boxes with the same "pop-up" design features which worked well
with the original boxes but have bec~me a source of annoyance and w~ste
when used with the larger 300 facial tis~sue boxes. The manufacturer for
a slight increase in the cost for the added cardboard increased the
height of the 150 facial tissue box to now contain 3~0 facial tissues and
for a slight cost increase they now sold double the number of facial
tissues. H~wever, the 300 tissue box never did perform as well as the 150
tissue box in regard to convenience and econamy for the buyer and has
been the cause of annoyance and ~aste and increased costs for tissues
unused but yet discarded.
An object of this invention is to provide a facial tissue container
which will be of a standard disposable cardboard box which will be new
and novel in that the facial tissue will be removed from the end opening
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_ of the dispenser and which tissues shall be controlled in the container
_ in a manner in which they are rffmoved by the internal floating control
plate inside the dispenser box which control plate will only allow one
facial tissue to be rffnoved at any one time which then causes the next
succeeding tissue to be extended through the end opening of the cardboard
dispensing box where it protrudes a set amount by which it can be easily
removed by the user and the cycle is repeated with each tissue removed
where the friction between the interply layers of the tissues is
controlled by the top floating control plate which allows the next tissue
to protrude thr~ugh the end opening when any one protruding tissue is
removed.
A further object of the invention is to allow the r~nAining facial
tissues in the dispenser to be visible at the end opening of the
dispenser below the floating control plate which will then indicates to
_ the user when the facial tissues in the dispenser are depleted.
A further object of my invention is to combine the advantages of the
end opening in the dispenser with the control features of the internal
floating control plate to allow the sane standard disposable tiss~e boxes
to be used on the s~ne existing manufacturing lines which will result in
a disposable dispenser for 300 oount tacial tissues or more where the
tissues will only be allowed to be rffnoved one tissue at a time.
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DISP0eABLE FACIAL TISSUE DISPEN5~R
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CV) --BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described merely by way of illustration
with reference to the accanpanying drawings in which:
FIGMRE (1) is a perspective view of the exterior of the disposable
cardboard box dispenser showing the removable end opening. The
dispenser is relatively square in that the height and the width at the
end of the dispenser are approximately e~ual where the length of the
container is approximately one and a half times the height or
width and the physical size of this container is similar to the existing
300 tissue containers now used in the industry by the major
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manufacturers.
FIGU~E (2) is an end sectional view of the container with the
perforated end opening closure relnoved showing the internal top floating
plate resting on the facial tissues inside the cardboard container with
one tissue protruding through the end opening.
FIGURE (3) is a sectional view of the end of the facial tissue
dispenser showing the internal facial tissues and the top floating
control plate.
FIGURE (4) is a sectional side view of the container where the facial
tissues are shown with the top floating control plate resting on the
facial tissues with one tissue protrudin~ through the end opening.
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~ FIGURE (5) is a detailed sectional view of the top floating plate
~ resting on the facial tissue layers.
FIGURE (6) is an isometric view of the top floating control plate
resting on the facial tissues with one tissue being removed.
FIGURE (7) is an isometric view of a package of facial tissues where
they are C-Folded in a conventional system used and farniliar in the
industry of a set width and length.
~IGURE (8) is an isometric view of the same C-Folded facial tissues
as shown in Figure 7 with the top tissue being re~noved.
FIGURE (g) is a sectional side view through the facial tissue
dispenser showing the facial tissues with the top floating plate resting
on the surface of the top tissue with the end of the tissue protruding
through the end opening of the dispenser and ready to be used.
FIGURE (10) is a sectional side view through the facial tissue
dispenser with the top tissue being almost removed and which causes the
next succeeding tissue to be partially re~noved through the end opening
as well as causing the top floating plate to be raised vertically by the
removal of the facial tissues.
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FIGURE (11) is a æctional side view of the facial tissue dispenser
with the facial tissues shown and the top floating plate returned to its
horizontal position on top of the facial tissues where a facial tissue
is partly protruding through the end opening and is similar in all
respects to Figure 9 where the cycle of removing a tissue is repeated.
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DI8P0~ABLE FACIAL TISSUE DI~KN~K
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(VI) ~WL~lloN OF THE ~K~KK~U E~BoDI~ENTS
Referring first to FIGURE (1), there is indicated therein generally
at (1) one embodiment of this tissue dispenser in accordance with this
invention. The device (1) includes the cardboard dispenser box in a box
shape where the width and height are relatively the same or may be of
different dimensions and the length is approximately one and a half
times the width. This standard box shape has a top (2) and opposite
sides (3) and an end (4) where the end opening (6) has a perforated
(13) removable section (11) and (12) which allows the removal of the
facial tissues from this container.
FIGURE (1) is similar to other cardboard containers used for
dispensing facial tissues which are common to the industry except for
the new and novel end dispensing opening as shown in FIGURE (1).
Referring to FIGURE (2), the end isometric view of the facial tissue
dispenser (1) showing the top (2) and the opposing sides (3) and the
bottom (8) and the blank end (5) and the opposite end (4) where the end
opening (6) allows the facial tissues (30) to be removed (31) by the
protruding tissue corner (32) through the end opening. The protruding
tissue (31) extends from under the top floating control plate (20) which
is shown resting on top of the facial tissues and the top floating
control plate controls the friction between the interlayered and
interleaved layers of facial tissue.
Referring to FIGURE (3) which is sectional end view of the tissue
dispenser (1) where the top of the container is shown as (2) with the
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~ opposing sides as (3) with the bottom (~) and the end (4) with the end
tissue opening (6) with the internal control plate (20) resting on top
of the facial tissues (30).
Referring to FIGURE (4) which is a æctional side view of the
disposable facial tissue dispenser (1) where the top (2) is shown with
the opposing sides (3) and the bottom (~) with the end (4) where the end
tissue opening (ff) is located with the protruding tissue (31) as shown
being removed from under the top floating control plate (20) at the
front elliptical opening (23) which allows the protruding facial tissue
to elevate (28) fr~n under the control plate (20) which allows it to be
easily re~oved and which also assists it to remove the next subsequent
tissue to where it protrudes at a set distance from the dispenser (2).
This control motion is again shown in FIGURES (6), (9), (10) and (11).
The elliptical cutout also allows the user to use their fingers to start
a tissue out thru the end opening when the dispenser is first used.
Referring to FIGU~E (5), an end view of the top floating control
plate (20) resting on the package of facial tissues (3U) where the
crowned centre line (21) of the control plate creates a space (24)
underneath the control plate to allow the successive removal of facial
tissues which are being restrained by the edges (27) of the control
plate where the eliptical opening is shown at (23) with the upswept side
wings as item (22).
Referring to FIGURE (6), an isometric view of the top floating
control plate described in FIGU~E (5) resting on top of the facial
tissues (30) where the wings of the control plate (22), cause the
underside edges (27) of the control plate to rest on the top surface of
the facial tissues. me rounded edges and rear corners of the control
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plate are shown as items (26) with the front corners (25) with theeliptical opening (23) on the centre line (21) which creates the space
under the control plate (24) which allows the facial tissue (31) to be
removed by the protruding front corner (32).
Referring to FIGURE (7), this sectional isometric view of a set lot
of facial tissues in a C-Fold pattern (33) where the top corner (32) is
shown as the leading corner of the tissues when they are removed. This
packet of tissues (30) of a set height (30H) and width (30W) with a
predeterrnined lenKth (30L) shows the standard used by the industry in
the C-Fold configuration where the removal of one tissue causes the
removal of tl~e subsequent tissue by friction between the interlayered
and interleaved layers (33) of the facial tissues.
Referring to FIGURE (8), the end section of this packet of tissues
described in FIGU~E (7) sh~wing the layers of the C-Folded tissues (33)
_ with the tissue being extended by the leading corner (3~) in a
protruding p~sition (31).
Referring to FIGURE (9), a sectional side view of the disposable
facial tissue dispenser (1), with the packet of tissues (3U) in the
container where the facial tissue protrudes (31) through the end opening
(~) underneath the top floating control plate (~0) which rests on the
top tissue on the outer edges (27).
Referring to FIGURE (10), the sectional side view through the
container (1) shows the layers of facial tissue (30) with a facial
tissue almost removed (31) and the second sub æ ~uent facial tissue (31B)
in a protruding location through the end opening (6) of the container
(1) where the top floating control plate raises from its original
horizontal position (27) to an elevated vertical location (27A) which is
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_ caused by the removal of the facial tissues which then causes the
_ floating control plate (20) to vertically ri æ frcm location (27) to
location (27A) as the tissues are being removed.
Referring to FIGU~E (11), a sectional side view of the facial tissue
dispenser (1) showing the top (2) with the facial tissue layers (30)
wherein a facial tissue protrudes (31) through the end opening (6) and
is controlled by the top floating control plate (20) which rests at the
horizontal position (27) on top of the facial tissues where the control
plate returns to its original position after a tissue is completely
rernoved fran the container as shown in ~IGUR~ (10) and the control plate
with the protruding tissue returns to its original position as
previou~ly detailed in FIGUKE (9) where the cycle of removing a facial
tissue is repeated as a tissue is being removed.
It will also be understood that numerous modifications or variations
15 can be made in the structures described herein without departing from
the scope of the invention. Other variations and modifications are
possible and will be apparent to those conversant in container design
with box forming technology and with the technology already at hand by
the various facial tissue manufacturers in the production of facial
tissue dispensers where convenience to the end user is of a paramount
importance.
Althou~h only one embodiment of my end opening dispenser with the
internal control plate has been shown and described, numerous variations
within the spirit of the invention as defined in the appending claims
will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of
the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated,
but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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