Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
CARTRIDGE FOR DISPENSING PAPER PRODUCTS
BACKGROUND
Various types of dispensers for paper products have been developed to provide
ready availability of the paper products to users. Such dispensers are often
provided in
public places such as restaurants or rest rooms where customers remove from
the
dispenser a desired amount of paper products for personal use. In some high
traffic areas,
such as fast food restaurants, a large number of customers may use a paper
product
dispenser such as a napkin dispenser in a short period of time. Therefore,
dispensers
have been developed that hold a large number of paper products for use by a
large
number of consumers.
Some dispensers are designed to be used in conjunction with a cartridge
containing paper products. Cartridges provide many advantages to proprietors,
custodians, and users of the paper products. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
6,419,113 to
Tramontina discloses a cartridge for holding and dispensing a plurality of
paper products.
The cartridge is insertable into a dispenser having a dispensing opening
through which
paper products are dispensed. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,949 to
Tramontina discloses a reversible cartridge that holds a plurality of paper
products and
that dispenses a controlled amount of the same in both a one-at-a-time mode
and a
several-at-a-time mode. These cartridges solve the problems of uniform
dispensing of
individual or controlled amounts of paper products from large dispensers,
solve problems
associated with loading large dispensers, provide a means of easily
determining how
many paper products remain within the cartridge or dispenser, and reduce the
number of
types of cartridges that a facility must have in stock.
However, there are times at which users of the cartridge have a need to
quickly
remove a larger number of products from the cartridge than is possible with
"one-at-a-
time" or "several-at-a-time" cartridges. Such a "bulk" delivery mode may be
advantageous
to allow the user discretion to remove as many products as desired. For
example, the
cartridge could be used at a drive in window where an employee needs to be
able to
quickly remove a quantity of products that will change depending on the size
of order.
Alternatively, the cartridge may be used where customers have access to it so
that it
would be advantageous to limit the number of paper products that can be
removed at one
time. Therefore, there is a need for a cartridge that not only provides a
limited-quantity
dispensing mode, but additionally provides a bulk dispensing mode. Desirably,
the
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
cartridge allows a proprietor or custodian to select the mode that is most
advantageous for
the particular circumstances.
SUMMARY
The aforesaid needs are fulfilled and the problems experienced by those
skilled in
the art overcome by the improved stacked paper product dispensing cartridge of
the
present invention. The cartridge of the present invention includes a plurality
of walls
including side walls and at least one end wall. The side walls and end wall
define an
interior area that contains stacked paper products oriented so as to extend
substantially
perpendicular to at least one of the side walls. The cartridge further
includes a bulk
dispensing opening defined within at least one of the side walls. In another
embodiment,
the bulk dispensing opening is defined only within the side wall.
In a further aspect, the bulk dispensing opening has a width parallel to the
edges of
the stacked paper products that is between about 50 percent to about 90
percent of the
width of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined. In
another
embodiment, the bulk dispensing opening has a height perpendicular to the
edges of the ,
stacked paper products that is between about 50 percent to about 99 percent of
the height
of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined. In yet
another
embodiment, the bulk dispensing opening exposes a substantial portion of the
stacked
paper products.
In a further aspect, the cartridge further includes a limited-access
dispensing
opening defined within at least the end wall. In another embodiment, the
limited-access
dispensing opening is defined only within the end wall. In a further
embodiment, the
limited-access dispensing opening is defined within the end wall and at least
one of the
side walls.
In a further aspect, the bulk dispensing opening and the limited-access
dispensing
opening are contiguous. In another embodiment, the bulk dispensing opening and
the
limited-access dispensing opening are separated by a portion of the side wall
in which the
bulk dispensing opening is defined.
In a further aspect, the cartridge further includes a first end wall, a second
end
wall, a first limited-access dispensing opening defined within at least the
first end wall, and
a second limited-access dispensing opening defined within at least the second
end wall. In
another embodiment, the first limited-access opening is defined only within
the first end
wall. In a further embodiment, the second limited-access dispensing opening is
defined
2
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
within the second end wall and at least one of the side walls. In an even
further
embodiment, the bulk dispensing opening and the second limited-access
dispensing
opening are separated by a portion of the side wall in which the bulk
dispensing opening is
defined. In an alternate embodiment, the bulk dispensing opening and the
second limited-
access dispensing opening are contiguous.
In a further aspect, at least one of the dispensing openings includes a
removable
panel. In another embodiment, the removable panel defines an opening
configured to
provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the
interior area.
In another aspect, the present invention includes a stacked paper product
dispensing cartridge including a first end wall and a plurality of side walls
defining an
interior area, and a stack of paper products within the interior area. The
first end wall has a
first opening therein adapted to provide access to less than about twenty of
the paper
products. At least one of the side walls has a second opening therein exposing
at least a
substantial portion of the stack. In another embodiment, the second opening
exposes a
majority of the stacked paper products.
In a further aspect, the second opening has a width parallel to the edges of
the
stacked paper products that is between about 50 percent to about 90 percent of
the width
of the side wall in which the second opening is defined. In another
embodiment, the
second opening has a height perpendicular to the edges of the stacked paper
products
that is between about 50 percent to about 99 percent of the height of the side
wall in which
the second opening is defined.
In a further aspect, the first opening is defined only within the end wall. In
another
embodiment, the first opening is defined within the end wall and at least one
of the side
walls. In a further embodiment, the first and second openings are contiguous.
In an
alternate embodiment, the first and second openings are separated by a portion
of the
side wall in which the second opening is defined.
In a further aspect, the cartridge further includes a second end wall having a
third
opening therein adapted to provide access to less than about twenty of the
paper
products. In one embodiment, the third opening is defined within the second
end wall and
at least one of the side walls. In another embodiment, the second and third
openings are
separated by a portion of the side wall in which the second opening is
defined. In an
alternate embodiment, the second and third openings are contiguous.
3
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
In a further aspect, at least one of the dispensing openings includes a
removable
panel. In another embodiment, the removable panel defines an opening
configured to
provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the
interior area.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part
in the
following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be
learned through
the practice of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following
detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like
reference
numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of an exemplary cartridge for holding a
plurality of
stacked paper products and dispensing the same, the cartridge being configured
for
several-at-a-time dispensing.
FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge configured for bulk
dispensing by removal of a removable portion.
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge.
FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge depicting an exemplary
slit
adapted for the removal of a limited number of paper products in one
dispensing event.
FIG. 5 is a bottom elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge depicting an
exemplary slit
adapted for the removal of a single paper product at a time.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 cartridge, the cartridge shown in
FIG. 1
having been rotated 180 degrees end to end about the x-axis, the cartridge
being
configured for several-at-a-time dispensing.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary cartridge inserted into a
dispenser
housing adapted to dispense a limited number of stacked paper products or bulk
quantities of stacked paper products, the cartridge shown adapted to dispense
a limited
number of paper products.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary cartridge inserted into a
dispenser
housing adapted to dispense a limited number of stacked paper products or bulk
quantities of stacked paper products, the cartridge shown adapted to dispense
bulk
quantities of paper products.
4
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
FIG. 9 is an alternate rear elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge configured
for bulk
dispensing by removal of a removable portion.
FIG. 10 is an alternate front elevation view of the FIG. 1 cartridge
configured for
bulk dispensing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in more detail to the presently preferred
embodiments
of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the
drawings. Each
example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and not meant as a
limitation of
the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one
embodiment or
figure can be used on another embodiment or figure to yield yet another
embodiment. It is
intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations.
As generally depicted in FIGS. 1-6, one embodiment of a cartridge 10 is
disclosed
in which stacked paper products 12 are placed and from which paper products 12
are
dispensed. The paper products 12 may be paper napkins, paper towels, toilet
tissue, or
any other similar material. The cartridge 10 is desirably made of heavy paper
or
cardboard, but may be made of any other suitable material within the scope of
the
invention.
The cartridge 10 comprises a plurality of cartridge walls 18 including a top
end wall
24, a corresponding bottom end wall 34, and side walls 44. The cartridge walls
18 together
define an interior area 26. The side walls 44 have bottom edges 45 that meet
the side
edges 47 of the bottom wall 34 at the respective bottom corners 49. Similarly,
the side
walls 44 have top edges 51 that meet the side edges 53 of the top wall 24 at
the
respective top corners 55. It should be understood that the terms "top" and
"bottom" are
used only to describe the relative positions of each end wall. During use in a
dispenser
housing, either end of the cartridge 10 may be located at a bottom or
dispensing end of
the dispenser housing. To minimize any potential for confusion, all terms
referring to the
topographical features of the dispenser 10, including the terms "front",
"rear" or "back",
"top", and "bottom" are used only to refer to their respective positions as
depicted in FIG.
6.
The cartridge of the present invention has at least one dispensing opening
adapted
for bulk dispensing of paper products from the cartridge. FIGS. 1, 2, 9, and
10 depict a first
type of dispensing opening adapted for bulk dispensing of paper products from
the
cartridge 10. In FIGS. 1, 2, and 9, the rear wall 22 of the cartridge defines
an opening,
5
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
referred to hereafter as a bulk dispensing opening 31, which allows
substantially unlimited
access to the paper products (not shown) contained within the cartridge 10.
The bulk
dispensing opening 31 is configured to allow bulk dispensing of paper products
in a single
dispense. While FIGS. 1, 2, and 9 depict the bulk dispensing opening 31 at a
dispensing
zone 700 in the rear wall 22 of the cartridge 10, it is contemplated that
other locations
could be used. For example, the bulk dispensing opening 31 could alternatively
and/or
additionally be located in the front wall 36 (see FIG. 10), and so forth.
In reference to FIG. 1, the rear wall 22 of the cartridge 10 optionally
includes a
removable portion 21, removal of which creates the bulk dispensing opening 31
to allow
substantially unlimited access to the paper products contained within the
cartridge 10. To
facilitate removal of the removable portion 21, the edges of the removable
portion 21 may
be weakened, scored, or perforated to form one or more lines of weakness 23.
In reference to FIG. 2, the bulk dispensing opening 31 is desirably sized such
that
the horizontal dimension "H1" is about the same as or only slightly smaller
than the width
of the paper products 12 contained within the cartridge 10 and the vertical
dimension "V1"
is only slightly smaller than the height of the stack of paper products 12
contained within
the cartridge 10. Desirably, the bulk dispensing opening 31 has a width in the
x-direction
between about 50% to about 90% of the width of the rear wall 22 in which the
bulk
dispensing opening 31 is defined. More desirably, the bulk dispensing opening
31 has a
width in the x-direction between about 60% to about 80% of the width of the
rear wall 22 in
which the bulk dispensing opening 31 is defined. Desirably, the bulk
dispensing opening
31 has a height in the y-direction between about 50% to about 99% of the
height of the
rear wall 22 in which the bulk dispensing opening 31 is defined. More
desirably, the bulk
dispensing opening 31 has a height in the y-direction between about 65% to
about 95% of
the height of the rear wall 22 in which the bulk dispensing opening 31 is
defined. Even
more desirably, the bulk dispensing opening 31 has a height in the y-direction
between
about 80% to about 95% of the height of the rear wall 22 in which the bulk
dispensing
opening 31 is defined.
As such, it can be seen how the cartridge 10 may be used in a dispenser
housing
designed to dispense paper products in bulk, i.e., many at a time. This is
accomplished by
providing access to at least a substantial portion of the paper products, a
majority of the
paper products, or, desirably, the entire stack of paper products so that only
the discretion
of the user will limit the quantity of paper products to be removed. For
example, if the
edges of all the paper products in the cartridge are exposed, the user can use
one hand to
grasp and remove a handful of paper products by grasping the edges of as many
products
6
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
as are desired. As another example, the user can use two hands to remove as
many as
the entire quantity of paper products from the cartridge.
The bulk dispensing opening 31 may be used in conjunction with one or more
additional dispensing openings that limit access to the paper products 12 in
the cartridge
10, i.e., a limited-access dispensing opening. By providing more than one
dispensing
opening, the cartridge can be configured for different user selected
dispensing modes. For
example, the cartridge can include a limited-access dispensing opening
configured to limit
access to a single paper product per dispense, i.e., a one-at-a-time
dispensing opening.
Additionally or alternatively, the cartridge can include a limited-access
dispensing opening
configured to limit access to several paper products per dispense, i.e., a
several-at-a-time
dispensing opening.
FIGS. 1, 4 and 9 depict one type of limited-access dispensing opening in the
cartridge 10. A slit, slot, orifice or channel, referred to hereafter as a
several-at-a-time
dispensing opening 20, serves to control access to the paper products (not
shown)
contained within the cartridge 10. The several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20
is desirably
configured to dispense a limited quantity of paper products at each dispense.
In one
embodiment, the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20 is configured to
dispense less
than 20 paper products per dispense. In other embodiments, the several-at-a-
time
dispensing opening 20 is configured to dispense less than 15 paper products
per
dispense, less than 10 paper products per dispense, or less than 6 paper
products per
dispense, and so forth. Generally speaking, the several-at-a-time dispensing
opening 20
provides for the reliable and trouble free dispensing of a corresponding
amount of paper
products in a single dispensing event.
Looking more specifically at FIGS. 1 and 4, it can be seen that the several-at-
a-
time dispensing opening 20 is defined by the cartridge rear wall 22 and top
wall 24 of the
cartridge 10. However, it is contemplated that other locations may be used.
Additionally,
as shown in FIG. 1, the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20 may be
contiguous with
the bulk dispensing opening 31. Alternatively, the several-at-a-time
dispensing opening 20
may be separated from the bulk dispensing opening 31 by a portion of the
cartridge walls
18, as shown in FIG. 9.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 4, the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20
is
desirably sized so that it has a horizontal dimension "H2" that is about the
same as or
slightly greater than the width of the paper products within the cartridge 10
and a vertical
dimension "V2" that is large enough to permit the passage of a limited number
of paper
products. For example, if the paper products are in the form of folded paper
napkins, the
7
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
vertical dimension "V2" of the dispensing opening may be sized so that a
limited number
of folded paper napkins may be extracted. This could be achieved by making the
vertical
dimension "V2" some multiple of the thickness of an individual folded paper
napkin. For
example, the vertical dimension "V2" is desirably greater than about 2 and
less than about
20 thicknesses, more desirably greater than about 2 and less than about 10
thicknesses,
and even more desirably greater than about 2 and less than about 6
thicknesses.
Additionally, it is contemplated that the horizontal dimension "H2" may be
greater than,
about the same as, or less than the horizontal dimension "H1" of the bulk
dispensing
opening.
The paper product may be accessed by an optional thumb slot 26 and/or an
optional finger slot 28. Desirably, these slots are located on the top wall 24
and rear wall
22 of the cartridge 10 and may be centered with respect to the dimensions of
the cartridge
10 or the dimensions of the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20. However,
whether
the thumb slot 26 is located on the rear wall 22 or top wall 24 is a matter of
preference.
The point to note is that the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20 is
desirably
expanded to include the thumb slot 26 and/or the finger slot 28.
FIGS. 3, 5 and 10 depict another type of limited-access dispensing opening in
the
cartridge 10. A slit, slot, orifice or channel, referred to hereafter as a one-
at-a-time
dispensing opening 32, serves to control access to the paper products (not
shown)
contained within the cartridge 10. The one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 is
desirably
configured to dispense a single paper product at each dispense.
The one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 is defined by the cartridge bottom
wall 34
of the cartridge 10. However, it is contemplated that other locations may be
used. The
one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 may have many shapes within the scope of
the
present invention, as long as the opening provides easy access for a user and
delivery of
paper products for "one-at-a-time" or single product dispensing. It may be
desirable that
the bottom wall 34 be disposed at an angle with respect to the front wall 36
as can be
seen in FIGS. 3 and 10.
Thus, it can be seen how the cartridge 10 may be used in dispenser housings
designed to dispense paper products singly, i.e., one at a time. This is
accomplished by
providing access only to a portion of the face of the paper product 12. For
example, if the
paper products are in the form of folded paper napkins, and only an exposed
face of a
single napkin is accessible to a user, extracting that napkin from the
cartridge 10 leaves
the next napkin in the stack exposed.
8
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
The cartridge 10 can be provided such that each dispensing opening 20, 31, and
32 is provided with removable portions 21. This enables a user to select which
dispensing
opening 20, 31, or 32 from which the paper products 12 are to be dispensed and
thereby
limit access to only the desired opening.
It is important to understand that the cartridge 10 may include both a several-
at-a-
time dispensing opening 20 and a one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32. These
openings
may be located at opposite ends of the cartridge 10 or at least at different
dispensing
zones within the cartridge 10 as can be at least partially observed in FIG. 6.
This feature
enables a single cartridge 10 to be used in at least three different types of
dispenser
housings, for example, a dispenser housing adapted to dispense a controlled
plurality of
paper products, a dispenser housing adapted to dispense paper products singly,
or a
dispenser housing adapted for bulk dispensing of paper products.
It is also important to note that FIG. 1 depicts the several-at-a-time
dispensing
opening 20 in dispensing zone 500 at a bottom portion of the cartridge 10.
Similarly, FIG.
3 also depicts the one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 in dispensing zone 600
at a
bottom portion of the cartridge 10. Since it is more desirable to dispense
limited quantities
of paper products from the bottom of a dispenser housing, the cartridge 10 is
made to be
flipped 180 degrees end for end along the x-axis. Though not required, it is
also
contemplated that the container could be flipped end for end along the y-axis
and/or the z-
axis as well. The several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20 and the one-at-a-
time
dispensing opening 32 could be relocated accordingly to accommodate numerous
variations of dispenser housings. Positioning the cartridge 10 as shown in
FIG. 1 such that
paper products are dispensed from the several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20
allows the
cartridge 10 to be used with a dispenser 100 similar to that shown in FIGS. 7
and 8
whereas the FIG. 3 position using the one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 is
adapted to
be used with a dispenser adapted for one-at-a-time sheet dispensing.
Referring again to FIGS. 1-6, the cartridge 10 may include a plurality of
openings
16. Optionally, the openings 16 may contain removable portions 14, the removal
of which
creates the openings 16 in the cartridge 10. The openings 16 are disposed in
outside walls
18 of the cartridge 10 so that the openings 16 can encompass and receive
protrusions
from a dispenser housing that may extend into the cartridge 10. Dispenser
housings
having protrusions extending into a cartridge containing paper products are
disclosed, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,949 to Tramontina, the entire contents of
which are
incorporated herein by reference. Thus, upon placement of the cartridge 10
into an
9
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
appropriate dispenser housing, portions of the dispenser housing may protrude
through
the openings 16 to contact the paper products 12 within the cartridge 10.
To permit visual inspection of the amount of paper products remaining in the
cartridge 10 in the event one of the "front" walls don't have the bulk
dispensing feature, the
cartridge 10 may define at least one additional slot 30 through one of the
cartridge walls
18. More desirably, at least one such slot 30 is visible from outside a
dispenser housing
when the cartridge 10 is in the interior area of a dispenser housing. Since
the cartridge 10
can be loaded in more than one orientation, it is desirable to provide at
least one such slot
30 on the rear wall 22 and at least one such slot 30 on the front wall 36, an
amount of
paper products 12 disposed within the cartridge 10 being determinable by
visually
inspecting the amount of paper products 12 through the slot 30. As shown in
FIG. 7, two
slots 30 may be provided in a single wall to provide a greater range of visual
inspection.
Note that FIGS. 1-3, and 6 reflect an embodiment having only one such slot 30
located in
the rear wall 22 and in the front wall 36. In fact, any number or arrangement
of slots is
possible within the scope of the invention.
Further in accordance with the invention, at least some of the openings 16 may
have removable portions 14 corresponding to a first group of slots 38 and a
second group
of slots 40. The slots 38, as shown in FIG. 3, are adapted to receive at least
one
protrusion, which is generally an attachment to or a part of a dispenser
housing. These
protrusions may extend from the dispenser housing, through the slot or slots
38 to contact
the paper products within the cartridge 10. By contacting the paper products,
the
protrusions may impede, without actually prohibiting, the movement of the
paper products
toward the dispensing zones 500 or 600 and the dispensing openings 20 or 32
depending
upon the dispenser housing used to dispense the paper products.
The second group of slots 40 may be provided in the cartridge walls 18 to
adapt
the cartridge 10 for use in dispenser housings wherein the dispenser housing
contains a
rib member or members designed to protrude through the cartridge walls 18,
also to
contact the paper products. These second group of slots 40 are preferably
disposed at
least partly in the top wall 24 and/or the bottom wall 34 of the cartridge 10
and are adapted
to receive the rib members which are mounted or otherwise attached to the
dispenser
housing. These slots 40 enable the rib members to space, slow, align, and
support the
paper products as they are moved toward the dispensing zones 500 or 600 and
the
dispensing openings 20 or 32 depending upon the dispenser housing used to
dispense
the paper products.
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
Some of these slots 40 can be of a different size than other of slots 40. In
fact, it
may be desirable in at least the top wall 24, to make the slots 40 smaller
near a centerline
of the cartridge 10 and larger near the outer edges of the cartridge 10 as
depicted in FIG.
4. This configuration is adapted to accommodate dispenser housing rib members
of
differing heights. The rib members closest to the centerline may be shorter or
protrude
less distance into the cartridge 10 than do the outermost rib members. This
has the effect
of bowing the center portions of the paper products toward the dispensing
opening 20 or
32.
Looking further to FIG. 4, it is also contemplated that the cartridge may have
at
least one additional opening 42. This opening 42 may correspond to a key or
tab located
on a particular dispenser housing. The key would provide the cartridge 10 with
a device
minimizing the possibility that the cartridge could be improperly loaded into
the dispenser
housing. It is desirable that the key be associated with a particular
dispenser housing
variation. In that way, in the event a custodian were to attempt to
incorrectly load the
cartridge 10 into the particular dispenser housing, or alternatively attempt
to load the
cartridge 10 in the wrong orientation, the key would not engage the opening 42
in the
cartridge 10 thus preventing the cartridge 10 from seating within the
dispenser housing.
Generally speaking, the removable portions 14 and/or 21 may either be removed
or simply not formed in the cartridge walls 18 during manufacture of the
cartridge 10.
Depending upon the circumstances desired, these removable portions 14 and/or
21 can
be removed during installation of the cartridge 10 in an appropriate dispenser
housing. If
the removable portions 14 and/or 21 are to be removed (or simply not formed)
as part of
the manufacturing process, the cartridge 10 may be shipped to the user
wrapped, for
example in a plastic bag, to prevent contamination andlor to preserve the
sterility of the
paper products 12 in the cartridge 10. If the removable portions 14 and/or 21
are to be
removed as part of the installation process, the edges of the removable
portions 14 and/or
21 should be weakened, scored, or perforated, etc. for easy removal. In an
alternate
embodiment, the removable portions 14 and/or 21 are either not formed or are
removed
prior to shipment to the consumer. This minimizes the work necessary in
loading the
cartridge 10 into a dispenser housing.
Additional features which could be desirable are that at least the top wall 24
and/or
the bottom wall 34 of the cartridge 10 be disposed at an angle with respect to
the front wall
36 and the rear wall 22 of the cartridge 10 as can be seen in FIG. 3. However,
as depicted
in FIG. 6, it may be more desirable to have the top wall 24, or that wall
comprising the
several-at-a-time dispensing opening 20 to be perpendicular to its adjacent
walls. In any
11
CA 02510569 2005-06-16
WO 2004/060125 PCT/US2003/036402
case, it is desirable to dispense the paper products 12 from the several-at-a-
time
dispensing opening 20 or one-at-a-time dispensing opening 32 so that a face of
the paper
products 12 is parallel to the top wall 24 or bottom wall 34 from which the
paper products
12 are being dispensed.
As illustrated in FIGS. 7-8, the cartridge 10 is adapted to be inserted into
the
interior area of a dispenser housing 100. The cartridge 10 is further adapted
for holding or
containing the paper products 12 to be dispensed. It can be seen that the
cartridge 10 is
sized to fit snugly within an interior area of the dispenser housing 100. The
cartridge 10
disposed within the dispenser housing 100 is configured for either limited
quantity
dispensing or bulk dispensing. The cartridge 10 depicted in FIG. 7 has been
adapted for
several-at-a-time dispensing. The cartridge 10 depicted in FIG. 8 has been
adapted for
bulk dispensing through the bulk dispensing opening 31 by removal of the
removable
portion 21.
Though not necessary to practice of the invention, the paper products
contained
within the cartridge 10 are desirably interfolded or tab interfolded napkins
to provide
metered feeding of one or a number of such individual napkins at any one time.
If the
paper product is, for example, an interfolded paper napkin or tissue, a
leading flap or tail is
available to extend from a dispensing opening for a user to grasp. Pulling the
leading flap
will result in one-at-a-time dispensing of the product, while grasping the
edges of a stack
will allow the dispensing of the napkins grasped. The dispensing of
interfolded napkins is
discussed in greater detail in Skerrett, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,346 and
Ito et al., U.S.
Pat. No. 4,469,243, the entire contents of these patents being incorporated
herein by
reference. If a non-interfolded product is used in the cartridge 10, there
will be no leading
flap as in the interfolded format. Generally speaking, the number of products
dispensed
will be the same as the number of napkin edges gripped.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and
variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the
scope and
spirit of the invention. It is intended that the present invention include
such modifications
and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their
equivalents.
12
