Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SHEET PRODUCT DISPENSER
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon United States Patent Application Serial No.
12/262,344,
filed October 31, 2008, of the same title, the priority of which is hereby
claimed. This
application is also based upon United States Provisional Patent Application
Serial No.
60/985,366, filed November 5, 2007, of the same title, the priority of which
is also
hereby claimed. The disclosures of the foregoing applications are incorporated
herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a sheet product dispenser, and more
particularly to
features that provide for the dispensing of sheet product from the dispenser.
Sheet products, such as disposable absorbent wipers or towels for example,
have many
uses. Disposable wipers are particularly popular with do-it-yourself
homeowners and
trades people who find wipers valuable for cleaning tools, work areas and
their hands.
Disposable wipers are also used frequently in factories, on farms and in the
boating
industry (both commercial and recreational). These are just a few of the wide
variety of
people and multitude of uses of disposable wipers. Frequently, disposable
wipers are
used by people who are on the go, whether it be trades people moving from job
to job,
maintenance people moving from machine to machine within a factory or farmers
dealing with issues wherever they come up. Containers of disposable wipers
thus are
often treated as valuable items of one's normal equipment for performing jobs
and are
often carried in the back of trucks to job sites along with other tools or on
maintenance
carts in factories. Disposable wiper containers end up in countless types of
places,
wherever people do work.
Often, because these containers may be used and stored outside, they can
become
exposed to inclement weather or they can be indoors in dusty and dirty
environments.
Mobile and water resistant sheet product containers include a dispensing
nozzle or
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orifice that is typically integrated with the supply of sheet product within
the container.
Accordingly, such nozzles may only be used with the associated supply of sheet
product, and are replaced as part of each replacement supply of sheet product
for use
within the dispenser. A configuration of the dispensing nozzle is generally
adapted for
proper dispensing (such as to result in tearing at a pre-scored perforation
line) of a
particular sheet product media or material. Alternatively, dispensers may
utilize
nozzles integrated with a lid of the dispenser and therefore require a
different lid for
each different type of sheet product material for which the nozzle is adapted
to
dispense. Therefore, each different type of sheet product material to be
dispensed
requires a different lid, each different lid having associated therewith
design and tooling
costs. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a sheet product dispensing
arrangement
that overcomes these drawbacks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the invention includes a nozzle for dispensing sheet product.
The
nozzle includes a base portion oriented substantially perpendicular to a
dispense
direction of the sheet product and having an inner periphery and an outer
periphery. A
sloping portion is disposed proximate a center of the base portion and extends
from the
inner periphery of the base portion toward the center in the dispense
direction to
terminate at an edge defining an opening of the nozzle. The nozzle further
includes a
lip portion disposed about the outer periphery of the base portion, and a
retention
feature extending from the lip portion. The retention feature has a leg
portion and a
latch portion, the leg portion is oriented substantially parallel to the
dispense direction,
and the latch portion extends from a free end of the leg portion substantially
perpendicular to the dispense direction.
A further embodiment of the invention includes a sheet product dispenser. The
sheet
product dispenser has a main body with a bottom and side walls that define a
top
opening and an interior of the main body and a lid removably disposed upon the
top
opening. The lid includes a nozzle having a base portion oriented
substantially
perpendicular to a dispense direction of the sheet product with an inner
periphery and an
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outer periphery. A sloping portion is disposed proximate a center of the base
portion
and extends from the inner periphery of the base portion toward the center in
the
dispense direction to terminate at an edge defining an opening of the nozzle.
The
nozzle further includes a lip portion disposed about the outer periphery of
the base
portion. The retention feature has a leg portion and a latch portion, the leg
portion is
oriented substantially parallel to the dispense direction, and the latch
portion extends
from a free end of the leg portion substantially perpendicular to the dispense
direction.
These and other advantages and features will be more readily understood from
the
following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention that
is
provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike
in the
accompanying Figures:
FIG. 1 depicts a front perspective view of a sheet product dispenser in
accordance with
an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the sheet product dispenser with a lid removed in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the lid in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 4 depicts a top perspective view of a unitary nozzle and cover assembly
in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 depicts a cross section view of the lid depicted in FIG. 3 in
accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6 depicts a cross section view of the lid depicted in FIG. 3 in
accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
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FIG. 7 depicts an enlarged section view of the cross section depicted in FIG.
6 in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 depicts a top perspective view of the lid shown in FIG. 3 in accordance
with an
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 9 depicts a top view of the lid in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 10 depicts a top perspective view of a lid and unitary nozzle and cover
assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 11 depicts a top perspective view of a unitary nozzle and cover assembly
in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 12 depicts a top perspective view of a lid in accordance with an
embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the invention provides a nozzle for the dispensing of sheet
product.
In one embodiment, the nozzle is removably attached to a lid of the dispenser,
thereby
allowing the nozzle to dispense more than one supply (such as a roll for
example) of
sheet product, and allowing different nozzles to be utilized with the same
container and
lid to dispense different types or sizes of sheet product. As used herein, the
terms
"sheet product" and "sheet products" are inclusive of natural and/or synthetic
cloth or
paper sheets. Further, sheet products can include both woven and non-woven
articles.
Examples of sheet products include, but are not limited to wipers, napkins,
tissues, and
towels.
FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a sheet product dispenser 10. The sheet
product
dispenser 10 includes top, bottom and side walls 15, 20, 25, respectively,
forming a
sealable container 30 having a main body 35. A lid 55 is removably attached to
the
body 35, and provides the top wall 15 of the container 30. The lid 55 may be
removably attached to the body 35 in various ways, such as through the use of
a
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connection 57 disposed at an outer radial position of the lid 55, such as a
threaded
connection, complementary circumferential grooves, or beads enabling the lid
55 to be
snapped onto the body 35 for example. Removal of the lid 55 exposes the
interior of
the container 30 to enable a supply of sheet product to be inserted. A nozzle
60 or
aperture through which to dispense sheet material is removably attached to the
lid 55, as
will be described further below.
The container 30 is illustrated in the various Figures as being generally
cylindrical in
shape, which is a spatially efficient configuration to house a roll of towels
having a
vertical axis, and is an economical configuration with regard to container
material costs.
However, the container 30 may have other shapes as desired.
FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the dispenser 10 shown with the lid 55 removed. A
continuous roll 65 of sheet product is shown in an interior 70 of the main
body 35 of the
container 30. As described above, the sheet product may be made from either a
woven
or nonwoven material. There are a wide variety of nonwoven processes and they
can be
either wetlaid or drylaid. Some examples include hydroentagled (sometimes
called
spunlace), DRC (double re-creped), airlaid, spunbond, carded, paper towel, and
meltblown sheet products. The sheet product may have perforations (not shown)
extending in lines across its width to separate individual sheets and
facilitate separation
or tearing of individual sheets from the roll at discrete intervals.
Individual sheets may
be sized as desired to accommodate the many uses of the sheet products. For
example,
perforation lines may be formed every 13 inches to define a universally sized
sheet.
Multiple perforation lines may be provided to allow the user to select the
size of sheet
depending on the particular need.
The roll 65 of sheet product may be provided without a central core so that a
free end 75
in the center portion of the roll 65 is accessible. The roll 65 is positioned
with its axis
extending vertically, and the roll 65 of sheet product is consumed from its
center to its
outside. The roll 65 may be of any size to fit within the dispenser 10. In one
embodiment, the diameter of the roll 65 ranges from about 6 to about 12
inches. In
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other embodiments, a roll may have a diameter of approximately 8 inches or of
approximately 10 inches.
FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the lid 55 with the nozzle 60 in place. With
reference to
FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 2, lid 55 substantially covers the opening to
the interior
70 of the container 30. Nozzle 60 defines an opening 110 through which sheet
product
is dispensed. In one embodiment, the opening 110 is a circular opening 110. In
use, the
free end 75 of the roll 65 is pulled from the interior 70 of the dispenser 10
through the
opening 110.
To seal the container 30, such as to improve water tightness for example,
opening 110
may be covered with an openable cover 115. FIG. 4 depicts a top perspective
view of
one embodiment in which the cover 115 and nozzle 60 are formed as a removable,
integrated, unitary nozzle and cover assembly 120, including a living hinge
125
disposed between the nozzle 60 and the cover 115. The cover 115 is integrally
arranged
with the hinge 125 and in pivotal communication with the nozzle 60 via the
hinge 125.
Material of the nozzle 60, material of the cover 115, and material of the
hinge 125 are
merged together with one another in the integrated, unitary assembly 120,
thereby
defining hinge 125 as the living hinge 125.
FIG. 5 depicts a cross section view of the lid 55 and unitary assembly 120
depicted in
FIG. 3. With reference to FIGS. 3 through 5, one embodiment of the nozzle 60
includes
a flat base portion 130, sloping raised portion 135 and a circumferential wall
portion
137. The sloping raised portion 135 is disposed sloping in an upward direction
140
(also herein referred to as a "dispense direction of the sheet product") from
the base
portion 130. The upward direction 140 represents the direction of withdrawal
of sheet
product from the interior 70 of the container 30. The flat base portion 130
includes an
inner periphery 142 and an outer periphery 143 and is disposed substantially
perpendicular to the upward direction 140 (or is parallel to the top wall 15
and bottom
wall 20). The circumferential wall portion 137 is disposed about the outer
periphery
143 and is oriented substantially parallel with the upward direction 140
(substantially
parallel to side wall 25). The wall portion 137 extends from the base portion
130 in the
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upward direction 140, thereby defining a nozzle chamber 144 having an inner
diameter
of dimension x. A height hl of the raised portion 135 of the nozzle 60 is less
than a
height h2 of the circumferential wall portion 137.
As used herein, the term "substantially" with reference to relative
orientation, shall
represent a minimal deviation, such as resulting from manufacturing, design,
and
assembly tolerances, for example.
The sloping portion 135 is disposed proximate a center 155 of the base portion
130 and
extends from the inner periphery 142 toward the center 155 in the upward
direction 140.
The sloping portion 135 terminates at an edge that defines the opening 110. In
one
embodiment, the sloping portion 135 of the nozzle 60 defines a continuous
conical
surface 145 having a straight, sloped surface that originates from the base
portion 130 at
a first radial distance 150 from the center 155 of the nozzle 60 and
terminates at the
edge (indicated generally by reference numeral 110) that defines an opening
110 at a
second radial distance 160 from the center 155. The first radial distance 150
is greater
than the second radial distance 160. The second radial distance 160 defines
the radius
of the opening 110.
The raised portion 135 of the nozzle 60, specifically the radius of the
opening 110
defined by the second radial distance 160, is configured such that the opening
110
provides frictional resistance to the removal of the sheet product disposed
within the
container 30. In an exemplary embodiment, the opening 110 is configured such
that a
strength of a portion of the sheet product absent perforations is greater than
the
frictional resistance provided by the opening 110 of the nozzle 60. Further, a
strength
of a portion of the sheet product having perforations is less than the
frictional resistance
provided by the nozzle 60. Accordingly, as the portion of the sheet product
having the
perforations is withdrawn beyond the opening 110 and in response to a
continued
application of force to the sheet product, the frictional resistance of the
opening 110
causes a first individual sheet to separate from a next individual sheet at
the
perforations, leaving a small portion of sheet product disposed beyond the
opening 110
for subsequent dispensing (or withdrawal) of the next individual sheet.
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The cover 115 has a cap portion 165 and a wall portion 167. The wall portion
167 of
the cover 115 is disposed proximate an outer periphery 168 of the cap portion
165 and
is oriented substantially perpendicular to the cap portion 165. Cover 115
pivots about
pivot point 170 of hinge 125. In response to the cover 115 being pivotally
coupled with
the nozzle 60, the wall portion 167 of cover 115 interfaces with the wall
portion 137 of
the nozzle 60, which, in conjunction with cap portion 165 thereby seals the
nozzle 60,
particularly the opening 110 and the sheet product within the interior 70 of
container 30.
In an embodiment, the wall portion 167 is defined by an outer diameter having
a
dimension of approximately x, and the outer diameter of wall portion 167
interfaces
with the inner diameter of circumferential wall portion 137 to seal the
container 30. As
used herein, the term "approximately" represents deviation resulting from
manufacturing and design tolerances as well as a desired interface fit, such
as one of an
interference, slip, or transition fit, for example.
While an embodiment has been depicted having circumferential wall portions
137, 167,
it will be appreciated that scope of the invention is not so limited, and is
contemplated
to include other wall portion geometry, such as square, rectangular,
hexagonal,
octagonal, or any other desired shape for example. Further, while an
embodiment has
been described with the outer diameter of the cap portion 165 of the cover 115
interfacing with an inner diameter of the circumferential wall portion 137 of
the nozzle
60, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not so limited,
and is
contemplated to include other arrangements, such as the inner diameter of the
cap
portion 165 of the cover 115 interfacing with an outer diameter of the
circumferential
wall portion 137 of the nozzle, for example.
FIG. 6 depicts another cross section view of FIG. 3, with particular attention
to an
interface between the nozzle 60 and the lid 55. The nozzle 60 includes
retention
features 175 disposed at the outer circumference of the nozzle 60 to retain
the nozzle 60
within the lid 55. The retention features 175 extend from a lip portion 177
disposed
outboard of the wall portion 137. The retention features 175 interface with
the lid 55
via openings 180 (best seen with reference to FIG. 7) that have matching, or
complementary geometry to the retention features 175. The lip portion 177 is
disposed
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surrounding an outer periphery 192 of the circumferential wall portion 137 and
is
oriented perpendicular to the upward direction 140 (parallel to the top wall
15, bottom
wall 20, and base portion 130).
FIG. 7 depicts an enlarged portion of FIG. 6 illustrating the interface
between the nozzle
60 and lid 55. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 7, an embodiment of the retention
feature
175 includes a leg portion 185 and a latch portion 200. The leg portion 185 is
disposed
at an outer periphery 193 of the lip portion 177, extends from the lip portion
177 in the
upward direction 140, and is oriented substantially parallel with the upward
direction
140 (substantially parallel to side wall 25). The latch portion 200 extends
from a free
end 190 of the leg portion 185 substantially perpendicular to the upward
direction 140.
Further, FIG. 4 depicts the hinge 125 integrally arranged with the lip portion
177. In
one embodiment, the lip portion 177 is disposed surrounding the full
circumference of
the circumferential wall portion 137. The retention feature 175 is disposed at
one or
more discrete circumferential positions on the lip portion 177 surrounding the
circumferential wall portion 137, such as at four discrete circumferential
positions as
depicted in FIG. 4, for example.
The unitary assembly 120, including the nozzle 60, is assembled or attached to
the lid
55 via the leg portion 185 and latch portion 200 of the retention feature 175.
In an
embodiment, the unitary assembly 120 is removably assembled with or attached
to the
lid 55 from an interior side 195 (also herein referred to as an "underside")
(FIGS. 5 and
6) defined by an orientation of the lid 55 relative to the interior 70 such
that the leg
portion 185 is disposed through the opening 180 of the lid 55. In one
embodiment, the
latch portion 200 is disposed upon the leg portion 185 extending toward the
center 155
of the base portion 130 to retain the nozzle 60 within the lid 55. The
disposition of the
leg portion 185 relative to the opening 180 of the lid 55 is such that the
retention feature
175 is biased in a radially inward direction 205 toward the center 155 of the
nozzle 60.
Accordingly, the latch portion 200 retains the unitary assembly 120 within the
lid 55,
preventing separation of the assembly 120 from lid 55 toward the interior 70
of the
container 30 (opposite to the direction 140). Additionally, the latch portion
200 may
include a lead 207 to facilitate an ease of installation of the assembly 120
with the lid
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55. For example, in response to an application of force in the upward
direction 140 to
assemble the assembly 120 with the lid 55, contact between the lead 207 and
the
opening 180 results in generation of a force opposite the radially inward
direction 205.
Contact between the lip portion 177 and the lid 55 at a contact interface 210
retains the
assembly 120 within the lid 55 and prevents separation of the assembly 120
from the lid
55 in the upwardly direction 140.
While an embodiment has been described with the leg portion 185 of the
retention
feature 175 having a radially inward bias and the latch portion 200 disposed
upon the
radially inward side of the leg portion 185, it will be appreciated that the
scope of the
invention is not so limited, and may apply to other retention feature 175
arrangements,
such as the leg portion 185 having a radially outward bias and the latch
portion 200
disposed upon the radially outward side of the leg portion 185 of the
retention feature
175, for example.
In response to withdrawal or dispensing of sheet product from the interior 70
in the
upward direction 140, interaction between the sheet product and the opening
110 results
in a frictional force upon the nozzle 60 directed in the upward direction 140.
This
frictional force is transferred from the nozzle 60 to the lid 55 via contact
interface 210.
The frictional force is further transferred from the lid 55 to the main body
35 via the
connection 57 between the lid 55 and the body 35. Insertion of the assembly
120 into
the lid 55 via the interior side 195, in conjunction with the retention
features 175, and
openings 180, prevents separation of the assembly 120 from the lid 55 in
response to the
frictional force that results from withdrawal of the sheet product.
With reference back to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, a radial
distance
from the center 155 to the connection 57 between the lid 55 and the body 35 is
greater
than the radial distance from the center 155 to a periphery 212 of the nozzle
60.
Therefore, the connection 57 between the lid 55 and the body 35 includes a
greater
circumference and interface surface area than a connection between nozzle 60
and the
lid 55. The greater circumference and interface surface area thus results in a
lower
stress level for a given applied load (such as the frictional force).
Accordingly,
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insertion of the assembly 120 into the lid 55 via the interior side 195 to
prevent
separation of the assembly 120 from the lid 55 results in a transfer of all of
the frictional
force to the connection between the lid 55 and the body 35. This provides an
advantage
over alternate designs that may include insertion of the assembly via an
exterior side
215 of the lid 55, in that assembly via the exterior side 215 does not provide
the positive
restraint to prevent separation of the nozzle 60 from the lid 55 in the upward
direction
140 as is provided by contact interface 210 between the lid 55 and the lip
portion 177,
which results from insertion of the assembly 120 from the interior side 195 of
the lid 55.
Different sheet product materials may have different characteristics, such as
thickness
and perforation strength for example. Therefore the desired frictional force
that results
from withdrawal of different sheet product may vary in order to properly
dispense the
sheet product, such as to cause the sheet product to tear at perforations for
example.
Accordingly, nozzles 60 having different opening 110 configurations may be
selected
for use with the dispenser 10 in conjunction with different sheet product
materials.
Further, selection of appropriate nozzle 60 configuration and material is
contemplated
to provide useful function for at least three replacement supplies of sheet
product.
Insertion of the assembly 120 into the lid 55 further allows a single design
of the lid 55
and main body 35 to be utilized with more than one configuration of nozzle 60,
such as
more than one nozzle opening 110 configuration for example. Flexibility to use
the
same main body 35 and lid 55 of the container with different sheet product
materials is
contemplated to reduce overall costs related to dispenser 10 manufacture. It
will be
appreciated that costs of tooling are often related to the size of the tools.
Therefore, for
example, fixed costs related to tooling of the container 30 and lid 55, which
represent
the larger (by size) of dispenser 10 components may be applied across more
units
produced, with any variation required (such as to accommodate different sheet
product
materials for example) to be accommodated via different unitary assemblies
120, having
a smaller and less costly tool. Additionally, it will be appreciated that
replacement of
the comparatively smaller assembly 120 following wear of the nozzle 60 is
contemplated to be more cost effective than replacement of an entire lid 55
into which
the nozzle 60 has been integrated.
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Insertion of the assembly 120 into the lid 55 such that it can be subsequently
removed
also allows for an end user to purchase one dispenser 10 that can be used with
a variety
of sheet product materials by removing and inserting into the lid 55 the
appropriate
nozzle and cover assembly 120 for the sheet product to be dispensed. As such,
the end
user need not maintain an inventory of different dispensers 10 that are each
suited to
dispensing particular sheet product.
FIG. 8 depicts a top perspective view of the lid 55 and unitary assembly 120
shown in
FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 depicts alternate embodiments of the nozzle 60 that include slits 220,
such that a
raised portion 225 of the nozzle 60 includes more than one non-continuous
segment
230. With reference to FIG. 9 in conjunction with FIG. 5, one embodiment
includes a
slit 235 that is disposed entirely within the raised portion 225, such that
the slit 235
originates at an opening 240 of the nozzle 60 and terminates at a location
having a
radial distance from the center 155 that is less than the first radial
distance 150. In
another embodiment, the nozzle 60 includes a slit 245 that is disposed within
the raised
portion as well as a base portion 250 of the nozzle. Therefore, slit 245
originates at
opening 240 and terminates at a location having a radial distance from the
center 155
that is greater than the first radial distance 150.
FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of a lid 255 and unitary assembly 260 that
includes
a nozzle 265 and cover 270. The nozzle 265 includes two flaps 275. Each flap
275 is
configured to be capable to pivot about its base 280 or point of attachment to
the nozzle
265. Pivot stops 285 disposed behind the flaps 275 limit a range of motion of
the flaps
275. In response to withdrawal of sheet product from the interior 70, the
flaps 275 pivot
about their respective base 280 until they contact pivot stops 285. In
response to
contact with pivot stops 285, the pivots 275 are held at angle such that they
contact and
interfere with perforations within the sheet product, resulting in tearing of
the sheet
product in response to continued application of withdrawal force following
contact and
interference by the flaps 275 with the perforations.
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FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of the unitary assembly 260 depicted in FIG. 10.
Retention tab features 290, as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6
provide
retention of the unitary assembly 260 with the lid 255. It will be appreciated
that, as
described above, the unitary assembly 260 is assembled with the lid 255 via an
interior
side 295 (best seen with reference to FIG. 10) of the lid 255.
FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment of a lid 300. The lid 300 includes a recess
305.
The recess 305 is configured to include geometry that is complementary to, or
matches
geometry of a cover, such as covers 115, 270 of unitary assemblies 120, 260,
respectively. A retention feature 310, such as a tab for example, interferes
with the
cover and thereby retains the covers in an open position, such as to allow a
user to
withdraw sheet product from the dispenser 10.
Referring back now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of an alternate retention feature
315 to
retain the cover (such as cover 115, 270) in an open position is depicted. The
retention
feature 315 includes geometry that is complementary to or matches geometry of
an
opening 320 within the hinge 125.
As disclosed, some embodiments of the invention may include some of the
following
advantages: a sheet product dispensing nozzle that may be used with more than
one
replacement supply of sheet product, a sheet product dispenser incorporating a
nozzle
that can be used with more than one replacement supply of sheet product
material;
elimination of dispensing nozzles previously incorporated within replacement
supplies
of sheet product; and flexibility to utilize a sheet product dispenser having
a removable
nozzle to accommodate multiple sheet product materials
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary
embodiments, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be
made and
equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the
scope of
the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a
particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from
the
essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be
limited to the
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particular embodiment disclosed as the best or only mode contemplated for
carrying out
this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling
within the
scope of the appended claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there
have
been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific
terms
may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and
descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the
invention
therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second,
etc. do not
denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are
used to
distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an,
etc. do
not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at
least one of the
referenced item.
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