Dispenser for dispensing sheet products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021106188-A1
Application number	US-201716606052-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Dispenser for dispensing sheet products stacked in a stacking direction comprising a housing having first opposite side walls and second opposite side walls defining an interior space configured to accommodate the stack of the sheet products, the housing defining a dispensing opening at a front end of the first and second opposite side walls, and an engagement surface arranged at a front end portion of each of the first opposite side walls closer to one of the second opposite side walls than to the other of the second opposite side walls, wherein the engagement surfaces are engageable with respective opposite edges of the sheet products and extend in the stacking direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Dispenser ( 1 ) for dispensing sheet products stacked in a stacking direction comprising:
a housing ( 2 ) having first opposite side walls ( 16 , 17 ) and second opposite side walls ( 13 , 15 ) defining an interior space ( 14 ) configured to accommodate the stack of the sheet products, the housing ( 2 ) defining a dispensing opening ( 5 ) at a front end of the first and second opposite side walls ( 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 ), and an engagement surface ( 22 ) arranged at a front end portion of each of the first opposite side walls ( 16 , 17 ) closer to one ( 13 ) of the second opposite side walls than to the other ( 15 ) of the second opposite side walls, wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) are engageable with respective opposite edges of the sheet products and extend in the stacking direction ( 21 ).

2 . Dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) are each inclined relative to the respective side walls of the first opposite side walls ( 16 , 17 ) so that a distance between the engagement surfaces decreases towards the dispensing opening ( 5 ).

3 . Dispenser according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein at least one of the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) is biased towards the other of the engagement surfaces.

4 . Dispenser according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) is formed on a tab ( 23 , 41 ), the tab being elastic in a direction towards the respective side walls of first opposite side walls ( 16 , 17 ).

5 . Dispenser according to claim 4 , wherein the tab ( 23 ) is a sheet metal or bent sheet metal.

6 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) are a friction increasing surface or surface-increasing surface.

7 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) each comprise a plurality of parallel grooves ( 31 ) arranged in a row in the stacking direction ( 21 ).

8 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing ( 2 ) comprises a housing body ( 3 ) and a cover ( 4 ), the cover being movably attached to the housing body for refilling, wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) are arranged on and movable together with the cover.

9 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a dispensing mechanism ( 6 ), the dispensing mechanism comprising a roller ( 8 ) having an axis of rotation ( 9 ) and configured to engage with a leading sheet product in the stack of sheet products to dispense at least a portion of the sheet product through the dispensing opening ( 5 ) upon rotation.

10 . Dispenser according to claim 8 , wherein the engagement surfaces ( 22 ) are arranged between the axis of rotation ( 9 ) and that side wall ( 13 ) of the second opposite side walls to which they are located closer to.

11 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a support plate ( 19 ) reciprocally movable within the interior space ( 14 ) and having a support surface ( 20 ) for supporting the stack of sheet products at one of opposite faces of the stack, wherein the support plate ( 19 ) is urged in a direction toward the dispensing opening ( 5 ).

12 . Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a length of the engagement surfaces in the stacking direction is different.

Assignees

• Essity Hygiene & Health Ab

Inventors

• Zerweck Jason
• Zhang Rui

Classifications

• A47K10/427 Primary

  with means for urging the whole stack towards the dispensing opening, e.g. a spring · CPC title

• A47K10/424

  dispensing from the bottom part of the dispenser (A47K10/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47K10/44

  with mechanical dispensing means {for prehension of the next sheet to be dispensed} · CPC title