GB2168034A

GB2168034A - Dispensing holder

Info

Publication number: GB2168034A
Application number: GB08431195A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Henry Stephens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-12-11
Filing date: 1984-12-11
Publication date: 1986-06-11
Also published as: GB8431195D0

Abstract

A holder for a stack of coffee filters comprising a compartment for supporting the filters in an upright position with their relatively narrow ends lowermost and an aperture at the base for allowing withdrawal of individual filters from the stack wherein the aperture is smaller in size than the widest part of each filter. The compartment may be shaped internally so that neighbouring articles are offset relative to one another so as to facilitate separation of an individual article from the stack. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A holder The present invention relates to a holder for a stack of generally flat articles and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a holder for filter papers, for example, coffee filters.

According to the present invention, there is provided a holder for a stack of generally flat, deformable, articles oftapering shape, the holdercompris- ing means defining a compartment for supporting the articles in an upright position with their relatively narrow ends lowermost and an aperture for allowing withdrawal of individual articles from the stack wherein the aperture is smaller in size than the size of the undeformed portion of the articles within the compartment and adjacent the aperture.

Preferably, the aperture is provided in the underside of the compartment. This feature enables convenient removal of an article from the stack, especially in the case of a holder which is wall mountable.

In a particular embodiment the compartment is so shaped that at least two neighbouring articles in the stack are offset relative to one another so as to facilitate separation of an individual article from the stack.

The compartment may be configured for supporting the side edges of the articles in the stack. In particular, the size of the compartment may taper downwardly.

In a particular embodiment, the compartment comprises two generally opposed side edge supporting means lying in skew planes which intersect along a line which is inclined to the horizontal in the direction of depth of the stack. A compartment shaped in this way tapers downwardly in size and diverges in size in a horizontal direction so that different ones of the tapered articles in the stack rest at different levels in the holder thereby facilitating separation of an individual article from the stack.

In a particular embodiment, the compartment comprises facing front and rearwalls and two side walls joining the facing front and rear walls. The side walls may be divergent in a forward direction and convergent in a downward direction.

According to another aspect of the present invention we provide a holder for a stack of generally flat articles comprising a compartment for supporting the articles in an upright position and an aperture enabling withdrawal of an article from the compartment wherein the compartment is shaped so that at least two neighbouring articles in the stack are offset relative to one another so as to facilitate separation of an individual article from the stack.

A particular embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of a holder for filter papers according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the holder of figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the holder shown in figure 1 and figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the holder shown in figures 1-3; Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the holder containing relatively small coffee filters; Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the holder containing relatively large coffee filters;; Referring to figures 1-4, a holder for coffee filters is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a front wall 12 and a rear wall 14 which are both generally trapezoidal in shape and two side walls 16 and 18 which join together the front and rear walls 12 and 14. The holding compartment defined by the holder 10 is open ended both at the top and the bottom thereby defining upper and lower apertures 19 and 20 respectively.

The front wall 12 and the rearwall 14 each comprise two side edges 21 and 22 which converge in a downward direction to join a straight base edge 24, and an arcuate top edge 26 joining the uppermost ends of the side edges 21 and 22. The side walls 16 and 18 are of similar parallelogram shape each having two parallel upright sides 28 and 30 joined by two smaller transverse sides 32 and 34 which are inclined to the horizontal.

The rear wall 14 is upwardly displaced relative to the front wall 12 (see figure 3). The upper and lower edges 32 and 34 of the side walls 16 and 18 are inclined according to the degree of vertical displacement between the rear wall 14 and the front wall 12.

In practice, the displacement of the rear wall 14 relative to the front wall 12 is chosen so that a line joining the base edges 24 of the front and rear walls 12 and 14 subtends an angle a of between 10 and 40" to the horizontal. Preferably, the angle (x is approximately 20 in which case the holder 10 can stand freely on a horizontal surface. The ability of the holder 10 to stand freely on a horizontal surface is especially useful as a sales aid.

The relative displacement of the front and rear walls 12 and 14 means that the holder 10 defines a holding compartment which widens progressively towards the front wall 12.

Consequently, the side walls 16 and 18 which join the facing edges 21 and 22 of the front and rear walls 12 and 14 diverge relative to one another from the rear wall 14 towards the front wall 12 as can be seen in figure 4. In other words, the side walls 16 and 18 lie in skew planes which intersect along a line which is inclined forwardly and downwardly.

Means for mounting the holder 10 on a wall, for example, sticky pads or keyhole shape apertures for co-operation with screws in a wall, are provided on the rear wall 14.

In practice, the holder 10 may be made of plastics material and may be formed as a unitary article or may comprise four separate walls bonded together.

In the latter case, the edges 28 and 30 of the side walls 16 and 18 are bevelled so that these side edges abut the front and rear walls 12 and 14 in such a way as to ensure the appropriate degree of divergence between the side walls 16 and 18.

To enhance the appearance of the holder 10 the edges 21,22,24 and 26 of the front and rear walls 12 and 14 and the edge 34 of the side walls 16 and 18 are also bevelled.

Referring now to figure 5, the holder 10 is mounted on a wall and a stack 36 of relatively small coffee filters 38 is placed the holder 10. The coffee filters 36 are similarly shaped to the front and rear walls 12 and 14 of the holder 10. The progressive widening of the holder 10 from the rear wall 14 towards the front wall 12 means that the filters 38 nearer the front of the stack 36 descend slightly further within the holder 10 than the filters 38 nearer the rear of the stack 36. Consequently, each filter 38 in the stack 36 is slightly offset from its nearest neighbour.

A filter 38 can conveniently be removed from the holder 10 by manual gripping and downward pulling through the lowermost aperture 20 as indicated by the arrow in figure 5. The slight offsetting of each filter 38 from its nearest neighbour facilitates gripping of an individual filter in the stack 36. The filter 38 deforms as it is pulled downwardly through the aperture 20.

Referring to figure 6, the holder 10 is shown containing a stack 40 of relatively large filters 42. As explained in connection with figure 5, the filters 42 in the stack 40 are each slightly offset from their nearest neighbour with the filters 42 towards the front of the holder 10 lying lower in the holder 10 than the filters 42 at the rear of the holder 10. Owing to the relatively large size of the filters 42 these are removable upwardly out of the holder 10 as indicated by the arrow in figure 6.

It will be understood that the degree of widening of the holder 10 from the rear wall 14 towards the front wall 12 depends upon the relative displace mentofthefrontand rearwalls 12 and 14 and the particular shape of these two walls. The shape of the front and rear walls 12 and 14 may be varied according to requirements and it is envisaged that the front wall 12 may be somewhat different in shape andtor size to the rear wall 14 in order to achieve or enhance horizontal widening of the holder 10.

A holder according to the present invention need not necessarily be wall mountable but may comprise a stand or other support to enable the holder to stand on a flat surface.

Claims

1. A holder for a stack of generally flat, deformable, articles of tapering shape, the holder comprising means defining a compartmentforsupporting the articles in an upright position with their relatively narrow ends lowermost and an aperture for allowing withdrawal of individual articles from the stack wherein the aperture is smaller in size than the size of the undeformed portion of the articles within the compartment and adjacent the aperture.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the aperture is provided in the underside of the compartment.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the compartment is so shaped that at least two neighbouring articles in the stack are offset relative to one another so as to facilitate separation of an individual article from the stack.

4. A holder according to any preceding claim wherein the compartment is configured for supporting the side edges of the articles in the stack.

5. A holder according to claim 4 wherein the size of the compartment tapers downwardly.

6. A holder according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the compartment widens progressively in the depth direction.

7. A holder according to any of claims 4 to 6 wherein the compartment comprises two generally opposed side edge supporting means lying in skew planes which intersect along a line which is inclined to the horizontal in the direction of depth of the stack.

8. A holder according to any preceding claim wherein the compartment comprises facing front and rear walls and two side walls joining the facing front and rearwalls.

9. A holder according to claim 8 wherein the side walls are divergent in a forward direction and convergent in a downward direction.

10. A holder according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the front and rear walls are of similar size and are vertically offset.

11. A holder according to any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the upper and lower edges of the side walls slant according to the degree of offsetting between the front and rearwalls.

12. A holder according to any of claims 8 to 11 wherein the front and rear walls are of generally trapezoidal shape.

13. A holder according to any preceding claim which is wall mountable.

14. A holder for a stack of generally flat articles comprising a compartment for supporting the articles in an upright position and an aperture enabling withdrawal of an article from the compartment wherein the compartment is shaped so that at least two neighbouring articles in the stack are offset relative to one another so as to facilitate separation of an individual article from the stack.

15. A holder according to any preceding claim adapted for holding filter papers.

16. A holder substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: (a) Claims 1,2 and 14 above have been deleted or textually amended.

(b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: (c) Claims 3-13, 15 and 16 above have been renumbered as 2-12 and 14 and their appendancies corrected.

1. A holder for a stack of generally flat, deformable, articles of tapering shape, the holder comprising means defining a compartment for supporting the articles in an upright position with their relatively narrow ends lowermost and an aperture in the underside of the compartment for allowing withdrawal of individual articles from the stack wherein the aperture is smaller in size than the size of the undeformed portion of the articles within the com partmentand adjacent the aperture.