GB2371798A

GB2371798A - Kitchen towel container

Info

Publication number: GB2371798A
Application number: GB0029845A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Therese Avril Kovacs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-12-07
Filing date: 2000-12-07
Publication date: 2002-08-07
Also published as: GB0029845D0

Abstract

A container (20; 30) holding a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel (23; 33) therein, which container (20; 30) is adapted and said kitchen towel (23; 33) so arranged to permit a user to extract said kitchen towel (23; 33) from said container (20; 30) piece by piece. The towels may be individual and interfolded (figure 3) or may be connected as a folded web (figure 2). The container may be plastic or cardboard.

Description

A Container and Method of Arranging Kitchen Towel The present invention relates to a container holding a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel and to a method of arranging kitchen towel for use.

Kitchen towel is well known as"kitchen roll". Most households find the presence of kitchen roll invaluable around the house, for example for mopping up spillages, cleaning items, wrapping food etc.. Although the generic name of this product is kitchen roll, this simply relates to the fact that the kitchen is most frequently the place where this item resides. Of course, its use extends beyond the kitchen to both indoor and outdoor purposes.

As its name suggests, kitchen roll is supplied in the form of a central elongate cardboard tube on which is wound a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel, thus forming a"roll". Typically, such rolls have between 60 and 100 pieces or sheets. The kitchen towel itself is constructed from one or more layers (most frequently "two-ply") of porous paper towel which is designed to have a high absorbency. The paper towel has a plurality of lines of perforations spaced along its length running transverse thereto. The lines of perforations allow a user to dispense the kitchen roll in conveniently sized pieces. Of course, a user may desire to separate more than one piece from the roll and so only tears the kitchen roll along a line of perforation several pieces in from the end of the roll. The kitchen roll is frequently sold in the form of two rolls disposed side by side and wrapped in plastic. One well known variety is sold under the registered trade mark BOUNTY and manufactured by the company Proctor & Gamble.

In order to separate a piece (or pieces) from the roll a user must grasp the piece to be separated with one hand, grasp the adjacent piece which is to remain on the roll with the other hand and then tear the kitchen towel

along the perforation between the two pieces.

The applicant has noticed that in some situations two hands are not free to perform this operation. For example, one hand may be occupied holding another item, may be arresting a spillage, or holding a baby or small child. Thus removing a piece of kitchen roll from the roll becomes an inconvenient task. In many situations a piece of kitchen roll is needed quickly. If only one hand is free to remove the kitchen roll, valuable time is taken up in which the spillage may worsen or spread, for example.

Dispensers for kitchen roll are known. One common dispenser takes the form of a base from which a pole projects and over which the central elongate cardboard tube of the kitchen roll is designed to pass. In use, the base sits on a kitchen work surface for example, with the pole extending upwardly therefrom. The kitchen roll can rotate freely around the pole and so two hands are still required to tear the kitchen roll. Another common type of dispenser is the wall mounted variety. Such dispensers typically comprise a housing within which the kitchen roll can be mounted on a pole. The housing has a slot through which one end of the kitchen roll can pass. The kitchen roll can rotate freely on the pole and so again two hands are needed to obtain a piece of the roll. Such dispensers can be expensive and unreliable to use.

One or more embodiments of the present invention aim to alleviate at least some of the aforementioned difficulties.

According to the present invention there is provided a container holding a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel therein, which container is adapted and said kitchen towel so arranged to permit a user to extract said kitchen towel from said container piece by piece.

Thus a user can quickly and easily extract

individual pieces of kitchen towel from the container one with one hand.

Advantageously, said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel comprises separate and distinct pieces of kitchen towel.

However, in one embodiment the pieces may be interconnected as with traditional kitchen"roll"and arranged within the container in a stacked configuration.

However, the perforations must be such that a piece (or several pieces) can be extracted with the pulling force of one hand. Additionally, the perforations may be such that pulling on one piece exposes at least part of the next piece, after which separation occurs.

Preferably, said container substantially surrounds said kitchen towel on all sides, and, in use, further comprises an aperture, said kitchen towel being so oriented with respect to said aperture to facilitate extraction therethrough.

In one embodiment the aperture acts to apply friction to the next piece of kitchen towel helping retain it in the container whilst the upper piece is removed. In this way, part of the next piece is exposed and can be readily grasped and pulled when needed. The aperture can be constructed in flexible plastics material mounted in the container. The plastics material gives the advantage of being slightly flexible, whilst at the same time applying friction to the next piece of kitchen towel.

Advantageously, said kitchen towel is arranged in a stacked formation within said container.

The kitchen towel may be stacked in separate pieces or, if interconnected, in a"concertina"fashion.

Preferably said kitchen towel is arranged in an folded formation within said container.

Advantageously, said kitchen towel is arranged in an

interfolded formation within said container.

Preferably, said container is box-shaped.

Advantageously, said container is constructed from cardboard.

However, the container could be constructed from plastics material.

In one embodiment the container is disposable and in another embodiment the container can be re-filled. In this latter embodiment the container can be free-standing or mounted on a wall for example.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of arranging kitchen towel for use, which method comprises the steps of: (1) filling a container with a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel; and (2) arranging said kitchen towel within said container to permit a user to extract said kitchen towel from said container piece by piece.

Advantageously, said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel are interconnected and step (2) is carried out by disposing said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel in said container in a concertina arrangement.

Preferably, step (2) is carried out by folding each piece of said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel.

Advantageously, step (2) is carried out by interfolding each piece of said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel such that part of each piece overlaps with an adjacent piece.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which : Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section through a second embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-section through a third embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 a first embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention is generally identified by reference numeral 10. Container 10 comprises a box 11 which is constructed from folded cardboard and has an aperture 12 in one side. The container 10 holds a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel 13, only one of which can be seen in Figure 1. Each piece of kitchen towel 13 is of a conventional size measuring 0.23m by 0.25m (10"by 9"). The dimensions of the box are such so as to accommodate the size of kitchen towel 13.

The plurality of pieces of kitchen towel 13 are arranged within the box 11 one on top of the other.

In use, a user simply grasps the top piece of kitchen towel 13 with one hand and extracts it from the box 11 through aperture 12.

Referring to Figure 2 a second embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention is generally identified by reference numeral 20. The container 20 is generally similar to the container 10 with like parts indicated by like numerals. However, the plurality of pieces of kitchen towel 23 are interconnected. The plurality of pieces of kitchen towel 23 are formed from one long piece of kitchen towel with a

number of perforations 24 evenly spaced along its length.

In use, a user simply grasps the top piece of kitchen towel 23 with one hand and extracts it from the box 21 through aperture 22. In this embodiment, however, the connection between each piece of kitchen towel is such that as the top piece is extracted from the box 21, the adjacent piece is also partly extracted. However, a point is reached at which the friction between the adjacent piece of kitchen towel and the aperture 22 is greater than the force required to separate the kitchen towel along the exposed perforation 24. Thus an individual piece of kitchen towel 23 can be torn off.

To create the necessary friction between the adjacent piece of kitchen towel 23 and the aperture 22, the aperture 22 is dimensioned to be smaller in width than the kitchen towel 23. Hence, friction is generated between the aperture 22 and the edges of the kitchen towel 23 as it passes therethrough.

Referring to Figure 3 a third embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention is generally identified by reference numeral 30. The container 30 is generally similar to the container 10 with like parts indicated by like numerals. However, the plurality of pieces of kitchen towel 33 are interfolded with part of the top piece underlying part of the piece below. Approximately, half of the area of the top piece underlies half of the area of the bottom piece.

In use, a user simply grasps the top piece of kitchen towel 33 with one hand and extracts it from the box 31 through aperture 32. In this embodiment, however, the overlap between each piece of kitchen towel is such that as the top piece is extracted from the box 21, the adjacent piece is also partly extracted due to friction therebetween. However, a point is reached at which the friction between the adjacent piece of kitchen towel and

the aperture 22 is greater than the friction due to the overlap. Thus an individual piece of kitchen towel 23 can be individually extracted from the box 31.

To create the necessary friction between the adjacent piece of kitchen towel 33 and the aperture 32, the aperture 32 is dimensioned to be smaller in width than the kitchen towel 33. Hence, friction is generated between the aperture 32 and the kitchen towel 33 as it passes therethrough.

As used in the appended Claims the term"kitchen

towel"is intended to exclude paper serviettes and tissues. Kitchen towel typically has a weight of 0. 035 kg m. m

Claims

Claims : 1. A container holding a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel therein, which container is adapted and said kitchen towel so arranged to permit a user to extract said kitchen towel from said container piece by piece.
2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel comprises separate and distinct pieces of kitchen towel.
3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said container substantially surrounds said kitchen towel on all sides, and, in use, further comprises an aperture, said kitchen towel being so oriented with respect to said aperture to facilitate extraction therethrough.
4. A container as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, wherein said kitchen towel is arranged in a stacked formation within said container.
5. A container as claimed in Claim 1,2, 3 or 4, wherein said kitchen towel is arranged in an folded formation within said container.
6. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said kitchen towel is arranged in an interfolded formation within said container.
7. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said container is box-shaped.
8. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said container is constructed from cardboard.
9. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein said container is constructed from plastics material.
10. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
11. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
12. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of arranging kitchen towel for use, which method comprises the steps of: (1) filling a container with a plurality of pieces of kitchen towel; and (2) arranging said kitchen towel within said container to permit a user to extract said kitchen towel from said container piece by piece.
14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel are interconnected and wherein step (2) is carried out by disposing said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel in said container in a concertina arrangement.
15. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein step (2) is carried out by folding each piece of said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel.
16. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein step (2) is carried out by interfolding each piece of said plurality of pieces of kitchen towel such that part of each piece overlaps with an adjacent piece.