MXPA99004377A

MXPA99004377A - Interfolded napkin dispensing system

Info

Publication number: MXPA99004377A
Application number: MXPA/A/1999/004377A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Francis Tramontina Paul; Yuwah Chan Michael
Original assignee: Kimberlyclarkworldwide Incorporated
Priority date: 1996-11-22
Filing date: 1999-05-12
Publication date: 1999-09-01

Abstract

An interfolded paper napkin dispensing system composed of:a) an outer housing (12) defining an interior space (14);b) stacking means (16) mounted within the outer housing (12) for holding a stack of paper napkins (18) within the interior space (14);and c) a dispensing face (20) defined in the outer housing (12) proximate to an end of the stacking means (16). The dispensing face (20) has a central portion (22) projecting out from the dispenser and a dispensing throat (24) located in the central portion (22). The dispensing throat (24) is composed of a slot portion (26) having a length sufficient to permit a paper napkin to be pulled through by a user, but a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled through the throat (24) at one time. The dispensing throat (24) further includes a finger access portion (28) to help a user grip and pull a paper napkin through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.

Description

A SYSTEM SURTIZER OF ENRICHED NAPKINS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of dispensing devices and systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of devices and systems for supplying folded sheets of material.

BACKGROUND Paper towel dispensers are often provided at fast service food places. A disadvantage of many conventional paper napkin dispensers is that they often allow the removal of large bunches of napkins at one time. Studies have shown that most paper napkins removed in this way are wasted. Many end up scattered in the dining area, thrown away as garbage or even more, clogging up inside the pipe connections. When bunches of napkins are taken, the dispensers quickly run out and must be filled with inconvenience for both the customers and the operators of the fast food supply places.

There is an unmet and prolonged need for a paper napkin dispensing system that resists and avoids wasted assortment.

SYNTHESIS OF THE INVENTION The problems and needs described above are examined by the present invention which provides a dispensing system for paper-napkin napkins composed of: (a) an outer box defining an interior space; (b) stacking means mounted inside the outer case to hold a stack of paper napkins within the interior space; and (c) a dispensing face defined in the outer box near one end of the stacking means.

The dispensing face has a central part that projects outwards from the spout and a dispensing throat located in the central part. The dispensing throat is composed of a groove portion that is long enough to allow a paper napkin to be pulled through it by a user, but of a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled to through the throat at one time. The dispenser throat further includes a finger access portion to assist a user in grasping and pulling a paper napkin through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.

According to the invention, the stacking means are composed of a staging area close to the supply throat to space, arch and decelerate the napkins as they approach the throat assortment. The staging area can be composed of at least two oriented arched bumpers, to be parallel to the path of displacement of the napkins as they approach the throat assortment, and a number of ribs defined on the bumpers to temporarily stop the movement of the napkins as they approach the throat assortment. Desirably, the staging means and the bumpers are configured to cause the napkins to bow in the dispenser throat.

In one aspect of the invention, the slot portion of the dispensing throat may have a point of minimum width that is less than about 1.0 inches. For example, the groove portion of the dispenser throat may have a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.75 inches. As another example, the slot portion of the dispensing throat may have a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.5 inches.

According to the invention, the finger access part of the dispensing throat may have a point of maximum width that is greater than about 0.75 inches. For example, the finger access portion of the dispensing throat may have a point of maximum width that is greater than about 1 inch.

Desirably, the access part of the throat dispenser is in the center of the throat dispenser and can have a length (for example, a length along the supply throat) of about 1 inch or more. For example, the access portion for the throat of the dispensing throat may have a length of from about 1 inch to about 3 inches or more. Typically, the access portion for the toe of the dispensing throat may have a length that is about 1 half the length of the dispensing throat. Of course, it is contemplated that the access portion for the toe of the dispensing throat may have a length that is about one quarter to about three quarters of the length of the dispensing throat.

According to the present invention, the central part of the dispensing face can project outwards from the spout in the form of a first surface and of a second surface joined at an obtuse angle. In such an embodiment, the throat dispenser should be located near the intersection of the first and second surfaces. Other configurations of the dispensing face which provide a crease or break in the plane of the dispensing face in the dispenser throat can also be used.

These and various other advantages and features of the novelty specified by the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims appended here and form a part thereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and the objects achieved through its use, reference is now made to the drawings which form an additional part of the same, and to the accompanying description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view illustration of an interwoven napkin dispensing system of example.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a detail of a dispensing system of example interwoven napkins.

Figure 3 is an illustration of a detail of a dispensing system of example interwoven napkins.

Figure 4 is an illustration of a dispensing throat of an example interfolded napkin assortment system.

Figure 5 is an illustration of a perspective view of a dispensing face of an example interfolded napkin assortment system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings, where like reference numerals designate a corresponding structure through the views, and referring in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a dispensing system of example interfolded paper napkins. The system includes an outer box 12 defining an interior space 14 containing stacking means 16 which are mounted inside the outer box 12 to hold a stack of paper napkins 18 within the interior space.

The system also includes a dispenser face 20 defined in the outer box 12 near one end of the stacker means 16.

The dispensing face 20 has a central part 22 projecting outwards from the outer box 12 and a dispensing throat 24 located in the central part 22. The assortment throat 24 is composed of a slot part 26 which has a sufficient length to allow that a paper napkin is pulled through it by a user, but has a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled through the throat at one time.

The dispenser throat 24 further includes an access portion for the finger 28 to assist a user in grasping and pulling a paper napkin twisted through the assortment slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot 26.

Referring now to Figure 3, the stacking means 16 are composed of a staging area 30 close to the supply throat 24 to space and decelerate the napkins as they approach the throat of the assortment. The staging area 30 can be composed of at least two bumpers 32 oriented so as to be parallel to the path of travel of the napkins as they approach the supply throat, and a number of ribs 34 defined on the bumpers 32 to counteract the temporarily move the napkins as they approach the throat supply.

The bumpers 32 in combination with a spring loaded plate 36 which pushes against the stack of the napkins 18, cause the interfolded napkins to bow or buckle in the dispenser throat 24. Such a configuration is believed to help supply the napkins by causing the napkins to be fed into the dispensing throat 24 relatively uniformly and relatively independently of how full the dispenser is during the assortment. The bumpers also center the napkins over the supply throat to reduce the possibility of the napkins being dragged against one end of the dispensing groove creating a friction that could break the napkins and disrupt the assortment. Arched napkins are thought to improve contact / friction between the interfolded sheets of paper napkins for a more reliable assortment.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown a detail of the dispensing throat 24 which reveals a configuration to prevent large bunches of paper napkins from being pulled out of the dispenser at one time. Specifically, the dispenser throat 24 has a slot portion 26 that is of sufficient length to allow a paper napkin to be pulled through it by a user, but is of a relatively narrow width that will prevent more than a few napkins from being pulled through the throat at one time. The dispenser throat 24 includes an access portion for the finger 28 to assist a user in grasping and pulling a paper napkin through the dispenser slot 26 despite the relatively narrow width of the slot.

The slot portion 26 of the dispensing throat 24 can have a minimum width point "" that is less than about 1.0 inches. For example, the slot portion "" of the dispensing throat may have a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.75 inches, as another example, the slot portion "W" of the dispensing throat may have a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.5 inches.

The access portion for the finger 28 of the dispensing throat may have a point of maximum width "F" that is greater than about 0.75 inches. For example, the access portion for the throat of the dispensing throat may have a point of maximum width "F" that is greater than about 1 inch.

Desirably, the access portion for the finger 28 of the dispenser throat 24 is in the center of the dispenser throat and may have a length "L" (eg, a length along the throat dispenser) of about 1 inch or plus. For example, the access portion for the dispensing throat finger may have an "L" length of from about 1 inch to about 3 inches or more.

Typically, the access portion for the toe of the dispensing throat may have a length "L" that is about one-half of the total length "T" of the dispensing throat. Of course, it is contemplated that the access portion for the toe of the dispensing throat may have a length "L" that is about one quarter to three quarters of the total length "T" of the dispensing throat.

Referring now to Figure 5, it can be seen that the central part 22 of the sourcing face 20 projects outwardly from the outer box 12 of the spout. In an embodiment of the invention, the central part 22 of the dispensing face 20 projects outwards in the form of a first surface 40 and a second surface 42 joined at an obtuse angle or; (for example greater than 90 and less than 180 °). The dispenser throat 24 should be located around the intersection 44 of the first and second surfaces 40 and 42 where there is a break or wrinkle in the plane of the sourcing face 20. Such a configuration is thought to provide better access to the napkins of paper through the relatively narrow dispenser slot 26. It is contemplated that other configurations of the dispenser face may be used which provide adequate break or crease in the plane of the dispenser face in the dispenser throat.

Generally speaking, the angle α may vary from about 175 ° to about 160 ° to provide a crease or break in the plane of the distributing face 20. For example, the angle α may vary from about 173 ° to about of 162 °. As another example, the angle o; it can vary from around 170 ° to around 165 °.

During normal operation, a consumer will grasp the interfolded paper napkin by grasping the portion or tail of the interfolded napkin that protrudes / extends through the dispensing slot. When the interfolded napkin is stocked, another part of the napkin that follows is removed to provide the next glue / protruding portion extending out from the napkin. If the consumer finds a new stack of interfolded napkins in which the glue does not protrude through the dispensing slot 26 or if the previous assortment failed to adequately pull a new glue through the slot, the user will grasp the exposed portion of the paper napkin and pinch the body of the napkin by placing one or more fingers in the access portion for the finger 28 of the dispensing throat 24. If the user pulls too aggressively, such as in an attempt to pull a large bundle of Paper napkins out from the dispenser, the attempt will be avoided because a large bunch of napkins will not fit through the dispenser slot 26. Therefore the wasted assortment of the paper napkins is reduced.

The present invention has been found to be particularly desirable for use with horizontally disposed paper napkin dispensers. The combination of a narrow dispensing throat, of the projected dispensing face, of the stacking means and of the bumpers that bow outward to the napkins in the staging area provide a less wasted assortment of paper napkins.

It should be understood, however, that while numerous features and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with the details of the structure and function of the invention, the description is only illustrative, and changes can be made in the details, specifically in the matters of form, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the invention in the full extent indicated by the general and broad meaning of the terms in which the attached clauses are expressed.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A dispensing system of paper-napkin paper napkins comprising: an outer box that defines an interior space; stacking means mounted inside the outer box to hold a stack of paper napkins within the interior space; Y a dispensing face defined in the outer box near one end of the stacking means, the dispensing face has a central part projecting outward from the spout and a dispensing throat located in the central part, the dispensing throat comprises a slot part that it has a sufficient length to allow a paper napkin to be pulled through it by a user, but a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled through the throat at one time, the throat Assortment further comprises an access portion for the finger to assist a user in grasping and pulling a paper napkin through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.

2. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the stacking means comprise a staging area close to the dispensing groove for spacing and decelerating the napkins as they approach the dispensing groove.

3. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that the staging area comprises at least two arched bumpers oriented so as to be parallel to the path of movement of the napkins as they approach the throat assortment, and a number of ribs defined on the bumpers to temporarily counteract the movement of the napkins as they approach the throat assortment.

4. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 3, characterized in that the staging area and the bumpers are configured to cause the napkins to bow in the dispenser throat.

5. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the groove portion of the dispenser throat has a minimum width point that is less than about 1.0 inches.

6. The spout, as claimed in clause 5, characterized in that the slot portion of the dispensing throat has a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.75 inches.

7. The spout, as claimed in clause 6, characterized in that the slot part of the dispensing throat has a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.5 inch.

8. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the access part for the finger of the dispenser throat has a point of maximum width which is greater than about 0.75 inches.

9. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that the access portion for the finger of the dispensing throat has a point of maximum width which is greater than about 1 inch.

10. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the central part of the dispensing face projects outwards from the dispenser in the form of a first surface and a second surface joined at an obtuse angle, the dispenser throat being located to around the intersection of the first and second faces.

11. A dispensing system of paper-napkin paper napkins comprising: an outer box that defines an interior space; Stacking means mounted inside the outer box to hold a stack of paper napkins inside the interior space, the stacking means comprise a staging area close to the dispensing throat to space and decelerate the napkins as they approach the throat assortment; Y a dispensing face defined in the outer box near one end of the stacking means, the dispensing face having a central part projecting outward from the spout and a dispensing throat located in the central part, the dispensing throat comprises a groove portion that is of a sufficient length to allow a paper napkin to be pulled through it by a user, but a relatively narrow width which prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled through. the single throat, the dispensing throat further comprises a finger access part which prevents a user from grasping and pulling a paper napkin through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.

12. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the staging area comprises at least two arched bumpers oriented so as to be parallel to the path of movement of the napkins as they approach the throat of the dispenser, and number of ribs defined on the bumpers to temporarily counteract the movement of the napkins as they approach the supply throat.

13. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 12, characterized in that the staging area and the bumpers are configured to cause the napkins to bow outwards in the dispenser throat.

14. The spout, as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the slot part of the dispensing throat has a point of minimum width that is less than about 1.0 inch.

15. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 14, characterized in that the slot portion of the dispenser throat has a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.75 inches.

16. The spout, as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that the slot portion of the dispensing throat has a point of minimum width that is less than about 0.5 inch.

17. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the access part for the finger of the dispensing throat has a point of maximum width which is greater than about 0.75 inches.

18. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 17, characterized in that the access portion for the finger of the dispenser throat has a point of maximum width which is greater than about 1 inch.

19. The dispenser, as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the central part of the dispensing face projects outwards from the dispenser in the form of a first surface and of a second surface joined at an obtuse angle, the dispenser throat being located at the intersection of the first and second surfaces. SUMMARY A distributing system of paper napkins composed of: (a) an outer box that defines an interior space; (b) stacking means mounted inside the outer case to hold a stack of paper napkins within the interior space; and (c) a dispensing face defined in the outer box near one end of the stacking means. The dispensing face has a central part that projects out of the dispenser and a dispensing throat located in the central part. The dispensing throat is composed of a groove portion that is long enough to allow the paper napkin to be pulled through it by a user, but of a relatively narrow width that prevents more than a few napkins from being pulled. through the throat once. The dispenser throat further includes a finger access portion to assist a user in grasping and pulling the paper napkins through the dispensing slot despite the relatively narrow width of the dispensing slot.