Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
PAPER PRODUCT DISPENSER AND RELATED METHODS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/040889
Kind Code:
A4
Abstract:
A dispenser (10) of paper products (N) has a plurality of walls defining an interior (12) of the dispenser (10), with the interior (12) being configured to store the paper products (N). Two dispensing mouths (20a, 22a) are located at oppositely disposed ones of the walls (20, 22), and are configured to provide access to the paper products (N) in the interior (12). The dispenser also includes a biasing member (36) and a pair of support elements (30, 32). The support elements (30, 32) are configured to support the paper products (N) there against, and the biasing member (36) urges each support element (30, 32) toward one of the dispensing mouths (20a, 22a). The dispenser (10) has a geometric center (C) defined by the distance between the dispensing mouths (20a, 22a), and each support element (30, 32) is configured to move outwardly toward and inwardly away from one of the dispensing mouths (20a, 22a). At least one of the support elements (30, 32) is free to travel inwardly to reach at least the geometric center (C).

Inventors:
SIEBEL JUSTIN (US)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2013/068254
Publication Date:
August 21, 2014
Filing Date:
September 04, 2013
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
SCA HYGIENE PROD AB (SE)
International Classes:
A47K10/42
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
GOLLER, Daniel et al. (Arabellastrasse 4, Munich, DE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
AMENDED CLAIMS

received by the International Bureau on 25 June 2014 (25.06.2014)

1. A dispenser of paper products, comprising:

a plurality of walls defining an interior of the dispenser, said interior being configured to store the paper products;

a pair of dispensing mouths at oppositely disposed ones of said walls, said dispensing mouths being configured to provide access to the paper products in said interior;

a biasing member and a pair of support elements in said interior, said support elements being configured to support the products there against, said biasing member urging each of said support elements toward one of said dispensing mouths; and

a plurality of guiding elements in said interior of the dispenser configured to maintain an orientation of said support elements during inward and outward movement thereof,

wherein:

the dispenser has a geometric center defined by the distance between said dispensing mouths,

each of said support elements is configured to move outwardly toward one of said dispensing mouths and inwardly away from said one of said dispensing mouths, and

at least one of said support elements is free to travel inwardly to reach at least the geometric center.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said support elements is free to travel inwardly beyond the geometric center.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said biasing member is a spring.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said biasing member is attached to each of said support elements.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of said support elements is a platen.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of walls includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of end walls extending between said top and bottom walls, said dispensing mouths being located at said end walls.

7. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of said top wall has a first position defining an opening for loading the paper products into said interior, and a second, closed position.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein less than the entirety of said top wall is hingedly coupled to the rest of the dispenser to permit pivotal movement thereof between the first and second positions.

9. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein said plurality of walls includes a pair of side walls extending between said top and bottom walls and between said end walls.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of said support elements is free to travel inwardly to reach at least the geometric center.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein each of said support elements is free to travel inwardly beyond the geometric center.

12. A napkin dispenser, comprising:

a top wall, a bottom wall disposed opposite said top wall, first and second end walls disposed opposite one another and extending between said top and bottom walls, and a pair of side walls disposed opposite one another and extending between said top and bottom walls, said walls defining an interior of the dispenser for storing napkins;

a first dispensing mouth at said first end wall for accessing the napkins; a second dispensing mouth at said second end wall for accessing the napkins;

first and second platens in said interior for supporting the napkins, said first platen being movable inwardly away from said first dispensing mouth and said second platen being movable inwardly away from said second dispensing mouth; a spring urging said first platen outwardly toward said first dispensing mouth and said second platen outwardly toward said second dispensing mouth; and a plurality of tracks and a corresponding plurality of recesses in said interior, said recesses receiving said tracks therealong for maintaining an orientation of said first and second platens during inward and outward movement thereof,

wherein:

the dispenser has a geometric center defined by the distance between said first and second dispensing mouths, and

each of said first and second platens is free to travel inwardly to reach at least the geometric center.

13. The napkin dispenser of claim 12, wherein each of said first and second platens is free to travel inwardly beyond the geometric center.

14. The napkin dispenser of claim 12, wherein said top wall is pivotally movable between an open position to receive napkins into said interior, and a closed position.

15. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said plurality of guiding elements includes a plurality of tracks on said walls received along a corresponding plurality of recesses in said support elements.

16. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tracks in said interior restricting movement of said biasing element therein.