The disclosure of the present patent application relates to tissue boxes, and particularly to a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing.

BACKGROUND ART

Tissue boxes are used in many homes and offices for dispensing tissues and similar items. Tissues are convenient toiletry items that have many uses in addition to covering or wiping one’s mouth, nose, or face, such as a replacement for napkins, or for wiping dirt and wastes from surfaces. The most prevalent use, however, arises in times of sickness or allergies, when one has to cope with runny nasal passages and expectoration from coughs and sneezes. When trying to remove a tissue from a conventional tissue box, particularly when the user is distracted and weakened by illness or allergies, it may be difficult to only remove a single tissue from the stack of tissues contained within the tissue box. Additionally, an extended or uncoordinated attempt to remove a single tissue may give rise to the transmission of harmful germs to the remaining tissues in the tissue box. It would obviously be desirable to assist the user in the removal of tissues from the tissue box in a hygienic manner. Thus, a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

DISCLOSURE

The tissue box with improved tissue dispensing provides various embodiments of tissue boxes with improvements to the box or devices attached to the box to improve dispensing or removing tissues from the box. In one embodiment, the box has an auxiliary device or tool for frictionally engaging and manipulating a tissue contained within the tissue box. The tissue box with improved tissue dispensing includes a tissue box having a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of longitudinally opposed sidewalls or end walls, and a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls. A longitudinally extending slot is formed through the top wall. The device or tool for frictionally engaging and manipulating the tissue is a rubber fingertip or finger cot having a closed end and an open end. The closed end may be positioned adjacent the longitudinally extending slot or, alternatively, may be positioned at any desired location on the tissue box. The finger cot is secured to the top wall of the tissue box by a flexible, resilient sheet. The sheet has first and second longitudinally opposed ends, the first end being secured to the top wall of the tissue box and the second end being secured to the open end of the finger cot.

The finger cot is adapted for receiving a fingertip of a user such that the finger cot may be inserted into the interior of the tissue box through the longitudinally extending slot for engaging and manipulating a top-most tissue contained therein. The finger cot may be made from rubber, either natural or synthetic, and the closed end thereof may be at least partially coated with an adhesive for releasably adhering to the tissue. Additionally, a releasable cover may be provided for selectively covering the sheath when not in use, thus preventing drying of the adhesive. The finger cot is particularly useful for retrieving a tissue that has fallen into the box.

In an alternative embodiment, the tissue box may have at least one hanging tab attached thereto. The hanging tab has an aperture defined therein and is adapted for releasable hanging from an external support, such as a wall hook or the like. The hanging tab may be formed from a double layer of nylon or other plastic material. The hanging tab may be attached to any suitable portion of the tissue box. For example, a portion of one layer may be adhesively attached to the bottom wall and a portion of the second layer may be adhesively attached to one of the pair of laterally opposed sidewalls to attach the hanging tab to a corner edge of the box. Alternatively, the hanging tab may be secured to the center of the bottom wall of the box by a strip of adhesive tape.

As an alternative to the tissue box with a hanging tab described above, a cover with a hanging tab may be provided. The cover with a hanging tab is dimensioned and configured to receive and cover a conventional tissue box. The cover includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls, an end wall, and an open end positioned longitudinally opposite the end wall. The top wall has a longitudinally extending slot defined therein adapted for aligning with the dispensing slot of the conventional tissue box. A hanging tab is secured to the cover. Similar to the previous embodiment, the hanging tab has an aperture defined therethrough, such that the hanging tab may be suspended from an external support.

In a further alternative embodiment, the tissue box may have a top wall formed with a truncated pyramidal shape, elevating the top wall above the stack of tissues to provide more room inside the box to maneuver the tissue so that the tissue is not torn in the process of removing the tissue from the box. The truncated pyramidal shape of the top wall may be defined by a pair of longitudinally opposed end panels having a substantially triangular form and a pair of laterally opposed panels having a substantially trapezoidal form. It should be understood that the tissue box is not limited to the dispensing of facial tissues, and may be any suitable type of box for dispensing any items, particularly items requiring or that would benefit from sanitary handling, including, e.g., cotton swabs, health products (such as individually wrapped or packaged medication, sanitary needles, etc.), accessories, other sheet materials (such as napkins, typing paper, etc.), food packets (sugar, spices, condiments, etc.).

These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing.

Fig. 2 is an environmental perspective view of the tissue box of Fig. 1, shown with a user engaging a topmost tissue with his index finger using the attached finger cot.

Fig. 3 is an environmental perspective view of the tissue box of Fig. 1 , shown with the topmost tissue partially withdrawn from the box.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a finger cot with a releasable cover removed from the tip of the cot, the finger cot being shown detached from the tissue box.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing, the box having a single hanging tab configured for hanging the box laterally from a vertical support.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing, the box having a single hanging tab configured for hanging the box upside down from a vertical support.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing having a single hanging tab centrally located on the bottom wall of the box for suspending the box upside down.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing having a pyramidal top wall.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the tissue box of Fig. 8 as seen from an end of the box.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing having symmetrical recessed cutouts on opposite sides of the slit. Fig. 11 is partial perspective view of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing having a two-piece adhesive pad for grasping a tissue on both sides.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a tissue box with improved tissue dispensing having a removable dispensing cover.

Fig. 13 is an environmental, perspective view of an alternative cover for a dispensing box.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown in Figs. 1-3, in a first embodiment, the tissue box with improved tissue dispensing, designated generally as 10 in the drawings, includes an auxiliary device or tool for engaging and manipulating a tissue T contained within the tissue box 10. It should be understood that the tissue box 10 is not limited to the dispensing of facial tissues, such as exemplary tissues T, and may be any suitable type of box for dispensing any suitable type of sheet material, e.g., writing paper, typing paper, note paper, etc., or items that would benefit from sanitary handling, such as cotton swabs, napkins, packets containing medication, food, sterile needles, health products, or accessories.

The tissue box 10 includes a box 12 having a top wall 14, a bottom wall 16, a pair of longitudinally opposed sidewalls or end walls 18, 20 and a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 22, 24. It should be understood that the overall dimensions and configuration of the tissue box 12 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that the tissue box 12 may have any desired configuration, such as a small cubical tissue box or the like. A longitudinally extending slot 26 is formed through the top wall 14 for dispensing tissues T.

The device or tool for engaging and manipulating the tissue T is in the form of a rubber fingertip or finger cot 30 having a closed end 36 and an open end 38. The closed end 36 may be positioned adjacent the longitudinally extending slot 26 or, alternatively, may be positioned at any desired location on the box 12. The finger cot 30 is preferably dimensioned and configured for receiving a user’s index finger or fingertip, such that the user may easily insert the fingertip through open end 38 to be comfortably received within the interior 32 of the finger cot 30. The finger cot 30 is secured to the top wall 14 of the tissue box 12 by a by a flexible, resilient sheet or band 34. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the band 34 has first and second longitudinally opposed ends 40, 42, respectively, the first end 40 being secured to the top wall 14 of the tissue box 12 and the second end 42 being secured to the open end 38 of the finger cot 30.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the finger cot 30 is adapted for receiving a fingertip of the user such that the cot 30 may be inserted into the interior of the tissue box 12 through the longitudinally extending slot 26 for engaging and manipulating the top-most tissue T contained therein. The band 34 is flexible and resilient, allowing the finger cot 30 to stretch through the slot 26 into the interior of the box 12, and then returning the finger cot 30 to the exterior of the top wall 14 adjacent the slot 26 when the user’s fingertip is removed. Returning to Fig. 4, the finger cot 30 may be made from rubber, either natural or synthetic, latex, nitrile, or the like, and the closed end 36 may be at least partially coated with an adhesive 44 for releasably adhering to the tissue T to draw the tissue out through the slot 26. Additionally, a releasable paper 50 may be provided for selectively covering the finger cot 30 when not in use, thus preventing drying of the adhesive 44.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Figs. 5-7, a tissue box with a hanging tab 100 is provided. The tissue box with a hanging tab 100 includes a tissue box 112 having a top wall 114, a bottom wall 116, a pair of longitudinally opposed sidewalls or end walls 118, 120, and a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 122, 124. A longitudinally extending slot 126 is formed through the top wall 114. A hanging tab 130 is secured to the tissue box 112. The hanging tab 130 has an aperture 132 defined therein and is adapted for releasable hanging from an external support, such as a wall hook or the like.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the hanging tab 130 may be a double layer of nylon, including a first layer 134 and a second layer 136, respectively. It should be understood that the hanging tab 130 may be secured to any suitable portion of the tissue box 112. For example, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a strip of the first layer 134 may be secured to one of the pair of laterally opposed sidewalls, such as sidewall 124, and a strip of the second layer 136 may be secured to the bottom wall 116, thereby securing the hanging tab 130 to a comer edge of the box 112 formed by the sidewall 124 and the bottom wall 116. The flexible nature of layers 134, 136 allows this configuration to be used in multiple ways. For example, with the first and second layers 134, 136 bent parallel to bottom wall 116, as in Fig. 5, the tissue box 100 may be hung such that tissues T are removed horizontally. Alternatively, with the first and second layers 134, 136 bent parallel to sidewall 124, as in Fig. 6, the tissue box 100 may be hung so that the box is suspended upside down and tissues T are removed vertically with a downward pull. As a further alternative, as shown in Fig. 7, the hanging tab 130' may be formed from a single strip of material or both layers may be bent in the same direction, the hanging tab 130' also having an aperture 132' formed therein and, similarly, may be secured to any suitable portion of the tissue box 112. For example, in the example of Fig. 7, the hanging tab 130’ is positioned substantially centrally with respect to the bottom wall 116, and may be secured thereto by adhesive or a strip of adhesive tape, for example.

As an alternative to the tissue box with a hanging tab 100 of Figs. 5-7, a cover or outer container with a hanging tab, designated generally as 500 in the drawings, and shown in Fig. 13, may be provided. As shown, the cover with a hanging tab 500 is dimensioned and configured to receive and cover a conventional tissue box TB. It should be understood that the configuration and relative dimensions of the cover with a hanging tab 500 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that the cover 500 may be manufactured in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to receive a variety of different types of tissue and other dispensing boxes.

As shown in Fig. 13, the cover with a hanging tab 500 has a top wall 514, a bottom wall 516, a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 522, 524, a sidewall or end wall 520, and an open end 518, which is longitudinally opposed from sidewall or end wall 520. A longitudinally extending slot 526 is formed through the top wall 514, and is adapted for direct alignment with the conventional dispensing slot of conventional tissue box TB. A hanging tab 530 is secured to the cover 500. The hanging tab 530 has an aperture 532 defined therein and is adapted for releasable hanging from an external support, such as a wall hook or the like.

The hanging tab 530 is used in an identical manner to hanging tab 130, described above with respect to Figs. 5-7. Similar to hanging tab 130, hanging tab 530 may be a double layer of nylon, including a first layer 534 and a second layer 536, respectively. It should be understood that the hanging tab 530 may be secured to any suitable portion of the cover 500. Cover 500 may be formed from any suitable type of material, including, but not limited to, rubber, nylon, cardboard, or the like.

Although the cover 500 is shown with a conventional tissue box TB is Fig. 13, it will be understood that the cover 500 may be used to cover or enclose the tissue box 10 having the finger cot 30 as shown in Figs. 1-3 and described above. In this way, the hanging tab may be attached to the cover 500 instead of directly to the tissue box, as in the embodiments of Figs. 5-7.

In the further alternative embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9, the tissue box 200 has a top wall 214 having a truncated pyramidal shape, providing more room inside for the user to engage with or manipulate the tissues T stored within the tissue box 200 to remove the tissue without tearing the tissue. The tissue box 200 also includes a bottom wall 216, a pair of longitudinally opposed sidewalls or end walls 218, 220, and a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 222, 224, and has a longitudinally extending slot 226 formed through the top wall 214. The truncated pyramidal shape of the top wall 214 may be defined by a pair of longitudinally opposed generally triangular panels 244, 246, and a pair of laterally opposed trapezoidal panels 240, 242.

In the further alternative embodiment of Fig. 10, a tissue box 300 with a removable dispensing cover is provided. The tissue box 300 includes a box 312 having a top wall 314, a bottom wall 316, a pair of longitudinally opposed sidewalls or end walls 318, 320, and a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 322, 324. A longitudinally extending slot 326 is formed through the top wall 314. A nylon cover having a slit defined therein may extend across the slot 326, and a pair of additional recesses 328 may be provided symmetrically on either side of the slit, providing additional space for a tissue to be removed from the slot 326 through the slit in the nylon cover, thus minimizing twisting or shearing forces applied to the tissue. Further, an adhesive border 340 may be provided about to the nylon cover adjacent the slit in order to prevent tissues from accidentally falling back into the tissue box 312 after they have been dispensed.

A removable dispensing cover 302 is provided, which is preferably constructed from the same material as the tissue box 312. In order to enable removal of the removable dispensing cover 302 from the tissue box 312, the top wall 314 is preferably perforated to form or outline the shape of cover 302 to permit a user to selectively tear the cover 302 away. A pull tab 304 extends from one end of the cover 302. The pull tab 304 provides a handle for the user to grab onto in the process of tearing or removing the cover 302 from the tissue box 312. Further, an elongated length of dispensing string, thread, or wire 306 is attached to the bottom of the cover 302 by an adhesive or the like. The dispensing string 306 extends from a terminal end of the pull tab 304 along the length of the cover 302.

A dispensing strip 308 is attached to a free portion of the dispensing thread 306, as shown. The dispensing strip 308 is configured to be attached, through an adhesive or the like, to the top sheet or sheets of paper tissue contained in the tissue box 312. The dispensing strip 308 grasps the top tissue sheet so that the top tissue sheet is pulled as the dispensing string 306 is pulled. The dispensing strip 308 may also be provided as a drop of deformable adhesive and the like. In Fig. 10, the dispensing strip 308 is shown as a simple singular member. However, as shown in Fig. 11 , the dispensing strip may be alternatively provided in the form of pair of sheets 308a, 308b, each adhesively grasping the tissue T from either side. In the further alternative embodiment of Fig. 12, a tissue box with a removable dispensing cover 400 is provided. In the embodiment of Fig. 12, a removable dispensing cover 402 is provided with an adhesive strip 404 formed on the underside thereof. In this embodiment, the dispensing string 306 of the previous embodiment is replaced by a strip 406. A grasping tab 408 is secured to an external end of dispensing strip 406, as shown, with an attachment member 410 (similar to dispensing strip 308 of the previous embodiment) secured to an opposed internal end. A central portion of the strip 406 is at least partially secured to the adhesive strip 404. Thus, as the user removes cover the 402 from the tissue box 412 (via perforations 414 or the like), assisted by the grasping tab 408, the dispensing strip 406 will act to pull the topmost tissue through the dispensing slot as the cover 402 is removed.

It will be understood that although various embodiments have been described separately in order to more clearly describe their distinctive features, the tissue box with improved tissue dispensing may comprise a tissue box combining the features of the various embodiments herein, e.g., the tissue box may comprise the pyramidal top wall of Figs. 8-9, the hanging tab of Fig. 5, and the finger cot of Figs. 1-4.

It is to be understood that the tissue box with improved tissue dispensing is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.