Sheet dispenser carton with support member

Abstract

A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets is provided. The dispensing carton has a substantially flat bottom wall and four substantially flat side walls. The four substantially flat side walls are contiguous with one another and are contiguous with the bottom wall. The carton has a top wall that is contiguous with the four side walls. The top wall has an aperture therethrough. A support member is located inside the carton. The support member is substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Disposable sheet style dispensers are well known in the art for dispensing individual folded sheet products such as facial tissues, hand wipes, or the like. In general, disposable sheet dispensers typically include a container and a stack or clip of prefolded, interfolded sheets disposed within the container. The sheets may be C-folded or V-folded so that once the top sheet in the clip is withdrawn, the underlying sheet is individually presented for subsequent use.

[0002] In use, the sheets are dispensed through a fairly large oval or diamond shaped opening centrally located in the top panel of the carton. To access the sheets, the user reaches into the carton through the opening to access the top sheet and then pulls the top sheet through the opening.

[0003] One of the most common problems found in disposable sheet dispensers concerns the issue of “fall back”. This involves a situation where the leading edge of the sheet drops down through the dispensing slot. The user must then reach into the carton and grasp the sheet, pulling it out of the carton for use. Sometimes, this results in several sheets being removed from the carton instead of just one. Further, the opening in the top of the carton may not be large enough to accommodate a user's hand, resulting in damage to the top panel of the carton.

[0004] Damage to the opening slot may promote more fall back since it weakens the support the leading edge may have gotten from the slot structure.

[0005] There are many ways in which fall back may occur. Three common ways are mentioned here and they all involve situations where the box is approximately half empty or less. First, the stack inside the box cannot support itself straight up, so it starts to fold over. As it folds over, it pulls the leading edge of the tissue down below the dispensing slot. Second, as in the first example, the stack does not support itself and has bent over, pulling the leading edge closer to the dispensing slot. In this case, if the box gets moved or bumped which causes either movement in the stack which pulls the leading edge all the way through, or the leading edge just falls down through the slot. The third example is that the sheets in the box have somehow worked themselves apart a bit, so that when the leading edge is pulled the overlap comes apart and fails to bring up the leading edge of the next sheet.

[0006] The situation of “fall back” is defined as a quality defect, and is considered to be a major inconvenience to the user and has resulted in user complaints. A need in the art exists for a disposable sheet dispenser carton that significantly reduces “fall back” and improves the performance of past disposable sheet dispensers.

SUMMARY

[0007] Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

[0008] The present invention provides for an improved sheet dispenser carton that has a support member for dispensing disposable sheets. In one embodiment, the dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets has a substantially flat bottom wall and four substantially flat side walls that are contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall. The carton also has a top wall that is contiguous with the four side walls. The top wall has an aperture therethrough from which interfolded sheets may be dispensed.

[0009] A support member extends from the bottom wall into the interior of the carton towards the top wall. An edge of the support member closest to the top wall is configured for engaging the stack of interfolded sheets. The sides of the support member on either side of the edge extend vertically from the bottom wall of the carton and are substantially parallel to the adjacent side walls of the carton. The support member has legs that contact each side of the support member, and each leg is substantially parallel with the bottom wall of the carton. A stack of interfolded sheets is disposed about the support member within the carton. The sheets are removed from the carton through the aperture in the top wall.

[0010] The invention also includes an embodiment as previously discussed, where an end sheet of the stack of interfolded sheets is adhered to the support member.

[0011] In one embodiment, the support member is a folded piece of material that contacts the bottom wall of the carton. The support member extends into the interior of the carton substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton. The support member is substantially in the shape of an inverted T.

[0012] Alternatively, the dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets as previously discussed may further include a stack of interfolded sheets. The stack is disposed about the support member within the carton. A sheet on the end of the stack may be adhered to the support member, and the sheets are removed from the carton in the aperture top wall.

[0013] A further embodiment of the present invention also encompasses a dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets. The carton includes a square shaped top wall and square shaped bottom wall. The carton has four side walls contiguous with one another and also contiguous with the top and bottom walls. The top wall of the carton has an aperture therethrough.

[0014] A support member that may be a folded piece of material contacts the bottom wall of the carton. The support member extends into the interior of the carton at a substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton. The support member may be in the shape of an inverted T. The portion of the support member that extends into the carton has two side walls that contact the full length of a common edge of the support member.

[0015] Further, a stack of interfolded sheets are present that are disposed about the support member within the carton. A sheet on the end of the stack may be adhered to the support member. The sheets are removed from the carton through the aperture in the top wall of the carton.

[0016] A further embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets. The dispensing carton is composed of a carton that has a substantially flat bottom wall. The carton also has four substantially flat side walls that are contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall. The carton has a top wall that is contiguous with the four side walls, and the top wall has an aperture therethrough. A support member is located inside the carton. The support member is substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton.

[0017] An additional embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets that includes a carton. The carton has a substantially flat bottom wall. The carton also has four substantially flat side walls that are contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall. The carton also has a top wall that is contiguous with the four side walls. The top wall has an aperture therethrough. A support member is located inside the carton. The support member is substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton. The support member has adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

[0018] An additional embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets. The dispensing carton has a carton that has a substantially flat bottom wall. The carton also has substantially flat side walls that are contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall. The carton has a top wall that is contiguous with the side walls, and the top wall has an aperture therethrough. A support member is located inside the carton. The support member is substantially equal distance from two of the opposing side walls of the carton. Also, the support member is connected to at least one of the side walls.

[0019] A further embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets that has a carton with a substantially flat bottom wall. The carton also has substantially flat side walls that are contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall. A top wall is contiguous with the side walls, and the top wall has an aperture therethrough. A support member is located inside of the carton. The support member is substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton. The support member is connected to one of the side walls. The support member has adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a support member used in a dispensing carton of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 1B is another embodiment of a support member having an adhesion area used in another embodiment of a dispensing carton of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly of the stack of interfolded sheets, support member, and dispensing carton in another embodiment of the invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a sheet dispenser carton having a support member in accordance with the present invention. The view shows a sheet being dispensed from an aperture in the top wall of the carton.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3. The view shows the stack of interfolded sheets disposed about the support member, and also shows a stack of interfolded sheets in phantom lines if the support member was not present.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sheet dispenser carton having a support member in accordance with the present invention. The view shows the support member being in two pieces and being connected to the side walls of the carton. The view is of the dispenser carton being in an unassembled state in order to show the positioning of the support member.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. The view shows a stack of interfolded sheets disposed inside of the carton and shows the support member being disposed through the stack of interfolded sheets. The dispenser carton is in an unassembled state in order to show the positioning of the support member with respect to the stack of interfolded sheets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 3 shows a sheet dispenser carton 10 having a support member 22. The support member 22 is located within the dispensing carton 10. The support member 22 rests on the bottom wall 14 of the dispensing carton 10. A stack of interfolded sheets 28 is positioned inside dispensing carton 10, and rests on top of the support member 22.

[0030] One embodiment of a support member 22 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1A. Here, the support member 22 consists of a folded sheet of relatively stiff or rigid cardboard. However, it is to be understood that the support member 22 can be made of any type of material and is not limited to only cardboard. The support member 22 is folded into generally four sections. Two of these sections are the legs 34 of the support member 22. The legs 34 are on either side of the sides 26 of support member 22. An edge 24 of the support member 22 is formed by the meeting of both sides 26 of the support member 22. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the sides 26 and legs 34 of the support member 22 when viewed on end have a substantially inverted T-shape.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the support member 22 is placed inside of the dispensing carton 10. The dispensing carton 10 consists of four side walls 16 that are contiguous with one another. Further, the dispensing carton 10 also has a top wall 18 contiguous with the four side walls 16. A bottom wall 14 is present which is likewise contiguous with the four side walls 16. FIG. 2 shows that the support member 22 can be inserted into the dispensing carton 10 through an opening in one of the side walls 16. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to insertion of the support member 22 into the dispensing carton 10 through a side wall 16. For instance, the support member 22 can be inserted through either the top wall 18, the bottom wall 14, or formed integrally with dispensing carton 10. Additionally, the dispensing carton 10 can be formed around a preexisting support member 22, and the invention is not limited to a particular way of inserting support member 22 into the dispensing carton 10.

[0032] The stack of interfolded sheets 28 consists of a plurality of individual interfolded sheets 36. The interfolded sheets 36 may also be referred to as interfolded wipes. The stack of interfolded sheets 28 is placed on top of the support member 22. The stack of interfolded sheets 28 is folded in such a way that a central pocket 29 is formed. The sides 26 of the support member 22 are positioned inside of the pocket 29. The Edge 24 may have a height so as to engage the stack of interfolded sheets 28 in one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows an assembled view of the carton 10, stack of interfolded sheets 28, and support member 22. An aperture 20 is present in the top wall 18 of the dispensing carton 10. Sheets 36 may be dispensed through the aperture 20. Such a dispensing technique is well known in the art, along with the method of interfolding the stack of interfolded sheets 28 such that the interfolded sheets 36 are configured to allow for the single dispensing of a sheet 36 and subsequent replacing of sheet 36 as one is dispensed.

[0034] The presence of support member 22 prevents the stack of interfolded sheets 28 from falling towards the bottom wall 14 of the dispensing carton 10 as the sheets 36 are removed. In effect, the support member 22 urges the stack of interfolded sheets 28 towards the top wall 18 of the dispensing carton 10.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a stack of interfolded sheets 28 in phantom lines that are not supported by a support member 22. FIG. 4 also shows a stack of interfolded sheets 28 in solid lines that are supported by a support member 22. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the stack 28 that is supported by support member 22 is held closer to the top wall 18 than the stack 28 that is not supported by support member 22 which falls towards the bottom wall 14. Keeping the stack of interfolded sheets 28 towards the top wall 18, especially when few interfolded sheets 36 remain, helps prevent the problem of “fall back”. It has been found that when fewer interfolded sheets 36 are present in the stack of interfolded sheets 28, the center height of the stack of interfolded sheets 28 falls towards the bottom wall 14. Inclusion of a support member 22 helps to maintain the original center height of the stack of interfolded sheets 28 and consequently minimizes fall back of the interfolded sheets 36.

[0036] FIG. 1B shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the support member 22 has an adhesive 30 applied to the sides 26. Although FIG. 1B only shows the adhesive 30 being applied to one side 26, it is to be understood that the adhesive 30 may be applied to both sides 26. Now referring also to FIG. 2, when the stack of interfolded sheets 28 is placed upon the support member 22, the end sheet 32 of the interfolded sheets 36 contacts the adhesive 30 and is retained thereon. This retention helps to keep the stack of interfolded sheets 28 in place during the removal of sheets 36. The use of the adhesive 30 has been found advantageous especially when few interfolded sheets 36 are left in the stack of interfolded sheets 28. It is to be understood that the adhesive 30 may be of various forms in different embodiments of the present invention. For instance, the adhesive 30 may be in the form of an adhesive strip or pattern of glue. Further, the adhesion force on the end sheet 32 as shown in FIG. 4 may be strong or weak, allowing for the end sheet 32 to be dispensed as were the other sheets 36 or to be retained on the support member 22 and not dispensed.

[0037] Referring now to alternative embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2, the support member 22 can be an individual component that is inserted into the dispensing carton 10, or can be a component formed integrally with the dispensing carton 10. The edge 24 of the support member 22 can be in one embodiment a straight edge. However, the invention is not limited to the edge being a straight edge.

[0038] The sides 26 of the support member 22 are substantially vertical and approach being parallel to the side walls 16 of the dispensing carton 10. The legs 34 of the support member 22 are substantially parallel with the bottom wall 14 of the dispensing carton 10. By having this configuration, the support member 22 allows for the stack of interfolded sheets 28 to be draped over the sides 26 of the support member 22 and at the same time have the edges 13 of the interfolded sheets 36 be substantially perpendicular to the legs 34 of the support member 22.

[0039] However, in some embodiments of the present invention, the edges 13 may not be substantially perpendicular to the legs 34. As seen from the side, the legs 34 and sides 26 are substantially in the shape of an inverted T.

[0040] The dispensing carton 10 can be of any number of shapes and sizes, for instance the dispensing carton 10 may be in the shape of a cube or may have a top wall 18 and bottom wall 14 that are rectangular shaped.

[0041] Addition of the support member 22 also provides other advantages to the sheet dispenser carton. For instance, the support member 22 may be sized such that the legs 34 each contact opposite side walls 16 of the dispensing carton 10. Further, the sides 26 of the support member 22 can be equally spaced from these side walls 16. Centering of the stack of interfolded sheets 28 on the sides 26 of the support member 22 therefore allows for a precise positioning of the stack of interfolded sheets 28 within the dispensing carton 10. This allows for a more accurate dispensing of the sheets 36 through the aperture 20 because a more precise alignment is attained. Such a support member 22 will also provide for stability of the stack of interfolded sheets 28 within the dispensing carton 10 during shipment of the sheet dispenser carton. The support member 22 is also advantageous in that it helps to keep the stack of interfolded sheets 28 urged towards the top wall 18 even if the dispensing carton 10 is turned such that the side wall 16 is now the bottom wall.

[0042] The present invention includes an embodiment of the support member 22 that has sides 26 and edge 24, but does not have legs 34.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the dispensing carton 10 in accordance with the present invention. The dispensing carton 10 is composed of a top wall 18 and a bottom wall 14. Side walls 16 are present in this embodiment. Some of the side walls 16 are formed by two pieces, while other side walls 16 are formed by one piece. The support member 22 is made of two separate pieces in this embodiment. One of the pieces of the support member 22 is connected to one of the side walls 16, and another piece of the support member 22 is connected to a different side wall 16.

[0044] Although the support member 22 is shown as two separate pieces in this embodiment, it is to be understood that the support member 22 may be one piece that is connected to one of the side walls 16. Additionally, two of the side walls 16 of the dispensing carton 10 are shown as being formed by two separate pieces. It is to be understood that the present invention includes an embodiment of the dispensing carton 10 where the side walls of the dispensing carton 10 are formed by one or more pieces, and the invention is not limited to any number of pieces in forming side walls 16.

[0045] Adhesive 30 is applied to the support member 22 in FIG. 5. Adhesive 30 may be applied to one of the pieces of the support member 22 or to both of the pieces of the support member 22. The support member 22 functions substantially as previously discussed. A stack of interfolded sheets 28 is located over the edge 24 of the support member 22, and substantially surrounds the support member 22. FIG. 6 shows the support member 22 located in the central pocket 29 of the stack of interfolded sheets 28. FIG. 6 shows how the side walls 16 are folded in order to position the support member 22 into the central pocket 29. It may be the case that a loading machine (not shown) that is used to assemble the dispensing carton 10 with a stack of interfolded sheets 28 will have to be equipped with a guide element (not shown) to help position one or both pieces of the support member 22 into the central pocket 29. It may be the case that both pieces of the support member 22 contact one another upon assembly, or it may be the case that a gap is left between the pieces of the support member 22 upon assembly. Both of these configurations are to be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0046] A preferred embodiment of the present invention consists of a dispensing carton 10 that is generally cube shaped, that is therefore in the shape of a boutique box.

[0047] It should be understood that the invention includes various modifications and variations that can be made to the embodiments of the sheet dispenser carton with a support member described herein as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having four substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the four side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough;

a support member having generally vertical sides extending from the bottom wall into the interior of the carton towards the top wall, an edge of the support member closest to the top wall configured for engaging the stack of interfolded sheets, the sides of the support member on either side of the edge are substantially parallel to the adjacent side walls of the carton, the support member having legs that contact each side of the support member and each leg is substantially parallel with the bottom wall of the carton; and

a stack of interfolded sheets disposed about the support member within the carton, the sheets are removed from the carton through the aperture in the top wall.

2. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein an end sheet of the stack of interfolded sheets is adhered to the support member.

3. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein the support member is a folded member.

4. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein the carton is generally cube shaped.

5. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein the carton is generally rectangular shaped.

6. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein the legs of the support member contact two side walls of the carton and the two sides of the support member are spaced equal distance from the other two side walls of the carton.

7. The dispensing carton of claim 1, wherein the edge of the support member closest to the top wall is a straight edge.

8. The dispensing carton of claim 1, further comprising adhesion located on the support member.

9. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having four substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the four side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough; and

a support member being a folded piece of material contacting the bottom wall of the carton, the support member extends into the interior of the carton substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton, the support member being substantially in the shape of an inverted T.

10. The dispensing carton of claim 9, further comprising:

a stack of interfolded sheets disposed about the support member within the carton, a sheet on the end of the stack is adhered to the support member, the sheets are removed from the carton through the aperture in the top wall.

11. The dispensing carton of claim 9, wherein the carton is generally cube shaped.

12. The dispensing carton of claim 9, wherein the support member contacts at least two side walls of the carton.

13. The dispensing carton of claim 9, further comprising adhesion located on the support member.

14. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a square shaped top wall and a square shaped bottom wall, the carton also having four side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the top and bottom walls, the top wall of the carton having an aperture therethrough;

a support member being a folded piece of material contacting the bottom wall of the carton, the support member extends into the interior of the carton substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton, the support member being in the shape of an inverted T, the portion of the support member that extends into the carton has two side walls that contact the full length of a common edge of the support member; and

a stack of interfolded sheets disposed about the support member within the carton, a sheet on the end of the stack is adhered to the support member, the sheets are removed from the carton through the aperture in the top wall of the carton.

15. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having four substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the four side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough; and

a support member located inside the carton, the support member being substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton.

16. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having four substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the four side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough; and

a support member located inside the carton, the support member being substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton, the support member having adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

17. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough; and

a support member located inside the carton, the support member being substantially equal distance from two of the opposing side walls of the carton, the support member being connected to at least one of the side walls.

18. The dispensing carton of claim 17, wherein the support member is connected to at least two of the side walls, and wherein the support member has adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

19. The dispensing carton of claim 17, wherein the support member is made of two pieces and each piece is connected to a different side wall.

20. The dispensing carton of claim 19, wherein at least one of the pieces of the support member has adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

21. The dispensing carton of claim 17, wherein the carton is generally cube shaped.

22. A dispensing carton for dispensing interfolded sheets comprising:

a carton having a substantially flat bottom wall, the carton also having substantially flat side walls contiguous with one another and contiguous with the bottom wall, the carton also having a top wall contiguous with the side walls, the top wall having an aperture therethrough; and

a support member located inside the carton, the support member being substantially equal distance from two opposing side walls of the carton, the support member being connected to one of the side walls, the support member having adhesion located thereon for engagement with an end sheet of a stack of interfolded sheets.

23. The dispensing carton of claim 22, wherein the carton is generally cube shaped.