RAG DISPENSER

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for dispensing a rag are disclosed. The dispenser includes a housing within which a plurality of rags are disposed. The plurality of rags are arranged in a stack. In some embodiments, the stack of rags is disposed in a bag, and then placed in the housing. In other embodiments, the stack of rags is placed on a dispensing plate in the housing. The dispensing plate is moveable between one or more vertical positions in the housing. The rags may be hemless or edgeless and formed via ultrasonic cutting. The housing may include more than one opening and dispense more than one type of rag

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/467,043, entitled “RAG DISPENSER” and filed on Mar. 3, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The disclosed embodiments are generally directed to methods and apparatus for dispensing rags, such as reusable rags.

BACKGROUND

Rags may be used for cleaning, such as for cleaning an interior or exterior of an automobile. Dispensers are used to dispense various paper products, such as paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a dispenser for dispensing a plurality of rags is disclosed. The dispenser includes a housing have an opening and a plurality of rags disposed in the housing, below the opening. The plurality of rags are biased in a direction towards the opening of the housing via at least one of a bag and a dispensing plate.

According to another embodiment, a method of assembling a dispenser for dispensing a plurality of rags is disclosed. The method includes ultrasonically cutting a plurality of rags, forming a stack of rags, and inserting the stack of rags into a dispenser having a housing with an opening, the stack of rags being positioned below the opening.

It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the present teachings can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a dispenser according to one embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1A, with a rag arranged for dispensation from the dispenser;

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1A, after the rag has been dispensed;

FIG. 2A is a top view of a dispenser according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2B is a top view oSf a dispenser according to another embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 along line X-X according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 along line X-X according to another embodiment;

FIGS. 4B-4D are cross-sectional side views of the dispenser in FIG. 4A, with a dispensing plate in first, second and third positions, respectively;

FIG. 5A is a bottom view of the dispenser of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5B is a top view of the dispensing plate of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a rag according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a stack of rags according to one embodiment; and

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an method of assembling a stack of rags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As is known, rags are used for cleaning, such as for cleaning the exterior or interior surfaces of an automobile. For example, a user may use a rag to dust the interior of the automobile. As will be appreciated, each rag includes a piece of material, such as a piece of cloth, that is cut or torn from a larger piece of material. In some instances, the rag may be reusable. For example, the rag may be washed after being used to clean the exterior of the automobile for use at a later time. The rags also may be disposable.

Typically, rags are purchased by a user in bulk, with the rags being packaged for sale in a plastic bag or in another suitable package, such as in a cardboard sleeve that wraps around a portion of a plurality of rags. For example, a user may purchase 10 rags packaged in a sealed plastic bag. When the user needs a rag, the user rips open the bag or other packaging to obtain a clean rag for use. The remaining rags may be stored in the original packaging, or may be stored in another suitable container, such as in another bag or bin. This is inconvenient and also may lead to lost or dirty rags. For example, if a user forgets where he stored the opened package or storage container of rags, or if the rags or container are accidentally thrown away, new rags will need to be purchased. In another example, if the extra rags are simply stored loose on a work station, the rags may become dirty prior to being used. This also may create a larger mess. For example, if a user's hands become dirty while working and the user has to go searching in drawers or bags for a clean rag, the user may inadvertently soil additional rags and/or the workstation.

Applicant has realized that by packaging rags in a dispenser such that a user may withdraw a single rag from the dispenser while the other rags are maintained in the dispenser for storage and later dispensation, advantages may be achieved. To that end, embodiments disclosed herein include a dispenser having a housing within which a plurality of rags are stored for subsequent dispensing. In some embodiments, the rags are stored in the housing in a stacked arrangement, with a rag at the top of the stack being positioned at an opening at the top if the housing. As will be appreciated, the top rag may be pulled through the opening by the user for dispensing.

Applicant has further realized that advantages may be realized by dispensing rags that are designed to minimize or prevent scratching of a surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, in some embodiments, rags may be formed without edges or hems such that the rag will not scratch a surface to be cleaned. In some embodiments, such hemless or edgeless rags also facilitate removal of the rags from the dispenser. Without wishing to be bound by theory, in embodiments where the rags do not include a hem, less friction may be experienced between adjacent rags when one of the rags is being pulled out of the dispenser.

As will be appreciated, as more and more rags are dispensed from the dispenser, it may become more difficult for the user to have ready access to the rags. In this regard, a dispenser having a low rag count may cause the remaining rags to sit well below an access opening in the dispenser, making it difficult to readily grasp the next available rage for use. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the stack of rags is first placed inside a bag, such as a plastic bag, before being placed into the dispenser housing. Such a bag may assist in dispensing the rags by applying a compressive force to the rags. Such compression may encourage the stack of rags to move upwardly towards the opening in the dispenser when the user pulls a first rage from the dispenser. Such compression also may maintain the remaining rags within the dispenser when the user pulls a rag out of the dispenser.

In other embodiments, the stack of rags may be placed on a dispensing plate that is moveable towards the opening at the top of the dispenser to assist in dispensing the rags from the dispenser. In some embodiments, the dispensing plate may be manually moved in an upward direction. For example, the housing may have one or more tabs that engage with one or more openings in the dispensing plate to advance the dispensing plate in a direction towards the top of the housing. The dispensing plate also may be arranged to automatically move in an upward direction as the rags are dispensed.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1A shows a dispenser 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in this view, the dispenser 100 includes a housing 102 within which a plurality of rags (see FIGS. 3 and 4) are disposed. As shown in this view, in some embodiments, the housing 102 may be formed in the shape of a box, with six sides. In some embodiments, the top, bottom, front and rear panels of the box may be rectangular in shape. In such embodiments, the side panels also may be rectangular in shape, although the side panels also may be square. As will be appreciated, the dispenser may have other suitable arrangements in other embodiments. For example, the box may be shaped like a cube, with all of the panels being square in shape. The dispenser also may have more or less than six sides. For example, the dispenser may have a cylindrical shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, the top of the housing 102 may include an opening 104 through which the rags may be dispensed. In such embodiments, the opening 104 includes a cutout formed in the top panel 106 of the housing. As shown in FIG. 1A, the opening may have six sides in some embodiments, although the opening may have other configurations in other embodiments. For example, the opening may be rectangular, circular, oval, another polygonal shape or another other shape. In such embodiments, the length and width of the opening are smaller than the length and width of the dispenser.

In some embodiments, a rag shield 108, such a sheet of plastic, may extend across the opening 104. As will be appreciated, the rag may be pulled through such a shield for dispensation. The shield 108 also may be sized so that a user may insert his or her fingers into the housing to grab a rag that does not extend outwardly beyond the opening (like that shown in FIG. 1B). For example, a user may need to grab a rag out of the housing after purchasing the dispenser. The shield may prevent dirt, dust or other debris from entering into the housing and soiling the rags held therein.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the shield may be attached to an inside surface of the top panel of the housing. In such examples, the shield may extend beyond a perimeter of the openings (e.g., be longer and wider than the opening), and may be similar in shape and size to the top panel of the housing.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2A-2B, the shield may include a slit 110 for dispensing the rags. In some embodiments, the slit may be formed via a perforation in the shield, the perforation being broken by the user after purchasing the dispenser. As shown in these views, the slit 110 may extend along a length of the opening. For example, the slit may extend along a midline of the opening. In some embodiments, as is shown, the slit may extend along an entire length of the opening. The slit also may extend along only a portion of the length of the opening. As will be appreciated, the slit may be positioned at other suitable locations in the opening (e.g., offset from the midline).

Although the shield is shown as having a perforated seam in these views, it will be appreciated that the shield may have other suitable arrangements for dispensing the rag. For example, the slit may be cut in the shield prior to assembling the dispenser. The shield also may have a differently shaped opening, such as an oval-shaped opening, for dispensing the rags.

Although the shield is described as being a plastic sheet, the shield may be formed of other suitable flexible materials.

Although the dispenser is shown as having an opening and corresponding shield in these embodiments, it will be appreciated that the dispenser need not have a shield. For example, the dispenser may include only an opening, such as opening 104, though which the rags may be directly dispensed. In such embodiments, the opening may be the same size or may be smaller than the opening shown in the dispensers in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2A-2B. For example, the opening may include a small slot through which the rags are dispensed. As will be appreciated, the opening also may have other suitable shapes and sizes.

As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2A, the dispenser may have a single opening to dispense rags. In other embodiments, the dispenser may have more than one opening. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the dispenser may have two openings 104a, 104b. As will be appreciated, the openings may be the same shape and size or may be different shapes and sizes. In such an example, as shown in this view, each opening 104a, 104b may have a corresponding shield, with a respective slit 110a, 110b formed in each the shield. As with other embodiments, such slits 110a, 110b may extend along a length (e.g., an entire length) of each opening. The slits 110a, 110b also may be formed via a perforated seam.

As shown in FIG. 2B, in some embodiments, a single shield may be attached to the top of the housing, with a respective shield portion 109a, 109b extending across each opening 104a, 104b. In such embodiments, each shield portion may have a slit 110a, 110b for dispensing the rags. As will be appreciated, in other embodiments, each opening may include its own shield, such that there are two shields, each of which is attached to the top of the housing around the corresponding opening.

As will be appreciated, in dispensers having a single opening in the housing, the dispenser may dispense a single type of rag. For example, the dispenser may include just automotive cleaning rags. The dispenser also may dispense just a household cleaning rag or just a rag designed to clean glasses. In such embodiments, the dispenser may include 5 rags, 10 rags, 25 rags, 50 rags, or more.

In embodiments in which the housing has two openings, the dispenser may be arranged to dispense more than one type of rag. For example, a first opening may dispense a rag for household cleaning while a second opening may dispense a rag for cleaning glassware or silverware. As will be appreciated, the rags may include different colors or patterns to alert a user to the different types of rags being dispensed by the dispenser(s). The housing also may include one or more labels adjacent to the respective opening, each label listing the type of rag being dispensed from the opening.

As will be appreciated, the dispenser may dispense other types of rags. For example, rags also may be dispensed for cleaning a garage or bathroom, or for cleaning a restaurant (e.g., a counter of a bar). Other suitable types of rags also may be dispensable. As will be appreciated, each type of rag may be formed of a different color. Each type of rag also may include different properties, corresponding to the particular surface that is to be cleaned.

In some embodiments, the rags may include a microfiber material. In some embodiments, the microfiber material may be polyester. The microfiber also may be a combination of polyester and polyamide. The microfiber may be formed with varying thicknesses, depending upon the type of surface being cleaned. For example, the microfiber material may between 150 and 300 GSM. As will be appreciated, other suitable materials also may be used for cleaning surfaces.

Turning now to FIG. 3, which shows a cross sectional side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment. In such an embodiment, the housing includes an opening 104 and a shield 108 attached to the top of the housing, such as to the interior surface of the top of the housing. The shield also may be attached to the side of the housing in other embodiments. As also shown in this view, the slit 110 (see FIGS. 1A-1C and 2A-2B) in the shield creates an opening through which the rags are dispensed.

As shown in this view, a stack 113 of rags 112 may be stored in the housing and positioned below the opening in the top of the housing. For purposes herein, being stacked means that a first rag is placed on top of and is vertically aligned with a second, adjacent rag. As will be described, the stack of rags may be formed by folding a first rag over a portion of the second rag. As will be appreciated, the rags need not be perfectly vertically aligned to be stacked in these embodiments. For example, a rag may be offset slightly from a second, adjacent rag while still being stacked on top of one another.

Although the dispenser is shown has having 17 stacked rags in this embodiment, it will be appreciated that the dispenser may include more or fewer rags. For example, the dispenser may have only 10 rags or may have as many as 50 or even 100 rags.

As also shown in FIG. 3, the stacked rags may be placed in a bag 114 within the housing. For example, in one embodiment, the rags may be placed within a plastic bag. In such embodiments, the bag may apply a compressive force to the rags to bias the rags in a direction towards the top of the container (e.g., towards the opening) to support dispensation. As will be appreciated, the compressive force applied by the bag may be varied by making the bag fit more tightly or more loosely around the rags.

As will be appreciated, the bag 114 may be sealed in any suitable manner, such as by folding over and securing the edges of the bag to the body of the bag. Other suitable binding methods also may be used to seal the edges of the bag. In some embodiments, the bag extends around the entire stack of the rags. In some embodiments, as shown in this view, the bag 114 includes and opening at the top of the bag (at the top of the stack) for dispensing the rags. In such embodiments, the opening may include a slit (e.g., formed via a perforated seam), similar to that formed in the shield.

As will be appreciated, the opening in the bag may be aligned with the opening in the shield such that a user may insert his or her finger into the dispenser to reach and grab a rag, when needed. As will be further appreciated, the shape and size of the opening in the bag need not be the same as the opening formed in the shield. For example, a slit in the shield may be longer than a slit in the bag. The openings also may be the same in each.

Although FIG. 3 has been shown and described as having a bag, such as a plastic bag, around the stack of rags, it will be appreciated that other bags, such as a paper bag, or other materials capable of applying a compressive force may be positioned at or around the bag.

FIGS. 4A-4D show cross-sectional side views of the dispenser of FIG. 1A, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As with other embodiments, the dispenser in this view also includes an opening 104 through which a rag may be dispensed and a shield positioned below (and extending beyond) the opening. The shield may be attached to at least the top or side panels of the dispenser.

As also shown in these views, the dispenser 100 may include a dispensing plate 114 onto which the stacked rags are placed in the housing. As shown in FIG. 4B-4D, the dispensing plate is selectively moveable towards the top of the dispenser to move the stacked rags towards the opening for dispensation. As will be appreciated, such movement biases the rags towards the top of the dispenser and the opening. As shown in FIG. 4A, the dispensing plate 114 plate may be initially positioned adjacent to, or even on top of, the bottom of the dispenser housing. As the rags are dispensed (see FIG. 1B), the dispensing plate may be moved in a direction B towards the top of the dispenser, until the dispensing plate reaches a first position. FIG. 4B shows the dispenser plate 114 in the first position, spaced a first vertical distance D1 from the bottom of the dispenser housing. Such a first position of the dispensing plate may apply a force to the stacked rags to facilitate removal the rags from the dispenser. As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the dispensing plate may be further moved in the direction B to second and third positions, respectively, as more rags are dispensed. As shown in these views, in the second and third positions, the dispensing plate may be spaced second and third D2, D3 vertical distances from the bottom of the dispenser housing. Although the dispensing plate is only shown as being moved between the first, second and third positions, in other embodiments, the dispensing plate may be moved to additional positions. For example, the dispensing plate may be moved to fourth and fifth positions, closer to the top of the housing. In such embodiments, the dispensing plate may be moved in the direction B between the additional positions. Additional positions also may be arranged below the first position (e.g., closer to the bottom of the dispenser).

As will be appreciated, the dispenser may include any suitable mechanism for moving the dispensing plate relative to the housing and for holding the plate at one or more positions in the housing. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, the dispensing plate may be manually moved between the first, second third positions. As will be appreciated, mechanisms for automatically moving the dispensing plate in the direction B may be arranged in other embodiments.

For purposes herein, being moved relative to the housing may mean that the dispensing plate is moved in a direction towards the top of the housing (see direction arrow B), between different vertical heights. As will be appreciated, the vertical height includes a distance between the bottom of the housing and the position of the dispensing plate. In such embodiments, the dispensing plate may extend substantially parallel to a top and bottom of the housing and substantially perpendicular to the sides of the housing. As will be appreciated, the plate also may be angled slightly (e.g., less than about 5 degrees) as the dispensing plate is moved relative to the housing. The plate also may remain slightly angled while being held at one of the first, second and third positions.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5A, the bottom of the dispenser 100, may include two tabs 116a, 116b that engage with the respective openings 118a, 118b in the dispensing plate 114 (see FIG. 5B). As shown in FIG. 5B, the openings may be rectangular in shape and may extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing. In such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5A, the tabs also may be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the housing. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the tabs be triangular in shape with a pointed end, the pointed ends being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the housing. As will be appreciated, the openings and corresponding tabs also may have other arrangements and may be positioned at different locations on the dispensing plate and housing, respectively. For example, the openings may extend along the longitudinal axis of the housing in other embodiments, with the tabs being arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

As will be appreciated, the tabs and openings may have any suitable shape and size. For example, the tabs also may be rectangular, circular, square, another polygonal shape or another shape. The tabs also may be longer or shorter than those shown in FIG. 5A. In a similar fashion, the openings may be circular, oval, square, another polygonal shape or another shape. The openings also may have different sizes. For example, the openings may be shorter in other embodiments than those shown in FIG. 5B. As will be further appreciate, the size and shape of each tab may be the same in some embodiments, although the size and shape of the tabs may vary from tab to tab. In a similar fashion, the size and shape of the openings may be the same shape and size or they may vary from opening to opening.

Although the dispensing plate is shown as having a plurality of openings that engage with tabs formed on the bottom of the housing, it will be appreciated that the openings may be formed on the bottom of the housing and the tabs may be formed on the dispensing plate. In such an embodiment, the tabs may be biased in a downward direction so that as the rags are dispensed, the dispensing plate may move upwardly and the tabs on the plate may engage with the openings on the housing.

In some embodiments, the tabs may be formed by creating perforations on the bottom of the dispenser. In such embodiments, the perforations may intersect at firs tide of the tab. During use, the user may press inwardly on the tabs 116a, 116b (e.g., towards an interior of the housing) to separate at least a portion of the tab from the dispenser housing and to extend the tab portion in a direction towards the top of the dispenser. In this extended position, the tab may engage with one of the openings on the dispensing plate. For example, a portion of the tab may move into a first opening, which may hold the dispensing plate at the first position relative to the dispenser housing. Without wishing to be bound by theory, in the extended position, the tab may be angled relative to the bottom of the housing, with the tab applying an upward force to hold the dispensing plate in place.

As will be appreciated in light of FIGS. 4A-4B, in the first dispensing plate position, the tabs 116a, 116b may engage with the innermost openings 119a, 119b of the plate. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, to move the dispensation plate towards the top of the housing (in direction B) and into the second and third positions, the tabs may be further pressed into the interior of the housing, which may move the tabs in a direction C, upwards and towards a respective side panel of the dispenser housing. Such a movement may allow the tabs to engage with the middle 120a, 120b and outer openings 121a, 121b formed in the dispensing plate, respectively.

As will be appreciated, as the tab is pressed further into the housing (see arrow C), a length of each tab extending into the housing may be increased. For example, as shown in FIG. 4D, the portion of the tab extending into the housing in the third position is longer than the portion of the tab extending into the housing in the first position (see FIG. 4B).

Although the dispensing plate is shown as having only three openings that engage with each tab (a total of 6 openings), it will be appreciated that the dispensing plate may have more or fewer openings in other embodiments. For example, the dispensing plate may have 8 or 10 or more openings, such that each tab may engage with 4 or 5 openings. The dispensing plate also may have fewer than 6 openings. For example, each tab may engage with only two openings and be moveable between only first and second positions.

As will be appreciated, although two tabs are shown on the bottom of the dispenser housing for engagement with the dispensing plate, in other embodiments, the dispenser may include more or fewer tabs. For example, the bottom of the housing may have one tab, that engages with respective openings on the dispensing plate. The bottom of the housing also may have three tabs in other embodiments.

According to another embodiment, a method of preparing a rag dispenser is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a rag having a desire shape. In some embodiments, the rag is formed by cutting a piece of material to the desired rag shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the rag may have a square shape. A will be appreciated, in other embodiments, the rag also may have other shapes. For example, the rag may be rectangular, circular, oval, another polygonal shape or another shape.

Next, the method may include ultrasonically sealing the four edges of the rag. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic seal may formed by ultrasonically cutting the rag, such as ultrasonically cutting the four sides of the rag shown in FIG. 6. As will be appreciated, such an ultrasonic sealing may result in a rag without a hem or edge. In some embodiments, a hemless or edgeless rag may minimize or even prevent the rag from scratching a surface to be cleaned. A hemless or edgeless rag also may facilitate removal of one of the rags from the dispenser.

The method also includes forming a stack 113 of rags 112, like that shown in FIG. 7. The sack of rags is then inserted into the dispenser housing, and the housing is closed and sealed. In some embodiments, the stack of rags is placed inside a bag (e.g., a plastic bag) prior to being inserted into the housing. In such embodiments, the bag is also closed before inserting the stack of rags into the housing. As will be appreciated, the bag may include a slit at the top of the bag.

In other embodiments, the method includes inserting a dispensing plate into the housing and placing the stack of rags on the dispensing plate in the housing. In such embodiments, the dispensing plate may include a plurality of openings. In such embodiments, the housing may include one or more tabs on a bottom surface to engage with the plate.

In some embodiments, a rag shield may be place in and attached to the top of the dispenser. In such embodiments, the shield may be attached prior to inserting the rags.

As will be appreciated, although the stack of rags is described as being formed prior to inserting the stack into the dispenser housing, in other embodiments, the rags may be stacked in the housing.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8A, the stack of rags is formed by lying a first rag 112a on top of a second rag 112b, with at least a portion of the first and second rags overlapping one another. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, about half of a length L1 of the first rag 112a may overlap about half of a length L2 of the second rag 112b. Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the second rag 112b may be folded over (moved in direction F1), such that a portion (e.g., about a second half) of the second rag is placed on top of the first rag. As will be appreciated, in such a folded position, a first half of the second rag may be placed against a first side of the first rag, with a second half of the second rag being placed against a second side of the first rag (see FIG. 8C). Next, a third rag 112c may be placed on top of the second rag, the third rag 112c being placed against a side of the second rag opposite to the side facing the first rag. As shown in FIG. 8c, the third rag 112c may extend outwardly beyond the stack of rags in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of the first rag from the stack. Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the first rag 112c may be folded over (moved indirection F2) the second and third rags, such that a portion of the first rag is placed on top of the third rag. FIG. 8D shows a stack of rags with first and second rags folded and stacked on top of one another. This process may be repeated with fourth, fifth, sixth, or more rags until a stack of rags of with a desired number of rags may be formed. For example, in one embodiment, the stack of rags may include 5 rags.

According to another embodiment, a method of dispensing a rag from a dispenser is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 1B, in such an embodiment, the rag to be dispensed extends outwardly from the opening 104 at the top of the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, the method includes pulling the rag in a direction away from the dispenser (see arrow D, for example) until the rag is removed from the housing. As will be appreciated, the rag may be pulled in a direction perpendicular to the top of the housing. The rag also may be pulled at an angle relative to the top of the housing. FIG. 1C shows the rag, after it has been dispensed from the housing, with a second rag now extending outwardly from the opening.

Although methods have been shown and described in which a single rag is dispensed from the housing at a time, it will be appreciated that a user may pull more than one rag out of the dispenser at a time. For example, if the user exerts excessive force when pulling on the rag, it may be possible to pull two rags out of the housing at the same time. As another example, two rags may become stuck to one another in the housing and may be removed at the same time.

Although embodiments have been shown and described in which the dispenser includes only a bag or only a dispensing plate to bias the rags towards the opening, it will be appreciated that the dispenser may include both a dispensing plate and a bag in some embodiments.

While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.

Also, the invention may be embodied as a method, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including”, “comprising”, “having”, “containing,” or “involving,” and variations thereof herein, are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional item.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing a plurality of rags, the dispenser comprising:

a housing have an opening; and

a plurality of rags disposed in the housing, below the opening;

wherein the plurality of rags are biased in a direction towards the opening of the housing.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rags includes a first stack of rags.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the opening is formed in a top panel of the housing.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, further comprising a rag shield attached to an interior surface of the top panel of the housing.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the rag shield extends across the opening and includes a slit for dispensing one of the plurality of rags.

6. The dispenser of claim 30, wherein the plurality of rags are disposed in the bag, the bag arranged to apply a compressive force to bias the rags towards the opening.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the bag includes an slit positioned adjacent to the opening in the housing for dispensing a rag.

8. The dispenser of claim 30, wherein the plurality of rags are disposed on the dispensing plate, the dispensing plate being moveable between one or more vertical positions in the.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the dispensing plate includes first and second openings, the first opening being spaced from the second opening.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the first and second openings extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the dispenser.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the bottom panel of the housing includes first and second tabs arranged to engage with the first and second openings on the dispensing plate, respectively.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein, when the dispensing plate is moved to a first vertical position in the housing, the first and second tabs are engaged with the first and second openings, respectively.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the dispensing plate includes third and fourth openings, wherein the first tab is arranged to engage with the third opening and the second tab is arranged to engage with the fourth opening.

14. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein, when the dispensing plate is moved to a second vertical position in the housing, the first and second tabs are engaged with the third and fourth openings.

15. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the first and second tabs extend inwardly into the housing when the first and second tabs are engaged with the first and second openings.

16. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the first and second tabs are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the housing.

17. The dispenser of claim 2, further comprising a second opening formed in the housing and a second stack of rags disposed in the housing, wherein the second stack of rags is positioned below the second opening.

18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the first stack of rags is disposed in a first bag in the housing, the first bag arranged to apply a compressive force to bias the first stack of rags towards the opening, wherein the second stack of rags is disposed in a second bag in the housing, the second bag arranged to apply a compressive force to bias the second stack of rags towards the second opening.

19. The dispense of claim 17, wherein the first stack of rags is disposed on a first dispensing plate and the second stack of rags is disposed on a second dispensing plate.

20. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the first stack of rags includes a first type of rags and the second stack of rags includes a second type of rags.

21. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein the first type of rags is different from the second type of rags.

22. A method of assembling a dispenser for dispensing a plurality of rags;

ultrasonically cutting a plurality of rags;

forming a stack of rags;

inserting the stack of rags into a dispenser having a housing with an opening, the stack of rags being positioned below the opening.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, before inserting the stack of rags into the housing, placing a bag around the stack of rags.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bag includes a slit for dispensing a rag.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the stack of rags is disposed on a dispensing plate in the housing.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

forming a second stack of rags;

inserting the second stack of rags into the dispenser, the second stack of rags being positioned below a second opening in the housing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, before inserting the second stack of rags into the housing, placing the second stack of rags in a second bag, the second bag having a slit for dispensing a rag.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the second stack of rags is disposed on a second dispensing plate in the housing.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein ultrasonically cutting a plurality of rags includes ultrasonically sealing edges of the plurality of rags.

30. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rags are biased in a direction towards the opening of the housing via at least one of a bag and a dispensing plate.