Collapsible package and means therefor
AssigneeInventorytech Limited
InventorsMatthew CLARIDGE, Stephen Ian MANN, James WELLACOTT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispenser for items to be withdrawn from packs containing such items within and comprising a dispenser. The dispenser has at least one pairing of a pack insertion zone and an item withdrawal zone whereby a stack of at least two packs can be maintained in the dispenser with the pack at the item withdrawal zone. This allows (a) individual item withdrawal via the item withdrawal zone from the pack and the dispenser and/or (b) empty pack removal via the item withdrawal zone. The empty packs can reconfigure from their form when full of their items to be pulled out of the dispenser.
Claims42
A dispensing system for items to be withdrawn from packs containing such items within and comprising a dispenser;
- wherein the dispenser has at least one pairing of a pack insertion zone and an item withdrawal zone whereby a stack of at least two packs can be maintained in the dispenser with the pack at the item withdrawal zone allowing (a) individual item withdrawal via the item withdrawal zone from the pack and the dispenser and/or (b) empty pack removal via the item withdrawal zone;
- and wherein the empty packs reconfigure from their form when full of their items to a form more collapsed than when full, the withdrawal opening being of a perimeter profile that prevents the pack from passing through the withdrawal opening unless the pack is so reconfigured.
A dispenser for use in a system of any one of the preceding claims.
A dispenser for items to be withdrawn from packs containing such items within and comprising a dispenser;
- wherein the dispenser has at least one pairing of a pack insertion zone and an item withdrawal zone whereby a stack of at least two packs can be maintained in the dispenser with the pack at the item withdrawal zone allowing (a) individual item withdrawal via the item withdrawal zone from the pack and the dispenser and/or (b) empty pack removal via the item withdrawal zone;
- and wherein the empty packs reconfigure from their form when full of their items to a form more collapsed than when full, the withdrawal opening being of a perimeter profile that prevents the pack from passing through the withdrawal opening unless the pack is so reconfigured.
A pack for use with a dispenser as claimed in claim 26.
A pack of items, the items being available, or releasable so as to be available, for progressive withdrawal from the pack itself;
- wherein when none of the items have been withdrawn, the pack is of a thickness greater than that which it assumes, or can be caused to assume, when the pack is depleted of said items;
- and wherein, when the last of the items to be withdrawn is withdrawn, a pull zone for the depleted pack is revealed.
A dispenser suitable for dispensing packs containing items each able to be dispensed from the pack when in the dispenser, the dispenser comprising a dispensing pack and a housing having a first wall opening to a containment region inside the housing via which a plurality of said dispensing packs can be loaded into the housing in a stack formation and a second wall opening of the housing allowing serial item withdrawal until a dispensing pack is empty of items, from the lowermost pack in the stack in the housing presented at the second wall opening and thereafter removal, via the second wall opening, of the empty dispensing pack and a pack of items, the items being available, or releasable so as to be available, for progressive withdrawal from the dispensing pack itself through the second wall opening;
- wherein when none of the items have been withdrawn, the dispensing pack is of a thickness greater than that which it assumes, or can be caused to assume, when the pack is empty of said items and is larger than the second wall opening to prevent its removal through the second wall opening;
- and wherein, when the last of the items to be withdrawn is withdrawn, the empty dispensing pack is able to be pulled out of the second wall opening, the pack is configured to collapse when pulled at a pull zone of the pack, and pulled in the direction through a the second wall opening that is smaller than the area of the pack in the direction of the pull.
A collapsible pack containing a plurality of items to be dispensed from the pack when in a dispenser having a housing with a dispensing opening via which the items in the pack can be grasped by a user for removal from the pack, the pack having at least two opposed walls and a base end at least partially enveloping and retaining a plurality of said items, the items presented at an end opposite the base end where the items can be grasped for removal, the pack being of a form that before removal of items cannot pass through the dispensing opening due to items keeping the two opposed sidewalls apart enough to prevent pack removal via the dispensing opening and that that once items are removed the pack can be grasped and pulled through the dispensing opening thereby collapsing the sidewalls permitting removal of the pack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.