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US 2024/0260794 A1Published application
Sheet product dispensers and corresponding methods for manual dispensing of two sheet products at a time
AssigneeGPCP IP Holdings LLC
InventorTed Allen Casper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dispensers, systems, and methods for providing manual two-at-a-time sheet product dispensing are provided herein. A sheet product dispenser comprises a housing configured to hold a plurality of folded sheet products, a biasing element, and a ramp. The biasing element is configured to push the plurality of folded sheet products along the ramp such that portions of a first folded sheet product and a second folded sheet product fall through an opening of the housing. The first folded sheet product and the second folded sheet product are dispensable upon a single manual removal by a user.
Claims20
A sheet product dispenser comprising:
- a housing defining an interior volume and including a bottom surface and a front surface, the front surface defining, at least in part, an opening;
- a plurality of folded sheet products positioned within the interior volume, wherein each of the plurality of folded sheet products has a length from a first end to a second end and a width, wherein each of the plurality of folded sheet products includes a crease extending along the width at a position between the first end and the second end, wherein the plurality of folded sheet products includes at least a first folded sheet product and a second folded sheet product positioned subsequent to the first folded sheet product, wherein the plurality of folded sheet products are interleaved such that a first end of the second folded sheet product is positioned within the crease of the first folded sheet product;
- a biasing element disposed within the housing, the biasing element configured to bias the plurality of folded sheet products toward the opening;
- and
- a ramp disposed on the bottom surface of the housing proximate the front surface or a side surface of the housing proximate the front surface, wherein the ramp leads from the bottom surface toward the opening or from the side surface toward a center of the opening,
- wherein the bias of the biasing element on the plurality of folded sheet products causes the first folded sheet product and the second folded sheet product to move along the ramp and causes the crease of the first folded sheet product to fall through the opening such that the crease of the first folded sheet product and the first end of the second folded sheet product fall at least partially through the opening and are presented to a user to enable the user to grab the crease of the first folded sheet product along with the first end of the second folded sheet product such that a single manual removal of the crease of the first folded sheet product dispenses both the first folded sheet product and the second folded sheet product to the user.
3 more elements
A system for dispensing sheet products, the system comprising:
- a housing defining an interior volume, the housing configured to accept a plurality of folded sheet products, wherein each of the plurality of folded sheet products has a length from a first end to a second end and a width, wherein each of the plurality of folded sheet products includes a crease extending along the width at a position between the first end and the second end, wherein the plurality of folded sheet products includes at least a first folded sheet product and a second folded sheet product positioned subsequent to the first folded sheet product, wherein the plurality of folded sheet products are interleaved such that a first end of the second folded sheet product is positioned within the crease of the first folded sheet product, and wherein the housing further comprises:
- a bottom surface;
- and
- a front surface that, alone or together with a top portion of the housing, creates an opening for a crease of the first folded sheet product to fall through;
- a biasing element disposed within the housing, the biasing element configured to bias the plurality of folded sheet products toward the opening;
- and
- a ramp disposed on the bottom surface of the housing proximate the front surface or a side surface of the housing proximate the front surface, wherein the ramp leads from the bottom surface toward the opening or from the side surface toward a center of the opening,
- wherein the bias of the biasing element on the plurality of folded sheet products causes the first folded sheet product and the second folded sheet product to move along the ramp and causes the crease of the first folded sheet product to fall through the opening such that the crease of the first folded sheet product and the first end of the second folded sheet product fall at least partially through the opening and are presented to a user to enable the user to grab the crease of the first folded sheet product along with the first end of the second folded sheet product such that a single manual removal of the crease of the first folded sheet product dispenses both the first folded sheet product and the second folded sheet product to the user.
5 more elements
A method of manufacturing a sheet product dispenser, the method comprising:
- forming a housing, the housing defining an interior volume for holding a plurality of folded sheet products, the housing including a bottom surface and a front surface that defines an opening for a crease of a first folded sheet product to fall through;
- positioning a biasing element within the housing, the biasing element being configured, in operation, to bias the plurality of folded sheet products toward the opening;
- and
- positioning a ramp on the bottom surface of the housing proximate the front surface or a side surface of the housing proximate the front surface, wherein the ramp leads from the bottom surface toward the opening or from the side surface toward a center of the opening.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.