US 6,283,295 B1Granted

Container with elevating floor

OwnerDonald Akutagawa, Terry Whitmaninventors

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Abstract

An improved container for dispensing facial tissues, sheet materials or bulk products using an elevating panel and a bracing panel, generally opposed to one another, and a pair of support panels generally opposed to one another. A tab is present in the bracing panel and is receivable by the elevating panel. Upon a user urging the floor towards the top of the container, the tab engages the slot to form a stable structure wherein the support panels rest on the elevating and bracing panels. A floating panel may be placed in the container to provide a more planar floor for certain applications. Also disclosed is a multifaceted container wherein each floor panel has both tabs and slots and are arranged in a fan-like manner. Each tab then engages an adjacent slot formed in an adjacent panel to accomplish the elevated floor upon user biasing actions.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An improved facial tissue dispensing container with an elevatable floor, the container having a top portion defining an aperture for receiving at least one facial tissue, at least one side wall portion contacting the top portion, and a floor portion contacting the at least one side wall portion, the floor portion comprising:

at least one elevating panel having a proximal end and a distal end including a first engagement means for holding the at least one elevating panel in a braced position wherein the elevating panel is flexibly linked to the at least one side wall portion at the proximal end;
and
at least one bracing panel having a proximal end and a distal end including a second engagement means for holding the at least one bracing panel in a braced position wherein the bracing panel is flexibly linked to the at least one side wall portion at the proximal end, and wherein the elevating panel and the bracing panel are in a partially overlapping relationship prior to elevation
such that, when the elevating and bracing panels are biased generally towards the top portion of the container, the first and second engagement means directly interact to form a braced position, thereby bracing the elevating panel in an upward position and supporting facial tissues stored therein at a level closer towards the top portion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/557,683Filed 25 Apr 2000
Granted: 4 Sep 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65D 5/0005
Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made…
A47K 10/422
Dispensing from the top of the dispenser: with means for urging the whole stack upwards towards the dispensing opening, e.g. a spring, a counterweight
B65D 83/0817
With means for assisting dispensing: the articles being automatically urged towards the dispensing aperture, e.g. spring-loaded
B65D
Containers for storage or transport of articles or materials