Gravity-feed napkin dispenser with internal blocking assembly
AssigneeGeorgia-Pacific Consumer Product LP
InventorsChristopher M. Reinsel, Robert J. Aloisi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gravity-feed dispenser includes an internal blocker assembly to prevent folded sheet from falling away from the dispensing aperture. A preferred embodiment includes a spring biased blocker arm which cooperates with a spring biased guide plate to maintain the napkins in position throughout dispensing of the stack, especially when the stack is depleted and of insufficient weight to urge the remaining sheets into position. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser is provided with a convertible support, suitable for mounting the dispenser on either a wall or a countertop with a quick release mounting bracket.
Claims4
A dispenser comprising:
- a housing including walls defining an interior for accommodating a stack of sheet products within the interior;
- a dispensing aperture disposed at an end of the housing in communication with the interior;
- a blocking assembly including a primary blocker arm, primary biasing means, a guide member and secondary biasing means, wherein:
- the primary blocking arm, secondary biasing means and guide member being configured and adapted such that a weight of the stack of sheet products will substantially maintain the blocking assembly in a first position when the stack of sheet products is longer than a predetermined stack length and the primary biasing means will urge the blocking assembly toward a second position as the stack of sheet products approaches the predetermined stack length;
- the guide member is biased away from the interior of the dispenser by the secondary biasing means in the first position of the assembly and is coupled to the primary blocker arm;
- and
- the guide member and secondary biasing means being further adapted such that the guide member projects into the interior of the dispenser housing upon movement of the blocking assembly toward the second position by motion of the primary blocker arm acting on the guide member to provide a guide surface operative to direct product away from the primary blocker arm and toward the dispensing aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.