Granted Patent B2

US 7,806,291 · App. 11/389,496 · Granted Oct 5, 2010

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A center-pull bottom feed dispenser comprising:

a housing defining a compartment and including a center-pull bottom feed arrangement for dispensing a sheet material, the compartment capable of enclosing a roll of the sheet material which comprises a pre-moistened airlaid web; and

a tray disposed in a lower portion of the compartment, the tray capable of supporting the roll, the tray including an outlet opening through which the airlaid web is fed to be accessible to a user, the tray further including a moisture retaining feature that directs fluid from the pre-moistened air-laid web away from the outlet opening and toward an outer peripheral edge of the roll to promote reabsorption thereby,

wherein the tray includes a bottom support surface on which the roll rests, the bottom support surface having a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge of the tray, the center portion containing a funnel-shaped outlet portion that terminates in the outlet opening and is formed as part of the bottom support surface,

wherein the tray includes a main tray that is fixedly attached to the housing and a secondary tray that is supported by the main tray, the secondary tray being separate from the main tray and being freely removable from the main tray and the housing.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a main housing body for mounting to a surface and a door that is pivotably attached to the main housing body and is positionable between an open position and a closed position, the tray being detachably coupled to the main housing body.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the main housing body has a first funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof and the door has a second funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof such that when the door is in the closed position, the first and second funnel-shaped outlet portions abut one another to define the outlet portion which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet that has an exit opening in communication with the outlet opening of the tray.

4. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the tray is snap-fittingly attached to a rear wall of the main housing.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main tray and the secondary tray has a sloped surface.

6. The dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the slope comprises a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the center portion forms an entrance into the outlet opening which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet and the outer peripheral edge comprises an annular shaped vertical wall.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the secondary tray has a bottom support surface on which the roll rests, the bottom support surface having a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge thereof, the center portion containing a center opening that is in fluid communication with the outlet opening that is associated with the main tray.

9. The dispenser of claim 8 , wherein the secondary tray has an annular shaped vertical wall extending about an outer perimeter edge of the bottom support surface, the vertical wall containing a lip which rests on an upper edge of a wall of the main tray so as to support the secondary tray above the main tray, with the center opening and the outlet opening being axially aligned.

10. The dispenser of claim 9 , wherein an inner section of the bottom support surface of the secondary tray that borders and defines the center opening has an increased thickness compared to the rest of the bottom support surface.

11. The dispenser of claim 8 , wherein the roll has a vertical axis passing through a center of the roll which is coreless, with a lead sheet of web material being removed from the coreless center to be fed to the tray, the orientation of the roll causing any fluid within the airlaid web that is pulled downward toward the bottom support surface due to gravitational forces, wherein the sloped nature of the bottom support surface directs the fluid radially outward from the center portion to an outer peripheral edge to prevent the fluid from dripping out of the center opening and the outlet opening of the underlying main tray.

12. A center-pull bottom feed dispenser comprising:

a housing defining a compartment and including a center-pull bottom feed arrangement for dispensing a sheet material, the compartment capable of enclosing a roll of the sheet material which comprises a pre-moistened airlaid web; and

a tray disposed in a lower portion of the compartment, the tray capable of supporting the roll, the tray including an outlet opening through which the airlaid web is fed to be accessible to a user, the tray further including a moisture retaining feature that directs fluid from the pre-moistened air-laid web away from the outlet opening and toward an outer peripheral edge of the roll, wherein the tray includes a bottom support surface on which the roll rests and the moisture retaining feature comprises a negative slope in the bottom support surface as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge of the tray, the roll being orientated on the bottom support surface so that any fluid, within the airlaid web, that is pulled downward by gravitational forces toward the bottom support surface thereupon flows radially outward from the center portion toward the outer peripheral edge to prevent the fluid from dripping out of the outlet opening and to make the fluid available for reabsorption into the airlaid web material,

wherein the tray includes a main tray that is fixedly attached to the housing and a secondary tray that is supported by the main tray, the secondary tray being separate from the main tray and being freely removable from the main tray and the housing.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the housing includes a main housing body for mounting to a surface and a door that is pivotably attached to the main housing body and is positionable between an open position and a closed position, the tray being detachably coupled to the main housing body.

14. The dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the main housing body has a first funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof and the door has a second funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof such that when the door is in the closed position, the first and second funnel-shaped outlet portions abut one another to define the outlet portion which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet that has an exit opening in communication with the outlet opening of the tray.

15. The dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the tray is snap-fittingly attached to a rear wall of the main housing.

16. The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the main tray and the secondary tray has a sloped surface.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the slope comprises a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the center portion forms an entrance into the outlet opening which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet and the outer peripheral edge comprises an annular shaped vertical wall.

19. The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the secondary tray has a bottom support surface on which the roll rests, the bottom support surface having a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge thereof, the center portion containing a center opening that is in fluid communication with the outlet opening that is associated with the main tray.

20. The dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the secondary tray has an annular shaped vertical wall extending about an outer perimeter edge of the bottom support surface, the vertical wall containing a lip which rests on an upper edge of a wall of the main tray so as to support the secondary tray above the main tray, with the center opening and the outlet opening being axially aligned.

21. The dispenser of claim 20 , wherein an inner section of the bottom support surface of the secondary tray that borders and defines the center opening has an increased thickness compared to the rest of the bottom support surface.

22. The dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the roll has a vertical axis passing through a center of the roll which is coreless, with a lead sheet of web material being removed from the coreless center to be fed to the tray, the orientation of the roll causing any fluid within the airlaid web that is pulled downward toward the bottom support surface due to gravitational forces, wherein the sloped nature of the bottom support surface directs the fluid radially outward from the center portion to an outer peripheral edge to prevent the fluid from dripping out of the center opening and the outlet opening of the underlying main tray.

23. A center-pull bottom feed dispenser comprising:

a housing defining a compartment and including a center-pull bottom feed arrangement for dispensing a sheet material, the compartment capable of enclosing a roll of the sheet material which comprises a pre-moistened airlaid web; and

a tray disposed in a lower portion of the compartment, the tray capable of supporting the roll, the tray including an outlet opening through which the airlaid web is fed to be accessible to a user, the tray further including a moisture retaining feature that directs fluid from the pre-moistened air-laid web away from the outlet opening and toward an outer peripheral edge of the roll to promote reabsorption thereby,

wherein the tray includes a main tray that is fixedly attached to the housing and a secondary tray that is supported by the main tray, the secondary tray being separate from the main tray and being freely removable from the main tray and the housing,

wherein at least one of the main tray and the secondary tray has a sloped surface,

wherein the slope comprises a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge, and

wherein the center portion forms an entrance into the outlet opening which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet and the outer peripheral edge comprises an annular shaped vertical wall.

24. The dispenser of claim 23 , wherein the housing includes a main housing body for mounting to a surface and a door that is pivotably attached to the main housing body and is positionable between an open position and a closed position, the tray being detachably coupled to the main housing body.

25. The dispenser of claim 24 , wherein the main housing body has a first funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof and the door has a second funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof such that when the door is in the closed position, the first and second funnel-shaped outlet portions abut one another to define the outlet portion which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet that has an exit opening in communication with the outlet opening of the tray.

26. The dispenser of claim 24 , wherein the tray is snap-fittingly attached to a rear wall of the main housing.

27. A center-pull bottom feed dispenser comprising:

a housing defining a compartment and including a center-pull bottom feed arrangement for dispensing a sheet material, the compartment capable of enclosing a roll of the sheet material which comprises a pre-moistened airlaid web; and

a tray disposed in a lower portion of the compartment, the tray capable of supporting the roll, the tray including an outlet opening through which the airlaid web is fed to be accessible to a user, the tray further including a moisture retaining feature that directs fluid from the pre-moistened air-laid web away from the outlet opening and toward an outer peripheral edge of the roll to promote reabsorption thereby,

wherein the tray includes a main tray that is fixedly attached to the housing and a secondary tray that is supported by the main tray, the secondary tray being separate from the main tray and being freely removable from the main tray and the housing,

wherein the secondary tray has a bottom support surface on which the roll rests, the bottom support surface having a negative slope as measured radially outward from a center portion to an outer peripheral edge thereof, the center portion containing a center opening that is in fluid communication with the outlet opening that is associated with the main tray.

28. The dispenser of claim 27 , wherein the secondary tray has an annular shaped vertical wall extending about an outer perimeter edge of the bottom support surface, the vertical wall containing a lip which rests on an upper edge of a wall of the main tray so as to support the secondary tray above the main tray, with the center opening and the outlet opening being axially aligned.

29. The dispenser of claim 27 , wherein an inner section of the bottom support surface of the secondary tray that borders and defines the center opening has an increased thickness compared to the rest of the bottom support surface.

30. The dispenser of claim 27 , wherein the roll has a vertical axis passing through a center of the roll which is coreless, with a lead sheet of web material being removed from the coreless center to be fed to the tray, the orientation of the roll causing any fluid within the airlaid web that is pulled downward toward the bottom support surface due to gravitational forces, wherein the sloped nature of the bottom support surface directs the fluid radially outward from the center portion to an outer peripheral edge to prevent the fluid from dripping out of the center opening and the outlet opening of the underlying main tray.

31. The dispenser of claim 27 , wherein the housing includes a main housing body for mounting to a surface and a door that is pivotably attached to the main housing body and is positionable between an open position and a closed position, the tray being detachably coupled to the main housing body.

32. The dispenser of claim 31 , wherein the main housing body has a first funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof and the door has a second funnel-shaped outlet portion along a bottom floor thereof such that when the door is in the closed position, the first and second funnel-shaped outlet portions abut one another to define the outlet portion which is in the form of a funnel-shaped outlet that has an exit opening in communication with the outlet opening of the tray.

33. The dispenser of claim 31 , wherein the tray is snap-fittingly attached to a rear wall of the main housing.

Assignments (8)