Tissue roll dispenser

1. A gravity-feed tissue roll dispenser for a plurality of tissue rolls comprising:

(a) a housing with a dispensing opening for allowing access to tissue contained in the dispenser;

(b) a supply turret with a plurality of spindles for mounting a plurality of tissue rolls for dispensing;

(c) means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing;

(d) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in a dispensing position, the stop means being responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout; and

(e) a plurality of sequestering members mounted on the turret in such a manner as to move with the turret and relative to the housing, each sequestering member being associated with a respective one of the spindles, each sequestering member being adapted to cooperate with the housing in order to hinder access to a tissue roll on its associated spindle until the spindle is in the dispensing position.

2. The tissue roll dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing are configured to mount the turret about a center of rotation such that a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret defines a biasing sector of the dispenser and the spindles rotate between upper and lower positions, the dispenser also having a dispensing sector adjacent the biasing sector, and wherein the dispensing position is elevated with respect to a tower limit of travel of the spindle upon rotation of the turret and wherein further the turret and stop means are configured such that when a loaded spindle is secured in the elevated dispensing position: (i) at least two spindles are in the biasing sector of the dispenser and (ii) the number of spindles in the biasing sector loaded with a full roll of tissue is equal to or greater than the number of other spindles in the dispensing sector loaded with a full roll of tissue, such that when the dispenser is fully loaded with a plurality of like tissue rolls, depletion of a roll in the elevated dispensing position distributes the weight of tissue in the dispenser so as to bias the turret in a dispensing direction.

3. The tissue roll dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the sequestering members comprise curved plates.

4. The tissue roll dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the sequestering members are discrete components.

5. The tissue roll dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the sequestering members are injection-molded as part of a unitary structure.

6. A method of dispensing tissue comprising:

(a) disposing a plurality of tissue rolls in a dispenser comprising:

(i) a housing with a dispensing opening for allowing access to tissue contained in the dispenser;

(ii) a supply turret with a plurality of spindles for mounting a plurality of tissue rolls for dispensing;

(iii) means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing;

(iv) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in a dispensing position, the stop means being responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout;

(v) a plurality of sequestering members mounted on the turret in such a manner as to move with the turret and relative to the housing, each sequestering member being associated with a respective one of the spindles, each sequestering member being adapted to cooperate with the housing in order to hinder access to a tissue roll on its associated spindle until the spindle is in the dispensing position; and

(b) withdrawing tissue from the dispenser.