Patent ID: 6899251
Filing Date: 2005-05-31
Classification: A47K

Abstract:
1. A gravity-feed dispenser for a stack of folded absorbent sheets comprising: (a) a generally rectangular housing provided with a front wall, a rear wall, two sidewalls and a lower portion; (b) a funnel portion coupled to said lower portion of said housing provided with a generally convergent profile such that a front wall of said funnel portion extends downwardly and inwardly with respect to the front wall of said housing, a rear wall of said funnel portion extends downwardly and inwardly with respect to the rear wall of said housing and two sidewalls of said funnel portion extend downwardly substantially in alignment with the sidewalls of said housing; (c) a dispensing aperture defined by said funnel portion of said dispenser, said aperture having an elongate portion extending substantially from one sidewall of said funnel portion to the other sidewall of said funnel portion thus defining an elongate axis of said aperture, the aperture having a rear border of the elongate portion of said aperture and wherein said aperture is configured so that the elongate portion thereof extends upwardly from its rear border to said front wall of said funnel portion of said dispenser such that folded absorbent sheets disposed in said funnel portion of said dispenser are exposed adjacent said front wall of said funnel portion of said dispenser over a substantial height from the rear border of the elongate portion of the aperture and are so presented at the front of said dispenser; (d) a plurality of declivitous guide ridges disposed on an inner surface of said front wall of said funnel portion of said dispenser configured to guide folded absorbent sheets downwardly as they are drawn through said aperture of said dispenser; (e) a plurality of subsidiary guide ridges disposed on an inner surface of said rear wall of said funnel portion of said dispenser configured to guide folded absorbent sheets downwardly as they are drawn through said aperture of said dispenser, wherein said plurality of declivitous guide ridges and said plurality of subsidiary guide ridges are positioned, configured and dimensioned to incline sheets of said stack in the vicinity of the dispensing aperture such that their front portions are elevated with respect to their rearward portions; and (f) a plurality of shelf members positioned at each of the terminal portions of the elongate portion of the aperture for supporting said stack of absorbent sheets within said dispenser wherein the shelf members have a substantially horizontal upper support surface.