Abstract:
A dispenser having a first member rotatably engaging a second member to form a cavity from which sheets such as flat bags may be dispensed via a lineal aperture and a sheet-guiding member extending from the first member into the cavity.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Pat. Application No. 29/303,832, filed on Feb. 19, 2008, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/470,956, filed on Sep. 7, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/715,218, filed on Sep. 7, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/730,588, filed Oct. 26, 2005, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention relates to dispensing apparatuses and particularly to dispensers of bags or other sheet-like materials. 
         [0003]    In the dispensing of substantially flat, stacked, plastic bags, it is difficult to arrange the stack so that they are substantially upright, dispensing readily downward via the application of a finger contacting the surface of the topmost bag and drawing the topmost bag from the dispenser in a downward motion of the contacting finger. Further the quick assembly of such a dispenser and readily replacement of the stacked, plastic bags within an assembled dispenser can conflict with feeding from replacement stack in that folds or bags out of sort may jam the mechanical dispensability of the stack. 
         [0004]    There remains a need for a dispenser for dispensing individually from a stack of plastic bags contained therein where such dispenser provides for ready replacement of stacks of plastic bags and the dispensing mechanism provides for the ready withdrawal of an individual bag via the motion of a finger. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention includes several embodiments of a dispenser as an article of manufacture. For example, a dispenser embodiment may comprise a first member having a first, second and third panel, the second panel having an upper and lower panel separated by a lineal aperture comprising an arcuate aperture of the upper panel that rotates. A first member engages the second member, defining a cavity which further comprises a sheet-guiding member extending at an inclined angle into the cavity. The second member further comprises at least one sheet-guiding member extending at an angle inclined into the cavity which may be resilient and inclined out of the plane of the at least one sheet-guiding member extending from the second member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, and in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1   a  is a partial cut-out and exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a system for disposal according to the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1   b  is a front perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1   a  in a closed position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1   c  is a front perspective view of the dispenser shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  in an open position with an alternate embodiment of a bag according to the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2   a  is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a system for disposal according to the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2   b  is a front perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2   a;    
           [0012]      FIG. 2   c  is a side perspective view of a roll of bags according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a system for disposal according to the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a bag according to the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5   a  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a bag according to the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5   b  is a front perspective view of the bag shown in  FIG. 5   a  in a first stage of being closed; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5   c  is a front perspective view of the bag shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  in a second stage of being closed; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5   d  is a rear perspective view of the bag shown in  FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  in a closed position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5   e  is a front perspective view of the bag shown in  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d;    
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a method according to the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a system for disposal according to the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a system for disposal according to the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a plan view and a side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10   a  is a front view of a dispenser embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 10   b  is a front view of a partially loaded dispenser embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  is a view of the right side of the dispenser embodiment of  FIG. 10  of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 12  is a view of the left side of the dispenser embodiment of  FIG. 10  of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  is a view of the top of the dispenser embodiment of  FIG. 10  of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 14  is a view of the bottom of the dispenser embodiment of  FIG. 10  of the present invention; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 15  is a back view of a dispenser embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , a system for disposal of feminine hygiene products  100  includes a dispenser  200  with a dispensing opening  202  and an inner cavity  204 . The dispenser  200  also includes a slit  212  and a viewing window  216  in its hinged, front face  214 . 
         [0032]    A roll  300  of bags  302  with a central opening  304  is disposed within the inner cavity  204 . The central opening  304  of the roll of bags  300  engages with protrusions  206 ,  208  on opposite lateral sides of the inner cavity  204 . One protrusion  206  rotates freely within a groove  210  fixed on the dispenser  200 . The other protrusion  208  extends from a latch mechanism  220  and engages with force locking engagement with the central opening  304  of the roll  300 . 
         [0033]    The latch mechanism  220  in this embodiment includes a handle  222  that extends through the slit  212  in the front face  214  of the dispenser  200 . The handle  222  is rigidly connected to an arm  224  fixed to a rotatable, toothed catch gear  226 . A compression spring  228  is disposed between the arm  224  and the catch gear  226  to push the teeth of the catch gear  226  into engagement with the teeth of the protrusion  208 . A tension spring  232  couples the distal end of the arm  224  to the protrusion  208  to pull the handle  222  upward. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 1   a - 1   c , as the handle  222  is pulled against the force of the tension spring  230  toward the bottom of the slit  212 , the arm  224  rotates the catch gear  226  so that it is not in toothed engagement with the protrusion  208 . As the handle  222  is brought back up due to the force of the tension spring  230 , however, the teeth of the catch gear  226  engage with the teeth of the protrusion  208  to rotate the protrusion  208 . The roll  300  is thus rotated through force-locking engagement with the protrusion  208 , whereby a single is bag  302  is dispensed through the dispensing opening  202 , and can be grasped and detached from the roll  300  by tearing its perforations  306 . 
         [0035]    The bag  302  shown in  FIG. 1   a  has a closeable portion  310  adjacent to the opening  308  of the bag  302 . One closeable portion includes at least two tiable elements  310 , which, after a soiled feminine hygiene product is placed within the bag  302 , the tiable elements  310  are tied tightly together to close the opening  308  of the bag  302 . 
         [0036]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 1   c , a bag  302 ′ may have a closeable portion  312  that includes a groove portion and a projecting portion facing the groove portion and interlockable with the groove portion, such as a Zip-Lock™-type closure. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   c , another embodiment of a system for disposal of feminine hygiene products  100 ′ includes a dispenser  200 ′ with a dispensing opening  202 ′ and an inner cavity  204 ′. The dispenser  200 ′ also includes a viewing window  216 ′ in its front face  214 ′. 
         [0038]    A roll  300 ′ of folded bags  302 ′ is disposed within the inner cavity  204 ′. A folded bag  302 ′ extending out of the dispensing opening  202 ′ can be grasped, pulled, and its perforations connecting it with the other bags can be torn. In this embodiment, the roll  300 ′ of bags  302 ′ sits and can rotate freely within a substantially cylindrically shaped portion of the inner cavity  204 ′. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide one or more protrusions in the inner cavity  204 ′ to engage the central opening  304 ′ of the roll  300 ′. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3  depicts yet another embodiment of a system for disposal of feminine hygiene products  100 ″ including a dispenser  200 ″ with a dispensing opening  202 ″ and an inner cavity  204 ″. The dispenser  200 ″ is in the shape of a bag and is in a size convenient for carrying in a pocket or a purse. 
         [0040]    Folded bags  302 ″ are disposed within the inner cavity  204 ″ of the dispenser  200 ″. Each folded bag  302 ″ may be grasped individually from the dispenser  200 ″ and used. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the disposal system  100 ′″ may include a dispenser  200 ′″ in the form of a mountable housing with screw holes  201 . The dispenser  200 ′″includes folded bags  302 ′″, similar to those described above, within its inner cavity  204 ′″. 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , the disposal system  100 ″″ may include a dispenser  200 ″″ in the form of a vase. In this embodiment, the shape of the vase from a top view is in the shape of the heart, but the invention is not limited thereto. A roll of bags  302 ″″ is located within the inner cavity  204 ″″. A silk flower  700  is also included in this embodiment, and fits within an opening in the roll of bags  302 ″″. In this embodiment, the vase has a width w of the side wall of approximately 0.125 inch, an approximately 0.250 inch inner radius, and an approximate height of 7 inches. However, the invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0043]    Another embodiment of a bag  402  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 4 . The bag  402  includes a closeable portion  404  for enclosing a feminine hygiene product within the bag. In this embodiment, the closeable portion  404  includes a flap  404   a  with an adhesive strip  404   b  extending beyond an edge  406  of the bag opening  408 . The adhesive strip  404   b  in this embodiment extends around the periphery of the flap  404   a , but it is also within the scope of the invention for the strip to only extend in one direction on the flap. The adhesive strip  404   b  may be covered by release paper until ready to use. When the flap  404   a  is folded over the bag opening  406 , the adhesive  404   b  adheres to the edge  406  to create a liquid-proof seal. 
         [0044]    In this embodiment, the bag  402  is opaque and scented. These features can reduce possible embarrassment if the bag must be set in an open receptacle or carried in a purse or through a public place to be disposed of in an off-site receptacle. The bag  402  in this embodiment is made from a biodegradable material, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE) with a biodegradable additive, such as an oxo-biodegradable additive available from EPI™ called TDPA. 
         [0045]    The length L of the bag is approximately three to ten inches, and its width W is approximately two to eight inches. In this embodiment, the length L is eight inches and the width W is six inches. The flap  404  extends approximately one inch from the edge  406 . However, one skilled in the art will understand that the length, width, and extension of the flap may be modified to securely contain any size sanitary napkin or tampon. The thickness of each of the walls of the bag  402  is approximately 0.025 mm to 0.15 mm. The thickness may be varied according to the material of the bag so that the bag is sufficiently strong to resist tears or leaks during its use. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  show a third embodiment of a bag  502  according to the invention. The bag  502  includes a closeable portion  504  with an outer pocket  504   a  opening downward and fixed to a rear side of the bag  502 . The non-opening side of the outer pocket  504   a  forms an edge  506  of the opening  508  of the bag  502 . 
         [0047]    To close the opening  508  of the bag  502 , a user slides his or her fingers into the opening of the outer pocket  504   a  after a soiled feminine hygiene product has been placed inside the bag  502  as shown in the front view of  FIG. 5   b . The outer pocket  504   a  is then folded inside out over the opening  508  of the bag  502 , as shown in the front view of  FIG. 5   c  and the rear view of  FIG. 5   d . Adhesive may also be added to the folded edge of the outer pocket  504   a  so that, when folded inside out, the outer pocket  504   a  adheres to the front of the bag  502  to seal the opening  508 . 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 5   e , the bag  502  has a length L of approximately six inches and a width W of approximately four inches. The outer pocket  504   a  is approximately one inch deep. 
         [0049]    A method of protecting against contamination from a feminine hygiene product is shown in  FIG. 6 . The method includes providing a soiled feminine hygiene product  602  and a liquid-proof bag  604  sized to enclose the soiled feminine hygiene product. Providing the liquid-proof bag  604  may include providing a dispenser surrounding the bag  604   a  and dispensing the bag from the dispenser  604   b . The soiled feminine hygiene product is inserted into the bag  606 . The bag is then closed  608  and, in one embodiment, sealed  610  to enclose the soiled feminine hygiene product inside the bag. A trash receptacle can also be provided  612  and the closed bag may be deposited into the trash receptacle  614 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 10   a  is a front view of a dispenser embodiment  1000  of the present invention comprised, in this example, of two plastic moldings, i.e., a back panel molding  1005  and a front panel molding  1010 , that together define a bag storage cavity  1002  and an outlet slot, such as a lineal slot, where an upper front panel  1010  is shown having an arcuate cut-out region  1012 . While the example of  FIG. 10   a  may be a product of a molding, the term “arcuate cut-out” is used herein to describe the arch-like aperture of the front panel  1010 . Extending from the lower front panel  1020  of the front panel molding  1010  toward the upper front panel is a resilient tongue portion  1022  of the lower front panel and the tongue portion  1022  is inclined into the main cavity of the dispenser  1000 .  FIG. 10   b  is a front view of a dispenser embodiment  1000  of the present invention where a substantially flat bag  1030  having a rectangular planform is shown within the bag storage cavity  1002  with a portion of the bag  1031  visible at the outlet slit and visible at the arcuate cut-out  1012  as a portion of the bag  1032  rests on a portion of the resilient tongue  1022 .  FIG. 11  shows a right side view of the exemplary dispenser  1000  and also the resilient tongue  1022  inclined into the bag storage cavity  1002 . In the side view of  FIG. 11 , the resilient tongue portion  1022  is above a rotation pin  1110  that may extend from a portion back panel into an aperture of the front panel  1010 . Accordingly, the exemplary dispenser  1000  may be articulated so that the front panel molding  1010  may rotate  1112  about the axis of the pin  1110  relative to the back panel molding  1005 . Accordingly, edges of bags may rest across the bag-guiding members and drawn by gravity and the loading effect of the tongue; the bags are presented at the lineal aperture. A user may draw the bag placing a finger through the arcuate aperture a via a drawing-down motion extract the bag.  FIG. 12  shows a left side view of the exemplary dispenser  1000  and also the resilient tongue  1022  inclined into the bag storage cavity  1002 . In the side view of  FIG. 12 , a plurality of substantially flat bags  1030  are shown within the bag storage cavity  1002 , where a portion of each bag  1210  rests on the resilient tongue portion  1022 . The exemplary dispenser  1000  may also include a locking mechanism  1220  that both joins the front panel  1010  to back panel molding  1005 .  FIG. 13  is a top planview of the exemplary dispenser  1000  where the back panel molding  1005  provides for a flush mounting onto a flat surface.  FIG. 14  is a bottom planview of the exemplary dispenser  1000  showing the rotation pins  1110  each extending from a structural member  1410  where each structural member  1410  is integral with, or fixed to, the back panel molding  1005 .  FIG. 15  is a view of the back side of the exemplary dispenser  1000  that also shows the rotation pins  1110  each extending from a structural member  1410  where each structural member  1410  is integral with, or fixed to, the back panel molding  1005 . The back panel molding  1005  may also include apertures for surface mounting the exemplary dispenser  1000 . 
         [0051]    Alterations, modifications and variations may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and as such should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims.