Abstract:
A dispensing carton for interfolded sheets is disclosed. The carton has integral stationary means for enabling dispensing of the sheets through a single dispensing opening in a stationary wall portion of the carton to provide substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time. The carton has top, front, rear, bottom and end walls. The means for dispensing has means for defining a “T”-shaped dispensing opening having an elongate head portion which is centrally disposed in the top wall of the carton and which has a linear back edge, a stem portion that extends downwardly through a medial portion of the front wall of the carton, and a flared portion having arcuate edges disposed intermediate the head portion and the stem portion. The opening is configured to be sufficiently constrictive to enable substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to dispensing packages and cartons for stacked and/or interfolded sheet materials such as facial tissues. More particularly, this disclosure pertains to packages and cartons configured to dispense stacked and interfolded sheets through a single dispensing opening with improved sheet-to-sheet stand-up height dispensing uniformity. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Packages for containing and dispensing stacked and/or interleaved sheet materials disposed inside carton board cartons can generally be divided into two principal types. The first type enables stacked and interfolded sheets to “pop-up” to dispense through an opening in the top wall of the carton. Such pop-up dispensers provide partial withdrawal of the next successive tissue upon pulling sheets out one at a time from the carton. The second type of carton facilitates dispensing of a stack of sheets that are generally not interfolded by providing an opening in one at least one of the carton walls to enable a user to reach into the carton and remove one or more of the sheets at a time. This latter type of carton is commonly known as a “reach-in” carton. Typically, a reach-in carton does not facilitate “pop-up” dispensing of successive sheets. Frankly, innovation in the carton art has been rather stagnant until now. One form of prior art containers provide for the “pop-up” dispensing of tissues through an opening in the top wall of the carton. The dispensing opening in this type of carton is typically very large relative to the total area of the top wall. In some current embodiments of these “pop-up” carton types, a perforated non-decomposable film material is either disposed over or within the opening to effectively seal the tissues within the carton and provide a restrictive opening in order to aid in providing a partially dispensed tissue in an upright fashion. 
         [0003]    Another form of prior art container is provided with a composite dispensing opening which comprises a narrow elongate slot in the top wall and a vertical slot in the front wall that are connected by a trapezoidal-shape transition zone in the top wall. This type of carton may generally be thought to provide an improved carton from which individual tissues may be sequentially dispensed, and from which a plurality of tissues may be conveniently removed as a unit. Such containers are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,144,961 and 3,272,385. 
         [0004]    However, these “pop-up” cartons are problematic in that a high percentage of the interleaved tissues contained therein that are “popped-up” were found to have a very high tendency to droop or lay over on the carton rather than stand erect. Additionally, the observed stand-up height progressively diminishes in such cartons as tissues are dispensed likely due to the weight of the tissue falling back into the container and thereby at least partially retracting the next-to-be-dispensed tissue after the just dispensed tissue has been disengaged therefrom. Further, the use of non-biodegradeable and non-renewable films in order to provide a restricted opening to facilitate dispensing adds additional manufacturing steps, increases the environmental footprint of the carton, and does little to address the retraction and lay-over issues associated with these cartons. Clearly these are drawbacks that negatively impact the perception of the container and the product contained therein by the consumer. 
         [0005]    Another carton provides sequential dispensing of one sheet at a time. The package comprises a carton and a bundle of stacked and/or interleaved tissues. The dispensing opening is provided in the carton which comprises an opening in the top wall and/or side wall. In such cartons, the dispensing opening is sufficiently large to allow for the repeated intra-carton access to the stacked and/or interleaved tissues contained therein. 
         [0006]    However such a carton is not designed to provide “pop-up” dispensing. The consumer must reach into the carton to withdraw succeeding tissues. This can present a hygiene issue due to the repeated contact of the consumer with the stack of tissues. Additionally, it was found that as tissues are sequentially dispensed from such cartons, if the leading portion of the next tissue dispenses at all, it generally lies across the top-front edge of the carton. Additionally, any partially dispensed sheets were found to have no appreciable stand-up height. 
         [0007]    Thus, it would be understood by one of skill in the art that it would be clearly beneficial to provide a carton for dispensing stacked and/or interleaved sheet materials, such as facial tissues, that provides a more consistent and more erect partially dispensed sheet relative to prior art designs. It would also be advantageous to provide a dispensing carton that eliminates the need for additional non-decomposable packaging materials known to those of skill in the art as “pop-up” window film. Eliminating such non-decomposable packaging materials would indeed require fewer manufacturing steps and be eco-friendly by not requiring additional natural resource materials and reducing the environmental footprint at the time of disposal. Further it would be advantageous to provide a carton that increases tissue-to-tissue hygiene while facilitating increased access to the stack of sheets within a carton from the side of carton in the event that a partially dispensed is purposefully re-inserted into the carton. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present disclosure provides for a dispensing carton for interfolded sheets. The carton has integral stationary means for enabling dispensing of the sheets through a single dispensing opening in a stationary wall portion of the carton. The carton provides substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time. The carton is sized to contain a bundle of interfolded sheets. The carton has top, front, rear, bottom and end walls. The means for dispensing has means for defining a “T”-shaped dispensing opening having an elongate head portion which is centrally disposed in the top wall of the carton and which has a linear back edge, a stem portion that extends downwardly through a medial portion of the front wall of the carton, and a flared portion having arcuate edges disposed intermediate the head portion and the stem portion. The opening is configured to be sufficiently constrictive with respect to withdrawing single sheets therethrough to enable substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a facial tissue package embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a facial tissue package embodiment of the present disclosure wherein a partially withdrawn tissue extends upwardly through the dispensing opening of the carton; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the carton of  FIG. 2  taken along the line  3 - 3 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a facial tissue package embodiment of the present disclosure suitable for sale; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a cut and scored carton board blank from which, when erected, becomes a carton of the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary package  20  which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Exemplary package  20  generally provides a carton  21  containing a bundle (not shown) of sheets (not shown) of stacked and/or interleaved facial tissue paper. In an exemplary, but non-limiting embodiment, the carton  21  is provided with a dispensing opening  24  which is provided as a composite having a general “T”-shape which comprises a slotted elongate head portion  25 , a generally elongate stem portion  26 , and a radiused curved portion  27 . The perimeter of the “T”-shaped dispensing opening  24  is designated lineament  28 . In a preferred but non-limiting embodiment, lineament  28  can enable the tear-out removal of a panel disposed in carton  21  that has been outlined by a line of weakening having the configuration of lineament  28 . Carton  21  also preferably comprises top wall  35 , end wall  36 , and front wall  37 ; and the top-front edge of the carton is designated  38 . An exemplary embodiment of package  20  comprises a carton  21  that is sized and configured to accommodate a bundle of stacked and/or interleaved sheets  22 . Such a carton  21  can be made from twenty or twenty two point carton board as would be understood by one of skill in the art. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a visible sheet  22  is partially withdrawn from carton  21 , and its edges which are visible in  FIG. 1  are designated leading edge  31 , first longitudinal side edge  32  and second longitudinal side edge  33 . Stacked and or interleaved sheets  22  of bundle  23  are preferably “U”-folded and interleaved to enable pop-up dispensing of one tissue at a time. However, sheets  22  of bundle  23  may be folded (e.g.,“C”-folded, “Z”-folded, “V”-folded, etc.) and/or interleaved in any manner understood by those of skill in the art. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , dispensing opening  24  is so configured and disposed so that removal of one sheet  22  at a time causes the leading edge  31  of the next successive sheet  22  to stand up away from the carton  21 . In other words, dispensing opening  24  is configured so that sheet  22  has little or no droop and does not lie on the top wall  35  of the carton  21 . Furthermore, the configuration and disposition of opening  24  in carton  21  is such that there is little to no sheet-to-sheet variation in stand-up height of successive sheets  22  as they are each dispensed from carton  21 . In a preferred embodiment, the sheet  22  forms an angle, θ, relative to the top wall  35  of carton  21 . In a preferred embodiment, θ ranges from about 80° to about 90°, or from about 80° to less than 90°, or from about 82° to less than 90°, or from 85° to less than 90°, or from about 87° to less than 90°. 
         [0017]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , while not wishing to be bound by a theory of operation, it is believed that limiting the length, B, of the head portion  25  of dispensing opening  24  to the range of from about sixty to about eighty percent of the length of the carton  21 , and radiusing the ends of the head portion  25 , E, thereof as further described herein causes the longitudinal edge portions  32 ,  33  of sheets  22  being withdrawn to curl in such a manner as to impart substantial columnar strength to the portion of the sheet  22  extending above the top wall  35  of the carton  21  after the next previous sheet  22  has been fully removed and disassociated therefrom. That is, it is believed that shaping and positioning the opening  24  as disclosed herein precipitates sheet  22  to form a shape after partial dispensing that has sufficient columnar strength to substantially obviate and even eliminate drooping as herein infra. The stand-up height (alternatively referred to herein as “pop-up” height) is the vertical elevational difference between the highest portion of the leading edge  31  of upwardly extending sheet  22  and the top wall  35  of the carton  21 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 4  provides a perspective view of an exemplary but non-limiting carton  21  in a condition suitable for retail sale. It should be noticed that the carton  21  is provided with a removeable tear-out panel  55 . The removeable tear-out panel  55  can be removed by the consumer post sale in order to provide access to the contents of carton  21  such as stacked sheets  22  disposed therein for individual dispensing as discussed herein. 
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a carton blank  21 B that is cut and scored to enable it to be erected and converted into carton  21  for dispensing sheets  22  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , an exemplary and non-limiting carton blank  21 B suitable for forming carton  21  preferably comprises top wall  35 , front wall  37 , end flaps  41 - 44  which corporately make up end wall  36 , back wall  45 , bottom wall  46 , rear glue flap  47 , and end flaps  48 - 51 . Additionally, carton  21  comprises a tear-out panel  55  which is defined by a line of weakening disposed within carton blank  21 B having the shape of lineament  28 . It should be understood by one of skill in the art that carton blank  21 B can be provided with any number of sides and/or panels to form a suitable carton having the inventive opening  24  disclosed herein. 
         [0020]    The length of the head portion  25  disposed in top wall  35  of carton  21  (i.e., the back edge of dispensing opening  24 ,  FIG. 1 ) is designated B and was found to generally range from about 4.5 inches to about 6.5 inches in order to provide dispensing commensurate in scope with the discussion supra. The radius of the ends of head portion of panel  55  are designated E and were found to preferably be about 0.25 inches in order to provide dispensing commensurate in scope with the discussion supra. The radius of flared curved portion  27  having arcuate edges is designated D and were found to preferably be provided with a radius of about 0.50 inches in order to provide dispensing commensurate in scope with the discussion supra. The width of the elongate portion of “T”-shaped opening  24  disposed in top wall  35  is designated A and was found to generally range from about 0.375 inches to about 1.00 inches in order to provide dispensing commensurate in scope with the discussion supra. The length of the portion of opening  24  forming the reminder of the elongate portion of “T”-shaped opening  24  disposed in top wall  35  and extending from stem portion  26  to the terminus of the elongate, “T”-shaped portion of opening  24  disposed in top wall  35  is designated as C and was found to generally range from about 1.25 inches to about 1.75 inches in order to provide dispensing commensurate in scope with the discussion supra. 
         [0021]    The “T”-shaped portion of the tear-out panel  55  is preferably equally spaced from each side edge of the top wall  35 . As still further indicated in  FIG. 5  in the form of an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, while most of the edge of tear-out panel  55  defined by lineament  28  preferably comprises very short and closely spaced cuts  57 , longer cuts  58  and  59  extend over the coextensive edges of top panel  35  and front panel  37 , and the radii are cuts  60 ,  61 . Cuts  58 ,  59 ,  60 , and  61  are provided to insure clean removal of panel  55  inasmuch as short spaced cuts in such areas could render it more difficult to remove panel  55 . 
         [0022]    Returning again to  FIG. 3 , it was surprisingly found that the carton  21  of the present disclosure provides a more consistent and more erect sheet  22  having a higher degree of angle, θ, relative to top wall  35  relative various prior art designs. It was also surprisingly found that the carton  21  of the present disclosure eliminated any need for additional packaging materials known to those of skill in the art as “pop-up” window film. It would be readily recognized by one of skill in the art that this advantage results in a significant cost advantage over currently marketed cartons. By way of non-limiting example, the carton described herein requires fewer production materials to form a completed carton. Additionally, the carton described herein can be produced in a manufacturing environment with less production steps than are necessary to adhere additional carton materials to the carton board forming the carton  21 . Further, the carton  21  of the present disclosure clearly preserves the functionality of a sheet  22  by better maintaining the vertical orientation of the partially dispensed sheet  22  relative to the carton  21 . Better yet, the carton  21  of the present disclosure clearly provides a smaller environmental footprint over the known various prior art cartons by reducing the materials disposed in a landfill when the carton  21  is depleted of sheets  22 . 
         [0023]    Yet still, the “T”-shape of the opening  24  of the carton  21  of the present disclosure provides increased access to a stack of sheets  22  from side of carton  21  in the unlikely event that the sheet  22  falls back, or is purposefully re-inserted (a so-called “drop-in”). “Drop-ins” are next-successive sheets  22  that fall back inside the carton  21  after completing the dispensing of the next prior sheet  22 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the portion of the “T”-shaped opening of carton  21  disposed upon the front wall  37  of carton  21  described herein has a width which can be conveniently expressed as the quantity B-2C. Providing this portion of the “T”-shaped opening  24  with this dimension is a significant improvement over known prior art cartons that were found to typically provide consequently narrow openings making it difficult for a user to access the sheet materials from this location. Further still, the “T”-shape of the opening  24  of the carton  21  of the present disclosure provides increased visual access to sheets  22  stacked within carton  21  in order to gauge the fill of the sheets  22  remaining in carton  21 . 
         [0024]    It was also surprisingly found that the benefits of the carton  21  described herein can be articulated over known prior art cartons due to the dimensional specifications discussed herein. For example, the length of the head portion  25  of the tear-out panel  55  (i.e., the back edge of dispensing opening  24 ,  FIG. 1 ), B, was surprisingly found to provide a more consistent and more erect sheet dispensing relative to some prior art designs. For example it was surprisingly found that if the length of the head portion  25 , B, was increased in length beyond the range specified herein, consistency of the partially dispensed sheet  22  to obtain and be maintained in a reliable, reproducible, and suitable vertical orientation relative to the carton  21  and opening  24  as discussed supra was significantly reduced. 
         [0025]    The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.” 
         [0026]    All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same tee n in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that tern in this document shall govern. 
         [0027]    While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.