Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus for dispensing rolled sheet material, the apparatus including a housing defining an interior adapted to rotatably support rolled sheet material and having a dispensing opening sized to allow sheet material to be dispensed therefrom. The apparatus further includes a nip within the housing such as, for example, may be formed by first and second rollers. In addition, the apparatus includes a sheet material dispensing surface proximate the dispensing opening, the sheet material dispensing surface comprising at least one protrusion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for no-touch dispensing of sheet material from a roll of sheet material.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    No-touch dispensers, i.e., dispensers that do not require the patron to touch any part of the dispenser, are desired for many reasons. No-touch dispensing reduces the chance of transferring disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. No-touch dispensing also makes the process of obtaining a sheet simpler and quicker.  
           [0003]    Single-sheet dispensers, i.e., dispensers that dispense a consistent, fixed quantity of sheet material, are also desired for many reasons. They tend to reduce the quantity of sheet material used by an individual patron, thereby saving on material costs, disposal costs, and costs associated with the frequency whereby the dispensers must be refilled.  
           [0004]    No-touch, single-sheet dispensers for folded, interleaved sheets are known, however the manufacturing processes associated with providing the folded, interleaved sheets are more expensive and complex than the process associated with providing roll products.  
           [0005]    No-touch, single-sheet dispensers utilizing knives or other cutting devices to cut sheet material from a roll of sheet material are known, but knives and other cutting devices may present a danger to either a patron or an individual refilling the dispenser.  
           [0006]    No-touch, single-sheet dispensers for rolled products via zones of weakness are known, but if the sheet material tears before the next zone of weakness emerges from the dispenser, the next patron has no sheet material to grasp.  
           [0007]    No-touch, single-sheet dispensing of double rolled products via offset zones of weakness is also known, but dispensers for these products still have disadvantages that have yet to be overcome. As an example, these dispensers can be difficult to load. As another example, if the force applied by a patron to remove the sheet material from the dispenser is distributed evenly across the width of the sheet material, the zones of weakness may not separate, causing more than one sheet to be removed from the dispenser. The features of the dispenser disclosed herein overcome these and other disadvantages of prior art dispensers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The aforesaid needs are fulfilled and the problems experienced by those skilled in the art overcome by the apparatus for dispensing rolled sheet material of the present invention. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing defining an interior adapted to rotatably support rolled sheet material and having a dispensing opening sized to allow sheet material to be dispensed therefrom. The apparatus further includes a nip within the housing such as, for example, may be formed by first and second rollers. In addition, the apparatus includes a sheet material dispensing surface proximate the dispensing opening, the sheet material dispensing surface comprising at least one protrusion. By way of nonlimiting example, the sheet material dispensing surface may include portions that are partially flat, convex, concave, curved, rounded, bowed, arched, warped, crenellated, crenulated, or dished in shape, and so forth, and combinations thereof. Desirably, the sheet material dispensing surface at least partially extends into the path between the nip and the dispensing opening. Optionally, the sheet material dispensing surface may at least partially define the dispensing opening.  
           [0009]    In one embodiment, the sheet material dispensing surface comprises a fixed member located between the nip and the dispensing opening. Desirably, the fixed member is positioned between the nip and the dispensing opening such that the sheet material is allowed to travel along a circuitous path.  
           [0010]    In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing defining an interior adapted to rotatably support rolled sheet material and having a dispensing opening sized to allow sheet material to be dispensed therefrom, a nip within the housing, and a roll of sheet material having a plurality of zones of weakness that substantially extend across the width of the sheet material. The apparatus further includes a sheet material dispensing surface proximate the dispensing opening, the sheet material dispensing surface comprising at least one protrusion. The sheet material is dispensed along a path that extends from the roll of sheet material, through the nip, across the sheet material dispensing surface, and through the dispensing opening. Desirably, the protrusion concentrates force on the portion of the sheet material that contacts the protrusion when the sheet material is pulled across the sheet material dispensing surface and through the dispensing opening.  
           [0011]    Desirably, the roll of sheet material comprises one or more layers of sheet material having zones of weakness therein. Even more desirably, the layers of sheet material comprise a plurality of offset zones of weakness that extend substantially across the width of the sheet material.  
           [0012]    Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser of this invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view depicting the interior of the dispenser of FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view depicting the interior of an alternate embodiment.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an exemplary dispensing surface for the dispenser of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4B is a front view of the dispensing surface of FIG. 4A.  
         [0019]    FIGS.  4 C- 4 E are cross-sectional side views of the dispensing surface of FIG. 4A.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a dispenser of this invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a perspective view depicting the interior of the dispenser of FIG. 5.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view depicting the interior of the dispenser of FIG. 5.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIGS. 8A &amp; 8B are fragmentary perspective views depicting the guide roller within the dispenser of FIG. 5.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional side elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 5.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10A is a perspective view of an exemplary dispensing surface for the dispenser of FIG. 5.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10B is a front view of the dispensing surface of FIG. 10A.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  10 C- 10 E are cross-sectional side elevation views of the dispensing surface of FIG. 10A. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]    Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and is not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment or figure can be used on another embodiment or figure to yield yet another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations.  
         [0029]    The present invention provides an apparatus for dispensing rolled sheet material. Exemplary sheet materials for which the present invention is suitable include, but are not limited to, absorbent sheet materials such as towels, wipers, tissue, and so forth. Suitable sheet materials are disclosed, by way of non-limiting examples only, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,589 to Cook et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,412 to Sudall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,590 to Anderson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,845 to Farrington, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,971 to Anderson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,212 to Anderson et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,996 to Hollenberg et al., the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. The sheet materials for which the present invention is suitable are desirably wound around a core, yet may, for other embodiments, be coreless. The sheet materials for which the present invention is suitable desirably have regularly spaced zones of weakness extending substantially across the width of the sheet material. The zones of weakness are used to separate the sheet material into individual sheets and may be, for example, defined by a series of perforations. The sheet material having regularly spaced zones of weakness substantially extending across its width is desirably double wound into a roll having inner and outer layers of sheet material wherein the zones of weakness for the inner and outer layers are offset as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,172 to Nystrand, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Double wound sheet material having offset zones of weakness allows the sheet material to tear within the dispenser while still providing a tail of sheet material extending from the dispenser to be grasped by the next patron.  
         [0030]    An embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 1 at  10 . The dispenser  10  includes a housing  12  that comprises a first housing section  14  and a second housing section  16 . When the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16  are in the closed position (as depicted in FIG. 1), the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16  together define a dispensing opening  22 , a first angled slot  24 , and a second angled slot on the opposite side wall (not depicted). Sheet material  26  is dispensed through the dispensing opening  22 . Optionally, there may be a window  11  defined in one of the housing sections to allow viewing of the interior of the dispenser  10 . The window  11  may be open, or may be constructed of a transparent or translucent material that permits viewing of the interior of the dispenser  10 .  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIG. 2 that depicts the inside of the dispenser  10 , the first housing section  14  has a top edge  18 , while the second housing section  16  has a bottom edge  20 . The top edge  18  and the bottom edge  20  fit together to form the housing  12 . The top edge  18  and the bottom edge  20  are configured such that the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16  will not separate during the dispensing operation. However, when it is necessary to reload the dispenser, the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16  are readily separated. Methods of removably attaching parts in this manner are well known to those skilled in the art. Nonlimiting examples include snaps, latches, buckles, locks, hooks, buttons, pins, cotter pins, and so forth.  
         [0032]    Within the housing  12  is a dispensing roller  28  that is adapted to support a roll of sheet material  29  having a central aperture  31 . The dispensing roller  28  has a dispensing roller body  30 , a first dispensing roller end  32 , and a second dispensing roller end  34 . The dispensing roller body  30  is desirably cylindrical, but may be any other shape that will support the weight of the roll of sheet material  29 . It is contemplated that the dispensing roller  28  may support the roll of sheet material  29  from within the central aperture  31  or, alternatively, may support the roll of sheet material  29  through contact with the outside surface of the roll of sheet material  29 . The first and second dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  are slidingly engaged by the first and second angled slots  24 ,  25  that form when the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16  are closed together. The first and second dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  may be fixed with respect to the dispensing roller body  30  or may, alternatively, rotate independently from the dispensing roller body  30 . The first and second dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  are desirably cylindrical, but may be any other shape that will slideably engage the first and second angled slots.  
         [0033]    Alternatively, referring now to FIG. 2A, the dispensing roller  28  of FIG. 2 may be replaced by first and second mobile roll supports  28 A. This embodiment may be particularly desirable if the roll of sheet material is a coreless roll such as, for example, is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,985 to Cohen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,821 to Mitchell. The mobile roll supports  28 A have mobile roll support ends  32 A that slideably engage the angled slots  24 ,  25 . The mobile roll supports  28 A also have an engaging member  28 B adapted to engage one side of a roll of sheet material  29 A. The engaging member  28 B can have any one of numerous shapes. Desirably, the engaging member  28 B further includes a chamfered surface  28 C. In other embodiments, the engaging member  28 B may be adapted to extend into the interior of the rolled sheet material  29 A.  
         [0034]    Referring again to FIG. 2, in one embodiment the roll of sheet material  29  may rotate independently from the dispensing roller body  30 . In this embodiment, the roll of sheet material  29  will rotate around the dispensing roller body  30  as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. In another embodiment, the entire dispensing roller  28  including the dispensing roller body  30  and the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  may rotate with the roll of sheet material  29  as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. In a further embodiment, the dispensing roller body  30  may rotate with the roll of sheet material  29  while the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  remain fixed in the angled slots  24 ,  25  with respect to the rotating dispenser roller body  30  and roll of sheet material  29 . In another embodiment, some combination of the aforementioned relationships between the angled slots  24 ,  25 , the dispensing roller  28 , and the roll of sheet material  29  may be used to effectively dispense the sheet material  26 .  
         [0035]    As the sheet material  26  is dispensed and the diameter of the sheet material roll  29  decreases, the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  travel down the angled slots  24 ,  25 . As depicted in FIG. 2, the angled slots  24 ,  25  may be formed between the first housing section  14  and the second housing section  16 . Alternatively, in other embodiments the first and second angled slots  24 ,  25  may be defined entirely within the sides of the first housing section  14 , may be defined entirely within the sides of the second housing section  16 , or may cross over from the first housing section  14  to the second housing section  16 . It is desirable that the angled slots  24 ,  25  be open to the housing section edges  18 ,  20  to facilitate placement of the dispensing roller  28  in the angled slots  24 ,  25 .  
         [0036]    The angled slots  24 ,  25  have the added benefit of providing a window through which it is possible to detect how much sheet material  26  remains on the roll of sheet material  29  inside the housing  12 . However, other embodiments may have tracks on the inside of the first housing section  14  and/or second housing section  16  with which the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  slidingly engage. As the roll of sheet material  29  is depleted, the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  travel within the tracks.  
         [0037]    Referring again to FIG. 2, within the housing  12  is a feed roller  36  that provides further support to the roll of sheet material  29 . The feed roller  36  has a feed roller body  38 , a first feed roller end  40 , and a second feed roller end  42 . The first feed roller end  40  engages a first feed roller aperture  44  in the side of the first housing section  14 . The second feed roller end  42  engages a second feed roller aperture  46  in the opposite side of the first housing section  14 . The first and second feed roller apertures are positioned wherein the outer surface of a roll of sheet material  29  on the dispensing roller  28  will rest against the feed roller  36  as the roll of sheet material  29  is dispensed.  
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the entire feed roller  36 , including the feed roller body  38  and ends  40 ,  42 , may rotate with the roll of sheet material  29  as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. In another embodiment, the feed roller body  38  may rotate with the roll of sheet material  29  while the feed roller ends  40 ,  42  remain fixed in the feed roller apertures  44 . In a further embodiment, some combination of the aforementioned relationships between the roll of sheet material  29 , the feed roller body  38 , and the feed roller ends  40 ,  42  may be used to effectively dispense the sheet material  26 .  
         [0039]    Within the housing  12  is a guide roller  48  having a guide roller body  52 , a first guide roller end  54 , and a second guide roller end  56 . The first guide roller end  54  engages a first guide roller slot  57  in the side of second housing section  16 . The second guide roller end  56  engages a second guide roller slot  59  in the opposite side of the second housing section  16 . Referring now to FIG. 3, the guide roller  48  forms a nip  50  with the feed roller  36 . The nip  50  has an entrance side  50 A and an exit side  50 B. Referring again to FIG. 2, the first and second guide roller slots  57 ,  59  are positioned in the sides of the second housing section  16  wherein the nip  50 , shown in FIG. 3, is formed between the guide roller body  52  and the feed roller body  38  when the second housing section  16  is closed against the first housing section  14 . The guide roller  48  is biased or pressurized against the feed roller  36  by first and second springs  58  having first and second spring ends  60 ,  62 . The first spring ends  60  are connected to hooks  61  that hook over the first and second guide roller ends  54 ,  56 . The second spring ends  62  engage first and second pegs  66  attached to the inside of the second housing section  16 . The guide roller slots  57  allow the guide roller  48  to move and the first and second springs  58  to compress as the first and second housing sections  14 ,  16  are closed together. Alternatively, other mechanisms known to those skilled in the art may be used for biasing or pressurizing the guide roller  48  against the feed roller  36 .  
         [0040]    The force exerted by the guide roller  48  against the feed roller  36  must be such that the tension required to be applied to the sheet material to pull it through the nip  50  exceeds the breaking strength of the zones of weakness in the sheet material yet does not exceed the breaking strength of the remainder of the sheet material  26 . Therefore, force applied to the sheet material  26  extending from the dispensing opening  22  will advance the sheet material  26  until a zone of weakness emerges from the nip  50  between the guide roller  48  and the feed roller  36 . At that point the zone of weakness will break, providing a single sheet to the patron, and leaving an extended tail of sheet material  26  for the next patron to grasp. A detailed description of the desired force balance can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,172 to Nystrand.  
         [0041]    In one embodiment, the entire guide roller  48 , including the guide roller body  52  and first and second guide roller ends  54 ,  56 , may rotate as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. In another embodiment, the guide roller body  52  may rotate with the movement of the sheet material  26  while the guide roller ends  54 ,  56  remain fixed in the guide roller slots  57 . In a further embodiment, some combination of the aforementioned relationships between the guide roller apertures  57 , the guide roller  48 , and the feed roller  38  may be used to effectively dispense the sheet material  26 .  
         [0042]    Referring again to FIG. 3, within the housing  12  and situated between the dispensing opening  22  and the exit side  50 B of the feed nip  50 , a sheet material dispensing surface  70  is positioned wherein during the dispensing operation the sheet material  26  travels over and upon the sheet material dispensing surface  70 . In FIG. 3 the sheet material dispensing surface  70  is depicted beneath the path of the sheet material  26 , but in other embodiments the sheet material dispensing surface  70  may alternatively be positioned above the path of the sheet material  26 , or there may be first and second dispensing surfaces  70  positioned both above and below the path of the sheet material  26 . Referring now to FIGS. 2, 4A, and  4 B, the sheet material dispensing surface  70  has at least one protruding area  74  that contacts the sheet material  26  as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. The sheet material dispensing surface  70  also has at least one depressed area  76  that contacts the sheet material  26  with less force than does the protruding area  74 , or not at all, during dispensing. Desirable shapes for the sheet material dispensing surface  70  include, but are not limited to, partially flat, convex, concave, convex, concave, curved, rounded, bowed, arched, warped, dished, crenellated, crenulated, and so forth, and combinations thereof. An exemplary profile for the dispensing surface  70  is depicted in FIGS.  4 C- 4 E.  
         [0043]    While the inventors do not wish to be held to a particular theory, it is thought that the dispensing force applied by a user to the sheet material  26  extending from the dispensing opening  22  is distributed to the areas of the sheet material  26  where the protruding area  74  contacts the sheet material  26  as it is dispensed. By concentrating the applied force in this manner, separation of individual sheets at the zones of weakness is more likely to occur.  
         [0044]    An alternate embodiment is depicted in FIGS.  5 - 10 E. Referring to FIG. 5, the dispenser  10 A includes a housing  12 A that comprises a first housing section  14 A and a second housing section  16 A. When the first housing section  14 A and the second housing section  16 A are in the closed position (as depicted in FIG. 5), the first housing section  14 A and the second housing section  16 A together define a dispensing opening  22 A through which sheet material  26  is dispensed.  
         [0045]    Referring now to FIG. 6 that depicts the inside of the dispenser  10 A, the first housing section  14 A has a top surface  100  to which is attached a first latch  102 , while the second housing section  16 A has a rim  104  to which is attached a second latch  106 . The rim  104  fits around and over the first housing section  14 A to form the housing  12 A. The first latch  102  and the second latch  106  are configured to removably attach upon closing of the second housing section  16 A such that the first housing section  14 A and the second housing section  16 A will not separate during the dispensing operation. However, when it is necessary to reload the dispenser, the first housing section  14 A and the second housing section  16 A are readily separated. Methods of removably attaching parts are well known to those skilled in the art. Nonlimiting examples include snaps, latches, buckles, locks, hooks, buttons, pins, cotter pins, and so forth. With respect to the particular embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first housing section  14 A and the second housing section  16 A are hingedly attached by first and second hinges  17 . The hinges  17  allow the housing  12 A to be opened without complete separation of the first and second housing sections  14 A,  16 A.  
         [0046]    In reference to FIG. 7, within the housing  12 A is a dispensing roller  28  that is adapted to support a roll of sheet material  29  having a central aperture  31 . The dispensing roller  28  has a dispensing roller body  30 , a first dispensing roller end  32 , and a second dispensing roller end  34 . The dispensing roller body  30  is desirably cylindrical, but may be any other shape that will support the weight of the roll of sheet material  29 . It is contemplated that the dispensing roller  28  may support the roll of sheet material  29  from within the central aperture  31  or, alternatively, may support the roll of sheet material  29  through contact with the outside surface of the roll of sheet material  29 . The first and second dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  are slidingly engaged by the first and second angled tracks  124 ,  125 . The first and second dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  may be fixed with respect to the dispensing roller body  30  or may, alternatively, rotate independently from the dispensing roller body  30 . Similarly, as sheet material  26  is dispensed, the roll of sheet material  29  may be fixed with respect to the dispensing roller body  30 , or may, alternatively, rotate independently from the dispensing roller body  30 . As the sheet material  26  is dispensed and the diameter of the sheet material roll  29  decreases, the dispensing roller ends  32 ,  34  travel down the angled tracks  124 ,  125 .  
         [0047]    Also within the housing  12 A is a feed roller  36  that provides further support to the roll of sheet material  29 . The feed roller  36  has a feed roller body  38 , a first feed roller end  40 , and a second feed roller end  42 . The first feed roller end  40  engages a first feed roller aperture  144  in the side of the first housing section  14 A. The second feed roller end  42  engages a second feed roller aperture  145  in the opposite side of the first housing section  14 A. The first and second feed roller apertures are positioned wherein the outer surface of a roll of sheet material  29  on the dispensing roller  28  will rest against the feed roller  36  as the roll of sheet material  29  is dispensed. As the sheet material  26  is dispensed, the feed roller body  38  rotates with the roll of sheet material  29 . The feed roller body  38  may be fixed with respect to the first and second feed roller ends  40 ,  42 , in which case the first and second feed roller ends  40 ,  42  rotate within the first and second feed roller apertures  144 ,  145 . Alternatively, the feed roller body  38  may rotate independently from the first and second feed roller ends  40 ,  42 .  
         [0048]    Additionally, referring also now to FIGS. 8A and 8B, within the housing  12 A is a guide roller  48  having a guide roller body  52 , a first guide roller end  54 , and a second guide roller end  56 . The first and second guide roller ends  54 ,  56  engage first and second guide roller bushings  150 ,  152  having first and second guide roller bushing ends  154 ,  156 . The first and second guide roller bushing ends  154 ,  156  slidingly engage first and second guide roller bushing slots  158 ,  160  in first and second guide roller arms  162 ,  164  attached to the inside of the second housing section  16 A.  
         [0049]    The guide roller  48  is biased or pressurized between the second housing section  16 A and the feed roller  36  by first and second springs  170  having first and second spring ends  172 ,  174 . The first spring ends  172  engage first and second pegs  176  attached to the inside of the second housing section  16 A. The second spring ends  174  engage first and second spring caps  178  against which rest the first and second guide roller bushings  150 ,  152 . Referring now to FIG. 9, the guide roller  48  forms a nip  50  with the feed roller  36 . The nip  50  has an entrance side  50 A and an exit side  50 B. The first guide roller arm  162  (not shown), and the second guide roller arm  164 , attached to the inside of the second housing section  16 A, are positioned wherein the nip  50  is formed between the guide roller  48  and the feed roller  36  when the second housing section  16 A is closed against the first housing section  14 A. As described above, the force exerted by the guide roller  48  against the feed roller  36  must be such that the tension required to be applied to the sheet material to pull it through the nip  50  exceeds the breaking strength of the zones of weakness in the sheet material yet does not exceed the breaking strength of the rest of the sheet material  26 .  
         [0050]    Referring now to FIG. 9, within the dispenser  10 A and situated between the dispensing opening  22 A and the exit side  50 B of the feed nip  50 , a sheet material dispensing surface  70 A is positioned such that, during the dispensing operation, the sheet material  26  travels over and upon at least a portion of the sheet material dispensing surface  70 A. In FIG. 9 the sheet material dispensing surface  70 A is depicted beneath the path of the sheet material  26 , but in other embodiments the sheet material dispensing surface  70 A may alternatively be positioned above the path of the sheet material  26 , or there may be first and second dispensing surfaces  70 A positioned both above and below the path of the sheet material  26 . Referring now to FIGS. 7, 10A, and  10 B, the sheet material dispensing surface  70 A has at least one protruding area  74 A that contacts the sheet material  26  as the sheet material  26  is dispensed. The sheet material dispensing surface  70 A also has at least one depressed area  76 A that contacts the sheet material  26  with less force during dispensing than does the protruding area  74 A. Desirable shapes for the sheet material dispensing surface  70 A include, but are not limited to, partially flat, convex, concave, curved, rounded, bowed, arched, warped, dished, crenellated, crenulated, and so forth, and combinations thereof. An exemplary profile for the dispensing surface  70 A is depicted in FIGS.  10 C- 10 E.  
         [0051]    While the inventors do not wish to be held to a particular theory, it is thought that the dispensing force applied by a user to the sheet material  26  extending from the dispensing opening  22 A is increased in the areas where the protruding area  74 A contacts the sheet material  26  as it is dispensed. By concentrating the force in this manner, separation of individual sheets at the zones of weakness is more likely to occur.  
         [0052]    While the invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various alterations, modifications and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore intended that all such modifications, alterations and other changes be encompassed by the claims.