Abstract:
A dispenser and disposal unit for a package of tissues includes a rectangular container with an open top and an elevated section projecting above the rear wall of the container including means for retaining a plurality of tissues and means for securing the rear of the elevated section against a vertical support so the tissues may be removed from the container and disposed of in the open top container.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/543,739 filed Feb. 10, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to an apparatus for supporting a box or a group of sanitary paper tissues, such as Kleenex™ tissues, in such a manner that a single tissue may be removed, which includes a disposal unit which will accept the soiled tissues. The entire unit is adapted to be supported on a wall to allow easy removal and disposal of the tissues.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Paper facial tissues, such as Kleenex™ and the like, are often sold in boxes or flexible plastic packages, such as cellophane, having slits on their forward edges. The tissues are interleafed in these packages so that the topmost tissues may be removed through the slit, and may be withdrawn, the leading edge of the next tissue becomes extended. After the tissues are used, the soiled tissues must be disposed in a sanitary manner.  
         [0004]     It has been previously proposed to provide a unitary support for a package of tissues combined with a waste receptacle adapted to allow disposal of the soiled tissues in a sanitary manner. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,157 discloses a rigid container having a pivotably supported top that is adapted to retain a package of tissues so that they may be removed in single or sequential order, through an opening in the top of the container lid. When the lid is lifted, the balance of the container acts as a receptacle for the soiled tissues.  
         [0005]     In another arrangement, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,062, a paperboard section, scored so as to provide a number of foldable sections, is adapted to retain a tissue box and also a flexible bag which may be used as a receptacle for the soiled tissues.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention consists of a unitary, low-cost unit which may be formed of sheet material such as cardboard, sheet plastic or the like, so as to be low in cost and easy to fold when not in use. The unit is adapted to be supported, preferably on a vertical wall, by means of an adhesive tab or a hole which can fit over a nail or the like inserted into the wall. The unit, when unfolded, constitutes a rectangular container with an open top. The back of the unit, above the container, consists of a pair of planar sections, which normally lie in contacting relationship, but may be separated to accept a box of tissues. A vertical slit in the front of this section allows a single tissue to be withdrawn at a time. The bottom container is adapted to accept soiled tissues.  
         [0007]     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the tissues are not supported in a separate package, but rather the unit of the present invention has a package of tissues supported therein and is adapted to be disposed of, in its entirety, along with the soiled tissues, when the tissues in the package are exhausted. This forms a container in which a group of tissues may be sold, may be supported while in use to allow the removal of a single tissue, and includes a waste receptacle section so that the entire unit may be disposed of when the tissues in the package are exhausted. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will be described in the following detailed description of the invention. The invention makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of my invention wherein a group of sanitary tissues are packaged within a film plastic container and an extending section of the container forms a receptacle for the disposal of soiled tissues;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the closed package of the first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  represents a second embodiment of my invention, with a supported tissue box shown in dotted line;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of my invention which includes an adhesive pad on its front section adapted to retain the back of a box of tissues;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a fourth embodiment of the invention which is retained to a supporting wall by means of a central hole in the top of the upper section of the unit; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  represents a fifth embodiment of the invention wherein the tissue box is retained in a section extending forwardly from the top wall of the device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the invention is generally indicated at  10 . It constitutes a rectangular container  12  which is adapted to receive soiled tissues. The container  12  may be folded about lines  14  so that it lies flat for storage and shipping. The container has a forward wall  16 , a pair of sidewalls  18 , a bottom wall  20  and an open top generally indicated at  22  for accepting soiled tissues. A rear wall  24  extends upward above the open top  22  of the container in double folded sections consisting of a rear wall  26  and a forward wall  28 . The two sections  26  and  28  are joined at their upper and lower ends but may be separated from one another intermediate these sections. A slit  30  allows a container of tissues, shown in hidden lines at  32 , to be inserted between the front and rear walls  26  and  28  and a horizontal slit  34 , formed in the forward wall  28 , allows a single tissue to be dispensed from the container  32 . A protective section of paper  36  covers an adhesive section (not shown) on the upper end of the rear wall  26 . This allows the entire unit  10  to be supported adhesively against a vertical wall.  
         [0017]     In use, after a tissue container  32  is inserted in the unit and the front wall  16  of the disposal section is pulled away from the rear wall  24  at the fold lines  14 , the unit is ready for use and a single tissue may be withdrawn from the box and after being used disposed of through the top  22  of the lower section.  
         [0018]     A second embodiment, generally indicated at  50 , is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This one is substantially similar to the unit of the first embodiment, except that the rear wall  52  is preferably formed of cardboard or the like to stiffen the unit and the elevated section  54  above the rear wall  52  is of a single layer of material. The center of the section  54  supports an adhesive pad  56  with a removable protective cover strip  58 . A container of paper tissues  60  can be adhesively secured to the section  56  by removing the cover strip  58  and pressing the back of the container  60  against the adhesive section  56 . Like the first embodiment of the invention, a protective cover strip  62  secured to the rear of the top of the upper section  54  covers an adhesive strip which allows the container to be secured to a wall.  
         [0019]     A third embodiment of the invention, generally indicated at  70 , is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . It is identical to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  in all respects except it does not include an adhesive section on the rear of the top, but rather a central hole  72  allows the container to be secured to a nail or pin retained in a vertical wall.  
         [0020]     A fourth embodiment of the invention, generally indicated at  80 , and illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is preferably formed of a mesh material  82  although the other embodiments may be formed of a similar material. The elevated section  84  of the container as well as the top of the soiled waste disposal section is edged by a hemming material  86  to retain the rigidity of the structure. A section for retaining the tissue box  88  is secured to the central section of the forward wall  84  at its upper edge  90  and lower edge  92  with its intermediate sections  88  spaced from the rear wall. This allows a tissue container  94  to be inserted between the rear wall  84  and the forward wall  88  of the container so that the slit  96  in the tissue box in which the tissues are dispensed is visible through a central hole in the forward wall.  
         [0021]     This unit may be attached to the wall by means of a grommet  100  surrounding a central hole at the top of the wall  84 .  
         [0022]      FIGS. 5-7  illustrate another alternative embodiment of my invention. This embodiment represents a package formed of sheet plastic or cellophane, which is unitary and may be purchased with a group of toilet tissues supported therein and may be disposed of as a unitary object after the last tissue has been used. The package, generally indicated at  110 , has an upper section  112  containing a group of interleaved tissues, one of which,  114 , is shown as being withdrawn. A slot  116  in the forward wall of the upper section  112  allows a single toilet tissue to be removed which pulls the leading section subsequent paper tissues to an extending position where they may be grasped and removed. The top of the upper section  112  may have a tab  118  with a central hole  120  for hanging of the unit on a wall. The lower section  122  of the unit  110  is formed with a double wall, closed on the bottom and side edges and open at a top  124 . This opening  124  acts to receive soiled tissues.  
         [0023]     The rear of the unit  110 , illustrated in  FIG. 6 , is preferably formed with a pressure sensitive adhesive strip  126  extending across its width. The pressure sensitive adhesive  126  may be protected by a removable paper strip  128  to expose the adhesive surface and allow the unit to be adhesively attached to a supporting vertical surface. The rear surface beneath the strip  126  may be formed with a pair of exposed adhesive tabs  130  which may be used to retain the package in closed form, both for sale and for later disposal.  
         [0024]     The closed package is illustrated in  FIG. 7  wherein the lower section  122  has been wrapped about the top section and secured to the adhesive tabs  130  to form a unitary rectangular package. The package  112  may be sold in this manner, or, after all the tissues  114  have been withdrawn, used, and disposed by placement in the section  122 , the package  112  may be closed by wrapping the section  122  over the section  112 , and sealing against the strip  126 , to the form shown in  FIG. 7 , for sanitary disposal.