Patent AU-2021456826-A1 (AU)
Title: Tabletop folded sheet dispenser
Inventor: HILDERSLEY CATHERINE MARY; HUTKER
IPC: A47K10/42
Filed: 2021-07-19
Abstract: A method for loading a stack of sheet material (26) into a dispenser for dispensing said sheet material (26), the method comprising: moving a lid (8) of the dispenser from a closed use position into an open refilling position; the dispenser comprising: a body (1) having four side walls (2, 3, 4, 5), a base (6), an opening (7) in a top of the body (1), the lid (8) being for covering the opening (7) in use and enabling access to the opening (7) for refilling, wherein the lid (8) has a dispensing opening (9) therein to enable sheet material to be dispensed therefrom, a platform (10) for supporting a plurality of sheet material from below, wherein the platform (10) is movable from a lowermost position when the dispenser is filled with sheet material to an uppermost position adjacent the lid (8) when the dispenser is more nearly empty of sheet material, a biasing means (11) for urging the platform (10) towards the lid (8), a releasable locking mechanism for holding the platform (10) in a locking position in the lowermost position, the releasable locking mechanism comprising: a first pair of first arms (12) movably attached to one of the side walls (2, 3, 4, 5) and extending in a direction from the top towards the base (6) of the body (1), wherein each of the first pair of the first arms (12) has a top end (13) and a base end (14), a second pair of second arms (15) movably attached to the base (6) and extending in a direction from the side wall to which the first pair of the first arms (12) is attached towards a center of the base (6), wherein each of the second pair of the second arms (15) has a side wall end (16) and a locking end (17), the side wall end (16) being configured to cooperate with the respective base end (14) of the respective first arm (12) such that a movement of the first arm (12) causes a movement of the second arm (15), the locking end (17) being configured to releasably interlock with a respective locking portion (18) of a pair of locking portions (18) arranged at the platform (10) to thereby hold the platform (10) in the locking position, wherein the lid (8) has a pair of engaging portions (19) at its lower surface, wherein each of the pair of the engaging portions (19) is configured to engage with the respective top end (13) of the respective first arm (12) upon closing the lid (8) to thereby release the platform (10) from the locking position; placing the stack of sheet material (26) via the opening (7) with a trailing face of the stack of sheet material (26) on a supporting surface of the platform (10); exerting a force on a leading face of the stack of sheet material (26) opposite to the trailing face to thereby push the platform (10) into the body (1), in the locking position; pivoting the lid (8) from the open refilling position into the closed use position to thereby release the platform (10) from the locking position; and extracting a portion of a leading sheet material (26) from the leading face of the stack of sheet material (26) through the dispensing opening (9) of the lid (8), to thereby dispense the leading sheet material (26).