Patent Abstract:
A pop-up tissue dispenser comprising a dispensing package and tissues is disclosed. The tissue-dispensing package is cylindrically shaped with a dispensing opening through which tissues are removed individually. The tissues are disposed in the dispensing package in a specific interleaved pattern and orientation, permitting the convenience of pop-up tissue access from the cylindrically shaped dispensing package. The dispensing package may be disposable or refillable, and may also be provided with an attachment means to further facilitate tissue removal.

Full Description:
This application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/101,676, filed Sep. 24, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to pop-up tissue dispensers. Specifically, the invention described herein pertains to the folding configuration of interleaved tissues and the cylindrical dispenser therefor. 
     Tissue dispensers are designed to dispense individual tissues or similarly folded sheet product. Typically, the dispenser is comprised of a dispensing package and tissues in combination. The package contains an opening through which a single tissue is accessible and easily releasable from the rest of the tissues within the package. The pop-up style tissue dispenser provides a practical way to access individual tissues with minimal effort. The dispenser is generally parallelepiped in shape with overall dimensions that allow the user to place the dispenser anywhere accessibility to individual tissues is desirable. 
     These pop-up tissue dispensers are not always practical. In particular, the overall dimensions of the dispenser package can be limiting at times when the user wants to access a tissue, but the dispenser can not be conveniently located within reach. This problem occurs often when the user is in any location that does not have sufficient space for the dispenser to be placed. 
     Small packages of tissues are a useful alternative to the usual pop-up dispenser, but these packages usually contain tissues that are difficult to remove singly and equally difficult to unfold. The tissues may be smaller in overall size and are often of lesser quality than a typical full-size tissue. Furthermore, one has to carry the package on their person at all times to ensure convenient accessibility whenever a tissue is needed. These packages can be designed as a pop-up style dispenser, but the tissue must be unfolded to its full size prior to use. Although these small packages can be used when use of a larger box of tissues is not practical, many other inconveniences must be tolerated. 
     Driving an automobile poses additional problems. A typical box of full-size tissues may be out of reach if the box has been placed on the floor or in the back seat area. Small packages of tissues can also be inaccessible or difficult to find while driving. To help alleviate this particular problem, some automobiles have a specific location within the console, door or ceiling that is designed to accommodate a pre-packaged box of tissues. This enables the driver to access the tissues conveniently as needed. But not all automobiles are designed with such a tissue box holder. 
     These alternatives to a pop-up style dispenser do not provide adequate convenience in these situations, especially while driving. And because a person can spend a large amount of time travelling in automobiles, there is a need for a new pop-up style tissue dispenser that is both accessible and convenient to use while driving and at times when a larger box of tissues is not practical. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention described herein addresses the need to create a pop-up style tissue dispenser that allows for improved accessibility over currently available dispensers while maintaining the overall convenience of a pop-up style dispenser. 
     The invention comprises a cylindrical dispensing package and tissues in combination. The dispensing package is cylindrical in shape with a dispensing opening at one end. A plurality of tissues is sequentially disposed in the dispensing package in a specific interleaved pattern. The invention is designed to dispense facial tissues as well as any other types of folded sheet product, such as dry or moistened wipes, fabric softener sheets, or the like. Thus, the term “tissue” is used herein to describe any type of individual sheet product. 
     Each tissue is first pre-folded to reduce one dimension of the tissue to approximately one half its original length. This dimension shall be referred to as the width. The pre-folded tissue has lead and trailing edges that are parallel to the width of the tissue, the distance between which defines the length of the tissue. Two interfolds are made which are parallel to the lead and trailing edges. The first interfold is located approximately one-eighth of the tissue length from the lead edge and the second interfold is located approximately one half of the remaining length from the first interfold to the trailing edge. These interfolds impart a Z-like configuration to the tissue. Successive tissues are interleaved with the trailing edge of the accessible tissue, or leading tissue, located below the leading edge of the following tissue, creating an area of overlap between the tissues. The entire clip of interleaved tissues is oriented with the lead and trailing edges and interfolded edges at the top and bottom of the cylindrical dispensing package. Additionally, the clip of tissues is rolled about the longitudinal centerline of the dispensing package so that the longitudinal edges of the tissues are within close proximity of each other. This tissue configuration and orientation allow individual tissues to be dispensed vertically through the dispensing opening. The dispensing opening effectively causes the separation of adjacent tissues by constricting the tissue following the leading tissue near the first interfold. The leading tissue pulls the leading edge of the following tissue through the dispensing opening as it is removed from the dispenser by means of friction or other static forces. The following tissue becomes accessible upon removal of the leading tissue. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser and tissues illustrating the location of the dispensing opening and a partially removed leading tissue. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative refillable dispensing package which may be refilled with additional clips of pre-packaged tissues, illustrating the location of the dispenser opening within the removable lid. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a typical full-size individual, rectangular tissue in its unfolded state. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a single pre-folded tissue illustrating the general location of the interfolds. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of three individual pre-folded tissues illustrating the locations of the interfolds relative to the lead and trailing edges of adjacent tissues. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the three pre-folded tissues that have been interfolded. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of several interfolded tissues rolled about a longitudinal centerline illustrating the final orientation of the clip of tissues prior to being placed within the dispensing package, the lead tissue being located centrally. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the pop-up tissue dispenser  1  according to the present invention comprises a dispensing package  2  and a clip of pre-folded interfolded tissues  3  in combination. The dispensing package  2  is generally cylindrically shaped, having a circular top and bottom surfaces  4  and  5 , and a single cylindrical shaped sidewall  6  that extends between the top and bottom surfaces. A dispensing opening  7  is located at the top surface  4  with a protective plastic film overlay  8  and dispensing slit  9  within the film. The height of the dispensing package  2  is designated as dimension ‘H’ and the diameter of the top  4  and bottom  5  surfaces is designated as dimension ‘D’. 
     The dispensing package  2  can be constructed using any suitable means common in the packaging industry from any lightweight material such as paperboard, plastic, or the like. Dimensions D and H of the invention are intended to be variable. The preferred embodiment has a diameter D of approximately 7 cm and a height H of approximately 10 cm. The dispensing package  2  would be made preferably of a paperboard so that the dispenser may be disposable (not refillable). Additionally, the dispensing package  2  can be made of aluminum sheeting similar to that used to manufacture soda-pop cans and the like. This option is more economically feasible because aluminum is recyclable. This option may also be appealing because consumer acceptance may be improved if the dispensing package is constructed to be similar to packages already being used. 
     In addition, any of a variety of surface attachment means can be used to attach the tissue dispenser to a surface to facilitate tissue removal. Examples of such means include hook-and-loop fasteners, pressure sensitive tapes, suction cups and clips, etc. A pressure sensitive tape attached to the bottom surface or along a portion of the dispenser sidewall perimeter would improve the overall convenience afforded by this invention. 
     FIG. 2 show a perspective view of a dispensing package  2  which incorporates a flexible snap-on lid  10  such as found in the prior art that includes the top surface  4 . A removable panel section  11  is delineated by the outline of the dispensing opening  7 , the panel section  11  being releasably attached to the top surface  4  by scoring or perforating the top surface materials. The removable panel section  11  is to be removed by the consumer prior to the first use. This alternate dispensing package would allow the dispenser to be refillable with additional clips of tissues. In this embodiment, the dispensing package would be made preferably of a lightweight, rigid plastic material. The plastic film overlay would not be necessary in this embodiment. Additional clips of tissues would be available as single pre-packaged units, preferably wrapped in a thin plastic film or shrink-wrap to maintain the proper tissue interleaving pattern and orientation. The surrounding plastic film would have an opening slit located at the top of the clip which, upon insertion into the refillable plastic dispensing package, would function to separate individual tissues as each is removed from the dispenser. 
     FIG. 3 shows a schematic of a typical individual rectangular shaped tissue  12  in its fully unfolded state. The tissue has two side edges  13  and  14  and two end edges  15  and  16 . Dashed lines  17  and  18  represent two fold lines at which the tissue is folded to reduce one dimension of the tissue  12  to approximately one half its original length. This is the preferred method of pre-folding. Alternatively, the tissue  12  may be folded at the centerline as a V-fold (not shown). 
     FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a single pre-folded tissue  12 . The pre-folding indicated in FIG. 2 creates side edges  17  and  18 , oriented along the longitudinal dimension of the tissue. Two interfold fold lines  19  and  20  are shown as dashed lines, oriented along the transverse dimension of the tissue. Interfold location  19  is a distance approximately one-eighth to one-third the length of the tissue  12 , measured from the lead edge  15 . The location of this fold  19  may vary depending on the length of tissue that is desired to remain outside of the dispenser prior to its removal from the dispenser. This leading edge region is denoted by the numeral  21  in FIG.  2 . The length of this ‘popped-up’ region  21  of the tissue will be approximately equivalent to the length between the leading edge  15  and the interfold  19 . Interfold location  20  is a distance approximately one-third to one-half the length of the tissue  12 , measured from the trailing end edge  16 . This fold location  20  may also vary depending on the location of fold  19 . In general, this fold is made to substantially reduce the overall length of the tissue, creating the middle and trailing end regions  22  and  23 , which are approximately the same sizes. The length of regions  22  and  23  are necessarily less than the height of the dispenser (denoted by the H in FIG.  1 ). 
     FIG. 5 depicts three individual pre-folded tissues  12 A,  12 B and  12 C in the pre-folded state. This figure illustrates the relative locations of adjacent tissue edges  15  and  16  and interfold fold locations  19  and  20 . An overlapping region  24  (denoted by hatched lines) results when trailing edge  16  of a first tissue  12 A overlaps the leading edge  15  of second tissue  12 B. Trailing end edge  16  of a first tissue  12 A is substantially parallel and generally in registry with interfold location  19  of the second tissue  12 B. The amount of overlap between adjacent tissues  12 A and  12 B may vary so that the leading edge region  21  of the second tissue  12 B is larger than the overlapping region  24  formed between the adjacent tissues  12 A and  12 B. It is preferred that the leading edge region  21  and the overlap region  24  be approximately equivalent in area, although the overlap region  24  may be smaller than the leading edge region  21  without compromising the utility of this invention. 
     FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of three interfolded tissues  12 A,  12 B and  12 C. Overlapping region  24  clearly shows how the trailing edge region  23  of the leading tissue  12 A lies below the leading edge region  21  of the second tissue  12 B. 
     The final dimensions and orientation of three tissues prior to being placed within the dispensing package  2  are shown in a perspective view in FIG.  7 . Side edges  17  and  18  of the tissues  12 A,  12 B and  12 C have been rolled about the longitudinal centerline of the cylindrical package, remaining substantially parallel. Interfold  19  of each tissue has a circular shape within the transverse plane. Arrow P indicates the direction of the pulling force as it is applied to the lead tissue  12 A. As the lead tissue  12 A is removed, the trailing edge region  23  of the lead tissue  12 A acts to pull and unfold the leading edge region  21  of the adjacent tissue  12 B. Upon removal of the lead tissue  12 A, the leading edge  15  of the adjacent tissue  12 B is accessible for subsequent removal.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1