Patent ID: 7736080

Claim:
A writing instrument with a sheet material dispenser comprising: a barrel portion having an exterior grip surface; a marking element coupled to a first end of the barrel portion; a sheet-dispensing portion including a dispensing plug coupled to a second end of the barrel portion, the dispensing plug including a sheet chamber, a stack of sheet material disposed in the sheet chamber, a throat portion communicating with the sheet chamber, and a mouth portion through which an initial sheet of the stack of sheet material is adapted to protrude via the throat portion, the throat portion having a half hourglass-shaped cross-section defined between a guide plate and a nub disposed between the mouth portion and the sheet chamber, the guide plate and the nub having angled surfaces converging away from the sheet chamber such that the throat portion facilitates the removal of the sheet material; and a cover portion slidably coupled to the dispensing plug of the sheet dispensing portion and movable between an open position in which the mouth portion is exposed and a closed position in which the cover portion covers the mouth portion, wherein the dispensing plug comprises a main portion and a flip cover portion flexibly attached to the main portion, the flip cover portion being movable between an open position in which the sheet chamber is exposed and a closed position in which the flip cover portion substantially overlies the sheet chamber, and wherein the flip cover portion defines a first surface and the main portion defines a second surface such that the mouth portion is defined by the first and second surfaces when the flip cover portion is in the closed position.