Patent ID: 7604144

Claim:
A sheet product dispenser comprising: (a) a housing defining: (i) a vertically extending dispensing magazine for receiving a stack of horizontally disposed sheet products; (ii) a dispensing opening vertically extending along the dispensing magazine such that edges of sheet products horizontally disposed in the dispensing magazine are exposed for dispensing through the dispensing opening; (iii) an internal guide channel extending upwardly from the dispensing magazine; and (b) a sheet product retention member slidingly mounted in the housing adapted to rest upon the stack of sheet products and move downwardly under the influence of gravity as the sheet product stack is depleted, the sheet product retention member including: (i) a platform; and (ii) a guide member extending upwardly from the platform and residing in the guide channel; wherein the guide member and guide channel are configured to cooperate to guide upward and downward motion of the sheet product retention member; wherein the guide member is tapered, such that the cross section of the guide member decreases with increasing height from the platform.