Cartridge for dispensing paper products

Abstract

A stacked paper product dispensing cartridge includes a plurality of walls including side walls and at least one end wall. The side walls and end wall define an interior area that contains stacked paper products oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to at least one of the side walls. The cartridge further includes a bulk dispensing opening defined within at least one of the side walls. The cartridge may further include at least one limited-access dispensing opening. The cartridge may further include removable sections defined in the cartridge walls, removal of at least a portion of the removable portions creating openings in the cartridge. Additional openings could be provided for controlling the dispensing and alignment of the paper products within the cartridge.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A stacked paper product dispensing cartridge comprising: 
 a plurality of walls including side walls and at least one end wall, the side walls and end wall defining an interior area,    a bulk dispensing opening defined within at least one of the side walls,    stacked paper products disposed in the interior area oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to at least one of the side walls.    
     
     
         2 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the bulk dispensing opening is defined only within the side wall.  
     
     
         3 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the bulk dispensing opening comprises a removable panel.  
     
     
         4 . The cartridge of  claim 3  wherein the removable panel defines an opening configured to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area.  
     
     
         5 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the bulk dispensing opening has a width parallel to the edges of the stacked paper products, the width of the bulk dispensing opening being between about 50 percent to about 90 percent of the width of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined.  
     
     
         6 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the bulk dispensing opening has a height perpendicular to the edges of the stacked paper products, the height of the bulk dispensing opening being between about 50 percent to about 99 percent of the height of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined.  
     
     
         7 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the bulk dispensing opening exposes a substantial portion of the stacked paper products.  
     
     
         8 . The cartridge of  claim 1  further comprising a limited-access dispensing opening defined within at least the end wall.  
     
     
         9 . The cartridge of  claim 8  wherein the limited-access dispensing opening is defined only within the end wall.  
     
     
         10 . The cartridge of  claim 8  wherein the limited-access dispensing opening is defined within the end wall and at least one of the side walls.  
     
     
         11 . The cartridge of  claim 8  wherein the bulk dispensing opening and the limited-access dispensing opening are contiguous.  
     
     
         12 . The cartridge of  claim 8  wherein the bulk dispensing opening and the limited-access dispensing opening are separated by a portion of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined.  
     
     
         13 . The cartridge of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the first and second dispensing openings further comprises a removable panel.  
     
     
         14 . The cartridge of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first end wall,  
 a second end wall,  
 a first limited-access dispensing opening defined within at least the first end wall,  
 a second limited-access dispensing opening defined within at least the second end wall.  
 
     
     
         15 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein the first limited-access opening is defined only within the first end wall.  
     
     
         16 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein the second limited-access dispensing opening is defined within the second end wall and at least one of the side walls.  
     
     
         17 . The cartridge of  claim 16  wherein the bulk dispensing opening and the second limited-access dispensing opening are separated by a portion of the side wall in which the bulk dispensing opening is defined.  
     
     
         18 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein the bulk dispensing opening and the second limited-access dispensing opening are contiguous.  
     
     
         19 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein at least one of the dispensing openings further comprises a removable panel.  
     
     
         20 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein the first and second limited-access dispensing openings are located at opposite ends of the stack of paper products.  
     
     
         21 . The cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the paper products are interfolded napkins.  
     
     
         22 . A stacked paper product dispensing cartridge comprising: 
 a first end wall and a plurality of side walls defining an interior area; and,    a stack of paper products within the interior area;    wherein the first end wall has a first opening therein adapted to provide access to less than about twenty of the paper products; and,    further wherein at least one of the side walls has a second opening therein exposing at least a substantial portion of the stack.    
     
     
         23 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the at least one of the first and second openings comprises a removable panel.  
     
     
         24 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the second opening has a width parallel to the edges of the stacked paper products, the width of the second opening being between about 50 percent to about 90 percent of the width of the side wall in which the second opening is defined.  
     
     
         25 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the second opening has a height perpendicular to the edges of the stacked paper products, the height of the second opening being between about 50 percent to about 99 percent of the height of the side wall in which the second opening is defined.  
     
     
         26 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the second opening exposes a majority of the stacked paper products.  
     
     
         27 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the first opening is defined only within the end wall.  
     
     
         28 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the first opening is defined within the end wall and at least one of the side walls.  
     
     
         29 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the first and second openings are contiguous.  
     
     
         30 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the first and second openings are separated by a portion of the side wall in which the second opening is defined.  
     
     
         31 . The cartridge of  claim 22  further comprising a second end wall having a third opening therein adapted to provide access to less than twenty of the paper products.  
     
     
         32 . The cartridge of  claim 31  wherein the first opening is defined only within the first end wall.  
     
     
         33 . The cartridge of  claim 32  wherein the third opening is defined within the second end wall and at least one of the side walls.  
     
     
         34 . The cartridge of  claim 33  wherein the second and third openings are separated by a portion of the side wall in which the second opening is defined.  
     
     
         35 . The cartridge of  claim 33  wherein the second and third openings are contiguous.  
     
     
         36 . The cartridge of  claim 31  wherein at least one of the openings further comprises a removable panel.  
     
     
         37 . The cartridge of  claim 31  wherein the first and third openings are located at opposite ends of the stack of paper products.