Napkin dispenser with dispensing control frame

Abstract

A napkin dispenser includes a housing 12 configured to receive a stack 35 of napkins disposed such that panels of the napkins are facing in a vertical direction and edges of the napkins are horizontally oriented along a front wall. The housing has a vertical slot 28 in the front wall thereof, the horizontal span 30 of the slot being sufficient to allow access to the napkins A dispensing control frame 32 is mounted in the slot for upward and downward motion along the front wall of the housing. The dispensing control frame has at least one and preferably a pair of support members 34, 36 configured to engage the napkin stack and limit downward motion of the control frame. The control frame also has a faceplate 38 disposed between the support members and extending across the vertical slot of the front wall defining an access height relative to the top of the stack in order to promote dispensing of a limited number of napkins.

1 . A napkin dispenser comprising: 
 a housing configured to receive a stack of napkins disposed such that panels of the napkins are facing in a vertical direction and edges of the napkins are horizontally oriented along a front wall; 
 the housing defining a vertical slot in the front wall thereof, the horizontal span of the slot being sufficient to allow manual access to the napkins in the housing; and  
   a napkin stack supported dispensing control frame mounted for upward and downward motion along the front wall of the housing; 
 the dispensing control frame including a control frame supporting member configured to engage the napkin stack at a first relative height, H, and limit downward motion of the control frame in response to contact with the napkin stack;  
 the dispensing control frame further including a dispensing faceplate with an upper edge defining a second relative height, H′, which is lower than the first relative height, H, a predetermined distance, referred to as the access height, ΔH, to promote access to napkins at their edges adjacent the upper edge of the dispensing faceplate over the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame, a front portion of the dispensing faceplate being configured to restrict access to the napkin stack through the vertical slot of the housing below the upper edge of the faceplate,  
 whereby dispensing of a limited number of napkins is promoted at the top of the napkin stack.  
   
     
     
         2 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame corresponds to the thickness of from about  2  to about  5  napkins.  
     
     
         3 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame corresponds to the thickness of about  3  napkins.  
     
     
         4 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the control frame supporting member is hinged to the faceplate such that it is pivotable between an extended position for engaging the napkin stack and a retracted position for upward movement with respect to a stack of napkins in the dispenser.  
     
     
         5 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 4 , further comprising means for biasing the control frame supporting member to its extended position.  
     
     
         6 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 4 , wherein the control frame supporting member is flush with a rearward surface of the control frame in its retracted position.  
     
     
         7 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the faceplate defines an inverted arch.  
     
     
         8 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the control frame is slidably engaged to the housing.  
     
     
         9 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for defining mounting slots on either side of the faceplate for slidable engagement with the dispenser housing.  
     
     
         10 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal span of the vertical slot in the front wall is from about 50 to about 95 percent of the length of the edges of napkins along the front wall.  
     
     
         11 . The napkin dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal span of the vertical slot in the front wall is from about 60 to about 80 percent of the length of the edges of napkins along the front wall.  
     
     
         12 . A dispensing control frame for disposing on top of a stack of napkins arranged such that the panels of the napkins are facing in a vertical direction, the dispensing control frame comprising: 
 (a) a control frame supporting member configured to engage the top of the napkin stack at a first relative height, H, and limit downward motion of the control frame in response to contact with the napkin stack; and    (b) the dispensing control frame further including a dispensing faceplate with an upper edge defining a second relative height, H′, which is lower than the first relative height, H a predetermined distance, referred to as the access height, ΔH, to promote access to napkins at their edges adjacent the upper edge of the dispensing faceplate over the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame, a front portion of the dispensing faceplate being configured to restrict access to the napkin stack below the upper edge of the faceplate,    whereby dispensing of a limited number of napkins is promoted at the top of the napkin stack.    
     
     
         13 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame corresponds to the thickness of from about 2 to about 5 napkins.  
     
     
         14 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame corresponds to the thickness of about 3 napkins.  
     
     
         15 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the control frame supporting member is hinged to the faceplate such that it is pivotable between an extended position for engaging the napkin stack and a retracted position for upward movement with respect to a stack of napkins in the dispenser.  
     
     
         16 . The control frame according to  claim 15 , further comprising means for biasing the control frame supporting member to its extended position.  
     
     
         17 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the control frame supporting member is flush with a rearward surface of the control frame in its retracted position.  
     
     
         18 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the upper edge of the faceplate defines an inverted arch.  
     
     
         19 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , adapted for slidable engagement with a napkin dispenser housing  
     
     
         20 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , further comprising means for defining mounting slots on either side of the faceplate for slidable engagement with a dispenser housing.  
     
     
         21 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , wherein the control frame comprises a pair of control frame supporting members configured to engage the napkin stack at the first relative height, H, and the faceplate extends between the control frame supporting members.  
     
     
         22 . The control frame according to  claim 21 , wherein the control frame supporting members are hinged to the faceplate such that they-are pivotable between an extended position for engaging the napkin stack and a retracted position for upward movement with respect to a stack of napkins.  
     
     
         23 . The control frame according to  claim 22 , further comprising means for biasing the control frame supporting members to their extended position.  
     
     
         24 . The control frame according to  claim 22 , wherein the control frame supporting members are flush with a rearward surface of the control frame in their retracted position.  
     
     
         25 . The control frame according to  claim 12 , including a unitary structure defining the control frame supporting member and a mounting member integrally formed therewith.  
     
     
         26 . The control frame according to  claim 25 , wherein the unitary structure is an injection-molded unitary structure.  
     
     
         27 . The control frame according to  claim 26 , wherein the injection-molded unitary structure comprises a thermoplastic resin.  
     
     
         28 . The control frame according to  claim 27 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from polyester resins, polyacetal resins, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins, polyamide resins, polyethylene resins, polypropylene resins, polycarbonate resins, and thermoplastic elastomer resins.  
     
     
         29 . A method of dispensing napkins comprising: 
 (a) placing a plurality of napkins in a stack such that the panels of napkins are facing in a vertical direction;    (b) disposing a dispensing control frame on top of the stack mounted for upward and downward movement with respect to the stack, the dispensing control frame including a control frame supporting member configured to engage the top of the napkin stack at a first relative height, H, and limit downward motion of the control frame in response to contact with the napkin stack, wherein the dispensing control frame further includes a dispensing faceplate with an upper edge defining a second relative height, H′, which is lower than the first relative height, H, a predetermined distance, referred to as the access height, ΔH, to promote access to napkins at their edges adjacent the upper edge of the dispensing faceplate over the access height, ΔH, of the dispensing control frame, a front portion of the dispensing faceplate being configured to restrict access to the napkin stack below the upper edge of the faceplate to promote dispensing of a limited number of napkins; and    (c) withdrawing napkins from the top of the stack.    
     
     
         30 . The dispensing method according to  claim 29 , wherein the stack comprises at least about 500 napkins.  
     
     
         31 . The dispensing method according to  claim 29 , wherein the stack of napkins is a stack of single-fold napkins.  
     
     
         32 . A unitary thermoplastic control frame for dispensing of napkins from a stack, comprising: a horizontally extending faceplate defining a substantially vertical plane, said face plate having at least one pivotable support arm fixed thereto, said pivotable support arm being pivotable between an orientation extending horizontally normal to the plane defined by said faceplate and a generally vertical downward orientation generally parallel thereto; and means defining at least one vertically extending slot behind said face plate, adapted to engage a vertical plate having a generally vertical edge and allow vertical movement of said faceplate when in engagement with said vertical edge, and means restraining said pivotable support arm from pivoting upwardly.