Dispenser for dispensing tissue paper and method for dispensing tissue paper

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing tissue paper. The dispenser includes a housing defining a volume for receiving both a center-feed tissue paper roll and a tissue paper stack, a first dispensing opening situated in the housing for dispensing tissue paper from a center-feed tissue paper roll, and a second dispensing opening situated in the housing for dispensing tissue paper sheets from a tissue paper stack.

1 . A dispenser for dispensing tissue paper comprising:
 a housing defining a volume for receiving both a center-feed tissue paper roll and a tissue paper stack; the housing defining a volume for receiving either a center-feed tissue paper roll or a tissue paper stack;   a first dispensing opening situated in the housing for dispensing tissue paper from a center-feed tissue paper roll; and   a second dispensing opening situated in the housing for dispensing tissue paper sheets from a tissue paper stack.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening is substantially circular, and the second dispensing opening is substantially oblong. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the second dispensing opening has a length and at least a width, and the first dispensing opening has a maximum dimension which is substantially shorter than the length of the second dispensing opening. 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening is situated substantially in the center of a wall of the housing and the second dispensing opening is situated substantially at an edge of the wall of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening are situated in the same wall of the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening are situated in the same plane. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening comprises at least one tearing element. 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the edges of the second dispensing opening are substantially even or smooth in order to maintain the integrity of the tissue paper sheets while dispensing. 
     
     
         9 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the second dispensing opening has a length which substantially corresponds to a width of a tissue paper sheet, or a folded tissue paper sheet, of the tissue paper stack. 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the second dispensing opening is situated such that a sheet of tissue paper can be dispensed from the tissue paper stack in a direction extending in the plane of a paper sheet of the tissue paper stack. 
     
     
         11 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening are connected to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The dispenser according to  claim 11 , wherein the connection is accomplished by the provision of an insertion channel. 
     
     
         13 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the first dispensing opening is connected to an insertion channel which is open towards the outside of the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cover which can be opened to access the volume defined by the housing, the cover comprising a cover section bordering to a wall which carries the first dispensing opening, and wherein an insertion channel is defined in the wall, the insertion channel extending to a border between the cover section and the wall. 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a circular, semi-elliptical or an elliptical cross-section. 
     
     
         16 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is mountable to a wall via a docking system, by a positive fit, a hook and loop fastener, an adhesive, an adhesive strip, or a magnet, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the volume of the housing is dimensioned such as to receive a tissue paper stack in an orientation such that the plane of the respective sheets of the tissue paper stack points in the dispensing direction which a center-feed tissue paper roll received in the housing would have. 
     
     
         18 . The dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least a substantially transparent or translucent material and a substantially opaque material, wherein the substantially transparent or translucent material provides a filling-level indicating window. 
     
     
         19 . A method for dispensing paper from a dispenser according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 providing either a tissue paper stack or a center-feed tissue paper roll in the housing and dispensing tissue paper from:   the center-feed tissue paper roll through the first dispensing opening; or   the tissue paper stack through the second dispensing opening.   
     
     
         20 . The dispenser according to  claim 5 , wherein the same wall of the housing in which the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening are situated is a bottom wall or a top wall of the housing.