Stack of z-folded web material

Abstract

A stack of web material for hygiene products, for use in a dispenser, including at least one continuous web material being Z-folded about transverse folding lines, thereby providing panels having a length along the folding lines, and a width perpendicular to the folding lines, the panels being piled on top of each other to form a height of the stack, such that the stack outlines a rectangular parallelepiped having the length, width and height, and forming six outer surfaces, namely a top and a bottom surface, being parallel to the panels of the stack, two side surfaces, including the longitudinal edges of the web material, and a front and a back surface, including the folded edges of the web material. The height of the stack is greater than 17 cm.

1 . A stack ( 1 ) of web material for hygiene products, for use in a dispenser, comprising
 at least one continuous web material ( 2 ,  3 ) being Z-folded about transverse folding lines ( 4 ), thereby providing panels having a length (L) along said folding lines, and a width (W) perpendicular to said folding lines,   said panels being piled on top of each other to form a height (H) of said stack,   
       such that said stack outlines a rectangular parallelepiped having said length (L), width (W) and height (H), and forming six outer surfaces, namely
 a top and a bottom surface ( 5 , 6 ), being parallel to the panels of said stack ( 1 ), 
 two side surfaces ( 7 , 8 ), comprising the longitudinal edges of the web material ( 2 , 3 ), and 
 a front and a back surface ( 9 , 10 ), comprising the folded edges of the web material, and 
 characterised in that the height (H) of the stack is greater than 17 cm. 
 
     
     
         2 . A stack of web material in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the top and bottom surfaces ( 5 ,  6 ) of said stack ( 1 ) is provided with a connector ( 11 ) for enabling connection of said stack ( 1 ) to another, similar stack. 
     
     
         3 . A stack of web material in accordance with  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the front and back surfaces ( 9 ,  10 ) are the largest outer surfaces of the stack ( 1 ). 
     
     
         4 . A stack of web material in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the front and back surfaces ( 9 ,  10 ) each have an area being at least 1.5 times, preferably at least 2 times larger than the maximum area of any one of the top, bottom or side surfaces ( 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ) of the stack. 
     
     
         5 . A stack of web material in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the height (H) is greater than 20 cm, preferably greater than 22 cm, more preferred greater than 25 cm, most preferred greater than 30 cm. 
     
     
         6 . A stack of web material in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the height (H) of the stack is greater than 0.5× the length (L) of the stack, preferably greater than 0.75× the length (L) of the stack, most preferred greater than the entire length (L) of the stack 
     
     
         7 . A stack of web material in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the height (H) of the stack is greater the length (L) and greater than the width (W). 
     
     
         8 . A stack of web material in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the volume enclosed by said rectangular parallelepiped shape is at least 2.6 dm 3 , preferably 3.7 dm 3 , most preferred 4.3 dm 3 . 
     
     
         9 . A stack in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the total length of the continuous web material in the stack is at least 45 m, preferably at least 60 m, most preferred at least 75 m. 
     
     
         10 . A stack in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein said continuous web material ( 2 ,  3 ) is provided with weakening lines ( 12 ), preferably perforation lines, dividing said web material ( 2 ,  3 ) into individual sheets. 
     
     
         11 . A stack in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein a separation strength of the weakening lines ( 12 ) is in the range 1-30 N, preferably 3-20 N, most preferred 3-10 N. 
     
     
         12 . A stack in accordance with  claim 10  or  11 , wherein said stack ( 1 ) comprises a first web material ( 2 ) divided into individual sheets by means of weakening lines ( 12 ), and a second web material ( 3 ) divided into individual sheets by means of weakening lines ( 12 ), said first and second webs ( 2 ,  3 ) being interfolded with one another so as to form said stack ( 1 ), and the first and the second webs ( 2 ,  3 ) are arranged such that the weakening lines ( 12 ) of the first web ( 2 ) and the weakening lines ( 12 ) of the second web ( 3 ) are offset with respect to each other along the webs ( 2 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         13 . A stack in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said first web material ( 2 ) and said second web material ( 3 ) are joined to each other at a plurality of joints ( 13 ) along said webs, preferably said joints ( 13 ) are regularly distributed along the webs ( 2 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         14 . A stack in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein said stack comprises at least 160, preferably at least 200, most preferred at least 250 individual sheets. 
     
     
         15 . A stack in accordance with any one of the previous claims, wherein the stack comprises at least 640, preferably at least 800, most preferred at least 1000 panels. 
     
     
         16 . A stack ( 1 ) of web material for hygiene products, for use in a dispenser, comprising
 at least one continuous web material ( 2 ,  3 ) being Z-folded about transverse folding lines ( 4 ), thereby providing panels having a length (L) along said folding lines, and a width (W) perpendicular to said folding lines,   said panels being piled on top of each other to form a height (H) of said stack,   
       such that said stack outlines a rectangular parallelepiped having said length (L), width (W) and height (H), and forming six outer surfaces, namely
 a top and a bottom surface ( 5 , 6 ), being parallel to the panels of said stack ( 1 ), 
 two side surfaces ( 7 , 8 ), comprising the longitudinal edges of the web material ( 2 , 3 ), and 
 a front and a back surface ( 9 , 10 ), comprising the folded edges of the web material, and 
 characterised in that the height (H) of the stack is greater than than 0.75× the length (L) of the stack, preferably greater than the entire length (L) of the stack. 
 
     
     
         17 . A stack in accordance with  claim 16  in combination with any one of the  claims 2  to  5 , or  7  to  15 . 
     
     
         18 . A package comprising a stack
 of web material for hygiene products, for use in a dispenser, comprising   at least one continuous web material ( 2 ,  3 ) being Z-folded about transverse folding lines ( 4 ), thereby providing panels having a length (L) along said folding lines, and a width (W) perpendicular to said folding lines, said panels being piled on top of each other to form a height (H) of said stack,   
       such that said stack outlines a rectangular parallelepiped having said length (L), width (W) and height (H), and forming six outer surfaces, namely
 a top and a bottom surface ( 5 , 6 ), being parallel to the panels of said stack ( 1 ), 
 two side surfaces ( 7 , 8 ), comprising the longitudinal edges of the web material ( 2 , 3 ), and 
 a front and a back surface ( 9 , 10 ), comprising the folded edges of the web material, 
 
       and 
       a wrapper ( 14 ) extending at least over said height direction (H), so as to maintain the integrity of the stack ( 1 ) during transport and storage thereof,
 characterised in that said package has a height of more than 17 cm. 
 
     
     
         19 . A package comprising a stack
 of web material for hygiene products, for use in a dispenser, comprising   
       at least one continuous web material ( 2 ,  3 ) being Z-folded about transverse folding lines ( 4 ), thereby providing panels having a length (L) along said folding lines, and a width (W) perpendicular to said folding lines, said panels being piled on top of each other to form a height (H) of said stack, 
       such that said stack outlines a rectangular parallelepiped having said length (L), width (W) and height (H), and forming six outer surfaces, namely
 a top and a bottom surface ( 5 , 6 ), being parallel to the panels of said stack ( 1 ), 
 two side surfaces ( 7 , 8 ), comprising the longitudinal edges of the web material ( 2 , 3 ), and 
 a front and a back surface ( 9 , 10 ), comprising the folded edges of the web material, 
 
       and 
       a wrapper ( 14 ) extending at least over said height direction (H), so as to maintain the integrity of the stack ( 1 ) during transport and storage thereof, characterised in that the height (H) of the package is greater than than 0.75× the length (L) of the package, preferably greater than the entire length (L) of the package. 
     
     
         20 . A package in accordance with  claim 18  or  19 , wherein said wrapper ( 14 ) is configured to be removable from the integrity of the stack ( 1 ). 
     
     
         21 . A package in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein said wrapper ( 14 ) is configured to be removable from the integrity of the stack ( 1 ) while the stack is resting on an outer surface thereof, preferably the front or back surface ( 9 , 10 ). 
     
     
         22 . A package in accordance with any one of the  claims 18  to  22 , wherein the stack is a stack in accordance with any one of the  claims 1  to  17 . 
     
     
         23 . Method for loading stacks in a dispenser including a housing having a storage space for storing at least two stacks, said storage space comprising at least a portion of an initial stack,
 comprising:
 providing a stack in accordance with any one of the  claims 1  to  17 , 
 positioning said stack on a support surface, such that the stack rests on one of its outer surfaces facing said support surface; 
 interconnecting said stack with the initial stack, while the stack remain resting on said support surface. 
   
     
     
         24 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein said stack is provided in a package in accordance with any one of the  claims 20  to  22 , and the method comprises:
 removing the wrapper from the package while it rests on said support surface, prior to interconnecting said stacks. 
 
     
     
         25 . Method for loading a stack in a dispenser including a housing having a storage space for storing said stack comprising:
 providing a package in accordance with any one of the  claims 20  to  22 ,   positioning said package on a support surface, such that the stack rests on one of its outer surfaces facing said support surface   removing the wrapper of said package, while the package is resting on said support surface.   
     
     
         26 . Method according to any one of the  claims 23  to  25 , wherein the outer surface upon which the stack is resting is a back, front or side surface of the stack, preferably the back or front surface of the stack. 
     
     
         27 . Method according to any one of the  claims 23  to  26 , wherein the storage space is arranged in said dispenser such that the web is to be fed from the top side of the stack. 
     
     
         28 . Method according to any one of the  claims 23  to  27 , wherein at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of each of said stacks is provided with a connector, and the interconnection is made via the connectors. 
     
     
         29 . Use of a stack in accordance with any one of the  claims 1 - 17  in a dispenser including a housing having a storage space for said stack. 
     
     
         30 . A compound stack comprising a plurality of stacks in accordance with any one of the  claims 1  to  17 , said stacks being interconnected via interconnections, and said compound stack comprising an interconnection at less than every 640 th  panel, preferably every 800 th  panel, most preferred every 1000 th  panel. 
     
     
         31 . A dispenser comprising a housing having a storage space including at least one stack in accordance with any one of the  claims 1 - 17 , preferably said storage space being arranged in the dispenser such that web material is fed from the top side ( 5 ) of the stack ( 1 ). 
     
     
         32 . A dispenser in accordance with  claim 31 , comprising a compound stack in accordance with  claim 30 .