Carton having a paper dispensing window

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to cartons, particularly cartons for storing and dispensing folded sheet material, that are substantially free from polymeric materials. The cartons have dispensing windows formed from paper and are provided with dispensing openings well suited for pop-up dispensing. The dispensing openings, which are preferably elongated, have a plurality of cusps and a plurality of slits disposed thereon to grasp and hold the sheet during dispensing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tissue carton for storing and dispensing a plurality of tissue sheets, the carton comprising:
 a. a carton having at least one carton wall;   b. a carton opening disposed on the at least one carton wall, the opening having a carton opening peripheral edge;   c. a paper window attached to the at least one carton wall and at least partially covering the carton opening;   d. a dispensing opening disposed on the paper window, the dispensing opening having a dispensing opening peripheral edge shaped to define a first and a second cusp; and   e. a first and a second slit extending radially outward from the first and the second cusps.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second cusps are disposed opposite one another and the slits are longitudinally aligned with one another. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the carton opening is a longitudinally elongated ellipse having a carton opening longitudinal axis and the dispensing opening has a dispensing opening longitudinal axis, wherein the carton opening longitudinal axis and the dispensing opening longitudinal axis are aligned with one another. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 3  wherein the first and the second slits are aligned with the dispensing opening longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second slits extend from the cusp to the carton opening peripheral edge. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 5  wherein the slits define first and second window panels, the first and second window panels arranged opposite one another and having substantially similar size and shape. 
     
     
         7 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the dispensing opening peripheral edge is shaped to define three, four, five or six cusps. 
     
     
         8 . The carton of  claim 7  wherein each of the cusps comprises a slit extending radially outward therefrom. 
     
     
         9 . The carton of  claim 8  wherein each of the slits extends from the cusp to the carton opening peripheral edge. 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the carton opening peripheral edge is circular and the dispensing opening peripheral edge is shaped to form a hypocycloid having two, three, four, five or six cusps. 
     
     
         11 . The tissue dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the paper is a coated paper having a basis weight from about 40 to about 80 grams per square meter. 
     
     
         12 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the carton opening has a carton opening area and the dispensing opening has a dispensing opening area, wherein the dispensing opening area is from about 20 to about 60 percent of the carton opening area. 
     
     
         13 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein the dispensing window comprises a plurality of panels, each of the panels separated from one another by a slit and wherein at least two of the panels differ in terms of size and shape. 
     
     
         14 . A pop-up tissue dispensing carton comprising: a carton top wall having an elongated carton opening disposed on the carton top wall, a paper window affixed to the top wall and having an elongated opening through which tissues within the carton are withdrawn, the elongated opening having at least two cusps and at least two slits extending therefrom at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated opening. 
     
     
         15 . The carton of  claim 14  wherein the elongated opening has four cusps and each cusp has a slit extending therefrom at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated opening. 
     
     
         16 . The carton of  claim 15  wherein the slits define four window panels and wherein at least two of the panels have a similar size and shape. 
     
     
         17 . A carton for storing and dispensing a stack of interfolded sheets of a paper product, the carton comprising:
 a. a top wall having a dispensing opening through which the sheets are withdrawn from the carton;   b. two pairs of opposing side walls;   c. a bottom wall;   d. a paper window affixed to at least a portion of the inner surface of the top wall;   e. a dispensing opening having a plurality of cusps and a plurality of slits disposed on the paper window.   
     
     
         18 . The carton of  claim 17  wherein the carton opening has a carton opening area and the dispensing opening has a dispensing opening area, wherein the dispensing opening area is from about 20 to about 60 percent of the carton opening area. 
     
     
         19 . The carton of  claim 17  wherein each of the plurality of cusps have a slit extending radially therefrom, the slits having a length from about 10 to about 30 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The carton of  claim 19  wherein each of the slits have a substantially similar length.