Interfolded Napkin Dispenser Sleeve for Wrinkle-Free Single Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers for interfolded napkins often result in wrinkled or deformed napkins due to improper handling and alignment, and fail to maintain a stable stack, leading to buckling and difficulty in refilling.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser design featuring an inner container with a vertically movable supporting surface and an outer sleeve with a dispensing mouth, allowing for easy alignment and refilling of napkins, with tabs to secure the top napkin and prevent multiple napkins from being dispensed simultaneously, ensuring a consistent presentation and minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If napkins are arranged in a stack standing on an edge in an open cardboard box, then the napkins are easily accessible and can be readily removed, but the protruding parts of the napkins tend to fold over the edge and become ruffled and deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure with an inner container holding the napkin stack and an outer sleeve receiving the inner container. The inner container is insertable into the outer sleeve along an insertion direction parallel to the horizontal plane, creating a protective nested arrangement that prevents napkin deformation while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the insertion direction from vertical (perpendicular to dispensing opening as in prior art) to horizontal (parallel to the horizontal plane). This dimensional change allows the inner container to be inserted into the outer sleeve in a direction that aligns the dispensing opening with the dispensing mouth, preventing napkin ruffling while maintaining ease of operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If napkins are arranged in an interfolded stack in a container with a dispensing opening at the top, then the napkins are protected until use, but the leading end of the uppermost sheet is difficult to pull and often results in a wrinkled napkin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the leading end of the uppermost napkin through the dispensing opening and into the outer sleeve before the dispenser is ready for use. This preliminary positioning eliminates the difficulty of pulling the napkin during actual use, as the napkin is already in the correct position and orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer sleeve acts as an intermediary between the inner container and the user. The dispensing mouth of the outer sleeve receives and guides the leading end of the napkin, facilitating smooth extraction without wrinkling. The outer sleeve mediates the interaction between the protected napkin stack and the user's hand.
3Reliability
If a dispenser has a lid or cover with a dispensing opening that restricts the width, then the leading panel of the next napkin is prevented from falling back, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dispenser into two functional parts: the inner container that holds the napkin stack and the outer sleeve that provides the dispensing interface. This segmentation allows the outer sleeve to have a restricted dispensing mouth for controlling napkin extraction, while the inner container maintains a simple open structure for easy refilling, thus reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the insertion direction from vertical to horizontal, allowing the dispensing opening and dispensing mouth to be aligned in a horizontal plane. This dimensional change enables effective napkin control without requiring a complex lid or cover structure, as the alignment itself provides the necessary guidance and restriction.
4Device complexity
If the inner container is insertable into the outer sleeve in a direction perpendicular to the dispensing opening, then the structure is simplified, but the dispensing opening cannot be properly aligned with the dispensing mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the insertion direction from vertical (perpendicular to dispensing opening) to horizontal (parallel to the horizontal plane). This dimensional change enables both simplicity of the insertion mechanism and precise alignment of the dispensing opening with the dispensing mouth, as the horizontal insertion naturally guides the opening into alignment with the mouth.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer sleeve is designed with a universal receiving function that accommodates the inner container through horizontal insertion while simultaneously providing alignment guidance. The dispensing mouth is positioned to universally receive the leading end of the napkin regardless of minor positioning variations, ensuring reliable alignment without complex adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a dispenser for interfolded napkins, including an inner container defining a dispensing opening, and an outer sleeve including a dispensing mouth. The outer sleeve forms at least one open end portion being arranged to receive the inner container, and the dispensing mouth forms an open end towards an open end portion of the sleeve. When the inner container is located in the outer sleeve, a supporting surface is biased towards the dispensing opening of the inner container and vertically movable inside the inner container between a lower position and an upper position, and, at least in a region adjacent the open end of the dispensing mouth, the outer contour of the upper ends of the side walls of the inner container deviates from the inner periphery of the sleeve, forming an access opening to the space between the upper position and the dispensing mouth.