Tissue paper systems

Abstract

A package including a stack of tissue paper sheets, wherein the package includes at least one line of weakness that has an unbroken configuration and a broken configuration and wherein the package is configured to be able to be flexed to pull apart the line of weakness when the line of weakness is in the broken configuration to open the package to allow a tissue paper sheet in the stack to be withdrawn through the open package.

1 . A package comprising a stack of tissue paper sheets, wherein the package comprises at least one line of weakness that has an unbroken configuration and a broken configuration and wherein the package is configured to be able to be flexed to pull apart the line of weakness when the line of weakness is in the broken configuration to open the package to allow a tissue paper sheet in the stack to be withdrawn through the open package,
 wherein the package is elongate, the at least one line of weakness is placed in a central region, and the line of weakness extends laterally with respect to the package,   wherein the package is configured such that when the line of weakness is in the broken configuration and the package is placed in an opened configuration to create an opening, the opening uncovers a central portion of the stack of tissue paper sheets by the package,   wherein the stake of tissue paper sheets is interfolded such that when a preceding sheet is withdrawn, a leading edge of a succeeding sheet is revealed in the opening.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is configured such that the flexing is able to break open the line of weakness when the line of weakness is in the unbroken configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is sized so that the palm, at least partly, the fingers and the thumb of one hand fit about the package on one side of the line of weakness and the palm, the fingers and the thumb of the other hand fit about the package on the other side of the line of weakness, whereby the hands can be manipulated so as to flex the package and thereby break open the line of weakness. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3 , wherein the package is elongate and opposing longitudinal end regions of the package are so graspable by respective hands of the user. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is configured to be flexed about a hinge portion of the package, which serves to keep together first and second parts of the package when the at least one line of weakness has been broken open, the first and second parts of the package being segregated by the line of weakness and the hinge portion. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is elongate, has longitudinal end faces, and four side faces extending longitudinally between the end faces, wherein the line of weakness extends about three of the four side faces of the package such that a hinge portion of the package remains when the line of weakness is broken open and such that at least part of the fourth side serves as the hinge portion of the package about which the package is opened. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 6 , wherein the package is stiff enough to maintain an opened configuration even when the package is oriented so that the weight of the stack of tissue paper sheets presses down on the hinge portion. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is in a closed and sealed configuration when the line of weakness is in the unbroken configuration, is configured to be flexed from a closed configuration to an opened configuration when the at least one line of weakness is in the broken configuration, and wherein the package can be manipulated back to its closed configuration, whereby opposing sides of the broken line of weakness are brought into contact. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 1 , whereby the package is configured such that respective parts of the package are able to be moved apart from one another when the line of weakness is in the broken configuration to thereby be placed in an opened configuration that uncovers a first portion of the stack of tissue paper sheets by the package and a cover is provided to move with one of the respective parts relative to the other part to cover the first portion of the stack of tissue paper sheets when the package is in the opened configuration, whereby the cover is slideable with respect to the other part of the package when the parts of the package move relative to one another. 
     
     
         11 . A package comprising a stack of tissue paper sheets, wherein the package is openable by moving one part of the package relative to another part of the package so that a first portion of the stack of tissue paper sheets is uncovered by the package, and wherein a cover is moveable with one of the parts relative to the other part so as to cover the first portion of the stack, and wherein the cover is configured to move relative to the other part of the package in a sliding manner as the package is opened. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the stack of sheets includes a top sheet providing a top of the stack, a bottom sheet providing a bottom of the stack and a number of sheets stacked between the top and bottom sheets providing sides of the stack connecting the top and bottom of the stack, and wherein the cover is configured to cover a side of the stack of tissues when the package is in the opened configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the cover is see-through enough and the cover is so positioned that the user can observe the position of the last sheet in the stack as the package approaches an empty state. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the package has a hinge portion and the package is openable and closeable by rotation about the hinge portion, and wherein rotation of the package about the hinge is such as to provide a dispensing opening in the package through which a bottom sheet in the stack can be withdrawn, where the bottom sheet is on an opposing side of the stack to the hinge, and also to provide a side opening through which the stack is uncovered by the package in a stacking direction of the package, wherein the side opening becomes more spread apart from the hinge end to the dispensing opening end, and wherein the cover is configured to cover the side opening. 
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein the cover is substantially correspondingly shaped to the side opening. 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein when the package is in the closed configuration of the package with the line of weakness as yet unbroken, the cover is disposed inside the package. 
     
     
         17 . A dispenser for holding a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets or for holding a package comprising a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets, wherein the dispenser comprises first and second walls, the first wall being made at least partly up of first and second wall parts that are angled toward one another to define a point of intersection and the second wall being made at least partly up of first and second wall parts that are angled toward one another in the same way as the first wall part but define a dispensing opening therebetween where the point of intersection is located in the first wall part, the dispensing opening allowing a sheet from the stack to be withdrawn, the first and second walls being spaced apart to provide a stack receiving cavity therebetween, wherein a line bisecting the angle between the first and second wall parts of the first and second walls passes through the point of intersection of the first wall and the dispensing opening of the second wall,
 wherein one of the first wall and second wall is a top-most wall facing upwardly, the other is a bottom-most wall facing downwardly.   
     
     
         18 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second walls are shaped and spaced apart to define a v shaped cavity therebetween such that when a stack or at least one package is inserted into the cavity it must be shaped to have the v shape in order to fit therein, wherein the stack or package has a thickness in a stacking direction sized to fill the cavity between the first and second walls. 
     
     
         19 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the dispenser can be oriented so that the first wall is facing upwardly, the second wall is facing downwardly and so that the dispenser includes opposed sidewalls extending between the top and bottom walls to together define a periphery of the cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the angle between first and second wall parts of the first and second walls is between 170° and 110. 
     
     
         21 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the dispenser defines the cavity to be for receiving an elongate stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets or an elongate package comprising a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets, to have a thickness direction with which the stacking direction of the stack is to be aligned and a lateral direction across a face of the stack of tissues, and wherein the dispenser defines the point of intersection of the first wall to be at a central location between opposed longitudinal ends of the cavity so as to require the stack of tissues to have a bend line in a lateral direction across a face of the stack and centrally located between opposed longitudinal ends of the stack. 
     
     
         22 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the dispenser is open at a front face for loading the stack or package therethrough and into the cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The dispenser of  claim 22 , wherein the dispenser has a wall defining a closed rear face that is opposed to the front face. 
     
     
         24 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , which is configured to be wall mounted by way of an opening or recess in a rear wall thereof. 
     
     
         25 . A system of a dispenser and a package comprising a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser has a housing defining a cavity for receiving the package and a dispensing opening through which tissues can be withdrawn, wherein the housing defines the cavity so as to hold the package in an opened configuration wherein the package is in its flexed form and a dispensing opening of the package provided by the opened configuration of the package is aligned with the dispensing opening of the dispenser so that a user can withdraw a tissue from the stack through the dispensing opening of the package and the dispensing opening of the dispenser. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the package has a hinge portion about which first and second parts of the package are moved apart from one another in order to open the package and to provide the dispensing opening of the package in an opposed face of the package to the face including the hinge portion. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the dispenser is for holding a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets or for holding a package comprising a stack of absorbent tissue paper sheets, wherein the dispenser comprises first and second walls, the first wall being made at least partly up of first and second wall parts that are angled toward one another to define a point of intersection and the second wall being made at least partly up of first and second wall parts that are angled toward one another in the same way as the first wall part but define a dispensing opening therebetween where the point of intersection is located in the first wall part, the dispensing opening allowing a sheet from the stack to be withdrawn, the first and second walls being spaced apart to provide a stack receiving cavity therebetween, wherein a line bisecting the angle between the first and second wall parts of the first and second walls passes through the point of intersection of the first wall and the dispensing opening of the second wall, and wherein the point of intersection of the first wall of the dispenser engages the hinge portion of the package. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the package is a refill package and the cavity is for being loaded with the refill package.