Dispenser and method of refilling dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser is provided with a reservoir for a stack of sheets of web material and including a housing. The dispenser includes a lid being adapted to face upwardly during use of the dispenser. The dispenser includes a first biasing arrangement for biasing the stack of sheets of web material towards the lid and a dispensing opening therein. A cassette includes the reservoir and is arranged to be moved to a position at least partially outside the housing. The cassette is provided with a refill opening for sheets of web material, the refill opening being accessible when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing. Further, a method of refilling a dispenser with a stack of sheets of web material is provided.

1 . A dispenser ( 2 ) provided with a reservoir ( 6 ) for a stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material and comprising a housing ( 4 ), wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a lid ( 10 ) being provided with a dispensing opening ( 12 ) for sheets of web material, wherein the lid ( 10 ) is adapted to face upwardly during use of the dispenser ( 2 ), and wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a first biasing arrangement ( 14 ) for biasing the stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material towards the lid ( 10 ) and the dispensing opening ( 12 ), characterized in that the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a cassette ( 16 ), which cassette ( 16 ) comprises the reservoir ( 6 ) and is arranged to be moved to a position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), wherein the cassette ( 16 ) is provided with a refill opening ( 18 ) for sheets of web material, the refill opening ( 18 ) being accessible when the cassette ( 16 ) is in the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ). 
     
     
         2 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid ( 10 ) is attached to, or forms part of, the cassette ( 16 ), and wherein the dispensing opening ( 12 ) and the refill opening ( 18 ) face in substantially perpendicular directions. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the refill opening ( 18 ) extends over substantially an entire length of the cassette ( 16 ) and over substantially an entire width of the cassette ( 16 ). 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a second biasing arrangement ( 20 ) adapted to bias the cassette ( 16 ) in a vertical direction towards the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ). 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a securing arrangement ( 22 ) for holding the cassette ( 16 ) in place in the housing ( 4 ) against a biasing force of the second biasing arrangement ( 20 ). 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) is releasable to permit movement of the cassette ( 16 ) to the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ). 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 5  or  6 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises a protruding element ( 30 ) in the housing ( 4 ), the protruding element ( 30 ) being arranged to project into a recess ( 32 ) provided in the cassette ( 16 ). 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the protruding element ( 30 ) is biased in a direction towards the cassette ( 16 ). 
     
     
         9 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of  claims 5 - 8 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) is further arranged to hold the cassette ( 16 ) in the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ). 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of  claims 7 - 9 , wherein the protruding element ( 30 ) comprises a slanted edge ( 34 ) arranged to abut against an outer surface of the cassette ( 16 ). 
     
     
         11 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 7  or  8 , or according to  claim 9  or  10  when dependent on  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises a push button ( 40 ) connected with the protruding element ( 30 ) such that an engagement of the push button ( 40 ) releases the protruding element ( 30 ) from the recess. 
     
     
         12 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the push button ( 40 ) is accessible through the lid ( 10 ). 
     
     
         13 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 11  or  12 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises a third biasing arrangement ( 44 ) for biasing the protruding element ( 30 ) in the direction towards the cassette ( 16 ) and for biasing the push button ( 40 ) in a direction outwardly from the dispenser ( 2 ). 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cassette ( 16 ) comprises a projection ( 80 ) on an outside of the cassette ( 16 ) and the housing ( 4 ) is provided with a groove ( 82 ), and wherein the projection ( 80 ) is arranged to slide in the groove ( 82 ) and along the groove ( 82 ), when the cassette ( 16 ) is moved along the housing ( 4 ). 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the projection ( 80 ) is elastic and frictionally engages with the housing ( 4 ) in the groove ( 82 ). 
     
     
         16 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the housing ( 4 ) comprises a protuberance ( 84 ) arranged in the groove ( 82 ) such that the projection ( 80 ) is releasably engaged with the protuberance ( 84 ) when the projection ( 80 ) is slid past the protuberance ( 84 ) in the groove ( 82 ). 
     
     
         17 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first biasing arrangement ( 14 ) is arranged in the cassette ( 16 ) and comprises a movable platform ( 60 ) for supporting the stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material and a first resilient member ( 62 ) abutting against the movable platform ( 60 ) from a side opposite to the stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material. 
     
     
         18 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a level indicator ( 70 ) for indicating a level of sheets of web material in the reservoir ( 6 ). 
     
     
         19 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claims 17  and  18 , wherein the movable platform ( 60 ) engages with the level indicator ( 70 ) when the movable platform ( 60 ) reaches an end portion of the housing ( 4 ) near the lid ( 10 ), to displace the level indicator ( 70 ) from a first position to at least a second position. 
     
     
         20 . The dispenser ( 2 ) according to  claim 4 , or according to any one of  claims 5 - 19  when dependent on  claim 4 , wherein the second biasing arrangement ( 20 ) comprises a second resilient member ( 73 ) arranged between the housing ( 4 ) and the cassette ( 16 ) at an end portion of the housing ( 4 ) opposite to the lid ( 10 ). 
     
     
         21 . A method of refilling a dispenser ( 2 ) with a stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material, the dispenser ( 2 ) being provided with a reservoir ( 6 ) for the stack of sheets of web material and comprising a housing ( 4 ), wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a lid ( 10 ) being provided with a dispensing opening ( 12 ) for sheets of web material, wherein the lid ( 10 ) is adapted to face upwardly during use of the dispenser ( 2 ), and wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a first biasing arrangement ( 14 ) for biasing the stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material towards the lid ( 10 ) and the dispensing opening ( 12 ), the dispenser ( 2 ) further comprising a cassette ( 16 ), which cassette ( 16 ) comprises the reservoir ( 6 ) and is arranged to be moved to a position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), wherein the cassette ( 16 ) is provided with a refill opening ( 18 ) for sheets of web material, the refill opening ( 18 ) being accessible when the cassette ( 16 ) is in the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), and wherein the lid ( 10 ), or a portion at an upper end of the cassette ( 16 ), forms an upper constraint of the reservoir ( 6 ), the method comprising:
 moving ( 100 ) the cassette ( 16 ) upwardly into the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), and   refilling ( 102 ) the reservoir ( 6 ) with sheets of web material by placing a stack ( 8 ) of sheets of web material through the refill opening ( 18 ) into the reservoir ( 6 ) within the formed upper constraint.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a second biasing arrangement ( 20 ) adapted to bias the cassette ( 16 ) in a vertical direction towards the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), and wherein the moving ( 100 ) comprises:
 ejecting ( 104 ) the cassette ( 16 ) from the housing ( 4 ) by the second biasing arrangement ( 20 ) towards the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ).   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the dispenser ( 2 ) comprises a securing arrangement ( 22 ) for holding the cassette ( 16 ) in place in the housing ( 4 ) against a biasing force of the second biasing arrangement ( 20 ), and wherein the moving ( 100 ) comprises:
 releasing ( 106 ) the securing arrangement ( 22 ) to permit movement of the cassette ( 16 ) to the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ).   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises a push button ( 40 ), and the releasing ( 106 ) of the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises engagement of the push button ( 40 ). 
     
     
         25 . The method according to any one of  claims 21 - 24 , comprising:
 repositioning ( 108 ) the cassette ( 16 ) in the housing ( 4 ).   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25  in combination with  claim 24  or  claim 23 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) is arranged to hold the cassette ( 16 ) in the position at least partially outside the housing ( 4 ), and wherein the repositioning ( 108 ) comprises:
 releasing the securing arrangement ( 22 ) to permit movement of the cassette ( 16 ) towards the position in the housing ( 4 ). 
 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises a push button ( 40 ), and the releasing of the securing arrangement ( 22 ) comprises:
 engagement of the push button ( 40 ).   
     
     
         28 . The method according to any one of  claims 21 - 27 , wherein the refilling ( 102 ) comprises:
 placing ( 110 ) a stack ( 8 ) having a height of 10-20 cm in the reservoir ( 6 ).