Sheet material dispenser

Abstract

In one aspect, a sheet material dispenser may generally include a flexible pouch and a rigid container. The flexible pouch may generally be configured to receive a plurality of sheets and may include a dispenser opening. In addition, the flexible pouch may include a resealable cap for intermittently exposing and resealing the dispenser opening. The rigid container may generally include an interior region defined at least partially between a back wall and sidewalls extending outwardly from the back wall. The rigid container may also include first and second front plates configured to be slideably coupled to the sidewalls such that the front plates are movable relative to one another and relative to the sidewalls between an open position, wherein the front plates are positioned in a distal relationship relative to one another, and a closed position, wherein the front plates are positioned in an adjacent relationship relative to one another. Additionally, when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position, a portion of the front plates may be configured to be positioned directly below a portion of the resealable cap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet material dispenser comprising:
 a rigid container including an interior region defined at least partially by a back wall and sidewalls extending outwardly from the back wall, the rigid container further including first and second front plates configured to be slideably coupled to at least one of the sidewalls such that the first and second front plates are movable relative to one another between an opened position, wherein the first and second front plates are positioned in a distal relationship relative to one another, and a closed position, wherein the first and second front plates are positioned in an adjacent relationship relative to one another, the first and second front plates each including a top surface, a bottom surface and inner and outer sides extending between the top and bottom surfaces; and   a flexible pouch configured to contain a stack of sheets, the flexible pouch being configured to be received within the interior region of the rigid container, the flexible pouch defining a dispenser opening and including a resealable cap for intermittently exposing and resealing the dispenser opening,   wherein portions of the first and second front plates are configured to be positioned directly below a portion of the resealable cap when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second front plates are movable relative to one another in a direction substantially parallel to the back wall. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible pouch is configured to be inserted within the interior region when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sides of the first and second front plates each include a first side portion, a second side portion and a central portion extending between the first and second side portions. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second side portions of the inner side of the first front plate are configured to contact the adjacent first and second side portions of the inner side of the second front plate when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein an alignment tab extends outwardly from at least one of the first side portion or the second side portion of the inner side of the first front plate, the alignment tab being configured to be received within a corresponding slot defined in at least one of the first side portion or the second side portion of the inner side of the second front plate when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the central portion of the inner side of each of the first and second front plates has a non-linear configuration such that a cap opening is defined between the central portions of the inner sides when the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 7 , wherein the non-linear configuration corresponds to a curved profile extending between the first and second side portions of each respective front plate. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 7 , wherein a shape of the cap opening generally corresponds to a shape of a portion of the resealable cap. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 7 , wherein the cap opening defines a cross-wise dimension that is less than a cross-wise dimension defined by the portion of the resealable cap. 
     
     
         11 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the cross-wise dimension of the cap opening is selected such that an overhanging portion is defined around an outer perimeter of the cap opening along which a top surface of the first and second front plates is configured to engage a bottom surface of the resealable cap. 
     
     
         12 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the resealable cap includes a bottom cap portion coupled to a wall of the flexible pouch and a top cap portion pivotally coupled to the bottom cap portion, the first and second front plates being configured to be engaged against the bottom cap portion when in the closed position. 
     
     
         13 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls include a first sidewall having a first retention lip extending outwardly therefrom and a second sidewall having a second retention lip extending outwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         14 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second front plates each include a first retention arm and a second retention arm, the first retention arm extending outwardly from the bottom side of the respective front plate to a location adjacent to the first sidewall such that a portion of the first retention arm is positioned behind the first retention lip, the second retention arm extending outwardly from the bottom side of the respective front plate to a location adjacent to the second sidewall such that a portion of the second retention arm is positioned behind the second retention lip. 
     
     
         15 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second retention arms are configured to be engaged behind the first and second retention lips in order to limit movement of the first and second front plates in a direction perpendicular to the back wall. 
     
     
         16 . The sheet material dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein a gripper tab is defined along the outer side of each of the first and second front plates. 
     
     
         17 . A method for using a sheet material dispenser including a flexible pouch and a rigid container configured to receive the flexible pouch, the flexible pouch defining a dispenser opening and including a resealable cap for intermittently exposing and resealing the dispenser opening, the rigid container including an interior region defined at least partially by a back wall and sidewalls extending outwardly from the back wall, the method comprising:
 positioning a first front plate of the rigid container around a portion of the flexible pouch such that a portion of the first front plate is positioned directly below a portion of the resealable cap;   positioning a second front plate of the rigid container around a portion of the flexible pouch such that a portion of the second front plate is positioned directly below the portion of the resealable cap, the first and second front plates being disposed in a closed position relative to one another when the first and second front plates are engaged against the resealable cap; and   slideably coupling the first and second front plates to the sidewalls of the rigid container such that the first and second front plates are movable relative to another between the closed position and an open position.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising sliding the first and second front plates relative to the sidewalls from the closed position to the open position, the first and second front plates being disposed in a distal relationship relative to one another when in the open position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising removing the flexible pouch from between the first and second front plates when the first and second front plates are in the open position. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising inserting the flexible pouch within the interior region of the rigid container before or after the first and second front plates are moved to the closed position.