U.S. patent application number 11/435420 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-23 for dispenser bearing multi-dimensional image.
This patent application is currently assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company. Invention is credited to Douglas P. Bodziak.
Application Number | 20060261077 11/435420 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37452599 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060261077 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bodziak; Douglas P. |
November 23, 2006 |
Dispenser bearing multi-dimensional image
Abstract
The present invention relates to a dispenser having a
substantially transparent cover having opposing inner and outer
surfaces, said cover having an opening disposed therein; an article
bearing a multi-dimensional image, the article having opposing
first and second sides and disposed proximate to the inner surface
of the cover; and a housing having a cavity adapted for holding a
pad of material.
Inventors: |
Bodziak; Douglas P.; (Lake
Elmo, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
PO BOX 33427
ST. PAUL
MN
55133-3427
US
|
Assignee: |
3M Innovative Properties
Company
|
Family ID: |
37452599 |
Appl. No.: |
11/435420 |
Filed: |
May 17, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60682956 |
May 20, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B43M 99/008 20130101;
B65D 2203/00 20130101; B65D 83/0817 20130101; B65H 1/12 20130101;
B65D 2203/02 20130101; B42D 5/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/033 |
International
Class: |
B65H 1/00 20060101
B65H001/00 |
Claims
1. A dispenser comprising: a substantially transparent cover having
opposing inner and outer surfaces, the cover having an opening
disposed therein; an article bearing a multi-dimensional image, the
article having opposing first and second sides and disposed
proximate to the inner surface of the cover; and a housing having a
cavity adapted for holding a pad of material.
2. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising indicia disposed on
the outer surface of the cover.
3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises
a means for biasing the pad of material against the inner surface
of said cover.
4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the means for biasing the pad
of materials is a spring.
5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the cavity comprises a
platform upon which the pad of material can be disposed, the
platform having an opening therein to accommodate for the
spring.
6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the pad of material is
selected from the group consisting of a pad of repositionable note,
a pad of repositionable flag, a pad of precut tape, and
combinations thereof.
7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the article bearing a
multi-dimensional image is selected from the group consisting of
lenticular film, microlens sheeting, and films containing
holograms.
8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the lenticular film as a first
structured surface and an opposing second substantially planar
surface comprising an image.
9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the article bearing a
multidimensional image is a composite comprising a lenticular film
having a first structured surface and an opposing second
substantially flat surface; and a base sheet having a first major
surface comprising an image; wherein the first major surface of the
base sheet is proximate to the second surface of the lenticular
film.
10. The dispenser of claim 9 further comprising a transparent
adhesive disposed between the second surface of the lenticular film
and the first major surface of the base sheet.
11. The dispenser of claims 7 or 9, wherein the lenticular film is
transparent.
12. The dispenser of claims 8 or 9, wherein the image is printed
via inkjet printing.
13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cover is detachable from
the housing.
14. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein cover and the article bearing
a multi-dimensional image each comprise a first aperture adapted
for dispensing in the pad of material.
15. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the article bearing the
multi-dimensional image covers substantially the entire inner
surface of the cover.
16. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a post
for mating with a second aperture in the cover.
17. The article of claim 1, wherein the article bearing a
multi-dimensional image is adhesively attached to the inner surface
of the cover.
18. A dispenser comprising: a housing comprising a cavity adapted
for holding pad of material and a spring; a substantially
transparent cover comprising opposing inner and outer surfaces and
a first aperture adapted for dispensing an item in the pad of
material; and an article bearing a multi-dimensional image, the
article comprising: a lenticular film having a first substantially
transparent structured surface and an opposing second substantially
flat surface; a base sheet having an imaged first side and an
opposing second side; a transparent adhesive disposed between the
second surface of the lenticular film and the first side of the
base sheet; and a first opening in alignment with the first
aperture of the cover.
19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the pad of material is
selected from the group consisting of repositionable note,
repositionable flag, and precut tape.
20. A kit comprising: A dispenser comprising a housing having a
cavity, a substantially transparent cover having a first aperture,
and a spring; An article bearing a multi-dimensional image, the
article comprising a substantially transparent lenticular film
having a first structured surface and a second substantially flat
surface and an image disposed proximate to the second flat surface
of the lenticular film; and A pad of material selected from the
group consisting of repositionable notes, repositionable flags, and
precut tape.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application 60/682,956 filed May 20, 2005.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a dispenser for a pad of
material, such as a pad of repositionable note or flag, or a pop-up
tape, where the dispenser incorporates a multi-dimensional
image.
BACKGROUND
[0003] There are a wide variety of commercially available
dispensers in the market for dispensing various materials, such as
repositionable notes, flags, and tapes. Many dispensers contain a
unique design, interesting and colorful images, or both to attract
consumers. Dispensers may incorporate a particular company's logo,
an advertising message, or iconic images. Dispenser designers
continually examine and test different approaches to add aesthetic
as well as functional value to the dispensers.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one aspect, the present invention pertains to a dispenser
having a multi-dimensional image. The dispenser comprises (1) a
transparent cover having opposing inner and outer surfaces, the
cover having an opening disposed therein; (2) an article bearing a
multi-dimensional image, the article having opposing first and
second sides and disposed proximate to the inner surface of the
cover; and (3) a housing having a cavity adapted for holding a pad
of material.
[0005] In another aspect, the present invention pertains to a
dispenser comprising: (1) a housing comprising a cavity adapted for
holding pad of material and a spring; (2) a substantially
transparent cover comprising opposing inner and outer surfaces and
a first aperture adapted for dispensing an item in the pad of
material; and (3) an article bearing a multi-dimensional image, the
article comprising: (i) a lenticular film having a first
substantially transparent structured surface and an opposing second
substantially flat surface; (ii) a base sheet having an imaged
first side and an opposing second side; (iii) a transparent
adhesive disposed between the second surface of the lenticular film
and the first side of the base sheet; and (iv) a first opening in
alignment with the first aperture of the cover.
[0006] In yet another aspect, the present invention pertains to a
kit comprising: (1) a dispenser comprising a housing having a
cavity, (2) a substantially transparent cover having a first
aperture, and a spring; (3) an article bearing a multi-dimensional
image, the article comprising a substantially transparent
lenticular film having a first structured surface and a second
substantially flat surface and an image disposed proximate to the
second flat surface of the lenticular film; and (4) a pad of
material selected from the group consisting of repositionable
notes, repositionable flags, and precut tape.
[0007] As used herein, the term "transparent" generally means
having the property of transmitting light without appreciable
scattering so that images lying beyond can be seen. The term
"multidimensional" means at least two-dimensional.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The present invention can be further described with
reference to the following drawings, wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of
the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 1
taken along line 2-2;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary article
bearing a multi-dimensional image; and
[0012] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an exemplary article bearing a
multi-dimensional image.
[0013] These drawings are idealized, are not drawn to scale, and
are intended for illustrative purposes only.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of one exemplary embodiment
of the present invention. Dispenser 10 includes housing 14, a
substantially transparent cover 12, and an article bearing a
multi-dimensional image 13. The cover contains a first aperture
adapted for dispensing an item in a pad of material, such as
repositionable note 16 in a pad of material. Exemplary pad of
material include, but is not limited to, repositionable notes such
as Post-it.RTM. pop-up notes, repositionable flags such as the
Post-it.RTM. flags, and precut tape, such as pop-up tape, all
commercially available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.
Housing 14 is polygonal and is similar in shape to that of pad of
material 17. The housing has a base and four upright walls
extending from the base. The housing includes cavity 19 adapted for
receiving the pad of material. The housing further includes spring
18 serving as a means for biasing the pad of material against the
cover thereby allowing for continual dispensing of the pad of
material until the entire pad is consumed. This particular
dispenser is particularly suited for a pad of material that is
assembled in a z-stack format, i.e., where the repositionable
adhesive of a first item in the pad is disposed at the opposite
edge of the repositionable adhesive of the next subsequent item in
the pad. The figure shows repositionable note 16 exposing from and
to the right hand side of the dispenser. In the z-stacked
configuration, when a user pulls on the exposed note, the next
available note will be dispensed to the left hand side of the
dispenser. The housing further includes post 20. As best shown in
FIG. 1, four posts are used in this embodiment, each post residing
approximately in the corner of the housing.
[0016] Cover 12 has opposing inner and outer surfaces, 12a and 12b,
respectively. The cover includes first aperture 21 adapted for
dispensing a pad of material and second aperture for mating with
posts 20 in the housing. The second apertures are aligned with the
posts of the housing. This particular design allows the cover to be
attached and detached from the housing when a new pad of material
needs to be loaded into the dispenser. The posts provide an
interference fit with second apertures in the cover. If desired,
the outer surface of the cover may include indicia, such as those
used in the promotional market for advertising.
[0017] Dispensers that can be used in the present invention include
but are not limited to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,781;
4,921,127; 4,986,440; 4,993,590; 5,080,255; 5,167,346; 5,671,866,
and 6,068,138. While these dispenser patents recited may not
disclose that the cover is transparent, one can practice the
invention by substituting a transparent cover.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows one exemplary article 30 bearing a
multi-dimensional image. The article is of multilayer construction
and includes a substantially transparent lenticular film 32. The
lenticular film has first structured surface 32a and opposing
second substantially flat surface 32b. Base sheet 36 includes first
surface 36a containing an image (not shown) and opposing second
surface 36b. Adhesive 34 attaches the lenticular film to the base
sheet. Any adhesive can be used in the present invention, so long
as it does not interfere with the visual appearance of the article.
In one embodiment, the adhesive is substantially transparent. In
this particular construction, the image disposed on surface 36a of
the base sheet is buried and thus protected.
[0019] While the article in FIG. 3 shows a multi-layer
construction, it is within the scope of the present invention to
have the image disposed directly on the second, substantially flat
side 32b of the lenticular film. If desired, a white ink can be
printed directly over the image covering substantially all of the
second side of the lenticular film. Whether a single or multi-layer
construction is used, the image can be formed using any of a
variety of printing techniques, including but not limited to inkjet
printing, and other printing techniques, such as, but not limited
to, silk screening, offset printing, and flexo-printing.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of an exemplary article bearing
a multi-dimensional image. In this particular case, for ease of
understanding, the lenticular portion of the article has been
removed. Article 40 includes images 41, first opening 43 adapted
for dispensing the pad of material, and second opening 45. The
first opening 43 is in alignment with the first aperture 21 of the
cover and the second opening 45 is in alignment with the second
aperture of the cover. The openings in the articles are typically
formed by die-cutting. Once assembled, as best shown in FIG. 2, the
article 40 covers substantially all of the inner surface 12a of the
cover.
[0021] In use, in one embodiment, the consumer is provided with at
least one article bearing multi-dimensional image. A plurality of
these articles can be provided and they can be coordinated with a
particular holiday season (e.g., Easter, Christmas). Thus, the
dispenser is designed to allow for different images to be displayed
at different times by changing the article bearing the
multi-dimensional image. The consumer aligns the article bearing
the multi-dimensional image with the cover so that the apertures in
the cover coincide with the openings in the article, loads the
housing cavity with a pad of material, and then places the cover
with the article on the housing.
[0022] In alternative embodiments, the cover may include mechanical
means (such as, but not limited to, hooks, hook and loop fastening
means) that allows for attachment of the article bearing the
multi-dimensional image, thereby eliminating the need to rely on
the consumer to align the article with the cover. In yet another
embodiment, the article bearing the multi-dimensional image can be
attached adhesively to the cover, so long as the adhesive does not
visually detract from the image. The adhesive may be
repositionable, allowing for easy removal of the film bearing the
multidimensional image and for replacement of a different film
containing a different image.
[0023] In a lenticular film, a plurality of linear corrugations or
grooves that are molded, embossed, or extruded. Such films are
typically colorless, although they can be tinted. A one-dimensional
image can be printed onto a base sheet and attached, such as by a
lamination process, to the lenticular film. Alternatively, a photo
can be used as the image. The combination of the printed base sheet
or photo with the lenticular film transforms the one-dimensional
image into a multi-dimensional image. Care should be taken to align
the image with the lenticular film to produce a quality
multi-dimensional image. If desired, the printed image or photo can
be subjected to known photography techniques where commercially
available software can be used to alter the picture so it is better
suited with the lenticular film. As stated above, in an alternative
embodiment, the lenticular film is the article bearing the
multi-dimensional image. Commercially available lenticular films
that may be used in the present invention include those supplied
from LentiClear.TM. Lenticular Lens, Inc. in Itasca, Ill. under
product name LentiClear.TM. Elliptical High Performance Lenticular
Lens.
[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,842 discloses another useful article for
use in the present invention, where various types of microlens
sheeting with composite images are described. The composite image
may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The image floats above
and or below the sheeting. Suitable microlens sheeting that can be
processed to include the composite images include exposed lens
sheeting, embedded lens sheeting, encapsulated lens sheeting, and
microlens sheeting comprises a transparent plano-convex or aspheric
base sheet. The exposed lens type of microlens sheeting that
includes a monolayer of transparent microspheres partially embedded
in a binder, as described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No.
2,326,634. The embedded lens type sheeting that includes a
monolayer of transparent microspheres embedded in a transparent
protective overcoat, as described in greater detail in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,801,183. The encapsulated lens type sheeting is described in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,272. The transparent plano-convex or aspheric
base sheet has first and second broad faces, the second face being
substantially planar and the first face having an array of
substantially hemispheroidal or hemi-aspheroidal microlenses, as
better described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,390.
[0025] Articles bearing holograms may also be used in the present
invention. Holograms are typically generated by using small prisms
or small ridges that scatter to diffract light in a periodic
fashion. There are commercially available films that generate
holograms.
[0026] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have
been shown and described, it is understood that these embodiments
are merely illustrative of the many possible specific arrangements
that can be devised in application of the principles of the
invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be devised in
accordance with these principles by those of ordinary skill in the
art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to
the structures described in this application, but only by the
structures described by the language of the claims and the
equivalents of those structures.
[0027] All US Patents referenced in this document are incorporated
by reference.
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