Presently public places, such as restaurants, make available to the consumers dispensers of tissue paper items such as serviettes table napkins, towels or sanitary paper.
In general, a napkin dispenser comprises an open-ended case having a substantially parallelepiped shape and including a front panel fitted with a transverse slot through which the napkins are extracted. The napkins are assembled as a pack inside the dispenser either in a mere juxtaposed manner, or independently of each other, or interleafed with each other. Such dispensers can be set down flat or vertically against a wall.
Common standard dispensers of this type are usually assembled from multiple sections. A body may comprise up to four separate parts, which are assembled by rivets, welds or other means, depending on the material used. In addition, the body may include an end wall and guiding means for a push plate for napkins or the like. These components must also be attached to selected parts of the inner walls of said body. As a rule, the cost of the dispenser and the assembly thereof is directly related to the number of component parts.
In order to refill a dispenser, a user must remove the front panel to access the space into which a stack of napkins is to be loaded. This may either be done by simply removing the front panel, to expose the pus-plate, whereby a new stack of napkins is inserted into the body of the dispenser against the action of the spring loaded push plate. A problem with this type of loose front panel is that it may be difficult to remove, as there is no obvious way to grip the panel. Also, when replacing the front panel after filling, the stack of napkins must be pushed back while the front panel is repositioned and re-attached. This relatively complicated procedure will more often than not cause at least the outermost napkin of the stack to be damaged or displaced relative to the dispensing opening.
In an alternative dispenser, a user must locate and release one or more latches positioned inside the dispenser in order to allow the front panel and an associated holder to be withdrawn from the dispenser for re-filling. Such a dispenser is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,001. As in the above example, a problem with this type of dispenser is that it may be difficult to remove, as there is no obvious way to grip the panel. The user must first know that the front panel is retained by a latch (or latches), and second know where to find said latch. This is not obvious, as the latch is accessed through the dispensing opening, requiring the user to be trained for opening the dispenser, or that the body of the dispenser is provided with instructions for refilling. Apart from detracting from the design and general appearance of the dispenser, such instructions may be worn away with time. A user not familiar with the dispenser may therefore cause damage to the retaining mechanism trying to force the front panel of the dispenser open.
Hence there exists a need for a dispenser provided with means for facilitating an improved method of opening and closing of such a dispenser for the purpose of re-filling.