CA1047453A

CA1047453A - Wet sheet dispenser with snap sealing cover

Info

Publication number: CA1047453A
Application number: CA263,693A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Richard T. Ross
Original assignee: Scott Paper Co
Current assignee: Kimberly Clark Tissue Co
Priority date: 1975-12-24
Filing date: 1976-10-19
Publication date: 1979-01-30
Also published as: US3982659A

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Dispensing devices employed in a bulk package of sub-stantially wet sheets include a substantially flat section having an opening through which successive sheets are adapted to be in-dividually dispensed. The opening includes curved surfaces which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends to provide spaced lobes. Hingedly connected flexible flaps are normally disposed within the spaced lobes in substantially the same plane as the flat section, and the flaps have substantially curved outer margins which are closely positioned to curved surfaces providing the lobes to form restricting channels into which suc-cessive sheets are directed during sheet dispensing. Bulk packages including the above-described dispensing device also form a part of this invention.

Description

10~74S;~
. , This invention relates to dispensing devices employed in bulk packages of substantially wet sheets, and to bulk packages ; including said dispensing devices. More particularly, this in-vention relates to dispensing devices which provide for the in-dividual "pop-up" dispensing of successive sheets, and to bulk packages employing such dispensing devices.
Bulk packages which provide for the individual "pop-up"
dispensing of successive wet sheets are known in the prior art.
One such package is disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,780,908, issued to Fitzpatrick et al on December 25, 1973. The bulk pack-age disclosed in that patent is presently being sold by Internati~nal Playtex Company in the form of premoistened feminine ` towelettes. The dispensing device in the Fitzpatrick et al patent is in the form of a removable insert that includes a diamond-shaped dispensing opening having a fairly large area. This large ! area opening provides for easy access into the interior of the compartment in the event that a sheet to be dispensed from the compartment is not in its popped-up position. However, the moisturizing ingredients in the sheets can evaporate excessively when a large area dispensing opening is provided. Such excessive evaporation is most likely to occur if a closure of the package i8 inadvertently left in an opened condition, or is not properly closed to provide an effective moisture-impervious seal about the i dispensing opening. If the sheets lose an excessive amount of their moisturizing ingredients they may become unsuitable for their intended function.
A second commercially available bulk package which pro-vides for the pop-up dispensing of premoistened sheets is manu-factured by Sterling Drug, Inc., and is sold under the name "Wet-Ones". This package includes a removable lid which closes an open end of a cylindrical container. The lid includes an X-shaped dispensing opening provided by crossing slits which divide the lid into flexible tabs having sharp corners and bends.

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10~74S3 The premoistened ~heets are in the form o a core-less roll posi-tioned in the cylindrical container. Lines of perforations divide the roll into individual sheets, and successive sheets separate from the roll at a line of perforations upon withdrawal of an lmmediately preceding sheet through the dispensing opening.
This ~eparation i8 intended to take place after the line of per-,, forations has cleared the dispensing opening 80 that each suc-cessive sheet extends partially through the opening for easy dis-pensing.
A cro6s-slit arrangement providing the dispensing i~ openlng overcomes the problem of excessive moisture evaporatlon from the contents in the package. However, in the event that a ~heet fails to pop up a user cannot easily insert his fingers through the opening to grasp the uppermost sheet and pull it through the opening. In fact, a user can easily cut, or otherwise in~ure his finger if he attempts to force it past the surfaces of the tabs defining the X-shaped dispensing opening. Accord-s ingly, if a sheet fails to pop-up a user of the package must remove the lid and insert the leading edge of the sheet through - 20 the slits from the underside of said lid. In performing this operation the user should take care not to force his fingers through the slit~ for the reason indicated above. This same in-sertion operation is required to initially place the packaging systom in operation after it has been purchased. This type of an lnsertion operation is cumbersome, and somewhat difficult.
United States Patent No. 2,640,587, issued to Smith, discloses a dry tissue dispenser which includes a generally hour-glass shaped di~pensing opening in a wall thereof. The dispen-ser disclosed in Smith is somewhat nonanalogous to the instant invention in that it is designed for the dispensing of substan-tially dry sheets without any concern for causing successive sheots to move partially through the opening upon the withdrawal of an immediately preceding sheet. In other words the dispenser ' 1047453 ; di~closed in Smith i~ not concerned with the "pop-up" dispensing of any sheets from a package.
In ~ummary, bulk package~ providing for the pop-up dispen3ing of substantially wet ~heets have either included a relatively large dispensing opening, as disclosed in the Fitz-patrick et al patent, or an extremely narrow slit-type opening, a~ embodied in the Wet-One~ packaging system sold by Sterling Drug.
A relatively large dispensing opening permits the easy retrieval of sheets which fail to pop-up upon the withdrawal of a preceding sheet. However, such a large opening can cause excessive eva-poration of the moisturizing ingredients whithin the sheets in the event that a clo~ure to be eealed about the opening is either left opened, or is improperly sealed. A narrow slit-type opening provided by tabs having sharp corners and bends tends to prevent thi~ oxcessive evaporation of the moisturizing ingredients from taking place. However, in the event that the dispensing of a sheet fails to pull the leading end of the next succeeding sheet i through the opening, said leading end cannot be easily retrieved by inserting the fingers through the opening of the package.
Reference throughout this application to "wet" or "~ubstantially wet" sheets is intonded to refer to sheets so wetted by an aqueous or other desired treatment medium that when they are wiped acro~s a ~urface said surface is streaked by the liquid medium. In a preferred embodiment of this invention the treatment medium is aqueous, and provides a moisture content of from between about 100~ and about 350% by weight based on the dry woight of the sheet. In one commercial embodiment of this inven-tion the sheets are premoistened feminine towelettes.
Reference throughout this application to the "dry weight" of flbers and webs refer~ to the weight of fibers and webs under equilibrium conditions in an environment of 50~ rel-ative humidity and 68-70F.

Reference throughout thi~ application to "pop-up"

; i~l47~S3 ~ .
describes a mode of dispensing in which the leading edge of a sheet is pulled through a dispensing opening upon dispensing of -~ an immediately preceding aheet. Preferably the leading edge ex-; tends through the opening for a distance of from about ~ inch to , - about 1 inch.
As used throughout this application, the terms "sheet"
or "sheets" comprehend liquid-holding or similar sheet materials.
Preferably the sheets are fiber structures in which a preponderance, by weight, of the fibers are short cellulosic flbers of a paper-making length less than ~ inch (e.g. woodpulp and cotton linters).
The sheet~ can lnclude 100~ of such short cellulosic fibersJ how-ever, for some applications it may be desirable to lnclude a minor proportion, by weight, of textile-length fibers greater than ~
inch in length to reinforce the structure. Preferably the longer textile-length fibers are greater than ~ inch in length and con-~ ~titute no more than about 30~, by weight, of the fiber composition.;~ Textile-length fibers employed for reinforcing dry-formed webs can include polyester fibers, rayon fibers, or other fibers which are well known in the prior art.
This invention relates to a unique dispensing device employed in a bulk package of substantially wet sheets that are successively interconnected for permitting individual pop-up disp-nsing of successive wet sheets. The dispensing device in-cludes a substantially flat section having an opening there-; through which is adapted to communicate with the wet sheets, and through which the succe6sive sheets are adapted to be individually dispensed. The opening includes curved surfaces which are sub-stantially free of sharp angles and bends to provide spaced lobes.
Hingedly connected flexible flaps are normally disposed within the spaced lobes in substantially the same plane as the flat section, and each flap has a substantially curved outer margin which is substantially free of sharp angles and bends. The outer margins of the flaps are closely positioned to curved surfaces ~047~53 , .
providing the lobes to form restricting channel means into which ; successive sheets are directed during sheet dispenslng. Each of the successive sheets encounters frictional resistance by sur-faces of re~tricting channel means during dispensing of it9 immediately preceding sheet to separate each succes9ive shoet from its immediately preceding ~heet after sald immediately pre-ceding sheet has been withdrawn from the package 80 as to leave a portion of the successive sheet extending through the opening ; to provide for easy dispensing thereof.
The hingedly connected flexible flaps close off a considerable area of the lobes to prevent excessive evaporation of the treatment material in the event that a closure adapted to be sealed about the dispensing opening is either left opened, or is improperly closed. Moreover, the hinged connection of the 1exible flap~ permits a user to insert his thumb and forefinger through the fairly large lobes of the dispensing opening by forcing the flaps downwardly about their hinged connections. In thiq manner a ~heet which has failed to pop-up can be easily re-trieved by the user of the packaging sy~tem.
A bulk package of substantially wet sheets employing the above dispensing device also forms a part of this invention.
The bulk package includes a movable closure adapted to provide a moisture-impervious seal about the dispensing opening during periods of storage, and adapted to be moved to permit access to the opening for the dispensing of the wet sheets. The closure can be formed separately from the other members of the package, or can be integrally in~ection molded as a part of the dispensing device, or as a part of a container body in which the wet sheets are rotained.
The dispen~ing device can be formed in a unit which i~ separate and apart from the container body in which the wet sheets aro retained. In such an embodiment the dispensing de-vice includes retention means for permitting the attachment of ~0474S3 said unit to the container body. Alternatively, the dispensing , device can be injection molded or otherwise formed as part of the container body in which the wet sheets are retained.
Other objects and advantage of this invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Fig. 1 iB an isometric view of a bulk package according to this invention shown in its assembled condition and mounted on a supporting bracket which is adapted to be attached to a wall or other supporting surface;
Fig. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the assembly shown in Fig. l; ;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of ' Fig. 1:
Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of this invention with parts broken away to show details of con-' struction; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified dispensing opening in accordance with this invention.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a bulk package 10 for the pop-up dispensing of wet sheets 11 (Fig. 3) includes a container --body 12 and a dispensing device 14. The container body 12 in-cludes a front wall 16 and peripheral side and end walls 18 and 20, respectively, to provide a compartment 22 for the wet sheets 11. The side and end walls 18 and 20 termainate in a continuous, peripheral flange 26 to which a closure plate 28 is adhered or attached. The front wall 16 is provided with an opening 30 in which the dispensing device 14 is adapted to be removably secured.
The dispensing device 14 includes a dispensing section 32 and a closure section 34. This dispensing device is injection molded as a single unit from a suitable flexible plastic mater-ial, such a~ polypropylene, and includes a flexible web section 36 providing a hlnge connection between the dispensing section iO47453 .
32 and the closure section 34.
The dispensing device 14 is removably connected to the container body 12 through the cooperation of peripheral flanges on the dispensing section 32 with outer and inner surfaces of the !' :
:j front wall 16 of the container body. Specifically, the dispens-i ing section 32 includes circumferentially spaced peripheral flanges ~ 38 which are adapted to overlie a top surface 40 of the front wall ... .
16, and circumferentially spaced peripheral flanges 42 which are adapted to underlie a lower surface 44 ~f said front wall. The flanges 38 and 42 are sufficiently flexible so that a user can apply a force to the di8pensing device 14 for removing it from the - container body 12. However, the securing force between the dis-pensing device 14 and the container body 12 must be sufficient to prevent ri~tion;l1 forces imposed upon said dispensing device during sheet ~ r~ from forcing the dispensing device out of engagement with said container body.
The dispensing section 32 of the dispensing device 14 includes a ~ubstantially flat section 46 in which the unique dispensing arrangement of this invention is included. Specifi-cally, the dispensing arrangement includes spaced ~ flaps 50and 52 which are spaced from each other and normally disposed with-in lobes 54 at opposite ends of a substantially hour-glass shaped dispensing opening and in substantially the same plane as the flat - section 46. The flaps 50 and 52 are hingedly connected to the dispen~ing section 32 at hinge lines 56 and 58 respectively (Figs.
1 and 2). The outer periphery of the hour-glass shaped opening - is provided by generally curved, sinuate surfaces 60 which are free of sharp angle~ and bends. These sinuate ~urfaces 60 provide transversly spaced tongues 62 and 64 defining a narrow neck region 66 of the opening. This neck region 66 is narrower than, and is disposed intermediate of the spaced lobes 54.
The flaps 50 and 52 include outer margins 68 (Fig.l) which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends, and these ' ~ ` , ,. ` .

~047453 outer margins cooperate with the sinuate surfaces 60 to provide narrow sheet-restricting channels 70, 72, 74 and 76 in communication with the intermediate neck region 66 of the opening. The function of these narrow channels will be described later in connection with the explanation of the operation of the dispensing device 14.
The closure section 34 of the dispensing device is adapted to be retained in a position overlying the dispensing sec-,.
tion 32 to provide a substantially moisture-impervious seal about the dispensing opening. To retain the closure section 34 in its sealing position a transversely extending recess 78 interrupts the ; hinge line 56 of end flap 50, and a latching rib 80 of the closure section 34 is forced through said recess, to retain the closure section 34 in its sealing position relative to the dispensing section. This retentive force can be manually defeated by engag-ing one or both corners 84 and 86 of the closure section 34, and forcing said closure section in a direction opposite to that de-picted by the arrow shown in Fig. 2.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a mounting member 88 is provided to secure the bulk package 10 on a supporting wall 90, or other desired supporting structure. A back wall 92 of the mounting member 88 includes a pair of openings 94 extending through it. Each opening 94 includes a lower section having a greater radius of curvature than an upper section. The mounting member 88 is secured to the supporting wall 90 by first attaching screws 96, or other similar fastening means, into the supporting wall with the head of the screw being spaced from a front surface of said supporting wall. The lower section of each opening 94 is dimen~ioned to receive the head of the screw therethrough, as shown on the left side of Fig. 2. After the screws 96 have been inserted through the lower end of the openings 92, the mounting member 88 is moved in a downward direction, as indicated by arrow 97, to cause the heads of the screws to overlie surfaces of the back wall 92 which circumscribe the upper section of openings 92.

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This latter relationship is shown at the right side of Fig. 2.
It is understood that a two-sided adhesive tape, or other fas-tening device, could be employed in place of screws 96 to adhere the mounting member 88 to the supporting wall 90.
The mounting member 88 includes substantially U-shaped channels 98 at opposite ends thereof, and these channels termi-nate at a bottom wall 100. These U-shaped channels receive end flange sections of the container body, as schematically indicated by the arrows 99 in Fig. 2, and a lower flange section of the con-tainer body sits on the bottom wall 100 of the mounting member88, as shown in Fig. 1. In this manner the bulk package 10 is positively retained on the supporting wall 90, and can be easily removed from that position by sliding it out of engagement with the end channels 98 in a direction opposite to arrows 99.
The bulk package 10 shown in Figs. 1 through 3 are not specifically designed to receive replacement packages of wet sheets after an initial quantity has been used up. However, it is considered to be within the scope of this invention to provide a packaging system to permit the use of replacement packages, and one 3uch embodiment is shown at 10A in Fig. 4.
- Referring to Fig. 4, the bulk package lOA includes a dispensing device 14A which is formed as the top wall of a con-tainer body 12A. This dispensing device includes a sheet dis-pensing arrangement which is the same as dispensing arrangement shown in Figs. 1-3. In the Fig. 4 embodiment the bottom end of the container body 12A is a removable closure plate 28A which is retained as part of the container body 12A by the mechanical interaction between outwardly e~tending ribs 102 on the side and end walls of the container body and inwardly directed recesses 104 on the upstanding side and end walls of the closure. This mechanical connection can be manually defeated to permit the closure to be removed for insertion of replacement packages of wet ~heets. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 a lid 34A is provided _g_ ' ' ' .
.

Y iO 47 ~53 which is unitarily injection molded to the container body 12A
through a hinge line 36A.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the manner in which the sequential pop-up dispensing of successive wet sheets is accomplish-. .
f ed will now be described. It is understood that the same general mode of operation applies to the packaging system lOA disclosed in Fig. 4.
A pluarality of wet sheets ll which are to be dispensed from the bulk package 10 are assembled in stacked condition within the interior compartment 22 of container body 12. The sheets shown in Fig. 3 are s-folded, and are temporarily lnterconnected through tab connections 13. It should be understood that the temporary interconnection between successive wet sheets can be accomplished , by interfolding the sheets. When the sheets are interfolded the - contacting sections of adjacent sheets in the interfolded region ' generally provide sufficient frictional interconnection to cause successive sheets to be pulled through the dispensing slot during ~.:
'~ dispenslng of an immediately preceding sheet.
Preferably the sheets 11 are folded so that free edges 15 of successive sheets are in alignment with the narrow neck re-gion 66 of the dispensing opening. In other words, the free edge of successive sheets extends generally perpendicularly to the direction of spacing of the end flaps 50 and 52. To dispense the uppermost sheet the thumb and forefinger are forced against the ; end flaps 50 and 52 to permit the fingers to enter the relatively wide lobes 54 at opposite ends of the dispensing opening. The thumb and ~orefinger can then be pinched together so as to en-gage the free edge 15 of the uppermost sheet which is aligned with the narrow neck region 66, and the fingers can easily be withdrawn from the opening 54 along with the engaged sheet. As the upper-most sheet in the stack i~ directed through the dispensing open-ing lt i8 guided by the tongues 62 and 64 into one or more of the restricting channels 70, 72, 74, 76, and the sheet encounters ~7~,5;~
frictional resistance in said channels. However, the channels are dimensioned so that the frictional resistance is not so great as to cause the sheet being dispensed to tear. The fact that the outer margins 68 of the flaps and the outer surfaces 60 of the dispensing opening are substantially free of sharp ~ angles and ~ ens.. ~5 bends further i..~u ~s that the sheet will not become snagged in the opening and thereby tear or otherwise become damaged.
As the uppermost sheet in the stack i9 pulled through the opening it pulls the next succeeding #heet into the opening as a result of the temporary interconnection between the successive sheets. The tabs 13 are designed to separate upon clearing the opening 54 as a result of the frictional drag imposed on the succeeding sheet in one or more of the restricting channels 70, 72, 74, 76 as the preceding sheet is being dispensed. According ly, the succeeding sheet will extend partially through the opening 54 to permit said succeeding sheet to be easily grasped for subsequent withdrawal. This sequential manner of effecting the lndividual pop-up dispensing of successive wet sheets con-tinues until all of the sheets in the stack have been dispensed.
In the event that a tab interconnection between successive sheets breaks prior to a successive sheet being pulled partially through the dispensing slot, a person can insert his thumb and forefinger through the slot to engage a free edge of the uppermost sheet in the same manner as described earlier. Once a sheet extends partially through the dispensing opening the frictional force imposed upon it by the peripheral surfaces de-fining the restricting channels 70, 72, 74 and/or 76 prevents it from falling back into the container.
Employing a removable dispensing device 14 of the type used in the bulk package 10 is desirable when the container compartment is fairly deep. To further explain, if one of the lower sheets disposed in a fairly deep compartment fails to pop-up, a person may not be able to insert his thumb and forefinger ~0474S~
through the flaps to the desired depth for retrieving said sheet.
Accordingly, it may be necessary to physically remove the dis-pensing device 14 to provide a larger area opening into which the ~ingers can be inserted for grasping a lower ~heet.
Referring to Fig. 4, the manner ln which the pop-up dispensing of successive sheets is achieved ls identical to that described above in connection with Figs. 1 and 3. ~owever, in the Fig. 4 embodiment the dispensing dovice 14A is unitarily ; formed with the container body 12A, and therefore, can not be 10 removed for retrieving a sheet which fails to pop-up during dis-pensing of its immediately preceding sheet. Accordingly, it is .^
preforred that the interior compartment in which the sheets are disposed be sufficiently shallow to permit the user's fingers - to be forced into the dispensing opening through hinged flaps 50A
and 52A for retrieving even the lowermost sheet in the stack.
If desired, the lid 34A can be formed as a unitary injection molded part of the container body 12A, as shown in Fig. 4, and the dispensing device 14A can be formed as a removable insert, in a manner similar to that di~closed in the Fitzpatrick et al patent. In such a construction the insertion of replacement packs will take place through the top, rather than the bottom of the container body, and the bottom of the container body can be unitarily in~ection molded with the side and end walls of said body.
Referring to Fig. 5, an alternative dispensing device 14B of this invention includes a generally S-shaped dispensing opening formed in a flat section 46B of said device. This opening includes epaced flaps 50B and 52B normally disposed within spacod lobe~ 54B and 54B' in substantially the same plane a~ the flat ~ection 46B. The flaps 50B and 52B have a hlnge action genorally along lines which intersect the ends of the S-shaped opening, as is schematically indicated by phantom lines 56B and 58B.
The s-~haped opening is defined by generally curved 1o47~53 surfaces 106 and 108 which are free of sharp angles and bends.
The curved surface 106 provides the outer curved surface of lobe 543 and tho outer curved margln of flap 52~. The curved surface 108 provides the outer curved surface of lobe 54B' and the outer curved margin of flap 503. In the dlspensing devlce 14B the S-shaped opening also con~titutes re~trlctlng channels, and performs the same function as the restricting channels employed in the di3-p-nslng dovices 14 and 14A.
The mannor in which the sequontial pop-up dispensing of ~uccee~lve wet sheets is accomplished through the S-shaped oponlng ln dlsponslng dovlco 143 18 sub~tantlally the same a~ that d~ w rlbed ln connsction with the dlspenslng dovices 14 and 14A.
~he most signiflcant dlfferonce 18 that the hinge lines 56B and 58B are dispo~ed approximately 90 degrees to tho orlentatlon of hinge llnes 56, 58 and 56A, 58A in the dispensing devlces 14 and 14A, rsspectively, whon the long dlmension of the openlngs are dis-pos~d in the same dlrection.
. .
The S-shaped opening of dispensing device 14B can be omployed in all varlants of dispensing devlces described ln this application.
.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A dispensing device employed in a bulk package of substantially wet sheets which are successively and temporarily interconnected for permitting individual pop-up dispensing of the wet sheets, said dispensing device including:
A. a substantially flat section having an opening therethrough which is adapted to communicate with the sheets, and through which successive sheets are adapted to be individually dispensed, said opening including curved surfaces which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends providing spaced lobes; and B. hingedly connected flexible flaps normally dis-posed within said lobes in substantially the same plane as the flat section, said flaps having substantially curved outer mar-gins which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends, the outer margins of said flaps being closely positioned to curved surfaces providing the lobes to form restricting channel means into which successive sheets are directed during sheet dispens-ing, successive sheets encountering frictional resistance by surfaces of restricting channel means during dispensing of immediately preceding sheets to separate a successive sheet from its immediately preceding sheet after said immediately preceding sheet has been withdrawn from the package with a portion of the successive sheet extending through the opening to thereby provide for the easy dispensing of the successive sheet.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said curved surfaces are generally sinuate for providing an intermediate neck region in the opening which connects the spaced lobes and is narrower than said lobes.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the narrow transverse dimension of the neck region is defined by a pair of spaced and opposed inwardly extending tongues forming a part of the substantially flat section, peripheral surfaces of said tongues cooperating with a segment of the outer margin of each flap to provide a central passage in the opening which communicates with each of the restricting channel means.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 3, including a cover member for overlying the opening through the substant-ially flat section to provide a substantially moisture-impervious seal over said opening.

5. The dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein the cover is a unitary one-piece member.

6. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the curved surfaces providing the lobes and the outer margins of said flaps cooperate to define a generally S-shaped opening through which the successive sheets are adapted to be individually dispensed.

7. A bulk package for individually dispensing substan-tially wet sheets from a stack of such sheets, said package comprising:
A. a stack of wet sheets;
B. means for temporarily interconnecting successive sheets within said stack to produce a sheet-to-sheet force re-sisting separation of successive sheets and to permit partial removal of successive shoots outwardly from the package upon withdrawal of each preceding sheet;
C. a container receiving the stack of wet sheets;
D. a dispensing device including a substantially flat section having an opening therethrough which is in overlying elationship with flat surfaces of the sheets in the stack; and E. a cover member for overlying the opening to pro-vide a seal; the improvement of (1) said opening including curved surfaces which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends providing spaced lobes; and (2) hingedly connected flexible flaps normally disposed within said lobes in substantially the same plane as the flat section of the dispensing device, said flaps having sub-stantially curved cuter margins which are substantially free of sharp angles and bends, the outer margins of said flaps being closely positioned to curved surfaces providing the lobes to form restricting channel means into which successive sheets of said stack are directed during sheet dispensing, successive sheets encountering frictional resistance by surfaces of restricting channel means for separating from its immediately preceding sheet with a portion of the next succeeding sheet extending outwardly of the opening for subsequent manual grasping and removal from the package.

8. The bulk package according to claim 7, wherein the curved surfaces of the dispensing device are generally sinuate for providing an intermediate neck region in the opening which connects the spaced lobes and is narrower than said lobes.

9. The bulk package according to claim 8, wherein the narrow dimension of said intermediate neck region is provided by a pair of spaced and opposed tongues which form a part of the substantially flat section, peripheral surfaces of said tongues cooperation with outer margins of the flaps to provide a central passage in the opening communicating with the restricting channel means.

10. The dispensing device according to claim 7, wherein the curved surfaces providing the lobes and the outer margins of said flaps cooperate to define a generally S-shaped opening through which the successive sheets are adapted to be individually dispensed.

11. The bulk package according to claim 7, wherein said dispensing device and cover member constitute a single unit, said container body including an opening through a wall thereof, and said unit including retention means for cooperating with said container body for retaining said unit assembled with said container body when the unit is positioned within the opening in the wall of the container body, said retention means being manually defeatable to permit removal of said unit from said container body but not being defeatable by frictional forces im-posed upon it during sheet dispensing.

12. The bulk package according to claim 7, wherein said dispensing device is an injection molded section of the container body.

13. The bulk package according to claim 7, wherein the cover member is hingedly connected to said container body.