US20110215110A1

US20110215110A1 - Box and system for dispensing a product

Info

Publication number: US20110215110A1
Application number: US13/020,287
Authority: US
Inventors: Salam Naji Kadhum; Suhad Kadhm
Original assignee: Unique & Handy Corp
Current assignee: Unique & Handy Corp
Priority date: 2010-03-05
Filing date: 2011-02-03
Publication date: 2011-09-08
Also published as: CA2730432A1

Abstract

A box for containing a plurality of products includes top, bottom and lateral walls, and an exterior panel extending adjacent the bottom wall thereby forming a slot. A mounting assembly is combined with the box to form a system for dispensing a plurality of products. The mounting assembly includes a base, a flap hingedly connected to the base, and a closure mechanism for releasably connecting the flap to the base. The flap is sized and shaped to fit through the slot between the panel and the bottom wall.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems for containing and dispensing products. More particularly, and in its preferred intended use, the present invention relates to a box for dispensing a product and a system for mounting a box to a surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soft paper tissues, napkins and the like are well known in the art. They can come in “dry” or “wet” varieties. Some types, such as “facial tissues” are commonly piled flat in an overlapping arrangement and dispensed from within rectangular tissue boxes. Other types may be provided within cylindrical containers.
However, most conventional tissue containers are large, bulky constructions which must be supported by a flat, stable surface and are not well suited for use within a vehicle or within a restricted space. For example, a conventional tissue box will typically be relegated to a vehicle's floor, its back seats, on the ledge behind the rear passengers' heads (for vehicles with trunks), in the glove box or some other storage container. A conventional tissue box is not conveniently accessible to the driver of a moving vehicle. Moreover, a tissue box on the floor of the driver compartment could pose a significant safety risk should it become lodged under or around the pedals.
It is known to provide packs of smaller tissues wrapped in plastic film; however these contain very few tissues and are themselves liable to get lost in the passenger compartment behind, beneath or in between seats, or within the glove box.
Known to the Applicant is Canadian patent no. 2,308,087 (McMurray-Stivers), which describes a cylindrical container for storing tissues. This container is designed to be mounted in a cup holder, which, it will be appreciated, greatly restricts the positioning of the container and makes it impossible to use this cup holder for its original purpose.
There remains a need for a system for dispensing products such as tissues which by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the above-discussed prior art problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, there is provided a system for dispensing products which, by virtue of its design and components, satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and is thus an improvement over other related devices and systems known in the prior art. There is also provided a box for containing products, as well as the combination of a box and a plurality of products, which, by virtue of their design and components, satisfy some of the above-mentioned needs and are thus an improvement over other related devices and systems known in the prior art.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for dispensing a plurality of products which is attachable to a surface. The system includes a box for containing products and a mounting assembly for removably mounting the box to the surface. The box includes:

- a top wall;
- a bottom wall opposite the top wall;
- a plurality of lateral walls extending between the top and bottom walls such that the top, bottom and lateral walls define an interior compartment for receiving the products;
- an aperture along a one of the top and lateral walls through which the products can be dispensed; and
- an exterior panel extending adjacent and at least partially along the bottom wall, the panel and bottom wall forming a slot therebetween;

The mounting assembly includes:

- a base which is attachable to the surface;
- a flap hingedly connected to the base, the flap being sized and shaped to fit through the slot between the panel and the bottom wall; and
- a closure mechanism for releasably connecting the flap to the base so as to retain the panel between the flap and the base, thereby mounting the box to the mounting assembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a box for containing and dispensing a plurality of products. The box includes:

- a top wall;
- a bottom wall opposite the top wall;
- a plurality of lateral side walls extending between the top and bottom walls, the top, bottom and side walls defining an interior compartment for receiving the product to be dispensed;
- an aperture along a one of the top and lateral walls through which the products can be dispensed; and
- an exterior panel extending adjacent and at least partially along the bottom wall, the panel and bottom wall forming a slot therebetween.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the combination of the above box and a plurality of products. Preferably the products are tissues.
It will be appreciated that a system, box or combination box and products in accordance with the present invention can be advantageously allow the convenient storage and distribution of products such as tissues and the like. The system can be used to safely and securely mount the box to a wide variety of surfaces while allowing the convenient replacement of the box when necessary.
The invention, as well as its features and advantages, will be better understood by reading the following non-restrictive description of the preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a box in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the tissue box of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a blank used to form the box of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of a box in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a blank used to form the box of FIG. 4

FIGS. 6 a to 6 c are a top perspective view, a side view and a bottom perspective view of a mounting assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate a system according to the present invention in use within the interior of a vehicle.

FIG. 8 illustrates a support plate for use with the system illustrated in FIG. 7 b.

While the invention will be described in conjunction with example embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments shown in the figures are preferred, for exemplification purposes only.
In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprise various components, and although the preferred embodiments of the box, system and combination of the present invention as shown consist of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperations therebetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the box and system for mounting a box according to the present invention, as will be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention.
It will be appreciated that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details which have been set forth herein below in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.
It will be appreciated that positional descriptions such as “top”, “bottom”, “side” and the like should, unless otherwise indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and should not be considered limiting or as implying a required orientation during use.
With reference to FIG. 1, a box 10 includes a top wall 12, a bottom wall 14 opposite the top wall 12, and a plurality of lateral walls 16 which extend between the top and bottom surfaces 12 and 14. Together, these walls 12, 14 and 16 define an interior compartment 17 in which a plurality of products 20 can be stored. Preferably, and as illustrated, four parallel lateral walls 16 are provided such that the box 10 and the interior compartment 17 are rectangular cuboids and adjacent pairs of the walls 12, 14 and 16 are at right angles to one another.
It will be appreciated however that more or less lateral walls 16 could similarly be provided and that the adjacent pairs of walls 12, 14 and 16 need not be at right angles. For example, in an alternate embodiment the top and bottom walls 12 and 14 could be parallel but of different sizes such that one or more of the lateral walls 16 tapers upwards or downwards. A cubic box 10 whose walls 12 to 16 are equally sized squares could similarly be provided. It will be further appreciated that if a great enough number of lateral sides 16 is provided, the “plurality” will effectively form a single, round wall extending between the top and bottom walls 12 and 14.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the products 20 are tissues. It will be appreciated however that products other than tissues could similarly be contained within the box 10, such as napkins, hand towels and other sheet-like dispensable products. Alternatively, disposable latex gloves, such as those used by health-care professionals, sandwich bags, Ziploc™ type bags, rolls or sheets of foil, rolls of sheets of plastic wrap, and the like, could similarly be stored within the box 10.
Returning to the preferred embodiment illustrated, the top wall 12 is provided with an aperture 18 through which the tissues 20 can be dispensed. A transparent resilient sheet 22 is provided across the center of the top face 12 and the aperture 18 is provided across that sheet 22. It will be appreciated however that different products 20 may warrant different types of apertures 18 and that other arrangements are similarly within the scope of the present invention.
Preferably, the tissues 20 are standard sized tissues and the box 10 is of smaller dimensions so as to ease use in a vehicle, such as a car, a minivan or a truck. It will be appreciated that the box 10 may be provided in different shapes to accommodate different uses. As shown in ghost lines, the tissues 20 within the box 10 can be arranged so as to adopt a curvilinear M-shape and fit within the confines of the box 10. This, it will be appreciated, can be in addition to the overlapping folding, also known as interfolding, which is common to conventional tissues and tissue boxes and will not be discussed in further detail herein. The box 10 could also contain standard size tissues folded once, along the stack's longitudinal center line, rather than folded three times as seen in FIG. 1. Such a longitudinal folding arrangement would enable the use of a thin, elongate box.
With reference now to FIG. 2, the box 10 further includes a panel 26 which extends adjacent the outer surface 24 of the bottom wall 14. Preferably, the panel 26 is connected to the bottom wall 14 along two opposite transverse edges 28 a and 28 b such that the panel 26 extends between the junctions between the bottom wall 14 and two opposite lateral walls 16. A slot 30 is thereby formed between the bottom wall 14 and the panel 26. The slot 30 extends between the two longitudinal edges 32 a and 32 b of the panel 26, which are not attached to the bottom wall 14. Preferably, these two edges 32 a and 32 b are inset from the longitudinal edges 34 a and 34 b of the bottom wall 14.
As will be discussed in further detail below, the panel 26 and the slot 30 formed thereby are used to mount the box 10 to a surface. While the aperture 18 of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is positioned across the top wall 12 such that it is opposite the bottom wall 14 and the panel 26, it will be appreciated that the aperture 18 could similarly be provided across one of the lateral walls 16. The expression “bottom” is used to distinguish across which of the walls the panel 26 is provided, and it will be appreciated however that this expression is used for clarity only and should not be considered to imply a required orientation during use. For example, in use the box 10 could be mounted to a vertical wall, rather than to a flat horizontal surface, and the bottom wall 14 would therefore similarly be disposed vertically. In such an orientation, the bottom wall 14 would not face downwards as shown in FIG. 1.
The box 10 is preferably made of folded cardboard blanks—a technique which is well known in the art. FIG. 3 illustrates a blank 11, which can be used to form the box 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. Along the center of the blank 11, from top to bottom as shown, are the portions which make up the panel 26, a first of the four lateral walls 16, the top wall 12, a second lateral wall 16, and the bottom wall 14. The third and fourth lateral walls 16 extend outward from either side of the top wall 12. In addition, a variety of connecting wings 17 a to 17 d are used to connect adjacent parts of the structure when assembled. The solid lines separating these portions represent fold lines.
Three pairs of connecting wings 17 a, 17 b and 17 c extend outward from opposite sides of the first lateral wall 16, the second lateral wall 16 and the bottom wall 14, respectively. All three sets will be joined along the inside of the third and fourth lateral walls 16 which are on either side of the top wall 12. A last connecting wing 17 d extends downwards from the bottom wall 14 and, when assembled, is joined to the first lateral side 16, just below its junction with the panel 26, i.e. the transverse edge 28 b.
Various techniques and materials are known which can be used to join these portions to one another, such as glues and the like. In particular, once the panel 26 is folded over the bottom wall 14 so as to form the slot 30 therebetween, it is preferably glued down along its free edge 28 a to the bottom wall 14. The panel 26 could alternatively be provided with a portion which extends beyond the transverse edge 28 a, similar to the connecting wing 17 d, which is folded over so as to be joined with the second lateral wall 16.
It will be appreciated that the above description of the geometric limits of the blank 11 should not be considered as limiting the arrangement of the blank or blanks used to construct a box 10 in accordance with the present invention. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that a box 10 in accordance with the present invention could be constructed according to a variety folding and gluing schemes and from a variety of corresponding cardboard blanks. For example, it will be appreciated that the panel 26 could be provided as a separate element and attached to the bottom wall 14 after the remainder of the box 10 is formed, rather than forming an integral part of the blank 11.
With reference now to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the box 10 having a different panel 26 is illustrated. As before, the slot 30 is formed between the outer surface 24 of the bottom wall 14 and the panel 26. The slot 30 opens along the front longitudinal edge 32 a of the panel 26 and extends between its transverse edges 28 a and 28 b towards the rear longitudinal edge 32 b. As with the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slot 30 opens longitudinally, and extends transversely across the bottom wall 14. Arranging the slot 30 in this way is preferred as it provides a greater space in which to receive a flap, which will be discussed in further detail below. It will be appreciated however that opening the slot 30 in a transverse direction is certainly within the scope of the present invention.
Preferably, the panel 26 is integral with the front lateral wall 16 a and is folded over the bottom wall 14 and into the position shown along fold lines 36. Between these fold lines 36 is a cut-out 39 of the panel 26 creates the front longitudinal edge 32 a. The panel 26 is connected, preferably by glue, to the bottom wall 14 along or proximate the transverse edges 28 a and 28 b. The panel 26 and bottom wall 14 may further be connected along the rear longitudinal edge 32 b, although this is preferably left open.
With reference to FIG. 5, another blank 11 is illustrated which can be used to form the box 10 of FIG. 4. As above, the portions which make up the panel 26, the top and bottom walls 12 and 14, the lateral walls 16 (including the front lateral wall 16 a), and the connecting wings 17 a to 17 d are shown. Apart from the construction of the panel 26, this blank 11 also differs in that the panel 26, the top wall 12 and the bottom wall 14, as well as two lateral walls 16 therebetween, are joined along longitudinal edges, rather than their shorter transverse edges as per FIG. 3. The resultant box 10 can nonetheless be formed in much the same manner.
It will be appreciated that other blanks and/or manufacturing techniques could similarly be used. For example, the type of blank and how it is constructed can depend on what products are to be contained in the box 10 and how those products are inserted therein. For a box 10 formed from the blank 11 shown in FIG. 5 and containing tissues 20, the box 10 can be assembled by first folding the panel 26, first lateral wall 16 a, top wall 12, second lateral wall 16 and the bottom wall 14 about their longitudinal edges so that the connecting wing 17 d can be joined to the first lateral wall 16 a and the panel 26 can be brought into position across the bottom wall 14.
After this step, or simultaneously, one of the third and fourth lateral walls 16 is folded into position and the corresponding connecting wings 17 a to 17 c are attached thereto. The remaining transverse wall 16 is left unattached and it is through this opening that the tissues 20, either stacked flat or in a folded configuration, or other products 20, are inserted. The remaining lateral wall 16 is then closed.
The aperture 18 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 is provided across the top wall 12. However, as mentioned above, the aperture 18 could similarly be cut into one of the lateral walls 16; preferably the first or second lateral walls 16 so as to ease insertion of the products 20.
The box 10 is combined with a mounting assembly 40 to form a system 38 (shown in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b). With reference to FIGS. 6 a to 6 c, the mounting assembly 40 includes a flap 42 which is hingedly connected to a base 44 about a hinge axis 46. The flap 42 is sized and shaped so as to fit within the slot 30 of the box 10. The flap 42 does not need to be as wide as the box 10 which it engages. Corresponding, the slot 30 does not need to extend all the way across the bottom wall 14. When used in combination with either of the boxes 10 illustrated above, this requires a substantially flat flap 42. The base 44 is attachable to a surface and is preferably similar in size and shape to the flap 42, although it does not need to be as flat. It will be appreciated that differently shaped and sized flaps 42 can be used in conjunction with correspondingly shaped slots 30.
The mounting assembly 40 is shown in an open position and can be closed by bringing the flap 42 towards the base 44. The flap 42 and the base 44 include respective first sides 56, along which they are hingedly connected. The mounting assembly 40 further includes a closure mechanism 47 for releasably connecting the flap 42 to the base 44 when the mounting assembly 40 is in the closed position. The closure mechanism 47 preferably connects the flap 42 and the base 44 along respective second sides 57 which are opposite the first sides 56.
In the illustrated embodiment, the closure mechanism 47 includes first and second connectors 48 and 50 positioned on the flap 42 and base 44, respectively, at positions distal the hinge axis 46. These connectors 48 and 50 can be embodied in a variety of ways, although preferably the first connector 48 is a ferromagnetic plate which extends across the second end 57, while the second connector 50 includes two disc-shaped magnets embedded within the base 44. Alternatively, the reverse arrangement could be provided, i.e. a ferromagnetic plate which extends across the base 44 and one or more magnets embedded within the flap 42.
Other detachable connecting means could be used such as, but not limited to, hook and loop type fasteners, boss and bore, clasps, clips, articulable hooks and the like. The connectors 48 and 50 can be manually disconnected so as to allow a user to separate the flap 42 from the base 44 and return the mounting assembly 40 to the open position.
Preferably, the distance between the first and second sides 56 and 57 of the flap 42 and/or the base 44 is greater than the distance between the longitudinal edges 32 a and 32 b of the panel 26, i.e. the depth of the slot 30. This allows the first and second connectors 48 and 50 to be in direct contact after the flap 42 is inserted through the slot 30 and the mounting assembly 40 brought to a closed position. In addition, the flap 42 preferably includes a projecting portion 58 which extends beyond the base 44 when the mounting assembly 40 is in the closed position, so as to ease manual disengagement of the closure mechanism. The base 44 preferably has a thickness 54 (see FIG. 6 b) which is large enough to allow a user's thumb or finger to fit between the projecting portion 58 and the surface upon which the base is installed. In addition, it will be appreciated that the thickness 54 also allows the base 44 to house more substantial magnets 50.
Preferably, the flap 42 and the base 44 are molded as a single piece and the hinge axis 46 therebetween is a living hinge. The plate 48 and the magnets 50 may be incorporated during molding or may be attached or inserted after. Alternatively, the mounting assembly 40 may be formed from a firm but flexible sheet-like material and folded to form the base 44 and the flap 42.
With reference to FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, the system 38 is shown in use within a vehicle 60. The tissue box 10 and mounting assembly 40 are combined by opening the latter and sliding the flap 42 into the slot 30. The flap 42 is then pivoted towards the base 44 such that the magnetic elements 48 and 50 are engaged, thereby retaining box 10 to the mounting assembly 40.
In FIG. 7 a, the surface to which the underside of the base 44 is fixed is a dashboard 62 of the vehicle 60. The system 38 is installed such that the box 10 is within convenient reach of both the driver and the front seat passenger. When the box 10 is empty of tissues 20, the empty box 10 can be conveniently removed, and subsequently replaced, by placing a thumb or finger underneath the projecting portion 58 of the flap 42 and opening the mounting assembly 40.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the mounting assembly 40 can be attached to the dashboard 62, or indeed to another surface within the vehicle 60, in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the base 44 is provided with a peel away adhesive pad, preferably comprising an acrylic glue or rubber glue allowing the user to permanently fix the base 44 at the desired position. Such an arrangement may be particularly advantageous for existing cars which have been manufactured without the system 38 already incorporated therein.
Alternatively, the mounting assembly 40 may be built into the dashboard 62 as an integral part thereof by, for example, molding it into a dashboard, door panel, seat, or any other suitable surface within a given vehicle interior. This arrangement may be particularly advantageous for new cars.
In yet another alternative, the base 44 may be formed from two portions, a first portion which is fixed to the dashboard and a second portion which includes the flap and is detachable from the first portion. These two portions are preferably attachable by complementary magnetic components, such as magnets and ferromagnetic plates, which are positioned along respective complementary mating surfaces. The first portion is preferably made from a material such as Plastalloy™ which is both flexible and magnetic. In one embodiment, the dash-fixed first portion includes a magnet which attaches to a ferromagnetic plate extending along the bottom of the second portion. This ferromagnetic plate can also form part of the closure mechanism 47, more precisely the second connector 50, by extending to the second end 57 so as to also be engagable with one or more magnets embedded within the flap 42.
The mating surface of the first portion may be given a smooth profile which is less noticeable to a user or passenger than an empty mounting assembly 40. Accordingly, when the user does need to have a box 10 of tissues accessible on the dashboard, it is just the first portion that is left. This first portion could also be provided as an integral part of the dashboard 62.
The color of the mounting assembly 40, or at least the first portion thereof if such is provided, is preferably selected to match the surface upon which it is installed, such as the dashboard 62. Alternatively, the mounting assembly 40 could be formed from a transparent plastic material to as blend in with car's dashboard regardless of its color.
In FIG. 7 b, the system 38 is mounted behind the headrest 64 of the driver's seat where the box 10 is conveniently accessible to both the occupants of the rear seats.
With additional reference to FIG. 8, the mounting assembly 40 is additionally provided with a substantially diamond-shaped support plate 70 which can be used to aid mounting. This support plate 70 can be provided as an attachable element, or alternatively as an integral part of the mounting assembly 40. The support plate 70 can also have a butterfly shape (or other).
The base 44 is fixed to one side of the support plate 70 while a strap 72 (shown partially in ghost lines) extends from the other. This strap 72 can be provided in two connectable sections and is used to encircle the two vertical supports 74 of the headrest 64. The extended surface of the support plate 70 acts as a spacer to ensure that the mounting assembly 40 and box 10 do not slip between the headrest 64 and the top of the seat.
The support plate 70 is preferably made of a stiff by flexible sheet material so that it can bend slightly to accommodate different seats and headrests all the while still maintaining its form. Alternatively, the mounting assembly 40 and/or support plate 70 can be injection molded from a relatively lightweight plastic material, such as polypropylene or another moldable polymer.
It will be appreciated that the system 38 could similarly be mounted behind the front passenger side seat.
The color of the mounting assembly 40 and, if need be the support plate 70, can also be chosen to match the head rest and/or seat. The mounting assembly 40 could be incorporated into the rear surface of a seat or headrest of a new vehicle, or indeed any other suitable surface within a given vehicle interior.
It will be appreciated that mounting the tissue box 10 as depicted in FIG. 7 a makes it conveniently accessible to both the driver and front seat passenger, while mounting the tissue box 10 as depicted in FIG. 7 b makes it further accessible to the rear seat passengers as well.
Preferably, the tissue box 10 has the dimensions 13.5 cm×10.5 cm×5 cm. Preferably, the mounting assembly 40 has a footprint of roughly 9 cm×9 cm and the support plate 70 is roughly 20 cm×20 cm. It will be appreciated however that these components should not be considered limited to these dimensions and that various other shapes and sizes of boxes could be used as described herein.
Moreover, it will be appreciated that while the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 8 have focused use within a vehicle, the system 38 could similarly be used to mount and dispense products in other environments. For example, the system 38 could be installed in a bathroom, office, kitchen, clinic, hospital or laboratory. As being now better appreciated, the present invention is an improvement and presents several advantages over other related devices and/or methods known in the prior art. Indeed, the present invention is particularly advantageous in that it provides a convenient and safe system for mounting a box within a vehicle or other confined space which is easily refillable with replacement boxes.
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing a plurality of products, the system being attachable to a surface, the system comprising:

a) a box for containing the products, the box comprising:

i) a top wall;

ii) a bottom wall opposite the top wall;

iii) a plurality of lateral walls extending between the top and bottom walls such that the top, bottom and lateral walls define an interior compartment for receiving the products;

iv) an aperture along a one of the top and lateral walls through which the products can be dispensed; and

v) an exterior panel extending adjacent and at least partially along the bottom wall, the panel and bottom wall forming a slot therebetween;

b) a mounting assembly for removably mounting the box to the surface, the mounting assembly comprising:

i) a base which is attachable to the surface;

ii) a flap hingedly connected to the base, the flap being sized and shaped to fit through the slot between the panel and the bottom wall; and

iii) a closure mechanism for releasably connecting the flap to the base so as to retain the panel between the flap and the base, thereby mounting the box to the mounting assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom walls are rectangular and the box comprises four lateral walls.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein two of the four lateral walls are parallel and opposite, the two of the four lateral walls comprising bottom edges which bound the bottom wall.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the panel comprises two opposed and parallel edges, each of which is joined to a respective one of the bottom edges, the slot being formed between the two opposed and parallel edges.

5. The system of any claim 1, wherein the flap comprises opposite first and second sides, the flap being hingedly connected to the base along the first side and the closure mechanism connecting the flap at a position proximate the second side.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second side of the flap extends beyond the base.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the closure mechanism comprises a magnet positioned within the base and a ferromagnetic plate positioned along the flap.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the flap is hingedly connected to the base by a living hinge.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a peel away adhesive strip positioned opposite the flap.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a first portion which is attachable to the surface and a second portion which is hingedly connected to the flap and which is detachable from the first portion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second portions are magnetically attachable.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a support plate fixed to the base.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the base is integral with the surface.

14. A box for containing and dispensing a plurality of products, the box comprising:

a) a top wall;

b) a bottom wall opposite the top wall;

c) a plurality of lateral walls extending between the top and bottom walls, the top, bottom and lateral walls defining an interior compartment for receiving the product to be dispensed;

d) an aperture along a one of the top and lateral walls through which the products can be dispensed; and

e) an exterior panel extending adjacent and at least partially along the bottom wall, the panel and bottom wall forming a slot therebetween.

15. The box of claim 14, wherein the top wall, the bottom wall and two of the lateral walls are joined along common longitudinal edges.

16. The box of claim 14 in combination with the products.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the products are selected from the group consisting of tissues, napkins, gloves, sandwich bags, plastic bags, foil and wrap.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein the products are sheet-like products stored within the compartment in a folded configuration.

19. The combination of claim 18, wherein the folded configuration is a longitudinal fold or an M-shape fold.