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(11) | EP 0 398 851 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Paper roll-holder to be applied to a wall, with an easier tearing action on the paper |
| (57) A paper roll-holder on a wall-mounting base (1), for blotting paper suitable to kitchen
uses, makes easier the paper tearing, having pivotedly mounted on said base (1) two
L-shaped rods (3, 4). The respective pivoting axis (3a, 4a) is parallel to the longer,
transverse leg (3c, 4c) of the formed L and one (3) of said rods has at the free end
of the transverse leg (3c) a short extension (3b) which is bent with right angle
and directed parallel to the shorter leg (3b) of connection to the pivoting axis (3a).
The rod (3) is designed to serve as a support of a paper-roll (R) and the other (4)
to rest against it from above. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a paper roll-holder to be applied to a wall, in particular for blotting paper suitable to kitchen uses, to be easily torn off.
[0002] It is known that at present rolls of highly sorbing paper are increasingly employed for many different kitchen uses, from which roll-holders are often provided to be applied to a wall, from which each time the required length of paper is torn off, as on the roll transverse weackening lines are normally provided, e.g. by means of closely aligned small holes, in order to facilitate the tearing action. These roll-holders show, from the aesthetical point of view, shapes which can be of the most various types, as they have usually the feature that, in order to tear off one or more portions of paper being defined by the above-mentioned transverse lines, the user must necessarily keep both hands engaged, as with one hand he will have to carry out the actual tearing action, while with the other hand he has to hold fast the roll in order to perform the necessary action of resistance and to prevent paper from unwinding by a length greater than it is required. This, in addition to the fact of being not very practical, may have as a consequence that the pressure on the roll for holding it fast could cause the same to get out of its support which in the various embodiments, forms the unwinding rotation axis.
[0003] It is true that with some roll-holders of know type it is possible to carry out the paper tearing by means of only one hand, but this possibility is obtained to the detriment of the constructional simplicity.
[0004] In fact they have a complex structure and consequently high costs, also due to the materials employed. Furthermore with such devices the operation of replacement of the finished roll and insertion of a fresh one shows some difficulties.
[0005] Is is the object of the present invention a roll-holder device to be applied to a wall, of the above-mentioned type, which not only provides for a quick replacement of the roll which is supplied with a stable and safe support, but at the same time allows to tear off the paper without intervention of both hands, as the roll itself is locked without further unwinding during the tearing action. This is obtained with a roll-holder device having a simple and stout structure, easy to be manufactured and of aesthetically valuable aspect, just owing to its simplicity and linearity.
[0006] The roll-holder device according to the invention is substantially formed of a wall-fixable support on the upper side of which there are pivotally mounted two substantially L-shaped rods, with the respective pivoting axis being parallel to the transverse leg of greater length of said L, wherein one of said rods shows, at the end of said leg of greater size, a short length bent at a right angle to the same direction of the leg connecting with the pivoting axis.
[0007] Additional objects, advantages and characteristics of the roll holder according to the invention will be clearer from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 shows a device according to the invention, without paper roll, with the rods at a rest position; and
FIGURE 2 shows a view of the same device with the roll mounted, ready for use.
[0008] With reference to the drawings the roll-holder device according to the invention comprises a substantially flat support base 1, preferably made of a plastic material such as shock-proof polystyrene, having two holes 10 to be applied to a wall by means of screws or any other fastening means of known type. In a cylindric seat formed in a member 2 at the upper side of support 1 there are mounted two elbow- or L-shaped metal rods, respectively at opposite sides, so as not to be able to slide inwardly, such as by retaining means within said seat not shown in the drawings. Preferably said rods 3, 4 are coated of gum resin. They have a horizontal leg, respectively 3c, 4c longer than the leg perpendicular thereto, respectively 3b, 4b of connection with the length 3a, 4a respectively defining the pivoting axis of rods 3, 4 at the inside of the seat in the member 2.
[0009] One of the two rods, namely that shown with reference numeral 4, as a connection leg 4b of greater length with respect to the leg 3b of the other rod 3, which on the contrary has at the free end of leg 3c an additional extension 3d, bent at right angle, parallel and directed to the same direction of the leg 3b. As seen in Fig. 1, the leg 3c extends itself to a shorter distance than the leg 4c, whereby the short portion or extension 3b remains at the inside of the L-shape of rod 4, without crossing the leg 4b, but standing parallel thereto along its short length.
[0010] At the inside of at least one of the respective rotation seats of portions 3a and 4a there can be provided spring means, such as springs biasing the rods 3, 4 to the position represented in Fig. 1. Finally the support 1 has preferably a portion 1a extending about the area in which the rod 3c touches said biase 1 which is roughened or knurled.
[0011] With reference to Fig. 2, the roll-holder according to the invention is represented in use, with a paper roll R mounted on the rod 3 and namely along its transverse leg 3c, the end portion 3d of which at right angle prevents the roll from slipping out. The other rod 4, which during the insertion of roll R has to be lifted to the position illustrated by dashed lines in Fig. 1, is then lowered onto the roll R so as to hold it fast, both owing to its own weight, and possibly owing to the bias exerted by the above-mentioned springs against the knurled portion 1a of the support base. The clamping action could possibly be rendered still stronger by providing a spring back also about the pivoting axis 3a of rod 3, so as to push even more the roll R against the base 1. Of course this action will not stop unwinding of the paper length to be taken when a strong thrust is exerted downward to the free edge L, but a sufficient resistance will be provided to make easier the tearing action occurring through a substantial modification of the direction to which the hand force is applied, whereby the contrast to rotation as above described becomes important.
[0012] Possible additions and/or modifications will be made by those skilled in the art to the above-described and illustrated embodiment of the roll-holder device according to the invention, the protective scope of which is of course extended of any mechanical equivalent affording the same utility, no matter which is the resulting aesthetical aspect. Finally, although the present invention has been described previously with reference to a blotting paper roll for kitchen uses, the features of the invention itself could find application also for paper rolls having a different intended use, such as of toilet paper.
1. A roll-holder device to be applied to a wall, in particular for blotting paper
for kitchen uses, comprising a wall-anchorable base (1), characterized by the fact
that at the upper side thereof there are pivotedly mounted, respectively in (3a, 4a)
two substantially L-shaped rods (3, 4) the respective pivoting axes (3a, 4a) being
parallel to the transverse leg (3c, 4c) of greater length of said L, wherein one of
said rods (3), at the end of said leg of greater length (3c) is formed with a short
bent length (3d) at right angle and directed to the same direction of the leg (3b)
connecting with pivoting axis (3a).
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotation seats of said
pivoting axes (3a, 4a) are provided at both ends of a member (2) integral with said
base (1), at the inside of said seats there being provided means to prevent slipping
out from the respective pivoting axes (3a, 4a).
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said connection length
(3b) of rod (3) having the end portion bent at right angle (3d) is shorter than the
connection length (4b) of the other rod (4).
4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that at least said rod (4) without
the end portion (3d) bent at right angle is provided with spring means adapted to
bias the same against said base (1).
5. A device according to one or more of the previous claims, charaterized in that
said base (1) is formed with a knurled or roughened area (1a) in correspondence with
the transverse leg (3c) of rod (3).
6. A device according to one or more of the previous claims, in which said base (1)
is in shock-resistant polystyrene.
7. A device according ot one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that
said rods (3, 4) are made of metal coated with gum resin.