The present invention relates to a dispenser for coreless hygiene paper rolls with a housing comprising a storage space for one or more hygiene paper rolls, a dispensing space terminated with a bottom situated beneath the storage space, in which dispensing space a hygiene paper roll so arranged as to be capable of rotating on a spindle is accessible to a user, locking devices, which in the active position prevent hygiene paper rolls that are present in the storage space from dropping down into the dispensing space under the effect of gravity, and an operating device to inactivate the locking devices, so that a hygiene paper roll that is present in the storage space drops down into the dispensing space.

In order to ensure the availability of toilet paper in toilets at workplaces, in public premises, etc., with large numbers of visitors, the use is previously disclosed of dispensers containing a storage space holding one or more rolls of toilet paper, which can replace a roll that has been used up in the dispensing space of such a dispenser. In order for such dispensers to function effectively, it must be easy for a user to feed a new roll from the storage space and easy for the dispenser to be refilled by the personnel who are responsible for the periodical refilling of the dispenser. It has proved difficult to design dispensers so that both of these requirements are satisfied.

DE-A1-197 13 684 shows a dispenser of the kind mentioned by way of introduction, which can be used for hygiene paper rolls both with and without cores. This dispenser comprises locking devices that are operated by means of a push-button that is accessible on the top side of the dispenser. The locking devices are thus easy to operate for a user, and it is thus a simple matter for the user to replace a used-up roll with a roll from the storage space. It is a laborious procedure, on the other hand, to refill such a dispenser.

This dispenser is in addition intended primarily for toilet rolls provided with a core and has a hole in the bottom to permit the cores to fall out of the dispenser when the paper on the roll runs out, in order to permit an unused roll to be fed down. The empty cores which exit from the dispenser must naturally be disposed of, preferably by the user. However, many toilets do not have a waste paper basket or equivalent facility for the collection of empty cores and other waste, and as a result the empty cores litter the toilet or are simply thrown into the toilet pan. The use of toilet rolls provided with cores thus leads to increased waste handling and can also result in litter and can even cause blockage of the toilet.

The object of the present invention is to make available a dispenser for coreless hygiene paper rolls that is designed in such a way that it is easy for a user to replace a used-up roll, at the same time as the procedure for refilling such a dispenser is simple and cost-effective.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention through a dispenser for coreless hygiene paper rolls with a housing comprising a storage space for one or more hygiene paper rolls, a dispensing space terminated with a bottom situated beneath the storage space, in which dispensing space a hygiene paper roll so arranged as to be capable of rotating on a spindle is accessible to a user, locking devices, which in the active position prevent hygiene paper rolls that are present in the storage space from dropping down into the dispensing space under the effect of gravity, and an operating device to inactivate the locking devices, so that a hygiene paper roll that is present in the storage space drops down into the dispensing space, characterized in that the storage space is closed off on the top side by means of a removable lid, and in that the spindle is secured to the bottom inside the dispensing space and extends perpendicularly from the upper side of the bottom. Because refilling is performed from above in this dispenser, unlike the aforementioned previously disclosed dispenser, new hygiene paper rolls can be loaded into the storage space simply by lifting the lid and putting in the required number of new rolls. The operating devices for replacing a used-up roll with a roll from the storage space can also be arranged so that they are readily accessible from the under side or the upper side of the dispenser.

The operating device projects out from the under side of the bottom or from a hole in the lid.

The spindle is also hollow, and the locking devices are capable of axial displacement from an upper active position, in which locking hooks project out radially outside the spindle, to a lower inactive position, in which the locking hooks are situated radially within the periphery of the spindle in a preferred embodiment. Every locking device has a cam surface, which interacts with an edge of an opening in the spindle, so that a downward displacement of the locking device produces a radially inward movement of the locking hook. The locking devices are preferably spring-loaded towards their active position.

In one embodiment, the spindle extends only inside the dispensing space and the cam surfaces of the locking devices interact with the upper edge of the spindle.

In one advantageous embodiment, the dispenser also comprises locking devices to prevent the falling movement of hygiene paper rolls situated above the lowest hygiene paper roll in the storage space when the latter roll is fed down into the dispensing space.

The invention also relates to a method of refilling a dispenser for hygiene paper rolls with a housing comprising a storage space for one or more hygiene paper rolls, which storage space is closed on its top side by a removable lid, a dispensing space situated under the storage space closed off by a bottom with a central spindle projecting perpendicularly upwards from the upper side of the bottom, in which a hygiene paper roll arranged in such a way as to be capable of rotating on the spindle is accessible to a user, locking devices which, in the active position, prevent hygiene paper rolls that are present in the storage space from dropping down into the dispensing space under the effect of gravity, and an operating device to inactivate the locking devices, so that a hygiene paper roll that is present in the storage space drops down into the dispensing space, in conjunction with which the operating device projects out from the under side of the bottom, characterized in that the dispenser is refilled from above with coreless hygiene paper rolls. The use of only coreless hygiene paper rolls prevents waste, at the same time as the design of the dispenser can be simplified.

The invention also relates to the use of coreless hygiene paper rolls in such a dispenser.

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:

• Fig. 1 illustrates schematically a cross sectional view through a first preferred embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the invention;
• Fig. 2 a schematic cross-sectional view of the locking devices in a dispenser in accordance with Figure 1;
• Fig. 3 illustrates an identical view to Figure 2 of the locking devices in a dispenser in accordance with a second preferred embodiment; and
• Fig. 4 illustrates schematically an identical view to Figure 2 of the locking devices in a dispenser in accordance with a third preferred embodiment.

The dispenser 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises an upper storage space 2 and a lower dispensing space 3 for coreless toilet rolls A-C, which rolls are indicated in the Figures with broken lines. The rolls A,B are arranged in the storage space 2, and the roll C is arranged in the dispensing space 3 resting against the bottom 4 of the dispenser. The coreless rolls have an axial opening which fits over a hollow vertical spindle 5, which extends from the bottom 4 through the dispensing space 3 and the storage space 2. The dispenser also comprises a housing with a circular wall 6 which encloses the storage space 2. The housing can also include a wall which partially encloses the roll C in the dispensing space, but which leaves this roll readily accessible to a user. The dispenser is thus used by pulling toilet paper radially outwards from the roll C, which is rotatably arranged on the spindle 5. The housing preferably has a wall which partially encloses the dispensing space and can be provided with a tearing edge to facilitate tearing the toilet paper. However, the paper in toilet rolls is usually provided with lines of perforations or similar recurring at regular intervals, which themselves facilitate tearing the paper into suitably large pieces, in which case it is possible to do without a wall with a tearing edge.

The storage space 2 is closed off upwards by means of a lid 7, which is capable of being opened in an appropriate fashion, preferably by being pivotally attached to the top edge of the wall 6 of the housing, as schematically illustrated with an arrow in Figure 1. The lid 7 is also lockable to prevent inappropriate access to the storage space 2. The lid also comprises a pin 8, which projects into the hollow spindle 5 and stabilizes its upper end.

The fit between the central opening in the coreless rolls A-C and the spindle 5 is such that the rolls slide easily on the spindle under the effect of gravity alone. Locking hooks 9 are provided in order to prevent the rolls A,B in the storage space from sliding down from the storage space and into the dispensing space, thereby imposing a loading on the upper side of the roll C, which locking hooks project radially outwards through openings in the hollow spindle 5. In order to permit the roll C to be replaced by the roll B after it has been used up, operating devices 10 for causing the locking hooks 9 to be displaced inwards from their active position are provided, as illustrated schematically in Figure 1. These operating devices are described below with reference to Figure 2.

The locking hooks 9 are illustrated in their actively locking position in the right-hand part of Figure 2, whereas they are illustrated in their inactivated, non-locking position in the left-hand part of Figure 2. In their position illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 2, the free ends of the locking hooks 9 project outwards through openings 11 in the hollow spindle 5. The opposite ends of the locking hooks are attached to an operating rod 12, which extends centrally inside the hollow spindle 5 and projects outwards and downwards through an opening in the bottom 4. The operating rod 12 is also guided through a central opening in a disc 13 secured to the inside of the hollow spindle 5. The locking hooks are also spring-loaded towards their active position, as illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 2, by means of a pressure spring 14, which is illustrated schematically in Figure 2. A comfortable operating knob 15 to facilitate the manual downward pulling of the operating rod is attached to the end of the operating rod 12. The locking hooks also exhibit cam surfaces 16 at their free ends, which interact with the lower edge of the openings 11 in the spindle 5 to cause the free ends of the locking hooks to be displaced inwards in conjunction with the downward movement of the operating rod and the accompanying downward movement of the locking hooks. Illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 2 is the inactive position of the locking hooks after the operating knob has been pulled downwards. The downward movement of the operating rod is appropriately restricted by a stop 17 that is attached to or comprises an integral part of the operating rod 12. As can be appreciated from the left-hand part of Figure 2, the locking hooks are situated entirely inside the outer periphery of the spindle 5 in its inactive position. The locking hooks 9 are also executed so that they spring back to their position illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 2, that is to say they will spring outwards of their own accord from the retracted position illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 2 to the extended position illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 2 when the operating rod 12 is caused by the spring 14 to be displaced upwards after the operating knob 15 has been released by a user.

The dispenser described here is very easy to use. When the toilet roll C, which is situated in the dispensing space 3 (see the right-hand part of Figure 2), has been used up, the user quite simply takes hold of the operating button 15 and pulls the operating rod 12 downwards. The locking hooks 9 are caused to be displaced downwards and inwards in this way to the position illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 2. Once the locking hooks have been displaced, so that their outermost ends are situated within the periphery of the hollow spindle 5, the toilet rolls A,B will slide downwards on the spindle to the position illustrated in the left-hand part of figure 2, in which position the roll B rests against the bottom 4 of the dispenser 1.

The user then releases the operating knob 15, in conjunction with which the operating rod 12 will be displaced by the pressure spring 14 to the position illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 2. The cam surfaces on the locking hooks are executed, and the openings 11 in the spindle are situated in such a way that, at the start of the upward movement of the operating rod from the position illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 2, the locking hooks will already be displaced directly outwards from the openings 11 and will penetrate in between the upper edge of the roll B that is situated in the dispensing space and the lower edge of the roll A that is in contact with the former roll. The locking hooks 9 will then, during their continued upwards and outwards movement, carry the roll A with them upwards, so that it is displaced upwards to the position occupied by the roll B in the right-hand part of Figure 2.

The dispenser illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is intended to be refilled periodically in order to ensure that a user is not left without toilet paper. This can be achieved easily by unlocking the lid and pivoting it upwards, and by then introducing the required number of new toilet rolls. In the event that the dispensing space is empty, the operating rod 12 is pulled downwards before refilling with the rolls. If only a small part of the roll in the dispensing area 3 is unused, this part should be pulled out prior to refilling. The dispenser in accordance with Figures 1 and 2 can thus be refilled in a very easy and cost-effective fashion, which is a major advantage in the case of dispensers that require to be refilled periodically, such as dispensers in large workplaces, public establishments and public toilets. It is pointed out in this connection that the dispenser is designed for use by coreless toilet rolls. The use of coreless toilet rolls offers the advantage, compared with rolls provided with cores, that there is no need to dispose of the cores from used-up rolls. In the case of dispensers for rolls provided with cores, it is the user who must normally deal with and dispose of the empty core after a roll has been used up, which naturally makes the waste disposal of the empty cores more difficult.

The dispenser 1, apart from the pressure spring 14, is preferably manufactured from plastic material, for example ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polycarbonate, polypropylene or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), although other plastic materials can also be used. The locking hooks, too, can be manufactured from plastic material, for example polypropylene or POM (polyoxymethylene). It is naturally not necessary to use plastic material, but other materials, such as stainless steel or aluminum, can be used for the dispenser or parts thereof.

Illustrated in Figure 3 is a second embodiment of a dispenser shown in a similar view to Figure 2. The components in the embodiment in accordance with Figure 3, which correspond to identical or similar components in the embodiment in accordance with Figures 1 and 2, have been given the same reference designations as in these Figures, with the addition of a prime character. The embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 differs from the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 primarily in that the spindle 5' has been made shorter, so that its upper edge constitutes the edge with which the cam surfaces 16' of the locking hooks 9' interact. For the purpose of guiding the vertical movement of the operating rod 12', a guide sleeve 18 is preferably attached to the bottom 4' of the dispenser. The dispenser illustrated in Figure 3 is executed in other respects in an identical fashion to the dispenser in Figures 1 and 2. Because the wall 6', which defines the storage space 2', has a circular cross section with a diameter that is only slightly larger than the diameter of the roll, the central openings of the rolls A'-C' in this embodiment, too, will lie directly in line with the spindle 5', so that the rolls are able to slide downwards under the effect of gravity onto the latter when the locking hooks are displaced into their inactive position. Refilling of this dispenser thus takes place in the same way as for the dispenser in Figures 1 and 2.

Illustrated in Figure 4 is a third embodiment of a dispenser in a similar view to that shown in Figure 2. The components in the embodiment in accordance with Figure 4, which correspond to identical or similar components in the embodiment in accordance with Figures 1 and 2, have been given the same reference designations as in these Figures, with the addition of a double prime character. This embodiment differs from the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, in that the locking devices are different. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the locking hooks 9" are pivotally attached to the inside of the hollow spindle 5" and project outwards in their active position from openings 11" in the spindle 5", as illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 4. The locking hooks are retained in this position by cam surfaces on a procorerance 19 on the operating rod 12". The procorerance 19 can be an integral part of the operating rod or a separate element attached thereto. The locking hooks 9" are caused by a spiral spring or similar to be displaced towards their inactive position illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 4, in which they are situated inside the periphery of the spindle 5" in contact with the operating rod 12". In conjunction with a downward movement of the operating rod from the position illustrated in the right-hand part of Figure 4, the locking hooks 9" will be caused to pivot into the spindle 5", so that the roll B" can drop down into the dispensing space 3". In conjunction with a subsequent upward movement of the operating rod, caused by the pressure spring 14" when the operating knob 15 was released, the cam surfaces of the procorerance 19 will displace the locking hooks outwards to their locked position.

The dispenser illustrated in Figure 4 also has upper locking hooks 21, which interact with a second procorerance 20 or similar on the operating rod. The procorerance 20 is positioned on the operating rod in such a way that it retains the locking hooks 21 in their active position when the locking hooks 9" are in their inactive position, as illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 4. The locking hooks 21 are also so arranged as to press against the inner periphery of a roll A" present in the storage space, so that the roll is prevented from sliding downwards. The locking hooks 21 are preferably provided at their free ends with pointed elements which penetrate into the paper of the toilet roll; for example, the free ends may be in the form of saw teeth.

In order to replace a used-up toilet roll, for example the roll C" in the right-hand part of Figure 4, the user takes hold of the operating knob 15" and pulls the operating rod 12" downwards in the same way as in the previously described embodiments. The procorerance 19 is caused to be displaced downwards in this way, and under the effect of the spiral spring the locking hooks 9" are displaced inwards to their inactive position, as illustrated in the left-hand part of Figure 4, as a consequence of which the roll B" drops down into the dispensing space. At the same time, the downward movement of the operating rod 12" causes the procorerance 20 to actuate the locking hooks 21, so that they are caused to project out from upper openings 22 in the spindle 5", and the free ends of these locking hooks 21 come into contact with the inner periphery of the roll A" and prevent it from dropping down into the dispensing space 3" above the roll B". The procorerance 20 is preferably positioned on the operating rod 12" axially in such a way that the locking hooks 21 come into contact with the inside of the roll A" before the lower locking hooks 9" are fully retracted. When the operating knob 15" is subsequently released after the roll B" has dropped down into the dispensing space, the operating rod 12" will be caused to return upwards by the effect of the pressure spring 14", and the procorerance 19 will cause the locking hooks 9" to be displaced to their active position. At the same time, the upper procorerance 20 will be displaced upwards and will in so doing release the locking hooks 21, so that these are displaced by spiral springs or similar to their inactive position, so that the roll A" can drop downwards into the storage space and into contact with the outward-projecting locking hooks 9".

The dispenser illustrated in Figure 4 can also be refilled in a simple fashion from above. If the dispenser is completely empty, one or two rolls are first introduced into the storage space, after which the operating rod is pulled down, so that a roll from the storage space drops down into the dispensing space. The operating rod is then released, and the remaining number or rolls is introduced into the storage space until it is full.

An axial slot or similar (not shown in the Figures) is preferably arranged in the storage space in order to make it easy to establish whether or not the storage space is full.

As can be appreciated from the above description, the dispenser in accordance with the invention is easy to operate for a user who needs to replace a toilet roll in the dispensing space that has been used up with a new roll from the storage space. At the same time, refilling of the dispenser only requires simple operations and can accordingly be performed rapidly and effectively, which is of considerable significance for the operating costs in a system that utilizes dispensers with storage spaces for replacement rolls. In order for the dispenser in accordance with the invention to function in the intended fashion, coreless toilet rolls must be used, which is associated with the further advantage that empty cores from used-up toilet rolls do not need to be dealt with.

The expression coreless hygiene paper rolls is also used to denote hygiene paper rolls with a centre that is reinforced by some means or other, on condition that the reinforced centre does not remain on the spindle when the paper runs out, but accompanies the end of the paper from the dispenser.

The embodiments described here can naturally be modified within the scope of the invention. For example, the storage space can be executed to accommodate more than two hygiene paper rolls. More than two locking hooks can be arranged in order to prevent hygiene paper rolls from dropping down into the dispensing space. The operating rod can also be operated by a push-button, which projects upwards from a hole in the lid, instead of by the illustrated pull-knob 15. The locking hooks can have other designs; for example the locking hooks illustrated in the two first embodiments can be caused to be displaced towards their locked positions by means of springs, instead of being manufactured from a spring-back material. Moreover, the operating rod can be operated with a screw-and-nut mechanism, instead of being pulled downwards. The locking devices could also be so arranged as to act against the outside of the rolls, instead of against the inside, although this is not preferred because the operating devices will then be more prominent and aesthetically displeasing, as well as being less readily accessible to a user, because they must then be positioned in such a way that they do not obstruct a user when pulling paper from the roll that is situated in the dispensing space. The scope of the invention must accordingly be restricted only by the content of the accompanying Patent Claims.