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(11) | EP 2 135 539 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Automatic sanitary film dispensing system for toilet |
| (57) An automatic sanitary film dispensing system includes a supply barrel and a take-up
barrel respectively mounted on the front and rear sides of the toilet seat of a toilet,
a DC motor mounted in one end of the take-up barrel, a take-up reel pivotally mounted
in the other end of the take-up barrel and rotatable manually through a crank handle,
a roll of sanitary film rotatably mounted in the supply-barrel and having a slat fixedly
fastened to the lead end and connectable between the output shaft of the DC motor
and the take-up spindle of the take-up reel for rotation by the DC motor to take up
the sanitary film, the sanitary film having cut line portions equally spaced along
the length, each cut line portion being tearable to define an oval hole in the sanitary
film corresponding to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet in which the toilet seat
is installed, and a sensor for detecting the presence of a human being and controlling
the DC motor to rotate through a predetermined number of turns when detected a signal.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Technical Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to toilet technology and more particularly, to an automatic sanitary film dispensing system for toilet that automatically dispense a new sanitary film to the toilet seat for each new user.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
[0002] When using a public toilet, people may be afraid of touching the toilet seat directly with the hips. When using a toilet, some people may step on the toilet seat in a half squat position without actually letting the hips make contact with the toilet seat. However, not all people can use a toilet in this manner. When a person who cannot sit in a half squat position is going to use a public toilet, he (she) may use many pieces of sanitary tissues to clean the toilet seat before sitting on it. It wastes much time and tissue resource to use a toilet in this manner. The toilets in certain hotels, department storesplaces and some other high-class places may provide sanitary seat films. A user can pick up one sanitary seat film and cover it on the toilet seat to prevent direct contact of the hips with the toilet seat. It is still inconvenient to manually arrange a sanitary seat film on the toilet seat before each use of the toilet. There are commercially available toilet seat sanitary film dispensing systems. However, these designs of toilet seat sanitary film dispensing systems are still not satisfactory in function. During the use, the user may touch the border edge of the toilet seat accidentally. During the use, the wrinkled sanitary film may cause a user's hips to feel uncomfortable. Further, the sanitary film still cannot completely protect the user's hips from splashes of toilet dirty fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic sanitary film dispensing system for toilet, which automatically dispenses the sanitary film before each use, preventing direct contact of the user's hands with the any part of the toilet. It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic sanitary film dispensing system for toilet, which allows the user to sit on the toilet seat comfortably without actually letting the hips make contact with any part of the toilet seat.
[0004] To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the automatic sanitary film dispensing system comprises a supply barrel and a take-up barrel respectively mounted on the front and rear sides of the toilet seat of a toilet, a DC motor mounted in one end of the take-up barrel, a take-up reel pivotally mounted in the other end of the take-up barrel, a roll of sanitary film rotatably mounted in the supply-barrel and having a slat fixedly fastened to the lead end and connectable between the output shaft of the DC motor and the take-up spindle of the take-up reel for rotation by the DC motor to take up the sanitary film, the sanitary film having cut line portions equally spaced along the length, each cut line portion being tearable to define an oval hole in the sanitary film corresponding to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet in which the toilet seat is installed, and a sensor for detecting the presence of a human being and controlling the DC motor to rotate through a predetermined number of turns corresponding to the distance between two cut line portions when detected a signal.
[0005] When a person is stilling on the sanitary film being covered on the toilet seat, the pressure from the person's hips forces to cut line portion to break, leaving an oval opening in the sanitary film through which discharged waste matters fall to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet.
[0006] Further, a crank handle is connected to the take-up reel and extended out of the take-up reel for operation by hand to rotate the take-up reel and the slat in taking up the sanitary film manually
[0007] Further, the take-up barrel has a hinged cover that can be opened for the mounting of a new roll of sanitary film or removal of a used roll of sanitary film.
[0008] Further, a switch is provided for switching on/off the sensor manually, preventing a repeat driving of the DC motor.
[0009] The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
[0010] Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011]
FIG 1 is schematic drawing showing an automatic sanitary film dispensing system installed in a toilet and operated.
FIG 2 is an exploded view of the automatic sanitary film dispensing system according to the present invention.
FIG 3 is a left side plain view of FIG. 1.
FIG 4 is a right side plain view of FIG. 1.
FIG 5 is a schematic drawing showing the hinged cover of the take-up barrel opened before mounting of the slat of the sanitary roll film.
FIG 6 corresponds to FIG 5, showing the slat of the sanitary roll film connected between the take-up spindle of the take-up reel and the output shaft of the DC motor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
[0013] Referring to FIG 1, an automatic sanitary film dispensing system in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a toilet seat 1, a take-up barrel 11, a supply barrel 12, and a sanitary roll film 14.
[0014] Referring to FIG 2 and FIG 1 again, the toilet seat 1 is installed in the bowl of a toilet, having two mounting holes 21 symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides. The take-up barrel 11 is provided at the rear side of the toilet seat 2. The supply barrel 12 is provided at the front side of the toilet seat 2, having two arms 121 respectively extending from the periphery near the two opposite open ends and respectively fastened to the mounting holes 21 of the toilet seat 1, a longitudinal crevice 120 cut through the periphery and extending through the length, and two end caps 122 detachably capped on the two opposite open ends. Each end cap 122 has a center pivot pin 1221 respectively suspending in the supply barrel 12.
[0015] The roll film 14 is a spool-wound sanitary film 14A pivotally coupled between the pivot pins 1221 of the end caps 122, having one end extending out of the supply barrel 12 through the longitudinal crevice 120 and fixedly mounted with a slat 143 and cut line portions 141 equally spaced along the length. Each cut line portion 141 can easily be tom, forming an oval hole 142 in the sanitary film 14A corresponding to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet. The sanitary film 14A can be made of tough paper, nonwoven fabric, or plastic material.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIG. 1 again, the automatic sanitary film dispensing system further comprises a DC motor 13 fixedly mounted in one end of the take-up barrel 11 and having an output shaft 131 suspending in the take-up barrel 11, a take-up reel 115 rotatably mounted in the other end of the take-up barrel 11 and having a take-up spindle 1151 aimed at and axially aligned with the output shaft 131 of the DC motor 13, a spring member 116 mounted in the take-up barrel 11 and stopped against the back side of the take-up reel 115 to force the take-up reel 115 in direction toward the DC motor . 13, a crank handle 111 coupled to the take-up reel 115 and extending out of the take-up barrel 11 for operation by a person to rotate the take-up reel 115, and a rechargeable battery 114 mounted in the toilet at a suitable location and electrically connected to the DC motor 13 to provide the DC motor 13 with the necessary working voltage. Further, the take-up barrel 11 has a hinged cover 113 that can be opened for allowing insertion of the slat 143 into the inside of the take-up barrel 11 and connection of the two distal ends of the slat 143 to the output shaft 131 of the DC motor 13 and the take-up spindle 1151 of the take-up reel 115. The slat 143 has a polygonal cross section. The output shaft 131 of the DC motor 13 and the take-up spindle 1151 of the take-up reel 115 are made having a respective polygonal end hole (not shown) for the connection of the slat 143. During installation, the slat 143 is obliquely inserted into the take-up barrel 11 to force one end of the slat 143 into the polygonal end hole of the take-up reel 115 and to move the take-up reel 115 backwards against the spring member 116, and then the slat 143 is turned to horizontal to have the other end be aimed at the polygonal end hole of the output shaft 131 of the DC motor 13, and then release the hand from the slat 143 for enabling the spring force of the spring member 16 to move the take-up reel 115 outwards (rightwards), forcing the other end of the slat 143 into the take-up spindle 1151 of the take-up reel 115. When the hinged cover 113 of the take-up barrel 11 is closed, a longitudinal crevice 110 is left in the periphery of the take-up barrel 11 for the passing of the sanitary film 14A. Further, a sensor, for example, infrared sensor 112 is installed in the hinged cover 113 and electrically connected to the DC motor 13 for detection the presence of a human being and controlling the DC motor 13 to rotate through a predetermined number of turns when detected a signal. The infrared sensor 112 is controlled to work by a manual switch (not shown). When a person is going to the use the toilet, operate the manual switch to switch on the infrared sensor 112, and the approach the hand to the detection range of the infrared sensor 112, causing the infrared sensor to start the DC motor 13 for a predetermined length of time. The number of turns of each operation of the DC motor 13 corresponds to the distance between each two cut line portions 141 so that one cut line portion 141 is suspending above the cavity of the bowl of the toilet when the DC motor 13 is stopped. When a person sits on the sanitary film 14A at the toilet set 2, the pressure from the person's hips forces the corresponding cut line portion 141 to break, leaving an oval hole 142 in the sanitary film 14A corresponding to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet so that the person's body waste can be directly discharged into the cavity of the bowl of the toilet. Further, the user can operate the crank handle 111 to rotate the take-up reel 115, taking up the sanitary film 14A manually.
[0017] When the sanitary film 14A is used up, it is received in the take-up barrel 11. At this time, open the hinged cover 113 of the take-up barrel 11, and then take the waste sanitary film 14A out of the take-up barrel 11 for a replacement.
[0018] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
[0019] While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
a toilet seat pivoted to the bowl of a toilet for the sitting of a person using the toilet, said toilet seat having a plurality of mounting holes symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides thereof;
a supply barrel mounted on a front side of said toilet seat, said supply barrel having a plurality of arms extending from the periphery thereof and respectively fastened to the mounting holes of said toilet seat, a longitudinal crevice cut through the periphery and longitudinally extending through two opposite open ends thereof, and two end caps detachably capped on the two opposite open ends;
a take-up barrel mounted on a rear side of said toilet seat, said take-up barrel having a hinged cover, said hinged cover defining with the periphery of said take-up barrel a longitudinal crevice when said hinged cover is closed;
a DC motor mounted in one end of said take-up barrel, said DC motor having an output shaft suspending in the associated end of said take-up barrel;
a take-up reel pivotally mounted in an opposite end of said take-up barrel, said take-up reel having a take-up spindle suspending in the associated end of said take-up barrel;
a crank handle connected to said take-up reel and extending out of said take-up reel for operation by a person to rotate said take-up reel;
a roll of sanitary film rotatably mounted in said supply-barrel between said end caps, said sanitary film having a lead end extending out of the longitudinal crevice of said supply barrel and insertable through the longitudinal crevice of said take-up barrel, a slat fixedly fastened to said lead end and connectable between the output shaft of said DC motor and the take-up spindle of said take-up reel for rotation with said output shaft of said DC motor and the take-up spindle of said take-up reel to take up said sanitary film, and a plurality of cut line portions equally spaced along the length thereof, each said cut line portion being tearable to define an oval hole in said sanitary film corresponding to the cavity of the bowl of the toilet in which said toilet seat is installed; and
a sensor mounted in said take-up barrel and electrically connected to said DC motor and adapted for detecting the presence of a human being and controlling said DC motor to rotate through a predetermined number of turns when detected a signal.