Paper towel dispenser

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser for paper towels, toilet paper, or similar paper or tissue products stored on a roll with perforated tear-off sheets.

[0002] Most commonly the dispensers for paper towels are designed to store the rolls in an upright position wherein the central cardboard core of the roll is put onto a pole fixed on the base of the storing device. Tearing a sheet off of the roll is difficult due to the tendency of the roll to unravel during tear-off. One either has to hold the roll with one hand while the other tears a sheet off or the dispenser is provided with some tear-off aid. These aids consist mostly of a second pole or some kind of edge to tear the sheet along or a slit through which the paper is guided. But without stopping the roll additionally by hand unraveling of the roll can't effectively be prevented.

[0003] In US 7 328 869 B1, which discloses in combination all of the features of the preamble of claim 1, and in US 4 487 376 A, designs for paper towel dispensers are presented which solve this problem. By pressing a button located on the top of the paper towel roll, the roll can be prevented from unraveling while a sheet is being torn off. Pressing the button causes the top section of the dispenser to be pressed against the roll, which obstructs its movement.

[0004] Other means for storing the rolls are the combined dispensers for kitchen rolls of cling film, aluminum foil, and paper towels. The paper towel roll is then usually mounted in horizontal orientation beneath a housing for the other roll products. US 3 843 071 A discloses a paper towel roll design which includes a housing. While a housing can be fitted with cutting-off means for the films and foils the paper towel roll once again has to be held with a hand while tearing a sheet off to prevent unraveling of the roll during tear-off.

[0005] The most evident disadvantage of these known dispensers which require touching the rolls by hand is that the paper towels will get dirty and wet during usage especially when used during cooking in the kitchen. Splashes of water, oil, etc. are a second source for dirt on the rolls when the dispensers are placed near the oven, stove, or working area. Similar problems exist for the toilet paper rolls in the form of dust and bacteria.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an improved dispenser for paper towels, toilet paper, or similar paper or tissue products stored on a roll with perforated tear-off sheets which supports convenient tear-off of the sheets without unraveling and a hygienic storing place for the rolls, and can accommodate rolls of different sizes.

[0007] The problem is solved by a dispenser for paper towels, toilet paper, or similar paper or tissue products stored on a roll with perforated tear-off sheets which comprises at least a) a housing for vertically storing the roll consisting of a bottom wall, at least one side wall (2) whereof one is provided with a slit for leading the paper product out, and a removable lid (1) with a hole for means for locking the roll (4, 5) covering the upper side, b) a hollow shaft (7) mounted on the inner bottom side of the housing to hold the roll and containing a flexible element (6), c) a base plate (8) to support the roll on the hollow shaft having a central hole for sliding the base plate (8) over the hollow shaft (7), d) means for supporting the base plate (11) fixed on the inner side of the side walls of the housing, and d) means for locking the roll (4, 5) positioned on the upper side of the hollow shaft (7), their lower end (5) being engaged with the flexible element (6) and their upper end (4) extending through the hole in the lid (1).

[0008] The dispenser according to the present invention has an upright, preferably cylindrical, housing with an open top which can be closed by a lid. Other shapes of interest for a pleasing design are for example shapes with a cross-section in the form of a square, rectangle, hexagon, or octagon. One of the walls is provided with a slit for leading the paper product out. The lid has a hole through which the upper portion of means for locking the roll inside of the housing during tear-off of a sheet are extending through making them accessible for being actuated from the outside.

[0009] A hollow shaft is mounted on the bottom of the housing which holds the roll in place. The inside of the hollow shaft is provided with a flexible element which is in contact with the lower end of the locking means for the roll pushing them upwards. When the lid is being closed it preferably has to be pushed onto the top of the housing against the force of the flexible element. The roll is supported on the shaft by a base plate which is slid over the shaft and rests on supporting means which are fixed on the inside of the side walls of the housing. Advantageously the lid is secured onto the side walls against the pressure of the flexible element by a bayonet lock. This fixing method for the lid is more efficient in preventing the lid from popping open than snap-on means and more convenient for the user than screw caps.

[0010] Preferably the flexible element is a compression spring or a compressible polymer material. Examples for the compressible polymer material are soft rubbers or foams (especially closed cell types of PU, PE and the like).

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the dispenser the lower end of the means for locking the roll consists of a member which fits into the hollow shaft and is connected to the upper end with a plate which is being pressed against the upper end of the roll when the means for locking the roll are actuated by pushing the upper end of the means for locking the roll downwards. The member then moves piston-like inside of the hollow shaft and guides the plate onto the upper end of the roll. The plate is advantageously equipped with a high friction surface which is made either by coating the surface or by applying grooves and/or ribs. When the means for locking are pressed downwards the lower side of the plate locks the roll in place and prevents unraveling by exerting force onto the upper end of the roll. The base plate is therefore positioned in such a height that the upper end of the supported roll is at least level with the upper end of the hollow shaft, preferably reaching several millimeters higher.

[0012] According to the invention, the means for supporting the base plate allow for supporting the base plate in an upper and a lower position in order to accommodate the dispenser for different roll sizes. Enhancing the versatility of the dispenser this enables the user to either use standard size and jumbo size rolls or metric and non-metric size rolls.

[0013] Advantageously the positioning of the base plate in two different levels is achieved by constructing the means for supporting the base plate of ribs extending on their upper side less towards the inside of the housing than on their lower side forming two levels to support the base plate on and equipping the base plate with alternating notches corresponding to the two different rib lengths. In order to avoid that the base plate is turning together with the roll the ribs are extending on the wall side a little bit higher than the upper support level. When placing the base plate in the upper position the smaller notches are aligned with the ribs so that the base plate rests upon the upper edge of the rib. The sides of the notches are then bracketing the ribs and therefore blocking the turning motion of the base plate.

[0014] In order to use the lower position the base plate has to be lifted above the upper end of the ribs and the larger notches have to be aligned with the ribs. The base plate can then be slid over the hollow shaft and the ribs into the lower position. Again the sides of the notches block the turning motion of the base plate.

[0015] To improve the stability of the dispenser when standing on a surface the bottom wall of the housing is preferably connected to a suction cup for securing the dispenser on smooth surfaces. This avoids the dispenser from tipping over and allows for a convenient tear-off without the need for a heavy or large base.

[0016] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of the invention and Fig. 2 shows an explosion drawing of the same. This example is not limiting the invention but only demonstrating an advantageous embodiment.

[0017] The dispenser for paper towels is shown with a cylindrical shape. It has therefore only one side wall (2) with a slit. Not shown in the figures are the bayonet locks which are fixed on the upper side of side wall (2) and the lower side of lid (1). Suction cup (3) is mounted to the bottom side of the dispenser housing by screw (10) and washer (9). Hollow shaft (7) is also of cylindrical shape and equipped with an end cap on the bottom side having a bore. Screw (10) is long enough to screw into this bore securing the hollow shaft (7) in place at the same time. The flexible element (6) is a compression spring which fits with its outer diameter into the inner diameter of hollow shaft (7). In order to load a roll of paper towels into the dispenser base plate (8) is slid over hollow shaft (7) and positioned onto the means for supporting the base plate (11). Fig. 3a shows a cross-section of the dispenser and Fig. 3b an enlarged view of the encircled area of Fig. 3a giving a detail view of the means for supporting the base plate (11). They form a lower and an upper edge onto which the base plate (8) will rest. The upper edge is topped by a third edge which prevents the base plate (8) from turning if it is positioned on the upper edge.

[0018] Fig. 5 shows a top view of base plate (8). One can see the alternating small and large notches around the circumference which have to be aligned with the ribs of the means for supporting the base plate (11).

[0019] Then the paper towel roll is put over hollow shaft (7) onto base plate (8) and the means for locking the roll (4, 5) are inserted into hollow shaft (7). The lower end of the means for locking the roll (5) consists of a cylindrical member whose outer diameter closely fits into the inner diameter of hollow shaft (7). The upper end of the means for locking the roll (4) consists of a short cylinder to be pressed or glued into the lower end of the means for locking the roll (5), a plate with ribs on the lower side, and a ball shaped knob. Fig. 4 shows a bottom side view of the upper end of the means for locking the roll (4) depicting the rib structure on the plate. The length of the flexible element (6) and the lower end of the means for locking the roll (5) are adjusted so that lid (1) has to be pushed against the pressure of flexible element (6) onto side wall (2) and that the plate of the upper end of the means for locking the roll (4) is able to push onto the upper end of the paper towel roll. Finally lid (1) is closed by twisting it into the bayonet locks after the first sheet has been pull through the slit.

Reference numbers

[0020] 

1

Lid

2

Side wall

3

Suction cup

4

Upper end of means for locking the roll

5

Lower end of means for locking the roll

6

Flexible element

7

Hollow shaft

8

Base plate

9

Washer

10

Screw

11

Means for supporting the base plate

Claims

1. A dispenser for paper towels, toilet paper, or similar paper or tissue products stored on a roll with perforated tear-off sheets, comprising

- a hollow shaft (7) mounted on the inner bottom side of the housing to hold the roll and containing a flexible element (6), and

- means for locking the roll (4, 5) positioned on the upper side of the hollow shaft (7), their lower end (5) being engaged with the flexible element (6),
characterized in that said dispenser further comprises at least

- a housing for vertically storing the roll consisting of a bottom wall, at least one side wall (2) whereof one is provided with a slit for leading the paper product out, and a removable lid (1) with a hole for means for locking the roll (4, 5) covering the upper side,

- a base plate (8) to support the roll on the hollow shaft (7) having a central hole for sliding the base plate (8) over the hollow shaft (7), and

- means for supporting the base plate (11) fixed on the inner side of the side walls (2) of the housing, which allow for supporting the base plate (8) in an upper and a lower position in order to accommodate the dispenser for different roll sizes, the upper end (4) of said means for locking the roll (4, 5) extending through the hole in the lid (1).

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible element (6) is a compression spring or a compressible polymer material.

3. A dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower end of the means for locking the roll (5) consists of a member which fits into the hollow shaft (7) and is connected to the upper end of the means for locking the roll (4) with a plate which is being pressed against the upper end of the roll when the means for locking the roll (4, 5) are actuated by pushing the upper end of the means for locking the roll (4) downwards.

4. A dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for supporting the base plate (11) consist of ribs extending on their upper side less towards the inside of the housing than on their lower side forming two levels to support the base plate (8) on and the base plate (8) is equipped with alternating notches corresponding to the two different rib lengths.

5. A dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom wall of the housing is connected to a suction cup (3) for securing the dispenser on smooth surfaces.

6. A dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (1) is secured onto the side walls (2) against the pressure of the flexible element (6) by a bayonet lock.

Ansprüche

1. Spender für Papierhandtücher, Toilettenpapier oder ähnliche Papier- oder Gewebeprodukte, die auf einer Rolle mit perforierten Abreißblättern gelagert werden, umfassend

- einen hohlen Schaft (7), der auf der inneren unteren Seite des Gehäuses zur Aufnahme der Rolle befestigt ist und ein flexibles Element (6) enthält, und

- Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4, 5), die an der oberen Seite des hohlen Schafts (7) positioniert sind und deren unteres Ende (5) mit dem flexiblen Element (6) in Verbindung steht,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Spender weiterhin mindestens umfasst:

- ein Gehäuse zur vertikalen Aufbewahrung der Rolle, bestehend aus einer Bodenwand, mindestens einer Seitenwand (2), wovon eine mit einem Schlitz zum Herausführen des Papierprodukts versehen ist, und einem entfernbaren Deckel (1) mit einem Loch für die Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4, 5), der die Oberseite abdeckt,

- eine Grundplatte (8) zum Tragen der Rolle auf dem hohlen Schaft (7), welche ein zentrales Loch aufweist, um die Grundplatte (8) über den hohlen Schaft (7) schieben zu können,

- an der inneren Seite der Seitenwände (2) des Gehäuses fixierte Mittel zum Tragen der Grundplatte (11), welche es erlauben, die Grundplatte (8) in einer oberen und einer unteren Position zu tragen, um den Spender an verschiedene Rollengrößen anzupassen,
wobei das obere Ende (4) der Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4, 5) durch das Loch im Deckel (1) ragt.

2. Spender nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das flexible Element (6) eine Schraubenfeder oder ein kompressibles Polymermaterial ist.

3. Spender nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das untere Ende der Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (5) aus einem Teil besteht, welches in den hohlen Schaft (7) passt und mit dem oberen Ende der Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4) mittels einer Platte verbunden ist, welche gegen das obere Ende der Rolle gedrückt wird, wenn die Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4, 5) durch Herunterdrücken des oberen Endes der Mittel zum Blockieren der Rolle (4) betätigt werden.

4. Spender nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Mittel zum Tragen der Basisplatte (11) aus Rippen bestehen, die sich auf ihrer oberen Seite weniger ins Innere des Gehäuses erstrecken als auf ihrer unteren Seite und so zwei Ebenen zum Tragen der Basisplatte (8) bilden, und die Basisplatte (8) mit abwechselnden Einkerbungen entsprechend der zwei unterschiedlichen Rippenlängen ausgestattet ist.

5. Spender nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Bodenwand des Gehäuses mit einem Saugnapf (3) zum Befestigen des Spenders auf glatten Oberflächen verbunden ist.

6. Spender nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Deckel (1) gegen den Druck des flexiblen Elements (6) mit einem Bajonettverschluss auf den Seitenwänden (2) befestigt wird.

Revendications

1. Distributeur de serviettes en papier, papiers hygiéniques, ou produits papiers ou tissus similaires stockée sur un rouleau avec des feuilles détachables perforées, comprenant

- une manche creuse (7) monté sur la face inférieure intérieure du boîtier pour maintenir le rouleau et contenant un élément flexible (6), et

- des moyens pour verrouiller le rouleau (4, 5) placé sur le côté supérieur de la manche creuse (7), leur bout inférieur (5) étant enclenché avec l'élément flexible (6),
caractérisé en ce que ledit distributeur comprend en outre au moins

- un boîtier pour stocker verticalement le rouleau et comportant une paroi inférieure, au moins une paroi latérale (2) dont une est munie d'une fente pour conduire le produit à papier en dehors, et un couvercle démontable (1) avec un trou pour des moyens de verrouillage pour le rouleau (4, 5) et recouvrant la face supérieure,

- une plaque de base (8) pour soutenir le rouleau sur la manche creuse (7) ayant un trou central pour faire glisser la plaque de base (8) sur la manche creuse (7),

- des moyens pour supporter la plaque de base (11) fixés sur le côté intérieur des parois latérales (2) du boîtier, qui permettent de soutenir la plaque de base (8) dans une position supérieure et une position inférieure afin d'adapter le distributeur à différentes tailles de rouleau,
le bout supérieur (4) desdits moyens de verrouillage pour le rouleau (4, 5) s'étendant à travers du trou dans le couvercle (1).

2. Distributeur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que l'élément flexible (6) est un ressort de compression ou un matériau polymère compressible.

3. Distributeur selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que le bout inférieur du moyen de verrouillage du rouleau (5) comporte une pièce qui s'ajuste dans la manche creuse (7) et qui est relié au bout supérieur du moyen pour verrouiller le rouleau (4) avec une plaque qui est pressée contre le bout supérieur du rouleau lorsque les moyens de verrouillage du rouleau (4, 5) sont actionnés en poussant le bout supérieur du moyens de verrouillage du rouleau (4) vers le bas.

4. Distributeur selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que les moyens pour supporter la plaque de base (11) comportent des renforts s'étendant sur leur face supérieure moins vers l'intérieur du boîtier que sur leur face inférieure formant deux niveaux pour soutenir la plaque de base (8) et la plaque de base (8) est équipé d'encoches alternées correspondant aux deux longueurs différentes des renforts.

5. Distributeur selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que la paroi de fond du boîtier est reliée à une ventouse (3) pour fixer le distributeur sur des surfaces lisses.

6. Distributeur selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que le couvercle (1) est fixée sur les parois latérales (2) contre la pression de l'élément flexible (6) par une fermeture à baïonnette.

Drawing