(19)
(11) EP 0 572 699 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
08.12.1993 Bulletin 1993/49

(21) Application number: 92109472.8

(22) Date of filing: 04.06.1992
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5A47K 13/22, A47K 10/38
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT

(71) Applicant: Aihara, Shigeichiro
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (JP)

(72) Inventor:
  • Aihara, Shigeichiro
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (JP)

(74) Representative: Howden, Christopher Andrew et al
FORRESTER & BOEHMERT Franz-Joseph-Strasse 38
80801 München
80801 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) A long continuous sheet and a housing case for it


    (57) This invention enables to cut off each unit sheet (1) of a long continuous sheet one by one, for example a roll of paper towel, toilet seat sheet and so on by means of rifts (2) comprised at the boundaries between neighboring unit sheet (1) of the long continuous sheet and openings (3a, 3b) comprised in the sheet corresponding to projections on a housing case for the long continuous sheet. The openings (3a, 3b) are caught by the projection when the sheet is pulled out, so that it becomes smooth to cut off the unit sheet (1) one by one.




    Description

    FIELD OF THE INVENTION



    [0001] This invention relates to a long continuous sheet comprising a series of paper towels, sheets to be put on a toilet seat or the like, and a housing case for it.

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION



    [0002] By request to keep cleanliness, toilet seat sheets have began to be used for Western-style toilets. Such a toilet seat sheet is made up from paper and cut to a shape of a toilet seat. In case of using, putting it on an earthen toilet seat, a user sits on it. After using it, it is washed away with body wastes.

    [0003] Therefore, a user can use a new sheet at any time in a toilet, and the new sheet gives the user not only plenty of cleanliness but also the excellent feel, because the user's skin does not directly touch the cold earthenware in a cold winter. Also in a hot summer an unpleasant feeling is decreased, because the sheet absorbs sweat.

    [0004] By the way, the toilet seat sheet which has such excellent features is folded one by one up to now. It needs not only high cost, but also restricts a place to hold.

    [0005] Therefore, a long continuous sheet comprising a series of sectional unit sheets for a toilet seat is proposed.

    [0006] However, that long continuous sheet for a toilet seat has also a big problen. That is, although the conventional long continuous sheet for a toilet has rifts in the boundaries between neighboring unit sheets and can be cut one by one along the rifts, it is actually difficult to cut one by one. It should be noted that a roll of toilet paper or the like having rifts for cutting is not necessary to be cut in a fixed length, even though it is the same type of long continuous sheet. That is, in this case, it is not so important to cut one by one like a toilet seat sheet. On the contrary, in case of a toilet seat sheet, for example if two consecutive units of sheets are cut to one piece, it gives a user a great trouble to use it. Thus, it is very important to be cut one by one in case of using a toilet seat sheet.

    [0007] Also in case that a long continuous sheet is for a toilet seat, a tongue-shaped section is provided for in each sheet in order to fascilitate to wash away a toilet seat sheet without hand-touching the toilet seat sheet, by hitting water, which is flowed at the time to wash away body wastes, to the toilet seat sheet. By the way, in case that these tongue-shaped sections are made up completely in advance, it is greatly difficult to roll up the long continuous toilet seat sheet. Therefore, conventionally, the rift (a perforation) is made up for comprising a tongue-shaped section. However, in the case that the rifts are made up simply, the rifts can not be cut accurately. Therefore it is a hard work to cut out a tongue-shaped section before putting the toilet seat sheet on a toilet stool, and its use is bad.

    SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION



    [0008] An object of the invention is to provide a long continuous sheet which enables to cut off a unit sheet smoothly.

    [0009] One object of the invention is achieved by a long continuous sheet characterized by rifts and openings in the boundaries between neighboring unit sheets.

    [0010] That is, openings are provided for in a long continuous sheet corresponding to projections at certain places on a guiding plate which is comprised in the housing case. Accordingly, when a long continuous sheet having rifts in boundaries between two consecutive unit sheets is pulled out of a housing case which holds it, openings in each unit sheet are caught by the projection, and it can be pulled out firmly one by one. That is, it can be avoided to pull out two unit sheets at a time and it can he pulled out firmly one by one.

    [0011] Especially, when the openings are comprised along the rifts which are comprised in the boundaries between neighboring unit sheets of a long continuous sheet, it gets smoother to cut off a unit sheet by means of openings which stop at the projections on a rift line.

    [0012] Also the above object is achieved by the long continuous sheet characterised by a series of sectional unit sheets, rifts in the boundaries between neighboring unit sheets and strengthened part at least nearby the boundaries.

    [0013] That is, in case that the part nearby the boundaries is strengthened, a unit sheet can be cut off along a rift in boundary between two neighboring unit sheets smoothly and accurately because only the part of a rift line is relatively weaker than the other part.

    [0014] As portions nearby the boundaries are also strengthened, the leading edge, the portion nearby the boundary just cut off may not be torn when the sheet is pulled out with the leading edge.

    [0015] Thus cut off along the rift can be done accurately because the part which is held is strengthened. Still more, if openings are comprised along a rift comprised in a boundary between neighboring unit sheets in a long continuous sheet, when the sheet is pulled out of a housing case in which a long continuous sheet is stored, it becomes firm to pull out one by one because the openings are stopped by the projections (pins) provided at the designated places of the guiding plate comprised on the housing case. That is, it can be avoided to pull out two unit sheets at a time and it can be pulled out firmly one by one, and it gets smoother to cut off a unit sheet. Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet for a toilet seat which provide a tongue-shaped section to be cut out smoothly and excellent use.

    [0016] Also the object of the invention is achieved by the long continuous sheet characterised by a series of sectional unit sheets to be put on a toilet seat, a rift in the each unit sheet to be put on a toilet seat along which a tongue-shaped cut section is cut out and one or more openings along each tongue-shaped section. That is, since openings which a hand can get into are made around the tongue-shaped section for making up a tongue-shaped section along the rift, it gets smooth to cut out the tongue-shaped section along the rift. Because, the hand can be inserted into openings and can be worked force by fingers holding the tongue-shaped section. As the tongue-shaped section can be comprised accurately, the use of the toilet seat sheet is also excellent.

    [0017] Further more, if a rift is comprised in a boundary between neighboring unit sheets and openings are comprised in a part of the rift, it gets smooth to cut off the toilet seat sheet one by one by the same reason as the above.

    [0018] Also, if a rift is comprised in a boundary between neighboring unit sheets and a part nearby the boundary is strengthened, it gets smooth to cut off the toilet seat sheet one by one by the same reason as the above.

    [0019] Still further object of the invention is to provide a housing case for a long continuous sheet which enables to cut off a unit sheet one by one.

    [0020] And this object is achieved by a housing case for a long continuous sheet comprising a series of sectional unit sheets and also comprising projections as stoppers corresponding to openings in every boundary between neighboring unit sheets in the long continuous sheet.

    [0021] That is, since projections (pins) which catch the openings in the long continuous sheet are comprised in the housing case, when the long continuous sheet is pulled out of the housing case, the openings in the sheet are caught and stopped by the projections. Thus the unit sheets are surely cut off one by one. That is, it can be avoided to pull out two unit sheets at a time and they can be pulled out firmly one by one, and them for example it becomes easy to use a toilet seat sheet.

    [0022] More, it is preferable that the above projections to catch and stop openings are comprised in the tip of a guiding plate which guides the sheet. Also it is preferable that notches for holding leading edge of the sheet are comprised in the tip of the sheet guiding plate, because the pulling out of the sheet gets smooth.

    [0023] Still more, in the above explanation, the example of a long continuous sheet is a toilet seat sheet. However, it is also applicable to a long continuous sheet like a paper towel. Therefore, needless to say, the sheet housing case can be not only for a toilet seat sheet, but also for a paper towel.

    DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES



    [0024] 

    [Figure 1]
    Figure 1 is a plan view of a long continuous type toilet seat sheet.

    [Figure 2]
    Figure 2 is a side view showing that a unit sheet is being pulled out one by one from the housing case in which the long rolled continuous toilet seat sheet is stored.

    [Figure 3]
    Figure 3 is a front view showing that a unit sheet is being pulled out one by one from the housing case in which the rolled long continuous toilet seat sheet is stored.

    [Figure 4]
    Figure 4 is a squint view showing that a step before a unit sheet of a long rolled continuous toilet seat sheet is cut off and put on a toilet seat.


    DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION



    [0025] Figure 1 - Figure 4 show the one embodiment of the invention in case of an application of a long continuous sheet to a toilet seat sheet. Figure 1 is a plan view of a unit sheet of a long continuous sheet, Figure 2 is a side view showing that a unit sheet of a long rolled continuous toilet seat sheet is being pulled out from the housing case for it, Figure 3 is a front view showing that a unit sheet of a long rolled continuous toilet seat sheet is being pulled out from the housing case for it, Figure 4 is a squint view showing that a step before a unit sheet of a long rolled continuous toilet seat sheet is cut off and put on a toilet seat.

    [0026] In each view, 1 is a water soluble sheet of about 368mm width, 2 is a rift line made at designated distances, for example at 500mm distances the rift line is a perforation line which comprises 6mm long unit rifts and 1mm spaces with neighboring unit rifts.

    [0027] More, as Figure 1 shows, the end of each unit sheet is made up narrower than the beginning of it.

    [0028] 3a and 3b are holes or openings of for example a rectangle shape which are made up on the rift line 2.

    [0029] 4 is the strengthened part comprised in a certain width on both sides of the rift line 2. Although there are some means to strengthen the part, for example, by mean of infiltrating some chemicals into the part or arranging pressure of rolls suitable at the time of processing the sheet, anyhow any means can be adopted.

    [0030] 5a and 5b are almost D-shaped openings which are made up nearly in the center of the sheet 1 comprised between the rifts 2.

    [0031] 6 is a rift (perforation) line comprised on a imaginary connection line between the rear sides of almost D-shaped openings 5a and 5b. The rifts 6a and 6b in the both ends of rift 6 are made up to connect almost D-shaped rifts 5a and 5b.

    [0032] 7 is a tongue-shaped section of 80mm width comprised between almost D-shaped 5a and 5b. 8 is a hole comprised at the designated position.

    [0033] 10 is a housing case for a roll R which is the said rolled sheet 1. The housing case is made up from a box section 11 and a cover section 12.

    [0034] The box section 11 is configured to install on a wall of a toilet, and a cover section 12 is designed to rotate or to open and shut and put on and take off.

    [0035] 13 is a bearing for a roll R, 14 is a guiding roller, 15 is a guiding plate, 16 is a bent part on the tip of the guiding plate 15, 17a and 17b are projections comprised taller than the bent part 16 on the tip, and 18a and 18b are almost U-shaped cut part comprised on the tip of the guiding plate 15.

    [0036] In operation, in the usual condition, the leading edge of the roll R is partially pulled out along the guiding plate 15. Therefore, when using the sheet 1, the sheet 1 is gripped at the almost U-shaped cut sections 18a and 18b of the guiding plate 15 and pulled out, and holes 3a and 3b are then caught at projections 17a and 17b and stop. Adding force more, the sheet 1 is cut off at the rift line 2 by the bent part 16 on the tip of the guiding plate 15.

    [0037] Therefore, it can be very easy to put a unit sheet on a toilet seat, because when pulling out and cutting off the sheet 1, only one piece of toilet seat sheet S can he cut off accurately and two connected sheets can never be cut out.

    [0038] Further more, the leading edge of sheet 1 in the roll R, which is caught with fingers at the time to be pulled out, is not breakable, because this part 4 is strengthened. Also, the cutting along the line on the rift line 2 under collaboration with the tip bent part 16 of the guiding plate 15 is done accurately, because the both sides of the rift line 2 are strengthened parts 4, so that the part along the rift line 2 is specially weak. As the toilet seat sheet is cut accurately, the toilet seat sheet can be put accurately on the toilet seat and it is excellent to use.

    [0039] More, after cutting off a unit toilet sheet S and before putting it on the toilet seat, inserting a hand into the almost D-shaped openings 5a and 5b and holding the tongue shaped section 7, and then working force on it, the tongue shaped section 7 is cut off smoothly along the line on the rift 6, as showed in Figure 4. Thus, its workability is highly excellent. That is, by the function of the tongue shaped section 7, the used toilet seat sheet S is washed away by drainage with body wastes, but if the tongue shaped section 7 is comprised as Figure 4 shows in advance, it is very difficult to roll up the sheet and to pull it out from the housing case. Therefore, the tongue-shaped section 7 has to be cut off along a rift line, however, if the sheet has not the almost D-shaped openings 5a and 5b, it is very hard to cut it off.

    [0040] Although an example of a toilet seat sheet was described in the above embodiment, the invention can have the same advantages in the case for other long continuous sheets than toilet seat sheets, but also the other long object.

    [0041] Further more, although it was not shown by figures in the above embodiment, it is possible to comprise another guiding plate upper the guiding plate 15 to make the sheet 1 come through passing a gap between the two guiding plates.

    [0042] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims and/or in the accompanying drawings may, both, separately and in any combination thereof, be material for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.


    Claims

    1. A long continuous sheet characterised by a series of sectional unit sheets, rifts and openings in boundaries between neighboring ones of said sectional unit sheets.
     
    2. A long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 1 characterised by rifts in boundaries between neighboring ones of said sectional unit sheets, and openings along said rifts.
     
    3. The long continuous sheet characterised by a long continuous sheet comprising continuous sectional unit sheets, rifts in boundaries between neighboring ones of said sectional unit sheets and strengthened parts at least nearby said boundaries.
     
    4. The long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 3 characterised by rifts in boundaries between neighboring ones of said sectional unit sheets and openings in parts of said rifts.
     
    5. The long continuous sheet characterised by a series of sectional unit sheets to be put on a toilet seat, rifts in each of said unit sheets, tongue-shaped cut sections along said rifts, and openings along said tongue-shaped sections.
     
    6. The long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 5 characterised by rifts in every boundary in said long continuous sheet and openings in parts of said rifts.
     
    7. The long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 5 or claim 6 characterised by rifts in every boundary between neighboring ones of sai unit sheets and a strengthened part at least nearby every boundary.
     
    8. The housing case for the long continuous sheet having a series sectional unit sheets, characterised by projections as stoppers corresponding to openings in every boundary between neighboring ones of said unit sheets in said long continuous sheet.
     
    9. The housing case for a long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 8 characterised by projections as stoppers in the tip of a guiding plate for a unit sheet guiding.
     
    10. The housing case for a long continuous sheet as set forth in claim 8 or claim 9 characterised by one or more notches for holding a leading edge of a unit sheet in the tip of said guiding plate for a unit sheet guiding.
     




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