Patent Application
20140175212
The present invention relates generally to dispensers for rotatably supporting toilet paper or other rolled paper products, and more particularly to a dispenser with unique anti-theft and anti-waste features that prevent removal of the roll support member until the roll is substantially empty and inhibit or allow rotation of the roll depending on a direction in which force is applied to the roll by the user.
A known problem with toilet paper dispensers used in public washrooms are theft of toilet paper rolls, and deployment of wasted sheets from toilet paper rolls, each of which has a cost to the provider who keeps the washroom supplies stocked.
Applicant has developed a unique dispenser that provides anti-theft and anti-waste functionality without the need for keys or specialized tools to facilitate replacement of an empty roll.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a paper roll dispenser for supporting a roll of paper product for dispensing of pieces of said product from off said roll, the dispenser comprising:
a first and second channel members extending parallel to one another in a first direction and being spaced apart from one another in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each channel member defining a respective channel that has a length running in the first direction and is bordered by channel walls running in the first direction on three respective sides of the channel, the channel walls of each channel member comprising a central channel wall disposed at an outer side of the channel member opposite the other channel member and two side channels walls projecting from said central channel toward the other channel member at spaced apart positions leaving a fourth side of the channel open at an inner side of the channel member opposite the central channel wall, the inner sides of the two channel members being spaced apart by a first distance that only slightly exceeds an axial length of the roll of paper product, and access to each channel at longitudinal ends thereof being closed off;
an insertion feature opening into the channel of the first channel member through the central channel wall thereof;
an elongated support member having axial length that is greater than the first distance between the inner sides of the two channel members and less than a second distance between the central channel walls of the channel members, and a cross-section sized and shaped for axial passage of at least one end of the elongated supported member through the opening in the first channel member with only a slight clearance, and also through an axial hole of the roll of paper product;
whereby the roll of paper product is supportable on the dispenser by using the insertion feature to place the elongated support member in an installed position placing the opposite ends of the elongated support member respectively in the channels of the channel members with the roll rotatably disposed around the support member for support between the channel members.
Preferably the elongate support member is slidable back and forth in the channels in first direction.
Preferably the channel members are horizontally spaced apart and obliquely positioned to slope upwardly away from a connecting feature that joins together lower ends of the two channel members.
Preferably the connecting feature is part of a mounting bracket for attaching the paper roll dispenser to an upright surface of a support structure, the channel members projecting to one side of said mounting bracket to extend outwardly away from said support structure.
Preferably the central channel wall of the second channel member lacks a sufficiently sized opening for insertion of the elongate support member therein.
Preferably the second channel member is fully closed at the outer side of said second channel member.
Preferably a width of each channel between the side walls thereof is no greater than a diameter of the axial hole of the roll of paper product.
Preferably a width of the elongate support member is less than the length of each channel.
In one embodiment, the width of the elongate support member is greater than a width of each channel, as measured between the channel side walls. In such an embodiment, the support member may comprise a bar of greater length than width and greater width than thickness, and the insertion feature in the central channel wall of the first channel member may be an elongated slot running lengthwise in the first direction.
In another embodiment, the elongate support member is a cylindrical member, a diameter of which defines the width of the elongated support member and is less than the width of each channel. In such an embodiment, the insertion feature in the central channel wall of the first channel member is preferably a circular through-hole.
Preferably the insertion feature in the central channel wall of the first channel member is spaced above a bottom one of the side walls of the channel of said first channel member to prevent alignment of the elongated support member with said insertion feature when said elongated support member lies on said bottom one of the side walls.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a paper roll dispenser for supporting a roll of paper product for dispensing of pieces of said product from off said roll, the dispenser comprising:
a first and second channel members extending parallel to one another in a first direction and being spaced apart from one another in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each channel member defining a respective channel that has a length running in the first direction and is bordered by channel walls running in the first direction on three respective sides of the channel, the channel walls of each channel member comprising a central channel wall disposed at an outer side of the channel member opposite the other channel member and two side channels walls projecting from said central channel toward the other channel member at spaced apart positions leaving a fourth side of the channel open at an inner side of the channel member opposite the central channel wall, the inner sides of the two channel members being spaced apart by a first distance that only slightly exceeds an axial length of the roll of paper product, and access to each channel at longitudinal ends thereof being closed off;
an opening extending into the channel of the first channel member through the central channel wall thereof;
an elongated support member having axial length that is greater than the first distance between the inner sides of the two channel members and less than a second distance between the central channel walls of the channel members, and a cross-section sized for axial passage of the elongated supported member through the opening in the first channel member with only a slight clearance, and also through an axial hole of the roll of paper product;
whereby the roll of paper product is supportable on the dispenser by receipt of the roll between the channel members with the axial hole of the roll aligned with the opening in the first channel member and passage of the elongated support member through the aligned opening and axial hole to place opposite ends of the elongated support member respectively in the channels of the channel members to rotatably support the roll between the channel members on the elongate support member.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a paper roll dispenser for supporting a roll of paper product for dispensing of pieces of said product from off said roll, the dispenser comprising:
a first and second channel members extending parallel to one another in a first direction and being spaced apart from one another in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each channel member defining a respective channel that has a length running in the first direction and is open at an inner side of the channel member facing toward the other channel member, the inner sides of the two channel members being spaced apart by a first distance that exceeds an axial length of the roll of paper product;
an elongated support member having axial length that is greater than the first distance between the inner sides of the two channel members and less than a second distance between the central channel walls of the channel members, and a cross-sectional size that is less than the axial length and sufficiently small for axial passage of the elongated supported member through an axial hole of the roll of paper product, opposite ends of the elongated support member being respectively receivable in the channels in a condition slidable back and forth in the channels in the first direction.
For use, the paper roll dispenser is mounted in an installed position on an upright support structure, wherein the channels of the channel members are positioned to slope upwardly away from the upright support structure, whereby downward pulling of a free end of the roll will act to force the roll downwardly toward the support structure to abut the roll against a connecting feature spanning between lower ends of the channel members.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:
First and second channel members 20a, 20b project perpendicularly from the vertically mounted upper leg 16b of the angle iron 16 from respective ends thereof in respective vertical planes. Each channel member 20a, 20b features a generally rectangular channel 22a, 22b having a longitudinal direction sloping obliquely upward from the lower end of the upper leg 16b of the right angle structure 16 in a direction moving away from the wall surface 100 at approximately forty-five to fifty degrees to the wall surface. However, other oblique angles above or below this range may alternatively be employed. Each channel 22a, 22b is bound on three sides by rectangular channel walls, particularly a top side wall 24a, 24b running along the top of the channel member, a matching bottom side wall 26a, 26b facing and lying parallel to the top side wall 24a, 24b at a distance therebelow, and a central wall 28a, 28b spanning between the side walls in a vertical plane and defining the outer side of the respective channel member. An inner side of each channel member 20a, 20b located nearest the other channel is left open, to define an open fourth side of the respective channel 22a, 22b facing toward the opposite channel member.
A distal end of each channel member 20a, 20b located furthest from the angle iron 16 and wall surface 100 is closed off by a respective end wall 30a, 30b. The proximal end of each channel member 20a, 20b nearest the wall surface is likewise closed off by the upper leg 16b of the angle iron 16, which forms a flat connection wall joining together the two channel members 20a, 20b over their full heights.
As best seen in
The channel members are horizontally spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to their obliquely oriented lengths, and parallel to the plane of the upper leg 16b of the right angle structure 16 of the mounting bracket 12, by a distance that only slightly exceeds the axial length of a roll of conventional toilet paper, for example exceeding such length by less than 3/16-inch, and preferably between 1/16-inch and ⅛-inch, inclusive. For example, for compatibility with a conventional toilet paper roll length of 4-inches, the channel members are preferably 4 1/16-inches to 4⅛-inches apart. Accordingly, as shown in
Referring to
The support bar 38 is slidable back and forth in the lengthwise direction of the channels toward and away from the wall and the upper leg 16b of the mounting bracket structure 16 fastened thereto. The distance between the central channel walls 28a, 28b of the two channel members 20a, 20b is less than a diagonal measurement of the support bar 38 between diametrically opposing points on the circular end faces of the round bar 38, thereby preventing withdrawal of either end of the bar 38 from the respective channel 22a, 22b solely by rotating the bar about an axis that is perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the support bar 38 and the parallel longitudinal axes of the two channels.
However, the two channels and the bar are dimensioned such that by first tilting the bar 38 in a manner leaving one end of the bar at the bottom channel side wall 26a, 26b of one of the channel members while moving the opposing end of the bar to the top channel side wall 24a, 24b of the other channel member, the bar can then be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the top and bottom side walls of the channels 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b by an amount sufficient to withdraw one end of bar from the respective channel, at which point the opposing end of the bar can be withdrawn from the other channel by pulling the bar over or under the channel member from which the first end was withdrawn, or pulling the bar through the open space between the distal ends of the two channel members furthest from the upper leg 16b of the mounting bracket structure 36.
Alternatively, the bar 38 can be withdrawn from between the two channel members from its normal position seated atop the bottom walls thereof by lifting the bar from this seated position to the height of the hole 34, and then either sliding the bar fully through the hole, or placing at least part of the respective end of the bar into the hole and tilting the bar by a sufficient amount in a suitable direction to withdraw the opposing end of the bar from open inner side of the second channel member 20b, at which point the first end of the bar can then be withdrawn from the hole 34 and the first channel member 20a by pulling the second end of the bar over or under the second channel member 20b.
To support a roll of toilet paper 200 on the dispenser, one starts with the support bar 38 removed from the dispenser frame, and places the toilet paper roll between the two channel members in a horizontal position aligning the axial through hole 202 of the roll, as typically defined by a hollow cylindrical coardboard core 204, with the hole 34 in the distal half of the first channel member 20a. At this point, the support bar 38 is slid through the aligned hole of the dispenser and axial hole 202 of the roll 200 until the bar 38 has reached fully through the roll 200 into the channel 22b of the second channel member 20b and passed fully through the slot 34, whereby the ends of the bar extend into the two channels 22a, 22b of the dispenser from the axial hole 202 of the toilet paper roll 200.
The weight of the support bar 38, and the toilet paper roll now suspended thereon between the channel members, biases the support bar 38 downwardly onto the topside of the bottom channel walls 26a, 26b, and also downwardly along these inclined bottom walls 26a, 26b of the channels toward the mounting bracket and the wall. Accordingly, upon successful insertion of the support bar 38, the bar 38 falls onto the bottom walls of the channels, thus taking the bar out of alignment with the hole 34 and thereby preventing withdrawal of the bar back therethrough, and then slides downward along the channel toward the wall and the mounting bracket fastened thereto, thus taking the bar even further away from the hole-equipped area of the first channel member 20a.
Due to the very small amount of clearance left between each end of the toilet paper roll 200 and the respective channel member 20a, 20b, no manual access to the support bar 38 is possible once a full roll of toilet paper has been put in place on the dispenser. Likewise, access to the support bar with gripping tools of sufficient capability to grip and manipulate the bar is impossible, or at least very difficult and highly unlikely. Accordingly, theft by manipulation of the support bar 38 into a position engageable with the hole 34 is prevented, or at least rendered very difficult and highly unlikely. Likewise, manipulation of the support bar 38 in a manner attaining sufficient tilting or angling of same for withdrawal from the channels 22a, 22b without use of the hole 34 is also prevented, as the size of the toilet paper roll 200 itself prevents the required degree of bar angling required for such removal. Attempts to tilt and/or rotate the support bar 38 will result in contact of the end faces of the roll 200 against the inner sides of the channel members 20a, 20b before a tilt and/or rotation angle sufficient for withdrawal can be attained. In addition, attempts to compress the toilet paper roll 200 and use the core 204 thereof to grip the support bar 38 and attempt to slide the bar 38 through the hole 34 are prevented, as the clearance between the roll 200 and the channel members 20a, 20b is less than the minimum distance needed to project the end of the bar 38 through the hole 34 to the outer side of the first channel member.
The width of the channels, as measured perpendicularly between the top and bottom side walls of each channel, is less than the diameter of the cardboard core of the toilet paper roll, and so with reference to
By preventing withdrawal of the support bar in the above manner, the dispenser prevents would-be thieves from being able to remove an intact roll of toilet paper, as a full roll cannot be removed from the support bar without first withdrawing the support bar from its installed position in the channels.
In addition to roll theft prevention, the dispenser also has a mechanism for preventing excessive sheet dispensing that can occur with conventional roll holders by imparting a notable rotation-inducing downward force to the exposed front side of the roll. In the above dispenser, downward forces applied to the roll, whether by gripping and downward pulling of the free end of the end sheet or by frictional contact with an exposed sheet of the roll at a greater distance form the free end, actually act to inhibit rotation of the roll, thus inhibiting a sheet-retrieval action. Downward force applied to the roll acts to further force the roll downwardly along the 22a, 22b channels toward the mounting bracket 12 and the wall 100, which causes the rear side of the roll (i.e. the side thereof facing toward the wall) to abut against the flat face or wall of the upper leg 16b of the mounting bracket that spans between the two channel members and faces outward from therebetween.
This action induces an increased resistance to rotation of the toilet paper roll. Attempts to downwardly pull the end sheet from a perforated roll of toilet paper will result in the sheet breaking free from its perforated connection to the next sheet, thus preventing further rotation of the roll. Attempts to frictionally spin the roll downward are also prevented. Controlled release of sheets is attained by pulling the free sheet in an upward or forward direction, or combination thereof, from somewhere over the top half of the roll's circumference, and then tearing the roll at the desired length or number of sheets.
While the illustrated embodiment uses a flat wall or face of the mounting bracket structure 16 for frictional contact with the toilet paper roll over the full axial length thereof to resist excessive sheet dispensing, the feature against which the roll abuts under the downward sliding of the support member and roll to the lower ends of the channels may take different forms and still provide some degree of rotation resistance when the intended rotation-imparting force is exerted downward. For example a mounting bracket that couples the channel members together for common mounting to a support structure may have a an edge or surface that abuts the roll over only part of its length. In another embodiment, the roll-abutting rotation-resisting feature may be part of the wall surface or support structure itself at an area between individual mounting locations of separate channel members at horizontally spaced locations on the support structure.
The fit of the support member 38 in the axial through hole of the roll is sufficiently loose to allow reasonably smooth rotation of the roll around the support member 38. Testing with commercially available toilet paper rolls with cores of approximately 1⅞-inch inner diameter has found that a support bar width of 1.5-inches provides a long enough width-wise end edge of the bar to keep the bar in the desired perpendicular orientation between the two channel members, while providing sufficient clearance between the lengthwise bar edges and the core of the toilet paper roll to allow rotation thereof around the bar. However, it will be appreciated that the core diameter of toilet paper rolls may vary, and accordingly the bar width may change. The use of a relative flat-bar, for example with the above 1.5-inch width and an approximately ⅛-inch thickness, uses its notable width and weight to keep the bar in a straight, flat position between the channels to normally maintain its slidable condition therealong without jamming against the channel walls, while the relatively small thickness allows the necessary tilting required to remove the support bar when the toilet paper roll is consumed.
While the support member is described above as a round cylindrical bar or rod, other shapes or forms may be employed.
For example, in another embodiment not shown in the drawings, the roll support member is provided in the form of a thin, flat rectangular bar or plate having a length that exceeds the distance between the open inner sides of the channel members, but is less than the distance between the central channel walls 28a, 28b that define the outer sides of the two channel members. In the flat bar embodiment, the circular hole is replaced with an elongated slot that runs along only a portion of the channel's length in a direction parallel thereto, from approximately a midpoint of the channel's length to near the capped off distal end thereof. The slot is spaced a short height above the top surface of the bottom side wall of the channel, and runs parallel thereto.
In planes perpendicular to this length of the rectangular support bar, the uniform cross section of the support bar has a width that is only slightly less than the length of the elongated slot, and a thickness that is only slightly less than the width of that slot. Accordingly, the support bar can be passed through the slot from the outside of the first channel member in order to axially slide the support bar into a position spanning between the two channel members and seated atop the respective bottom walls of the channels. The width of the support bar 38 lies in the lengthwise direction of the channels, and is slidable back and forth therealong toward and away from the wall 100. The width of the support bar 38 is greater than the width of each channel, as measured between the top and bottom side walls thereof, thereby preventing the bar 38 from being tipped up into or past a fully upright position perpendicular to the channel length. The distance between the central channel walls 28a, 28b of the two channel members 20a, 20b is less than a diagonal measurement of the support bar 38 between opposing corners thereof, thereby preventing withdrawal of either end of the bar 38 from the respective channel 22a, 22b solely by rotating the bar about an axis perpendicular thereto when seated on the bottom side walls of the channels.
However, the two channels and the bar are dimensioned such that by first tilting the bar about one of its edges, so as to keep that edge at the bottom channel side walls while moving the opposing edge to the top channel side walls the bar can then be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the top and bottom side walls of the channels by an amount sufficient to withdraw one end of bar from the respective channel, at which point the opposing end of the bar can be withdrawn from the other channel by pulling the bar over or under the channel member from which the first end was withdrawn, or pulling the bar through the open space between the distal ends of the two channel members.
In another embodiment not shown in the drawings, a support member is formed from a length of bendable but shape-retaining metal rod or wire that has been prefabricated into a squared off U-shape with two parallel legs extending to a common side of a central span that joins the legs at a right angle. The equal length of the two legs defines the axial length of the support member, with the length of the central span from the outer side of one leg to the outer side of the other defining the width of the support member. The thickness of the support member is defined by the diameter of the rod or wire. Such member can thus have the same length, width and diagonal dimensions as the flat bar-type support member, with the diagonal being measured from the outside of one of the corners between the central span and a respective leg, and the free distal end of the opposing leg. The circular circumference of the rod or wire presents a smoothly curved profile at the outer side of each leg, thereby providing reduced resistance to rotation of the toilet paper roll compared to a purely rectangular support bar with flat edges. Alternatively, the lengthwise edges of a flat support bar may be provided with a smoothly curved profile.
The bent wire support member may be used with a slot-equipped frame like that described for use with a flat-bar support member, or may varies from such a slotted frame design by using a pair of smaller, spaced-apart through-hole openings in the first channel member as the insertion feature for accommodating insertion of the supporting member, instead of the elongated slot-like opening. The two through-holes would be spaced apart along the channel length according to the distance between the two legs of the support member. The support member would be installed by pre-loading the toilet paper roll thereon, then passing the free ends of the legs through the holes of the first channel member from between the two channel members, then lifting the other end of the support member up into the space between the channel members, and finally sliding the connected-together ends of the legs into the channel of the second channel member, thereby pulling the free ends of the legs back through the holes in the first channel member to seat these leg ends inside the channel thereof. However, the flat-bar style support member may be more resistant to jamming, with the rod-style support member having less weight, and thus perhaps being more prone to turning or tilting out of its sliding position seated flat atop the bottom walls of the channels in a straight orientation spanning perpendicularly between the two channel members. The illustrated embodiment with a round, cylindrical support rod may provide smoother rolling support of the toilet paper roll than one or both of the flat-bar and bent-wire support members described for the alternate embodiments.
The illustrated embodiment is based on a wooden prototype of the invention, where each channel member features a thin wooden sheet forming the closed side of the respective channel, and one or more suitably shaped wooden blocks fixed to the inner face of this sheet to form the top and bottom side walls and end wall of the respective channel. However, it will be appreciated that other embodiment may vary from this arrangement both in terms of material composition and structural form while achieving the same result. For example, commercialized embodiments may employ metal or fairly rigid plastic materials in their construction. It will also be appreciated that the anti-theft operability described herein through use of the channels and the opening for insertion of the support member thereto may be employed in embodiments lacking the obliquely angled configuration of the channels for the described anti-waste functionality, and vice versa. While described in the context of a toilet paper roll, it will be appreciated that the device may be used with, or resized for suitable compatibility with, other rolled products, such as paper towel.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
This application claims benefit under 25 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/725,217, filed Nov. 12, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61725217 | Nov 2012 | US |
