Patent Application
20090001213
The invention relates to a paper roll support for use as a room air freshener, in particular for toilet paper rolls, with an internal space and a longitudinal axis extending horizontally in the operating state. According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a paper roll holder. According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a system consisting of a paper roll support and a paper roll mounted thereon. Finally, the invention relates to use of a paper roll support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,218 discloses a cylindrical paper roll support for supporting a toilet paper roll and for dispensing fragrance from opposing ends of the paper roll support. A toilet paper roll is mounted on the paper roll support, which is fitted in a mount by pegs. By pressing on the toilet paper roll, the paper roll support made of resilient material is deformed, fragrance thus escaping from mutually opposed openings in the end walls. The fragrance, such as for example powder, is deposited inside the cylindrical body of the paper roll support.
European patent application 0 152 722 describes a paper roll holder comprising a mount and a substantially hollow-cylindrical paper roll support, which contains fragrance and carrier material for the fragrance. The carrier material consists of a plastics composition and at least some of the fragrance is distributed in virtually molecularly disperse manner in the plastics composition. The paper roll to be supported by the paper roll holder comprises a tube onto which the paper is wound. The paper roll support is inserted through the tube and thus supports the paper roll. If paper is removed, the paper roll rotates about its longitudinal axis, wherein the tube rubs against the outer wall of the paper roll support. In this way, fragrance is released and imparted to the surrounding air.
A toilet paper roll support is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,939 which comprises a cylindrical body, which is inserted into a tube onto which the toilet paper is wound. Inside the toilet paper roll support are located crystals, which release a fragrance. This fragrance escapes through openings provided in the end walls of the paper roll support, so freshening the room air.
A disadvantage of the paper roll supports according to the prior art is that, when paper is removed from the paper roll, which is mounted on the paper roll support, although an increased amount of fragrance is released by the paper roll support, the additional fragrance is concentrated in the vicinity of the paper roll support. The fragrance passes only by diffusion or convection from there into the surrounding room air, in order to reach users some distance away; actuation of the paper roll support itself does not contribute significantly to transport of the fragrance. The paper roll supports according to the prior art are additionally often complex to produce and therefore relatively expensive.
It is the object of the present invention to propose a paper roll support, a paper roll holder, a system and a use which overcome this disadvantage of the prior art.
The object is achieved by the invention for a paper roll support of the above-stated type in that a movable membrane element extending along the longitudinal axis of the paper roll support is arranged in the internal space, said membrane element subdividing the internal space into two chambers, wherein the membrane element is arranged in such a way that it moves about the longitudinal axis of the paper roll support in the operating state on rotation of the latter in such a way that the volumes of the chambers defined by the membrane element vary inversely, and wherein the chambers optionally have closable connection openings for air exchange with the environment.
The object is additionally achieved by the invention by the provision of a paper roll holder, which comprises a paper roll support according to the invention (preferably in a preferred embodiment, see below) and a bracket for the paper roll support for fastening it to a wall.
The object is additionally achieved by the invention by a system consisting of a paper roll support according to the invention (preferably in a preferred embodiment) and a paper roll mounted thereon.
Finally, the object is achieved by the invention by the use of a paper roll support according to the invention, a paper roll holder according to the invention or a system according to the invention as a dispensing means for fragrance-containing air.
The term membrane element should be taken to mean a flexible component whose air permeability is so low that, when an air pressure difference of 1 kPas is applied to the membrane element, the air flow through the membrane element is less than 10 l per square metre and per second. Inversely varying volumes in the two chambers should be understood to mean that the sum of the volumes of the two chambers is constant in operation, i.e. the volume of the one chamber reduces as the other increases, and vice versa. It is not necessary for the two chambers to be sealed off from one another.
An advantage of the invention (in its various aspects) is that fragrance may be delivered by an active pumping process. In this way, in comparison with the prior art solutions referred to above, this fragrance quickly passes from the area of the paper roll support into the surrounding room air. The pumping capacity, i.e. the volume dispensed per unit time, increases as the rotational speed of the paper roll support rises.
A further advantage is that the pumping action is achieved by structurally simple means. This allows simple and thus cheap production of the paper roll support according to the invention, such that it may be manufactured as a disposable item.
In a preferred embodiment, the paper roll support (or the main body thereof) takes the outer form of a right prism, whose base face is preferably a regular polygon or a circle. A right prism consists of two mutually parallel base faces and side faces extending perpendicularly to these base faces or an outer circumferential surface extending perpendicularly to these base faces, if the base face is a circle or an ellipse. Conventional paper rolls, in particular toilet paper rolls, are sold as a rule on a hollow-cylindrical tube. A paper roll support, the outer form of which is that of a right prism, is particularly easy to introduce into such a tube. In addition, such a tube rolls smoothly over such a paper roll support, if the external diameter of the paper roll support is smaller then the internal diameter of the tube. Prisms are particularly advantageous whose base faces are hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal or circular.
A paper roll support is preferred which comprises a main body which is made from (a) paperboard coated with thermoplastics and/or (b) solid thermoplastic film, which optionally comprises a welded-in paper layer, and/or (c) injection-moulded half-shells. According to a further alternative, the main body comprises paperboard with a thermoplastic coating on both sides or sheet metal. The stated materials are cheap to mass-produce. A paper roll support produced using these materials may also be used as a disposable item. The materials are, moreover, environmentally friendly and readily disposed of.
Preferably, the membrane element has two longitudinal sides, with which it extends in each case along mutually opposing portions of the wall of the internal space and rests thereagainst at least in places. By fitting the membrane element in this way in the internal space of the paper roll support, two chambers are defined. It is advantageous for the membrane element to rest with its longitudinal sides completely (i.e. without interruption) against the wall of the internal space and to be attached thereto. This may be effected for example by welding or adhesive bonding. In a further preferred embodiment, the main body of the paper roll support is constructed from half-shells, which rest against one another in the longitudinal direction of the paper roll support. The membrane element is clamped between the half-shells. In this case too, it may be said that the membrane element rests against the wall.
In one advantageous development, provision is made then in particular for the membrane element to have two longitudinal sides, to rest with these longitudinal sides at least partially against the wall of the internal space and to be attached to the wall at contact points in such a way that the contact points lie on two parallel straight lines, which are spaced maximally from one another. Contact points are understood to mean, for example, contact spots, contact tracks or contact lines. In this way it is ensured that the membrane element makes full use of the available width of the internal space of the paper roll support. If the internal space is bounded by a hollow cylinder, for example, the contact points extend in a plane with the longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder. In this advantageous embodiment, the membrane element divides the internal space into two (at least approximately) equal-sized chambers when the plane in which the contact points lie extends vertically (cf.
Then in particular, it is preferable for the membrane element to be trapezoidal and the distance between the longitudinal sides of the trapezium to be between 1.2 times and 1.5 times, preferably 1.25 times and 1.41 times the maximum outer width of the main body of the paper roll support. Sides of the trapezium extending in parallel form the longitudinal sides of the membrane. If (a) the paper roll support takes the inner form of a hollow cylinder, (b) the membrane element is fastened by its longitudinal sides to the wall of the internal space in such a way that the contact points lie on two parallel straight lines maximally spaced from one another, and (c) the plane in which the contact points lie extends horizontally, a membrane element whose width is less than 1.41 times the maximum external width of the paper roll support just does not touch the wall of the internal space. A membrane element selected accordingly with regard to width results in a particularly elevated pumping capacity.
It is preferable for the membrane element to be rectangular and to be of a length which corresponds to 0.8-1 times the clear length of the internal space. In this case, the width of the gap which connects the two chambers and extends past the membrane element is at most 0.2 times the clear length of the internal space, provided that the membrane element extends with two longitudinal sides in each case along mutually opposing portions of the wall of the internal space of the main body and at least rests thereagainst. In this way, the leakage flow is minimised and it is ensured that, on rotation of the paper roll support about its longitudinal axis, a sufficiently high pressure builds up to blow a significant stream of fragrance-containing air out of the paper roll support into the surrounding environment.
In another preferred embodiment, the membrane element is hexagonal. The two longest sides are preferably parallel to one another and of equal length and display a length of between 0.9 and 1 times the clear length of the internal space. The other sides are preferably parallel to one another in pairs and the maximum diameter of the membrane element amounts to 0.9 times to 1.2 times the clear length of the internal space. In this development, the four narrow sides, i.e. the sides which are not the two longest sides, are preferably attached to the end faces of the paper roll support, such that air cannot pass out of the one chamber defined by the membrane element through between the membrane element and the inner surface of the internal space into the other chamber. In this way, leakage air flows are suppressed.
In a preferred embodiment, the membrane element comprises (a) a flexible plastics film and/or (b) a flexible textile and/or (c) paper and/or (d) paperboard.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the membrane element is made from individual segments connected together in articulated manner.
Preferably, the membrane element is so heavy or so weighted that it sags downwards when the paper roll support is in the operating state. The membrane element sags downwards in particular when the stroke corresponds to more than one fifth of the internal diameter of the internal space. The stroke is the maximum spatial distance between the positions of a point on the membrane element, which this on rotation of the paper roll support by 360° relative to a co-rotating reference system.
Particular preference is given to an embodiment of a paper roll support according to the invention in which the membrane element is weighted by a weight, in particular a rod, in particular a metal rod, which extends in the middle of the membrane element parallel to the longitudinal axis of the paper roll support. This measure results in a particularly effective pumping mechanism.
Preferably, the connection openings for air exchange are provided in end faces of the paper roll support, wherein each chamber has preferably precisely one connection opening and the respective connection openings of the two chambers are preferably provided in each case in opposing end faces of the paper roll support. If the volumes of the two chambers vary on rotation of the paper roll support about its longitudinal axis, in this case fragrance-containing air flows out of the connection opening in in each case one end face, while ambient air is sucked in through the connection opening on the in each case opposing end face. This prevents the air flowing out of the one chamber from being sucked directly into the second chamber, without reaching the surrounding environment.
It is particularly favourable to make the connection openings semicircular or annular. In this way, a particularly large cross-section is achieved for the connection openings. Irrespective of the arrangement of the connection openings, it is favourable for the connection openings to be covered for example by plastics films or papers when the paper roll support is not in use. In this way it is possible to store fragrance in the paper roll support for a long time, without said fragrance escaping.
It is favourable to line the connection openings with gauze or a fine-mesh net on the side which is on the inside during operation. This prevents people from gripping the paper roll support with their finger inside it. Furthermore, particles which may be located inside the paper roll support, such as for example particles of a dried-out fragrance-containing preparation, cannot get out.
In a preferred embodiment, the paper roll support comprises fragrance, wherein the fragrance is deposited preferably (a) in or on the membrane element, for example in the or as a weight, and/or (b) in or on the wall of the internal space and/or (c) in absorbent material arranged in the chambers and/or (d) in a cavity, preferably adjoining a chamber, which is in open connection with that chamber. To this end, the fragrance may for example be prepared in the form of a paste, a gel (preferably as a thin film), a granular product, a fragrance-containing paste or a film. In one embodiment this fragrance preparation is applied wholly or partially to walls of the internal space. Alternatively, the fragrance may be deposited in shallow tanks on the walls of the internal space. The fragrance flows out of these tanks via openings or wicks into the internal space. Alternatively, the fragrance is introduced directly into the chambers in one of the above-stated preparations, in particular as a thin gel film or as a granular product. If granular product is introduced directly into the chambers, it is ensured, for example by gauze or netting, that the granular product cannot fall out of the chamber.
Even when the paper roll support is not rotating, fragrance is constantly released into the air in the internal space of the paper roll support by diffusion. Provided that the connection openings are not closed, the fragrance-containing air passes through the connection openings into the surrounding environment. This partial release serves as background perfuming for general room air improvement. When the paper roll support rotates about its longitudinal axis, the air flow through the paper roll support increases as a result of the active pumping caused thereby, such that a markedly increased air flow and thus also a markedly increased flow of fragrance enters the surrounding environment.
According to the invention, fragrances which may preferably be used are selected from the group comprising isobornyl acetate, limonene, ylanate, eucalyptol, dihydromyrcenol, amyl salicylate, benzyl acetate, geranyl nitrile, nerol, 2-methylundecanal and phenylethyl alcohol.
Preferably, the fragrance is present in the form of a fragrance mixture (perfume oil) which comprises two, three or a plurality of fragrances from the stated group.
In a preferred embodiment, two fixedly connected or removable end caps are provided, which form the end faces. For reliable, preferably permanent connection of the end cap to the main body of the paper roll support, the end cap may (a) be positioned with a protruding rim on the for example hollow-cylindrical main body and/or (b) fastened with flanged rim in the for example hollow-cylindrical main body preferably by welding and/or adhesive bonding and/or (c) comprise tabs for fastening to the for example hollow-cylindrical main body. Such tabs preferably engage in corresponding openings in the main body. The end caps preferably comprise removable closing tabs, which close connection openings. By removing the closing tabs, a connection is produced between the internal space of the paper roll support and the surrounding environment.
The end cap may comprise for example plastics, coated paperboard or metal and is firmly connected to the main body, for example, in that the end cap is welded or adhesively bonded to the wall of the internal space preferably over the entire circumference.
According to a preferred embodiment, the paper roll support according to the invention comprises, optionally in addition to the optionally fixedly arranged end cap, two retaining elements which are fastened to the main body (optionally provided with end caps), in particular positioned over the main body. Each retaining element comprises a preferably circular base plate, from which tabs protrude. The tabs are preferably provided for engaging through slots which are provided in the end caps and/or the main body and/or for gripping round at least part of the main body on the outside thereof. A connection opening is preferably provided in each case in the retaining element and in the end cap. Both connection openings preferably take the same shape. The connection opening in the retaining element is then preferably so positioned that it lies opposite the connection opening in the end cap when the retaining element is positioned on the main body provided with end caps.
Preferably, a peg projects perpendicularly from the centre of the circle forming the base plate of the retaining element in the opposite direction from the tabs. The peg is preferably mounted in such a way in a spring housing by means of a compression spring that it may be pressed in in the direction of the centre of gravity of the paper roll support.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the end cap and the retaining element form a single component. The end cap then preferably has a circular base plate. Preferably, a peg projects perpendicularly from the base plate and is arranged at the centre of the circle forming the base plate. The peg is preferably mounted in such a way in a spring housing by means of a compression spring that it may be pressed in in the direction of the centre of gravity of the paper roll support. This ensures that the paper roll support according to the invention may be inserted both into fork-shaped brackets, such as two-point suspension devices, as well as into two-point clamping devices.
Preference is given to a system according to the invention in which the paper roll support provides a fit, preferably a clearance fit, with the paper roll mounted thereon. To this end, the external diameter of the paper roll support is selected to be the same size as or slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the paper roll mounted thereon. Providing a clearance fit ensures on the one hand that the paper roll support may be easily inserted into the paper roll to be mounted while on the other hand the friction between the paper roll support and the paper roll to be mounted is sufficient for a rotational movement of the paper roll to be transmitted to the paper roll support.
The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings, some of which are only schematic. In the Figures
a is a front view of a retaining element for positioning on a cylindrical main body,
b is a rear view of the retaining element shown in
A paper roll 22 shown in
The membrane element 54 rests with its longitudinal side 56a against the wall 52 of the internal space 50 (
At a position as in
If the membrane element 54, as shown in
a shows a retaining element 94, which comprises a circular base plate 95, in which an annular connection opening 96 is provided. A cylindrical spring housing 98 projects concentrically from the base plate 95 (cf.
As shown in the schematic
In an alternative embodiment, the retaining element 94 is positioned directly on the main body, which is not provided with separate end caps. In this case, the retaining elements form the end caps on the two end faces.
In an alternative embodiment, connection openings are provided in the outer circumferential surface of the main body and the fragrance is deposited on the inside of the tube of the paper roll.
If the paper roll support 10 is then rotated about its longitudinal axis 14, the volumes of the chambers 72, 74 vary as shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2004 048 827.4 | Oct 2004 | DE | national |
| 10 2005 001 795.9 | Jan 2005 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2005/055059 | 10/6/2005 | WO | 00 | 3/30/2007 |
