U.S. patent application number 10/172230 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-18 for easy-change jumbo roll holder.
Invention is credited to Chlipalski, Rafael.
Application Number | 20030230666 10/172230 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29732995 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030230666 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chlipalski, Rafael |
December 18, 2003 |
Easy-change jumbo roll holder
Abstract
A device used to hold a roll of material, such as toilet paper,
by means of two cooperating oppositely mounted assemblies each
comprising of a hinged bracket, consisting of an engagement arm,
actuator leg and hinge mount secured to a supporting base. Upon
roll insertion, the edge of the roll contacts the actuator legs
which in turn pivot the engagement arms into the central core of
the toilet roll. The engagement arms provide a means of mating,
retaining, centering and unwinding of the roll and facilitate
removal of the spent core. The disclosed device is superior to the
standard spring-loaded spindle or peg design by allowing easy
one-handed roll changing from above with no blind mating or loose
parts as well as upgrading standard roll holders to accommodate
various sized rolls.
Inventors: |
Chlipalski, Rafael; (Nepean,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. Rafael Chlipalski
34 Fair Oaks Crescent
Nepean
ON
K2G 4W6
CA
|
Family ID: |
29732995 |
Appl. No.: |
10/172230 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/596.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 10/40 20130101;
A47K 2010/324 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/596.4 |
International
Class: |
B65H 016/06 |
Claims
What is claimed as my invention is:
1. A device used to hold a roll of material, such as toilet paper,
by means of two cooperating oppositely mounted assemblies each
comprising of a hinged bracket, consisting of an engagement arm,
actuator leg and hinge mount secured to a supporting base whereby
upon roll insertion, the edge of the roll contacts the actuator
legs (second position) which in turn pivot the engagement arms into
the central core of the toilet roll (first position) and said
engagement arms provide a means of mating, retaining, centering and
unwinding of the roll and facilitate removal of the spent core.
2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each hinged bracket
is supported on a hinge pivot mounted to a base wherein said base,
pivot and hinged bracket include cooperating means for controlling
the rotation of the bracket relative to the base, at the first
position so that the arms can hold up the roll and at the second
position so that the arms do not interfere with insertion of a new
roll.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the base attaches to
the opposing side walls of a conventional toilet roll holder and
allow said conventional holder to accommodate larger diameter roll
sizes which were previously unsupportable.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to toilet paper roll
holders whether standalone or as an adaptor kit for modifying a
conventional toilet or paper towel holder to accept a larger
diameter paper roll, make it easier to change rolls from above, add
more friction to make tearing easier without rapid unroll, allow
decorative additions and reduce parts and materials for easier
manufacturability and reliability.
[0002] Various devices have been proposed to avoid the use of a
spindle. Representative examples of such devices are shown in
Reilly U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,828 and Paul U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,253. In
those devices, a stub axle or peg is automatically received within
the core of the tissue paper when the paper is inserted into the
holder from below. The axle can be pivoted out of the core when the
roll is to be removed or inserted. Various devices have been
proposed to accommodate larger diameter rolls in a standard holder.
A representative example of such is Greer U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,404.
This device adds extender brackets which support a standard
spindle. The invention described herein avoids the use of a spindle
and allows insertion of a jumbo roll from above by employing hinged
brackets which incorporate actuating legs for the engagement
arms.
[0003] The present invention relates to a roll holder which can be
used to hold any material stored on or dispensed from a roll,
including but not limited to toilet paper, tape, hand towels,
plastic wrap, string, rope, cables and chain.
[0004] While the present invention is directed towards a roll
holder which can be used to hold any material stored on or
dispensed from a roll, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention is for use for holding toilet paper rolls and paper towel
rolls. Such discussion, however, should not be interpreted as
limiting the use of this invention to toilet paper and paper towels
rolls.
[0005] The current trend in the production of domestic household
toilet paper rolls is to double the number of sheets per roll
making such rolls substantially larger in diameter. Manufacturers
of household toilet paper have recognized that increasing the
diameter of the rolls reduces the cost of packaging materials and
warehousing space and reduces the end cost to the consumer.
Unfortunately, the larger rolls do not fit well into the standard
mountings which were intended to
[0006] suit the standard diameter rolls. Thus, the consumer is
faced with the problem unanticipated by the manufacturer. The
larger sized rolls, which are more economical, will not fit the
standard sized holder. The problem is particularly acute with
recessed type of in-wall mounting of which there are many millions
already in existence. The result is that the consumer is
discouraged from purchasing the more economical larger roll or does
purchase it and has no practical holder for it. The larger roll
must simply be balanced on a towel rack or placed on the toilet
tank top, cabinet top, or on the edge of the tub or even on the
floor until the toilet paper consumption has sufficiently reduced
the size to permit it to fit the standard holder. The inconvenience
and unsanitary nature of this solution is obvious.
[0007] What is needed is a simple adaptor which permits the larger
sized rolls to be used on the standard sized holder.
[0008] The second major problem this toilet roll holder addresses
is the difficulty encountered by most people in manipulating the
spring loaded spindle when changing rolls. People who lack
dexterity due to arthritis or other infirmities find it difficult
to replace rolls on such conventional toilet paper roll holders. It
takes two hands, it's difficult to find the insertion holes in the
standard holder because it must be done blindly, sometimes the
spindle pops apart or gets lost, not to mention how unsanitary it
is to handle the spindle. As a result, many toilet rolls are left
around the bathroom un-mounted.
[0009] What is needed is a toilet roll holder which allows easy
one-handed, top-loaded insertion and removal with no loose parts,
no blind mating and no contact with anything but the sanitary paper
in order to encourage people to mount the roll properly.
[0010] Another disadvantage to the prior art roll holders described
above is that they are made for only one length of roll. If such a
roll holder is made of one longitudinal size for use with toilet
paper, it cannot also be used for holding paper towels of a
different longitudinal size.
[0011] Another disadvantage to the prior art roll holders described
above is that the spindle does not provide sufficient friction
between itself and the roll in order to prevent too much material
from being unrolled too rapidly.
[0012] Another disadvantage to the prior art roll holders described
above is that the spindle requires a relatively large amount of
material, parts and assemblage.
[0013] Another disadvantage to the prior art roll holders described
above is that the spindle is relatively hidden inside the roll so
that its ability to provide a decorative function is limited.
[0014] The present adaptor solves the problems discussed above in a
manner not revealed in the known prior art.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0015] This invention relates generally to toilet paper roll
holders whether standalone or as an adaptor kit for converting
standard toilet paper roll holders intended for standard size
toilet paper rolls to accept larger toilet paper rolls while making
it easier to change said rolls.
[0016] The kit provides a means of overcoming the objections to
using larger than standard toilet paper rolls without having to
replace the standard toilet paper roll holders which are already
installed in the majority of households in the United States and
elsewhere.
[0017] The invention encourages manufacturers to promote and
consumers to take advantage of the economy and conservation
advantages inherent in larger size toilet paper rolls.
[0018] This invention makes it easier to change rolls by replacing
the standard spring loaded spindle with hinged brackets which guide
the roll easily into position. Accordingly, it is the general
object of the present invention to provide a roll holder on which
the roll can be easily changed from above using one hand. Another
object is to provide a roll holder which requires no fine or
delicate motions to maneuver the old roll off of the roll holder
and to maneuver the new roll onto the roll holder.
[0019] By avoiding the use of springs, this invention will make the
toilet roll holder more durable. The minimal amount of material
required to make the adaptor kit embodiment will make it relatively
easy and inexpensive to manufacture, store and ship. In fact, the
bracket, base and hinge can be stamped out of a single piece of
material using a flexible hinge. Certain embodiments of this
invention may require the use of springs to pivot the hinged
brackets upward and hence spring use is not excluded.
[0020] The brackets provide more friction than a standard roll
spindle which aids in preventing too much material from being
unrolled too rapidly.
[0021] The engagement arms are designed to properly center the
toilet roll in relation to the rear cavity so that the aesthetics
of the roll are improved over mounting on the standard roll spindle
which neither centers the roll horizontally or vertically.
[0022] By avoiding the use of a fixed size spindle, this invention
can accommodate any roll width by mounting the the bases
appropriately apart e.g. this device can be mounted on a paper
towel holder in order to accommodate paper towels.
[0023] The invention can also add a decorative touch to standard
toilet roll holders by having ornamental brackets. Since the
brackets are visible, they can be made very diverse and decorative
for bathroom ornamentation. The bases can be printed with
advertisement. The decorative aspect is essential to the invention
being accepted into the consumer's bathroom where aesthetics are
crucial.
[0024] This toilet paper roll holder adaptor kit is inexpensive,
simple to manufacturer, easy to install, decorative and performs
its intended function with particular efficiency. The adaptor kit
avoids the option of replacing existing toilet roll holders in
order to accommodate larger diameter rolls.
[0025] In accordance with the objectives of the present invention,
the invention comprises of two cooperating oppositely mounted
assemblies each comprising of a hinged bracket, consisting of
[0026] an engagement arm, actuator leg and hinge mount secured to a
supporting base whereby upon roll insertion, the edge of the roll
contacts the actuator legs (second position) which in turn pivot
the engagement arms into the central core of the toilet roll (first
position) and said engagement arms provide a means of mating,
retaining, centering and unwinding of the roll and facilitate
removal of the spent core. Further, the mounting base includes one
or more stops to limit the rotation of the bracket and can either
be directly mounted to a wall or cabinet in one embodiment, become
integral to the shell in another or, in the adaptor kit embodiment,
attach to the opposed side mounting portions of a conventional
toilet paper roll holder.
[0027] Still other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the
following detailed description, wherein I have shown and described
the preferred embodiment by way of illustration of the best mode of
the invention. However, the drawings and description are to be
regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0028] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is further
described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty adaptor kit toilet
paper holder in accordance with the invention;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tissue holder of FIG. 1
showing the position of the hinged brackets as the tissue roll is
being supported;
[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 showing the
position of the hinged brackets as the tissue core is being
removed;
[0032] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pivot shaft and a front
view of the pivot mounting between the hinged bracket and base.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, a standard toilet roll shell (10) can be
recessed into a wall where it is adapted to retain a roll of toilet
tissue, part of which will be within the recessed cavity (11). The
support structure for the roll of toilet tissue comprises two
mirrored assemblies attached to opposed side mounting portions (12)
of a concave shell (10). Each includes a support base (14) to which
a pivot shaft (15) is secured as described below. A hinged
bracket's (16) hub (22) is secured around the pivot (15), for
example by a flange on the outer edge of the pivot, so that the
brackets (16) can pivot downwardly from their positions illustrated
in FIG. 1. As the roll (21) is inserted from above, it first makes
contact with the actuator legs (24) which pivot the engagement arms
(23) into the core of the roll (21).
[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the brackets (16) support a roll of
tissue paper (21) by engagement with the conventional core on which
the tissue paper is wound.
[0035] The bases (14) of the mounting assembly are preferably
mounted at the mid-point of the horizontal portions of the sides
(12) so that substantially the entire cavity (11) of the shell (10)
can be filled with the roll of paper. Other embodiments of the base
may include a hole or pimple to align with existing spindle
mounting holes in the sides (12). The shape of the hinged brackets'
arms (23) makes a "V" which centers the roll (21) in the cavity
(11) both vertically and horizontally. Any skew in the roll can be
corrected by shaving the lower stop (17) on the base (14) of the
higher hinged bracket (16).
[0036] FIG. 3 shows the position of the brackets (16) after the
roll of paper has been depleted and the core (21) is being removed.
As the core (21) is lifted upwards, it forces each of the brackets
(16) to rotate upwardly so that the ends of the engagement arms
(23) will separate a distance sufficient to enable the core (21) to
pass between them so that it can be removed from the shell (10).
The brackets (16) remain in this position either by friction or by
mating dimples (19,20) on the pivot and a flat on the hinged
bracket's hub (22). The dimples and flat can occur anywhere on the
pivot or hub. The horizontal dimple (20) is designed to push the
engagement arms (23) farther apart than would be possible by a
friction mount alone. This dimple (20) also renders the stop (18)
on the base (14) redundant. The vertical dimple (19) is there to
relieve needless stress on the hub (22) when the roll (21) is
engaged. The lower stop (17) on the base (14) takes precedence over
the dimple (19) in positioning the bracket (16) when it is engaged.
The pivot structure of dimples and flats can also be replaced by
springs to force the brackets (16) open in other embodiments if
necessary.
[0037] There are many different constructions which can be used to
achieve the desired objective as described above, namely, the
hinged brackets (16) and bases (14) have a distinctive and
ornamental shape. Obviously, the ornamental aspects of the
structural components of the invention form no part of the
invention.
[0038] The base (14) is generally flat and may be secured to the
sides (12) by adhesive or two-sided adhesive tape (13) which is
generally not visible when the device is installed on a
conventional toilet roll holder. For the standalone embodiment, the
inner part of the base is not needed and only the small outer part
with stops (17,18) becomes integral with the sides (12). For either
embodiment, the base and bracket can be stamped from a single piece
of material if a flexible hinge is used.
[0039] The pivot (15) is inserted through a hole in the outer part
of the base (14) and is basically held fast to the point of being
integral with the base. The hinged bracket's (16) hub (22) wraps
around the pivot and is held in place by an outer flange on the
pivot. The horizontal dimple (20) on the pivot (15) and a flat on
the hub (22) are designed to extend the motion of the brackets
while the stops (17,18) are designed to limit it.
[0040] In view of the above, it will be seen that various aspects
and features of the invention are achieved and other advantageous
results attained. While preferred embodiments of the invention have
been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in
the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without
departing from the invention in its broader aspects.
* * * * *