Wet Towel Dispenser

Abstract

A disposable apparatus for dispensing factory premoistened and pretreated wet paper towels. Paper rolls, premoistened and pretreated, variably sized and treated depending on a variety of consumers' and fabricators' intended uses are humidity sealed in inexpensive and disposable plastic cases which can be easily wall mounted on a once placed compatible mounting or be portable. Wetted paper is drawn through a tensile-loaded plastic flap(s) designed to preserve humid and sterile conditions within the case. The exit slit is provided adjacent thereto with a protruding elongated edge which cuts the paper by consumer's manual action to the desired length. The utility of the invention is the variety of inexpensive applications that the wetted and treated paper may serve, principally: toilet tissue, facial and body cleansing, washing of many other objects such as windows, dishes and surgical instruments.

Description

This invention relates to a dispenser for paper toweling and, more particularly, is of the type which may be discarded or disposed of after the toweling supply is exhausted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heretofore, those concepts which have been disclosed by prior art inventors have covered the general area of providing some type of receptacle from which wet and/or dry toweling may be dispensed. However, the prior art devices have never been reduced to their simplest and most economical form by the revelation of an inventive concept which provides for a dispenser which may be entirely discarded after the product contained therein is consumed until this invention.

THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide for the consumer a factory-loaded disposable dispenser from which they may withdraw the rolled product for the use intended, no further activity, such as loading, threading or providing moisture to the dispenser or product, being necessary prior to use by the consumer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type of disposable structure which may be positioned for use on any flat surface or on a wall area or utilized in portable form.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the disposable receptacle containing the toweling with a sealing member which is capable of retaining the toweling in moist form during its entire useful life.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a resilient member which is arranged to extend the full width of the elongated slot through which the toweling is dispensed, its initial function being to be bent down and sealed over the slot to ensure retention of humidity within the housing during storage and its second function being that it is capable of springing outwardly into an offstanding position relative to the front wall of the dispenser and to thus provide a cutter medium for the toweling as it is pulled from the housing.

Further objects and advantages will become more apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispensable receptacle with the end wall cutaway to show the toweling;

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a rigid type of cutter offstanding from the wall of the cabinet.

FIG. 3 shows in cross section another type of severing member sealed against the cabinet by a tape; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the device of FIG. 3 taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the view in FIG. 1, a disposable receptacle indicated generally at 10 is provided with a curved front wall 11, the dependent front area of which includes an elongated slot 12 through which the roll of toweling indicated at 13 may be pulled and severed to legngth by pulling one edge thereof through an upwardly extending arcuate path against the serrated edge of the cutter member 14.

As is well shown also in FIG. 1, each of the interior end walls 15 and 16 of the housing is provided with suitable cradle members 17 and 18 (the latter not shown) for the outwardly extending opposite end portions of the spindle member 19.

The cradle means 17 and 18 is constructed and arranged to closely engage the opposite end portions of the spindle member 19 and to thereby provide a braking force thereon and consequently a limited resistance to the movement of the toweling 13 when it is pulled from the housing for use.

A detailed cross sectional view in FIG. 2 shows a resilient, tensile-loaded flap 20 which, if the receptacle housing is made of plastic, will be formed integral therewith and is arranged in such a manner that it presses an extent of the toweling downwardly beneath the lower edge of the elongated slot against the interior wall of the housing thereby maintaining the toweling in its premoistened condition until such time as the terminal end portion is pulled outwardly. Also shown here is one embodiment of a cutter member 14 which is formed integrally with the front wall of the cabinet 10 and being ridig therewith is arranged to permanently offstand normal to the front wall thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 3 representing another embodiment of the invention there is shown in this detailed view an integral elongated plastic strip cutter member 21 which is adapted to be sealed by a tape means 22 against the front wall of the cabinet and over the elongated slot 12.

In FIG. 4 is shown the condition which exists when the tape element is removed from the elongated slot 12. It will be apparent by reason of the inherent resiliency or memory of the cutter member 21, it wi l spring outwardly and offstand from the front of the cabinet at an angle relative thereto so as to serve as a means for severing the toweling as explained earlier herein.

The bottom closure 25 may be secured in any suitable manner to the disposable housing.

It is conceivable that the bottom panel can be made integral with one of the walls and after assembly of the toweling into the receptacle, the panel could be adhesively or otherwise secured around the abutting edges.

Thus, it will be apparent from the foregoing that the design and concept are for a dispenser and the dispensing therefrom of premoistened pretreated paper/fabric toweling in continuous roll for user cutting or individual sheet which portions will be used as an instrument of personal hygiene or for whatever purpose the toweling may have user application and intention.

In addition, it is considered that the dispenser being operated manually or automatically may be of any suitable material, in any size appropriate for the intended premoistened toweling, and although preferably of a disposable nature, it is conceivable it may even be replenishable. The dispenser of whatever nature or size by final design has, as explained herein, a device to preserve the previously premoistened pretreated condion of the toweling between intermittent usages.

It is also conceivable that the premoistened pretreated towelling is fabricated not only of paper, but also may be of fabric singly or in combination whether in a continuous roll or individual sheet. Agents for premoistening and pretreating may vary depending upon the intended toweling usage.

It is also to be understood from the above that this inventive concept may be adapted for use in condunction with toilet tissue or in lieu thereof, the material of the toweling will be biodegradable and suitable for disposing into water closets without harm to the sanitary facilities or appurtenances thereto. In this same immediate aspect of employment, the pretreatment of the toweling by a single agent or a combination of agents of whatever nature intended to enhance this usage to the further intention of the user is intended to fall within the scope of this concept. The agents may be selected and/or combined to provide for one or more, but not limited to the following effects for safe beneficial use on human or animal tissue: moistening, cleansing, deodorizing, disinfecting, medicating, tranquilizing, perfuming, astringing, drying, etc.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for premoistened toweling comprising a container for said toweling, said container having a dispensing slot therein adapted to receive the end of a roll of premoistened toweling supported in said container and means for preventing the toweling from dehydrating before use and for cutting off a length of toweling during the dispensing operation comprising an elongated cutter member having a longitudinally extending cutting edge and flexibly mounted at its other edge to the wall of the container, said cutter member being movable to position the cutting edge adjacent to the wall of the container or spaced therefrom and a tape secured to the cutter member and to the wall of the container holding the cutting edge of the cutter member adjacent to the wall of the container with the cutter member covering the dispensing slot, said tape being removable to permit movement of the cutter member to a position in which the cutting edge of the cutter member is spaced from the wall of the container and useable for cutting off lengths of toweling during the dispensing operation.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein a resilient flap is mounted at one edge on the wall of the container adjacent to and above the dispensing slot and extends into the interior of the container to press the premoistened toweling downwardly beneath the lower edge of the dispensing slot and thereby to tend to maintain the toweling in moistened condition.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein cradle means are provided on wall of the container and extend into the container for receiving end portions of a spindle member carrying the premoistened toweling and providing a braking force as the toweling is pulled during the dispensing operation.