GB2028765A - Improvements in paper and other sheet material roll dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for toilet or like rolls which is capable of containing at least one reserve roll which can be quickly transferred to an in-use position once a roll in use becomes exhausted. The holder includes a housing having an aperture through which the toilet paper can be dispensed. That aperture has a size such that an empty or nearly empty roll can pass through it but a full roll cannot. A pair of levers are pivotted to the sides of the housing and they each carry tapered supporting bosses for supporting a roll in use and retaining ledges on which a fresh roll can rest clear of the roll in use. When the levers are moved outwardly to a cycling position, the roll in use is released and can be discharged through the aperture if sufficiently depleted and then a fresh roll can drop to a position to be picked up by the bosses when the levers return to their normal position. The base of the housing is inclined to bias an empty roll released by the supporting means towards the aperture.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to paper and other sheet material roll dispenser This invention relates to dispensing devices, particularly those used to dispense rolls of paper or other sheet materials for cleansing, wiping, or other purposes to persons for toilet or other uses.

Commonly used toilet roll dispensers in public or rented premises generally have no storage facility. If they do, it is very often found that the storage area is empty since the unused toilet rolls have been removed in toto. This may preclude completion of the toilet operation when the roll in use is depleted, which can be unhygienic and embarrassing.

In private premises, guests can find themselves in a similar situation by being unaware of the location of unused toilet rolls. Also, for example, in the kitchen or in industry it could be necessary to search for unused toilet rolls with hands covered in grease.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for dispensing sheet material from a roll of that material, the device comprising supporting means engaging and rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material in use so that lengths of sheet material can be dispensed from the roll through an aperture in a housing for the device by rotation of the roll in use, retaining means capable of retaining a fresh roll of sheet material in the housing at a position above the roll in use, at least one lever arm pivotably mounted in the housing and carrying both the supporting means and the retaining means, the lever being movable between a dispensing position in which a roll in use is rotatably supported for dispensing of the sheet material and a fresh roll, if any, is retained above the roll in use, and a cycling position in which an exhausted roll can be discharged and a fresh roll released by the supporting means and allowed to drop to a position for engagement by the supporting means, the aperture in the housing being sufficiently narrow so that a full roll cannot pass through but the empty core of a roll or a substantially empty roll can pass through, and means at the base of the holder for biasing an empty roll released by the supporting means towards the aperture.

The device of the invention provides for storage of at least one unused toilet roll in a region which can be locked and which is immediately available for use on depletion of the roll in use without the necessity of possessing the key to the storage area if locked.

The roll in use cannot be discharged until empty or nearly so and so, provided the area in which a fresh roll is locked, theft of unused toilet rolls is rendered impracticable by the necessity to deplete the roll in use as a new roll will not normally be obtained until this occurs. This feature also discourages unwanted cycling of the mechanism by children.

By providing a hole or transparent panel in the storage area, a user can see whether a fresh roll is contained in the storage area and so this can give an immediate indication of the remaining contents and so the holder can be replenished at a convenient time.

The invention provides a safe, hygienic, aesthetic, convenient and controlled method of dispensing toilet rolls.

For convenience, I will refer herein to the rolls of sheet material as being toilet rolls but this is not essential and rolls of other sheet material such as rolls of paper or plastics material can equally be dispensed by the device of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided an upright rectangular container or housing of size to contain a toilet roll in use and at least one unused (in the sense that unused means full or new) toilet roll. The upper or storage part of the container has a hinged, preferable lockable lid which, when open, allows the insertion of one or more unused toilet rolls into the container. Alternatively, the front of the container can be hinged so that it can be opened to allow insertion of fresh rolls.

The lower part of the container has an aperture to allow the paper to be withdrawn from the roll in use as desired.

This toilet roll in use is held in position by the supporting means which can comprise two chamfered circular studs or bosses engaging opposite ends of the central cylinder around which the toilet paper is wrapped. The outer ends of the chamfered studs are attached to the pivotable levers. The unused toilet roll above can be located in its storage position upon ledges constituting the retaining means on which the roll rests until required for use.

Interconnecting levers, springs and cams or the like are attached to the latches holding unused rolls in storage and to the chamfered studs locating the bottom roll in use and to an operating lever or mechanism so that upon operation of the operating lever the latches and pivotted levers are withdrawn to release the roll in use and the fresh roll. Alternatively, electrical or electromechanical means can be provided to move the lever or levers between the dispensing and cycling positions.

The supporting means and the retaining means are both carried by the lever or levers. In this way, a very simple operating mechanism for the device can be provided which comprises a pair of spaced levers mounted for pivotal movement in a housing for the device, a link connecting the levers so that they are constrained to move simultaneously towards or away from one another, the lever carrying supporting means for engaging and supporting the roll of sheet material in use and carrying retaining means for retaining a fresh roll, and manual operating means for moving the levers between an inward position where the supporting means support the roll in use and the retaining means retain a full roll above the roll in use and an outward position where the supporting means are withdrawn and release an empty roll and the retaining means are withdrawn to allow a fresh roll to drop into a position where it will be engaged and supported by the supporting means where the levers are restored to their inward position.

Desirably, the supporting and retaining means are arranged on the lever or levers such that the supporting means release the empty roll before the retaining means releases a fresh roll and allows it to drop to a position where it can be engaged by the supporting means when the lever or levers return to their normal dispensing position.

A toilet roll dispenser of such construction provides for: - immediate access to an unused toilet roll in a hygienic and unembarrassing manner; - theft-proof storage of unused toilet rolls in public or rented premises if the housing is provided with a lock; - controlled but adequate dispensing of toilet rolls in such places as industry and hotel rooms; - replenishment of used rolls at any convenient time such as the routine daily servicing of a hotel room; - simple uncomplicated manufacture and aesthetically pleasing appearance; - a device for the storage and normal usage of toilet rolls such as are commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms, factories and other places where an absorbent medium is required for cleansing or other purposes; the device providing rapid and convenient replacement of a depleted toilet roll by another toilet roll either full or partially used by the simple method of operating a cycling mechanism on the device.

Atoilet roll dispenser according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa front diagrammatic view of the dispenser; and Figure 2 is a side diagrammatic view of the dispenser.

The toilet roll dispenser 10 shown in the drawings includes a housing 12 having an opening 14 at the bottom of the front thereof through which toilet paper can be withdrawn from a roll 16 in use. The front of the housing is hinged to the sides so that it can be opened to insert fresh rolls. A lock (not shown) is provided to lock the front shut at other times to prevent access to unused rolls. The base 18 is inclined to the horizontal for reasons explained later.

Pivotally mounted in the housing are a pair of lever arms 20. At the outer end of each of these arms is a chamfered stud 22 which is rotatably carried by the lever arms and engages in the ends of the holiow core 24 of the roll 16, whilst at an intermediate position along each arm is an inwardly projecting ledge 26. Each lever arm extends out from and is attached to a rod 28 which is rotatably journalled in trunnions 29 fixed to the housing and about which the arm is pivotable.

The left-hand rod 28 as viewed in Figure 1 and the rod shown in Figure 2 has two crank arms 30 and 32 extending from and attached to it. To the crank arm 30 is pivotally attached an operating button 34 which extends out through a slot in the side of the housing 12. When the button is depressed, this causes the rod 28 to rotate and the lever arm 20 to pivot about the rod to the cycling position shown in Figure 1 in dotted lines.

The right-hand rod 28 as viewed in Figure 1 has a further crank arm 40 extending from it and pivotally linking the arm 40 and the arm 32 is a link 42. In this way, when the button 34 is depressed and the left-hand lever arm pivotted outwardly to its dotted line position, the right-hand lever arm 20 is also pivotted outwardly to its dotted line position and cycling shown in Figure 1.Atension spring 44 extends between the link 42 and housing. The depression of the button 34 serves to extend this spring 44 so that when the button is released, the spring urges the two arms 20 to return to the full line, supporting positions shown in Figure 1.

If desired, a crank arm 30 can be fixed to the right-hand rod 28 so that the button 34 can be arranged to extend from the right hand or left-hand side of the housing as desired in a particular situation of use.

A pair of spaced guides 46 extend from the rear of the housing to keep a full toilet roll 48 centrally disposed in the housing.

When the dispenser is to be used, the front of the housing is hinged open and a full toilet roll 48 is inserted between the guides 46 and resting on the two ledges 26. Then the button 32 is depressed so causing the two arms 20 to pivot outwardly. This retracts the two ledges and so the toilet roll can drop until it abuts the base 18. The full roll is too large to leave the opening 14 and so, when the button 32 is released and the arms 20 are pivotted inwardly by the force of the spring 44, the studs 22 enter the core 24 and pick up the roll. Paper can then be dispensed from that roll through the opening 14. Afurther toilet roll can then be placed in the top of the housing and rests on the ledges 26 between the guides 46 clear of the lower toilet roll. The housing can now be closed and locked if desired.

When the lower roll 16 is empty, the button 34 is again depressed. As a result, the empty core 24 of the roll drops clear of the studs 22 and the inclined base 18 causes it to roll towards and out of the opening 14. The ledges 26 then retract far enough to allow the upper roll 48 to drop onto the base 18 and, upon release of the button 34, this roll is picked up by the studs 22 and is then able to dispense further toilet paper. The projecting lengths of the ledges 26 is chosen so that, as the arms 20 pivot outwardly, the empty core 24 is released before the fresh roll 48.

At any time required, a fresh roll 48 can be inserted through the top of the housing to rest on the ledges 26 ready to replace a lower roll 16.

If desired, the base 18 of the housing could be horizontal and instead upstanding wedge-shaped ribs or the like provided from it to bias the empty core 24 towards the opening 14.

Claims (7)

1. A device for dispensing sheet material from a roll of that material, the device comprising supporting means engaging and rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material in use so that lengths of sheet material can be dispensed from the roll through an aperture in a housing for the device by rotation of the roll in use, retaining means capable of retaining a fresh roll of sheet material in the housing at a position above the roll in use, at least one lever arm pivotably mounted in the housing and carrying both the supporting means and the retaining means, the lever being movable between a dispensing position in which a roll in use is rotatably supported for dispensing of the sheet material and a fresh roll, if any, is retained above the roll in use, and a cycling position in which an exhausted roll can be discharged and a fresh roll released by the supporting means and allowed to drop to a position for engagement by the supporting means, the aperture in the housing being sufficiently narrow so that a full roll cannot pass through butthe empty core of a roll or a substantially empty roll can pass through, and means at the base of the holder for biasing an empty roll released by the supporting means towards the aperture.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, in which there are a pair of levers, the levers being simultaneously pivotable between a dispensing position and a cycling position in which their free ends have moved away from one another.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, in which each lever is pivotted to the housing at or near its upper end, and each lever carries the supporting means at or near its lower end and the retaining means at an intermediate position along it.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 1 which comprises a pair of spaced levers mounted for pivotal movement in a housing for the device, a link connecting the levers so that they are constrained to move simultaneously towards or away from one another, the lever carrying supporting means for engaging and supporting the roll of sheet material in use and carrying retaining means for retaining a fresh roll, and manual operating means for moving the levers between an inward position where the supporting means support the roll in use and the retaining means retain a full roll above the roll in use and an outward position where the supporting means are withdrawn and release an empty roll and the retaining means are withdrawn to allow a fresh roll to drop into a position where it will be engaged and supported by the supporting means when the levers are restored to their inward position.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the supporting means includes a tapered boss or stud capable of entering the hollow centre of a roll of sheet material, the boss or stud being rotatably carried by each lever.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the means at the base of the holder for biasing an empty roll towards the aperture comprise an inclined base for the housing, the base being inclined downwardly towards the aperture.

7. A device for dispensing sheet material from a roll of that material, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.