GB2219278A

GB2219278A - Dispensing unit

Info

Publication number: GB2219278A
Application number: GB8812915A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Maria Muir
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-06-01
Filing date: 1988-06-01
Publication date: 1989-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-01
Also published as: GB8812915D0; GB2219278B

Abstract

A storage unit (1) is provided to store and dispense articles, especially toilet rolls, the unit comprising an elongate container (2) for articles with a buffer member (13) spaced from the outer end of the container. A lateral opening (15) is present between the buffer member (13) and the container's outer end to facilitate removal of individual articles (9) from the unit and possibly also enable filling of the container. The articles (9) may be urged by spring means (4) into engagement with the buffer means (13) or alternatively this effect could be achieved by gravity with the buffer means (13) located at the bottom end of the unit. In the latter case the top end of the container can be openable for convenient filling of the unit. <IMAGE>

Description

"Storage Unit" Description The present invention relates to a storage unit and in particular to a storage unit for holding toilet rolls.

It is convenient to have spare toilet rolls on hand when the roll on the dispenser (holder) in the toilet is used up, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage unit enabling satisfactory storage of toilet rolls and which is acceptable as toilet "furniture".

The present invention broadly provides a storage unit comprising an elongate container for articles, said container having an open youth at an outer end for-removal of-articles -fromthe container, spring'means to urge a series of articles from the con tainer.tbwards said mouth, and holder means at the container'souter end for~th2-retention of articles in the container.

Preferably the container is adapted to be located upright with said container mouth at the top end.

Preferably said holder means comprises a buffer member spaced from the mouth, the arrangement being such that an outermost article abutting or adjacent said buffer can be removed from the storage unit by moving the article laterally relative to the container. Filling of the container can be achieved by a reverse of this operation.

Preferably the spring means comprises a base member and a support member for location under the innermost article of a series of articles in the container, and a spring device located between said members. Preferably a spindle is supported by the base member and said support member is apertured to enable it to move along said spindle. The spring device can comprise a coil spring surrounding said spindle.Preferably a removable cap is provided to fit over the holder means and close the mouth of the container According to another aspect of the present invention a storage unit for articles, particularly toilet rolls, comprises an elongate container for articles, said container having an open mouth at an outer end, and retention means at said outer end, comprising an abutment wall spaced from said open mouth so as to define a holder space for an article, said retention means having an open side whereby an article can be removed from the storage unit by moving the article laterally from said holder space via said open side.Preferably the retention means is located at the bottom end of the container when the storage unit is in a normal working position.- An emboaiment-c?f the present invention-will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows an exploded isometric view of a storage unit for toilet rolls, according to the present invention, and Figs. 2a - 2c shows a series of side views of the unit (transparent for ease of understanding) illustrating the filling operation.

Referring to the drawings, a storage unit 1 for toilet rolls comprises an elongate tubular container 2 to hold a series of toilet rolls and adapted to stand upright. The container 2 has an open mouth 3 and a closed bottom, and a spring device 4 serves to urge the toilet roll series towards the mouth 3.. The spring device 4 comprises -a base plate 5 including a retaining element 7 to enable a spindle 6 to be supported upright from the plate 5. A support plate 8 for toilet rolls 9 (not shown in Fig. 1) having a central aperture 10 to enable the plate 8 to slide along the spindle 6, and a coil spring 11 surrounding the spindle 6 and located between the plates 5, 8 for urging the plate 8 towards the mouth 3. A head 12 on spindle 6 serves to retain the plate 8 on the spindle 6.

The top of the container is fashioned to provide a buffer 13 spaced from the mouth 3 by a spacer formation 14 whereby a lateral opening 15 is present at the upper end of the unit 1 for sideways insertion or removal of a toilet roll 9 (see Fig.

2d), the buffer 13 being spaced from the mouth 3 by a distance slightly greater than the width of the toilet roll 9 to facilitate this operation. More particularly, the buffer 13 can be fashioned by cutting a segment from the closed end of a tube, the remaining peripheral wall portion-, defining the formation 14.

The top end of the unit 1 including the buffer 13 and the formation 14 is closed by a removable lid 16.

Figs. 2a - 2c show the filling of the unit 1. Thus, with the lid 16 removed, a roll 9(1) is inserted through opening 15 to lie below buffer 13 (Fig. 2c) and on top of plate 8, and by pressing roll 9(1) downwards (by finger F) against spring 11 as shown in Fig. 2d a further roll 9(2) can be inserted below buffer 13: this operation is repeated until the unit is full with top roll 9(6) abutting against buffer 13.

Individual removal of rolls 9 is achieved by the reverse of the above, the spring 11 urging the roll series upwards to fill the space below buffer 13.

Thus there is provided a container unit which enable toilet rolls to be stored tidily in a toilet, and from which unit rolls can be easily withdrawn for use. To even further improve aesthetic qualities an art pattern, such as a floral pattern 17, (Fig. 2a) can be applied to other external surface of the unit 1.

Modifications are of course possible: thus the unit could be adjusted to carry a fewer or greater number of the toilet rolls shown.

The unit 1 can be made from plastics material or of fibreglass, and the unit 1 may be made with various colours to match bathroom suites. By way of example the unit could have a height of about 28ins (71 cm) and a diameter of 5 ins (14 cm).

In an alternative embodiment, gravity action can be used to move the rolls into abutment with the buffer 13, instead of the spring 11, and in this case the container tube 2 will be reversed so that the buffer 13 is at the bottom end. The spring device 4 can be dispensed with in this case, and the tube end (i.e. top case) remote from the buffer 13 can be openable for filling of the unit. For this embodiment, it could be preferable for means to be provided to enable the unit 1 to be secured to a wall at a suitable height.

Claims

1. A storage unit comprising an elongate container for articles, said container having an open mouth at an outer end for removal of articles from the container, spring means to urge a series of articles from the container towards said mouth, and holder means at the container's outer end for the retention of articles in the container.

2. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to be located upright with said container mouth at the top end.

3. A storage unit as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said holder means comprises a buffer member spaced from the mouth, the arrangement being such that an outermost article abutting or adjacent said buffer can be removed from the storage unit by moving the article laterally relative to the container.

4. A storage unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring means comprises a base member and a support member for location under the innermost article of a series of articles in the container, and a spring device located between said members.

5. A storage unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein a spindle is supported by the base member and said support member is apertured to enable it to move along said spindle.

6. A storage unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spring device comprises a coil spring surrounding said spindle.

7. A storage unit as claimed-in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a removable cap is provided to fit over the holder means and close the mouth of the container.

8. A storage unit for articles, particularly toilet rolls, comprising an elongate container for articles, said container having an open mouth at an outer end, and retention means at said outer end, comprising an abutment wall spaced from said open mouth so as to define a holder space for an article, said retention means having an open side whereby an article can be removed from the storage unit by moving the article laterally from said holder space via said open side.

9. A storage unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retention means is located at the bottom end of the container when the storage unit is in a normal working position.

10. A storage unit as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the end of the container remote from the retention means is operable to facilitate filling of the container with articles.

11. A storage unit for articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.