TOILET-PAPER-ROLL HOLDER

Abstract

A holder (10) for at least two toilet-paper rolls (12, 14) which are arranged one above the other and consist of a paper web (56) wound up on a sleeve (52, 54) or a shaft, having a first and a second wall (28, 30) which are arranged at a distance parallel to each other, wherein each of the walls (28, 30) has a guide (40, 42) for receiving one end each of the shaft or of a shaft journal, which can be received in an opening in the sleeve, wherein the guide (40, 42) has a substantially vertically running supply portion (40b) for supplying a toilet-paper roll (12, 14), the supply portion merging into an unrolling portion (40c) running at an inclination with respect to the vertical in the direction of at least one first tear-off element (60, 62) or a stop (72).

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A holder (10) for at least two toilet paper rolls (12, 14), which are positioned one above the other and which consist of a paper web (56) wound around a tube (52, 54) or a shaft, the holder comprising: a first wall and a second wall (28, 30) arranged at a distance from each other in parallel, wherein each of the walls (28, 30) contains a guide (40, 42) for accepting the respective end of a shaft or a respective shaft journal that can be accommodated in the opening of the tube, wherein the guide (40, 42) has a substantially vertically extending feeding section (40b), for feeding a toilet paper roll (12, 14), that transitions into an unwinding section (40c), which extends at an angle to the vertical in the direction of at least one tear-off element (60, 62) or of a limit stop (72), wherein the lower toilet paper roll (12, 14) that is situated in the unrolling section (40c) on account of its own weight bears against the limit stop (72) with its circumferential side, and wherein the paper web (56) can be unwound from the toilet paper roll (14) through a dispensing opening (58) and can be torn off at the at least one tear-off element (60, 62), wherein the first wall (28) forms a rear wall (18) or is connected to such a rear wall in such a way that a rotational axis (46) of the toilet paper roll (12, 14) extends perpendicularly to the rear wall (18), wherein the toilet paper roll (12, 14), independently of its unrolling direction, can be accepted and unwound in the guides (40, 42) of the first and the second wall (28, 30), that the limit stop (74) has, relative to the circumferential surface of the toilet paper roll (12, 14), a convex surface (73), which facilitates unwinding the toilet paper roll (12, 14) in both directions, wherein the holder (10) comprises a second tear-off element (62), which substantially is arranged in parallel to the first tear-off element (60) on the opposite side of the dispensing opening, and wherein the first and the second tear-off elements (60, 62) form lateral limits of the dispensing opening (58).

20. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the convex surface (73) is formed by a section of a side wall, of a bolt (72), or of a shaft.

21. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the convex surface has a radius R in the range of 2.5 mmR10 mm, preferably R=5 mm.

22. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the surface (73) is embodied with a surface structure, such as ridges or nubs.

23. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the unrolling section (40c) of the guide (40) that extends at an angle to the vertical transitions into a substantially vertically extending ejecting section (40d) wherein the bolt (72) or the shaft is arranged at level height of a transition area between the unwinding section (40c) and the ejecting section (40d), and wherein the convex surface (73) is separated from the guide (40) in the transition region by a distance that substantially corresponds to one radius of the tube (54).

24. The holder according to claim 20, wherein the bolt (72, 72) or the shaft is able to be fixed at different separation distances from the guide (40) in dependence on the radius of the employed tube.

25. The holder according to claim 20, wherein the bolt (72) or the shaft extends between the first and the second wall and extends in parallel to the rotational axis (46) of the toilet paper roll (12, 14).

26. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the tear-off elements (60, 62) are embodied as side-wall sections to connect the first and the second wall (28, 30) in the area of the dispensing opening (58).

27. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the tear-off elements (60, 62) comprise a first section (106, 108) that forms the side-wall section between the first and the second wall (28, 30) as well as a second section with a margin that is embodied as a tear-off serration.

28. The holder according to claim 27, wherein the section of the tear-off element that is equipped with the tear-off serration is angled towards the direction of the dispensing opening.

29. The holder according to claim 19, wherein the first and the second walls (28, 30) form, together with the side wall sections (102, 104, 106, 108), a module, which preferably is attached at the rear wall (18) of the housing (16) and can be covered by the covering (20).

30. A holder (10) for at least two toilet paper rolls (12, 14), which are positioned one above the other and consist of a paper web (56) wound onto a tube (52, 54) or shaft, the holder comprising: a first wall and a second wall (28, 30) arranged at a distance parallel to each other, herein the first wall and second wall (28, 30) have a guide (40, 42) for accepting the respective end of the shaft or a shaft journal that can be accommodated in the tube, wherein the toilet paper roll (12, 14) that is situated lower in the guide (40, 42) due to its own weight with its circumference bears against a limit stop (72), and wherein the paper web (56) can be unwound from the toilet paper roll (14) through a dispensing opening (58) and can be torn off using at least one tear-off element (60, 62), wherein the first wall (28) forms a rear wall (18) or is connected to such a rear wall in such a way that a rotational axis (46) of the toilet paper roll (12, 14) extends perpendicular relative to the rear wall (18), and that the limit stop (74) has a convex surface (73), relative to a circumferential surface of the toilet paper roll (12, 14).

31. The holder according to claim 30, wherein (new) The holder (10) comprises a first and a second tear-off element (62), wherein the first tear-off element (60) and the second tear-off element (60, 62) are arranged on opposite sides of the dispensing opening (58).

32. The holder according to claim 19, wherein arranged in the guide (40, 42) is a locking element (110), which prevents the toilet paper roll (14) in use from being pushed back into the feeding section (40 c) of the guide (40, 42).

33. The holder according to claim 32, wherein the locking element (110) is embodied as a slider, which in the second guide element (66) is displaceably mounted transversely to the guide (40, 42) in the unrolling section (40 c) that extends inclined relative to the vertical.

34. The holder according to claim 33, wherein the locking element (110) with its end (114) bears against an inner surface (90) of the first guide element (64), either due to gravity or spring loading.

35. The holder according to claim 34, wherein the end (114) of the locking element (110) that protrudes into the guide is embodied wedge-shaped on the feed side and has an oblique surface (116), so that when the paper roll passes by, the locking element (110) can be displaced by the ends (40) of the shaft or the shaft journals into an open position, and after the ends (40) of the shaft or the shaft journals have passed, it falls into a closed position, either due to gravity or to spring-loading.

36. The holder according to claim 30, wherein the locking element (110) is arranged with respect to the limit stop (72) at a distance that substantially corresponds to one radius of the toilet paper roll.

Description

[0030] The figures show:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a holder for toilet paper rolls,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the holder in a sectional view along the section line A-A of FIG. 1,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the holder of FIG. 1,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the holder in a sectional view along the section line B-B of FIG. 3,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the holder in a sectional view along the section line C-C of FIG. 3,

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view along a section line D-D of FIG. 5, of a mounting for a pendulum lever,

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a front view of the wall with the guide for accepting the end of shaft or a shaft journal, and

[0038] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the opened toilet paper roll holder with two toilet paper rolls arranged on top of each other.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a holder 10 for at least two toilet paper rolls 12, 14. The holder 10 comprises a housing 16 with a rear wall 18 that serves to mount the holder 10 to a wall. On the rear wall 18, a hooded cover 20 is arranged pivotably by means of an hinge 22 and is lockable by means of a lock 24. Provided in a front side of the hooded cover 20 is an inspection window 26, through which the depletion of toilet paper of a toilet paper roll 14 in use can be monitored.

[0040] The holder 10 comprises a first, rear wall 28, which extends in parallel to the rear wall 18 and is connected to the latter. In parallel and at some distance to this first, rear wall 28 is arranged a second, front wall 30, whereby the toilet paper rolls 12, 14 are arranged between the walls 28, 30 in such a manner that a rotational axis 32, 34 extends perpendicular to the rear wall 18. As a result, the toilet paper rolls rotate in a plane that is parallel to the rear wall 18, so that the holder 10 can be embodied with a small depth even when toilet paper rolls with large diameters are used.

[0041] On each of the respective interior sides 36, 38 of the walls 28, 30 that thee the toilet paper rolls 12, 14, is provided a guide 40, 42, which have an ovoid cross section, in which are accommodated and guided shaft journals 44, 46 that protrude beyond the ends of the toilet paper rolls 12, 14 along the axial direction. The shall journals 44, 46 are end sections of caps 48, 50, which are inserted into the respective openings in the end-faces of a tube 52, 54 of the toilet paper roll 12, 14. The shall journals may also be the end sections of a shall passing through the toilet paper roll 12, 14.

[0042] A paper web 56, which in general is not perforated, of the toilet paper roll 14 in use is withdrawn from a bottom-sided dispensing opening 58 and may be torn off at the desired length using a first and a second tear-off element 60, 62, which border the dispensing opening on its sides. The tear-off elements 60, 62 form lateral connecting elements between the first wall 28 and the second wall 30 and extend perpendicular to the rear wall 18.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the holder 10 with the housing 16 in the closed state.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows in a sectional view along the section line 13-B of FIG. 3 a front view of the first, rear wall 28 with the guide 40. The second, rear wall 30 with the guide 42 is embodied correspondingly mirror symmetrically and consequently is not explained in more detail.

[0045] The guide 40 is embodied on a surface of the interior side 36 of the wall 28 and laterally is limited by a first guide element 64 as well as a second guide element 66. The guide 40 comprises several sections. Originating from an upper end 68, 70 of the respective first and second guide elements 64, 66 extends a V-shaped first section 40a as a reserve section for accommodating a spare toilet paper roll 12. The first section 40a merges into a second section 40b, which extends vertically top-to-bottom and which forms a feeding section that serves to guide the toilet paper roll 12 into a position where it becomes available to the user.

[0046] The second section 40b merges into a third section 40c, which extends obliquely in a straight line in the direction towards the second tear-off edge 62. Consequently, the third section 40c forms an unrolling section that serves to use the weight of the toilet paper roll 14 to move it in the direction towards a lateral limit stop 72, whereby a circumferential surface of the toilet paper roll 14 in use is in contact with a surface 73 of the limit stop 72.

[0047] The third section 40c transitions to a fourth section 40d, which forms an ejection section that extends vertically from top to bottom and serves to eject the empty tube 54 when the toilet paper roll 14 in use has been exhausted.

[0048] The ejection section is followed by a fifth section 40e, which extends obliquely in the direction towards the first tear-off edge 60 and forms a discharge section that is embodied to discharge the empty tube 54.

[0049] The guide 40 finally comprises a sixth section 40f, which extends obliquely upward and forms a extracting section that serves to allow the empty sleeve 54 to be laterally removed from the guide 40.

[0050] When an empty tube is situated at the lowest point of the discharge section 40e, the preferably colour-marked nubs 48, 50 are visible from the outside, so that the service personnel receives an optical indication to exchange the empty tube.

[0051] In the direction towards the dispensing opening 58, the discharge section 40e is bordered by the second guide element 66. To act as an upper limit, a third guide element 74 is provided, which is arranged on the surface 32 of the wall 28, at a distance above the second guide element 58.

[0052] The first guide element 64 is embodied as a pendulum lever, which is pivotably mounted on a hinge 76 that is arranged in the transition area between the feeding section 40b and the unrolling section 40c. The pendulum lever 64 comprises a first arm 78, which together with an obliquely extending lateral surface 80 forms a margin for the reserve section 40a, and together with a lateral surface 82 extending straight forms a lateral limit for the feeding section 40b.

[0053] In a transition region between the oblique lateral surface 80 and the straight lateral surface 82 is provided a projection 84 that can be brought into contact against a lateral surface 86 of the second guide element 66 in order to block the feeding section 40b.

[0054] Furthermore, the pendulum lever 64 has a second arm 88 that extends from the hinge 78 in the direction of the vertically extending ejection section 40d and ends at the level of the limit stop 72. A lateral surface 40 of the second arm 88 forms a lateral lower limit of the unrolling section 40c, on which bears the peg 44 of the toilet paper roll 14 in use, so that the projection 84 of the first arm 78 of the pendulum lever 64 is pressed against. the lateral surface 86 of the second guide element 66, to prevent the toilet paper roll 12 that is blocked in the reserve section 40a from advancing into the feeding section 40b, and consequently into the unrolling section 40c.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows in a front view a sectional view of the holder along the section line C-C of FIG. 3, whereby the toilet paper roll 11 serving as reserve in the reserve section 40a is blocked by the projection 84 of the first arm 78, and whereby the toilet paper roll 11 in use, together with its peg 44, is located in the unrolling section 40c, while the toilet paper 14 with its circumferential surface is in contact with the limit stop 72, and the paper web 56 emerges from the lower dispensing opening 58.

[0056] Due to the weight of the toilet paper roll, a force is applied to the second arm 88 of the pendulum lever 64 in such a way that that the first arm 78 with the projection 84 is pushed against the inner surface 88 of the second guide element 66, so that the toilet paper roll 12 intended as the reserve is locked in the reserve area 40a.

[0057] Continued use of the toilet paper web 56 reduces the diameter of the toilet paper roll 14 in use, so that in the course of increasing consumption the toilet paper roll 14 is moved into the direction of the ejection section 40d.

[0058] As soon as the toilet paper roll 14 in use has reached a diameter that substantially corresponds to a distance A between the end of the second arm 88 or the end of the unrolling section 40c and a surface of the limit stop 72, the tube 54 falls into the vertically extending ejection section 40d and is guided through the discharge section 40e into the removal section 36f.

[0059] In accordance with the invention, the limit stop 72 has a convex surface 73 and is embodied as a bolt that extends between the first wall 28 and the second wall 30, whereby a distance between the end of the second arm 28 or the end of the unrolling section 40c and the surface 73 or the bolt 72 substantially corresponds to the radius of the tube 54 accommodating the toilet paper roll, so that when the toilet paper web 56 has been consumed, gravity causes the tube 54 to fall into the ejection section 40d.

[0060] The invention's feature of a limit stop 72 with a convex surface ensures that the toilet paper roll 14 in use can be unrolled in both directions. Since the toilet paper roll 14 can be unrolled in a plane that extends in parallel to the rear wall, one achieves the additional advantage that the paper web 56 can be torn off at the tear-off element 62 given a right-direction-unrolling toilet paper roll and can be torn off at the tear-off element 60 given a left-direction-unwinding toilet paper roll. The surface may have a surface structure in the form of a corrugation along the transverse or longitudinal direction.

[0061] In comparison to the state of technology, one achieves the advantage of being able to realize a holder 10 of low depth irrespective of the diameter of the toilet paper rolls 12, 14, whereby the toilet paper rolls 12, 14 can be inserted independently of their winding direction, which allows particularly simple and error-free servicing, since the service personnel does not have to worry about the winding direction when inserting the toilet paper rolls.

[0062] The holder 10 is further characterized in that the limit stop in form of the bolt 72 can be arranged in various positions. FIG. 4 shows a bolt 72 in a position, whereby a distance between the bolt 72 and the end of the second arm 88 is reduced. This creates the option of employing paper rolls with tubes 54 of a lesser diameter. Embodied in the walls 28, 30 are corresponding receptacles, so that depending on the intended use the holder may hold either bolts 72 for tubes 54 of larger diameter or bolts 72 for tubes 54 of lesser diameter.

[0063] In addition to the invention's embodiment of the limit stop 72 with a convex surface, the embodiment of the holder 12 is characterized by a particularly uncomplicated mechanical structure. For example, the walls 28, 30 as well as the first, second, and third guide elements respectively are embodied as identical components that can be used on either side. For the purpose of fastening the first, the second, and the third guide elements, the walls 28, 30 are provided with respective pins or nubs 92 in mirror-image positions for securing in position the guide elements 64, 66, 74. In this, the guide elements contain openings 94, which are fitted onto the pins or nubs 92 and subsequently are welded In place, for example by a heat-applying process.

[0064] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the hinge 76 for the rotatably articulated mounting of the pendulum lever 64. The hinge 76 comprises a shaft 96, which extends through the opening 98 of a pendulum lever 64 and is secured in a mounting 100 of the wall 28.

[0065] For the purpose of maintaining a distance between the rear wall 28 and the front wall 30 are provided spacer elements 102, 104 as well as sections 106, 108 of the tear-off elements 60, 62, which substantially extend vertically from a marginal section of the rear wall 28 and can be connected, such as welded, to a marginal section of the front wall 30.

[0066] FIG. 7 shows a front view of a holder 10 in the opened state without toilet paper rolls 12, 14. The guide 40 is mounted to the wall 28. As already explained with respect to FIG. 4, the guide 40 comprises several sections, specifically a first section 40 as a reserve section for accommodating the spare toilet paper roil 12, a second, vertically extending section 40 b, which forms a feeding section to guide the toilet paper roll into a position where it is available to the user, as well as a third section 40 c, which extends obliquely relative to the vertical and forms an unrolling section, which serves to guide the toilet paper roll 14 in use towards the lateral limit stop 72 using the former's own weight, whereby the circumferential surface of the toilet paper roll 14 in use is in contact with the surface 73 of the limit stop 72.

[0067] The guide 40 is bordered by the first guide element 64 as well as the second guide element 66. The guide elements 64, 66 are mourned on the wall 28 and form the substantially U-shaped guide 40.

[0068] In an embodiment with its own inventive merit, a locking element 110 is arranged along the body of the guide 40 that prevents careless handling by a user from inadvertently pushing the lower in-use toilet paper roll 14 upward, i.e. in the direction of the vertical feeding section 40 c. The locking element 110 is arranged in the unrolling section 40 c that extends obliquely relative to the vertical. In this, the locking element 110 is embodied as a slider, which is arranged in a section of the second guide element 66 that extends obliquely relative to the vertical. The slider 110 is displaceably mounted, transversely relative to the guide and along the direction of the arrow 112, in the second guide element, whereby in the closed position an end 114 of the slider 110 rests against the first guide element 64.

[0069] The end 114 of the slider that protrudes into the guide 40 is embodied with a wedge shape on the feed side and has an oblique surface 114, so that the end 40 of the shaft or the shaft journal of a toilet paper roll guided from the feeding section into the unrolling section causes the slider 110 to open.

[0070] In this, it is ensured that the slider is lifted when passing the end of the shaft or the shaft journal, and that after passing the end or the shaft journal it automatically falls back into its original position, either due to gravity or spring loading, which prevents the toilet paper roll from being pushed back.

[0071] In the event of a movement in the opposite direction, the end of the shaft or the shaft journal is pushed against an even surface 188 of the slider 110, so that the latter remains in the closed position, as is shown in FIG. 8. This prevents that pushing back the lower toilet paper roll 14 causes the the reserve toilet paper 12 to be inadvertently released from its position in the reserve section 40a. The slider 110 preferably is mounted inclined relative to the vertical, so that gravity can cause it to fall from its opened position into the closed position. Another option is that the slider 110 is displaceably mounted in the second guide element 66 under spring load.