Toilet paper holding device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5

There have been proposed and practically employed various types of toilet paper holding devices and in any of the conventional holding devices of the type each time a toilet paper roll has been exhausted a new complete paper roll has to be ]θ put on the core the paper roll on which has been exhausted to be put to use requiring cumbersome and inconvenient handling. Furthermore, in such a conventional toilet paper holding device portion of a paper roll has to be always exposed out of the housing of the holding device and accordingly, the paper roll cannot be held in the device under sanitary conditions.

The present invention relates to an improved toilet paper holding device of the type wherein each time a paper roll on a core has been exhausted a manual operation member is pulled whereby the empty core is displaced to an inoperative position and simultaneously a new complete paper roll on a core is automatically moved to a position ready for use.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved toilet paper holding device which is easier in handling and more efficient as compared with the conventional like devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toilet paper holding device which can hold a number of toilet paper rolls under sanitary conditions.

The above and other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of toilet paper holding devices according to the present invention and in which: 40

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a first or preferred embodiment of toilet paper holding device according to the invention with a portion thereof broken away in order to show the inner construction of said device;

FIG. 2 is a vertically sectional view of said holding device 45 taken along substantially the line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line B-BofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of a pair of guide members employed in said holding device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of a pair of weir and pusher assemblies received in said guide members;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified embodiment of toilet paper holding device according to the present invention with a portion thereof broken away in order to show the inner structure of said device; and

FIG. 7 is a vertically sectional view of said modified holding device taken substantially along the line A'-A' of FIG. 6.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be now described referring to the accompanying drawings. Reference will be first had on FIGS. 1 to S inclusive in which the first or preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The toilet paper holding device generally comprises a housing 1 which includes an upper chamber 2, an intermediate chamber 3 and a lower or core collection chamber 4 which are in communication with each other. The upper chamber 2, an intermediate chamber 3 and a lower or core collection chamber 4 which are in communication with each other. The upper chamber 2 has a rectangular configuration (only the lower portion thereof is shown) extending vertically of the housing 1 and the top of the upper chamber is adapted to be covered by a suitable cover (not shown). The bottom of the upper chamber 2 is open and in communication with the open top of the intermediate chamber 3. The intermediate chamber 3 is bulged and rounded on the front side (the left-hand side as seen in FIG. 2) in conformity with the peripheral configuration of a roll of toilet paper to be held therein in the manner which will be described hereinbelow and the bottom of the intermediate chamber is open and in communication with the open top of the lower chamber 4 the bottom of which is closed by a cover 4α pivoted thereto. The intermediate chamber 3 is adapted to receive at one time only one paper roll or the lowest one of a series of paper rolls to be charged into the housing 1. The lower chamber 4 is adapted to receive the empty cores after the paper rolls thereon have been exhausted. An opening 5 is formed on the bulged front side of the intermediate chamber 3 and an arcuate cover 6 is pivoted at the upper end to the upper edge of the opening 5 leaving a clearance between the lower end of the cover and the lower edge of the opening for manual opening and closing with respect to the opening 5. A substantially L-shaped paper shearing piece 7 is secured to the intermediate chamber 3 and one or rear leg of the shearing piece is fixedly secured to the inside of the chamber adjacent to the lower edge of the opening S whereas the other or fore leg which is substantially at right angles with respect to the rear leg extends outwardly of the chamber and has a saw toothshaped tip. A pair of guide members 8 and 8 are fixedly secured to the housing 1 by suitable means (not shown) in a spaced relation with respect to each other. The guide members 8, 8 extend vertically covering the upper and intermediate chambers 2 and 3 and terminate at the lower ends short of the top of the lower chamber 4. The guide members 8, 8 also extend transversely of the full width of the housing 1 except the lower portion which terminates at the fore end short of the front wall of the housing intermediate chamber 3. Since the pair of guide members 8,8 are identical with each other in construction and in position with respect to the housing 1, only one of them will be in detail described. The guide member 8 is provided on its innei side with a substantially Ushaped paper roll core guide groove 9 which includes a substantially vertical upper portion, and a contiguous forwardly inclined intermediate portion and a substantially horizontal lower portion. The guide member 8 is also provided on the outer side with a substantially U-shaped weir guide groove 10 in which an elastic weir 11 preferably formed of plastic is slidably received. The weir 11 has a through bore 1 la adjacent to one or the upper end thereof as more clearly shown in FIG. 5 and extends by a substantial distance in the guide groove 10 for the purpose to be described hereinbelow. Also disposed within the guide groove 10 adjacent to the other or lower end of the weir 11 is a short pusher member 12 which is preferably formed of the same material as that of the weir. The lower end of the weir 11 and the adjacent end of the pusher member 12 are secured to each other by any suitable conventional manner to form a unitary assembly. The lower horizontal portion of the paper roll core guide groove 9 and the corresponding portion of the lower leg of the weir guide groove 10 are in communication with each other and the vertical portion of the core guide groove 9 and the upper leg of the weir guide groove 10 are also in communication with each other at their intersecting point 9a. The core guide groove 9 has a cross section area slightly larger than the diameter of the core of a paper roll whereas the cross section of the weir guide groove 10 is slightly smaller than the core as will be made apparent hereinbelow. A coil spring 13 is anchored at one end to a pin 13α on the pusher member 12 and the other end of the spring is anchored to the inside of the rear wall of the housing 1 so as to normally urge the weir and pusher member assembly 11 and 12 rearwardly . The fore end of the lower horizontal portion of the guide groove 9 opens at 14 and the intermediate chamber 3 is provided on the front wall with an opening (not shown) at a point in alignment with the open end of the guide groove horizontal portion. A manual operation member 15 which has a substantially U-shaped construction is provided with its legs

3,598,331 slidably extending through the aligned opening in the intermediate chamber 3 and the open end 14 of the guide groove horizontal portion. The free ends of the legs of the manual operation member IS are respectively connected in any suitable conventional manner to the respectively associated pusher members 12,12 for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

The operation of the above-mentioned toilet paper holding device will be now described assuming that the housing 1 is now charged with no toilet paper roll therein and the weir 11 is in the position as illustrated in FIG. 2. First of all, the cover on the top of the upper chamber 2 is opened and then the manual operation member 15 is pulled against the force of the springs 13, 13 to pull the weir and pusher member assemblies 11,11 and 12, 12 forwardly until the through bores 11α, 11α come into communication with the intersecting points 9α, 9α and the operation is held in the pulled position. With the through bore 1 la held in communication with the intersecting points 9α, 9α a desired number of toilet paper rolls P are inserted into the empty housing 1 in a one upon other relation with their longitudinal axes positioned horizontal by inserting the opposite ends of their cores C into the guide grooves 9, 9 in the opposite guide members 8,8. As the paper rolls P are inserted into the housing 1 in the manner mentioned above, these paper rolls slide down the guide grooves 9, 9 until the core C of the first or lowest paper roll reaches the juncture between the inclined intermediate and lower horizontal portions of the guide grooves 9, 9 whereupon the sliding down movement of the paper rolls are halted and only the lowest paper roll is received in the intermediate chamber 3 and the remaining paper rolls P are received one upon another in the upper chamber 2. After the core C of the lowest paper roll R has reached the juncture between the inclined intermediate and horizontal lower portions of the guide grooves 9. 9, the operation member 15 is released whereupon the weir and pusher member assemblies 11,11 and 12, 12 are returned by the springs 13,13 to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the through bores 11α, 11α are out of communication with the respectively associated intersecting points 9α, 9α and the opposite ends of the core C of the paper roll P immediately above the lowest paper roll seats on the weirs 11, 11. As the result, the rest of the paper rolls P are held against movement downwards and retained in the upper chamber 2. The beginning end of the lowest paper roll is then payed out of the roll on the core until the end extends a suitable distance beyond the lower edge of the opening 5 of the housing 1. In use, the user pulls the extended end of the paper roll by a desired length and shears the paper against the saw tooth shearing piece 7 leaving the now formed beginning end extending beyond the lower edge of the opening 5 for next use. When the lowest paper roll has been exhausted, the manual operation member 15 is again pulled against the force of the springs 13, 13 and as the operation member is pulled the pusher member and weir assemblies 11,11 and 12,12 are also pulled as described before. When the pusher member and weir assemblies are pulled until the through bores 11α, 11α in the respective weirs 11, 11 come to align with the intersecting points 9α9α the empty core C of the now exhausted lowest paper roll P passes over the open ends 14 of the horizontal portions of the paper roll guide grooves 9, 9 into the empty core guide passages 3' defined between the front wall of the intermediate chamber 3 and adjacent front lower portions of the guide members 9, 9 and is finally collected in the lower chamber 4 to be discharged from the holding device. Simultaneously, the next paper roll which is positioned just above the now exhausted lower paper roll and the core C of which seats on the weir 11, 11 falls down into the intermediate chamber 3 and is held there ready for use. The same operation procedure can be repeated for the rest of the paper rolls. Thus, according to the present invention a semiautomatic toilet paper roll feed and replacement can be easily and simply performed eliminating the troublesome putting operation of new complete paper rolls on the empty cores which has been necessary in the conventional toilet paper holding devices.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the paper rolls are received in the housing which is sealed except the area adjacent to the paper shearing piece 7, and accordingly, the paper rolls can be maintained under sanitary conditions.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second or modified embodiment of paper roll holding device according to the present invention. The modified holding device generally comprises a housing 1' which includes an upper chamber 2', an intermediate chamber 3' and a lower or core collection chamber 4' which are in communication with each other. The upper chamber has a rectangular configuration (only the lower portion thereof is shown) extending vertically of the housing 1' and the top of the upper chamber is adapted to be covered by a suitable cover (not shown). The bottom of the upper chamber 2’ is open and in communication with the open top of the intermediate chamber 3'. The intermediate chamber 3 is bulged and rounded on the front side (the left-hand side as seen in FIG. 7) in conformity with the peripheral configuration of a roll of toilet paper to be received therein in the manner which will be described hereinbelow and the bottom of the intermediate chamber is open and in communication with open top of the lower or core collection chamber 4' the bottom of which is closed by a cover 4'a pivoted thereto. The intermediate chamber 3’ is adapted to receive at one time only two toilet paper rolls or the two lowest rolls P of a series of paper rolls to be received in the housing 1' for the purpose to be described hereinbelow. The lower chamber 4' is adapted to receive the cores of paper rolls after the paper rolls thereon have been exhausted. An opening 5' is formed on the bulged front-sidewall of the intermediate chamber 3' and a cover 6' is pivoted at the at the upper end to the upper edge of the opening 5' for manual opening and closing with respect to the opening 5' leaving a clearance between the lower end of the cover and the lower edge of the opening. The lower edge of the opening 5' formed in the intermediate chamber 3' is bent outwardly and the free end of the bent is provided with saw teeth 7'. A pair of guide members 8' and 8' are fixedly provided within the housing 1' by suitable means (not shown) in a spaced relation to the inside of ’he opposite sidewalls of the housing 1 and to each other. The guide members 8,8 extend vertically covering the upper and intermediate chamber 2 and 3' and terminate at the lower ends short of the top of the lower chamber 4'. A substantial portion of the guide members 8', 8' also extend transversely of the full width of the housing 1' and are connected at the rear ends to the inside of the rear end wall of the housing. The upper portions of the front ends of the guide members 8', 8' are connected to the inside of the front wall of the housing 1’ except the lower portions which terminate at the fore ends short of the front wall of the housing intermediate chamber 3' for the purpose to be described hereinbelow. Since the pair of guide members 8', 8' are identical with each other in construction and in position with respect to the housing 1', only one of them will be in detail described. The guide member 8' is provided on the inner side with a meandering paper roll core guide groove 9' which includes a substantially vertical upper portion, a contiguous substantially horizontal intermediate portion and a contiguous substantially vertical lower portion. The guide member 8' is also provided on the outer side with a substantially U-shaped weir guide groove 10' in which an elastic weir 11' preferably formed of plastic is slidably received. The weir 10' has a weir member 1 Γα at one or the upper end and the other or lower end of the weir has a first pusher member 12' connected thereto. The lower end of the vertical portion of the core guide groove 9’ and an intermediate point of the lower leg of the U-shaped weir guide groove 10’ arc in communication with each other at their intersecting point 9'a. Also slidably received in the lower leg of the weir guide groove 10’ is a first pusher member 12’ and the pusher member is connected to the weir 11' to form a unitary assembly. The pusher member 12' has an integral depending portion 12'a which is formed with an elongated slot 16. A second pusher member 17 is slidably received in a guide slot 18 which is provided in the

3,598,331 guide member 8' on the outer side thereof substantially parallel to and below the lower leg of the weir guide groove 1Γ. The second pusher member 17 has a pin 19 which is received in the slot 16 in the depending portion of the first pusher member 12' A coiled spring 13 is anchored at one end to a point between the upper and lower ends of the first pusher member 12' and at the other end to the inside of the rear wall of the housing 1' for normally urging the assembly including the weir 11' and first and second pusher member 12' and 17. A substantially U-shaped manual operation member 15' is provided with each of its legs extending through the opening in the front wall of the intermediate chamber 3' and the lower leg of the weir guide groove 1®’ and the free end of each of the operation member legs is suitably connected to the respectively associated first pusher member 12'. A paper roll Core retaining piece 20 is provided on the bottom ofthe slot 18 adjacent to the fore end for retaining the core C of a paper roll P against inadvertent rolling down from the slot 18. The upper surface of the retaining piece 2® is spaced from the upper side of the slot 18 by a distance slighter greater than the diameter of the core C of one paper roil. The lower end of the lower vertical portion of the core guide groove 9' and the fore end of the slot 18 are in communication with each other at their intersecting point 9’b and the guide groove 9' and slot 18 have a cross section area slightly larger than the diameter ofthe core C of one paper roll whereas the cross section area of the weir guide groove 10' is slightly smaller than the paper roll core C.

The operation of the above-mentioned modified toilet paper holding device will be now described assuming that the housing 1' is now charged with no toilet paper roll therein and the weir and pusher member assemblies 11', 11' and 12’, 12’ are in the position shown in FIG. 7. First of all, the cover on the top of the upper chamber 2' is opened and then the manual operation member 15' is pulled against the force of the springs 13', 13' to pull the weir and pusher member assemblies 11', 11', 12', 12' and 17, 17 forwardly until the weir members 11 'a on the weirs 1Γ, 11' clear the vertical portions of the core guide grooves 9', 9' and the operation member 15' is held in the pulled position. With the weir and pusher member assemblies held in the position of FIG. 7, a desired number of toilet paper rolls P are inserted into the empty housing 1' one upon another with their longitudinal axes positioned horizontal by inserting the opposite ends of their cores C into the guide grooves 9', 9' in the opposite guide members 8', 8'. As the paper rolls P are inserted into the housing 1' in the manner mentioned above, these paper rolls slide down the guide grooves 9', 9' until the core C of the first or lowest paper roll P seats on the weirs 11', 11' in the lower legs ofthe weir guide grooves 10', 10' whereupon the sliding down movement of the paper rolls are halted. The operation member 15' is then released to allow the weir and pusher member assemblies IT, 1Γ, 12', 12' and 17,17 to retract to the position of FIG. 7 by the action of the springs 13', 13' whereupon the core C of the lowest paper roll P falls down to the lower ends of the vertical portions of the core guide grooves 9', 9' and simultaneously, the core C of the next lowest paper roll P seats on and is prevented from falling by the weir members 11 'α, 1 i'a on the weirs 11', 11'. Thereafter, the manual operation member 15' is again pulled against the force of the springs 13', 13’ to pull the assemblies 11', 1Γ, 12', 12' and 17,17 forwardly until the core C of the lowest paper roll P which is now at the lower ends of the vertical groove portions reaches the fore ends of the intermediate horizontal portions of the core guide grooves 9', 9'. Upon reaching the fore ends of the horizontal groove portions, the core falls down in the lower vertical portions of the core guide grooves 9’, 9' to the lower ends of the groove portions by gravity where the core is held by the retaining pieces 20, 20. Simultaneously, the core C of the next lowest paper roll P which now seats on the weir members 1 Γα, 1 Γα is allowed to slide down the upper vertical portions onto and seat on the weirs 11', IT. Thereafter, the operation member 15' is released to allow the weir and pusher member assemblies 11', 1Γ, 12', 12' andJ7, 17 to retract to the position of FIG. 7 by the action of the springs 13', 13' whereupon the core C of the next lowest paper roll C which now seats on the weirs 11', 11' in the lower legs of the guide grooves 10', 10' falls down to and is held at the lower ends of the upper vertical portions of the core guide grooves 9’, 9' and the core C of the third paper roll P seats on and is held against falling by the weir members 11'a, 11'a. As mentioned above in connection with the first embodiment, the beginning end of the lowest paper roll is payed out of the roll on the core until the end extends beyond the opening between the lower edge of the opening 5' in the housing 1' and the lower end of the pivoted cover 6' by a suitable distance. In use, the user pulls the extended beginning end of the paper roll by a desired length and shears the extended paper length against the saw tooth edge 7’ of the opening 5’ leaving the newly formed beginning end extending beyond the saw tooth edge for next use. When the lowest paper roll has been exhausted, the manual operation member 15’ is pulled against the force of the springs 13', 13' until the empty core C of the exhausted lowest paper roll P passes over the retaining pieces 20,20 and rolls down into the core collection chamber 4' where the core C is held for discharge from the housing Γ. When the core collection chamber 4' is filled with a predetermined number of empty cores, the bottom cover 4'a is manually pivoted open whereby the collected cores are discharged from the chamber 4’. Simultaneously, the next lowest paper roll the core of which is now positioned at the lower ends of the upper vertical portions of the core guide grooves 9’, 9' moves slidably in the horizontal intermediate portions of the core guide grooves and then passes over the fore ends of the horizontal groove portions into the lower vertical portions of the guide grooves until the core reaches the lower ends of the lower vertical guide groove portions where the next paper roll is ready for use. The same operation procedure can be repeated for the rest paper rolls.

While two preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail it will be understood that they are for the illustration only and are not to be taken as a definition of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.