US20040130245A1

US20040130245A1 - Bathroom items dispenser

Info

Publication number: US20040130245A1
Application number: US10/336,305
Authority: US
Inventors: Marli Pinto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-06
Filing date: 2003-01-06
Publication date: 2004-07-08

Abstract

A dispenser for storing items is disclosed having multiple storage spaces for multiple different types of items with multiple areas for mounting toilet paper rolls and one embodiment allows for stacking a plurality of toilet paper rolls for semi-automatic mounting of same into working position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The instant invention relates to bathroom related devices and more particularly to devices for dispensing and serial storing of toilet tissue along with other bathroom-related items.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Design Pat. No. D257,082 to Williams shows a storage cabinet—paper toilet roll combination.

Utility Pat. No. 5,570,938 to Butler discloses a cabinet for storing paper toilet rolls which swings out for hand removal of the rolls.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,333 to Boone discloses a bathroom fixture that stores both toilet paper rolls and a box of moistened towellettes.

With modern packaging of toilet tissue in 12, 24 and even 48-count rolls per economical purchase, extra toilet tissue rolls not being immediately used sometimes find their way to being stored in the garage, in cabinets around the house or even in bathroom cabinets far away from the toilet.

Add to tissue packaging the plethora of marketed personal products such as shaving supplies, creams, feminine products, facial products, etc. All these items need to be stored between uses. The normal bathroom medicine cabinet, an old design continually carried forward, easily can become filled to overflowing. The prior art simply does not address this modern storage problem although it does touch on the storage of only a few extra rolls of toilet paper.

Contrarily to the prior art, the instant invention discloses a combination storage cabinet and multiple roll dispenser where the cabinet contains space for a plurality of bathroom-related items beyond merely more rolls of toilet paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the instant invention. [0010]
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the invention of FIG. 1. [0011]
FIG. 3 is a cutaway drawing the invention of FIG. 1. [0012]
FIG. 4 is a cutaway drawing of the invention of FIG. 2. [0013]
FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a differing embodiment of the instant invention.[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning to FIG. 1, we see the instant cabinet [0015] 50 and its doors 21 with handles 41. These doors 21 may be transparent, opaque or made of any suitable material desired by an owner. Doors 21 may also not be present entirely. However, it is preferred that doors 21 appear and are used to enclose the storage spaces 22 for esthetic and cleanliness reasons.
Beneath the [0016] doors 21, for easy and open access, is an open area 30 into which a plurality of toilet paper rolls 42 may be placed. More than one roll 42 is here provided for ease of overall use. Also one roll may then be mounted with the paper unrolling from the top while the other may have the paper unrolling from the bottom; should such a preference arise.
FIG. 2 is the side view of FIG. 1 and shows that from the side, [0017] rolls 42 are preferably not seen.
In FIG. 3, the cabinet [0018] 50 doors 21 are partially cut away to reveal the many compartments or storage spaces 22 situated underneath. In FIG. 4, side 51 of cabinet 50 is entirely cut away showing compartments 22 and roll 42 as they are typically placed. Roll 42 is shown placed into open, uncovered space 30.
[0019] End roll stand 23 is permanently fastened to cabinet 50 vertical wall 51. It engages with a toilet roll 42 via its half-moon-shaped plug 33. Stand 23 and plug 33 are preferably solidly manufactured, and may be so even to the point of being manufactured in one piece.
Opposing the [0020] solid plug 33, stand 23 is movable plug 24. Backed by spring 26, movable plug 24 slides within sleeve 25 which is mounted upon interior wall 29. The space 27 between interior walls 29 allows each of the plurality of rolls 42 to be properly seated between plugs 33 and 24 with movable plug 24 being slidable into sleeve 25 for easy removal and replacement of rolls 42 with spring 26 re-seating plug 24 for proper seating of roll 42.
The plurality of [0021] storage spaces 22 are available for storage of extra rolls 42 and any and all other types of items desired to be stored at immediate hand in a bathroom.
A second preferred embodiment is found in FIG. 5. There, a [0022] vertical storage area 66 is added to the cabinet 50. This may be in addition to the multiple vertical storage areas 22 shown in FIGS. 1-4 or it may take the place of one bank of said storage areas 22.
In the embodiment of FIG. 5, a sleeve [0023] 69 is added atop storage area 30 for the bathroom tissue rolls 42. Horizontally sliding panel 60 holds up a plurality of rolls 42. Handhold or handle 61 allows a user to manually pull panel 60 back into sleeve 69. When this is done, tissue rolls 42 are then capable of dropping through gravitational force down into cavity 30.
Here, [0024] end roll stand 23 is not permanently attached to the side of cabinet 50. Here it is swingably attached via pivot 62 allowing it to move upwards to a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 5.
Once stand [0025] 23 is horizontal, a user would then slide back panel 60 and allow the rolls 42 to drop down upon stand 23 's plug 33. When the user allows stand 23 to come back down to vertical, about halfway down [at a somewhat 45 degree angle] the bottommost roll 42 will begin to cease self-supporting the rolls 42 on top of it. At that time, panel 60 would be slid back into position under the rolls 42 stack. So when stand 23 brought its roll 42 down away from the stack, panel 60 was holding up the stack. It can then be fully slid closed using handle 61.
As [0026] stand 23 swung down on pivot 62 to the horizontal position, plug 24 would then be moved back into sleeve 25 against mounting wall 29. If for some reason, roll 42 cannot clear plug 24 to easily slide into horizontal place over plug 24, wall 29 can be backed with spring 28. Spring 28 can then allow the entire wall 29 and plug assembly 24, 25, 26 to move out of the way of rotating roll 42. It allows this to happen by allowing wall 29 to move backwards into the space 27 between walls 29. Here, the rightmost wall 29 is still solidly fixed and allows a solid mass against which spring 28 may react. After seating roll 42 against plugs 33 and 24, spring 27 returns wall 29 back to its normal place and spring 26 also returns plug 24 back to its working position. Now the new toilet roll 42 is in position after having gone through the above “automatic” procedure.
The toilet roll holder to the right operates in the same manner as prior art holders and as described above. Its [0027] wall 29 is entirely fixed. Thus, rightmost wall 29 provides a solid backing for spring 28 and is used to help bring left wall 29 back into working position once spring 28 comes back to normal length.
IN OPERATION, cabinet [0028] 50 would hold a plurality of bathroom related items in spaces 22, such as extra toilet paper rolls 42, medicines, female absorbents, boxes of moist towelettes for additional personal cleansing beyond mere paper wiping, and the like. Cabinet 50 would preferably be mounted near the bathroom toilet itself so that all the items are readily available as needed and need not be stored elsewhere throughout the house. The doors 21 may be transparent or opaque as desired, as may the cabinet 50 itself. Cabinet 50 as a whole may be hung up upon a wall or seated upon a support such as the rear tank covering of the toilet.
Two rolls of [0029] toilet tissue 42 are shown immediately ready for use in spaces 30. Exterior walls 51 of cabinet 50 hold solid plug and stand 33 & 23 while spaced, interior walls 29 support slidable plug 24, which manually slides into sleeves 25 and is pushed back out by spring 26. Space 27 between walls 29 allows for properly placing walls 29 to assure proper seating of rolls 42 on plugs 33 and 24, in each respective space 30.
For a semi-“automatic” operation of changing toilet paper rolls [0030] 42, cabinet 50 may be fitted with a sleeve 69 having a sliding panel 60 which supports a stack of rolls 42. A handle 61 on panel 60 allows a user to manually slide panel 60 back into sleeve 69 while the user swings stand 23 up into position to catch the bottommost roll 42. As the user swings stand 23 and caught roll 42 back downward, the user simultaneously slides panel 60 sideways so panel 60 can support the stack of rolls 42. As the swinging roll 42 contacts the plug 24, it is pushed back into sleeve 25 to make room for it to complete its swing down. Should there still be not enough room for roll 42 to complete its swing, then the entire mechanism 24, 25, 26 and wall 29 can be pushed back on spring 28 into empty area 27. Once the roll 42 clears, everything is allowed to spring back out so that roll 42 is properly seated in working position.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates to preferred embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. [0031]

Claims

We claim:

1) bathroom items dispenser, comprising:

at least one cabinet;

a plurality of a solid toilet paper roll stand and plug devices;

a plurality of a movable toilet paper roll plug, sleeve and spring devices;

a plurality of toilet paper rolls;

means for mounting said toilet paper rolls between both said solid and movable toilet paper roll plugs, whereby, via said sleeve and said springs, said toilet paper rolls can be properly mounted therebetween;

means for spacing said means for mounting said toilet paper rolls for proper seating of said toilet paper rolls on said means for mounting said toilet paper rolls;

storage space for a plurality of separate items inside said cabinet; and means for enclosing and revealing said storage spaces.

2) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said cabinet has a plurality of toilet paper rolls stored within said storage spaces for easy access to change out a used one of said toilet paper rolls.

3) The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said cabinet has a plurality of bathroom items beyond said plurality of toilet tissue rolls stored within said storage spaces.

4) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said cabinet has a plurality of bathroom items such as shaving items, moist towellettes, feminine products, facial products creams and like items stored within said storage spaces.

5) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said means for enclosing and revealing said storage spaces does not enclose said means for mounting said toilet paper rolls.

6) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said plurality of toilet paper rolls is mounted side by side.

7) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said plurality of toilet paper rolls is mounted underneath said storage spaces.

8) The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said means for enclosing and revealing said storage spaces does not appear upon the face of said cabinet.

9) A bathroom items dispenser, comprising:

at least one cabinet;

a plurality of a solid toilet paper roll stand and plug devices;

a plurality of a movable toilet paper roll plug, sleeve and spring devices;

a plurality of toilet paper rolls;

means for allowing said toilet paper rolls to be stacked vertically;

said means for allowing comprising,

horizontal sleeve forming means for holding a panel;

panel for sliding into said horizontal sleeve;

handle for manually sliding said panel;

at least one pivot around which at least one of said toilet paper roll plugs may swing;

spring for moving at least one of said means for spacing as needed;

said means for allowing vertical stacking and at least one of said springs together comprising means for semi-automatically dispensing said toilet paper rolls;

storage space for a plurality of separate items inside said cabinet; and

means for enclosing and revealing said storage spaces.

10) The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said cabinet has a plurality of bathroom items beyond said plurality of toilet tissue rolls stored within said storage spaces.

11) The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said cabinet has a plurality of bathroom items such as shaving items, moist towelettes, feminine products, facial products creams and like items stored within said storage spaces.

12) The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said means for enclosing and revealing said storage spaces does not enclose said means for mounting said toilet paper rolls.

13) The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said plurality of toilet paper rolls is mounted side by side.

14) The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said plurality of toilet paper rolls is mounted underneath said storage spaces.