LIGATURE-RESISTANT FOLDED-SHEET PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER WITH HIDDEN OUTLET SLOT
A ligature-resistant folded-sheet paper towel dispenser includes a rear housing with a rear mounting plane surface for securing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall. A front cover is rotatably coupled and lockable to the rear housing, and a hidden paper outlet formed by the front cover, the rear housing, or a combination of the front cover and the rear housing is fed by a paper path terminating in an outlet slot at the bottom of the towel dispenser to dispense paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels. The paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature. The cover is rounded to prevent formation of a ligature by looping, and the front cover and rear housing form a blind seam to prevent insertion of a ligature.
The present invention relates generally to paper towel dispensers, and in particular, to a folded-sheet paper towel dispenser having a hidden the outlet slot, through which a ligature cannot be formed by insertion of an object.
2. Description of the Related ArtLigature-resistant design is a requirement in many institutional locations. In particular, in rooms where persons may be left unattended and where there is a risk that fixtures may be used as a support to tie a ligature, such as a belt, rope or a cloth, a way to ensure that the fixtures cannot be used in such a manner is desirable. In general, ligature-resistant design is an issue that exists any height above the floor, since objects above the floor can be used to support a ligature, even if one is not attachable.
Paper towel dispensers having locking features are in common-use in public places and private facilities such as hospitals, mental health facilities and incarceration facilities. In such private facilities it is desirable to secure folded-sheet paper towels for both use conservation and sanitation, as in public facilities. Commercial folded-sheet paper towel dispensers are not suitable ligature-resistant designs and typically provide an outlet slot through which a ligature can be attached and a shape around which a ligature may be formed by looping around the dispenser.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a folded-sheet paper towel dispenser that prevents ligature formation and/or support of such ligatures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe above objectives, among others, are achieved in a ligature-resistant folded-sheet paper towel dispenser and a method of dispensing paper towels.
The ligature-resistant folded-sheet paper towel dispenser includes a rear housing having a mounting plane surface on a rear face thereof for securing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall, a front cover rotatably coupled to the rear housing, and a paper outlet formed by one of the front cover, the rear housing, or a combination of the front cover and the rear housing fed by a paper path terminating in an outlet slot disposed at a bottom of the towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels, wherein the paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature. The ligature-resistant folded-sheet paper towel dispenser also includes a locking mechanism for securing the front cover to the rear housing.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like components, and:
The present disclosure illustrates folded-sheet paper towel dispensers that provide ligature-resistant structure and installation. The ligature-resistant folded-sheet paper towel dispensers have a front cover that covers a rear housing that holds a paper towel stack. The front cover and rear housing provide a hidden outlet slot that terminates a paper path for dispensing the paper towels at the bottom of the housing. The paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to hide the outlet slot and prevent upward insertion of a ligature. The housing may have a curved or inclined shape at the top to which a ligature is not attachable. Ligature-resistance may further be provided by a mounting plane surface at the rear of the housing that may be in the form of a flange that extends around the housing and securely affixes the housing to the wall at the periphery of the housing to prevent insertion of a ligature behind the housing. The illustrated example is an assembly of molded plastic parts, although though the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited as to materials or techniques of fabrication.
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In summary, this disclosure shows and describes ligature-resistant paper towel dispensers for dispensing folded-sheet paper towels. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispensers may include a rear housing having a mounting plane surface on a rear face thereof for securing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall, a front cover rotatably coupled to the rear housing, a paper outlet formed by one of the front cover, the rear housing, or a combination of the front cover and the rear housing fed by a paper path terminating in an outlet slot disposed at a bottom of the towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels. The paper path may inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature. A locking mechanism may be provided for securing the front cover to the rear housing.
In some example embodiments, the front cover and the rear housing may form the outlet slot, so that the paper path includes an overlap of the front cover and the rear housing to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward rear face of the housing. In some embodiments, the rear housing may have a rear shelf portion for receiving the stack of folded-sheet paper towels, and the front cover may include a front shelf portion that supports a front edge of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels when the front cover is secured to the rear housing in a closed position. In some embodiments, a front edge of the rear shelf portion and a bottom inner edge of the front cover may form the outlet slot. The bottom inner edge of the front cover may terminate in a projection that overlaps and extends behind and below a front bottom edge of the rear shelf portion to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward the rear face of the housing, so that the outlet slot is not visible from the front or beneath the ligature-resistant towel dispenser. In some embodiments, wherein the front shelf portion may be inclined upward at a front end thereof, whereby the stack of folded-sheet paper towels may be lifted along a front edge of the bottom of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels to reduce downward force of a weight of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels to ease removal of the folded-sheet paper towels through the outlet slot. In some example embodiments, an extension of the front cover in the vicinity of the projection and extending forward and upward from the projection is inclined to direct the paper path rearward at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the mounting plane surface of the rear housing. In some example embodiments, the acute angle may be 45 degrees.
In some example embodiments, the ligature-resistant paper towel may have a top projection having an exterior that is curved or inclined downward from an apex to prevent attachment of a ligature. In some example embodiments, the top projection may be a top projection of the front cover. In some example embodiments, the rear housing may have a rear shelf portion for receiving the stack of folded-sheet paper towels. In some example embodiments, the front cover may be rotatably coupled to the rear housing by a hinge formed by posts formed on inner surfaces of the front cover at opposite sides thereof, and a corresponding pair of slots formed in projections extending from an inner surface of the rear housing, so that the the front cover may be rotated and slid forward with respect to the rear housing to permit access to the rear shelf portion for inserting the stack of folded-sheet paper towels. In some example embodiments, the front cover and the rear housing may join at a blind seam extending around the top and along both sides of the housing to prevent insertion of a ligature when the front cover is secured to the rear housing.
It should be understood, especially by those having ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure, that the various operations described herein, particularly in connection with the figures, may be implemented by other components. The order in which each operation of a given method is performed may be changed, and various elements of the devices and systems illustrated herein may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. It is intended that this disclosure embrace all such modifications and changes and, accordingly, the above description should be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Similarly, although this disclosure makes reference to specific embodiments, certain modifications and changes may be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope and coverage of this disclosure. Moreover, any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form, and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser for dispensing folded-sheet paper towels comprising: a paper outlet formed by a combination of the front cover and the rear housing fed by a paper path terminating in an outlet slot disposed at a bottom of the towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels, wherein the paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature, wherein the front cover and the rear housing form the outlet slot, wherein the paper path includes an overlap of the front cover and the rear housing to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward rear face of the housing, wherein the rear housing has a rear shelf portion for receiving the stack of folded-sheet paper towels, and wherein the front cover includes a front shelf portion that supports a front edge of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels when the front cover is secured to the rear housing in a closed position, wherein a front edge of the rear shelf portion and a bottom inner edge of the front cover form the outlet slot, wherein a horizontal extent of the front shelf portion and the rear shelf portion share a horizontal plane, and wherein the bottom inner edge of the front cover terminates in a projection that overlaps and extends behind and below a front bottom edge of the rear shelf portion to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward the rear face of the housing, so that the outlet slot is not visible from the front or beneath the ligature-resistant towel dispenser; and
- a rear housing having a mounting plane surface on a rear face thereof for securing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall;
- a front cover rotatably coupled to the rear housing;
- a locking mechanism for securing the front cover to the rear housing.
2.-4. (canceled)
5. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front shelf portion is inclined upward at a front end thereof, whereby the stack of folded-sheet paper towels is lifted along a front edge of the bottom of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels to reduce downward force of a weight of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels to ease removal of the folded-sheet paper towels through the outlet slot.
6. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein an extension of the front cover in the vicinity of the projection and extending forward and upward from the projection is inclined to direct the paper path rearward at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the mounting plane surface of the rear housing.
7. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 6, wherein the acute angle is 45 degrees.
8. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser has a top projection having an exterior that is curved or inclined downward from an apex to prevent attachment of a ligature.
9. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 8, wherein the top projection is a top projection of the front cover.
10. (canceled)
11. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front cover is rotatably coupled to the rear housing by a hinge formed by posts formed on inner surfaces of the front cover at opposite sides thereof, and a corresponding pair of slots formed in projections extending from an inner surface of the rear housing, whereby the front cover may be rotated and slid forward with respect to the rear housing to permit access to the rear shelf portion for inserting the stack of folded-sheet paper towels.
12. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front cover and the rear housing join at a blind seam extending around the top and along both sides of the housing to prevent insertion of a ligature when the front cover is secured to the rear housing.
13. A method of dispensing folded-sheet paper towels, while preventing formation or support of a ligature at the location of the dispensing, the method comprising:
- mounting a rear housing of a ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall by securing a mounting plane surface provided at a rear face of the rear housing;
- opening a front cover rotatably attached to the rear housing;
- installing a stack of folded-sheet paper towels within the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser between the front cover and the rear housing;
- securing the front cover to the rear housing and over the stack of folded-sheet paper towels with a locking mechanism; and
- dispensing paper towels from the stack of folded-sheet paper towels through a paper outlet formed by a combination of the front cover and the rear housing by feeding the paper towels through a paper path terminating in an outlet slot disposed at a bottom of the towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels, wherein the paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature, wherein the front cover and the rear housing form the outlet slot, wherein the paper path includes an overlap of the front cover and the rear housing to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward rear face of the housing, so that the outlet slot is not visible from the front or beneath the ligature-resistant towel dispenser, wherein the rear housing has a rear shelf portion for receiving the stack of folded-sheet paper towels, wherein the installing installs the stack of folded-sheet paper towels by setting the stack of folded-sheet paper towels on the rear shelf portion, wherein a horizontal extent of the front shelf portion and the rear shelf portion share a horizontal plane, wherein a front edge of the rear shelf portion and a bottom inner edge of the front cover form the outlet slot, and wherein the bottom inner edge of the front cover terminates in a projection that overlaps and extends behind and below a front bottom edge of the rear shelf portion to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward the rear face of the housing.
14.-15. (canceled)
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising reducing a downward force of the weight of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels to ease removal of the folded-sheet paper towels through the outlet slot by providing an upward incline of the front shelf portion toward a front end thereof.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein an extension of the front cover in the vicinity of the projection and extending forward and upward from the projection is inclined to direct the paper path rearward at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the mounting plane surface of the rear housing.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising preventing attachment of a ligature around a top of the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser by providing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser with an exterior having a top projection that is curved or inclined downward from an apex to prevent attachment of a ligature.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the top projection is a top projection of the front cover.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the front cover is rotatably coupled to the rear housing by a hinge formed by posts formed on inner surfaces of the front cover at opposite sides thereof, and a corresponding pair of slots formed in projections extending from an inner surface of the rear housing, and further comprising rotating and sliding the front cover forward with respect to the rear housing to access the shelf to install the stack of folded-sheet paper towels.
21. A ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser for dispensing folded-sheet paper towels comprising:
- a rear housing having a mounting plane surface on a rear face thereof for securing the ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser to a wall;
- a front cover rotatably coupled to the rear housing;
- a paper outlet formed by a combination of the front cover and the rear housing fed by a paper path terminating in an outlet slot disposed at a bottom of the towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a stack of folded-sheet paper towels, wherein the paper path is inclined so that an exit of the outlet slot is directed toward the rear face of the housing to prevent upward insertion of a ligature, wherein the stack of folded-sheet paper towels provides the towels from alternating directions for alternating sheets of the paper towels with respect to the forward and rearward directions of the housing, and wherein the paper path and the outlet slot are conformed to a thickness of the alternating sheets of the paper towels to admit only a first sheet of the paper towels being extracted and a next sheet of the paper towels being drawn through the outlet slot by the first sheet during extraction of the first sheet of the paper towels; and
- a locking mechanism for securing the front cover to the rear housing.
22. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 21, wherein the paper path includes an overlap of the front cover and the rear housing to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward rear face of the housing.
23. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 22, wherein the rear housing has a rear shelf portion for receiving the stack of folded-sheet paper towels, and wherein the front cover includes a front shelf portion that supports a front edge of the stack of folded-sheet paper towels when the front cover is secured to the rear housing in a closed position.
24. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 23, wherein a front edge of the rear shelf portion and a bottom inner edge of the front cover form the outlet slot, and wherein the bottom inner edge of the front cover terminates in a projection that overlaps and extends behind and below a front bottom edge of the rear shelf portion to direct the exit of the outlet slot toward the rear face of the housing, so that the outlet slot is not visible from the front or beneath the ligature-resistant towel dispenser.
25. The ligature-resistant paper towel dispenser of claim 24, wherein a horizontal extent of the front shelf portion and the rear shelf portion share a horizontal plane.
Type: Application
Filed: May 24, 2022
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2023
Inventors: Mark Mendes (Good Hope, GA), David Cory deLoache (Watkinsville, GA)
Application Number: 17/752,013