Tissue dispensing device for vehicles

Abstract

A tissue dispensing device for vehicles includes a body having a circumferential outer wall, a base wall, a top opening, an upper portion, a lower portion and a transition portion extending between and connecting the upper and lower portions, the body being generally hollow and a lid having a tissue release opening formed therein, the lid adapted to fit on and cover the top opening. The upper portion has a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of the lower portion and the lower portion has a generally truncated cone shape such that as the lower portion is slid into a cup-holder, the sides of the cup-holder frictionally engage the lower portion to releasably secure the device within the cup-holder. Finally, a plurality of tissues is housed within the body in an interconnected manner for dispensing through the tissue dispensing opening of the lid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PROVISIONAL PATENT

This application claims priority based on a provisional patent, specifically on the Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/604,225 filed Aug. 25, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention is directed to paper product dispensers and, more particularly, to a tissue dispensing device for a vehicle which includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion adapted to contain a plurality of tissues which may be dispensed through a top opening in a lid which covers the body and the lower portion having a generally truncated conical shape adapted to fit within and be frictionally engaged and supported by a cup holder in an automobile or other vehicle.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The average amount of time that Americans spend in their vehicles has been steadily increasing, and this has resulted in more and more activities taking place within the vehicle during the travel period which would ordinarily take place out of the vehicle. For example, use of cell phones in vehicles is virtually ubiquitous, and it is quite common to see persons eating, drinking, or interacting with other passengers during the time the vehicle is being driven. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of all of this time spent in vehicles is that there is an increased need for accessible paper products such as tissues which can be used during the vehicle's travels for various activities such as cleaning spills, blowing and wiping noses, and covering one's mouth while coughing. With the increased need for access to tissues, however, there has not been a corresponding change in the way that tissues are dispensed to accommodate this increased need. In fact, tissues are still stored within rectangular cardboard boxes which generally find their way into the back seat of the vehicle and are not easily accessible when needed. There is therefore a need for a tissue dispenser for vehicles which may be easily positioned in an accessible, unobtrusive and convenient location.

The vast majority of recreational and personal vehicles manufactured today are equipped with cup-holding devices mounted in conveniently accessible locations within the cab of the vehicle. Although these cup-holding devices come in many different configurations, they are generally designed to accommodate a certain size and shape of cup in a frictional fit position which will releasably retain the cup within the cup-holding device. As the vast majority of cups have a generally truncated conical shape at their lower end, cup-holding devices have been designed to receive and frictionally retain cups having this standard shape within the cup-holding device. With the proliferation of cup-holding devices and the need for tissues to be retained within an easily accessible location, there is therefore a need for a tissue dispensing device which is designed to fit within and be frictionally releasably retained by a cup-holding device.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles which includes a body having an upper portion and lower portion, the upper portion being significantly larger in circumference than the lower portion with a transition portion connecting the two upper and lower portions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles in which the entire upper portion is filled with a plurality of tissues, thus providing a significantly increased amount of available tissues due to the enlarged size of the upper portion of the body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles in which the lower portion has a generally truncated conic shape which permits the lower portion to frictionally engage a standard cup holder when the lower portion is pushed into the cup holder, thus frictionally securing the tissue dispensing device in the cup holder to allow for effective removal of the tissues from the device without dislodging the tissue dispensing device from the cup holder.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles in which the tissues are arranged in a spiral configuration with tissues being drawn upwards and outwards from the center of the spiral configuration to both increase the number of tissues capable of being stored within the body of the tissue dispensing device and also increasing the dispensing efficiency of the tissue dispensing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tissue dispensing device for vehicles which includes a scent emitting ring mounted on the lid which emits a pleasing scent each time a tissue is removed from the tissue dispensing device.

Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an tissue dispensing device for vehicles which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe, efficient and effective in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tissue dispensing device for vehicles which includes a body having a circumferential outer wall, a base wall, a top opening, an upper portion, a lower portion and a transition portion extending between and connecting the upper and lower portions thereby integrally connecting and forming the body, the body being generally hollow and a lid having a tissue release opening formed therein, the lid adapted to fit on and cover the top opening. The upper portion of the body has a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of the lower portion of the body and the lower portion has a generally truncated cone shape having a taper from an upper section of the lower portion to a lower section of the lower portion generally adjacent the base wall such that as the lower portion is slid into a cup-holding device, the sides of a cup-holding device frictionally engage an outer surface of the circumferential outer wall of the lower portion, with the frictional engagement forces between the sides of the cup-holding device and the outer surface of the circumferential outer wall of the lower portion continue to increase as the tissue dispensing device is further inserted into the cup-holding device. Finally, a plurality of tissues is housed within the body in an interconnected manner operative to pull the next tissue in line upwards and outwards as the topmost tissue is removed from the body through the tissue dispensing opening of the lid.

The tissue dispensing device for vehicles as described above provides numerous advantages over those tissue dispensing devices found in the prior art. For example, because of the enlarged circumference of the upper portion of the body, a significantly increased number of tissues may be housed within the body, thus increasing the usefulness of the present invention and decreasing the likelihood that an individual using the present invention will run out of tissues at an inopportune moment. Furthermore, the ability of the lower portion of the body to frictionally engage a standard cup holder when the lower portion is placed there within means that tissues will be readily available for use by the driver or passengers of the motor vehicle, as the majority of motor vehicles are designed to place the cup holders in easily accessible locations. Also, the inclusion of the scent ring on top of the lid of the tissue dispensing device generally eliminates the need for inclusion of other scent-emitting devices in the motor vehicle, and thus the present invention solves two needs in one package. Finally, because the tissues in the present invention are preferably stored within the upper portion of the body in a spiral configuration from which tissues are removed from the center, a larger number of tissues may be stored within the body and the efficiency of tissue removal is greatly increased. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of the present invention thus provides a substantial improvement over those devices and methods found in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tissue dispensing device of the present invention showing it mounted within a cup holder in a vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the tissue dispensing device showing the scent emission ring mounted atop the body of the dispenser; and

FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view of the tissue dispensing device showing the spiral configuration of the tissues housed within the device for increased storage capacity and dispensing efficiency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention is shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2 as including a generally cylindrical body 12 having an upper portion 14 and a lower portion 16. In the preferred embodiment, body 12 would have an overall height of approximately 6 to 10 inches and a diameter of between 2 and 5 inches, with the body 12 preferably having a generally slightly conical shape as shown in FIG. 1. Body 12 would preferably be generally hollow and would include a circumferential outer wall 18 which would preferably be constructed of a plastic or paper material which is disposable once the tissue dispensing device 10 has been used. As shown best in FIG. 1, upper portion 14 of body 12 would extend approximately two thirds of the height of body 12 and would be generally cylindrical or slightly conical in shape with the larger diameter portion thereof adjacent the topmost edge of upper portion 14 tapering downwards approaching lower portion 16. In fact, in the preferred embodiment, the upper portion 14 of the body 12 would have a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of the lower portion of the body 12. Lower portion 16 would thus be connected to upper portion 14 by a transition section 20 which tapers inwards substantially from upper portion 14 to the smaller diameter of lower portion 16, thus integrally connecting and forming body 12. Extending across the bottom portion of lower portion 16 is a base wall 22 which closes off the lower opening of lower portion 16, and likewise a lid 24 is provided which will screwed, snap-fitted or releasably secured by any appropriate means on upper portion 14 at the top portion thereof to enclose the interior volume of body 12.

In the preferred embodiment, lid 24 would preferably include a central opening 26 through which tissues 40 stored within the body 12 may be removed. The central opening 26 may be of various shapes and sizes, but it is important that the central opening 26 be of sufficient size to permit removal of the tissues 40 without damaging the tissues 40, yet be of small enough diameter to prevent accidental discharge of the tissues 40 should the tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention be tipped over or inverted.

Dispensing of tissues stored within the body 12 would take place in the following manner. The tissues 40 would be stored within the body 12 in an interconnected manner which will pull the next tissue in line upwards and outwards as the topmost tissue is removed from the body 12 through central opening 26 of lid 24. It is preferred that at least the upper portion 14 and preferably both the upper portion 14 and lower portion 16 of body 12 be filled with tissues 40 in order to provide a sufficient number of tissues 40 within the body 12 for dispensing through the central opening 26 of lid 24, although the exact number of tissues is not critical to the present invention and will generally be determined by the manufacturer of the present invention. Also, the size of the body 12 will generally dictate the number of tissues 40 which may be stored therewithin, and it should be noted that modification to the shape of upper portion 14 of the body 12 may be undertaken to increase or modify the number of tissues 40 stored within the body 12. For example, the upper portion 14, instead of being constructed as a generally cylindrical shape, may be constructed having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape or a cross-sectional shape of virtually any shape, such as a pentagon, hexagon, octagon, or other such pleasing shape or design. As the body 12 of the tissue dispensing device 10 will likely be manufactured by blow molding or injection molding of the plastic construction material, such modifications in size and shape would be well understood by one skilled in the art of manufacturing such plastic shapes and are understood to be a part of this disclosure. Finally, the decorative aspects of the outer surface of the body 12 may be modified or changed depending on the desires of the manufacturer and/or the user of the present invention, including affixing various logos or indicia thereon or including small pockets mounted on the outer surface of the body 12 for holding photos, pictures or other decorative devices for display thereof.

The truly critical feature of the tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention is shown best in FIG. 1 and consists of the size and shape of lower portion 16 which is designed to fit within and be frictionally retained by a cup-holding device 50 mounted within a vehicle. As was discussed previously, the preferred shape for lower portion 16 is as a truncated cone having a small degree of tapering from the upper section of lower portion 16 to the lower section of lower portion 16 adjacent to base wall 22 such that as the lower portion 16 is slid into the cup-holding device 50, the sides 52 of the cup-holding device 50 begin to frictionally engage the outer surface 19 of circumferential outer wall 18 of lower portion 16, and as the lower portion 16 continues to be slid into the cup-holding device 50, the frictional engagement forces between sides 52 of cup-holding device 50 and outer surface 19 of lower portion 16 continues to increase. This frictional securement between the sides 52 of cup-holding device 50 and outer surface 19 of lower portion 16 is critical to the present invention as removal of the tissues 40 through central opening 26 of lid 24 will result in an upwards force being applied to the body 12 of travel tissue dispenser 10 and it is necessary to counteract this upwards force to prevent the tissue dispensing device 10 from dislodging from the cup-holding device 50 each time the tissues 40 are withdrawn from central opening 26.

The travel tissue dispensers found in the prior art all incorporate various devices to secure the tissue dispenser on the mounting surface, such as Velcro strips, two-sided tape, or other such mounting devices. However, one of the major benefits of the present invention is that no such securement devices are needed to retain the tissue dispensing device 10 within the cup-holding device 50, as it is the frictional securement between the sides 52 of cup-holding device 50 and the outer surface 19 of lower portion 16 which provides all of the securement force necessary to ensure proper operation of the tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention. This unique and novel aspect of the present invention contributes greatly to its functional success.

To increase the force of the frictional contact between the sides 52 of cup-holding device 50 and the outer surface 19 of lower portion 16, the present invention may further include a rubber or foam ring or cylinder (not shown) which fits onto the lower portion 16 and provides increased frictional contact between the sides 52 of cup-holding device 50 and the outer surface 19 of lower portion 16. The exact nature of the rubber or foam ring or cylinder is not critical to the present invention, and the inclusion of such friction-enhancing devices is known in connection with frictional securement systems for objects. Also, it may be beneficial to add a weight to the lowermost part of the lower section 16 to increase the stability of the tissue dispensing device 10 in the vehicle, although the exact size, shape and material used in connection with the weight is not critical to the present invention. Although it is believed that the present invention will function quite well without these additional features, inclusion of them is made a part of this disclosure and may improve the functionality of the present invention.

An additional feature of the present invention is shown best in FIG. 2 as including a scent emission ring 30 which, in the preferred embodiment, would be mounted atop lid 24 on a set of raised pegs 28 formed atop lid 24 which support the scent emission ring 30 in a slightly elevated position above lid 24. It is preferred that scent emission ring 30 include a central opening 32 which corresponds with central opening 26 of lid 24 such that when scent emission ring 30 is placed on lid 24, tissues 40 may still be withdrawn through central opening 26. To releasably secure scent emission ring 30 on top of lid 24, a scent ring securement cylinder 32 is releasably mounted on lid 24 to securely mount scent emission ring 30 atop raised pegs 28 on lid 24 below the scent ring securement cylinder 32, as shown best in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment, the scent ring securement cylinder 32 would be either screwed or snapped onto lid 24 and would have a generally fluted shape to increase the aesthetic appearance of the scent ring securement cylinder 32 and hence the tissue dispensing device 10, although such ornamentation is not necessary for the functionality of the present invention. In use, then, as a tissue 40 is pulled through lid 24 through central opening 26, it would extend upwards through scent ring securement cylinder 32 and the gentle jostling of tissue dispensing device 10 would slightly shift scent emission ring 30 on raised pegs 28. As the tissue 40 is removed though the scent ring securement cylinder 32, the jostling movement of scent emission ring 30 causes emission of a pleasing fragrance therefrom to enhance the olfactory enjoyment of the user of the tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention and simultaneously improve the smell within the interior of the vehicle each and every time a tissue 40 is removed from the tissue dispensing device 10. The scent emission ring 30 may be constructed of various materials and may include various scents such as pine, fruit, or flowers, the manufacture of which would be understood by one skilled in the art of manufacturing air freshening devices.

An additional important feature of the present invention is shown best in FIG. 3, in that the tissues 40 are preferably housed within the upper portion 14 of body 12 in a compact spiral configuration with adjacent tissues frictionally engaging one another such that removal of the innermost tissue through the central opening 26 pulls the next tissue in line upwards and outwards through the central opening 26 so that the next tissue to be dispensed may be accessed by the user of the present invention. The inclusion of the spiral configuration for the tissues 40 is in the upper portion 14 of body 12 is heretofore unknown in the prior art and permits a substantial increase in the number of tissues 40 which may be housed within the upper portion 14 of body 12 due to the extremely close contact proximity between successive layers of the spiral configuration. Of course, it is not specifically required to store the tissues 40 of the present invention in such a spiral configuration, but it has been found that the use of the spiral configuration for the tissues 40 will not only increase the number of tissues which may be stored within the upper portion 14 of body 12, but also will increase the efficiency with which removal of the tissues 40 through the central opening 26 is achieved. It is therefore believed that the use of the spiral configuration for the tissues 40 is an important and desirable aspect of the present invention.

It is to be understood that numerous additions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the tissue dispensing device 10 of the present invention which fall within the intended broad scope of the above description. For example, the upper portion 14 of body 12 may be constructed of various sizes and shapes depending on the appearance desired for the upper portion 14, and such modifications are understood to be a part of this disclosure. Also, the size, shape, and construction materials used in connection with the tissue dispensing device 10 may be modified or changed so long as the functional aspects thereof are neither degraded nor destroyed. Furthermore, the type, size, and number of tissues 40 housed within the body 12 of tissue dispensing device 10 may be modified or changed so long as the tissues 40 may be quickly and easily dispensed from the body 12 through an opening either in the lid 24 or through an opening in circumferential outer wall 18 as may be desired by a manufacturer of the present invention. Finally, the precise size, shape, and scent nature of the scent emission ring 30 may be modified or changed depending upon the desires and needs of the manufacturer and/or user of the present invention.

There has therefore been shown and described a tissue dispensing device 10 which accomplishes at least all of its intended objectives.

Claims

1. A tissue dispensing device for vehicles comprising:

a body having a circumferential outer wall, a base wall, a top opening, an upper portion, a lower portion and a transition portion extending between and connecting said upper and lower portions thereby integrally connecting and forming said body, said body being generally hollow;

a lid having a tissue release opening formed therein, said lid adapted to fit on and cover said top opening;

said upper portion of said body having a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of said lower portion of said body;

said lower portion having a generally truncated cone shape having a taper from an upper section of said lower portion to a lower section of said lower portion generally adjacent said base wall such that as said lower portion is slid into a cup-holding device, the sides of a cup-holding device frictionally engage an outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion, with the frictional engagement forces between the sides of the cup-holding device and said outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion continue to increase as said tissue dispensing device is further inserted into the cup-holding device; and

a plurality of tissues housed within said body in an interconnected manner operative to pull the next tissue in line upwards and outwards as the topmost tissue is removed from said body through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid.

2. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 1 wherein said plurality of tissues are stored in a spiral configuration with successive innermost tissues being removed through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid.

3. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 1 further comprising a scent emission ring removably mounted atop said lid, said scent emission ring including a central opening extending therethrough which, upon said scent emission ring being mounted atop said lid, generally corresponds with said tissue dispensing opening of said lid whereby tissues are still withdrawable through said tissue dispensing opening.

4. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of raised pegs formed atop said lid, said plurality of raised pegs operative to support said scent emission ring in a slightly elevated position above said lid thereby accentuating release of scent from said scent emission ring.

5. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 3 further comprising a scent ring securement cylinder having a lower section operative to extend through said central opening of said scent emission ring and releasably connect to said lid and an upper section having a circumference greater than the circumference of said central opening thereby releasably securing and mounting said scent emission ring on top of said lid.

6. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 1 wherein said transition portion of said body has a slope angle of at least thirty degrees (30°) from vertical.

7. A tissue dispensing device for vehicles comprising:

a body having a circumferential outer wall, a base wall, a top opening, an upper portion, a lower portion and a transition portion extending between and connecting said upper and lower portions thereby integrally connecting and forming said body, said body being generally hollow;

a lid having a tissue release opening formed therein, said lid adapted to fit on and cover said top opening;

said upper portion of said body having a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of said lower portion of said body;

said lower portion having a generally truncated cone shape having a taper from an upper section of said lower portion to a lower section of said lower portion generally adjacent said base wall such that as said lower portion is slid into a cup-holding device, the sides of a cup-holding device frictionally engage an outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion, with the frictional engagement forces between the sides of the cup-holding device and said outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion continue to increase as said tissue dispensing device is further inserted into the cup-holding device;

a plurality of tissues housed within said body in an interconnected manner operative to pull the next tissue in line upwards and outwards as the topmost tissue is removed from said body through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid; and

said plurality of tissues stored within said body in a spiral configuration with successive innermost tissues being removed through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid.

8. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 7 further comprising a scent emission ring removably mounted atop said lid, said scent emission ring including a central opening extending therethrough which, upon said scent emission ring being mounted atop said lid, generally corresponds with said tissue dispensing opening of said lid whereby tissues are still withdrawable through said tissue dispensing opening.

9. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of raised pegs formed atop said lid, said plurality of raised pegs operative to support said scent emission ring in a slightly elevated position above said lid thereby accentuating release of scent from said scent emission ring.

10. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 8 further comprising a scent ring securement cylinder having a lower section operative to extend through said central opening of said scent emission ring and releasably connect to said lid and an upper section having a circumference greater than the circumference of said central opening thereby releasably securing and mounting said scent emission ring on top of said lid.

11. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 7 wherein said transition portion of said body has a slope angle of at least thirty degrees (30°) from vertical.

12. A tissue dispensing device for vehicles comprising:

a body having a circumferential outer wall, a base wall, a top opening, an upper portion, a lower portion and a transition portion extending between and connecting said upper and lower portions thereby integrally connecting and forming said body, said body being generally hollow;

a lid having a tissue release opening formed therein, said lid adapted to fit on and cover said top opening;

said upper portion of said body having a minimum circumference at least ten percent (10%) greater than the maximum circumference of said lower portion of said body;

said lower portion having a generally truncated cone shape having a taper from an upper section of said lower portion to a lower section of said lower portion generally adjacent said base wall such that as said lower portion is slid into a cup-holding device, the sides of a cup-holding device frictionally engage an outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion, with the frictional engagement forces between the sides of the cup-holding device and said outer surface of said circumferential outer wall of said lower portion continue to increase as said tissue dispensing device is further inserted into the cup-holding device;

a plurality of tissues housed within said body in an interconnected manner operative to pull the next tissue in line upwards and outwards as the topmost tissue is removed from said body through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid; and

a scent emission ring removably mounted atop said lid, said scent emission ring including a central opening extending therethrough which, upon said scent emission ring being mounted atop said lid, generally corresponds with said tissue dispensing opening of said lid whereby tissues are still withdrawable through said tissue dispensing opening.

13. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 12 wherein said plurality of tissues are stored in a spiral configuration with successive innermost tissues being removed through said tissue dispensing opening of said lid.

14. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of raised pegs formed atop said lid, said plurality of raised pegs operative to support said scent emission ring in a slightly elevated position above said lid thereby accentuating release of scent from said scent emission ring.

15. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 13 further comprising a scent ring securement cylinder having a lower section operative to extend through said central opening of said scent emission ring and releasably connect to said lid and an upper section having a circumference greater than the circumference of said central opening thereby releasably securing and mounting said scent emission ring on top of said lid.

16. The tissue dispensing device for vehicles of claim 12 wherein said transition portion of said body has a slope angle of at least thirty degrees (30°) from vertical.