Pull angle dependant resistive paper towel holder
A paper towel holder is provided having a pad made of foam, rubber or the like for impeding (or resisting) the rotation of a paper towel roll with respect to a user initiated unfurling pull angle. The user pulls upward (i.e., in a direction proximal to the base) to unfurl the paper towel roll with a minimum level of resistance. The user pulls downward (i.e., in a direction distal to the base) to create resistance against the paper towel roll such that the rotation of the roll is slowed or halted to provide a user initiated perfect tear.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/799,824 which was filed on May 11, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of paper towel holders and, more particularly, to a paper towel holder/dispenser configured to resist the rotation of a paper towel roll with respect to an unfurling pull angle to provide a user initiated and substantially perfect tear.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional paper towel holders that are intended for use in the home or office are designed to offer a “perfect tear” feature. Such a perfect tear feature is referred to in the house-ware industry as an effortless pull of a single square from a roll of paper towels along a perforated line provided for separation of individual paper sheet of the roll. Many conventional paper towel holder designs comprise complicated and often spring loaded mechanisms to achieve this sought after perfect tear feature. These conventional methods for providing the perfect tear, however, fail to provide an intuitive means of controlling the point of tear beyond one square of paper towel. In fact, a simple and intuitive static method for providing the perfect tear feature is not currently available.
In general, conventional upright paper towel holders employ a shaft for centering the paper towel roll having a protruding and bulbous end that is provided for the user to grab and move the loaded device. This protruding and bulbous end is often made thicker and removable to permit improved handling and easier paper loading, respectively. In this case, a press-to-hide and press-to-elevate shaft handle is used in such an upright paper towel holder to provide a way to conceal this extended bulbous end when the power towel holder is not in use.
Another method for providing a perfect tear is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,895 to Michaud. As described therein, a friction-inducing area(s) is used to allow or prevent controlled rotation of a paper roll on smooth surfaces of the base plate and smooth edges of the roll spindle. However, the ability of such an apparatus to provide a perfect tear becomes impaired when the amount of paper remaining on the roll becomes reduced, since the roll will no longer engage the friction-inducing area(s). As a result, the ability to provide a perfect tear becomes lost.
It is therefore apparent that there is a need for a paper towel holder/dispenser that can overcome the foregoing problems associated with conventional paper towel holders and to thereby provide a way to achieve a perfect tear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA paper towel holder is provided having a pad made of foam or rubber, such as silicone, neoprene, santoprene, cork, or the like, for impeding the rotation of a paper towel roll at a rate substantially dependant upon the angle at which the loose end of the paper towel roll is pulled during an unfurling procedure. The rate of rotation of the paper towel roll is dependant upon the frictional force that impedes the rotation of the roll. Here, the frictional force is proportional to the normal force generated by the frictional coefficients of the material comprising the pad. The vertical or longitudinal component of the pulling force is reduced or increased, depending on the direction and the effective weight of the paper towel roll with respect to the base of the paper towel holder. A normal force exerted on the paper roll has a magnitude that is equal and opposite to the effective weight of the paper towel roll exerted on the base. As a result, the magnitude of the frictional force is established by the pull angle imparted by the user on the paper towel roll.
In accordance with the contemplated embodiments of the invention, the pad provides the source of friction (i.e. the frictional coefficients of the material, both static and kinetic). The frictional force that impedes rotation has a greatest magnitude when the user pulls on the loose end of the paper towel roll in a direction that is downward toward the base of the paper towel holder (i.e., in the proximal direction), thereby causing the rotation of the paper towel roll to slow down or to cause the roll to not rotate at all. Here, the bottom end of the paper towel roll is pressed into the pad and, thus, does not spin.
When the user pulls upward on the loose end of the paper towel roll, i.e., in a direction distal to the base of the paper towel holder, the paper towel roll is pulled slightly upward (i.e., away from the base), thereby reducing the frictional force and allowing the paper towel roll to rotate more freely. The contemplated paper towel holder advantageously provides the desired perfect tear, irrespective of the amount of paper towels on the roll. Here, the inexpensive addition of a pad possessing the appropriate frictional coefficients for the material adds significantly to the user experience, i.e., the addition of the pad provides both an aesthetic and functional improvement of a paper towel holder by virtue of the optimal use of materials.
Conventional vertical paper towel holders often include a bar or plastic guide that is designed to keep the loose end of the paper towel roll within the perimeter of the base. However, such a bar adds clutter to the paper towel holder, and is often perceived as an eyesore. In accordance with the contemplated embodiments of the invention, however, the pad itself can be used to keep the paper towel roll and the loose end of the paper roll in the last position that was touched by the user to prevent an unwieldy loose end by way of any frictional forces. As a result, the free end of the paper towel roll remains in a position that is easy to grab for the user to grab, i.e., in a position right where the user left the free end of the towel.
In certain embodiments, the shaft of the paper towel holder is constructed at a slight angle to thereby enhance the tear angle. In this case, a translucent plastic guide (not shown) can be located on the back of the device to guide the user as to where and how the paper towel should be accessed. In addition, the translucent plastic also serves to guide the loose end of the paper towel forward to provide a user with the ability to easily grab the next paper towel.
In an alternative embodiment, the pad is sectioned into multiple pieces. Here, each sectioned portion of the pad is arranged around the shaft of the paper towel holder on the base. Sectioning the pad in this manner advantageously provides a way to reduce manufacturing costs because less material is use to manufacture the pad.
In another embodiment, the pad is provided on at least the shaft of the paper towel holder. In this case, since the area for providing the frictional force that impedes the rotation of the paper towel roll is located on the shaft itself, the area of the material on the base can be reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to configure the shaft such that it can be mounted in an interior wall of the base itself, where the shaft is configured in a flared inverted “T” shaped arrangement having each end of the inverted “T” engaged and mounted into an interior side wall of the base.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe various features, functions and advantages characterizing the invention will be better understood by reference to the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:
Returning to
In certain embodiments, the shaft of the paper towel holder is constructed at a slight angle to thereby enhance the tear angle. In this case, a translucent plastic guide (not shown) can be located on the back of the device to guide the user as to where and how the paper towel should be accessed. In addition, the translucent plastic also serves to guide the loose end of the paper towel forward to provide a user with the ability to easily grab the next paper towel.
In an alternative embodiment, the pad is sectioned into multiple pieces. Here, each sectioned portion of the pad is arranged around the shaft of the paper towel holder on the base. Sectioning the pad in this manner advantageously provides a way to reduce manufacturing costs because less material is use to manufacture the pad.
In another embodiment, the pad is provided on at least the shaft of the paper towel holder. In this case, since the area for providing the frictional force that impedes the rotation of the paper towel roll is located on the shaft itself, the area of the material on the base can be reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to configure the shaft such that it can be mounted in an interior wall of the base itself, where the shaft is configured in a flared inverted “T” shaped arrangement having each end of the inverted “T” engaged and mounted into an interior side wall of the base.
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, for example, while the illustrative embodiments shown and described herein have employed a discrete rubber pad, a base made entirely of a material possessing the desirable friction coefficients and containing a weighted component is within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A paper towel holder configured to impede rotation of a paper roll in response to a user initiated unfurling pull angle, the paper towel holder comprising:
- a base;
- a shaft attached to the base; and
- a pad arranged on the base and around the shaft of the base, said pad having frictional characteristics imparting a frictional force in a rotational direction that impedes the rotation of the paper roll based on a direction of the user initiated unfurling pull angle, such that a removal of a single unfurled square along a perforated line from the paper roll is achieved when a component of the unfurling pull angle toward the base along a longitudinal axis of the shaft exceeds a predetermined value.
2. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a circumferential recess disposed in the base receiving the shaft therethrough.
3. The paper towel holder according to claim 2, wherein the pad is placed in the circumferential recess of the base.
4. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the pad is one of a sheet of foam or rubber.
5. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the sheet of foam and rubber are circular.
6. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a press to hide and press to elevate handle arranged in an end of the shaft for hiding the handle when the paper towel holder is not in use.
7. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the pad is a circular sheet comprised of foam or rubber, said sheet having a circular cut-out for the shaft to slide through during assembly.
8. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of rubber material having a durometer value of 30-60.
9. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of a rubber material comprising one of silicone, neoprene, or santoprene.
10. The paper towel holder according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of a material having frictional coefficient characteristics in the range of frictional coefficient characteristics of rubber materials having durometers values of 30-60.
11. A method for impeding rotation of a paper roll on a paper towel holder, in response to a user initiated unfurling pull angle, said paper towel holder having a base, a shaft attached to the base and a pad arranged on the base, the method comprising:
- unfurling a sheet of paper from the roll on the paper towel holder by pulling at an unfurling pull angle; and
- imparting a frictional force generated by the pad on the paper roll in a rotational direction that impedes the rotation of the roll when a component of the unfurling pull angle toward the base along a longitudinal axis of the shaft exceeds a predetermined value such that a removal of a single square along a perforated line from the paper roll is achieved.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a circumferential recess is disposed in the base.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pad is placed in the circumferential recess of the base.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pad is one of a sheet of foam or rubber.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sheet of foam and rubber are circular.
16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- activating a press to hide and press to elevate handle arranged in an end of the shaft to hide the handle when the paper towel holder is not in use.
17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pad is a circular sheet comprised of foam or rubber;
- wherein the sheet has a circular cut-out for the shaft to slide through during assembly.
18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pad is made of rubber material having a durometer value of 30-60.
19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pad is made of a rubber material comprising one of silicone, neoprene, or santoprene.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pad is made of a material having frictional coefficient characteristics in the range of frictional coefficient characteristics of rubber materials having durometers values of 30-60.
Type: Application
Filed: May 11, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2007
Inventor: Scott Amron (Plainview, NY)
Application Number: 11/801,897
International Classification: B65H 16/04 (20060101);