Device to Restrain the Unwinding of a Web of Roll Material
A device to restrain the unwinding of a roll of paper for use in combination with a paper dispenser is disclosed. The paper dispenser includes a back plate mountable upon a wall, a pair of opposed side plates extending from the back plate for rotatably supporting a roll of paper having a depending lead sheet. The restraining device comprises a base portion mountable to the wall and a support arm extending laterally from the base portion over the roll of paper. The support arm includes a collar located at its free end, the collar including a central opening. The roll braking arm is oriented substantially vertically and extends through the central opening of the support arm. The roll braking arm contacts and applies its weight as a braking force against the roll of paper to restrain the roll of paper from unwinding unnecessarily.
The present invention relates generally to dispensers for paper such as toilet paper, and more particularly, to devices to restrain and control the unwinding of a roll of toilet paper during use or otherwise.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONThe use of toilet paper dispensers is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet paper dispensers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, a problem with such toilet paper dispensers is waste associated with toilet paper. This waste may be caused by the unintentional removal of excessive amounts of paper from the roll caused by roll runaway.
The unintentional removal of excessive amounts of paper from the roll caused by roll runaway is controllable and there are solutions currently available that attempt to solve the problem. Under one solution, the dispenser will permit the roll to turn a set number of revolutions then it will stop. This will provide the user a set number of toilet paper sections before they must be separated from the roll. In order for the user to accumulate an adequate amount of toilet paper for use, it may be necessary to remove several pulls worth of toilet paper. The second solution includes a dispenser that is filled with interfolded, individual toilet paper sheets. The sheets are fitted together such that as one sheet is removed, a portion of the next sheet will extend from the dispenser. In order for a user to obtain an adequate number of sheets, the user must pull a desired number of sheets from the dispenser. The two solutions are more appropriate for locations such as schools and public facilities where the chance of abuse is high. However, they are not as desirable for residential or commercial buildings where the risk of such abuse is low.
There is the desire to provide a degree of runaway prevention yet still permit the toilet paper roll to turn as freely as possible. There is also a desire to remove a predetermined length of toilet paper with a single hand. The present invention solves the problems of the past and provides a toilet paper dispenser that prevents toilet paper runaway as well as enables the removal of a predetermined length of toilet paper with a single hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn embodiment of the invention is a device to restrain the unwinding of a roll of paper for use in combination with a paper dispenser is disclosed. The paper dispenser is conventional as it includes a back plate mountable upon a wall, a pair of opposed side plates extending from the back plate for rotatably supporting a roll of paper having a depending lead sheet. The restraining device comprises a base portion mountable to the wall and a support arm extending laterally from the base portion over the roll of paper. The support arm includes a collar located at its free end, the collar including a central opening. A roll braking arm is oriented substantially vertically and extends through the central opening of the support arm. The roll braking arm contacts and applies its weight as a braking force against the roll of paper to restrain the roll of paper from unwinding unnecessarily.
Referring now in detail to the various figures of the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at 10 in
Extending perpendicularly and laterally from the back support 14 is a pair of opposed side plates 22 which are secured to the back plate 14 in any appropriate fashion. Each side plate 22 includes a free end having a socket (not shown) for rotatably supporting a conventional roll holding dowel 26 therebetween. The placement of the side plates 22 with respect to the back support 14 is to properly space them to engage the ends of the roll holding dowel 26. The conventional roll holding dowel 26 is shown interposed between the free end portions of the side plates 22 nested within opposed recesses (not shown) within the side plates 22 in a conventional manner. As is characteristic of many dowels 26 of this type, the dowel 26 includes two nested portions and an internal retractable spring (not shown) to enable the dowel 26 to yieldably nest between the side plates 22 to provide a means of conveniently removing the dowel 26 from the side plates 22 to facilitate assembly thereon or removal therefrom of a roll of paper 30 in a conventional manner. It should be understood that the toilet paper roll holder 10 described herein is merely exemplary and that the inventions described herein could be utilized with other types of toilet paper roll holders not described herein.
The roll of paper 30 includes a cylindrical core 34 which is loosely mounted upon the dowel 26 and thus free for rotation thereof including the lead sheet 38 which projects from the windings of paper upon and forming a part of the roll of paper 30. The roll of paper 30 includes overlapping webs of paper with perforations 42 at regular intervals therebetween.
Referring now to
Referring now to
As best shown in
The weight of the roll braking arm 78 applies a force upon the roll of paper 30 to prevent it from unwinding unnecessarily, such as during rapid unwinding during use. As best shown in
Referring now to
Referring to
As best shown in
Referring now to
The outlet end 193 may include a sharpened or serrated edge 193a (
Referring now to
The devices of the present invention have been described in respect to the particular embodiments thereof set forth in the specification and as illustrated in the drawings. As a result of such disclosure, other variations and modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore, no limitation as to the scope of the invention is intended by the specific embodiments disclosed, but the scope of the invention is to be interpreted in view of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A device to restrain the unwinding of a roll of paper for use in combination with a paper dispenser, the paper dispenser including a back plate mountable upon a wall, a pair of opposed side plates extending from the back plate for rotatably supporting a roll of paper having a depending lead sheet, said device comprising:
- a. a base portion mountable to the wall;
- b. a support arm extending laterally from said base portion over said roll of paper and having a free end, said support arm including a collar having a central opening located at said free end;
- c. a roll braking arm oriented substantially vertically and extending through said central opening, said roll braking arm contacting and applying its weight as a braking force against the roll of paper to restrain said roll of paper from unwinding unnecessarily.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the roll of paper includes a central axis and wherein said roll braking arm includes a bell-shaped braking bar including a pair of braking pads extending parallel to the central axis.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said braking pads are integral with said roll braking arm.
4. The device of claim 2, wherein said braking pads are in contact with the roll of paper and separated from each other a predetermined distance.
5. The device of claim 2, where in each said braking pad includes a curved surface in contact with the roll of paper.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein said curved surface is approximately 0.125 inches.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein said braking pad is formed of a roughened surface.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said roughened surface is a serrated surface.
9. The device of claim 2, wherein said braking pads provide surfaces for tearing a roll of paper against.
10. The device of claim 2, wherein said braking pads prevent twisting of the paper being withdrawn.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein said support arm and said roll braking arm are made of transparent plastic.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein said support arm and said roll braking arm are provided with a surface finish of polished brass.
13. The device of claim 1, additionally comprising a dowel removeably mounted between said support arms.
14. The device of claim 1, additionally comprising an adhesive strip for mounting said base portion to said wall.
15. The device of claim 1, additionally comprising a thumb screw threadably received by a hole formed through said collar and arranged to extend into said support arm opening to secure said roll braking arm extending therethrough to a desired position.
16. The device of claim 1, wherein the roll of paper is a roll of toilet paper.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein the roll of toilet paper includes overlapping webs of paper with perforations at regular intervals therebetween.
18. A device to control the dispensing of paper from a roll for use in combination with an existing paper dispenser of conventional design already mounted to a wall, the existing paper dispenser including a back plate for mounting to the wall, a pair of opposed side plates extending from the back plate for rotatably supporting a roll of paper having a central axis and a depending lead sheet, said device comprising:
- a. a support arm extending laterally from the wall and over said roll of paper;
- b. a housing affixed to said support arm and disposed over said roll of paper, said housing including a friction roller mounted therein, said friction roller including a portion disposed within said housing for contacting the paper as it is dispensed from the roll, and a portion protruding externally from said housing that is arranged for direct manual contact to enable manual rotation of the friction roller by a user, whereupon manual rotation of said protruding portion of said friction roller causes rotation of the paper roll for dispensing a desired amount of paper from the roll.
19. The device of claim 18, wherein said friction roller extends parallel to the central axis of the roll of paper.
20. The device of claim 18, wherein said housing includes an inlet end and an outlet end through which paper from the roll is fed.
21. The device of claim 20, wherein said outlet end includes a serrated edge or a sharpened edge for tearing a desired length dispensed paper.
22. The device of claim 18, wherein said friction roller is made of a rubber or plastic material.
23. The device of claim 18, wherein said friction roller is arranged to be rotated in response to manual actuation.
24. The device of claim 18, wherein a dispensing control spring is affixed to said support arm, said spring bearing upon said friction roller.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein said dispensing control spring engages within a slot formed in said friction roller during rotation of said friction roller to provide a tactile confirmation upon completion of each rotation of said friction roller.
26. The device of claim 24, wherein said dispensing control spring engages within a slot foamed in said friction roller during rotation of said friction roller to provide an audible confirmation upon completion of each rotation of said friction roller.
27. The device of claim 26, wherein the paper includes webs of paper sheets with perforations at regular intervals therebetween, and wherein the circumference of said friction roller is sized such that each full rotation of said friction roller dispenses a predetermined number of paper sheets from the roll.
28. The device of claim 27, wherein said predetermined number of paper sheets is a single sheet of paper.
29. The device of claim 18, wherein said friction roller is removeably engaged within said housing.
30. The device of claim 18, wherein said housing additionally comprises a feed platform integral therewith, said feed platform located in proximity to said friction roller to define a space therebetween, the paper being supplied into the space between said feed platform and said friction roller enabling said friction roller to frictionally engage and dispense the paper from the roll in response to manual rotation.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 6, 2009
Publication Date: May 12, 2011
Inventor: Mates A. Bruner (Audubon, PA)
Application Number: 12/613,629
International Classification: A47K 10/38 (20060101); B65H 23/08 (20060101); A47K 10/36 (20060101); A47K 10/22 (20060101); B65H 20/02 (20060101); B65H 16/10 (20060101);