Slim Line Folding Toilet Tissue and Holder

Abstract

The tissue is individual sheets 4″ by 7 ½″ with no perforations. The tissue is interfolded lengthwise resulting in a tissue 2″by 7 ½″ for packaging and dispensing purposes. It is packaged in the same quantity as rolled tissue in either single ply or double ply, and is made of the same composites as existing toilet tissue. Folding tissue allows for continuous loading of the dispenser (holder.) The dispenser is 8 ⅝″ wide, by 2 ½″ deep, by 9 ⅜″ tall. It can be made of stainless steel, aluminum or plastic. It has a slot in the bottom for tissue access, and a locked door with a paper supply viewing slot. There is also an optional trim ring for recessed applications. Recessed applications result in an exterior exposed depth of less than 2″.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

“Not Applicable”

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

“Not Applicable”

REFERENCE TO SEQUENTIAL LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK

“Not Applicable”

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention is a new style of toilet tissue (paper) and low profile continuous feed holder (dispenser.) It addresses numerous problems with toilet paper in commercial water closets (toilets), mobile applications with vibrations such as recreational vehicles (RV), planes, trains, boats, porta-potties, etc, and residential applications with pets. All of the problems can be traced to the style of the toilet paper. Toilet paper is a $19 billion dollar industry worldwide and it is struggling to reduce waste and constantly improve its design.

From a building manager perspective, all toilet paper is rolled and rolls must be replaced with tissue left on the roll in order not to run out of tissue in the public domain. We have all entered a stall at one time in our life, used the toilet, then found the dispenser was empty. Therefore, to prevent this building managers use a general rule of thumb to replace the toilet paper roll when there is about 1″ to 1 ½″ left on the roll. These rolls are then discarded into the trash. The industry estimates twenty percent of each roll is wasted. The industry is struggling with reducing this waste. They invented large rolls, multi-roll dispensers, and the latest trend is to market small core tissue rolls allowing more tissue to be placed on rolls. All these inventions attempt to reduce waste, but the rolls are still large, and still have waste. The toilet paper under this patent application is twice the size and folded lengthwise, allowing the dispenser to be continuously loaded; eliminating all waste associated with rolled tissue and eliminates the cardboard core completely.

Rolled tissue is also bulky and in non-recessed applications, sticks out a minimum of four inches from a wall. This size limits the location the dispenser in each stall. Most limiting is that a rolled tissue dispenser cannot be mounted on the hinge side of the stall; otherwise, the door hits it upon opening and limits the swing of the door. Therefore, holders are either hung behind the toilet, which is difficult to access and refill, or next to the toilet, which impedes access to the toilet, or it is mounted in front of the toilet, making it difficult to negotiate a stall or open the door. These problems often drive the public to use the space of an ADA-sized stall, which limits access by the disabled causing additional problems for building managers. The slim design (2 ½″ depth) of this patent pending holder allows the dispenser to mounted on the hinge side of the stall behind the door, and still allows the door to fully open. It can be ergonomically located anywhere in the stall, including in front of the toilet. For ergonomics, the ideal location placement of the dispenser is slightly above knee level, to the left of your body. This is because most people are right handed, they wipe right-handed, and the most comfortable movement to access toilet paper is to use your right hand, and reach across your body to access a dispenser that is slightly above knee height and to the left.

Building managers are also faced with theft and vandalism. Approximately two percent of all commercial toilet paper is stolen by the public, office workers, and custodial workers, to use at home. Utilizing a folded design virtually eliminates the temptation to steal tissue for home use. The slim 2″ design and wide footprint allows the dispenser to be securely mounted minimizing the ability to vandalize the dispenser. It is a lot more difficult to kick the slim line toilet tissue dispenser off the wall as opposed to the traditional holder. It has more surface area to attach to a wall or a stall.

From a supplier perspective, traditional rolls are bulky, round, and do not stack, pack, or transport efficiently. With this tissue being folded, it can be interfolded and packaged in rectangular shape. This shape stacks efficiently with no wasted space in storage or shipping. This shape saves approximately 45 percent on the space needed to store, and ship; reducing storage and shipping costs approximately 45 percent. This is important consideration for large retailers such as Wal-Mart.

This unique shape and design also solves a number of problems in specialty applications. Airlines have limited space to store and dispense toilet tissue. Mobile industries, such as trains, boats, RVs and portable toilets have problems with rolled tissue unraveling during transport. This solves this. Mobile applications also benefit from its small size. From a household perspective, pets can unravel traditional rolled tissue as playful mischief. This solves this.

Since the initial invention of toilet tissue over 150 years ago, manufacturers have toyed with folded paper about every 50 years or so, but is has never taken off. From my research it appears those designed have changed the width of the tissue. I believe changing the width is too much to overcome culturally. Users are so ingrained with the traditional 4″ wide roll, hence other products were never accepted. This invention keeps toilet tissue the same width giving it the same shape and feel of traditional rolled tissue. Once pulled from the dispenser, it can be folded or scrunched, giving users the same feeling they used is used to This is critical to user acceptance of the product.

The tissue industry is also looking to expand its product lines. This product is multi-functional. It can also serve as nose tissue, shoe shine tissue, make-up remover and spill tissue. Being interchangeable has applications in the hotel industry where currently they provide all these products separately. The tissue industry is also experimenting with a new product called door tissue and it is a folded towel product, more along the lines of a disposable hand towel to prevent the spread of germs on door handles, but those sheets are folded width-wise. Folding tissue widthwise causes problems dispensing. Width wise folded tissue often tears and rips out of the dispenser. Widthwise folded tissue is too much tissue to be pulled out of the slot. It also sticks out from the wall at least 4″.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention is a new style of toilet paper and low profile holder. This invention uses the same methods to manufacture toilet paper, but packages it differently. It makes individual sheets, approximately the same size as two sheets of traditional toilet paper. The sheets are interfolded lengthwise which can then be more squarely packed and stored; allows for continuous feeding; and reduces storage and shipping costs. The folded tissue allows for a slim 2 ½″ deep dispenser, which allows for compact installations that cures many of the problems with traditional tissue and holders. Its non-perforated design removes the stigma of using toilet paper for other purposes in public such as nose tissue and shoe shines, which we all have done at one time or another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1A—Shows the dimensions of each sheet of toilet tissue

FIG. 1B—Shows the dimensions of a sheet of toilet tissue folded

FIG. 2A—Shows a full view of the toilet tissue holder

FIG. 2B—Shows the front view of the holder base and the 1 ¾″ lip that holds the tissue in place and also serves as a catch for the cam lock. This view does not show the door.

FIG. 2C—Shows a view of the holder from the bottom and the slot that dispenses the toilet tissue

FIG. 3A—Shows a top, bottom and cam lock side view of the door

FIG. 3B—Shows side view of the hinge side of the door

FIG. 4A—Shows a front view of the trim ring used for recessed applications

FIG. 4B—Shows a side view of the trim ring used for recessed applications

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The tissue is made from the same products and methods traditional toilet paper is made from. The tissue can be single ply or double ply. The uniqueness of this invention is in the shape and fold of the toilet tissue (paper), and its holder (dispenser.) Each sheet is 4″ wide by 7 ¼″ long (FIG. 1A.) Each sheet is manufactured individually without perforations. The tissue is folded down the center lengthwise which allows it to be interfolded with each tissue, and packaged in rectangular box-shaped packaging. When interfolded, each sheet is 2″ wide by 7 ¼″ long (FIG. 1B.) The sheets can be stacked. The tissues are self-feeding until the supply is depleted. This allows for continuous filling of the holder, without any waste typically associated with rolled toilet paper.

The dispenser can be made of either plastic, stainless steel, or aluminum (FIG. 2A.) Likely 20 gauge materials will be used. This specification may be changed when the first prototype is manufactured. The dispenser can be mounted directly to a surface, or recessed to provide a slimmer profile. For a recessed mount, the unit will include a trim plate surrounding the dispenser which serves two purposes: (1) helps to secure it to the wall or partition and (2) covers any rough cut opening into the partition. The dispenser, as drawn; can hold and dispense 3,000 single ply sheets or 1,500 double ply sheets. This particular site can be adjusted when the product is fully marketable to hold anywhere from the equivalent of two rolls traditional toilet paper to 4 rolls. The use of interfolded tissues allows for a continuous feed of toilet paper and eliminates waste from rolled tissue. The unit can be reloaded with a partial load in place and will continue to feed properly.

The dispenser base dimensions are 8 ¼″ wide, 9 ⅜″ tall, 2 ¼″ deep (outside dimensions.) The base has a 1 ¾″ lip (FIG. 2B), located on the opposite of the hinge side, that is bent 90 degrees towards the inside of the base, to serve two purposes: (1) holds the tissue in place while restocking and (2) latches the cam lock when locked. The back of the base is solid. The bottom of the base has a slot cut to dispense the tissue. The slot is ¾″ wide and centered on the bottom (FIG. 2C.) The slot is 7 ¾″ wide and centered side to side. The slot widens in the center to 1 ¾″ in the center and tapers to back to the ¾″ slot, 2 ¼″ on both sides. It is critically important to have the slot completely smooth (deburred), and all the inside corners rounded off. Any sharp edge will hang up the tissue. All seams and corners are welded or fused. The door is 8 ⅝″ wide by 9 ½″ tall, with a ½″ lip bent 90 degrees from the cover on the top, bottom and cam lock side of the cover (FIG. 3A.) The door has a ¼″ wide by 6″ tall tissue viewing slot centered on the door starting 1″ from the bottom (FIG. 2A.) The hinge side (left side) does not have a lip (FIG. 3B.) The cover is attached to the base by a 9 ⅜″ piano hinge. The cover has a ½″ cam lock. The cam lock can be keyed alike as other restroom apparatus, or set up for a torx key, or other style of access controls. The cam lock is centered 2 ⅝″ from the edged of the non-hinged side and 5″ from the top (FIG. 2A.) The hinge is spot welded to the cover and base.

Installation can be screwed or riveted directly to any surface. The unit can be recessed into any wall or partition. If recessed into a wall or partition, the unit needs to be used with a trim ring allowing the paper to be dispensed. Recessed installation can also be glued.

If the installation is to be recessed, a trim ring will be needed to extend the base unit to allow unrestricted access to pulling tissue, safely (FIG. 4A.) The trim ring is 12 ½″ tall by 8 9/16″ wide on the inside diameter. The trim ring has a ¾″ wide by ¾″ wide lip, folded at a 90 degree angle on each edge (FIG. 4B), and is welded to a solid back. The outside dimensions of the trim ring are 14″ tall by 10 1/16″ wide. The trim ring, can be glued, screwed or riveted to the base dispenser and wall simultaneously. The trim ring is to be made out of the same materials as the base.

Claims

1. Folded tissue allows for a continuous filling of the dispenser and eliminates all waste associated with rolled and cored tissue.

It is idea for use in mobile applications where vibration can cause paper rolls to unravel, such as in planes, boats, RVs, trains, porta-potty, etc.

It is ideal for household applications where pets unravel traditional toilet paper rolls.

This tissue can also double as nose tissue or shoe wipes since it has no perforations or small squares to resemble toilet paper.

This tissue has applications in commercial buildings and hotels where separate dispensers are used.

Eliminates theft of traditional toilet paper rolls by the public and custodial staffs for personal use.

Save 10 to 20 percent on waste for commercial applications, depending on your dispenser refill policy.

2. Folded tissue takes up 45 percent less space than a similarly sized circular rolled and cored tissue that saves 45 percent more space on shipping and storage:

The packages can also be shrink wrapped for waterproof applications and further reduces the shipping and storage size of the package.

The dispenser can be made in various heights to hold multiple squares of toilet paper taking up 45 percent less space

3. The slim 2 ½″ depth of the dispenser allows for installation anywhere in commercial stalls, not obstructing access to the toilet receptacle itself, like many traditional tissue holders do.

Slim dispenser will help keep non-handicapped individuals from using the larger handicapped stalls, which is a problem in commercial buildings.

The dispensers can often be mounted behind stall doors

The slim line dispenser is less susceptible to vandalism since it is harder to kick off stall walls.

Recessed applications further reduce how far the toilet tissue holder protrudes from the wall further improving stall and toilet access.