DISPOSABLE PAPER PRODUCTS DISPENSER ADAPTABLE TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRODUCTS

Abstract

A dispenser which essentially consists of a body formed by a back and a cover connected so that the cover is openable, and has at least one delivery outlet formed in a replaceable bottom plate that is separate from the back and the cover is disclosed. The bottom plate and the back are also provided with reciprocal coupling means.

Description

The present invention relates to dispensers for disposable paper products such as towels, wipes, toilet paper and the like, and in particular to a dispenser which is provided with means to adapt it to the dispensing of different types of products.

It is known that there are different dispensers of disposable paper products that generally consist of a body made up of a wall support or back on which a cover is applied that can be opened to reload the dispenser, the opening of the cover being typically obtained by means of pivot pins which connect the cover to the back. The dispensing of the paper product contained in the dispenser takes place through a bottom delivery outlet formed in the back and/or in the cover, said outlet being sized and shaped specifically for the product to be dispensed.

In fact, disposable paper products can be of various different types, for example products obtained from a continuous roll which may or may not have die-cut transverse lines which define the tear-off length, or products in sheets that can simply be stacked or interfolded and/or folded in various ways. Consequently, the delivery outlet is designed to achieve optimal delivery of the specific type of product contained in the dispenser, for example with a cutting edge to allow the user a manual cutting of length at will in the case of a continuous roll without die cuts, or with a specific width/length based on the size of the product in sheets.

This constitutes an inconvenience for the operators of public places (restaurants, offices, canteens, etc.) where these dispensers are typically placed, since it is necessary to have a specific dispenser for each type of paper product with a corresponding need to replace it in case of change in the type of product, for example passing from the toilet paper in roll to that in sheets. Furthermore, if the stocks of a product are exhausted it is not possible to temporarily use another product in the same dispenser, for example using paper towels in sheets instead of toilet paper.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a dispenser which overcomes the above drawbacks. This object is achieved by means of a dispenser in which the delivery outlet is formed in a replaceable bottom plate that is separate from the back and the cover, said bottom plate and the back being provided with mutual coupling means.

The main advantage of this dispenser is indeed to allow the use of different types of disposable paper products simply by replacing the bottom plate, so as to reduce the costs and difficulties for the operator in the stock management of the products since each dispenser is easily adaptable to another product.

Another advantage of the present dispenser is to achieve this with a very simple structure, which is inexpensive and does not require the use of tools for the adaptation to a different product.

These and other advantages and characteristics of the dispenser according to the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of the dispenser body, without the bottom plate and with the cover in the open position;

FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of a bottom plate suitable for the dispensing of a first type of product;

FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view of the bottom plate of FIG. 2 mounted on the body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top front perspective view of a bottom plate suitable for the dispensing of a second type of product, in cooperation with a specific auxiliary adaptation element;

FIG. 5 is a top front perspective view of the bottom plate and auxiliary element of FIG. 4 mounted on the body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top front perspective view of a bottom plate suitable for the dispensing of a third type of product, in cooperation with a further auxiliary adaptation element; and

FIG. 7 is a top front perspective view of the bottom plate and auxiliary element of FIG. 6 mounted on the body of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is seen that the body of a dispenser according to the present invention conventionally comprises a back 1 and a cover 2 connected via pivot pins 3 which allow the opening of the body formed by said elements in order to reload, rearrange or replace the disposable paper products contained in the dispenser. Note that the position of pins 3 at the lower end of the dispenser is only exemplary, since cover 2 could also rotate upward or sideways or be connected to back 1 in a different opening manner (e.g. by sliding). Furthermore back 1 is provided in the rear wall with shaped seats 4 to mate with wall mounting elements.

The main innovative aspect of the present invention resides in the fact that the body does not include any bottom delivery outlet, since the bottom walls of back 1 and cover 2 are almost entirely absent so as to leave an opening 5, and that back 1 is provided with second shaped seats 6 and preferably also with elastic locking tabs 7. Note that although seats 6 and any tabs 7 are preferably also formed in the rear wall, in theory they could also be formed in the side walls. In addition, other shaped seats 8, 9 are preferably formed in the rear wall of back 1 for coupling with auxiliary adaptation elements described further on.

To close the bottom opening 5 of the dispenser there is provided a bottom plate 10 as illustrated by way of example in FIG. 2. This plate 10 is shaped as a tray and is provided with rear hooks 11 adapted to mate with seats 6 and with a delivery outlet 12 specific for the type of product to be dispensed, specifically paper towels in sheets in the illustrated example. As shown in FIG. 3, plate 10 can be mounted through the coupling means 6, 11 inside the dispenser body, thereby closing opening 5, so that the latter is suitable for the dispensing of this specific type of product through outlet 12 that is substantially as large as plate 10.

To adapt the dispenser to a different type of product it is sufficient to replace the bottom plate 10 with a second type of bottom plate such as plate 10′ illustrated in FIG. 4 which has the same rear hooks 11 but instead of a single wide delivery outlet as outlet 12 has two oval outlets 12′ side by side. This plate 10′ cooperates with an auxiliary adaptation element that consists of a vertical partition 13 provided with rear hooks 14 adapted to mate with seats 8 in a manner similar to the mating of hooks 11 with seats 6.

Furthermore, plate 10′ preferably also comprises a central seat 15 between openings 12′ in which the bottom edge of partition 13 is fitted as shown in FIG. 5. In this way, the dispenser is adapted to dispense wipes having a width about half of the towels provided in the configuration of FIG. 3, typically for use as toilet paper, whereby a same dispenser with the appropriate adaptation can be used both next to a sink and next to a toilet.

The same applies to the further possibility of adaptation illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, showing a third type of bottom plate 10″ which always presents the rear hooks 11 and has two square outlets 12″ side by side fitted with jagged edges along the sides. This plate 10″ cooperates with an auxiliary adaptation element that consists of a horizontal peg 16 adapted to be inserted in seat 9 to act as a support for a roll of toilet paper with axis perpendicular to the rear wall of back 1.

It is clear that the embodiment of the dispenser according to the invention described and illustrated above is just an example susceptible of various modifications. In particular, the exact shape of the bottom plate 10, 10′, 10″ and of the possible auxiliary adaptation elements 13, 16 can vary depending on the type of product to be dispensed, as well as can vary the number, shape and arrangement of the relevant means for the coupling with back 1 and of outlets 12, 12′, 12″.

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. A dispenser provided with at least one delivery outlet, consisting essentially of a body formed by a back and a cover connected so that said cover is openable, said back being provided with shaped seats for mating with wall mounting elements, said at least one delivery outlet being formed in a replaceable bottom plate to adapt the dispenser to a different type of product that is separate from the back and from the cover, said bottom plate and the back being provided with first reciprocal coupling means, and further comprising auxiliary adaptation elements to adapt the dispenser to a different type of product, wherein said auxiliary adaptation elements and the back are provided with second reciprocal coupling means.

9. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the back is also provided with one or more elastic tabs adapted to lock the bottom plate.

10. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the bottom plate is substantially shaped as a tray.

11. The Dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a delivery outlet substantially as large as the plate, or with two oval delivery outlets side by side, or with two square delivery outlets side by side provided with jagged edges along the sides.

12. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary adaptation elements consist of a vertical partition and a horizontal peg adapted to be coupled to the back with its axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the back to act as a support for a roll of toilet paper.

13. The dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the bottom plate comprises a central seat adapted to receive the bottom edge of the vertical partition.

14. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the bottom plate is substantially shaped as a tray.

15. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a delivery outlet substantially as large as the plate, or with two oval delivery outlets side by side, or with two square delivery outlets side by side provided with jagged edges along the sides.

16. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary adaptation elements consist of a vertical partition and a horizontal peg adapted to be coupled to the back with its axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the back to act as a support for a roll of toilet paper.

17. The dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the bottom plate comprises a central seat adapted to receive the bottom edge of the vertical partition.

18. The dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a delivery outlet substantially as large as the plate, or with two oval delivery outlets side by side, or with two square delivery outlets side by side provided with jagged edges along the sides.

19. The dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the auxiliary adaptation elements consist of a vertical partition and a horizontal peg adapted to be coupled to the back with its axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the back to act as a support for a roll of toilet paper.

20. The dispenser according to claim 19, wherein the bottom plate comprises a central seat adapted to receive the bottom edge of the vertical partition.

21. Dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the auxiliary adaptation elements consist of a vertical partition and a horizontal peg adapted to be coupled to the back with its axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the back to act as a support for a roll of toilet paper.

22. Dispenser according to claim 21, wherein the bottom plate comprises a central seat adapted to receive the bottom edge of the vertical partition.