Toilet paper dispenser

A toilet paper housing for covering a roll of toilet paper suspended from a wall mounted holder is provided. The toilet paper housing dispenses paper and protects the roll of paper from interference by children or household pets. The housing is adapted to fit over the roll of toilet paper and has a slot for dispensing the roll of toilet paper therethrough and means for removably securing the guard to the wall so that the roll of toilet paper can be replaced in the holder.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to a toilet paper dispenser and, more 
particular, to a toilet paper dispenser provided for the purpose of 
covering, protecting, and dispensing a roll of wall mounted toilet paper. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Toilet paper rolls are a common necessary bathroom feature. Toilet paper 
rolls are subject to becoming unrolled, for example, by small children or 
household animals. 
Many types of dispensing apparatus are known in the art. None, however are 
directed to the type disclosed herein. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,649 issued to Origuchi shows use of a material placed 
over an opening through which a sheet material is dispensed. Origuchi 
shows a construction for containing and dispensing plastic film which is 
dispensed through a polyolefin cover film provided on the inside of a 
takeout opening. 
Tensioning of the sheet material during dispensing is also known and is 
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,022 issued to Fairfield. Fairfield is 
directed to a sheet material dispenser having a lip that acts to restrain 
undesirable unwinding of the sheet material due to tensioning by a spring. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,597 issued to Thompson is directed to a gauze holder 
having a friction means such as an adhesive provided on guide flanges 
through which the gauze passes in order to prevent accidental unreeling. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,937 issued to Guyer is directed to a dispensing carton 
wherein tension against the material being dispensed is provided by a top 
panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,929 issued to Ebner, Jr. is directed to an 
input cassette for dispensing film including a fabric like material which 
is useful as an opening restriction means. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,479 issued to Bonk discloses dispensing of a material 
through a constricted opening and is directed to a pre-moistened towelette 
dispenser which dispenses towelettes through feed slot adaptations in the 
lid of a box. U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,129 issued to Sedgwick is directed to a 
moist tissue dispenser which dispenses tissues through a constricted 
orifice. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,244,493 issued to Harrison and 4,262,816 issued 
to Margolies each disclose dispensers for pre-moistened towelettes and 
show a constricting dispensing plate. 
Cutting edges spaced from a dispensing opening are also known in the art. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,157 issued to Klein et al. shows a dispenser for sheet 
material and a cutter which is spaced from flaps through which the sheet 
material is dispensed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,624 issued to Branyan et al. 
shows a blade which is spaced from an opening through which a web material 
is dispensed. 
None of these patents teach or suggest a wall mounted reusable toilet paper 
holder for covering, protecting, dispensing and cutting sheets of paper 
from a roll of toilet paper mounted within the holder. 
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a wall mounted 
reusable toilet paper holder for covering, protecting, dispensing, and 
cutting sheets of paper from a roll of paper mounted within the holder. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a toilet paper holder having 
a slot for dispensing the paper and a means for tensioning the paper 
through the slot. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a toilet paper holder 
having a cutting edge spaced from the dispensing slot. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention, a reusable wall mounted toilet paper 
holder for covering, protecting, dispensing, and cutting a roll of toilet 
paper is provided. The toilet paper holder fits over a roll of toilet 
paper and has a housing with an open side and an open interior. A slot is 
provided in the housing for dispensing the toilet paper and in a preferred 
embodiment, a vellum sheet having a slit is placed over the slot on the 
inner surface of the housing. The toilet paper passes through the slit in 
the vellum sheet. Additionally, in another preferred embodiment, a cutting 
edge is placed forward of the slot on the outside of the housing so that 
after cutting by the cutting edge, a portion of toilet paper remains 
extending through the slot and outside of the housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Toilet paper housing 10 is shown in FIG. 1 for covering a roll of toilet 
paper R secured to a wall W. Housing 10 has a back which is open and which 
faces wall W. Housing 10 is placed over a roll of toilet paper which is 
also mounted to wall W. Although it is desirable to provide only one open 
side so that the roll of toilet paper may be completely covered, an 
additional open wall may be provided. 
The housing 10 may be of any size or shape suitable for covering a roll of 
toilet paper. In some applications, housing 10 may be used to cover a 
partially recessed roll of toilet paper and accordingly, the depth of the 
holder can then be reduced. 
Housing 10 which is shown in FIG. 1 as having a rectangular box like shape 
includes front wall 14, bottom 20, top 16, and side walls 18. 
Although the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a substantially 
box-like housing 10 having discrete edges and corners, it is to be 
understood that housing 10 may also have continuously curved surfaces and 
edges. Specifically, such a housing may be desirable in an environment 
where small children are present. 
Housing 10 is formed of a substantially rigid material so as to maintain 
its shape upon the application of a force needed to cut or tear the paper 
as well as form a housing. Suitable substantially rigid materials include, 
but are not limited to, heavy cardboard, plastics such as poplypropylene, 
wood or wood-finished veneer, particle board and the like. 
Slot 22 is preferably provided through bottom wall 20 for the purpose of 
dispensing toilet paper. In an alternate embodiment, housing 10 may be 
provided without a bottom wall, thereby forming an enlarged opening for 
dispensing toilet paper. 
Vellum strip 24 is mounted on the inside wall of bottom 20. Slit 26 which 
is cut within vellum strip 24 is aligned with slot 22 so that the sheet of 
toilet paper which passes through slit 26 does not come in contact with 
any of the edges of bottom 20 which form slot 22. Toilet paper will be 
dispensed through the slit 26 without coming into contact with the edges 
of slot 22 which will apply tension to it to prevent uncontrolled 
unravelling of the roll. 
Mounts 28A and 29A which are attached to housing 10 and shown in FIG. 3 are 
provided for removably securing the housing 10 to a wall along the open 
back face of the housing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
mounts 28A, 29A are velcro strips which secure to corresponding velcro 
strip 28B, 29B which can be removably secured to the wall so that the 
toilet paper housing can be removed to gain access to the wall W from 
which toilet paper roll R is suspended. 
Housing 10 is also preferably provided on its exterior with a cutting blade 
30. Cutting blade 30 is preferably positioned on bottom 20 forward of slot 
22 as in FIG. 2 so that the toilet paper can be cut or torn against it. 
After cutting of the paper against blade 30, a portion of toilet paper 
remains extending through slot 22 outside of housing 10 and which is 
thereby easily accessed. 
Housing 10 is mounted to Wall W from which a roll of toilet paper is 
already secured in the following manner. Housing 10 is brought towards the 
roll of toilet paper and the free end of the roll is brought through the 
slit 26 in vellum strip 24. Once the toilet paper has been initiated 
through the slit 26, housing 10 is secured by housing mounts 28A, 29A wall 
mounts 28B, 29B. 
The toilet paper housing is easily removed and replaced when necessary to 
replace the roll of toilet paper. 
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with 
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those 
skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made 
therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.