Insert for roll paper products

The insert for roll paper products is pliable, preferably scent-impregnated, foam material that can be wrapped around a dispensing bar of a rolled paper dispenser, and resiliently grips the bar while adding friction to the total dispensing system. The dispensing bar and insert combination is then slid through the hollow core of a rolled paper product. The sleeve has dentate ends that extend beyond the ends of the paper roll. When the product core is rotated while paper is being dispensed, the passage of air through the dentate ends helps to dispense and distribute the scent through the environment proximate the paper dispenser. Moreover, the resilient foam insert provides friction between the paper roll and the foam structure, while also adding friction between the foam structure and the dispensing bar. This feature acts as a brake to prevent excess rollout of the rolled product when being dispensed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to devices for dispensing paper on a roll, and particularly to an insert for roll paper products that provides a scent during rollout and use of the rolled paper.

2. Description of the Related Art

Every modern bathroom is equipped with a toilet paper dispenser for dispensing disposable toilet tissue from a roll for hygienic purposes. Nevertheless, using the bathroom may still prove unpleasant because of the odors associated with the toilet. Many bathrooms are equipped with an exhaust fan to help alleviate this problem. However, such exhaust fans provide only a partial solution to the problem. Stand-alone air fresheners are of some help. But stand-alone air fresheners often go stale, aren't replaced regularly, lack sufficient strength for overcoming toilet odors, and are frequently knocked over, even if there's a place to put them in the bathroom. There is a need for a better solution to the problem of toilet odor in the bathroom. Additionally, there is a need to prevent excessive rollout of toilet paper and other types of rolled paper products when being dispensed.

Thus, an insert for roll paper products solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The insert for roll paper products is a pliable, preferably scent-impregnated, foam sheet that is coil wrapped over the dispensing bar of a rolled paper dispenser, so that it can resiliently grip the bar by adding friction to the total dispensing system. The dispensing bar and insert combination is then slid through the hollow core of a rolled paper product, e.g., toilet paper, paper towels, etc. The sleeve has dentate ends that extend beyond the ends of the paper roll. When the product core is rotated while paper is being dispensed, the passage of air through the dentate ends helps to dispense and distribute the scent through the environment proximate the paper dispenser. Moreover, the coiled structure of the wrapped resilient foam provides friction between the paper roll and the foam structure, while also adding friction between the foam structure and the dispensing bar. This feature acts as a brake to prevent excess rollout of the rolled product when being dispensed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown inFIGS. 1-3, the insert for roll paper products, designated generally as10in the drawings, is a pliable, scent-impregnated foam sheet which can be rolled into a hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve that wraps around a dispenser bar TH of a toilet paper dispenser RB. The sleeve is preferably sufficiently resilient that it grips the roller, i.e., dispenser bar TH. The insert sleeve10and dispenser bar TH combination can then be inserted through the hollow core11of a roll TR of toilet paper and mounted on the dispenser RB. The wrapped cylindrical insert10has dentate ends that define teeth or vanes15.

As shown inFIG. 4the exemplary insert10is a substantially rectangular sheet made from a resilient foam material, the sheet having longitudinally extending parallel opposing edges having length dimension L3which exceeds dimension L1of first lateral end or exceeds dimension L2of second lateral end. A portion of the longitudinally extending parallel opposing edges includes dentate structures defining vanes15. An adhesive strip13is disposed on an inner portion of rectangular sheet10proximate the second end of insert10.

As shown inFIG. 5, the first end of the rectangular sheet10can be placed in contact with a paper roll dispensing bar TH such that the paper roll dispensing bar is parallel to the first end. As shown inFIG. 6, the insert sheet10is then wrapped, i.e., coiled around the paper roll dispensing bar TH. This configuration of the insert10and dispensing bar TH results in frictional contact between the insert10and the paper roll dispensing bar TH.

The adhesive strip13is designed to contact an outer portion of the coiled sheet insert10to retain the coiled sheet insert10in contact with the roll dispensing bar TH. As shown inFIGS. 1,2, and8, the coiled sheet10is inserted into a hollow cylindrical core11of a roll paper product, outer resilient portion of coiled sheet insert10also being in frictional contact with the hollow cylindrical core11of the roll paper product.

When the dispensing bar TH is affixed to dispensing bar retaining hardware the paper product such as toilet paper roll TR or paper towel roll800can be unrolled in controlled portions without excessive rollout due to braking effect of the frictional contact of the inserted coiled sheet insert10.

The insert10can be used with a wide variety of rolled paper products and their dispensers. For example, as shown inFIG. 7, the insert can be wrapped and secured around a free-standing paper towel dispenser bar700, and, as shown inFIGS. 8-9, configured for frictional contact with the core of towel paper roll800and free-standing dispenser bar700.

As shown inFIGS. 10-11the insert10can also be used with a wall mounted paper towel dispenser. Such a dispenser has a wall mounted bracket1000which extends to support laterally separated cylindrical paper roll retainers1004, each cylindrical roll retainer1004having an end cap1002. Notwithstanding the fact that the dispenser shown inFIGS. 10-11has no dispenser bar, the inventive insert10can be configured inside paper roll800such that dentate vanes15extend out of one end of the paper roll800. There is frictional contact between body of insert10and core11of paper roll800. Ends of the paper roll800are then attached to the dispenser's roll retainers1004, the dentate vanes15coming in frictional contact with at least one of the roll retainers1004. This configuration allows the insert10to still function as a brake when paper is dispensed from roll800using the dispenser shown inFIGS. 10 and 11.

As most clearly shown inFIGS. 1 and 3, the dimensions of L1, L2, and D2are formulated so that the vanes15extend beyond the ends of a toilet paper roll TR, preferably by about ⅜″ on each side. During rollout of the paper, the rotating vanes15facilitate dispersal of the scent, the teeth or vanes15maximizing the surface area exposed to the air during rotation of the roller. The foam sleeve10emanates a pleasant fragrance during rollout and use of the paper in order to mask or neutralize toilet odors.

As shown inFIG. 4, the preformed shape12of insert10is substantially planar and rectangular having a total length L3and a total width L2. Preferable total length L3is approximately 8 inches. Preferable total width L2is approximately 5.9062 inches. Preferable width L1of portion IN is approximately 5.4063 inches. Portion IN preferably extends 3.5000 inches beyond dentate portion15. When the device10is formed into a roll, extended portion IN is tucked inside the roll and glued or otherwise fastened to remainder of inside roll portion to stably affix the roll into a cylindrical form.

The insert10may be made from any suitable foam material, such as foam rubber, polyurethane, polystyrene, or other resilient foam material. The scent may be any suitable fragrance, natural or synthetic.