ADAPTER FOR TOILET PAPER ROLLS WITHOUT CORE

Abstract: An adapter (1) for dispensers receiving coreless toilet paper rolls (3) having a receptacle (2) into which to place a coreless toilet paper roll (3) and at least one suspension arrangement (8) for fastening the adapter (1) to conventional mountings (9) of wall mounted dispensers (10) use for core-type toilet paper rolls.

Description: ADAPTER FOR TOILET PAPER ROLLS WITHOUT CORE The invention relates to an adapter for dispensers receiving coreless toilet paper rolls. Conventionally, toilet paper is wound up on board cores so as to facili¬ tate the mechanical winding operation and to obtain an accurately wound roll. There has been a tendency of late, in particular with multipacks of toilet paper rolls, to keep the volume to be packaged as low as possible. This helps strongly reduce the packaging cost as such and the fees of partici¬ pation in centralized dumping such as the "Duales System Deutschland" (keyword: "Grϋner Punkt")*. Moreover, it is generally desirable to reduce the use of packaging material with a view to reducing the quantities of garbage. The most efficient measure for the reduction of packaging material, in particular with multipacks of toilet paper rolls, is offered by the re¬ duction in size of the toilet paper rolls by omission of the cores. If a web of toilet paper of constant length and number of sheets is rolled on itself virtually without any open core, then the diameter of a toilet paper roll and thus the required packaging volume can be reduced con¬ siderably. However, there is the problem that most dispensers used for toilet paper rolls need the open core for the fastening of the roll, the open core of the toilet roll being placed on corresponding holders. Such dispensers are not suitable for coreless toilet paper rolls, they would have to be replaced. Since the majority of consumers will very much dis¬ like such an exchange and the costs and efforts implied, it is to be as¬ sumed that coreless toilet paper rolls will not successfully meet with a ready market. Proceeding from these problems, it is the object of the invention to create a possibility for coreless toilet paper rolls to be used on conventional dispensers. This object is attained by the adapter of claim 1. To this end, the a- dapter has a receptacle, into which to place a coreless toilet paper roll, and at least one suspension arrangement for it to be fastened to conven¬ tional mountings of dispensers used for core-type toilet paper rolls. Owing to this design, the conventional mounting available in toilets can still be used by the adapter being applied, the latter's receptacle ac¬ commodating the toilet paper roll. Fundamentally, the adapter can be distributed in the scope of household supplies as a comparatively simple retrofit article to be manufactured at a low cost, or it can be added as an advertising supplement to multi¬ packs of coreless toilet paper rolls. In this regard, the adapter will increase the acceptance of consumers towards the novel coreless toilet paper rolls, thus supporting the distribution of these environmentally acceptable rolls. Further features, details and advantages embodiments of the adapter ac¬ cording to the invention will become apparent from the subclaims and the ensuing description of an exemplary embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a lateral view of an adapter with several dispensers of con¬ ventional design being roughly outlined, and Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the adapter in its position of mounting on different dispensers. As seen in Figs. 1 to 3, the adapter 1 in the form of an injection-molded part has a substantially semicylindrical receptacle 2 open to the top, in¬ to which to place a coreless toilet paper roll 3. The receptacle 2 com¬ prises a semicylindrical casing wall 4 and approximately semicircular sidewalls 5, 6, which finish the receptacle 2 laterally. The sidewalls 5, 6 are provided with several triangular recesses 7 for material saving purposes. Further, the adapter 1 is provided with various suspension arrangements 8, 8', by means of which it can be fastened to conventional mountings 9, 9', 9" of wall-mounted toilet paper dispensers 10. As a rule, such wall- mounted dispensers 10 have a fastening plate 12, which must be applied over its full surface on a wall 11, and from which the actual holding elements stick out. A typical wall-mounted dispenser 10 is shown by dash-dotted lines in Fig. 1 and illustrated in Fig. 2. Its mounting 9 consists of two lateral sheet metal brackets 13 of vertical direction, which project at right angles over the fastening plate 12, and which, viewed laterally, are substantially triangular, having a rounded free end 14. Upstream of this free end 14, the brackets 13 each have a bearing slot 15 open to the top and extending vertically, into which to place from above the axle stubs of a bearing spindle that passes through the core of a conventional toilet paper roll. On its sidewalls 5, 6, the adapter 1 comprises insert pins 17, which are in alignment with each other axially and which stick out from the side walls 5, 6 centrally before of the upper edge 16; they can be inserted into the bearing slot 15 instead of the axle stubs. Thus the adapter 1 can be fastened to this type of wall-mounted dispenser 10. So as to se¬ cure the position, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of the adapter 1, the lower wall-side edge portion 18 of the latter's receptacle 2 has supporting pro¬ jections 19 formed by elongation pieces 20 and 21 integrally formed on the sidewalls 5, 6 or on the casing wall 4, respectively. As seen in Fig. 2, the free ends 22 of the insert pins 17 can be provided each with a detachable cap 23 projecting over the diameter of the pin. Fig. 3 illustrates how, by means of its insert pins 17, the adapter 1 can be hooked in another type of mounting 9'. This other type of mounting 9' consists of two solid brackets 24, which again project horizontally and at right angles over the fastening plate 12, and of which only one is seen in Fig. 3. The free ends of the brackets 24 are provided with thickened heads 25 that have bottom holes 26 left open inwards. These bottom holes 26 can accommodate the ends of a telescopable beting axle of a conven¬ tional spindle taking up conventional core-type toilet paper rolls. In exchange for this spindle, the adapter 1 can be suspended in these bottom holes 26 with the aid of its insert pins 17, the latter being dis¬ posed on the sidewalls 5, 6 flexible to the inside of the receptacle 2. For the insertion of the adapter 1 into the mounting 9', the two sidewalls 5, 6 only have to be pressed inwards towards each other for the insert pins 17 to snap into the bottom holes 26. As seen in Fig. 1, further measures have been taken on the adapter 1 for the latter to be assembled with other types of mountings 9". For instance, the upper wall-side edge portion 27 of the receptacle 2 is pro¬ vided with hook-in-type eyelets 28, by means of which the adapter 1 can be hooked in the usual, U-shaped and pivotable bow holders 29 of con¬ ventional toilet paper dispensers. Fig. 1 illustrates such a bow holder 29 bent from wire, of which the upper leg 30 is retained horizontally in a pivot bearing 31 on the fastening plate 12. The brace 32 forming the base of the U-shaped bow holder 29 extends approximately at right angles downwards and passes into the lower leg 33 of the bow holder 29 which engages with the core of conventional toilet paper rolls. When the adapter 1 is used, this lower leg 33 lodges in a hook-in-type eye 34 of reduced size of the hook-in-type eyelets 28. The latter are lev¬ el with the two sidewalls 5, 6 by arms 35, 36 being integrally formed on the latter. For the assembly of the adapter 1 not only with thin bow holders 29 bent from wire, but with thicker, plastic injection molded bow holders, the hook-in-type eyelets 28 have a hook-in-type eye 37 of increased size in addition to the hook-in-type eye 34 of reduced size. In Fig. 1, the lower leg 38 of such a thicker bow holder is outlined by a dot-dashed line. As further seen in Fig. 1, the adapter 1 may be used even with wall- mounted dispensers that have a holding-down plate 39 for the toilet paper roll 3. The outlet-side edge 40 of the receptacle 2 is in the form of a tear-off edge, as roughly outlined by the teeth 41 seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Fur¬ ther, in the outlet-side portion 42 of the casing wall 4 of the substan¬ tially semicylindrical receptacle 2, provision is made for a passage 43 extending over the width of the toilet paper roll 3 and through which to pull the paper web. The two edges 44, 45 defining the passage 43 to the top and to the bottom serve as a tear-off edge.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS : 1. An adapter for dispensers receiving coreless toilet paper rolls (3), comprising - a receptacle (2), into which to place a coreless toilet paper roll (3), and - at least one suspension arrangement (8, 8') for fastening the adapter (1) to conventional mountings (9, 9', 9") of wall-mounted dispensers (10) used for core-type toilet paper rolls. 2. An adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle (2) is substantially semi-cylindrical and open to the top. 3. An adapter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the a- dapter (1) comprises, as a suspension arrangement (8), two insert pins (17), which are in alignment axially, and which stick out from the two sidewalls (5, 6) of the receptacle (2), and by means of which the adapt¬ er (1) can be suspended in conventional bearing openings (bearing slot 15, bottom hole 26) of holding brackets (13, 24) for core-type toilet paper rolls. 4. An adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that the free ends (22) of the insert pins (17) are provided with a detachable cap (23) pro¬ jecting over the diameter of the pin. 5. An adapter according to claim 4, characterized in that the insert pins (17) are disposed in wall portions (sidewalls 5, 6) flexible inwards of the receptacle (2). 6. An adapter according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper wall-side edge portion (27) of the receptacle (2) is provided with hook-in-type eyelets (28), by means of which the adapter (1) can be hooked in usual, U-shaped and pivotable bow holders (29) of wall-mount¬ ed toilet paper dispensers (10). 7. An adapter according to claim 6, characterized in that the hook-in- type eyelet (28) is provided with a hook-in-type eye of increased size and a subsequent hook-in-type eye of reduced size (37, 34). 8. An adapter according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lower wall-side edge portion (18) of the receptacle (2) is provided with a supporting projection (19). 9. An adapter according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the outlet-side edge (40) of the receptacle (2) serves as a tear-off edge. 10. An adapter according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the outlet-side edge portion (42) of the casing wall (4) of the substan¬ tially semi-cylindrical receptacle (2) is provided with a passage (43) for the toilet paper.

Inventors: REINHEIMER HORST ALFRED, STARY CHRISTOF KARL, REINHEIMER, HORST, ALFRED, STARY, CHRISTOF, KARL
Applicants: PROCTER & GAMBLE, REINHEIMER HORST ALFRED, STARY CHRISTOF KARL, REINHEIMER, HORST, ALFRED, STARY, CHRISTOF, KARL, THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65H19
IPC codes: A47K10, B65H16