Element for adjusting the outlet width in paper towels dispensers

Abstract: An element for adjusting the width of the outlet (11) in paper towel dispensers (10) consists of a single piece molded in a plastic material having resilience features, in two specular left (1a) and right (1b) versions, which is substantially C-shaped with two lugs extending from a central body. Said lugs are parallel and spaced by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the bottom wall (12) of the dispenser (10) in the area where the outlet (11) is formed, so as to enclose said area between a first lug of smaller extension on the outer side and a second lug of greater extension on the inner side. The inner lug carries a securing member suitable to couple with any of a plurality of mating fixing members provided close to the outlet (11) of the dispenser (10), so as to reduce by an adjustable extent the free width of the outlet.

Description: The present invention relates to an element for adjusting the outlet width in dispensers of paper towels, in particular but not necessarily of the type in which the paper towels are mutually interleaved or intercalated (i.e. of the C-shaped type) and stacked in a dispenser with a bottom outlet. It is known that in dispensers of paper towels of the above-mentioned type, but also of towels cut from a continuous roll, the dispenser outlet has a well definite cross-section corresponding to a certain width of the paper towel to be manually pulled out through the outlet. Clearly you can not be sure to use always the same type of paper, whose size can change in width, e.g. if you change supplier, thus making the operation of the dispenser less than optimal. In fact, if a paper having a width significantly smaller than the dispenser outlet width is used, the removal of single paper sheets at each manual pulling action performed by the user can no longer be guaranteed. This drawback has been overcome until now by providing templates of different sizes to be applied to the dispenser outlet, so as to change the shape and size of its cross-section, but it is clearly unpractical to have a template for each different size of the paper sheets used in the dispenser. US-A-3433544 discloses a paper towel dispenser with a V-shaped "adapter" formed of an inclined planar sheet with a dependent lip portion for respectively pushing the towels toward the rear wall and retarding or preventing the smaller size towels from falling through the outlet slot without impeding the outlet of the large towels. Therefore the action of such a known adapter is accomplished in the depth direction, i.e. perpendicular to the outlet slot width, in the horizontal plane. Document US-A- 3 433 544 discloses a paper towel dispenses comprising all the features of the preamble of claim 1. The object of the present invention is to provide, for any dispenser, a pair of adjusting elements which can take different positions along the dispenser outlet thus changing the width thereof according to the size of the paper sheets in use. It should be noted that such adjusting elements can be useful also in dispensers of paper towels cut from a continuous roll, by forming a lateral guide which better follows the sheet during its unwinding and removal from the dispenser, regardless of the way in which this takes place. This object is achieved through a paper towel dispenser with two specular outlet adjusting elements, having the characteristics recited in claim 1. Further objects, advantages and characteristics of the adjusting element according to the present invention will be clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, having an exemplificative but not limitative purpose, with reference to the annexed drawings wherein: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a paper towels dispenser outlet from the inside, with two adjusting elements according to the invention mounted at the ends of the outlet; Fig.2 shows a perspective view of an adjusting element to be mounted on the right of the dispenser; and Fig.3 shows a side view, along the direction of arrow A of fig.1, of the left adjusting element according to the present invention, before it is applied to the dispenser outlet. With reference to fig.1, a known dispenser 10, wherein mutually interleaved or intercalated paper towels are stacked, is depicted in a cross-sectional plan view so as to show the properly shaped outlet 11, formed in the bottom wall 12 of the dispenser. Such a dispenser is usually secured to a supporting wall through a mounting plate schematically illustrated as 20. Moreover, outlet 11 is usually shaped so as to define, at the sides of a central area of greater transverse height, two end portions of substantially constant height, with opposite parallel sides which are joined through a curved radius line at each end. According to the present invention, at each portion of constant height of outlet 11 it is possible to secure an adjusting element, respectively left la and right 1b (as seen by the user standing in front of the dispenser), in a position selected among a plurality of mounting positions, so as to reduce by an adjustable extent the free width of the outlet. To this purpose fixing members are provided, preferably in the bottom wall 12 of the dispenser, or elsewhere but close to outlet 11. In particular, two series of aligned holes 13a, 13'a, 13"a and 13b, 13'b, 13"b are formed in the bottom wall 12 between outlet 11 and plate 20 respectively to the left and to the right with respect to the outlet transverse axis. These holes are suitable to couple with respective mating securing members, e.g. a peg 3a on the left adjusting element and a peg 3b on the right adjusting element, according to the desired width of the outlet, i.e. according to the size of the paper sheets loaded in the dispenser. In fig.1 the securing pegs 3a and 3b are depicted as respectively coupled with the holes 13a and 13b closest to the center of the outlet, so as to achieve the minimum width thereof, and obviously the coupling will be symmetrical with respect to the outlet transverse axis. The number of three possible positions is just an example, since a greater or smaller number of positions in the bottom wall 12 may be provided at which to mount the adjusting elements, yet always along the constant-height end portions of outlet 11. With particular reference to figures 2 and 3, an adjusting element according to the present invention consists of a single molded piece, preferably of polyethylene, polypropylene, or any moldable plastic material which is not rigid but has a certain degree of resilience. Broadly speaking, an adjusting element 1a, 1b is substantially shaped as a C whose aperture 2 is intended to face, when the adjusting element is positioned, the center of the dispenser outlet 11. Around said aperture 2, defined by a central concave body 6 of the adjusting element, there extends a pair of lugs 4 and 5 substantially parallel and spaced by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the bottom wall 12 of the dispenser in the area of outlet 11. One of the two lugs, namely the lug referenced by 4 in the drawings, has a greater extension with respect to the second lug 5 and both are shaped with a slight V angle with respect to the central body 6, said angle corresponding to the angle of the bottom wall 12 in the area of outlet 11. In this way, the two lugs 4, 5 perfectly fit over this area enclosing it from inside with lug 4, over a greater extension, and from outside with lug 5, over a smaller extension. The outer lug 5 preferably has a rib 5', projecting towards the inner lug 4, having a height such as to be spaced from the latter by a distance which is not greater than the thickness of the bottom wall 12. This provides for a better gripping of the latter which is enclosed between the two lugs, thanks also to the slight resilience of the material. Always referring to the drawings, pegs 3a and 3b, respectively for securing the left adjusting element 1a and the right one 1b, are shown projecting from an area of the inner lug 4 comparatively far from the central body 6, and on the side facing the outer lug 5. As better shown in fig.2, the peg (3b in this case) is formed on a lateral extension portion 4' of lug 4. Said securing element could also be double or have a shape different from that of a peg projecting from the inner lug of the adjusting element, as long as it mates with the corresponding fixing members provided in the dispenser, preferably in the bottom wall 12. The number of fixing members obviously determines the number of possibilities of adjusting the position of each adjusting element, and thus the possible sizes of outlet 11 depending on the width of the single interleaved sheets (or continuous roll) which are being used. It is clear that the above-described and illustrated embodiment of the present element according to the invention is just an example susceptible of various modifications. In particular, the shapes of the two overlying lugs 4, 5 may change as long as they extend from a central body 6 which is substantially C-shaped.

Claims: A paper towel dispenser (10) with an outlet (11) and having two specular outlet width adjusting elements (1a) and (1b), characterized in that each of them consists of a single piece molded in a resilient plastic material, which is substantially C-shaped with two lugs (4, 5) extending from a central body (6), said lugs (4, 5) being substantially parallel and spaced by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the bottom wall (12) of the dispenser (10) in the area where the outlet (11) is formed, so as to enclose said area between a first lug of smaller extension (5) on the outer side and a second lug of greater extension (4) on the inner side, the latter carrying at least one securing member (3a; 3b) suitable to couple with any of a plurality of mating fixing members (13a, ...; 13b, ...) provided in close proximity to said outlet (11). A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said securing members (3a; 3b) consists of a peg projecting from a lateral extension portion (4') of the inner lug (4) on the side facing the outer lug (5), while the mating fixing members (13a, ...; 13b, ...) consist of two series of aligned holes formed in the bottom wall (12), respectively in correspondence of two opposite longitudinal sides of said outlet (11). A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said outer lug (5) has a rib (5') projecting towards the inner lug (4), said rib (5') having a height such as to be spaced from the latter by a distance which is not greater than the thickness of the bottom wall (12) in the area where the outlet (11) is formed. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two lugs (4, 5) are shaped with a slight V angle with respect to the central body (6), said angle corresponding to the angle formed by the bottom wall (12) in the outlet (11) region. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said resilient plastic material is selected between polyethylene and polypropylene.

Inventors: NIADA GIANANDREA, NIADA, GIANANDREA
Applicants: QTS SRL, QTS S.R.L.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A47K10
IPC codes: A47K10