Abstract:
The invention consists of a bung ( 10 ) for a paper roll. The bung is comprised of a body ( 12 ) and a roll contacting element ( 14 ) frangibly coupled to the body. When the bung ( 10 ) is inserted into the cylindrical opening of the paper roll, the roll contacting element ( 14 ) breaks off from the body ( 12 ).

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001]     The invention relates to support elements for rolls of sheet material, specifically to a bung for insertion into the core of a paper roll.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     In paper dispensers, the roll of paper within the dispenser is supported by a piece called a bung. The bung is inserted into the core of a paper roll and supports the roll within the dispenser while permitting rotation of the roll to dispense paper.  
         [0003]     Generally, a bung can be of various shapes and sizes as long as it fulfills the two-fold task of supporting the roll and allowing rotation. Dowels running the length of the paper roll, small stub-like extensions from the sides of the dispenser, and variations of these types have all been used in the past.  
         [0004]     It is an object of this invention to provide a bung for a paper roll that is easily inserted into the roll and is meant for use only with a single roll.  
         [0005]     It is a further object of this invention to provide a bung that is dimensioned to restrict the types of paper rolls that can be inserted into a dispenser.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     The invention consists of a bung for a paper roll. The bung is comprised of a core and a roll contacting element frangibly coupled to the core. When the bung is inserted into the cylindrical opening of the paper roll, the roll contacting element breaks off from the core.  
         [0007]     Preferably, the roll contacting element is comprised of a plurality of flanges, which fold down and partially surround the core. The flanges may include anchor ridges that contact the paper roll when the bung is inserted. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The invention itself both as to organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a bung in an unfolded state;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a bung in an unfolded state;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view along line A-A of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a bung in a folded state; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a folded bung inserted into a paper roll. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     A bung  10  for mounting a roll of paper or a similar material in a dispenser is shown in  FIG. 1  in its unfolded (open) state, with additional views shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The bung  10  consists of a cylindrical core  12  with a number of flanges  14  attached by frangible tabs  16  to the core  12 . Each flange  14  has ridges  20  for securing the flange  14  to a paper roll. The core  12  has vertical ridges  18  which abut the lower surface of the flanges  14  when the bung  10  is in a closed position (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Each flange  14  has a lower lip  24  at the bottom so that a small amount of space is maintained between the ridge  18  and the flange  14  when the bung  10  is in a closed position.  
         [0015]     The core  12  has a protruding end  13  that is inserted into a receptacle on the dispenser (not shown) to hold the paper roll within the dispenser. The core  12  and flanges  14  end up fully inserted into the end of the paper roll (see  FIG. 5 ). The flanges  14  are approximately the same length as the core  12 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows the bung  10  in its folded (closed) state, ready for insertion into a paper roll. Each flange  14 , is folded against the vertical ribs  18 , with lower lip  24  directly abutting the ribs  18 . The upper edge of the flange  14  is marked by a protruding upper lip  22 .  
         [0017]     In operation, the bung  10  is inserted into a roll of paper  30  as shown in  FIG. 5 . First, the flanges  14  are folded down from the open state ( FIG. 1 ) to the closed state ( FIG. 4 ). Once closed, the bung  10  is inserted into the roll of paper  30  until the core  12  is fully within the roll  30 . Then, the frangible tabs  16  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) are broken to detach the core  12  from the flanges  14 .  
         [0018]     At this point, the bung  10  is fully inserted into the paper roll  30 . If core  12  is removed, then the flanges  14  will no longer remain in the paper roll and will fall out. At that point, the bung  10  cannot be reassembled without significant time and effort. As a result, the bung  10  is a single-use item, and must be disposed of (preferably recycled) and a new bung  10  is required for each paper roll  30 .  
         [0019]     It is most likely that the bung  10  will be inserted into the paper roll  30  at the time of manufacture of the roll  30 . If so, the manufacturer can gain an additional advantage by shaping the protruding end  13  of the core  12  of the bung  10  to fit only in a predetermined dispenser. Thus, by designing a dispenser to only accept a corresponding end  13 , the manufacturer can limit the types of paper rolls used in the dispenser, as the bung will not fit into a non-compliant dispenser, nor will non-compliant bungs (and paper rolls) fit into a dispenser which is configured for the bung  10 .  
         [0020]     Accordingly, while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the scope of the invention.