Abstract:
A combination tissue dispenser and waste collector for dispensing clean tissues or towels and collecting and compacting the waste material. The tissue dispenser and waste collector comprises two compartments, one for dispensing clean tissues or towels and the other for receiving the compacted waste paper. The dispenser slides within the waste collector compartment, thus compacting the waste paper. The two compartments remain attached during use by the abutment of stops on the sides thereof.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates generally to a tissue paper dispenser and combined waste collector, and more particularly to a tissue dispenser and waste collector defining two compartments that are removably attached and slidably engagable with one another. The tissue dispenser compartment slides within the waste collector compartment to compact the tissues in the waste collector compartment to provide for a convenient waste disposal location and longer use before emptying.  
         DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
         [0002]    Tissue dispenser/trash collectors are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,309 to Wensel, Jr. discloses a tissue dispenser/trash collector, which fits into the pockets of a coat or a sweater. The collector is rigidly connected to the dispenser and opens in an accordion like fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,302 to McPherson also discloses a tissue dispenser/trash collector, which comprises two compartments that are integrally connected. The waste collection compartment in McPherson opens and closes in an according-like fashion. However, some drawbacks exist in that (1) they must be inverted and shaken to remove the waste tissue material from the collector, and (2) both collectors are open to the air, and thus they could contaminate the surrounding environment.  
           [0003]    Further, tissue dispenser/trash collectors that have two compartments that are capable of separation are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,612 to Meyer, Jr. discloses a tissue dispenser/trash collector with two compartments that can become separated in order to replace the waste filled compartment. Here, the prior art lacks a compacting means.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,276 to Schwimmer et al. discloses a tissue dispenser/trash collector which provides for tissue waste to be stored in an accordion-like compartment located directly under the dispenser section. The waste compartment may separate partially from the dispenser to enable tissue waste removal.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,545 to Parks describes a tissue dispenser/trash collector with one compartment separated into two sections by a flexible bag. In this invention, clean tissues are taken from the top opening of the compartment, used, and then pushed through an entry hole in the bottom of the compartment, where the waste is collected.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,308 to Eberle discloses a tissue dispenser/trash collector for towels. It comprises two compartments, one for holding the paper towels and one for holding the waste tissue material. Drawbacks exist in as much as the compartments are rigidly connected and are not slidably engagable with one another.  
           [0007]    There is a need then in the art of tissue dispenser/trash collectors for an invention that can compact waste paper tissues and keep germs from contaminating the surrounding air. Compacting the tissues will lessen the frequency of emptying these trash collectors. It will also provide more compacted paper waste and will reduce the service person&#39;s or homemaker&#39;s workload.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste collector compartment removably attached to a dispensing compartment for easy access to and disposal of towels or tissues.  
           [0009]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a waste collector that can be compacted and emptied once it is full and then reused.  
           [0010]    It is further an object of the present invention to provide a mirror attached to the dispensing compartment&#39;s flip cover to enable a user to view any self-removal of make-up or the like.  
           [0011]    Accordingly, what is provided is a tissue dispenser and waste collector. The tissue dispenser and waste collector comprises a hollow, generally rectangular dispenser having a top, a sliding face, and two opposing outer side-walls. It also includes a hollow generally rectangular waste collector having a top, a back face, a front opening and two inner side-walls. The dispenser is slidably engagable within the waste collector to enable the compacting of waste paper using the sliding face. A pair of dispenser stops are located on each outer side-wall, proximate to the sliding face. A pair of waste collector stops are located on each inner side-wall, proximate to the front opening. The dispenser stops and waste collector stops in combination enable the dispenser to remain attached to the waste collector after such compacting. The tissue dispenser also includes a flip cover attached to the dispenser top and a mirror attached to an underside of the flip cover.  
           [0012]    The tissue dispenser and waste collector can be disposable or preferably reusable. Both compartments are made of a semi-rigid material and preferably made of cardboard, or a plastic material. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tissue dispenser and waste collector in a non-compacted position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tissue dispenser and waste collector in a compacted position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a top view of the tissue dispenser and waste collector showing the connection means between the two compartments.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the connection means between the two compartments in an open position.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the connection means between the two compartments in a closed position.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a top view of the tissue dispenser and waste collector in the closed position.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a top view of the tissue dispenser compartment.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a front view of the tissue dispenser compartment.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a top view of the waste collector compartment.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the waste collector compartment showing the waste collector stops mounted on the inner side-wall. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]    The invention will now be described in detail in relation to a preferred embodiment and implementation thereof which is exemplary in nature and descriptively specific as disclosed. As is customary, it will be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, and that the invention encompasses such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention illustrated herein, as would normally occur to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention comprises a waste collector  12  and a tissue dispenser  10 . The waste collector  12  and the tissue dispenser  10  are removably attached and slidably engaged to one another. A pair of opposing stops  32  and  34  each assure attachment during use. Both the waste collector  12  and the tissue dispenser  10  can be made of cardboard, plastic, or any other similar material. The present invention provides for the tissue dispenser  10  to be able to slide within the waste collector  12 , thereby compacting waste paper  20  disposed therein. When full, the waste collector  12  can be either disposed of and replaced or emptied and reused.  
         [0025]    The waste collector  12  comprises two inner side-walls  60   b,  a front  30 , which is engaged with the dispenser, and a back face  24 , which serves as the structure against which the waste paper is compacted. The waste collector  12  also includes a waste collector top  42 . The waste collector top  42  encompasses a waste entryway  18 , which can be circular, semi-circular, square, rectangular, triangular, or any other similar shape. This waste entryway  18  provides an opening through which tissues or towels are deposited after use. The waste entryway  18  includes a plastic, paper, or cardboard cover  28  over the opening to prevent germs from dispersing from the waste paper into the surrounding atmosphere.  
         [0026]    In FIG. 2 the compacting motion is shown. The tissue dispenser  10  is pushed towards the back face  24  of waste collector  12 , compacting the waste paper  20 , as the waste collector  12  is filled. The compacting motion will be accomplished by the user applying a light pressure to the front face  26  and the back face  24  of the tissue dispenser  10  and waste collector  12 .  
         [0027]    The tissue dispenser  10  is filled with tissues or towels or similar items and includes a front face  26 , a dispenser top  40 . The dispenser top  40  comprises an opening  14 , through which tissues are retrieved. The opening  14  is covered, when not in use, by a flip cover  16 . The flip cover  16  includes a mirror  54  on its underside. The flip cover  16  can be opened during use into a substantially vertical position, whereby the flip cover  16  is substantially perpendicular to the tissue dispenser top  40 . The mirror  54  enables the user to apply or wipe off makeup or the like while using the tissue dispenser  10  and waste collector  12 .  
         [0028]    The connection means between the waste collector  12  and the tissue dispenser  10  include two waste collector stops  32  and two dispenser stops  34 . These stops  32  and  34  provide for the removable attachment of the waste collector  12  from the tissue dispenser  10 . Stops  32  and  34  are mounted to the side-walls  60   a  and  60   b.  As shown in FIGS.  3 - 10 , the dispenser stops  34  are mounted to the outer side-wall  60   a  of the tissue dispenser  10 . The waste collector stops  32  are mounted to the internal side-wall  60   b  of the waste collector  12 .  
         [0029]    Referring to FIGS.  3 - 6 , the stops  32  and  34  are generally wedge-shaped with a perpendicular back edge  51   a  and  51   b  relative to the side-walls  60   a  and  60   b.  The waste collector stops  32  include a waste collector inclined face  52   b  and a waste collector back edge  51   b.  Dispenser stops  34  include a tissue dispenser inclined face  52   a  and tissue dispenser back edge  51   a.  The pair of dispenser stops  34  are each located on each outer side-wall  60   a,  proximate to said sliding face  22  of the dispenser  10 . The pair of waste collector stops  32  are each located on each inner side-wall  60   b,  proximate to the front opening  30  of the waste collector  12 . The inclined faces  52   a  and  52   b  of stops  34  and  32  respectively, travel to perpendicular back edges  51   a  and  51   b  relative to said outer sidewalls  60   a  and said internal side-walls  60   b.  The pair of dispenser stops  34  and the pair of waste collector  32  stops enable the dispenser  10  to remain attached to the waste collector  12  after such compacting. During attachment of the tissue dispenser  10  to the waste collector  12 , stops  34  slide over stops  32  and dispenser inclined face  52   a  and waste collector inclined face  52   b  come into contact with each other. Finally, dispenser stops  34  slide completely over waste collector stops  32  and the attachment of the tissue dispenser  10  is made to the waste collector  12 . As demonstrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the user tries to separate the two compartments  10  and  12 , stops  32  and stops  34  catch on their respective back faces  51   b  and  51   a,  causing the two compartments to remain as one unit. Stops  32  and  34  can be made of plastic, metal, wood, rubber or any other suitable material.  
         [0030]    In the method for storing and compacting tissues, using a dispenser  10  and a waste collector  12 , the dispenser  10  holds tissues for removal by the user. The waste collector  12  houses used tissue waste paper  20 . The user removes a tissue from the dispenser  10 , uses the tissue, then disposes the tissue through the waste entryway  18  of the waste collector  12 . When the waste collector fills, the user can compact the waste paper  20  by pushing the front face  26  of the dispenser  10  towards the back face  24  of the waste collector  12 .