Patent Publication Number: US-4579266-A

Title: Paper dispensing device

Description:
The invention relates to a paper dispensing device comprising a holder containing a paper web reel and consisting of a support to be fastened to a substrate and a hood to be releasably fixed to said support, said support having a central opening for passing the paper web and at the side of said opening at least one ripping edge, whilst in the operational state of the device the hood covers the reel on the support. 
     In sanitary systems and hospitals or--in general--at any place where moistures or dirt has to be swept away it is now preferred to use more or less absorptive paper. The paper may be available in specially folded single pieces or on a reel with a perforated paper web. It is, however, also possible to wind the paper without perforation to form a reel to be arranged in a holder, from which it can be picked up to any desired length. 
     Such a holder, which is preferably fastened to the wall, has an opening below through which the paper can be drawn out of the holder. At the side of the opening the holder has a ripping edge formed for example by sharp extensions by means of which the paper can be separated. This mode of stocking and dispensing paper is least expensive. Thereto, the holder should also be as simple and as cheap as possible. 
     The invention has for its object to provide a paper dispensing device of simple construction, which can be simply closed and opened and which ensures that the paper reel or the interior of the holder is protected from humidity. 
     According to the invention in a device of the kind set forth this problem is solved in that 
     the support has a rim protruding like a console and passing around the side intended for the substrate, 
     at the lower end to be fastened to the support the hood has a substantially U-shaped widening for receiving the rim of the support. 
     in the mounted position the hood grips around the rim of the support by its widened part partly from above, laterally and from below, 
     and the hood can be slipped in a self-clamping manner onto the rim of the support and can be fastened thereto in its end position in a resilient manner. 
     Such a device comprises only the two parts: support and hood. The construction is, therefore, very simple. Since the hood can be slipped in a self-clamping member onto the support, no tools are required for assembling these two parts. Moreover, no additional manipulations are required, since the hood is slipped onto the support and locked in its end position by resiliently snapping elements. After mounting the hood grips around the rim of the support both on the side and from below. Since the integral hood itself is moisture-proof, the support and hence the paper reel below the hood are effectively protected against moisture. 
    
    
     An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the support of a device embodying the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is partly a sectional view of the hood, 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the support, 
     FIG. 4 shows a section of the support on an enlarged scale. 
     FIG. 5 shows the bottom part of an alternative support on an enlarged scale, 
     FIG. 6 shows a detail view of the ripping edge in FIG. 5, 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line VII--VII in FIG. 6. 
    
    
     Reference numeral 1 designates a holder for a paper reel 2, a wound, non-perforated paper strip. The reel 2 is indicated in FIG. 1 by dot-and-dash lines. The holder 1 comprises a support 4 to be fastened to a substrate, preferably a wall 3, and a hood 5, which can be put on the support 4 to cover the reel 2. When the hood 5 is made from transparent material, for example, dark-shaded acryl glass, the reel 2 can be seen from the outside. It can be seen how much paper is present in the reel 2. 
     The support 4 may be secured by means of screws 6 to the wall 3. It has a supporting surface 7 on which the reel 2 can be arranged. The part having the supporting surface 7 and being topmost in the position of use of the support 4 is provided with a console-like protruding rim 8, which extends around the side intended to receive the device on the wall 3. The supporting surface 7 has furthermore a central opening 9, through which paper can be drawn from the reel 2 out of the holder 1. The paper is preferably drawn from the middle of the reel 2. 
     At the side of the opening 9 the support 4 is furthermore provided with a ripping edge 10, which is formed in the embodiment shown by sharp extensions 11 lying side by side and preferably being inclined towards the opening 9, as will be apparent from FIG. 4. At the ripping edge 10 the paper drawn out of the holder 1 can be severed from the endless strip to the desired length. 
     On the side of the ripping edge 10 remote from the opening 9 a protective strip 12 is protruding substantially at right angles to prevent injury of those who take paper from the holder 1 at the extensions 11 of the ripping edge 10. The strip 12 has discontinuities 15 through which the paper can be drawn out and cut at the ripping edge 10. The ripping edge 10 may, as an alternative, be divided in a plurality of sections; in principle, a section of the ripping edge 10 need then be provided only behind each discontinuity 15 of the strip 12. 
     The hood 5 is an integral unit and is open at the end to be fastened to the support 4 as well as on the side contacting the wall 3 in the mounted state. At its open end the hood has a substantially U-shaped widened part 13 by which it can be slipped from the front onto the rim 8 of the support. The widened part 13 and the rim 8 may, for example, have such a conical shape that the hood 5 can be slipped onto the rim in a self-clamping manner so that the rim is firmly enclosed. In the final position, in which the hood 5 is lying on the wall 3, the hood is fixed to the support 4 by resiliently snapping elements. The elements may be extensions 16 provided in the widened part 13 of the hood 5 and engaging depressions 17 of the support 4. It is advantageous to arrange them in covered position so that they can be unlocked by competent persons to charge the holder with a new paper reel 2. 
     By its U-shaped widened part 13 the hood 5 grips around the rim 8 of the support 4, partly from above by the side serving in addition as a support, completely at the side and, in addition, from below. Consequently, moisture, for example, water can no longer penetrate into the holder 1, provided the hood 5 is not damaged. A release of the hood 5 from the support 4 is prevented by the widened part 13. 
     The FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show an alternative embodiment of the support structure. In the figures the same reference numerals are used for similar parts. The ripping edge 10&#39; is a bit inclined so minimizing the danger of injury for the user. In this embodiment the protecting strip 12 can be abandoned. The extensions 11 have here different dimensions, which will ameliorate the separation of a paperlength. 
     The invention is not restricted to the embodiments as described above.