Patent Publication Number: US-2011062180-A1

Title: Portable sanitary dispenser assembly

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/671,705, filed on Feb. 6, 2007. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to portable sanitary dispensers, and more specifically to a standalone portable dispenser assembly having multiple locations for holding a plurality of individual dispenser units for sanitary items such as hand towels and hand soap. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     It is often desirable in various types of environments to have sanitary items such as disposable hand towels and hand soap available for activities such as cleaning one&#39;s hands. Such environments may include outdoor public settings such as parks, festivals, golf courses and sporting events, as well as indoor public settings such as grocery stores, trade shows and malls. In many of these locations, people may have the need to clean their hands after food has been served, or where their hands may become dirty for any reason. Oftentimes, conventional restroom facilities that would ordinarily provide ready accessibility to hand towels and/or hand soap are either not present or are inconvenient to visit. 
     In addition, the need for sanitary items often occurs on a temporary basis, such as when festivals are set up at particular locations for limited periods of time, or when grocery stores or other businesses set up temporary locations for providing food samples to customers. Accordingly, in these settings, it is often desirable to provide selected sanitary items, such as disposable hand towels, on a similar temporary basis for allowing the cleaning of hands. There is thus a need for portable sanitary item dispensers of the type that can be easily and conveniently moved into a desired location, and subsequently removed when no longer needed. Such dispensers should preferably be of a size and weight suitable for being hand-portable, capable of holding a sufficient number of hand towels, a sufficient amount of hand soap or a sufficient amount of any other desired sanitary item, for frequent use by many individuals. They should also preferably be conveniently transported, refilled and stored. 
     Certain types of sanitary items are commercially available in pre-manufactured and/or refillable dispensing devices, or containers, for ready retrieval. It is economical, and therefore desirable, to provide dispensers of the type that can readily accommodate these types of dispensing devices in some way. Examples of such dispensing devices include pre-manufactured hand towel canisters and refillable hand soap containers, which would be attached to or contained within the portable sanitary item dispensers. 
     Because such portable sanitary dispensers are likely be used by many individuals, it is convenient, and therefore desirable, to make the dispensers accessible from all sides and at a height convenient for sanitary activities, such as hand-washing. In addition, because such dispensers would be moved frequently, they would preferably be constructed of a strong, lightweight durable material and assembled in a durable configuration. Such dispensers would also preferably be constructed of weather-resistant materials and in a configuration suitable for maintaining a stationary position in windy outdoor conditions. 
     Because such dispensers could potentially be subject to vandalism, it would be desirable for them to be constructed in a modular design, so that damaged portions could be easily replaced. Also, in order to protect the contents of such dispensers from theft, it would be desirable for the contents to be secured in a locked condition within the dispensers. It would also be advantageous for the dispensed items to be at least partially protected from the weather by the configuration of the dispenser assembly, such as to prevent dry hand towels from becoming wet due to rain. It would be further advantageous for such dispensers to be constructed from materials and in configurations that allow for convenient cleaning and maintenance when needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, there is provided a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items comprising a base portion having a lower surface suitable for resting upon the ground or other support surface and having a configuration that provides resistance to the dispenser assembly against being tipped from an upright condition; an extension portion attached to, and extending upwardly from, the base portion; an upper cover portion attached to the extension portion so as to be maintained in a position above the base portion; a dispensing unit disposed upon the extension portion so as to be maintained in a position above the base portion while being at least partially shielded from weather by said upper cover portion; and at least one dispensing device disposed in communication with said dispensing unit, each dispensing device operable for dispensing at least one sanitary item. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items such as hand towels and hand soap. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is conveniently transported, refilled and stored. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that can accommodate the attachment or inclusion of pre-manufactured and/or refillable dispensing devices or containers, such as pre-manufactured hand towel canisters and refillable hand soap containers, upon or within the assembly. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is conveniently accessible from all sides and is located at a convenient height for sanitary activities, such as hand-washing. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is constructed of a strong, lightweight, durable, weather-resistant material and assembled in a durable configuration, so as to be resistant to wear from exposure to weather and damage from repeated storage, use and transportation. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is constructed in a removable modular manner, so that damaged portions can be quickly and conveniently removed and replaced. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items in a configuration suitable for maintaining a stationary position in windy outdoor conditions. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that provides for the dispensed items to be at least partially protected from the weather by the configuration of the dispenser assembly. 
     Yet an additional object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is constructed from materials and in configurations that allow for convenient cleaning and maintenance when needed. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a standalone portable dispenser assembly for sanitary items that is constructed so as to secure the dispensed contents in a lockable manner, so as to protect the contents from theft. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention, in a configuration including multiple pre-manufactured hand towel dispensing devices. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention, in a configuration suitable for including multiple pre-manufactured hand towel dispensing devices, but with the dispensing devices removed. 
         FIG. 3  is a lower perspective view illustrating the upper cover portion and the dispensing unit of the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention in a configuration suitable for including multiple pre-manufactured hand towel dispensing devices, but with the dispensing devices removed. 
         FIG. 4  is an upper perspective view illustrating the dispensing unit of the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention in a configuration suitable for including multiple pre-manufactured hand towel dispensing devices, in a lowered position upon the extension portion of the assembly, for refilling the dispensing unit with hand towel canisters. 
         FIG. 5  is an upper perspective view illustrating the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention in a configuration suitable for including multiple pre-manufactured hand towel dispensing devices, with its dispensing unit in a lowered position upon the extension portion of the assembly and in a refilled condition with hand towel canisters. 
         FIG. 6  is a lower perspective view illustrating the underside of the base portion of the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention in a tilted configuration. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating the standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention, with attached hand soap dispensing devices. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a standalone portable dispenser assembly of the present invention, generally at  10 . The dispenser assembly  10  is shown to include a base portion  12  having a plurality of lower surfaces, or feet,  14  suitable for resting upon the ground or other support surface. It will be appreciated that the base portion  12  may also include a substantially flat integral lower surface. The base portion  12  is configured for maintaining a stationary position in windy outdoor conditions or against being bumped by passersby by including a plurality of leg portions  16  disposed in an outward relation to a central longitudinal axis (not shown) of said base portion  12 . 
     In order to enhance resistance of the dispenser assembly  10  against being tipped from an upright condition, the base portion  12  is optionally constructed to include an internal enclosed space suitable for containing a material for providing weight to said base portion  12 . Such material may be sand or water, although other suitable materials may also be used. Accordingly, the base portion  12  is shown to include one or more optional removable closures such as fill plug  18 , which can be removed for filling the base portion  12  with a material for providing weight, and subsequently closed to retain the material within the interior of the base portion  12 . When weight is no longer required in the base portion  12 , one of the closures, such as drain plug  19 , is removed and the material contained within the base portion  12  is removed. 
     The base portion  12  is constructed of a durable, but lightweight, plastic material that is molded into the desired shape. This material has the advantages of being economical, convenient for molding and tinting as desired, easily transported, resistant to denting and other damage during use or transportation, resistant to effects from weather exposure and resistant to damage from vandalism. However, it will be appreciated that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     The dispenser assembly  10  further includes an extension portion  20  that is attached to, and extending upwardly from, the base portion  12 , by being inserted into an aperture  22  of the base portion  12 . Preferably, the extension portion  20  is removably attached to the base portion  12 , such that the dispenser assembly  10  is in a modular configuration for convenient removal and replacement of components of the assembly, such as for repairing damaged components. The extension portion  20  is shown to be in the form of a vertically-extending elongated tube, although it will be realized that the extension portion  20  may be in other suitable configurations. Again, the extension portion  20  is constructed of molded plastic, although other suitable materials may also be used. The extension portion  20  can also be removed from the base portion  12  to aid in transportation of the assembly components, and also so that the open aperture  22  can provide a larger opening for filling the base portion with water or sand or evacuating a material for providing weight, such as water or sand, from within the base portion  12 . 
     In order to prevent theft or vandalism of the components of the dispenser assembly  10 , the extension portion  20  can be capable of being locked to the base portion  12 . This is shown in  FIG. 2  through the use of a pin  24  that is inserted through apertures  26  and recesses  28  in the extension portion  20  and base portion  12 , respectively, and can be locked through the use of a lock  30 , such as a conventional keylock. 
     The dispenser assembly  10  further includes an upper cover portion  32  attached to the extension portion  20  so as to be maintained in a position above the base portion  12 . In order to enhance a secure relation between the extension portion  20  and the upper cover portion  32 , the upper cover portion  32  includes a cap portion  34  that is sized for the insertion of the extension portion  20  through the interior of the upper cover portion  32  and into the interior of the cap portion  34 . Also, the upper cover portion  32  may be permanently attached to the extension portion  20  by the insertion of suitable fasteners, such as rivets (not shown), into the cap portion  34  and the upper end of the inserted extension portion  20 . Alternatively, the upper cover portion  32  may be removably attached to the extension portion  20 , so as to provide a modular assembly for which one or more portions can be conveniently replaced in the event of damage. 
     The dispenser assembly  10  also includes a dispensing unit  36  disposed upon the extension portion  20  to provide a location for the inclusion or attachment of one or more dispensing devices. The dispensing unit  36  is located so as to be maintained in a position above the base portion  12  at a height suitable for the convenient retrieval of sanitary items while being at least partially shielded from weather by the upper cover portion  32 . Accordingly, the dispensing unit  36  may be secured to a lower surface of the upper cover portion  32 , secured within a lower recess of the upper cover portion  32 , or inserted through a lower opening of the upper cover portion  32  and secured within said upper cover portion  32 , such that a majority of the dispensing unit  36  is contained within the upper cover portion  32 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the dispensing unit  36  is slidably disposed upon the extension portion  20  through its central aperture  38  to provide for convenient refilling. In such a slidable configuration, the dispensing unit  36  is considered to also be removably attached to the extension portion, so as to provide a modular assembly for which one or more portions can be conveniently replaced in the event of damage. In the arrangement shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the dispensing unit  36  is able to be inserted through a lower opening  40  of the upper cover portion  32  and secured within said upper cover portion  32 , such that a majority of the dispensing unit  36  is contained within the upper cover portion  32 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the dispensing unit  36  may be secured in a retained position within the upper cover portion  32  through the use of a pin  42  that is inserted through apertures  44  in the extension portion  20  located upon the dispensing unit  36 , and can again be locked through the use of a lock  48 , such as a conventional keylock. The pin  42  is also shown to be capable of being disposed within notches  46  on the dispensing unit  36 , to inhibit rotation of the dispensing unit with respect to the extension portion  20 . 
     The dispensing unit  36  may accommodate one or more open or hand-operated, replaceable premanufactured or refillable, dispensing devices for dispensing one or more sanitary items, such as dry hand towels, moistened hand towels, liquid hand soaps, liquid antibacterial hand cleansers, shampoos or any other suitable items that can be dispensed by such devices. Any such dispensing device or devices may be attached directly to the exterior surface of, or contained within the interior of, the dispensing unit  36 . Where such dispensing devices are desired to be contained within the interior of the dispensing unit  36 , the dispensing unit  36  may include one or more configured surfaces  50  and  52  corresponding to an exterior configuration of said at least one dispensing device. Such configured surfaces provide one or more locations for the insertion of suitable dispensing devices, such as premanufactured hand towel canisters, so that they can be retained in a substantially stationary position within the dispensing unit  36  that is convenient for accessing the contents of such dispensing devices. They also assist in protecting the dispensing devices against the weather and against vandalism and theft. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the dispensing unit  36  includes a plurality of such configured surfaces  50  and  52  that provide locations for the dispensing unit  36  to accommodate the insertion of a plurality of dispensing devices. Although the dispensing unit  36  is shown to include six such locations for dispensing devices, it will be realized that the dispensing unit  36  may be configured to accommodate any suitable number of dispensing devices without departing from the invention. In the arrangement where the dispensing unit  36  is designed to be raised upon the extension portion  20  and secured within a lower recess of the upper cover portion  32  or inserted through a lower opening of the upper cover portion  32  and secured substantially within the upper cover portion  32 , the upper cover portion  32  may be designed in a configuration to include complementary surfaces  54  that correspond to the configuration of the configured surfaces  52  on the dispensing unit  36 . In this way, the dispensing unit  36  may be positioned in a secured condition within the upper cover portion  32 . 
     The loading of the dispensing unit  36  with dispensing devices is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , where the dispensing unit  36  is in a lowered position near the lower end of the extension portion  20 . In this position, the dispensing unit  36  rests upon the base portion  12  in a convenient position for inserting dispensing devices, such as the premanufactured hand towel canisters  56  shown, into the provided locations in dispensing unit  36 . Once all available locations within the dispensing unit  36  are filled with dispensing devices, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the dispensing unit  36  can then be slid upwardly along the extension portion  20  into position relative to the upper cover portion  32  and secured in place, as described above. 
       FIG. 6  shows a configuration for the underside of the base portion  12 . This configuration provides for a portion of the underside to be recessed, so as to spread out the weight of the base portion  12  toward the feet  14 . The base portion  12  is also shown to include a cylindrical stub  58  at the central portion of its underside that is sized to engage the lower end of the extension portion  20 , for securing the extension portion  20  in a substantially vertical position with respect to the base portion  12 . Also, the base portion  12  is shown to include an optional tie-down ring  60  upon which a cable and lock or other locking device may be secured, to prevent theft. 
       FIG. 7  shows another arrangement of the dispenser assembly of the present invention, generally at  70 . Many of the features for this arrangement are the same as described in connection with the previous arrangement, as the dispenser assembly  70  includes a base portion  72 , an extension portion  74  and an upper cover portion  76 . In this arrangement, however, the dispensing unit  78  is secured to a lower surface of the upper cover portion  76 . The dispensing unit  78  provides for the inclusion of one or more dispensing devices, this time in the form of a plurality of refillable liquid hand soap dispensing devices  80  disposed upon the dispensing unit  78 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , four such liquid hand soap dispensing devices  80  are provided, although any suitable number may be used. Also, the liquid hand soap dispensing devices  80  are shown to be located on multiple sides of the dispensing unit  78 , so as to be generally accessible from all horizontal directions relative to the dispenser assembly  70 . 
     It will be understood that the foregoing description is provided merely by way of illustration and example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the examples provided without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.