Patent Publication Number: US-2022225847-A1

Title: Dispensing unit for a bathroom

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     ) The present invention relates generally to but more particularly to dispensing units but more particularly to a dispensing unit for a bathroom. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many things need to be done in a bathroom and any device that can make things easier is appreciated. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present disclosure to provide for a dispensing unit for a bathroom. 
     In order to do so, the dispensing unit for a bathroom can be mounted on or encased into a wall, has a body comprised of a front panel, two lateral sides, a back side, a bottom side, an openable top lid, a removable bin and a porthole for accessing toilet paper wherein there is a lever for actuating a toilet paper releasing mechanism. A plurality of silos located along the length of the back panel wherein at least one of the plurality of silos is configured and sized for holding a plurality of toilet paper tolls. A lever slit and an opening for passing the activation lever are also present on the front panel. The toilet paper releasing mechanism further comprised of a pair of modules wherein each module is a mirror image of the other module and each module shares a single bar which is itself actuated by a lever actuated by an intended user wherein when the bar is lowered it pushes down push members which push nipples which entrain casters attached to a plank guided by tracks diagonally downward to a lowered position so as to move pins laterally and downwardly such that a roll of toilet paper and a core portion are released; the core portion falling into a bin by way of a bin opening while simultaneously, all the toilet paper rolls drop down until the lowermost toilet paper roll is blocked by the bin opening being sized to only pass a core portion. Upon release of the lever, the plank is brought back to its upward position by way of a means for biasing which brings back the pins so that the two lowermost toilet paper rolls are trapped by the set of pins which grab and lift the toilet paper rolls in such a way that the lowermost toilet paper roll no longer touches the area around the bin opening and the toilet paper roll above it is also raised so that there is no contact between it and the lowermost toilet paper roll. 
     The casters range of motion defined by passageways. 
     A paper tissue slit located on the front panel provides the intended user access to the contents of a tissue box located behind the front panel inside one of the silos as well as an activation lever for the hand sanitizer. 
     The means for biasing in the form of a resiliently deformable band or a coil spring or a blade spring, for example. 
     The mechanism is comprised of a top member, a bottom member, a front wall, a rear wall. 
     In another preferred embodiment, all three silos are used for toilet paper and lateral levers push an entire column of toilet paper into the central silo. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment, the lateral silos are configured for holding other items comprising but not limited to paper tissues and hand sanitizer. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment, there is a cell phone holder and an induction charging station located on the front panel. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment, there is a Bluetooth speaker on the front panel which interfaces with a cell phone app. 
     In yet another embodiment, there is an AC outlet, 12 VDC transformer for the LEDs, 5 VDC transformer for the Bluetooth speaker; a speaker grille, a Bluetooth emitter to control the LEDs by way of the app on the smart phone; a WIFI module which connects to the local network and the smart phone to keep tabs on the number of toilet rolls used so as to know when to buy more. 
     The dispensing unit for a bathroom has a method of use comprised of the steps of: 
     a) the intended user pulls down the lever which 
     b) moves the set of pins which 
     c) releases the core portion and one roll of toilet paper then 
     d) the core portion is evacuated into the bin 
     e) after the intended user releases the lever the pins return to their initial position so as to grab two rolls of toilet paper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  Is an isometric view of an embodiment of the invention installed semi-recessed on a wall. 
         FIG. 1B  Is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2A-C  are top, front, and side views, respectively, of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1A-B . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of an embodiment having three stacks of paper toilet rolls. 
         FIGS. 4A-B  are an isometric and an exploded view of an embodiment having additional features. 
         FIGS. 5A-B  Side views of the interior of the toilet paper roll replacement mechanism. 
         FIGS. 6A-B  are front views of the interior of one side of the toilet paper roll replacement mechanism, along lines B-B of  FIG. 5B  showing its two modes of operation. 
         FIGS. 7A-C  are front views of the interior of one side of the toilet paper roll replacement mechanism, along lines A-A of  FIG. 5B  showing the three steps of operation of the toilet paper replacement mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the general principles of the present invention have been defined herein. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1A-B , a dispensing unit ( 10 ) for a bathroom that can be mounted on or encased in a wall ( 11 ) has a body comprised of a front panel ( 12 ), two lateral sides ( 13 ), a back side ( 14 ), a bottom side ( 15 ), and au openable top lid ( 16 ). The front panel ( 12 ) has a removable bin ( 18 ) and a porthole ( 20 ) for accessing a toilet paper roll ( 22 ). The front panel ( 12 ) also has a lever ( 24 ) for actuating a toilet paper releasing mechanism ( 28 ), a smart phone holder and/or induction charger ( 26 ), and a speaker grille. ( 28 ) for a speaker (not shown). 
     The back panel is comprised of 3 silos ( 30 ) wherein at least one, preferably the one located in the middle, is configured and sized for holding a plurality of toilet paper rolls ( 22 ) and the other silos ( 30 ) are configured for holding other items such as paper tissues ( 32 ) and hand sanitizer ( 34 ), for example. A paper tissue slit ( 36 ) is provided on the front panel ( 12 ) as well as an activation lever ( 38 ) for the hand sanitizer ( 34 ). A lever slit ( 40 ) and an opening ( 42 ) for passing the activation lever ( 38 ) are also present on the front panel ( 12 ). 
       FIG. 3  shows yet another variation wherein all three silos ( 30 ) are used for toilet paper ( 22 ) and lateral levers ( 42 ) push an entire column of toilet paper ( 22 ) into the central silo ( 30 ). 
       FIGS. 5-7  show the inner workings of the toilet paper releasing mechanism ( 28 ) which is comprised of a top member ( 44 ), a bottom member ( 46 ), a front wall ( 48 ), a rear wall ( 50 ). The mechanism ( 28 ) is divided into two modules ( 29 ) which are mirror images of each other. The following description generally describes the parts as seen in  FIGS. 5A-B  when referring to the number of parts. It should be understood that this number should be multiplied by two since there are two modules ( 29 ). There is a plank ( 52 ) onto which are a pair of pins ( 54 ) two pairs of casters ( 56 ) rolling up and down tracks ( 58 ) and having a range of motion defined by passageways ( 60 ). The plank ( 52 ) has a lowered position, as seen in  FIG. 5A  and a raised position, as seen in  FIG. 5B , which is the rest position as dictated by a means for biasing ( 62 ) in the form of a resiliently deformable band or a coil spring or a blade spring, for example. One of the caster extends into a nipple ( 64 ) which is pushed down by a bar ( 66 )—only one bar for the two modules—which is connected to each of the push members ( 68 ) to which the pins ( 54 ) are attached to when the lever ( 24 ) is pushed down. 
     ( 34   j  As best seen in  FIGS. 7A-C , when a toilet paper roll ( 22 ) is finished, a user pulls down a lever ( 24 ) which moves a set of pins ( 56 ) which releases a core portion ( 70 ) of the toilet paper roll ( 22 ) that is now finished. The pins ( 56 ) are pulled away and move downwardly as the plank ( 52 ) moves downwardly when the push members ( 68 ) push down the bar ( 66 ) which pushes down on the nipples ( 64 ). The core portion ( 70 ) being released, falls into the bin ( 18 ) by way of a bin opening ( 72 ) while simultaneously, all the toilet paper rolls ( 22 ′) drop down until the lowermost toilet paper roll ( 22 ) is blocked by the bin opening ( 72 ) being sized to only pass a core portion ( 70 ). Upon release of the lever ( 24 ), the plank ( 52 ) is brought back to its upward position by way of a means for biasing ( 62 ) which brings back the set of pins ( 56 ) so that the two lowermost toilet paper rolls ( 22 ′,  22 ) are trapped by the set of pins ( 56 ) which grab and lift the toilet paper rolls ( 22 ′,  22 ) in such a way that the lowermost toilet paper roll ( 22 ) no longer touches the area around the bin opening ( 72 ) and the toilet paper roll ( 22 ′) above it is also raised so that there is no contact between it ( 22 ′) and the lowermost toilet paper roll ( 22 ). 
     Other useful things such as cell phone induction charging station ( 39 ), a bluetooth speaker ( 42 ) for connection with a cell phone app. 
     AC outlet, 12 VDC transformer for the LEDs, SVDC transformer for the Bluetooth speaker. Bluetooth emitter to control the LEDs by way of the app on smart phone. A WIFI module which connects to the local network and the smart phone to keep tabs on the number of toilet rolls used so as to know when to buy more. 
     Although the invention has been described in considerable detail in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features described. Rather, the specific features are disclosed as exemplary preferred forms of implementing the claimed invention. Stated otherwise, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Therefore, while exemplary illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such variations and alternate embodiments are contemplated, and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     It should further be noted that throughout the entire disclosure, the labels such as left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise, counter clockwise, up, down, or other similar terms such as upper, lower, aft, fore, vertical, horizontal, oblique, proximal, distal, parallel, perpendicular, transverse, longitudinal, etc. have been used for convenience purposes only and are not intended to imply any particular fixed direction or orientation. Instead, they are used to reflect relative locations and/or directions/orientations between various portions of an object. 
     In addition, reference to “first,” “second,” “third,” and etc. members throughout the disclosure (and in particular, claims) are not used to show a serial or numerical limitation but instead are used to distinguish or identify the various members of the group.