1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet paper dispenser and folder and more particularly pertains to dispensing a variety of paper lengths in a folded configuration in a sanitary and efficient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of toilet paper dispensers of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet paper dispensers of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of dispensing lengths of paper through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,676, to Ban discloses a toilet roll holder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,792 to Morand discloses a bathroom tissue dispenser (large roll). U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,302 to Watanabe discloses an automatic toilet paper supplier. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,500 to Chen discloses a toilet-paper holder. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,882 to Lewis discloses a toilet paper rotation limited having a plurality of ridges arranged in a plurality of concentric circles.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a toilet paper dispenser that allows dispensing a variety of paper lengths in a folded configuration in a sanitary and efficient manner.
In this respect, the toilet paper dispenser and folder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of dispensing a variety of paper lengths in a folded configuration in a sanitary and efficient manner.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder which can be used for dispensing a variety of paper lengths in a folded configuration in a sanitary and efficient manner. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of toilet paper dispensers of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved toilet paper dispenser. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a frame subassembly. The frame subassembly has a front panel and a parallel rear panel. Each panel has a rectilinear configuration. Each panel has a large aperture and a paper roll holder aperture. Each panel also has a lower roller aperture and an upper roller slot. The panels are coupled by a dowel-like toilet paper roll holder coupled in each of the paper roll holder apertures. The frame subassembly also has an upper feeder roller and a lower feeder roller. The lower feeder roller has a thread on one end and is disposed between and coupled to the panels. The lower feeder roller couples to the lower roller apertures with a bushing on each of the panels to allow for a free rotation. The upper feeder roller ends are slidably accommodated into the slots of each of the panels. By gravity, the upper and lower feeder rollers touch each other. Thus, a rotation by the lower feeder roller results in a counter rotation of the upper feeder roller thereby creating a xe2x80x9cpullingxe2x80x9d action. Next provided is a paper rotation subassembly. The paper rotation subassembly has a cylindrical housing. The paper rotation subassembly also has a roller arm and a backplate. The cylindrical housing is fabricated of a rigid material having a hollow cylindrical configuration. The housing has a cutting edge and a guide. The roller arm has a bolt hole through the middle, is located within the spool, and has a generally slightly curved U-shaped configuration. The backplate is flat and circular with a centrally located shaft hole. Lastly, a pulley subassembly is provided. The pulley subassembly has a rotator bolt with two threaded ends and a bushing. The pulley subassembly also has a plurality of threaded nuts. The pulley subassembly has a larger pulley with a central hole and a smaller pulley with a central hole and a pulley belt. The larger pulley is coupled to the rotator bolt with a pair of threaded nuts. The rotator bolt is coupled to the roller arm with a pair of threaded nuts. Also the rotator bolt is coupled to the backplate with a bushing and a pair of threaded nuts which allows free rotation of the larger pulley and the roller arm. The smaller pulley is coupled to the lower roller with a pair of threaded nuts. The pulleys are coupled and driven by the pulley belt. In this manner a user may rotate the roller arm clockwise and pull the paper from the roll, between the feeder rollers into the spool and onto the arm, to achieve the desired plurality of layers. The arm rotation is reversed and the paper is cut and then removed through the aperture in the front panel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder which has all of the advantages of the prior art toilet paper dispensers of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such toilet paper dispenser and folder economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet paper dispenser and folder for dispensing a variety of paper lengths in a folded configuration in a sanitary and efficient manner.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper dispenser and folder system. The system has a frame subassembly with front and rear parallel panels, an upper feeder roller and a lower feeder roller. Each panel has a large aperture and a paper roll holder aperture and a lower roller aperture and an upper roller. slot. A paper rotation subassembly has a cylindrical housing with a cutting edge and a guide, and roller arm and a backplate. A pulley subassembly has a rotator bolt with two threaded ends and a bushing and threaded nuts and larger and smaller pulleys each with a central hole, and a belt between the pulleys.