WO1988004150A1

WO1988004150A1 - Tissue paper moistening apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1988004150A1
Application number: PCT/FI1986/000146
Authority: WO
Inventors: Unto Olavi Tarkkonen
Original assignee: Unto Olavi Tarkkonen
Priority date: 1985-06-14
Filing date: 1986-12-11
Publication date: 1988-06-16
Also published as: FI852367A0; FI72644C; GB8910045D0; FI852367L; GB2219012B; GB2219012A; FI72644B; SE8902092D0; SE462700B; SE8902092L

Abstract

A tissue paper moistening apparatus, i.e. an apparatus dispensing dry or moist tissue paper from one and the same paper roll. The apparatus comprises a housing (1), inside which there are fitted a paper roll (14) and a shaft (6) thereof, a moistener (7), which is in form a flat, platelike member, the bottom surface whereof is provided with holes (16), and a plane (10) or the like located below the moistener (7). The paper web (15) to be pulled from the paper roll (14) is arranged to proceed out between the moistener (7) and the plane (10). When desired, the liquid is supplied onto the paper web (15) through the holes (16) of the moistener (7) section by section before the tissue strip, i.e. a section of the paper web, is pulled out.

Description

TISSUE PAPER MOISTENING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a tissue paper moistening apparatus, i.e. an apparatus which dispenses both dry and moistened tissue paper from the same paper roll. This apparatus makes hand-cleaning easier in service occupations and helps in general in the maintenance of personal hygiene, for Instance in the toilet. Generally the staff rooms In service occupations have hand-washing equipment only in connection with the toilet facilities, which are connected to the water supply line. The water closet itself is often provided only with a paper roll rack, which dispenses only dry tissue paper. If moist tissues are desired, the existing alternatives are to moisten them either by means of the water supply equipment, or to buy pre-moistened tissues which are available in packages of various sizes. In the earth closets in the country and in summer cottages, only a dry paper roll is generally used.

When aiming at cleanness, dry tissue paper is not alone sufficient, because it lacks the washing capacity. In a toilet, the tissue can of course be moistened with water, but this may be troublesome depending on the location of the water supply equipment, and therefore remains usually undone. A tissue paper moistener to be installed in connection with the water supply line has not appeared in the market, because it is difficult and expensive to install in an already existing toilet. As regards dry latrines, they lack any kind of washing facilities. For several years there has been available pre-moistened tissue papers, which, however, have not gained popularity for instance in toilets, where they apparently were originally intended. The reason for this must be their cumbersome use and high price. Therefore they have not become part of the regular toilet equipment.

The apparatus of the present invention brings forth a radical improvement as regards the above mentioned drawbacks. In order to achieve this, the apparatus of the invention is characterized by the novel features enlisted in the appended patent claims.

The most important advantage of the Invention is obviously the fact that both dry and moist tissue paper is easily obtained from one and the same apparatus. Moreover, the apparatus is easily installable when and where ever desired, because it does not necessarily require a water supply line connection but can be provided with a water tank of its own. The apparatus is completely encased, and Inside It there is no chance of remaining dampness, which could offer fertile soil for blight or bacteria. In structure the apparatus is simple and easily dismounted. Thus it is secure in operation and can be maintained by anybody.

The Invention is explained below in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, where

Figure 1 is a side-view illustration of the apparatus of the invention, seen in partial cross- section;

Figure 2 is a front-view illustration of the apparatus of the invention, seen in partial cross- section and without the paper roll; and

Figure 3 illustrates the moistener seen from below.

The apparatus of the invention, as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, comprises the housing 1, inside which there are arranged the water tank 2, the paper roll 14 and the roller shaft 6, the moistener 7, the plane 10 or the like and the pump 8. The water tank 2 is placed in the top part of the housing 1. The water tank 2 is connected to the pump 8 with the first pipe 5. The pump 8 is placed in the bottom part of the housing 1, and the pump space 13 is covered with the plane 10 or with an equivalent lid or the like. The pump 8 is connected, with another pipe 12, to the moistener 7, which is placed above the plane 10. The bottom surface of the moistener 7 is provided with holes. The pump 8 is provided with an operating handle 9, whereby the pump can be used from outside the housing 1. The pipes 5 are advantageously made of some flexible material such as rubber or plastic.

The shaft 6 of the paper roll 14 can be turned outwards of the housing 1 supported by the swivel member 31. The head of the shaft 6 is provided with a cam 29* which keeps the paper roll in place. The shaft 6 is placed below the liquid tank 2. In connection with the shaft 6, there is arranged a member which slows down the rolling of the paper roll 14, such as the brake plate 11.

The paper web 15 to be pulled from the paper roll 14 is arranged to pass between the moistener 7 and the plane 10 out of the housing 1 and thus out of the whole apparatus. Through the holes 16 of the moistener 7, liquid is sprayed, when desired, onto the paper web 15 section by section by pressing the operating handle 9 of the pump 8, prior to the pulling out and using of the tissue strip 15a proper, i.e. an area or section of the said paper web. The paper roll is advantageously transversally perforated at regular Intervals, so that one tissue strip is formed of the area in between two perforations. This is the particular area to which the moistening is directed. The liquid tank 2 is provided with a filling hole 3 and with a cap 30 fitting thereto. The liquid tank is also provided with a closing valve 32, by means of which the outlet 33 located at the bottom of the tank can be easily closed for the duration of filling or maintaining the tank. In addition to this, the tank includes a liquid surface indicator 4. This can be a transparent tube 34 or the like, whore a bobber 35 floating in the water is placed. The indicator shows when the liquid tank 2 is empty, so that it can be filled immediately. The liquid tank 2 is filled with some suitable cleaning liquid such as water or some generally known antiseptic solution.

The moisten'er 7 is most advantageously a flat, platelike piece, the bottom surface whereof is provided with holes 16 as is seen in figure 3. The moistener 7 comprises two platelike members 36, 37, In between which there is placed a sealing 38. The platelike members are provided with corresponding grooves 39, which form the channel network: the main channel 40 and the auxiliary channels 41 which branch off from the main channel at regular intervals. The auxiliary channels are provided with the above mentioned holes 16. The main channel 40 is connected to another pipe 12 and thereby to the pump 8. The main channel 40 is larger in cross-section than the auxiliary channels 41, in order to make the liquid spread evenly through all of the auxiliary channels 41 and further through the holes 16 to the section 15a of the paper web.

The moistener 7 is attached, by the aid of the angle holder 42, to the bottom part of the housing 1 of the apparatus. The angle holder 42 comprises a side plate 43 or a corresponding support member which is parallel to the side of the housing, and a bottom plate 44 or a corresponding support member which is parallel to the bottom of the housing and equal in width. In addition to this, the inside edge of the housing 1 is provided with a mortice 45, whereto the edge of the bottom plate 44 is fitted, when the moistener is installed in the housing 1. Thus the moistener 7 remains in place in the housing by means of the friction and pressing force directed towards the angle holder 42.

The apparatus includes the pump 8, which creates the pressure needed for spraying the liquid through the holes 16 of the moistener 7. The pump 8 is provided with a cylinder space 17 and with a piston 18 fitted therein, to which cylinder space 17 there is connected an inlet channel 17 and an outlet channel 20, which channels 19, 20 are provided with back pressure valves 21, 22 operated in opposite directions. The inlet channel 19 Is connected to the pipe 5, and the outlet channel 20 is connected, via the pipe 12, to the moistener 7.

The back pressure valves 21, 22 are operated so that liquid flows into the cylinder space 17 through the channel 19 and the first valve 21, when the cylinder space is expanding, i.e. during the return stage of the piston 18, in which case the second valve 22 prevents the liquid from flowing via the channel 20 onto the moistener 7, whereas liquid flows from the cylinder space 17 through the channel 20 and the second valve 22, when the said space 17 is shrinking, i.e. when the piston 18 is pressed by means of the operating handle 9, in which case the first valve 21 prevents the liquid from flowing back in the return direction via the channel 20.

The volume of the cylinder space is advantageously 10-20 drops, i.e. about 10-50 ml. This suffices to moisten one determined section 15a of the paper web 15, i.e. one tissue strip which is located below the moistener, on top of the plane 10.

The pump 8 is placed in the bottom part of the housing 1 of the apparatus, in the space between the plane 10 or the like and the bottom of the housing 1. The pump 8 is attached in place most advantageously by means of the angle holder 42 of the moistener 7, the plane 10 and the operating handle 9 of the pump. The edges of the plane 10 are provided with grooves 46, and the corresponding spots of the housing 1 and the angle holder 42 are provided with protruberances 47, guided by which the plane 10 is fitted in place. In shape the operating handle 9 is a framelike member, the first end 9a whereof is fitted into the hole 48 penetrating the first side wall of the housing 1 and the angle holder 42. The frame 9c of the operating handle 9 is turned, at an oblique angle with respect to the vertical plane, to below the bottom of the housing 1 via the hole 49 penetrating the second side wall of the housing, and further, supported by the bottom of the plane 10, to above the rod 50 of the piston 18 of the pump 8, wherefrom the second end 9c of the operating handle is bent down and where it meets the head of the piston rod 50.

The piston rod 50 is provided with a return spring 51. Thereby the handle 9 and the piston 18 of the pump 8 are returned to their initial position each time the handle 9 has been pressed and the moistener 7 has been operated.

The pump 8 is either detachably installed to the bottom plate 44 of the angle holder 42, or a suitable space for the pump 8 is reserved in the angle holder 42, so that it remains solidly in place in between the plate 44 and the plane 10.

The plane 10 is advantageously inclined so that the front edge 10a thereof is somewhat lower than the rear edge 10b, which may extend as far as the rear part of the housing 1. Thus any possible surplus moisture is free to flow out of the apparatus. The top surface of the plane 10 is provided with grooves and/or ribs 52. Thus the paper web 15 remains clear of the plane 10, and does not stick onto it when moist. The front edge 10a of the plane 10 is advantageously provided with a sharp paper tearing edge.

The apparatus of the invention is ready for operation when the liquid tank 2 and the pump 8 are filled with the moistening liquid, the closing valve 32 is open and the paper roll 14 is installed in place, and the end of the paper web is drawn out between the moistener 7 and the plane 10. If moistened tissue is desired, it is only necessary to press the operating handle 9 of the pump, so that the pump 8 feeds a suitable amount of liquid from the moistener 7 onto the paper web 15a below, which is then pulled out and torn apart against the edge 10a of the plane 10.

In the above description the invention has been explained with reference to one preferred embodiment only, but it is naturally clear that the apparatus can be realized in many other ways as well without departing from the inventional idea determined in the appended patent claims. Thus the liquid tank can be a separate container, and it can also be common to several tissue moisteners of the invention. Instead of the liquid tank, the apparatus can be connected for instance to the water supply line. The pump may be replaced with some other simple dosing device which is provided with an operating handle. It can be for instance a valve which, when the handle is pressed, remains, retarded, open for a given time and administers a suitable amount of liquid, for instance 10-20 drops, either from the water supply line or from the liquid tank, onto the section of the paper web 15a located beneath the moistener 7, immediately before the said section is pulled out of the apparatus and torn apart from the paper web.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A tissue paper moistening apparatus, i.e. an apparatus dispensing dry or moist tissue paper from one and the same paper roll, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus' comprises a housing (1), Inside which there are fitted a paper roll (14) and a shaft (6) thereof, a moistener (7), the bottom surface whereof is provided with holes (16), and a plane (10) or the like located below the moistener (7), so that the paper web (15) to be pulled from the said paper roll (14) is arranged to proceed out between the moistener (7) and the plane (10), and that when desired, the liquid is supplied onto the paper web (15) through the holes (16) of the moistener (7) section by section before the tissue strip, i.e. a section of the paper web, is pulled out.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the moistener (7) is in form a flat, platelike member, the bottom surface whereof is provided with holes (16).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that a liquid tank (2) is placed inside the housing 01).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus comprises a pump (8), whereby the pressure required for spraying the liquid through the holes (16) of the moistener (7) is created.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the pump (8) is provided with a cylinder space (17) and a piston (18) fitted therein, to which cylinder space (17) there Is connected an inlet channel (19) and an outlet channel (20), which channels (19, 20) are provided with back pressure valves (21, 22) operated in opposite directions.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, c h a - r a c t e r i z e d in that the pump (8) is placed in the bottom part of the housing (1) of the apparatus, in the space between the plane (10) or the like and the bottom of the housing (1).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the pump (8) Is attached in place by means of the angle holder (42) of the moistener (7), the plane (10) and the operating handle (9) of the pump.

8. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the plane

(10) is inclined so that the front edge (10a) thereof is lower than the rear edge (10b).

9. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the top surface of the plane (10) is provided with grooves and/or ribs (52) .