PAPER TOWEL HOLDER

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a paper towel holder and, more particularly, to a paper towel holder capable of stably holding a paper towel roll.

A conventional vertical-type paper towel holder generally includes a base and a shaft disposed upright on the base. The shaft extends vertically through a tube of a paper towel roll which includes a paper towel wrapped around the tube. The width of the paper towel includes continuous cutting marks extending in a vertical direction to permit a user to pull an end of the paper towel by one hand to thereby extend the paper towel through rotation of the tube, and the user may use the other hand to hold the paper towel to stop rotation of the tube. Then, the user may tear off a portion of the paper towel along the cutting marks. However, the user has to use both hands to tear the paper towel.

CN 213189317 discloses a paper towel holder including a base, a shaft, and a side-pressing structure. The shaft is disposed on top of the base. The side-pressing structure includes a spring disposed on the base. The spring is connected to an end of a rod. The other end of the rod is connected to a pressing block which can be biased by the spring to move toward the shaft, such that the pressing block may impart a suitable force to press against and couple with the paper towel roll disposed on the shaft. Thus, the paper towel roll is provided with a rotational resistance, such that when a user pulls an end of the paper towel to extend the paper towel, the paper towel may be positioned by the resistance. Then, the user may tear the paper towel along the cutting marks.

However, the diameter of the paper towel roll before use is different from the diameter of the paper towel roll which has been used for a period of time, such that the pressing force of the pressing block pressing against the paper towel roll changes. Thus, the pressing force is greater when the diameter of the paper towel roll is larger, which impedes the rotation of the shaft. On the other hand, it is difficult to stably press against and hold the paper towel roll in place when the diameter of the paper towel roll is small.

Furthermore, the spring tends to suffer from elastic fatigue after a period of time, such that the pressing block cannot stably press against and hold the paper towel roll.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a paper towel holder enabling stable installation of a paper towel roll and easy operation.

A paper towel holder according to the present invention comprises a base, a shaft, and a pressing member. The shaft is disposed vertically on top of the base and is not magnetically attractive. A first magnetically attractive element is disposed on an upper end of the shaft. The pressing member is disposed on the upper end of the shaft and movable relative to the shaft in a vertical direction. The pressing member has a lower side having a pressing face. A second magnetically attractive element is disposed on the pressing member and is attractive to the first magnetically attractive element.

When the pressing member is secured onto the shaft by magnetic attraction between the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element, a spacing between the pressing face and the base is smaller than a height of a paper towel roll. When the paper towel roll is disposed on the paper towel holder, the pressing face presses against a top end of the paper towel roll under the magnetic attraction between the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element.

In an example, each of the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element includes at least one magnet.

In an example, one of the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element includes at least one magnet. The other of the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element is an element attractable by magnetism.

In an example, the shaft includes a hollow portion at central portion thereof. An upper coupling column is disposed on the upper end of the shaft and includes an outer periphery having a plurality of first coupling grooves arranged in a circumferential direction of the upper coupling column. The upper coupling column extends upward beyond a top end of the hollow portion of the shaft. The first magnetically attractive element includes a plurality of first magnets respectively disposed in the plurality of first coupling grooves. Each two adjacent first magnets have opposite polarities. The pressing member includes a pressing board and a coupling block. The pressing face is provided on a lower side of the pressing board. The pressing board includes a through-hole in a central portion thereof. The shaft extends through the through-hole, wherein the coupling block is received in the through-hole of the pressing board and includes a coupling hole through which the shaft extends. The coupling hole of the coupling block includes an inner periphery having a plurality of second coupling grooves corresponding to the plurality of first coupling grooves. The second magnetically attractive element includes a plurality of second magnets respectively disposed in the plurality of second coupling grooves. Each two adjacent second magnets have opposite polarities.

In an example, the outer periphery of the upper coupling column has a plurality of teeth coupled with an inner periphery of the hollow portion.

In an example, the base includes an upper cover, a lower cover, at least one weight, and a lower coupling column. The upper cover and the lower cover are coupled with each other to define a compartment receiving the at least one weight. The lower coupling column is disposed upright on a central portion of the lower cover and is coupled with the shaft.

In an example, the lower coupling column includes an outer periphery having a plurality of teeth. The shaft includes a hollow portion at a central portion thereof. The lower coupling column is coupled with a bottom end of the hollow portion and is press-fit to an inner periphery of the hollow portion by the plurality of teeth of the lower coupling column.

When it is desired to install the paper towel roll, a tube of the paper towel roll is mounted around the shaft, and the pressing member is then mounted. The position of the pressing member mounted on the shaft may be higher than that before mounting the paper towel roll. Nevertheless, since the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element are magnetically attractive, the pressing face of the pressing board presses against the paper towel roll under the magnetism.

Furthermore, when a hand of a user pulls and rotates the paper towel roll, a proper resistance will be provided to prevent the paper towel roll from instantly extending to an excessive length, and the pulled paper towel roll is apt to be positioned by the pressing force to permit easy tearing.

When the paper towel holder according to the present invention falls inadvertently, since the first magnetically attractive element and the second magnetically attractive element still attract each other, the pressing member and the paper towel roll are prevented from disengaging from the shaft, thereby providing enhanced assembly stability.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a paper towel holder of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the paper towel holder according to the present invention after assembly.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the paper towel holder according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrating installation of a paper towel roll on the paper towel holder according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a paper towel holder of an embodiment according to the present invention comprises a base 1, a shaft 2, and a pressing member 3. The base 1 includes an upper cover 11, a lower cover 12, a weight 13, and a lower coupling column 14. the upper cover 11 and the lower cover 12 are coupled with each other to define a compartment 15 receiving the weight 13. If desired, a plurality of weights 13 may be used. The lower coupling column 14 is disposed upright on a central portion of the lower cover 11 and includes an outer periphery having a plurality of teeth 141.

The shaft 2 is in the form of a vertical tube which is not magnetically attractive and which is disposed vertically on top of the base 1. The shaft 2 includes a hollow portion 21 at a central portion thereof. A lower end of the hollow portion 21 is coupled with the lower coupling column 14 and is press-fit to an inner periphery of the hollow portion 21 by the plurality of teeth 141. An upper coupling column 22 and a first magnetically attractive element 23 are disposed on an upper end of the shaft 2. The upper coupling column 22 includes an outer periphery having a plurality of teeth 221.

Furthermore, a plurality of first coupling grooves 222 is disposed on the outer periphery in a circumferential direction of the upper coupling column 22. The upper coupling column 22 extends beyond the top end of the hollow portion 21 of the shaft 2. The plurality of teeth 221 may be press-fit to the inner periphery of the hollow portion 21.

The first magnetically attractive element 23 includes a plurality of first magnets 231 respectively disposed in the plurality of first coupling grooves 222 of the upper coupling column 22. Each two adjacent first magnets 231 have opposite polarities. For example, if the polarity of a radially outer end of a first magnet 231 is N, the polarity of a radially outer end of another first magnet 231 adjacent to this first magnet 231 is S. In another embodiment, the first magnetically attractive element 23 may be an iron block attractable by magnetism or any other element which may be secured to a preset height (not shown) on the shaft 2 by a magnetically attractive element. Furthermore, a spacing between the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the base 1 is smaller than a height of a paper towel roll 4 (see FIG. 4).

The pressing member 3 is disposed on the upper end of the shaft 2 and includes a pressing board 31, a coupling block 32, and a second magnetically attractive element 33. The pressing board 31 is in the form of a disc and includes a lower side having a pressing face 311. The pressing board 31 includes a through-hole 312 in a central portion thereof. The shaft 2 extends through the through-hole 312. The coupling block 32 is received in the through-hole 312 of the pressing board 31 and includes a coupling hole 321 in a central portion thereof. The shaft 2 extends through the coupling hole 321. In this embodiment, the coupling block 32 is comprised of an upper block 322 and a lower block 323 which are coupled with each other and are respectively disposed on upper and lower sides of the pressing board 31. An inner periphery of the coupling hole 321 includes a plurality of second coupling grooves 324 corresponding to the plurality of first coupling grooves 222.

The second magnetically attractive element 33 includes a plurality of second magnets 331 respectively disposed in the plurality of second coupling grooves 324. Each two adjacent second magnets 331 have opposite polarities. For example, if the polarity of a radially outer end of a second magnet 331 is S, the polarity of a radially outer end of another second magnet 331 adjacent to this second magnet 331 is N. In another embodiment, the second magnetically attractive element 33 may be an iron block attractable by magnetism or any other element (not shown) be attractable by magnetism.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the pressing member 3 is mounted around the shaft 2 by the coupling hole 321. The first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnetically attractive element 33 are secured to the upper end of the shaft 2 by magnetic attraction between the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnetically attractive element 33. At this time, the spacing H1 between the pressing face 311 of the pressing member 3 and the upper cover 11 of the base 1 is smaller than the height H2 of the paper towel roll 4. Furthermore, the opposite polarities N, S of the first magnets 231 of the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnets 331 of the second magnetically attractive element 33 may stably attract each other, whereas each first magnet 231 and an adjacent second magnet 331 having the same polarity repel each other. Therefore, the pressing member 3 will not rotate relative to the shaft 2 after the magnetic attraction, thereby providing enhanced assembly stability.

When it is desired to install the paper towel roll 4, a tube 41 of the paper towel roll 4 is mounted around the shaft 2, and the pressing member 3 is then mounted. The position of the pressing member 3 mounted on the shaft 2 may be higher than that before mounting the paper towel roll 4. Nevertheless, since the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnetically attractive element 33 are magnetically attractive, the pressing face 311 of the pressing board 31 presses against the paper towel roll 4 under the magnetism. Furthermore, when a hand of a user pulls and rotates the paper towel roll 4, a proper resistance will be provided to prevent the paper towel roll 4 from instantly extending to an excessive length, and the pulled paper towel roll 4 is apt to be positioned by the pressing force to permit easy tearing.

When the paper towel holder according to the present invention falls inadvertently, since the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnetically attractive element 33 still attract each other, the pressing member 3 and the paper towel roll 4 are prevented from disengaging from the shaft 2, thereby providing enhanced assembly stability.

The magnetism between the first magnetically attractive element 23 and the second magnetically attractive element 33 enables the pressing face 311 of the pressing member 3 to press against the paper towel roll 4, providing more stable operation. Therefore, unstable pressing of the paper towel roll 4 due to the elastic fatigue of conventional spring can be avoided. Furthermore, since the upper side of the paper towel roll 4 is pressed in the present invention, reduction in the pressing force resulting from the change in the diameter of the paper towel roll after a period of time of use in the conventional approach can be avoided, thereby providing enhanced operational stability.

In view of the foregoing, the paper towel holder according to the present invention is more stable and more reliable in operation.

The foregoing embodiments are examples of the present invention, not limitation to the present invention. All equivalent changes made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should also fall within the scope of the present invention.