Bathroom Tissue Moistening Dispenser

This application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 63/632,698, filed Apr. 11, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

The present disclosure relates to bathroom tissue dispensers. The present disclosure further relates to a moistening dispenser for bathroom tissue.

Use of bathroom tissue for personal cleaning is a daily occurrence in our world. Most people use a segmented dry paper tissue that is provided in a roll form and unrolled manually. Users bunch or layer dry tissue sheets to clean their anal pore area. With such methods it is virtually impossible to be 100% “clean”. A health report warned of avoiding hot tubs in public spaces as it claimed the average person carries 1 teaspoon of dried feces in their anal area, which would be dispensed into the common hot tub water. People who were “cleaner” were those who used the Japanese style toilets (such as Toto) that featured a water cleaning cycle that propelled water into the anal area. This added moisture helped dislodge feces to enhance cleaning.

Accordingly, it has been determined that there is a continuing need for a device that overcomes, alleviates, and/or mitigates one or more of the aforementioned and other deleterious effects.

The present disclosure provides a device to add a moisture or water feature synchronously with the dispensing of dry rolled bathroom tissue to create a moist tissue from commonly used dry bathroom tissue.

This added moisture will create wetness to enhance the cleaning process as well as to help dislodge dried excrement. It is well known that boxed wetted tissues are available and typically used for cleaning of babies, but the device of the present disclosure is to create a wet tissue from typical a dry bathroom tissue.

The user can also choose to use or add an antibacterial modifier or scent to the dispensed water further enhancing the cleaning process.

A paper holding device can also be provided that has a dispenser that dispenses attached paper sheets from a roll of dry paper product while selectively being moistened by a liquid.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and accompanying claims. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.

Referring to, there is provided a bathroom tissue moistening dispenser generally represented by reference numeral(“dispenser”). Advantageously, dispenserprovides a device to add a moisture or water feature synchronously with the dispensing of dry rolled bathroom tissue to create a moist tissue from commonly used dry bathroom tissue.

Dispenserhas a housing. Housinghas a coverand a base. Coveris rotatably connected to baseby a hinge. Coverhas a windowso that a user can determine an amount of bathroom tissuethat remains on a rollof bathroom tissue. Basecan be mounted to a wall W via mounting screws that pass through slots in housingto attach to wall W. Housingcan cover left and right sides of rollor can have open left and right sides. Housingis sized to receive a paper product, for example, rollof bathroom tissueby a hubof roll. The paper product can be commonly available bathroom tissues. Alternatively, the paper product can be a “non-standard” bathroom tissue. For example, a bathroom tissue manufacturer that desires use of dispenseronly with their bathroom tissue and/or liquid, then the bathroom tissue manufacturer can make a special sized tissue that is bespoke to a dispenser that is the same as dispenserbut modified to only be used with the special sized tissue made by the bathroom tissue manufacturer. Dispenserhas a dispensing device. Dispensing devicehas a cover rollerand a base rollerin housing. Cover rolleris connected to coverand base rolleris connected to base. Bathroom tissuecan be trapped between coverand baseand the cover rollerand base rollerwhen coveris in the closed position as shown in. Cover rolleris an undriven roller and base rolleris a driven roller. Base rollercan be rotated by an electrically powered mechanical drive device, for example, one or more motors that receive electric current from a battery, as shown in, in battery holder. The electrically driven motor(s) can be engaged by a switch, sensor, or timing circuit. Batterycan be 2° C.” batteries, a rechargeable battery, or any other power source. Alternatively, both cover rollerand base rollerare undriven rollers and movement of bathroom tissuebetween cover rollerand base rollercreates movement of both cover rollerand base roller. Another alternative is that dispenserhas a different dispensing devicethat can move bathroom tissue.

Dispenserhas a moistening device. Moistening devicehas reservoir and pumpin housing. Reservoir and pumphave a reservoir for holding liquid and a pump for moving the liquid from the reservoir. Reservoir and pumpare show inhaving the reservoir and pump in one location, however, in another embodiment, the pump can be remote from the reservoir. Alternatively, the liquid is powered to move by an electric source other than a pump. Reservoir and pumpare connected to a check valvefor dispensing the liquid in the reservoir through a spray nozzle or spray manifold. Reservoir and pumpare connected to check valveby tubing. Check valvecan prevent dripping after liquid dispensing. The liquid dispensing can be controlled by a consumer actionable control such as a pushbutton. The pump of reservoir and pumpreceives electric current for operation from battery. Housingcan have a slotto allow a user to view an amount of liquid left in the reservoir of reservoir and pump. Alternatively, dispensercan have two tanks for holding a first liquid and a second liquid, respectively, so that either the first liquid or the second liquid can be selectively chosen by the user to be dispensed onto bathroom tissue. Still a further alternative is that moistening devicecan be located downstream of dispensing device. Dispenserhas an on/off buttonto activate and deactivate dispenserto selectively provide electric current to the electrically powered mechanical drive device to rotate base rollerand the pump of reservoir and pump.

Another alternative is shown inthat modifies dispenserto use reservoir and pump, tubing, and check valve, to provide water to piezo assembly or vibration device. Piezo vibration devicecreates a mist to moisten bathroom tissueas it is dispensed. Alternatively, in the use of piezo vibration device, liquid from a reservoirthat does not include a pump can feed piezo vibration deviceby gravity to the lower placed vibrating piezo wafer. In addition, a check valve/one-way flap, e.g., check valve, can be used that can be located upstream of piezo vibration device. For example, piezo vibration devicecan have a piezoelectric transducer that is used that applies high-frequency sound waves to a surface of the water to apply the surface of the water with mechanical energy that introduces standing waves breaking apart the water into a fine mist on a surface of a piezo disk. Piezo vibration deviceis adjacent bathroom tissueto spray bathroom tissuewith the mist when bathroom tissueexits dispenserto moisten bathroom tissueas it is dispensed.

Referring to, an embodiment of dispenseris shown and is referred to dispenser. Dispenserincludes the same features as dispenserexcept housingof dispenserthat includes coverand baseare different shapes than coverand baseof housingof dispenserand dispenseralso includes some additional features. Accordingly, the same reference numerals will be used for the same features of dispenseras dispenser. Dispenseradditionally includes a battery access doorthat is removeable to replace and/or maintain battery. Dispenser has an indicatorthat indicates when batteryis low or has diminished power. Dispenserhas a windowthat can be a different shape than windowso that a user can determine an amount of bathroom tissueremains on rollof bathroom tissue. Alternatively, dispensercan have an inspection slot of smaller size than windowon the front or side of dispenser. Dispenseralso has a user engageable memberthat can activate a power switch to dispense bathroom tissue. Dispenserhas a switchthat can switch between a first mode of operation for dispense of dry bathroom tissueand a second mode of operation for dispense of moistened bathroom tissue. Dispensercan have a controller, as shown in, for example, a microcontroller unit and printed circuit board that receives input and/or controls operation of the pump of reservoir and pump, on/off button, electrically powered mechanical drive device to rotate base roller, consumer adjustable device that can be included in switchto modify a level of moisture, a moistening amount that can be controlled by electrical change in a pump motor input, timed at beginning or end of liquid dispensing, speed of paper dispensing, indicator, user engageable member, and/or switch.

Referring to, dispenserhas mounting slots,. Mounting slots,can instead be moved to a top portion of dispenser.

Operation of dispenseris described herein, however dispenserand dispenseroperate the same. In operation, a user opens housingfrom a closed position as shown inby rotating coverabout hingeaway from baseto an opened position. In the opened position, a roll of bathroom tissuecan be inserted in housingand/or a depleted roll of bathroom tissue can be removed. Once rollof bathroom tissueis inserted, a portion of bathroom tissuecan be unrolled from rollof bathroom tissueand covercan be rotated about hingetoward baseback to the closed position so that bathroom tissueis between cover rollerand base rolleras shown inand extends outside of housing. As shown in, when rollof bathroom tissueis full, then bathroom tissueextends between cover rollerand base rolleras shown by bathroom tissue. When rollof bathroom tissueis almost depleted, then bathroom tissueextends between cover rollerand base rolleras shown by bathroom tissue. Cover rollerand base rollercan drive the entire bathroom tissueand/or an edge of bathroom tissue.

If a user wishes to dispense bathroom tissuethat is dry, then the user moves or maintains switchin the first mode of operation. The user can then apply a force to move user engageable memberto the dispense position to activate the motor to rotate base rollermoving bathroom tissuebetween cover rollerand base rollerto dispense bathroom tissue. When the user removes the force from user engageable memberof, then the motor to rotate base rolleris deactivated and dispense of bathroom tissueis stopped. The user can then tear a portion of bathroom tissueoutside of dispenserfor use aided by the typically provided perforations in the tissue. Alternatively, if a user wishes to dispense bathroom tissuethat is dry, then the user pulls on a portion of bathroom tissueoutside of dispenserto unroll more bathroom tissuefrom rolland tears bathroom tissueonce a desired amount of bathroom tissueis outside of dispenserfor use.

Referring to, if the user wishes to dispense bathroom tissuethat is moistened, then the user moves or maintains switchin the second mode of operation. The user can then move user engageable memberto the dispense position to activate the motor to rotate base rollermoving bathroom tissuebetween cover rollerand base rollerto dispense bathroom tissue. When the user moves user engageable memberto the dispense position, reservoir and pumpare also activated to move the liquid from the reservoir through check valveto dispense the liquid through spray manifoldto spray the liquid onto bathroom tissueas it is dispensed by cover rollerand base rollerto dispense bathroom tissuethat has a moist sectionthat is moistened by the liquid from the reservoir of reservoir and pumpand dry sections,on opposite sides of sectionas shown in, however, other spray patterns can be used. It is preferable that the entire tissue surface not be moistened as totally moistened tissue may be difficult to handle and be transported by the driving mechanism. When the user removes the force from user engageable memberto move user engageable memberfrom the dispense position to the non-dispense position, then the motor that rotates base rolleris deactivated stopping dispense of bathroom tissueand the pump is deactivated so that the spray of liquid also stops. The user can then tear a portion of bathroom tissueoutside of dispenserthat is moistened for use. A rate of movement of bathroom tissuebetween cover rollerand base rollercan be modified to change the level of moisture on the bathroom tissue. In addition, a timed delay can be included before spraying the liquid on the dispensed bathroom tissueso that a portionof bathroom tissueis dispensed and then the liquid is sprayed so that a leading edge of bathroom tissueis dry. Further, dispensercan have a timed end of liquid dispensing so that a distal end, or end of bathroom tissuethat will be formed when it is separated from rollfor use, of bathroom tissueproduct also remains dry. Dispensercan also dispense another portion of bathroom tissueafter spray of the liquid is stopped. An alternative construction without batteries could also use a reservoir and pumpto be mechanically activated by the motion of bathroom tissuewhen bathroom tissueis pulled by the user out of dispenser.

The reservoir of reservoir and pumpcan be refillable or replaceable. The liquid in reservoir of reservoir and pumpcan be water. The user can also choose to use or add an antibacterial modifier or scent to the liquid in the reservoir of reservoir and pumpto further enhance the cleaning process.

In view of the above, dispenser,adds a moisture or water feature synchronously with the dispensing of dry rolled bathroom tissue, bathroom tissue, to create a moist tissue from commonly used dry bathroom tissue, namely, bathroom tissuethat has moist section.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that various changes can be made, and equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure will not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, but that the disclosure will include all aspects falling within the scope of a fair reading of appended claims.