Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Tension control or brake – Supply controlled
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-07-31
Nguyen, John Q. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Tension control or brake
Supply controlled
C242S588000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267316
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to paper towel holders and, more particularly, to a portable paper towel holder with suction cups for mounting at the user's convenience.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paper towels have found use in just about every household. Their convenience, low-cost and ability to clean up just about any mess or perform any cleaning task makes them valuable indeed. While usually found in kitchens, mounted to a permanent, dispensing holder, they do have uses elsewhere. However, when they are used elsewhere, they are often used loosely, without a dispenser. This often results in wasted product when more is removed than necessary or the entire roll is dropped and becomes contaminated by liquid or dirt along the edges. Also, many tasks are performed at the work site, rather than at a static location. These locations include boats, camping, motor vehicle work, garages, work shops, gardening tables and the like. It is not economically feasible to provide permanent paper towel holders at all of the locations. Even if it was, the paper towel holder would often get in the way of the work process itself. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which paper towels can be dispensed at many locations using a semipermanent dispenser that can be removed and reattached easily. The development of the Portable Paper Towel Holder with Suction Cup Mount fulfills this need.
In the related art, there exists patents for various portable paper towel holders/dispensers. Most notably are the type whereby a roll of conventional paper towels is slid over a vertically oriented shaft mounted on a base. One need to only pick up the entire assembly and carry it with them. This design has one major drawback in that it has no means to mount it to a surface. This can be very inconvenient. The present invention mounts a roll of conventional paper towels on a horizontally oriented spindle for dispensing as is customary. It also includes a suction cup means for temporarily attaching it to virtually any flat surface, and a spring loaded or similar bar across the top of the towels which then prevents the towels from unrolling prematurely all greatly increase the convenience to the user.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.
Inventor
Issue Date
5,490,625
Myatt
Feb. 13, 1996
5,172,966
Myatt
Dec. 22, 1992
5,104,054
Latham
Apr. 14, 1992
4,690,345
Cotey
Sep. 1, 1987
5,244,220
Cortez
Sep. 14, 1993
4,030,676
Bardsley
June 21, 1977
D 326,203
Butler
May 19, 1992
D 253,265
Miller
Oct. 30, 1979
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable paper towel holder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide to allow paper towels to be used anywhere.
It is yet another object of the present invention to keep paper towels clean and readily available.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a plastic mounting frame where one side opens to accept new rolls of paper towels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a towel holder that has a unique tension bar across the roll to keep the towels from unrolling prematurely.
It is another object of the present invention to provide suction cup mounts to securely mount the device on any smooth nonporous surface.
It is a feature of the present invention to accommodate any size roll of paper towels.
It is another feature of the present invention that it can be mounted in any position, even upside down or sideways.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it can be relocated to accommodate changing work tasks, but keeps paper towels handy.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, the Portable Paper Towel Holder with Suction Cup Mount, as its name implies, is a portable paper towel holder and dispenser. A conventional roll of paper towels mount on the center portion of a general “H” shaped frame. Each of the four ends of the “H” shaped frame is provided with a leg that extends downward to provide the necessary clearance to the mounting surface. At the end of each of the four legs is a suction cup that allows for the attachment of the invention along with the associated roll of paper towels in a secure manner to any smooth, non-porous surfaces in any position. The invention provides for the dispensing of paper towels in a manner identical to that of a conventional paper towel holder. When the roll of towels is depleted, the invention slides apart at the end portion to allow for a new roll to be installed. The use of the Portable Paper Towel Holder with Suction Cup Mount allows one to use paper towels at the work site on a temporary basis such as mechanics benches, work stations, basements or similar locations. The holder can easily be removed when no longer required without leaving any marks.
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patent: 2477803 (1949-08-01), Huber
patent: 3317881 (1967-05-01), Setecka
patent: 4925396 (1990-05-01), Grover
patent: 5082450 (1992-01-01), Warren, Sr. et al.
patent: 5393237 (1995-02-01), Roy et al.
patent: 5485340 (1996-01-01), Avitan
patent: 5551884 (1996-09-01), Burkhart, Sr.
patent: 5791931 (1998-08-01), Burkhart, Sr.
patent: 5813873 (1998-09-01), McBain et al.
patent: 5944542 (1999-08-01), Lee
patent: 5946180 (1999-08-01), Simpson
Corrigan Michael J.
Gugliotta John D.
Nguyen John Q.
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