Toilet Paper Dispenser

Abstract

A toilet paper dispenser includes a housing, an inner unit, and a revolver assembly. The housing includes a top wall, a bottom wall, first and second sidewalls, a rear wall, and a door. The inner unit includes a first wall with first track and a second wall with a second track. Each track is configured to receive an end of a spindle of an upper roll and a spindle of a lower roll. The revolver assembly includes a first plate between the first wall and the first sidewall, a second plate between the second wall and the second sidewall, and a revolver unifier extending between the first and second plates. The revolver assembly rotates about a pivot axis to transition the lower roll from a dispensing location to a disposed location of the toilet paper dispenser and transition the upper roll from a storage location to the dispensing location.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A toilet paper dispenser comprising:
 a housing including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, a rear wall, and a door opposite the rear wall;   an inner unit disposed within the housing, the inner unit including:
 a first wall adjacent the first sidewall of the housing; 
 a second wall adjacent the second sidewall of the housing; 
 a first track formed in the first wall; and 
 a second track formed in the second wall, each track configured to receive an end of a spindle of an upper roll and a spindle of a lower roll; and 
   a revolver assembly disposed within the housing and configured to hold the upper roll in a storage location and the lower roll in a dispensing location, the revolver assembly including:
 a first plate disposed adjacent the first wall of the inner unit; 
 a second plate disposed adjacent the second wall of the inner unit; 
 a revolver unifier coupled to and extending between the first and second plates and configured to have the first and second plates being mirrored in orientation; and 
 a pivot axis for the revolver assembly, the revolver assembly rotatably about the pivot axis to transition the lower roll from the dispensing location to a disposed location of the toilet paper dispenser and transition the upper roll from the storage location to the dispensing location when the lower roll is in an empty state; and 
   an opening formed within the door to expose an interior of the housing and provide access to the dispensing location.   
     
     
         2 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one indication opening formed in the door; and 
 an indication element disposed adjacent one of the first wall and the second wall of the inner unit, the indication element configured to transition from a first position to a second position when one of the first plate and the second plate of the revolver is pivoted to place the upper roll in the dispensing location, the indication element having an indicator surface visible through the at least one indication opening when the indication element is in the second position. 
 
     
     
         3 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising a stop rod extending between the first and second walls of the inner unit below the lower roll to prevent movement of the lower roll prior to the lower roll being in a predetermined empty state. 
     
     
         4 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the revolver unifier further includes a counterweight. 
     
     
         5 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the first and second plates of the revolver assembly each include a first notch formed therein and configured to receive the spindle of the lower roll and guide the lower roll during transition from the dispensing location to a disposed location of the toilet paper dispenser. 
     
     
         6 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 5  wherein the first and second plates of the revolver assembly each include a second notch formed therein and configured to receive the spindle of the upper roll and guide the upper roll during transition from the storage location to the dispensing location of the toilet paper dispenser. 
     
     
         7 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the first and second tracks each include an upper track extending from a first end to a second end, the storage location being disposed in the upper track;
 wherein the first and second track each include a lower track extending from a first end to a second end, the disposed location being disposed in the lower track; and 
 wherein the upper and lower tracks are joined at a joint at the second end of the upper track and the first end of the lower track. 
 
     
     
         8 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 7  wherein the dispensing location is disposed in the lower tracks of the first and second track. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second tracks each include an exit opening disposed adjacent the joint. 
     
     
         10 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the first plate of the revolver assembly is disposed between the first wall of the inner unit and the first sidewall of the housing;
 wherein the second plate of the revolver assembly is disposed between the second wall of the inner unit and the second sidewall of the housing; and   wherein the first and second walls of the inner unit include an opening formed therein and configured to receive the revolver unifier and allow movement of the revolver unifier as the revolver assembly rotates about the pivot axis.   
     
     
         11 . A toilet paper dispenser comprising:
 a housing including:
 a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed opposite each other; and 
 a door pivotably coupled to at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall; 
   an inner unit disposed with the housing, the inner unit including:
 a first sidewall adjacent the first sidewall of the housing, the first sidewall having a track formed therein and configured to receive a first end of a spindle of an upper roll and a first end of a spindle of the lower roll; and 
 a second sidewall adjacent the second sidewall of the housing, the second sidewall having a track formed therein and configured to receive a second end of the spindle of the upper roll and a second end of the spindle of the lower roll; 
   a revolver assembly disposed within the housing, the revolver assembly including:
 a first plate disposed adjacent the first sidewall of the inner unit; 
 a second plate disposed adjacent the second sidewall of the inner unit; 
 a revolver unifier coupled to and extending between the first and second plates; and 
 a pivot axis, the revolver assembly rotatably about the pivot axis to transition the lower roll from a dispensing location to a disposed location of the toilet paper dispenser and transition the upper roll from a storage location to the dispensing location when the lower roll is in an empty state. 
   
     
     
         12 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the door includes an indication opening formed therein;
 wherein the inner unit further comprises an indication element disposed adjacent one of the first and second sidewalls, the indication element having an indicator surface and being configured to transition from a first position to a second position when the revolver assembly is pivoted to place the upper roll in the dispensing location; and   wherein the indicator surface is visible through the indicator opening of the housing when the indication element is in the second position.   
     
     
         13 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 1,1  further comprising a stop rod extending between the first and second sidewalls of the inner unit at a location to prevent movement of the lower roll from the dispensing location to the disposed location prior to the empty state of the lower roll being in a predetermined empty state. 
     
     
         14 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the revolver unifier further includes a counterweight. 
     
     
         15 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second plates of the revolver assembly each include a first notch formed therein and configured to receive the spindle of the lower roll and guide the lower roll during transition from the dispensing location to a disposed location of the toilet paper dispenser. 
     
     
         16 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second plates of the revolver assembly each include a second notch formed therein and configured to receive the spindle of the upper roll and guide the upper roll during transition from the storage location to the dispensing location of the toilet paper dispenser. 
     
     
         17 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the track of the first sidewall of the inner unit includes:
 an upper track extending from a first end to a second end, the storage location being disposed in the upper track; and   a lower track extending from a first end to a second end;   wherein the track of the second sidewall of the inner unit includes:   an upper track extending from a first end to a second end, the storage location being disposed in the upper track; and   a lower track extending from a first end to a second end;   wherein the spindles of the upper roll are disposed in the upper tracks when the upper roll is in the storage location;   wherein the spindles of the lower roll are disposed in the lower tracks when the lower roll is in the disposed location being; and   wherein the each set of upper and lower tracks are joined to each other at a joint at the second end of the respective upper tracks and the first end of the respective lower tracks.   
     
     
         18 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the spindles of the upper or lower roll is disposed in the lower tracks of the first and second tracks when the upper or lower roll is in the dispensing location. 
     
     
         19 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the track of the first sidewall of the inner unit and the track of the second sidewall of the inner unit each include an exit opening disposed adjacent the joint. 
     
     
         20 . The toilet paper dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the first plate of the revolver assembly is disposed between the first wall of the inner unit and the first sidewall of the housing;
 wherein the second plate of the revolver assembly is disposed between the second wall of the inner unit and the second sidewall of the housing; and   wherein the first and second walls of the inner unit include an opening formed therein and configured to receive the revolver unifier and allow movement of the revolver unifier as the revolver assembly rotates about the pivot axis.