Systems and methods for accessibly positioned sanitizing materials

Abstract

Accessibly positioned sanitizing materials can include paper towels and sanitizing sprays. A paper towel holder with a central support to hold a roll of paper towels can allow spinning dispensing of paper towels. The central support can also function separately as a removable disinfectant sprayer, enabling a user to carry and store paper towels and disinfecting solution in the same location, and providing a disinfecting sprayer nearby when paper towels are used to clean a surface. The structure described can also house other fluids for spraying.

1 . A freestanding sanitizer storage and dispensing system comprising:
 a portable base configured to rest on an upwardly facing horizontal surface and weighted to resist tipping without attachment to the surface;   an elongate holder configured to extend within the interior of a tube for holding rolled paper-based cleaning products, the elongate holder structurally supported by the base; and   an elongate receptacle configured to hold, and use a spray trigger to dispense, liquid sanitizer;   a handle accessible in a top region of the system and configured to allow the entire system to be lifted from the horizontal surface;   wherein the system is configured to position the receptacle and the holder generally concentrically.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate holder is configured to contain the elongate receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate holder is configured to removably receive the elongate receptacle, the handle is connected to the elongate receptacle, and the receptacle and the handle are configured to connect to the system such that lifting the handle can lift the base, the holder, and the receptacle together to facilitate carrying the entire system. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate holder comprises a hollow supporting tube, the elongate receptacle further comprises an internal, fluid-tight reservoir and a nozzle, and the receptacle is sized and configured to be positioned at least partly within the length of the supporting tube and fully within a lateral footprint of the supporting tube. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the base is configured to rigidly position the hollow supporting tube perpendicularly to the horizontal surface to facilitate holding a full roll of paper towels, the elongate receptacle is configured to disengage from the system for independent use while the hollow supporting tube remains in place for supporting paper towels, and the receptacle is refillable and configured to allow a user to periodically dispense fluid from the nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the elongate receptacle comprises:
 the spray trigger operable to transfer fluid from the reservoir and out through the nozzle and neither the spray trigger nor the nozzle protrude beyond a lateral edge of the elongate receptacle, thereby facilitating independent removal of the roll of paper towels;   a transparent portion configured to allow views of a filled state of the reservoir; and   a removable lid configured to allow a user to refill the reservoir.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the elongate receptacle further comprises: a catch for securing the receptacle to the dispensing system and a one-handed release configured to disengage the catch to allow a user to remove the receptacle for use. 
     
     
         9 . A portable paper towel holder and liquid dispensing system comprising:
 a tip-resistant base configured for placement on a horizontal surface;   a carrying handle;   an elongate rod sized to hold paper towel rolls and extending perpendicularly from the base such that the tip of the rod and the carrying handle both protrude above the rolls; and   a removable spray tube sized to fit within a paper towel roll while it is being held by the system, the spray tube comprising:
 a liquid reservoir; 
 a spray trigger; and 
 a manual dispenser comprising a nozzle. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the removable spray tube further comprises the carrying handle. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the removable spray tube is sized for insertion into at least a portion of the elongate rod. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a releasable securement configured to allow the spray tube to initially connect to the system such that the entire system may be lifted using the handle, and subsequently disengage in response to a motion by the user such that the same lifting motion separates the removable spray tube from the system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the removable spray tube further comprises straw connecting the reservoir to the nozzle such that activation of the spray trigger causes fluid from the reservoir to flow through the straw and spray out the nozzle. 
     
     
         14 . A freestanding system for storing and dispensing both paper towels and fluid cleaning material, the system comprising:
 a freestanding horizontal base with a perpendicular, cylindrical holder configured to extend upwardly within a roll of paper towels and hold the roll during a dispensing action;   a sprayer configured to simultaneously extend axially at least partly within the holder and within the roll of solid cleaning material and to contain liquid cleaning material, the sprayer having a low profile spray trigger that does not extend radially beyond the holder or the roll; and   a carrying handle configured to protrude above the roll of solid cleaning material and facilitate grasping and carrying of the entire system;   the system configured to facilitate simultaneous removal or use of the sprayer with one hand of a user and dispensing of solid cleaning material from the roll with the other hand of the user.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the base is configured to rigidly support the holder;   the holder is configured as a hollow tubular structure sized to store and periodically allow a user to access and remove the sprayer;   the sprayer has a reservoir and is configured to reveal an amount of liquid cleaning material remaining within that reservoir; and   the system further comprises a retaining structure configured to hold the sprayer within the holder when not in use and quickly release the sprayer upon action by a user.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the sprayer comprises the carrying handle and the retaining structure comprises a securement between the system and the sprayer such that the entire system can be grasped and carried by the carrying handle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the securement can be actuated using the sprayer. 
     
     
         18 . A dispensing system configured to dispense both paper towels and liquid, the dispensing system comprising:
 a base with an upper surface comprising an area sufficiently wide to support a standard paper towel roll;   a liquid dispenser comprising a transparent cylindrical receptacle configured to hold a liquid cleaning material and a sprayer in a top region of the receptacle, the sprayer configured for actuation by a finger to dispense the cleaning material, the liquid dispenser having an axial length and a maximum horizontal width that is less than the width of the standard paper towel roll;   a detachable cylinder extending upward from the center of the upper surface and positioned to extend into a vertically-standing standard paper towel roll, at least a portion of the cylinder being hollow and configured as a holder sized to substantially contain the liquid dispenser; and   a handle configured to accept a lifting motion to support carrying of the base and the cylinder.   
     
     
         19 . The dispensing system of  claim 16 , wherein the sprayer comprises a pump trigger configured for actuation by a finger of a hand grasping the transparent cylindrical receptacle. 
     
     
         20 . The dispensing system of  claim 18 , wherein the detachable cylinder is vertically elongate and configured to accept the liquid dispenser while allowing a portion thereof to protrude out a top of the cylinder. 
     
     
         21 . The dispensing system of  claim 18 , the sprayer further comprising a nozzle oriented to spray liquid perpendicularly to the axial length of the liquid dispenser. 
     
     
         22 . The dispensing system of  claim 16 , wherein the detachable cylinder is configured to slidably receive and substantially contain the transparent cylindrical receptacle of the liquid dispenser.