JP2024062265A - Shape retaining tool of core-less toilet paper roll - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] When coreless types are stored in cardboard boxes and transported, there is a risk that the core may be crushed due to the impact of loading and unloading. When it comes to long lengths, the weight increases considerably and the product becomes stiffer because it is tightly wound, making the core more likely to be crushed.
[Solution] A concave ridge portion 3b is formed on the peripheral surface 3a of the cylindrical portion 3 of the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1, with the outer peripheral surface side concave as if pressed inward from the outside. The upper end side of the cylindrical portion 3 is completely open, and a flange 7 is connected to the upper edge. The toilet paper roll shape retainers 1, 1 are attached to both ends of the cavity S of the coreless toilet paper roll P. A cut 9 is made in the flange 7 to form an upstanding piece 11, which exists on the same plane as the flange 7. When the outer edge of the upstanding piece 11 is pressed inward, the middle portion rises and is erected into an arch shape, making it easy to pick up, and if this is used as a picking portion, it can be easily removed when setting it in a holder.
[Selection diagram] Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a shape retainer that can be easily attached and detached to a coreless toilet paper roll.

There is a so-called coreless toilet paper roll in which the initial few layers of the web are used as the winding core without using a paper tube.
This type of coreless toilet paper roll is made by spraying water onto the first few layers of the web when the winding machine starts to wind the web around the spool, and then completing the winding of the web around the spool to form a paper roll. The inner layers, which contain moisture, are then dried and solidified to form a winding core, and the paper roll is then removed from the spool to complete the process.
Coreless toilet paper rolls not only eliminate the hassle of having to throw away waste cores, but also allow each roll to be used for a longer period of time.

JP 2021-129824 A

Recently, long toilet paper rolls have become popular, such as that described in Patent Document 1. This long toilet paper roll refers to a roll with a winding length of more than 50 m for one ply and 25 m for two ply.
Because it lasts longer and requires less frequent purchases, the market has been expanding rapidly in recent years, and long types that are over 170m long per ply are now on sale.
These long toilet paper rolls are often coreless in order to make the most of their long life.

However, in the case of coreless rolls, the strength of the core is low, so that when transported in a cardboard box, for example, the impact of loading and unloading may cause the core to be crushed. Toilet paper rolls with crushed cores are often the subject of product complaints. Furthermore, when a toilet paper roll with a crushed core is attached to a holder and rotated, it may generate a loud noise that may cause discomfort to the user.
In the case of the conventional winding length of the cored type, the weight was about 120 to 130 g, but when it comes to the long length of the coreless type, the weight increases significantly to 400 g or more and the tightly wound type makes it stiffer, so the problem of core crushing as described above becomes more apparent.

The present invention was made in response to the above-mentioned problems with the conventional toilet paper roll, and its objective is to provide a new and useful shape-retaining device that is simply constructed, can be easily attached and detached manually from a coreless toilet paper roll, and when attached, can maintain the shape without causing the core to collapse even if the above-mentioned problems occur during transportation.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is a shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll, comprising a cylindrical portion, a groove portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion so as to be recessed inward and extending in the axial direction, and a flange provided on one axial end side of the cylindrical portion and extending outward, the groove portions being provided at a plurality of predetermined intervals so that the cylindrical portion can elastically contract in the radial direction, and the cylindrical portion is removably inserted into a cavity surrounded by the winding core of the coreless toilet paper roll to retain its shape.

Preferably, the other axial end of the cylindrical portion is closed by a bottom portion.
More preferably, the bottom surface is formed so that the center side is one step higher than the outer periphery side.

Preferably, a knob is provided which allows the winding core to be detached by manually pinching and pulling up when attached to the hollow space of the winding core.
More preferably, the knob portion is configured by a portion outside a pair of opposing notches formed in the flange, which allows the knob portion to be raised from the flange by the pair of notches.
More preferably, the knob portion is configured as a protrusion provided on the inside of the cylindrical portion.
More preferably, the knob comprises a flap extending from the flange.

Currently, it is recommended that the retainer be one-piece molded from soft plastic.

The shape retainer of the present invention has a simple structure, but can be easily attached and detached manually from a coreless toilet paper roll, and when attached, can retain its shape without causing the core to collapse even if problems occur during transportation such as those described above.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shape retainer for a toilet paper roll according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the shape retainer of the toilet paper roll of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shape retainer of the toilet paper roll of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of the shape retainer of the toilet paper roll of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method of attaching a shape retainer to the toilet paper roll of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a side view after installation in the manner of FIG. 5 . 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method of removing the device after it has been attached in FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shape retainer for a toilet paper roll according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the shape retainer of the toilet paper roll of FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet paper roll shape retainer of FIG. 8 taken along line AA. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the shape retainer of the toilet paper roll of FIG. 8 taken along the line B-B. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shape retainer for a toilet paper roll according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

A shape retainer 1 for a toilet paper roll according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Figures 1 to 4, this toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is a three-dimensional, one-piece molded product made of thin, soft plastic.
The cylindrical portion 3 extends straight in the axial direction and has a cylindrical shape with a nearly perfect circular cross section, and is gradually inclined, albeit slightly, so that its diameter decreases toward the bottom.

The peripheral surface 3a of the cylindrical portion 3 has a recessed portion on the outer periphery side as if pressed from the outside inward, and this recessed portion becomes the grooved streak portion 3b. The grooved streak portion 3b extends long along the axial direction, and the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction is a semicircular concave curved surface. Eight grooved streak portions 3b are provided at regular intervals. Therefore, in the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, the cylindrical portion 3 has an uneven shape with periodically appearing recessed portions toward the inside due to the grooved streak portions 3b, and this uneven cross section continues to both axial end faces of the cylindrical portion 3.

The lower end side of the cylindrical portion 3 is closed by a bottom surface portion 5. This bottom surface portion 5 is disk-shaped, but due to its connection with the uneven end face of the cylindrical portion 3, concave curved edges 5a appear periodically on the outer circumferential edge side.
The center side of the bottom surface portion 5 is raised one step higher than the outer periphery side, and the raised portion 5b is a true circular portion coaxial with the cylindrical portion 3. The height of the raised portion is at most about 1/4 of the overall height of the cylindrical portion 3. The raised portion 5b is flat and has a certain amount of area, so that the surface can be used as a printing surface, and a marking such as "PULL" can be applied by embossing, for example.

The upper end of the cylindrical portion 3 is completely open, and a flange 7 is attached to the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 3 in the radially outward direction. This flange 7 is in the shape of a flat ring.

A pair of opposing arc-shaped notches 9, 9 are formed in the flange 7. The notches 9 are arc-shaped along the annular shape of the flange 7. The outer portion of the notches 9 can be raised in an arch shape from the flange 7 via the notches 9, and the raised piece 11 serves as a knob.

The toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is constructed as described above, and although the size is not specified numerically, it can be imagined from the illustrated relationship between the coreless toilet paper roll P and the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 shown in Figure 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical portion 3 is inserted into the end opening of a cylindrical cavity S surrounded by a winding core R of a coreless toilet paper roll P, with the bottom portion 5 facing the opening.
The coreless toilet paper roll P is inserted into the holder to set it, so the size of the cavity S is larger than the holder but is adjusted so as not to be larger than necessary, but there is some variation between manufacturers, and since the shaft that serves as the core is removed after the paper is wound into a roll, it is slightly truncated cone-shaped to make it easier to remove.

The toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is designed so that the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical part 3 can be inserted without rattle into the cavity S of a commercially available coreless toilet paper roll P and attached, and there are also cases where it is inserted into a smaller cavity S.
However, the cylindrical portion 3 has grooves 3b, 3b, ... formed therein, and the peripheral surface 3a, which protrudes relatively outward between adjacent grooves 3b, elastically bends and recesses radially inward, thereby enabling the diameter to be reduced.
By utilizing this elastic depression, it is possible to accommodate any commercially available coreless toilet paper roll P.

When the flange 7 abuts against the end face of the winding core R, it cannot be inserted any further, so the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 does not penetrate too deeply into the cavity S of the coreless toilet paper roll P.
The shape retention function is mainly performed by the cylindrical part 3, but since the cylindrical part 3 is uneven and has a stepped bottom part 5, these shapes act to increase the shape retention strength after installation.

As shown in FIG. 6, two toilet paper roll shape retainers 1 are attached to both ends of the cavity S of a coreless toilet paper roll P. Although the total axial length of the cylindrical portions 3, 3 is significantly shorter than the length of the cavity S of a coreless toilet paper roll P, the toilet paper roll shape retainers 1, 1 on both sides work together to prevent the core from collapsing in the middle portion, effectively preventing the entire coreless toilet paper roll P from collapsing.

The toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is removed from the coreless toilet paper roll P when it is set in the holder. The upright pieces 11 are on the same plane as the flanges 7 and are in the form of a thin, flat sheet, so when the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is attached to the coreless toilet paper roll P, it appears to be stuck to the end face, but when the outer edge of the upright pieces 11 is pressed inward, the middle part rises up and is raised into an arch shape as shown in Figure 7, making it easy to pick up.
Although the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 has such a simple structure, it can be easily attached to and detached from a coreless toilet paper roll by hand, and when attached, it can retain its shape without causing the core to be crushed even if trouble occurs during transportation as described above.
In the case of long toilet paper rolls, the problem of the core being crushed is likely to occur, so this toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 is useful.

A shape retainer 13 for a toilet paper roll according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Figures 8 to 11, this toilet paper roll shape retainer 13 is configured with a cylindrical portion 3 and a bottom portion 5, similar to the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 of the first embodiment.

The cylindrical portion 3 and the bottom portion 5 form a container shape, with a knob provided on the inside. This knob is composed of a convex projection 15 and has the shape of a thinly sliced kamaboko fish paste. This convex projection 15 rises along the diameter direction of the upper surface of the bottom portion 5, and the opposing flat main side portions 15a, 15a are slightly inclined and move away from each other as they go downward. Due to this inclination, the curved surface portion 15b sandwiched between the main side portions 15a, 15a becomes wider toward the lower end.
The top of the convex projection 15 is located lower than the upper end of the cylindrical portion 3 .
The convex projection 15 is solid and therefore thicker than the cylindrical portion 3 and the bottom portion 5 .

The toilet paper roll shape retainer 13 is constructed as described above, and is removed from the coreless toilet paper roll P when it is set in the holder. It can be easily removed by pinching the main side portions 15a, 15a with your hands and pulling up.

A shape retainer 17 for a toilet paper roll according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 12, this toilet paper roll shape retainer 17 is configured with a cylindrical portion 3 and a bottom portion 5, similar to the toilet paper roll shape retainer 1 of the first embodiment.
However, a flap 19 is provided as a gripping portion.

A part of the flange 7 is extended outward, and the flap 19 is configured as a tongue-shaped part whose leading edge is a semicircular arc.
The flap 19 is in the same plane as the flange 7 and is in the form of a thin flat sheet, so when the toilet paper roll shape retainer 17 is attached to the coreless toilet paper roll P, it is in a state where it sticks to the end face, but when the arc edge 19a of the flap 19 is pressed against the flange 7 with a finger, the arc edge 19a side rises up, so it can be easily picked up.

In terms of ease of gripping, the convex projection 15 is superior, but the standing piece 11 and flap 19 have a simpler structure than the convex projection 15, and have the advantage that the molding die can be simplified. In particular, the standing piece 11 can be made simply by making a cut 9 in the flange 7, making it the most advantageous option at present.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the invention also includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
For example, although shape retainers are intended to be disposable, the material is not limited to plastic; even if the material is paper, it could be used as a shape retainer material if it can be made rigid by, for example, coating it with cellulose nanofiber (CNF).

The shape of the knob shown above is just one example, and various shapes are possible as long as the shape retention function as a shape retaining device and ease of attachment and removal are ensured.

1...Toilet paper roll shape retainer (first embodiment)
3: Cylindrical portion 3a: Circumferential surface 3b: Concave rib portion 5: Bottom surface portion 5a: Concave curved edge 5b: Raised bottom portion 7: Flange 9: Notch 11: Standing piece 13: Toilet paper roll shape retainer (second embodiment)
15: Convex protrusion 15a: Main side surface portion 15b: Curved surface portion 17: Toilet paper roll shape retainer (third embodiment)
19: flap; 19a: arc edge; P: coreless toilet paper roll; R: winding core; S: hollow

Claims (8)

a cylindrical portion; a groove portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion so as to be recessed inward and extend in an axial direction; and a flange provided on one axial end side of the cylindrical portion and extending outward, the groove portions being provided at a plurality of predetermined intervals so that the cylindrical portion can elastically contract in a radial direction;
The shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll is characterized in that the cylindrical portion is detachably inserted into a cavity surrounded by the winding core of the coreless toilet paper roll to retain the shape. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 1,
A shape retainer characterized in that the other axial end side of the cylindrical portion is closed by a bottom portion. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 2,
This shape retainer is characterized in that the center of the bottom surface is one step higher than the outer periphery, forming a step. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
This shape retainer is characterized by being provided with a gripping portion that can be detached by gripping and pulling up with the hand when it is attached to the hollow of the winding core. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 4,
A shape retainer characterized in that the knob portion is configured by a portion outside a pair of opposing notches formed in the flange, which allows the knob portion to be raised from the flange. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 4,
A shape retainer characterized in that the knob portion is composed of a protrusion provided on the inside of the cylindrical portion. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 4,
A shape retainer characterized in that the knob portion is composed of a flap extending from the flange. In the shape retainer for a coreless toilet paper roll according to claim 1,
The shape retainer is characterized in that it is integrally molded from soft plastic.

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