A multi-functional tissue box

Abstract

This invention discloses a multifunctional tissue box. Addressing the problems of existing tissue boxes, such as difficulty in removing tissues when they are low, inconvenient operation of the lifting mechanism, and cumbersome reset, this invention adopts the following technical solution: The box body has a first hollow column and a second hollow column on both sides, each containing a screw and a sliding rod; a tray is threadedly connected to the screw and slidably connected to the sliding rod, and the inner wall of the box has a sliding groove; a ratchet is connected to the bottom of the screw, and the bottom of the ratchet has multiple circumferentially distributed sliding plates that pass through an annular groove at the bottom of the cylindrical box and connect to a support foot; the cylindrical box has a locking tooth that unidirectionally abuts against the ratchet, the locking tooth is installed via a reset spring, and an external handle is connected to the locking tooth via a pull wire. The user can rotate the support foot to rotate the screw and raise the tray, and pull the handle to release the lock and quickly lower the tray. This invention is intuitive to operate, reliably self-locking, conveniently reset, and has a simple structure and low cost, making it suitable for homes, offices, and public places.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of daily necessities technology, and in particular relates to a multifunctional tissue box. Background Technology

[0002] Tissue boxes are common daily necessities in homes, offices, and public places. Existing tissue boxes are typically of fixed height, containing stacked tissues or rolls of paper towels. As tissues are pulled out one by one, the overall thickness of the tissues inside gradually decreases, and the distance between the top layer of tissues and the tissue dispenser increases. When there are few tissues left (usually the last 5-10 sheets), users need to insert their fingers into the box to barely reach them, which is inconvenient and easily contaminates the remaining tissues.

[0003] To solve this problem, some tissue boxes with lifting trays have appeared on the market, which use springs or threaded mechanisms to lift the remaining tissues upwards.

[0004] However, existing lifting mechanisms have the following shortcomings:

[0005] First, the spring-loaded lifting mechanism has a large change in elasticity as the amount of paper towels decreases, which can easily lead to the last few sheets of paper being excessively pressed and difficult to pull out.

[0006] Secondly, threaded lifting mechanisms usually require users to manually rotate and adjust them from the bottom or side of the box, but this requires bending over or flipping the box, making the operation not intuitive.

[0007] Third, most lifting mechanisms cannot easily return to their original position after the tray has risen, making it inconvenient to replace the paper towels. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and to propose a multifunctional tissue box.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] A multifunctional tissue box includes a box body and a vertically movable tray disposed inside the box body.

[0011] A first hollow column and a second hollow column are fixedly installed on the left and right sides of the box, respectively;

[0012] The first hollow column has a screw installed inside, and the second hollow column has a slide rod installed inside;

[0013] One end of the tray is threadedly connected to the screw, and the other end of the tray is slidably connected to the slide rod. Slide grooves are provided on both sides of the inner wall of the box for the tray to slide.

[0014] A ratchet is fixedly connected to the bottom of the screw. A cylindrical box is fixedly provided at the bottom of both the first hollow column and the second hollow column. The ratchet is located inside the cylindrical box at the bottom of the first hollow column and is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box at the bottom of the first hollow column through a bearing. The slide rod is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box at the bottom of the second hollow column.

[0015] The bottom of the ratchet is fixedly provided with multiple slide plates evenly distributed along the circumference. The slide plates extend outward and pass through the bottom of the cylindrical box. The bottom of the cylindrical box is provided with an annular groove for the slide plates to slide.

[0016] Each of the slide plates is fixedly connected to a support foot at its outer end, the support foot being used to contact the placement surface to support the box body;

[0017] The cylindrical box is also provided with a locking tooth inside. The locking tooth is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the cylindrical box by a return spring. The locking tooth engages with the outer teeth of the ratchet in a one-way abutment to limit the reverse rotation of the ratchet.

[0018] The cylindrical box is provided with a handle on the outside, and the handle is connected to the locking teeth by a pull wire;

[0019] When the handle is pulled, the pull cable causes the locking teeth to rotate against the elastic force of the return spring, causing the locking teeth to disengage from the ratchet and releasing the lock on the ratchet.

[0020] Furthermore, the number of the sliding plates is four, and the four sliding plates are evenly distributed along the circumference.

[0021] Furthermore, the first hollow column and the second hollow column are integrally injection molded with the box body.

[0022] Furthermore, one end of the support plate is provided with an internally threaded sleeve, which is threadedly engaged with the screw; the other end of the support plate is provided with a linear bearing, which is slidably engaged with the slide rod.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of the support foot is provided with an anti-slip pad.

[0024] Furthermore, a rotating shaft seat is fixedly provided on the inner wall of the cylindrical box, and the middle part of the locking tooth is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft seat through a rotating shaft; the return spring is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the rotating shaft, with one end of the torsion spring abutting against the locking tooth and the other end abutting against the inner wall of the cylindrical box.

[0025] Furthermore, the cylindrical box has a wire hole on its side wall, one end of the pull wire is fixedly connected to the free end of the locking tooth, and the other end passes through the wire hole and is fixedly connected to the handle.

[0026] Furthermore, a limiting block is provided at the top of the screw to limit the highest rising position of the pallet.

[0027] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. Users of this invention do not need to bend over or flip the tissue box. They can simply rotate the support feet located at the four corners of the bottom of the box (i.e., the outer ends of the slide plate) to drive the ratchet and screw to rotate, thereby raising the tray. The support feet themselves function as handles, which is ergonomic and allows for natural operation.

[0029] 2. The one-way contact between the ratchet and the locking teeth in this invention allows the tray to rise only and not fall automatically. Users can adjust the height of the tray gradually according to the amount of paper towels remaining, and it remains stable after adjustment without the need for continuous force.

[0030] 3. When it is necessary to replace the paper towels or lower the tray, simply pull the handle on the outside of the cylindrical box. The pull cord will cause the locking teeth to disengage from the ratchet, thus releasing the lock. Then, simply rotate the support foot in the opposite direction or press down on the tray to quickly return it to its original position. The operation is simple. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall device structure proposed in this invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the top cross-sectional structure proposed in this invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the overall device structure proposed in this invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom cross-sectional structure of the cylindrical box proposed in this invention.

[0035] In the diagram: 1. Box body; 2. Support plate; 3. First hollow column; 4. Second hollow column; 5. Screw; 6. Slide rod; 7. Ratchet; 8. Cylindrical box; 9. Slide plate; 10. Annular groove; 11. Support foot; 12. Clamping tooth; 13. Return spring; 14. Handle; 15. Pull cable; 16. Internal threaded sleeve; 17. Linear bearing; 18. Anti-slip pad; 19. Shaft; 20. Wire hole. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0037] This embodiment provides a multifunctional tissue box, including a roughly rectangular box body 1. The box body 1 is hollow inside for holding stacked tissues. The top of the box body 1 has a tissue opening. Inside the box body 1, a horizontal tray 2 is provided, which can move up and down within the box body 1 to support the tissues.

[0038] A first hollow column 3 and a second hollow column 4 are fixedly installed on the exterior (or interior) of the left and right side walls of the box body 1, respectively. The first hollow column 3 extends vertically and a screw 5 passes through its interior; a smooth sliding rod 6 passes through the interior of the second hollow column 4. Both the screw 5 and the sliding rod 6 are perpendicular to the bottom plane of the box body 1.

[0039] A threaded sleeve 16 is fixedly connected to the left end of the tray 2 (the side closest to the first hollow column 3), and the threaded sleeve 16 is threadedly engaged with the screw 5. A linear bearing 17 is fixedly connected to the right end of the tray 2 (the side closest to the second hollow column 4), and the linear bearing 17 is sleeved on the slide rod 6 and slides with it. To further enhance the stability of the tray 2's lifting and lowering, vertical sliding grooves are also provided on the left and right sides of the inner wall of the box 1, and the two side edges of the tray 2 are respectively embedded in the corresponding sliding grooves to form sliding guides.

[0040] When the screw 5 rotates, the internal threaded sleeve 16 is threadedly connected to the screw 5, and the right end of the support plate 2 is restricted in its rotational freedom by the slide rod 6 and the slide groove, so the support plate 2 will move up and down along the axis of the screw 5.

[0041] A cylindrical box 8 is fixedly connected to the bottom of both the first hollow column 3 and the second hollow column 4. The cylindrical box 8 at the bottom of the second hollow column 4 serves only as a fixed base, and the lower end of the sliding rod 6 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box 8. A ratchet 7 is installed inside the cylindrical box 8 at the bottom of the first hollow column 3. The lower end of the screw 5 passes through the bottom of the first hollow column 3 and is fixedly connected to the center of the ratchet 7. Furthermore, the lower end of the screw 5 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box 8 via a bearing, allowing the screw 5 to rotate freely.

[0042] Four sliding plates 9 are fixedly mounted on the bottom of the ratchet 7, and the four sliding plates 9 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the ratchet 7 (i.e., one every 90 degrees). The sliding plates 9 extend radially outward from the center of the ratchet 7 and pass through the bottom of the cylindrical box 8. The bottom of the cylindrical box 8 has an annular groove 10 that slides with the sliding plates 9. The annular groove 10 is an arc-shaped through groove, and its width matches the thickness of the sliding plates 9, so that the sliding plates 9 can slide in the circumferential direction within the annular groove 10. At the same time, the sliding plates 9 play a role in circumferentially fixing the ratchet 7—when the sliding plates 9 are driven to rotate by an external force, the ratchet 7 rotates accordingly.

[0043] Each slide 9 has a fixed support foot 11 at its outer end (i.e., the part that protrudes from the cylindrical box 8). The support foot 11 is L-shaped or T-shaped, and its lower surface contacts the placement surface (such as a tabletop) to support the entire tissue box. A rubber anti-slip pad 18 is attached to the bottom of the support foot 11 to prevent slipping during use. The four support feet 11 together form the four bases of the tissue box.

[0044] Inside the cylindrical box 8, a locking tooth 12 is also provided. A rotating shaft 19 is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the cylindrical box 8, and the middle part of the locking tooth 12 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 19 via the rotating shaft 19. One end of the locking tooth 12 has a pawl that matches the shape of the external teeth of the ratchet 7, and the other end is a free end. A torsion spring 13 is fitted on the rotating shaft 19 as a return spring. One end of the torsion spring abuts against the side of the locking tooth 12, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the cylindrical box 8, so that the locking tooth 12 always tends to rotate towards the ratchet 7 in its natural state, maintaining unidirectional contact with the external teeth of the ratchet 7. This unidirectional contact allows the ratchet 7 to rotate clockwise (taking one direction as an example), but prevents the ratchet 7 from rotating counterclockwise.

[0045] A wire hole 20 is provided on the side wall of the cylindrical box 8. One end of a pull wire 15 is fixedly connected to the free end of the locking tooth 12, and the other end passes through the wire hole 20 and extends to the outside of the cylindrical box 8, where it is connected to a handle 14. The handle 14 can be a ring-shaped pull ring or a cylindrical pull button, which is convenient for fingers to pull. When the handle 14 is not pulled, the locking tooth 12 remains engaged with the ratchet 7 under the action of the return spring 13; when the handle 14 is pulled, the pull wire 15 overcomes the elastic force of the return spring 13 and pulls the free end of the locking tooth 12 away from the ratchet 7, so that the locking tooth 12 disengages from the ratchet 7, thereby releasing the lock on the ratchet 7.

[0046] To prevent the pallet 2 from exceeding the effective stroke of the screw 5 during its ascent, a limit stop is provided at the top (i.e., the upper end) of the screw 5. When the pallet 2 rises to the highest position, the internal threaded sleeve 16 will contact the limit stop, preventing the pallet 2 from continuing to rise.

[0047] Working principle and usage

[0048] Initial state: A stack of tissues is placed inside the box 1, the tray 2 is in the lowest position, the four support legs 11 are supported on the table, and the locking teeth 12 are engaged with the ratchet 7.

[0049] When the tissues are nearly empty and the user finds it difficult to pull them out, there's no need to bend over or flip the tissue box. Simply pinch any one or all four support feet 11 (which act as handles) with your fingers and rotate them clockwise. Support feet 11 drive the slide plate 9, which in turn drives the ratchet 7, which in turn drives the screw 5 to rotate synchronously. Due to the one-way engagement between the ratchet 7 and the locking teeth 12, when the ratchet 7 rotates clockwise, the locking teeth 12 are periodically pushed open and automatically reset, without affecting the rotation. Once rotation stops, the locking teeth 12 lock the ratchet 7, preventing it from rotating counterclockwise. The rotation of the screw 5 moves the tray 2 upwards a short distance, raising the remaining tissues. The user can rotate the support feet 11 gradually in multiple steps until the top layer of tissues is close to the tissue dispenser for easy extraction.

[0050] When it's time to replace the tissues or lower the tray 2 to its lowest position, the user hooks the handle 14 on the outside of the cylindrical box 8 with their finger. The pull cord 15 drives the locking teeth 12 to rotate against the torsion spring force, disengaging the locking teeth 12 from the ratchet 7 and releasing the lock. At this time, the user can rotate the support foot 11 in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) or directly press down on the tray 2 with their hand, causing the screw 5 to rotate freely in the opposite direction, and the tray 2 quickly descends to the bottom. After releasing the handle 14, the locking teeth 12 automatically reset under the action of the return spring 13, re-engaging with the ratchet 7, ready for the next use.

[0051] Variant Implementation

[0052] Based on the above embodiments, the following modifications can be made:

[0053] The number of skateboards 9 is not limited to four; it can also be three or five, as long as they can be symmetrically distributed and stably transmit torque. However, four is the optimal choice, matching the four-corner support structure of the square tissue box.

[0054] The support foot 11 and the skateboard 9 can be integrally injection molded, or they can be connected separately by screws or clips.

[0055] The drive mechanism for handle 14 and cable 15 can also be replaced by a push-button type push rod mechanism, which directly pushes the locking tooth 12 to disengage from ratchet 7 via the push rod, which is an equivalent replacement.

[0056] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multifunctional tissue box, comprising a box body (1) and a vertically movable tray (2) disposed inside the box body (1), characterized in that: The box body (1) is fixedly provided with a first hollow column (3) and a second hollow column (4) on its left and right sides respectively. The first hollow column (3) is provided with a screw (5) inside, and the second hollow column (4) is provided with a slide rod (6) inside. One end of the tray (2) is threadedly connected to the screw (5), and the other end of the tray (2) is slidably connected to the slide rod (6). The inner walls of the box (1) are provided with sliding grooves for sliding on both sides of the tray (2). The bottom of the screw (5) is fixedly connected to a ratchet (7). The bottom of the first hollow column (3) and the second hollow column (4) are both fixedly provided with cylindrical boxes (8). The ratchet (7) is located inside the cylindrical box (8) at the bottom of the first hollow column (3) and is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box (8) at the bottom of the first hollow column (3) through a bearing. The slide rod (6) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical box (8) at the bottom of the second hollow column (4). The bottom of the ratchet (7) is fixedly provided with multiple slide plates (9) evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. The slide plates (9) extend outward and pass through the bottom of the cylindrical box (8). The bottom of the cylindrical box (8) is provided with an annular groove (10) for the slide plates (9) to slide. Each of the slide plates (9) has a support foot (11) fixedly connected to its outer end. The support foot (11) is used to contact the placement surface to support the box body (1). The cylindrical box (8) is also provided with a locking tooth (12). The locking tooth (12) is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the cylindrical box (8) by a return spring (13). The locking tooth (12) is engaged with the outer tooth of the ratchet (7) in a one-way abutment, which is used to limit the reverse rotation of the ratchet (7). The cylindrical box (8) is provided with a handle (14) on the outside, and the handle (14) is connected to the locking teeth (12) by a pull wire (15); When the handle (14) is pulled, the pull line (15) drives the locking tooth (12) to rotate against the elastic force of the return spring (13), causing the locking tooth (12) to disengage from the ratchet (7) and release the lock on the ratchet (7).

2. A multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The number of the slide plates (9) is four, and the four slide plates (9) are evenly distributed along the circumference.

3. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The first hollow column (3) and the second hollow column (4) are integrally injection molded with the box body (1).

4. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein One end of the support plate (2) is provided with an internal threaded sleeve (16), which is threadedly engaged with the screw (5); the other end of the support plate (2) is provided with a linear bearing (17), which is slidably engaged with the slide rod (6).

5. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The bottom of the support foot (11) is provided with an anti-slip pad (18).

6. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The inner wall of the cylindrical box (8) is fixedly provided with a rotating shaft (19) seat, and the middle part of the locking tooth (12) is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft (19) seat through the rotating shaft (19); the reset spring (13) is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the rotating shaft (19), with one end of the torsion spring abutting the locking tooth (12) and the other end abutting the inner wall of the cylindrical box (8).

7. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The cylindrical box (8) has a wire hole (20) on its side wall. One end of the pull wire (15) is fixedly connected to the free end of the tooth (12), and the other end passes through the wire hole (20) and is fixedly connected to the handle (14).

8. The multi-functional paper towel box according to claim 1, wherein The top of the screw (5) is provided with a limiting block to limit the highest rising position of the pallet (2).

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