Towel roll holder and dispenser and blank for forming container for the towel roll holder and dispenser

1. A towel roll holder and dispenser comprising:

a main body having a bottom, a top, a rear wall, a pair of opposing end walls, and an open front end, the bottom, top, rear wall and end walls defining an open space for receiving and containing a roll of towels for dispensing;

a cover structure pivotally attached to the main body for closing off the interior space of the main body when in a closed position, the cover structure having first and second cover members pivotable in opposing directions between the closed position and an open position, the first and second cover members and the main body together defining a container fully enclosing the roll of towels when the first and second cover members are in the closed position;

holding means for releasably holding each of the first and second cover members in the closed position; and

means defining a dispensing opening formed in the first cover member and through which a towel from the roll of towels can be dispensed from the container when the first cover member is in the closed position.

2. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; wherein the means defining a dispensing opening comprises an elongated aperture formed in the first cover member.

3. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 2 ; further comprising retaining means for rotatively retaining the roll of towels within the open space of the main body between the pair of end walls so that a free portion of a towel from the roll of towels can extend through the elongated aperture of the first cover member; and tearing means disposed along an edge of the elongated aperture for tearing off the free portion of the towel.

4. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 3 ; wherein the retaining means comprises the end walls of the main body having aligned apertures therethrough, and an elongated rod having opposite end portions extendable through the respective aligned apertures of the end walls.

5. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 4 ; further comprising a pair of tubular end caps configured and dimensioned to receive onto the respective end portions of the elongated rod for restraining displacement of the elongated rod along a longitudinal axis thereof.

6. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 3 ; wherein the tearing means comprises a serrated cutting member.

7. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; wherein the holding means comprises a plurality of hook and loop fabric fastener tabs mounted on the first and second cover members and on the side walls of the main body so as to releasably hold the first and second cover members to the side walls of the main body.

8. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; wherein the enclosure is a one-piece structure made from a single piece of material.

9. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 8 ; wherein the single piece of material is transparent.

10. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; wherein the enclosure is formed of a transparent material that enables visual perception of the roll of towels when enclosed by the enclosure.

11. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; further comprising securing means for securing at least one of the bottom, top and rear wall of the main body to a support structure.

12. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 11 ; wherein the securing means comprises at least one magnetic strip secured to the at least one of the bottom, top and rear wall of the main body.

13. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 11 ; wherein the securing means comprises a plurality of two part hook and loop fasteners, one of the parts being secured to the at least one of the bottom, top and rear wall of the main body and the other of the parts being adapted to be secured to the support structure.

14. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 1 ; wherein in the closed position of the first and second cover members, the main body and the first and second cover member form a housing having a generally G-shaped cross-section.

15. A towel roll holder and dispenser adapted for mounting on a support surface, the towel roll holder and dispenser comprising: a housing for receiving a towel roll therewithin, the housing having a pair of sidewalls, a base connected to the sidewalls for mounting the housing on the support surface, and a pair of cover members pivotable in opposing directions between a closed position and an open position, one of the cover members having an opening through which towels may be dispensed from the towel roll; and a plurality of fasteners for releasably fastening the cover members to the sidewalls of the housing.

16. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 15 ; wherein the housing is a one-piece structure made from a single piece of material.

17. A towel roll holder and dispenser according to claim 15 ; wherein the single piece of material is injection molded plastic.

18. A container blank made of a unitary piece of material for forming a container, the container blank comprising: a plurality of first panels separated by a plurality of first fold lines about which the first panels are foldable to form a bottom, a top, a rear wall, a first cover member and a second cover member of the container; and a pair of second panels extending from opposite longitudinal edge portions of a preselected one of the first panels forming bottom of the container, the second panels being separated from the longitudinal edge portions of preselected panel by respective second fold lines about which the respective second panels are foldable to form opposing end walls of the container; wherein the first panel forming the first cover member has a longitudinal slot disposed generally parallel to the first fold lines; and wherein the second panels have through-holes forming aligned apertures when the second panels are folded about the second fold lines to form the opposing end walls of the container.

19. A container blank according to claim 18 ; wherein the first panels form a generally rectangular-shaped structure; and wherein each of the second panels is generally G-shaped.