Towel holder

Abstract

A towel holder to assist with the dispensing of towels (e.g., reusable or disposable) includes a bottom wall, and a tubular body extending from the bottom wall, defining a central vertical axis, and includes: a first end supported on the bottom wall, a second end, a cylindrical cavity within the tubular body extending from the second end to the bottom wall, and a release channel extending vertically along the tubular body and tapering from the second end towards the bottom wall, wherein when a towel from a plurality of towels within the cavity, is removed through the release channel such that the release channel prevents remaining towels from unraveling.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A towel holder comprising;
 a bottom wall; and   a tubular body extending from the bottom wall, defining a central vertical axis, and including:
 a first end supported on the bottom wall; 
 a second end; 
 a cylindrical cavity within the tubular body extending from the second end to the bottom wall; and 
 a release channel extending vertically along the tubular body and tapering from the second end towards the bottom wall, 
   wherein when a towel from a plurality of towels within the cavity, is removed through the release channel, the release channel prevents remaining towels from unraveling.   
     
     
         2 . The towel holder according to  claim 1 , wherein a first section of the release channel, adjacent to the second end, tapers at rate greater than a second section of the release channel adjacent to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         3 . The towel holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the release channel has a substantially V-shape of tapering from the second end to the first end. 
     
     
         4 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein the release channel defines a channel contour having a left transition portion and a right transition portion, wherein each of the left transition portion and right transition portion are rounded. 
     
     
         5 . The towel holder of  claim 4 , wherein the channel contour includes sharp edges. 
     
     
         6 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall has a circular opening formed therein, and wherein the bottom wall defines a plane perpendicular to the central vertical axis. 
     
     
         7 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of towels are a roll of paper towels. 
     
     
         8 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular body defines a tubular configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , further comprising an end cap having an end cap opening formed therein, wherein the second end is configured to receive the end cap. 
     
     
         10 . The towel holder of  claim 9 , wherein the end cap defines an end cap edge being intersected by an end cap cutout at two points therein. 
     
     
         11 . The towel holder of  claim 9 , wherein the towel of the plurality of towels is removed from the towel holder through the release channel and through the end cap opening with the remaining towels unraveled. 
     
     
         12 . A towel dispenser system, comprising:
 a towel;   a towel holder including:
 a bottom wall; and 
 a tubular body extending from the bottom wall and defining a central vertical axis, the tubular body including:
 a first end supported on the bottom wall; 
 a second end; 
 a cylindrical cavity within the tubular body extending from the second end to the bottom wall; and 
 a release channel extending vertically along the tubular body and tapering from the second end towards the bottom wall, 
 
   wherein when the towel from a plurality of towels within the cavity, is removed through the release channel, the release channel prevents remaining towels from unraveling.   
     
     
         13 . The towel dispenser system according to  claim 12 , wherein said release channel includes a first section, adjacent to the second end, tapering at rate greater than a second section of the release channel adjacent to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         14 . The towel dispenser system according to  claim 12  wherein said release channel includes a substantially V-shape tapering from the second end to the first end and defines a channel contour having a left transition portion and a right transition portion, wherein each of the left transition portion and the right transition portion are rounded. 
     
     
         15 . The towel dispenser system according to  claim 14 , wherein said channel contour includes sharp edges. 
     
     
         16 . The towel dispenser system according to  claim 12 , wherein said tubular body is a tubular configuration and is lighter than the bottom wall. 
     
     
         17 . The towel dispenser system according of  claim 12 , further comprising an end cap having an end cap opening and an end cap cutout formed therein, wherein the second end is configured to receive the end cap. 
     
     
         18 . The towel dispenser system according to  claim 12 , wherein the towel of the plurality of towels is removed from the towel holder through the release channel and through the end cap opening with the remaining towels unraveled. 
     
     
         19 . A method for storing and pulling a towel from a stack of towels, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a towel holder including:
 a bottom wall; and 
 a tubular body extending from the bottom wall, defining a central vertical axis, and including:
 a first end supported on the bottom wall; 
 a second end; 
 a cylindrical cavity within the tubular body extending from the second end to the bottom wall; and 
 a release channel extending vertically along the tubular body and tapering from the second end towards the bottom wall; 
 
 wherein when a towel from a plurality of towels within the cavity, is removed through the release channel, the release channel prevents remaining towels from unraveling;
 (b) folding a plurality of stacked towels by their middle line; 
 (c) storing the plurality of stacked and folded towels within the towel holder; and 
 (d) removing a towel away from towel holder and out of the cavity through the release channel preventing inadvertent towel unraveling. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein a paper towel is pulled thought the release channel and cleanly torn against it and away from the roll of paper towels avoiding towel unraveling.