Patent Grant
11141028
The present invention relates to an improved tension control cap for use with paper, plastic, foil, tape other dispensers that utilize a rotating roll of varying width and continuous sheets dispensed from a rotating base. In particular, the present invention relates to a cap that controls the tension and rotational speed of a rolling base (or holder) of a dispenser for paper, plastic, foil, tape or other items that come as continuous sheets or rolls of different length and width, rotationally dispensed from the rotating dispenser base.
Many household items are supplied in a continuous sheet, rolled into a roll, which is placed on a rotating dispenser. For example, paper towels, plastic and foil, toilet paper, tape, etc. are supplied as continuous or attached sheets on a rotating dispenser. Dispensing of these rolled materials is typically done by a variety of different dispensing devices (dispensers) that mount the roll (rolled material), with a hollow center on a dispenser dowel or a rod, which allows the unraveling (or rotation) of the rolled material to the desired length and then separating (or tearing) the unraveled part from the remaining roll.
When a user unravels and spins the roll, it might be unraveled with excessive speed, causing excessive unraveling of the rolled product, and resulting in unnecessary waste of the rolled product.
Furthermore, different rolls may have variances and differences in a diameter of the inner opening, or may have different level of rigidity of the inner surface, causing different rolls to unravel at different speeds.
Another problem involves the thicker rolls that may be initially held more tightly by the dispenser. However, when there is less material on the roll, they become more loosely held and unravel faster.
One problem with the many known dispensers is that they do not have an easy and effective way to set and control tension of the rolled material and the unraveling speed during dispensing. Thus, they can't prevent excessive unraveling and unnecessary waste of the rolled product. Furthermore, most dispensers do not allow the excess unrolled materials to be rolled back, which leads many users to leave the unraveled material loosely hanging or bunched up on the roll (in an attempt to save the excess material). This interferes with the operation of many dispensers and is also highly undesirable in the dispensers utilized in public places.
The dispensers that allow users to control the speed of rotation during dispensing operation have other problems. They have a more complicated structure and require purchase of a full new dispenser, at a much higher price than the typically inexpensive dispensers that are 0used in most public facilities.
For many consumers, the purchase of a roll with a mechanism that prevents excessive unraveling requires an additional, and often more expensive, purchase. Moreover, an individual consumer might not be able to use the mechanism with his or her already purchased dispensers, causing additional waste of the already purchased items (that will no longer be in use). The incompatibility with the existing dispensers also prevents their acceptance by a wider consumer market.
The present invention addressed the above problems by providing a simple, efficient and inexpensive adjustable tension control cap and a method for its use and installation with many existing dispensers that in common use today in a wide consumer market.
By controlling the frictional tension between braking blades of a cap base and a ribbed inner surface of a rotor, the user can vary and adjust the tension and unraveling speed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention.
The adjustable tension control cap causes the dispenser to hold more tightly the roll and also control the unraveling (spinning speed) of the dispenser. Thus, it allows the user to control and adjust both the level of tension with which the roll is held in place by the dispenser, and also vary the rotational force and speed of the roll when it unravels.
One feature of the present invention is a cap with a tension adjustment control comprising a rotor having a threaded portion on an inner bottom surface, a spring base including a plurality of braking blades that come into frictional contact with a surface of a rotor upon rotation of the rotor and operation of the tension adjustment dial, where the contact of the braking blades reduced rotational speed of the dispenser. In some embodiments, the extent of frictional contact of the braking blades with a ribbed inner part of the contacting rotor surface is controlled by a tension adjustment dial. In other embodiments, the plurality of braking blades come into frictional contact with the rotor surface in response to at least one electromagnetic signal.
In at least one embodiment, the braking blades of the cap extend longitudinally to a plane of rotation of the rotor and increase the frictional contact with a ribbed inner surface of the rotor in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial. In other embodiments, the plurality of braking blades extend laterally to a plane of rotation of the rotor and increasing the frictional contact with the inner surface of the rotor in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial.
In at least one embodiment, the braking blades of the cap extend longitudinally to a plane of rotation of the rotor and increase the frictional contact with a ribbed inner surface of the rotor in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial. In other embodiments, the plurality of braking blades extend laterally to a plane of rotation of the rotor and increasing the frictional contact with the inner surface of the rotor in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial.
The adjustable tension control cap of the present invention may be utilized in a number of different dispenser devices. In particular, it may be used in a paper or other product dispensing device comprising a rotor having a threaded portion on an inner bottom surface, a spring base including a threaded shaft and a plurality of braking blades that come into frictional contact with a surface of the rotor upon rotation of the rotor, a tension adjustment dial for controlling the extent of frictional contact of said plurality of braking blades with a ribbed inner part of the contacting rotor surface, a limit cap having a generally tubular shape and constructed to limit the longitudinal movement of the tension adjustment dial and a corresponding movement of the braking blades, a plurality of tension rod wires for holding a dispensed product, a solid rod extending through a central opening of the rotor, a finial grip for holding one tip of the solid rod, and a finial grip cover, covering the finial grip. The braking blades of the cap used in such a dispenser extend and increase the frictional contact with a surface of the rotor in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial, and thereby control the speed of rotation of the rotor and dispensing of the product by the dispenser.
The dispenser in accordance with at east one embodiment may also utilize a race top having a central opening for accommodating the solid rod and having a plurality of cavities for accommodating the tension rod wires. It may also include a base shell fitting over a base cover, having a circular opening in the center, and fitting over the tension adjustment dial, and a weighted base part above or below the tension adjustment wheel, covered by the base shell.
In at least one embodiment, the adjustable tension control cap of the present invention may be utilized as part of a toilet paper dispenser comprising a tension grip having a plurality of ribs and a spring housing for accommodating a tension spring within the housing, a first and second circular end rings on the two end tips of the tension grip, a tension rod attached to the first circular end, a spring base having a threaded shaft, a tension adjustment dial, having a ribbed outer surface, and a plurality of braking blades, extending in a longitudinal direction to the plane of the tension adjustment dial and coming into frictional contact with an inner surface of the tension grip or the second end ring, for controlling the rotational speed of the dispenser and dispensing of the toilet paper.
In at least one embodiment, the plurality of braking blades extend longitudinally to the plane of tension adjustment dial, and increase the frictional contact with the inner surface of the tension grip or the second ring in response to rotation of the tension adjustment dial and a movement of the tension adjustment dial along the threaded shaft of the spring base.
The toilet paper dispenser may also include a dial display for the tension adjustment dial, an end lock for fixedly attaching to the spring base, and a pair of plastic caps, having a flexible and expandable inner part for fixedly covering the tip of the tension rod on one end and the end lock on the other end.
The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The construction and operation of the invention is explained with reference to at least one embodiment shown in
While some embodiments described herein and depicted in corresponding figures show use of the adjustable tension control cap in connection with paper rolls and toilet paper rolls, the use of the adjustable tension control cap is not intended to be limited to any specific type of a dispenser. A person skilled in the art would understand and apply the described cap to other types of dispensers and to any rolls of different length, width, thickness and different types of dispensing materials (not limited to paper rolls).
As illustrated in
As further illustrated in
An alternative embodiment of a locking shaft 120b, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, is depicted in
In accordance with at least one embodiment, the braking blades 171 extend in the longitudinal direction (up or down) when a rotational force is applied by a user through the rotation of a tension adjustment dial 180 of the tension control cap. The braking blades 171 frictionally engage a ribbed inner surface 155 of the rotor 150, constructed to create and increase friction against the braking blades 171.
In another embodiment, the braking blades 171 may extending laterally, in response to the movement of the tension dial 180 by the user, and increase friction against the inner or another surface of the rotor 150.
The user may choose to rotate the tension adjustment dial 180 in a direction of increased tension, as may be indicated on a dial display 185, or, alternatively, the dispenser may receive electromagnetic signal or other types of signals causing the tension adjustment dial 180 dial to move up or down on the bottom part 175 (shown in
An alternative embodiment of a spring base component of an adjustable tension control cap in accordance with at least one embodiment is illustrated in
Referring to
The dial 180 has a threaded inner surface 184 that allows movement of the wheel up and down the threaded shaft 175. The limit cap 160 limits the rotation and longitudinal movement of the tension adjustment dial 180 along the threaded shaft 175 of the spring base 170.
An alternative embodiment of a tension adjustment dial 180 is shown in
As further illustrated in 9A-B, 8A-E and 19A-E, the upward movement of the tension adjustment dial 180 pushes upward the braking blades 171, each of which is either integrally connected to, or molded as a part of, the spring base at the corresponding attachment point 172. When the braking blades 171 are pushed upward by the upward movement of the tension adjustment dial 180, the blades 171 come into frictional contact with the ribbed inner surface 155 of the rotor 150. The force of friction between the blades and the ribbed inner surface of the rotor increases with the upward movement, and decreases with the downward movement, of the braking blades 171. The increase in friction causes reduces the spinning speed of the rotor the dispenser, preventing the excessive unraveling of the rolled material.
This causes the roll to be more tightly held in place by the dispenser, and also controls the spinning speed during the unraveling of the dispensed product. Thus, it allows the user to control and adjust both the level of tension with which the roll is held in place, and the rotational force and speed of the roll when it unravels the rolled material. This prevents the unnecessary waste due to excessive unraveling. It also allows the user to control and adjust the tension with which the rolled product is held in place and unraveled.
The tension control and the spinning speed control may both be necessary and desired to address the variances and differences in the inner diameter or the rigidity of the inner walls of the rolled product. Also, the tension with which the roll is held by the dispenser may vary when a significant portion of the rolled product has already been unraveled. For example, a full roll may be initially be held more tightly, and unravel more slowly, but may become looser and spin faster when more of the roll product is unraveled. Thus, by controlling tension exerted by the braking blades against the inner surface of the rotor, the user can vary and adjust the tension and unraveling speed of a roll at different stages.
As part of the reverse tension adjustment process, the user rotates the tension adjustment dial 180 by spinning the ribbed outer surface 182 of the dial wheel in a direction of loosening tension and increasing the dispensing speed, as may be indicated on the dial display 185. This causes the tension adjustment wheel 180 to move down in a longitudinal direction, along the threaded shaft 175 of the spring base 170.
This allows the user to adjust tension and rolling speed of the dispenser for faster unrolling when more material is desired. On the other hand, setting the slower rotational speed and tighter tension may help prevent the excessive unrolling and waste of the rolled paper (or other material).
The structure and operation of the limit cap 160, constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment, is further illustrated in
The inner and outer structure and operation of the rotor 150 (also referenced as a race cap) in accordance with at least one embodiment is further illustrated in
As illustrated in
The inner and outer structure of a finial 145 component of a paper roll dispenser that may be utilized with an adjustable tension control cap of at least one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The inner and outer structure of the finial grip 140 component of a paper roll dispenser that may be utilized with an adjustable tension control cap of at least one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In at least one embodiment, the finial grip 140 may have a smaller diameter cavity 144 on the bottom surface. The cavity 144 is structured to accommodate and hold in place the thinner tip part 138 of the solid rod part 137 when the dispenser is in operation and use.
The structure of the race top 147 component of a paper roll dispenser that may be utilized with an adjustable tension control cap of at least one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The structure of the rod wires 130 and the solid rod part 137 of the dispenser 100 are illustrated in
The structure of the tension rod wires, the solid rod part, the finial and the finial grip are well-known elements of existing dispensers that are used by consumers. The adjustable tension control cap 110 of the present invention is designed to operate with existing dispensers, without having to purchase another dispenser product.
The structure of the alternative embodiment of a locking shaft 120b is depicted in
An alternative embodiment of a spring base component 170b of an adjustable tension control cap in accordance with at least one embodiment is discussed above, with reference to
The structure of a tension adjustment dial 180 and other related components of at least one embodiment of the present invention are illustrated in
A base shell component 192 is illustrated in
The structure of a tension adjustment dial 180 of at least one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In an alternative embodiment, the tension adjustment dial 180 may be made of a solid material, with a hollow center and can fit (stack) on top of a weighted part 186. A bottom base cover 195, shown in
It is understood that the weighted part 186 is optional and may be added above or below the adjustment dial 180 in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The bottom base cover 195, shown in
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the non-skip pad 197 may be glued to the bottom surface of the bottom base cover 195, to the bottom surface of the weighted part 186, or to the bottom surface of the tension adjustment dial component 180.
The screw cover 168, whose structure is shown in
Another embodiment of the present invention, shown in
The toilet paper dispenser 200 has a tension grip part 235, which may consist of multiple plastic or metal ribs 230, connected to or molded together with two circular ends rings 233a and 233b on each end of the tension grip. The circular end rings 233a and 233b are configured to accommodate a spring housing 237, which can be either inserted though the central opening, molded or attached together as an integral part with the circular end rings 233a and 233b and the ribs 230, as shown in
When a user exerts a force onto a tip 218 of the tension core component 220, it pushes the tension core column into the spring housing 237, through the opening, and also compresses a spring 239, which is housed inside the spring housing 237. The structure of the spring 239, illustrating the dimension of the spring from the top 239a and from the side view 239b is shown in
The compression of the spring located inside the spring housing creates an outward tension, which keeps the paper holder attached to the opening in the side walls of the paper towel holder. A non-skid synthetic rubber or plastic cap 290, shown in
The adjustable tension control cap 210 of the present invention, with adjustable tension and spin control functionality, is designed to operate with the known components and dispensers, adding the feature of controlling the tension and rotational speed of the dispenser.
Furthermore, the adjustable tension control cap 210 is constructed to be retrofitted and installed with many existing paper roll dispensers, without having to purchase a new dispenser product.
The inner and outer structure of an end lock 240, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The inner and outer structure of a tension adjustment dial 280, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, is shown in
In accordance with at least one embodiment, the braking blades 271 extend in the longitudinal direction (up or down) when a rotational force is applied by a user through the rotation of a tension adjustment dial 280 of the tension control cap. The braking blades 271 extend longitudinally and frictionally engage a ribbed surface 238 on the end ring 233a of the tension grip 235. This connection creates and increases friction against the braking blades 271. In another embodiment, the braking blades 271 may extending laterally, instead of or in addition to the longitudinal movement, and may also increase friction against the inner or another surface of the tension grip 235.
The user may choose to rotate the tension adjustment dial 280 in a direction of the increased tension, as may be indicated on a dial display 285, or, alternatively, the dispenser may receive electromagnetic signal or other types of signals causing the tension adjustment dial 280 dial to move up or down on the threaded shaft 275 of the spring base 270 in order to increase the tension and decrease the dispensing speed. When a rotational force is applied by the user (or through an automated setting process) to the ribbed outer surface 282 of the tension adjustment dial 280 in a direction of the increased tension (as may be indicated on a dial display 285) the tension adjustment dial 280 moves longitudinally, along the threaded shaft 275 of the spring base 270.
As further illustrated in 32A-B and 34A-C, the upward movement of the tension adjustment dial 280 pushes upward the braking blades 271, each of which is either integrally connected to, or molded as a part of, the spring base at the corresponding attachment point 272. When the braking blades 271 are pushed upward by the upward movement of the tension adjustment dial 280, the blades 271 will come into frictional contact with the ribbed surface 238 on the circular ring 233a of the tension grip 235. The force of friction between the blades and the ribbed inner surface increases with the upward movement, and decreases with the downward movement, of the braking blades 271.
This causes the roll to be more tightly held in place by the dispenser, and also controls the spinning speed during the unraveling of the dispensed product. As discussed above, it also prevents the unnecessary waste of s rolled product due to excessive spinning and unraveling.
The rotation of the tension adjustment dial 280 in the opposite direction (as indicated on the dial display 285) decreases upward force onto the blades 217 by the adjustment dial 280 and decreases the force of friction between the blades 271 and the ribbed surface 238 on the circular ring 233a of the tension grip 235. The decrease in friction lowers the tension with which the roll is held in place and also increases the rotation speed of the dispenser, allowing the user to set the dispenser to dispense more rolled material (when it is desired by the user). Thus, by controlling the tension exerted by the braking blades against the ribbed surface of the tension grip the user can vary and adjust the tension and unraveling speed.
Among other mentioned benefits of an adjustable tension control cap of the present invention is allowing the user to adjust tension and rolling speed for dispensing rolls with different diameters and variances due to different level of tightness in different brands and different types of rolls. It also allows to adjust the tension and unraveling speed of the same roll, but at different stages of use.
As a result, the present invention prevents unnecessary waste of the rolled product due to excessive unraveling. It also translates into noticeable benefits to the environment (by utilizing the rolled materials in a more efficient manner) and also translates to cost savings for the individual consumer.
Moreover, it offers a simple tension adjustment mechanism that is both inexpensive and easy to install with the existing dispensers that the user may have already purchased. The use of the present invention on a wider scale also translates to cleaner public facilities.
In all cases it is understood that the above-described arrangements are merely illustrative of the many possible specific embodiments which represent applications of the present invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with the principles of the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
The present application claims priority of a provisional patent application No. 62/758,102, filed on Nov. 9, 2018 and entitled “Adjustable Tension Control Cap for Roll Dispensers.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4738385 | Bell | Apr 1988 | A |
| 4792102 | Olson | Dec 1988 | A |
| 5755397 | Freese | May 1998 | A |
| 7124976 | DeVincenzo | Oct 2006 | B1 |
| 7909284 | Burns | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200146518 A1 | May 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62758102 | Nov 2018 | US |
