Patent Application
20160088982
The present disclosure relates to a dispenser for sheets of web material and to a method of refilling a dispenser.
US 2006/273102 discloses a dispenser including a body having four side walls, a base and an opening in a top of the body. A lid is hingedly connected near the top of the body and covers the opening. The lid has a slot therein for sheet material to be dispensed there through. The sheet material is forced by a compression element towards the lid. The lid is opened to refill the dispenser with a stack of sheet material. The forces of the compression element acting on the sheet material may affect the lid when the lid is to be closed after adding the stack of web material to the dispenser.
It is desired to provide a dispenser which is adapted for dispensing sheets of web material upwardly, wherein a refilling of the dispenser is uncomplicated.
According to an aspect, a dispenser provided with a reservoir for a stack of sheets of web material and a housing is disclosed. The dispenser includes a lid being provided with a dispensing opening for sheets of web material. The lid is adapted to face upwardly during use of the dispenser. The dispenser includes a first biasing arrangement for biasing the stack of sheets of web material towards the lid and the dispensing opening. The dispenser includes a cassette. The cassette includes the reservoir and is arranged to be moved to a position at least partially outside the housing. The cassette is provided with a refill opening for sheets of web material, the refill opening being accessible when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing.
Since the dispenser includes the cassette including the reservoir, which cassette is provided with a refill opening for sheets of web material and the refill opening is accessible when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing, a user may easily refill the dispenser with sheets of web material via the refill opening when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing.
The dispenser may be a stand-alone unit adapted to be placed on a surface, such as a table, a worktop, or a dressing table. The dispenser may be adapted to be arranged with the stack of sheets of web material extending substantially vertically in the reservoir of the dispenser. That is, the sheets of web material may extend in substantially horizontal planes in the stack. A user may dispense sheets of web material substantially upwardly from the dispenser.
The sheets of web material in the stack of sheets of web material may include a cellulose material. The web material may be a soft and absorbent sheet of web material, e.g. the sheets of web material may be sheets of web material for general wiping purposes. The sheets of web material may be towels or napkins. Accordingly, the dispenser may be arranged for dispensing sheets of web material for general wiping purposes, or the dispenser may be arranged for dispensing towels or for dispensing napkins. In a stack of sheets of web material adapted for placing in the reservoir of the dispenser, the sheets of web material may be folded sheets of web material which are interleaved. Thus, as each sheet of web material is dispensed from the dispenser, a portion of a following sheet of web material may be exposed for subsequent dispensing at the dispensing opening. Suitably, the portion of the following sheet extends through the dispensing opening for grasping by a user.
According to embodiments, the lid may be attached to, or may form part of, the cassette, and the dispensing opening and the refill opening may face in substantially perpendicular directions. In this manner, the lid is movable together with the cassette and the refill opening is accessible for refilling the reservoir with sheets of web material from a lateral side of the dispenser.
According to embodiments, the refill opening may extend over substantially an entire length of the cassette and over substantially an entire width of the cassette. In this manner, substantially an entire side of the cassette may form the refill opening. Thus, the reservoir may easily be accessed and the stack of sheets of web material in the reservoir may easily be refilled.
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a second biasing arrangement adapted to bias the cassette in a vertical direction towards the position at least partially outside the housing. In this manner, an ejection of the cassette may be facilitated. At least a first movement of the cassette in relation to the housing thus, may be initiated by the second biasing arrangement.
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a securing arrangement for holding the cassette in place in the housing against a biasing force of the second biasing arrangement. In this manner, the cassette may be held in the housing during use of the dispenser.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement may be releasable to permit movement of the cassette to the position at least partially outside the housing.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement may include a protruding element in the housing, and the protruding element may be arranged to project into a recess provided in the cassette. In this manner, the protruding element may engage with the cassette in the recess to hold the cassette in place in the housing.
According to embodiments, the protruding element may be biased in a direction towards the cassette. In this manner, it may be ensured that the protruding element engages with the cassette, when the cassette is positioned with the recess at the protruding element.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement may be further arranged to hold the cassette in the position at least partially outside the housing. In this manner, the cassette may be held in the position at least partially outside the housing to facilitate access to the refill opening, e.g. for refilling the reservoir with sheets of web material.
According to embodiments, the protruding element may include a slanted edge arranged to abut against an outer surface of the cassette. In this manner, the protruding element may be moved away from the cassette to release the cassette, e.g. after refilling the reservoir, by applying a downward pressure to the lid. The cassette may then be returned to a position in the housing, for dispensing sheets of web material from the dispenser.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement may include a push button connected with the protruding element such that an engagement of the push button releases the protruding element from the recess. In this manner, the securing arrangement, and accordingly the cassette, may be easily released by engaging the push button to permit movement of cassette to the position at least partially outside the housing. The push button may be directly or indirectly connected with the protruding element.
According to embodiments, the push button may be accessible through the lid. In this manner, the push button may be easily accessible for engagement at an upper side of the dispenser. The lid may be provided with a through hole, through which the push button is accessible.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement may include a third biasing arrangement for biasing the protruding element in the direction towards the cassette and for biasing the push button in a direction outwardly from the dispenser. In this manner, it may be ensured that the protruding element engages with the recess while the push button is always returned to an outer position, from which outer position it may be engaged by a user desiring to access the reservoir, e.g. to refill the dispenser.
According to embodiments, the cassette may include a projection on an outside of the cassette and the housing may be provided with a groove, wherein the projection may be arranged to slide in the groove and along the groove, when the cassette is moved along the housing. In this manner, the cassette may be guided by the projection sliding in and along the groove to ensure that the cassette is not displaced from an intended travel path in the housing.
According to embodiments, the projection may be elastic and may frictionally engage with the housing in the groove. In this manner, movement of the cassette in the housing may be controlled, e.g. to restrict the effect the second biasing arrangement may have on the cassette. Put differently, the cassette may be less likely to abruptly pop out of the housing when the securing arrangement is released, but will instead slide in a controlled manner in the housing.
According to embodiments, the housing may include a protuberance arranged in the groove such that the projection may be releasably engaged with the protuberance when the projection is slid past the protuberance in the groove. In this manner, the cassette may be held in a specific position in the housing by the engagement between the protuberance and the projection.
According to embodiments, the first biasing arrangement may be arranged in the cassette and may include a movable platform for supporting the stack of sheets of web material and a first resilient member abutting against the movable platform from a side opposite to the stack of sheets of web material. In this manner, the stack may be biased towards the lid and the dispensing opening by the movable platform and the first resilient member.
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a level indicator for indicating a level of sheets of web material in the reservoir. In this manner, service personnel may see whether the dispenser requires refilling without having to open the dispenser.
According to embodiments, the movable platform may engage with the level indicator when the movable platform reaches an end portion of the housing near the lid, to displace the level indicator from a first position to at least a second position. In this manner, the movable platform may affect the level indicator while it moves upwardly in the dispenser as sheets of web material are dispensed.
According to embodiments, the second biasing arrangement may include a second resilient member arranged between the housing and the cassette at an end portion of the housing opposite to the lid.
It is also desired to provide a method of refilling a dispenser with a stack of sheets of web material, wherein a refilling of the dispenser is uncomplicated and dispensing of sheets from the dispenser after refilling is easy.
According to an aspect, a method of refilling a dispenser with a stack of sheets of web material is disclosed. The dispenser is provided with a reservoir for the stack of sheets of web material and includes a housing. The dispenser includes a lid being provided with a dispensing opening for sheets of web material, wherein the lid is adapted to face upwardly during use of the dispenser. The dispenser includes a first biasing arrangement for biasing the stack of sheets of web material towards the lid and the dispensing opening. The dispenser further includes a cassette. The cassette includes the reservoir and is arranged to be moved to a position at least partially outside the housing. The cassette is provided with a refill opening for sheets of web material, the refill opening being accessible when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing. The lid, or a portion at an upper end of the cassette, forms an upper constraint of the reservoir. The method includes: moving the cassette upwardly into the position at least partially outside the housing, and refilling the reservoir with sheets of web material by placing a stack of sheets of web material through the refill opening into the reservoir within the formed upper constraint.
Since the reservoir and the refill opening are easily accessible when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing and the refilling is done within the upper constraint of the reservoir, the dispenser is prevented from being overfilled with sheets of web material. Thus, reliable dispensing of sheets of web material from a newly refilled dispenser may be ensured.
Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following detailed description. Those skilled in the art will realize that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.
The various embodiments of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
a and 7b illustrate exploded views of the dispenser of
Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. However, this invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Disclosed features of example embodiments may be combined as readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Well-known functions or constructions will not necessarily be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
In
The cassette 16 is provided with a refill opening 18 for sheets of web material. The refill opening 18 is accessible when the cassette 16 is in the position at least partially outside the housing 4. A user may thus, easily refill the dispenser 2 with sheets of web material via the refill opening 18 when the cassette is in the position at least partially outside the housing.
The lid 10 is attached to, or forms part of, the cassette 16. The dispensing opening 12 and the refill opening 18 face in substantially perpendicular directions. That is, the dispensing opening 12 faces upwardly and the refill opening 18 faces laterally when the dispenser 2 is placed upon a supporting surface. When the cassette 16 is positioned in the position at least partially outside the housing 4, the refill opening 18 is accessible for refilling the reservoir 6 with sheets of web material. A stack of sheets of web material is easily placed in the reservoir 6. The refill opening 18 extends over substantially an entire length of the cassette 16 and over substantially an entire width of the cassette 16.
The lid 10, or a portion at an upper end of the cassette 16, forms an upper constraint of the reservoir 6. Thus, when the dispenser 2 is refilled with sheets of web material, the dispenser 2 is prevented from being overfilled by this constraint. Reliable dispensing of sheets of web material from a newly filled dispenser 2 thus, may be ensured. Conversely, a prior art dispenser, which is refilled through an upper opening beneath a lid provided with a dispensing opening, may risk overfilling. This requires the lid to be forced back onto the housing. Dispensing of the first sheets from an overfilled dispenser of this prior art kind may be difficult.
In
The dispenser 2 includes a first biasing arrangement 14 for biasing a stack of sheets of web material in the reservoir 6 towards the lid 10 and the dispensing opening 12. The first biasing arrangement 14 is arranged in the cassette 16 and includes a movable platform 60 for supporting a stack of sheets of web material and a first resilient member 62 abutting against the movable platform 60 from a side opposite to the stack of sheets of web material. In these embodiments, the first resilient member 62 includes a spring arranged between a bottom element 63 of the cassette 16 and the movable platform 60. Since the reservoir 6 is empty, the platform 60 is biased into a position at an upper end of the housing 4.
Provided purely as an example; the reservoir 6 may house a stack of sheets of web material having a height of 10-20 cm, or approximately 15 cm. The sheets of web material may have a width of 10-30 cm, or approximately 24 cm and a breadth of 6-15 cm, or approximately 9 cm, in a folded state as provided in the dispenser 2. The first biasing arrangement 14 may provide a biasing force of 10-12 N when the first biasing arrangement 14 is fully compressed, i.e. when the platform 60 is in a bottom position in the cassette 16.
The dispenser 2 includes a second biasing arrangement 20 adapted to bias the cassette 16 in a vertical direction towards the position at least partially outside the housing 4. As illustrated in
In
The platform 60 is in the position at the upper end of the housing 4. In the upper end position of the cassette 16, the movable platform 60 and the bottom element 63 of the cassette 16 are close to each other. The first resilient member 62 is compressed. Thus, the entire refill opening 18 in the cassette 16 is accessible to a user who is about to refill the dispenser 2.
The securing arrangement 22 is releasable to permit movement of the cassette 16 to the position at least partially outside the housing 4. When the securing arrangement is released, the cassette 16 is partially ejected from the housing 4 by the second biasing arrangement 20 to a position as illustrated in
The securing arrangement 22 is mainly arranged in the housing 4 and includes a protruding element 30, a link member 46, a third biasing arrangement 44, and a push button 40. The lid 10 is provided with a through hole. The push button 40 is accessible through the lid 10. More specifically, the push button 40 is accessible through the through hole of the lid 10. The lid 10 is connected with the cassette 16 and thus, movable together with the cassette 16. The link member 46 is rotatable about an axis 47 and includes a first projection 48 and a second projection 49. The first projection 48 engages with the protruding element 30. More specifically, the first projection 48 extends into an aperture 50 of the protruding element 30. The push button 40 abuts against the second projection 49. The third biasing arrangement 44 includes a torsional spring wound about the axis 47. The torsional spring abuts at one end against the link member 46 and at an opposite end against the push button 40. Thus, the third biasing arrangement 44 biases the push button 40 against a seat 52 in the housing 4 and the protruding element 30, via the first projection 48, towards the cassette 16. Thus, the push button 40 is biased in a direction outwardly from the dispenser 2 to an outer position. From the outer position, the push button 40 may be engaged by a user desiring to access the reservoir 6.
The protruding element 30 is arranged to project into a recess 32 provided in the cassette 16. Thus, the protruding element 30 engages with the cassette 16 in the recess 32 and holds the cassette 16 in place in the housing 4, against the biasing force of the second biasing arrangement 20. Since the protruding element 30 is biased in a direction towards the cassette 16 it is ensured that the protruding element 30 will engage with the cassette 16 and the recess 32 therein.
Moreover, the securing arrangement 22 is arranged to hold the cassette 16 in the position at least partially outside the housing 4. This is achieved by the protruding element 30 extending underneath the cassette 16 when the cassette 16 is in its upper end position, as illustrated in
When the cassette 16 is in its lower end position, as illustrated in
When the cassette 16 is in its upper end position, as illustrated in
Alternatively, when the cassette 16 is in its upper end position, as illustrated in
a and 7b illustrate insides of the dispenser 2 illustrated in
The movable platform 60 in the cassette 16 engages with the level indicator 70 when the movable platform 60 reaches an end portion of the housing 4 near the lid 10, and displaces the level indicator 70 from a first position to at least a second position, e.g. from the lower position to a position closer to the upper position.
In its lower position, the level indicator 70 is supported by a ledge 76 arranged on an inside of the housing 4. The movable platform 60 is provided with a protuberance 78. The protuberance 78 engages with the level indicator 70 when the movable platform 60 has been moved towards the lid 10 by the first biasing arrangement 14, as the stack of sheets of web material in the reservoir 6 decreases.
The housing 4 includes a protuberance 84 arranged in the groove 82 such that the projection 80 may releasably engaged with the protuberance 84 when the projection 80 is slid past the protuberance 84 in the groove 82. Thus, the cassette 16 may be held in a specific position in the housing 4 by the engagement between the protuberance 84 and the projection 80. For instance, the engagement between the protuberance 84 and the projection 80 may hold the cassette 16 in a position at least partially outside the housing 4 for refilling a reservoir 6 in the cassette 16 with sheets of web material, as illustrated in
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a second biasing arrangement adapted to bias the cassette in a vertical direction towards the position at least partially outside the housing. The moving 100 may include: ejecting 104 the cassette from the housing by the second biasing arrangement towards the position at least partially outside the housing. In this manner, a partial movement towards the position at least partially outside the housing may be achieved by the second biasing arrangement. A full movement to the position at least partially outside the housing, in which the dispenser may be refilled, may be achieved by a user moving the cassette form the ejected position to the position at least partially outside the housing.
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a securing arrangement for holding the cassette in place in the housing against a biasing force of the second biasing arrangement. The moving 100 may include: releasing 106 the securing arrangement to permit movement of the cassette to the position at least partially outside the housing. In this manner, the cassette may not be ejected from the housing by the second biasing arrangement towards the position at least partially outside the housing until the releasing 106 the securing arrangement.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement 22 may include a push button 40, and the moving 100 may include engagement of the push button 40 to release the securing arrangement 22.
According to embodiments, the method may include: repositioning 108 the cassette in the housing. In this manner, the cassette may be returned into the housing after refilling the reservoir with a stack of sheets of web material and sheets of web material may be dispensed from the dispenser through its dispensing opening.
According to embodiments, the dispenser may include a securing arrangement 22 for holding the cassette in place in a position at least partially outside the housing, and the repositioning 108 may include releasing the securing arrangement 22 to permit movement of the cassette towards the position in the housing.
According to embodiments, the securing arrangement 22 may include a push button, and the repositioning may include engagement of the push button 40 to release the securing arrangement 22.
According to alternative embodiments, the repositioning 108 may include pushing the cassette towards the housing to release the securing arrangement 22 to permit movement of the cassette towards the position in the housing.
According to embodiments, the refilling 102 may include: placing 110 a stack having a height of 10-20 cm in the reservoir.
Example embodiments described above may be combined as understood by a person skilled in the art. The housing 4 may include two side elements, which are secured to each other, and a bottom portion attached to the side elements, e.g. by screws. The housing 4 may include a sheet metal cladding. The sheet metal cladding may extend around outer sides of the two side elements. The sheet metal cladding may be attached to the side elements e.g. by means of glue or double-stick tape. At the peep hole 72, the sheet metal cladding may be provided with a slot to expose the peep hole 72. Although the invention has been described with reference to example embodiments, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of various example embodiments and that the invention is defined only by the appended claims.
As used herein, the term “comprising” or “comprises” is open-ended, and includes one or more stated features, elements, steps, components or functions, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components, functions or groups thereof.
This application is a §371 National Stage Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/SE2013/050558 filed May 17, 2013, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2013/050558 | 5/17/2013 | WO | 00 |
