Patent Application
20250151960
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to dispenser assemblies for rolled sheet materials or other suitable materials, and more particularly, is directed to dispenser assemblies for manually selectively dispensing from a plurality of supplies of rolled sheet material. Other aspects are also described.
Dispensers for sheet materials, such as for dispensing tissue paper, paper towels, or other paper products, or other suitable materials are commonly used in hospitals, restrooms, and other facilities. Some dispensers have more than one supply of sheet material, e.g., multiple rolls of sheet material, for dispensing/feeding. When a supply of sheet material in such dispensers is running low or has been fully dispensed, a transfer of the feeding of sheet material to a new supply generally must be performed, which often must be done manually. Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a dispenser assembly that can selectively switch/transfer the feeding/dispensing of sheet material between a plurality of supplies of sheet material between a plurality of supplies of sheet material, e.g., when a supply of sheet material is running low or has been fully dispensed. In addition, dispensers for sheet materials, such as those that hold multiple supplies of sheet material, can be difficult to reload with sheet material when supplies run out. Further, unwanted dispensing of material by dispensers for sheet materials, liquids, and/or other materials can waste energy and materials. Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a dispenser assembly that is easier to load with supply and/or that avoids unwanted dispensing of materials. The present disclosure addresses these and other related and unrelated problems/issues in the relevant art.
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a dispenser assembly for dispensing sheet materials such as rolls of tissue, paper towels, and/or other rolled sheet material products. The dispenser assembly generally includes a dispenser housing having a plurality of supplies of rolled sheet material supported therein.
Each supply of rolled sheet material is supported by a corresponding support assembly within the dispenser housing. In one construction, the plurality of supplies of sheet material can include a first supply of sheet material supported by a corresponding first support assembly, and a second supply of sheet material supported by a corresponding second support assembly. The first and second support assemblies can be arranged to hold the supplies of sheet material in a side-by-side configuration (e.g., with ends of the rolls of sheet material facing one another). In embodiments, the axes of the supplies of sheet material can be collinear (e.g., substantially, generally, approximately collinear) when the respective supplies are both of equal size.
The dispenser assembly further can include a dispensing system for controlling the dispensing of selected, predetermined amounts of sheet material from at least one of the plurality of supplies of sheet material. The dispensing system can include a plurality of driven roller assemblies for engaging and driving the sheet material from the supplies of rolled sheet material. Each driven roller assembly generally will be associated with one supply of the plurality of supplies of sheet material for dispensing sheet material therefrom. For example, the first supply of rolled sheet material can be dispensed by a first driven roller assembly and the second supply of rolled sheet material can be dispensed by a separate second driven roller assembly.
Each driven roller assembly can have at least one driven roller driven by a manual drive mechanism in communication therewith. In one variation, the drive mechanism can be operatively connected to the driven roller(s) by a belt or series of belts (e.g., one or more belts engaging a belt pulley or belt gear connected to each of the driven rollers).
The dispensing assembly further can include at least one guide roller that engages the sheet material and is rotatable with the rotation of the driven roller to help facilitate feeding and dispensing of the sheet material. The dispenser assembly further can include additional guide or pressing rollers positioned adjacent each of the driven rollers to help guide the sheet material during dispensing thereof.
Each of the driven rollers can be configured to rotate in a desired or selected direction, and typically can be rotated by the manual drive mechanism for a selected number of rotations as needed to dispense a selected amount of sheet material from their corresponding supply of rolled sheet material, but generally will remain stationary when the drive mechanism is reversed or driven in the opposite direction. For example, each driven roller can include or can be coupled to a clutch mechanism (e.g., a hybrid or one-way clutch mechanism) or other disengagable drive connection that engages the driven roller and causes it to rotate when driven/rotated in one direction and disengages the driven roller and allows it to stay substantially stationary when driven in the opposite direction.
For example, the first driven roller can be rotated when a first manual drive mechanism coupled thereto is driven to dispense sheet material from the first supply of rolled sheet material. In this operation, the second manual drive mechanism is not utilized such that the second driven roller remain stationary such that sheet material is not dispensed from the second supply of rolled sheet material. Similarly, the second manual drive mechanism is operated, the second driven roller can be rotated to dispense selected predetermined amounts of sheet material from the second supply of rolled sheet material, while the first driven roller, which is coupled to the first manual drive mechanism, is not operatively engaged and remains stationary such that sheet material is not dispensed therefrom the first supply.
Accordingly, the dispenser assembly of the present disclosure provides for selective dispensing of sheet material from the plurality of supplies of sheet material as needed. For example, upon the depletion of the first supply of sheet material, a selection mechanism can be activated that provides the dispenser the capability to switch the dispensing of sheet material from the first supply of sheet material to the second supply of sheet material. This change or switch/transfer of feeding from the first supply to the second supply of sheet material via the selection material is accomplished manually by actuation of the selection mechanism.
In embodiments, the housing of the dispenser assembly further can include a front cover that can be pivoted away from a backing portion of the housing (e.g., along a hinge). As the front cover is pivoted away from the remainder of the housing, the respective supply support assemblies can be rotated outwardly away from the empty positions to provide space and easy access to the supply support assemblies for loading supply material into the respective support assemblies. In embodiments, in this loading position, the selection mechanism for can be operative positioned so that the first supply of paper will be utilized first after loading is complete and upon closure of the front cover.
Still other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplary aspects and embodiments, are discussed in detail below. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing information and the following detailed description are merely illustrative examples of various aspects and embodiments and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects and embodiments. Accordingly, these and other objects, along with advantages and features of the present invention herein disclosed, will become apparent through reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments discussed herein. No attempt is made to show structural details of this disclosure in more detail than can be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein and the various ways in which they can be practiced. According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings can be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.
The present invention can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, and their previous and following description. However, before the present devices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified, and, as such, can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.
The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention in its best, currently known embodiment. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the invention described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not in limitation thereof.
As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a support apparatus” can include two or more such support apparatus unless the context indicates otherwise.
Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
The word “or” as used herein means any one member of a particular list and also includes any combination of members of that list. Further, one should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “can,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspects or that one or more particular aspects necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein, the term “plurality” refers to two or more items or components. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” and “involving,” whether in the written description or the claims and the like, are open-ended terms, i.e., to mean “including but not limited to.” Thus, the use of such terms is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, with respect to any claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and the like in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish claim elements.
Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference to each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these cannot be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.
The present methods and systems can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the examples included therein and to the Figures and their previous and following description.
In embodiments,
As generally shown, each supply 14 of sheet material typically includes a mandrel or roll or spindle with sheet material 11 wrapped or spun thereabout. The dispenser assembly 10 further includes a plurality of support assemblies 16 rotatably supporting a plurality of supplies 14 within the dispenser housing 12. That is, each supply of sheet material 14 is configured to be supported by a corresponding support assembly 16 positioned with the chamber(s) 13 of the dispenser housing 12. In embodiments, the plurality of supplies 14 of sheet material can include a first supply of sheet material 18 that is supported by a corresponding first support assembly 20, and a second supply of sheet material 22 that is supported by a second support assembly 24.
As shown, as the front cover 12A is pivoted away from the backing portion 12B of the housing, the respective supply support assemblies 20, 24 can be rotated outwardly away from their respective “empty” positions and toward the front of the housing to a load position that is configured to provide space and easy access to the supply support assemblies for loading rolls of supply material into the respective support assemblies. In embodiments, in this loading position, a selection mechanism 300 can be operative positioned so that the first supply of paper will be utilized first after loading is complete and upon closure of the front cover.
In embodiments, the dispenser assembly 10 includes a dispensing system 100 or mechanism for selectively dispensing predetermined amounts (i.e., particular, selected lengths) of sheet material 11 from the plurality of supplies of sheet material. In embodiments, the dispensing system 100 can include two separate roller assemblies 32 mounted side-by-side in a framework or enclosure 33. The enclosure 33 can include two intake openings 34 aligned with the respective roller assemblies configured to receive sheet material 11 from the respective supplies of sheet material. As shown, the enclosure 33 further can include two output openings 36 for dispensing the sheet material 11 from the respective roller assemblies out of the enclosure. In embodiments, the output openings 36 of the enclosure 33 of the dispensing system 100 can be aligned with the discharge 15, e.g., the output openings 36, for dispensing the sheet material 11 from the dispenser assembly 10.
As shown, each of the roller assemblies 32 can include a respective driven roller 40 for engaging and driving the sheet material 11 from the respective supplies of sheet material. For example, the first supply 18 of sheet material can be dispensed by a corresponding first driven roller 40a and the second supply of rolled sheet material 22 can be dispensed by a corresponding second driven roller 40b. The first driven roller 40a will engage and draw or urge sheet material from the first supply 18 of sheet material along a first discharge path toward and out of the output opening 36a of the enclosure and out of the discharge 15 of the dispenser housing 12, while the second driven roller 40b will engage and draw or urge sheet material 11 from the second supply 22 of sheet material along a second discharge path toward and out of the output opening 36b of the enclosure and out of the discharge 15 of the dispenser housing 12. In aspects and as shown, the driven roller 40 can comprise a pair of coupled drive rollers such as a drive roller 41 and a cooperatively coupled main driven roller 43.
The driven rollers 40 can be formed from a plastic material, though other materials, such as wood, elastomeric materials, such as rubber, or other composite or synthetic materials or combinations thereof, can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As shown, the first driven roller 40a can be mounted between a first end wall 50a and a first inner wall 52a of the enclosure 33 such as by bearing assemblies 54 (e.g., including roller bearings, ball bearings, etc. or other suitable bearing mechanisms that facilitate rotation of the driven roller) or other suitable features, and the second driven roller 40b can be mounted between a second end wall 50b and second inner wall 50b of the enclosure 33 such as by bearing assemblies 54 (e.g., including roller bearings, ball bearings, etc. or other suitable bearing mechanisms that facilitate rotation of the driven roller) or other suitable features.
As generally shown, the dispensing system 100 can include a plurality of guide rollers 42 that can be positioned along or substantially proximate, adjacent, etc., and engaging the supplies 14 of sheet material. In one exemplary aspect, the plurality of guide rollers 42 can include an upper guide roller 44 and a lower guide roller 46 that are positioned adjacent to a respective main driven roller 43. Thus, as shown, it is contemplated that respective first upper and lower guide rollers 44a, 46a can be positioned adjacent to a first main driven roller 43a for engaging sheet material 11 from the first supply 18 of sheet material and that respective second upper and lower guide rollers 44b, 46b can be positioned adjacent to a second main driven roller 43b for engaging sheet material 11 from the second supply 22 of sheet material. Each of the respective upper and lower guide rollers 44, 46 can be configured to engage the sheet material from the supplies of sheet material, e.g., against the respective main driven rollers 43 and to facilitate dispensing of the sheet material 11 from the dispenser assembly 10. It is contemplated that the guide rollers 42 can be formed from a plastic material, though other materials, such as wood, elastomeric materials, such as rubber, or other composite or synthetic materials or combinations thereof, can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
As shown, in embodiments the upper and lower guide rollers 44, 46 can be rotatably mounted to the respective walls in respective slots 48 of the enclosure such as by bearing assemblies 56 or other suitable features mounted in the slots. In embodiments, the bearing assemblies 56 can configured to be movable along the slots 48 so that the top and/or bottom guide rollers can be operatively biased toward and/or against the respective main driven rollers 43 such as by springs or other suitable biasing members urging the bearings in the slots toward the main driven rollers. Accordingly, the upper and lower guide rollers 44, 46 can be configured to press or otherwise be configured to engage or urge the sheet material 11 against the respective main driven rollers 43 as the sheet material passes between the respective upper and lower rollers and their respective main driven roller. In embodiments, it is contemplated that the dispensing system 100 can include any suitable number of guide or pressing rollers positioned adjacent the driven rollers and/or guide rollers to guide and/or engage the sheet material without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Each of the driven rollers 40 can be configured to rotate in a desired or selected direction, and typically can be rotated by the manual drive mechanism for a selected number of rotations as needed to dispense a selected amount of sheet material from their corresponding supply of rolled sheet material, but generally can be configured to remain stationary when the drive mechanism is reversed or driven in the opposite direction. For example, each driven roller 40 can include or can be coupled to a clutch mechanism 60 (e.g., a hybrid or one-way clutch mechanism) or other disengagable drive connection that is configured to engage the driven roller 40 and cause the driven roller to rotate when driven/rotated in one direction and to disengage the driven roller 40 and allows it to stay substantially stationary when driven in the opposite direction.
In embodiments, the dispenser assembly 10 is configured to allow a user to manually activate the dispensing system 100 to generate a minimum quantity of paper to be supplied and allow for the user to supplement the quantity of paper being supplied by mechanically pulling on the suppled minimum quantity of paper. One will appreciate that the described dispensing system 100 is configured to address varying sheet material 11 product needs for individual users and allows for a lower number of activations of the dispenser per user. For example, users can manually activate a minimum quantity of paper and supplement the quantity of paper through additional mechanical pulling of the paper. In embodiments, the dispensing system 100 can include one or more brake assemblies 110 that can be configured to pivot with respect to the housing for select braking contact with at least one of the drive or guide rollers of the dispensing assembly.
In embodiments, the dispensing system 100 is configured to allow the user to manually retrieve additional sheet material by pulling manually after the initial sheet material is dispensed automatically. As shown, when the user pulls the paper downward or downward at a first acute angle towards the front of dispenser, the main roller and the driven rollers are allowed to rotate freely, which thereby allows the user to manually select additional lengths of the sheet material.
Further, in embodiments shown in
Each push button assembly 72 includes a button member 74 that is configured to be pushed axially by an operator. A spring 76 is mounted within the chamber X of the housing X and in contact with a back side 75 of the button member 74. In this aspect, the spring 76 is oriented and positioned in opposition to the axial movement of the button member 74 so that the button member 74 is biased to return to an original position upon release of pressure by the operator on the push button assembly.
Further, the push button assembly 72 can includes a gear rack 78 that is configured to extend distally away from the back side 75 of the button member along an axis that is parallel to the axis of movement of the button member 74. In this aspect, the gear rack 78 is in operative geared communication with a first driven gear 82 having a first diameter. In exemplary aspects, the first driven gear 82 can be rotatable about a gear clutch 89 that is configured such that the first driven gear 82 is only permitted to rotate in one direction (which, as shown in this exemplary aspect, would be a clockwise direction). In exemplary embodiments, the gear clutch 89 can include or incorporate one or more clutch assemblies or mechanisms such as hybrid or one-way clutch mechanisms, which allow for selective transfer of power between the drive mechanism and the driven rollers. The manual drive mechanism 70 could be otherwise configured without departing from the disclosure.
Still further, in the manual drive mechanism 70, the first driven gear 82 is coupled to a second driven gear 84 that has an operative diameter that is greater than the first diameter of the first driven gear. The second driven gear 84 is in operative geared communication with a third driven gear 86 that is in turn operatively coupled to a fourth driven gear 88 such that the third and fourth driven gears 86, 88 rotate in like directions. In the illustrated example, the third driven gear 86 is shown being operatively coupled to the fourth driven gear 88 via a belt connection. Optionally, it is contemplated that the third and fourth driven gears can be in an operative geared communication. As shown, the main drive roller 43 for the respective drive mechanism is coupled to the third driven gear 86 and the drive roller that is in contact with the supply of sheet material from the respective first or second supply of sheet material is coupled to the fourth driven gear 88.
In embodiments, an operator will manually actuate the dispenser by depressing a respective button member 74 of the selected push button assembly axially and distally into the housing that an original position to a depressed position, in opposition to the spring force applied by the spring 76, a predetermined distance (e.g., 10-20 mm, and preferably about 15 mm). As shown, the axial movement of the button member 74 results in the concurrent axial movement of the coupled gear rack 78, which, in turn, results in the illustrated clockwise rotation of the first driven gear 82. The illustrated clockwise rotation of the first driven gear 82 results in a clockwise rotation of the gear clutch and the coupled second driven gear 84. Similarly, and as illustrated, the clockwise rotation of the second gear 84 results is a counterclockwise rotation of the third driven gear 86 (and the counterclockwise rotation of the connected main roller 43).
As would be appreciated, the belt coupling the third and fourth driven gears 86, 88 allow for synchronous counterclockwise rotation of the third and fourth driven gears (and for the synchronous counterclockwise rotation of the main roller 43 and the driven roller 41). As also shown, as the paper is dispensing, the upper and lower guide rollers 44, 46 are also permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to allow for the sheet material to be dispensed at a predetermined length dependent upon the amount of axial travel of the button member.
After the button member 74 is released, the button member is configured to moves axially from the depressed position to the original position under the motive bias force of the spring 76. This also results in the complementary movement of the rack gear 78 to its original position, which results in the counterclockwise rotational movement of the first driven gear 82 and the gear clutch. In this aspect, the gear clutch 89 is configured to insure that the second, third and fourth gears do not move as a result of the button member being released by the operator.
In exemplary embodiments, the first driven roller 40a can be rotated when a first manual drive mechanism coupled thereto is driven to dispense sheet material 11 from the first supply 18 of rolled sheet material. In this operation, the second manual drive mechanism is not utilized and the second driven roller 40b remains stationary and sheet material 11 is not dispensed from the second supply 22 of rolled sheet material. Similarly, when the second manual drive mechanism is operated, the second driven roller 40b can be rotated to dispense selected predetermined amounts of sheet material from the second supply 22 of rolled sheet material, while the first driven roller 40a, which is coupled to the first manual drive mechanism, is not operatively engaged and remains stationary such that sheet material 11 is not dispensed therefrom the first supply 18.
If the operator wishes to dispense additional sheet material, they will grasp the predetermined length of sheet material that has been dispensed and pull downward substantially vertical from the outlet of the dispenser. This “vertical” dispensing action allows for the rotational movement of the main roller, the upper and lower guide rollers 44, 46 as well as the driven roller and the continual feed of sheet material as the sheet material is drawn downwardly relative to the dispenser. Complementarily, the second, third and fourth driven gears 84, 86, 88 rotate but the gear clutch 89 and first driven gear 82 do not move.
In a further embodiment and as shown, each support assembly 20, 24 includes a pair of opposing first and second support members 220A, 220B that are spaced apart such that a roll of sheet material can be mounted therebetween on a paper drum mandrel 225. Each support member 220 has a proximal end 221 rotatably mounted to an upper surface of the housing or enclosure 12 and a distal end 222 defining a bore 224 for operative receipt of a bearing member. Each end of a paper drum mandrel 225 has a bearing member that is sized or otherwise configured for receipt within the opposed bores on the support members. In embodiments, the center of each bore can be positioned a fixed distance from the proximal end and can prescribe an arc as the sheet material 11 on the roll is used up.
In exemplary embodiments, each of the support members 220 has a first arm 230 that has a proximal end 232 that is configured to be rotatably mounted to an upper surface of the housing or enclosure 12 and a second arm 234 that has a distal end 236 that defines a slot 235 configured for operative receipt of the operative end of a paper mandrel 225. The first and second arms 230, 234 are integral to each other and are positioned in a common plane at an acute angle with respect to each other.
In embodiments, each support assembly 20, 24 further includes an elongate bumper member 240 having a proximal end 242 and a spaced distal end 244 is provided. As shown, the proximal end 242 of the elongate bumper member is connected to an outside edge portion of the juncture of the first arm and second arm of a first support member 220A and the distal end 244 of the elongate bumper member is connected to an outside edge portion of the juncture of the first arm and second arm of a second, spaced, support member 220B such that the respective first and second support members 220A, 220B are maintained in spaced relationship in parallel planes. In embodiments, and as illustrated, it is contemplated that the juncture of the first arm and second arms 230, 234 can define a keyed slot 236 and that the respective proximal and distal ends of the bumper member can define a complementary key member 246 shaped for operative receipt into the respective keyed slots 236.
In embodiments, each support member 220 further includes a blocking assembly 270 that extends outwardly from the first arm 230 proximate the proximal end 232 of the first arm. In aspects, the blocking assembly 270 has a first edge 272 that extends outwardly from the proximal end 232 of the first arm and is positioned at an angle α with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongate first arm 230. The blocking assembly 270 further has a second, arcuate edge 274 that extends distally away from the proximal end 232 of the first arm until merging with the elongate body of the first arm. The blocking assembly 270 further defines a slot 276 extending inwardly from the second, arcuate edge 274 of the blocking assembly 270. As shown, the slot 276 is spaced from the edge of the first arm and is positioned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate first arm 230.
As illustrated in
As shown, as the sheet material 11 is used up and the diameter of the roll decreases, the paper drum mandrel 225 moves down and along the prescribed arc such that the sheet material is maintained in contact with the driven roller 41. As further shown, as the sheet material is used up and the operable radius of the roll of sheet material is reduced, the paper drum mandrel is maintained at a desired distance from the housing 12 and/or the underling drive roller 41. As shown, in one non-limiting embodiment, this desired distance can be 7 mm. In various exemplary embodiments, it is contemplated that this desired distance can be between 1-20 mm, or at least 1 mm.
Further, it is contemplated that the driven roller 41 would be in contact with the sheet material 11 on the roll throughout operation. As shown, it is contemplated that the arc that the paper supply prescribes in operation bisects the outer surface of the driven roller 41. Thus, as the sheet material 11 is used up and the diameter of the roll decreases, the paper drum mandrel moves down and along the prescribed arc such that the sheet material is maintained in contact with the driven roller.
According to other aspects of the present disclosure and as shown in
In a further exemplary aspect, the support member 314 extends outwardly to respective proximal and distal ends 315, 317. In this embodiment, the selection mechanism 300 further includes a first and second bias able tabs 340, 342 that are rotatably positioned at opposing proximal and distal ends 315, 317 of the support member. Each of the respective tabs 340, 342 has a longitudinal axis and a coupled spring 344 that is configured to bias the spring to a first position in which the tab is biased into contact with a defined shoulder 313 on the support member 314 and in which the longitudinal axis of the tab is substantially normal to the elongate axis of the support member. In this first position, the distal end 346 of the tab extends at a maximal distance beyond and relative to the side edge 318 of the support member 314. In operation, the respective tabs 340, 342 can be biased to extend outwardly from the end edge 319 of the support member 314 such that the longitudinal axis of the tab can be selectively positioned at an acute angle with respect to the elongate axis of the support member 314 in a biased extended position. As shown, in this biased extended position, the distance that distal end 346 of the tab extends beyond and relative to the side edge 318 of the support member is reduced when compared to the first, unbiased, position.
As exemplarily shown in
In this example illustrated in
Referring now to
In operation, upon closure of the front cover to the back portion, the elongate bumper member of the support assemblies is configured to engage the inner surface of the front cover, which effects a rotational movement of the support assemblies away from the load position to an operative position in which sheet material is in contact with the driven roller. As shown, in the operative position, the plane of the slots of the respective blocking assemblies are positioned out of plane with respect to the common plane of the first and second bias able tabs that are positioned at opposing proximal and distal ends of the support member.
Further, other optional and exemplary non-limiting examples of the manual paper dispensing system 100 are illustrated. As shown, a brake assembly 110 can be rotatably mounted relative to the interior housing such that a distal end of a brake member 111 is rotatably coupled to a lower roller. As shown, it is contemplated that the brake member can be rotatably mounted relative to the interior housing proximate the proximal end of the brake member to increase the relative force arm (i.e., the distance from the distal end of the brake member to a rotation shaft is greater than the distance from the proximal end of the brake member to the rotation shaft). In this aspect, a proximal end of the brake member is configured as a brake plate that can be operatively moved into select contact with the upper roller. In the rest position, the brake member is spaced from the surface of the upper roller. Upon reaching of the brake position after downward rotative pressure on the lower roller and the complementary clockwise rotation of the proximal end of the brake member, the brake member can be brought into contact with the upper roller, which causes the sheet material to cease feeding such that the user can tear off the feed length of sheet material after which the brake assembly will operatively bias back toward the at rest position.
In embodiments, the brake assembly 110 can further exemplarily include a bias member, e.g., an extension spring, which is configured to urge the elongate member of the brake assembly toward the at rest position. In operation, after the user applies sufficient force on the sheet material 11 when the brake assembly has been rotated to the brake position, to cut or tear the sheet material on the serrated profile of the lower edge of the elongate member, the elongate member will, under the urging of the bias member, rotate back to the at rest position.
In embodiments and in operation, the brake plate of the brake assembly can rotate toward the upper roller if the sheet material comes into contact with a proximal portion of the brake assembly but will remain spaced from the top roller until the sheet material being drawn out exceeds a predetermined acute engagement angle relative to a vertical axis. As the sheet material is pulled toward the front portion of the machine and the sheet material passes the acute engagement angle, operation of the brake assembly is initiated, which rotates the brake plate into contact with the upper roller which stops rotation of the upper roller and which stops feeding of the sheet material from the dispenser.
In exemplary embodiments, the dispenser can further include an anti-static system. In this aspect, portions of the discharge chute of the dispenser housing can be formed of a conductive material. In one example, the portion of the discharge chute of the dispenser housing that is adjacent to the main roller can be formed of the conductive material. In a further example, at least a portion of the main roller can be formed of a conductive material. In the illustrated design, the bearing on the respective main roller can be formed of a conductive material and the bearing fixture is also formed of a conductive material.
In embodiments, described herein is a sheet material dispenser that includes a dispenser housing, a first support assembly, a second support assembly, a first roller assembly, a second roller assembly, a first drive mechanism, and a second drive mechanism. In aspects, each first and second support assembly is configured to rotatably support a respective supply of rolled sheet material within the dispenser housing. As shown, the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly are mounted within an enclosure of the dispenser housing is a side-by-side relationship. As described, the first roller assembly has a driven roller configured to drive sheet material from the supply of rolled sheet material supported by the first support assembly and the second roller assembly has a driven roller configured to drive sheet material from the supply of rolled sheet material supported by the second support assembly. It is also contemplated that the driven roller for each first and second roller assembly can be coupled to a clutch mechanism that is configured to allow the driven roller to rotate when rotated in one direction and to disengage from the driven roller when driven in the opposite direction.
The first drive mechanism of the sheet material dispenser is operably coupled to the first roller assembly to selectively drive rotation of the select driven roller. As shown, the first drive mechanism comprises a first manually actuatable push button assembly that is in geared cooperation with the select driven roller of the first roller assembly. Similarly, the second drive mechanism of the sheet material dispenser is operably coupled to the second roller assembly to selectively drive rotation of the select driven roller. In this aspect, the second drive mechanism is exemplarily illustrated as comprising a second manually actuatable push button assembly that is in geared cooperation with the select driven roller of the second roller assembly. In operation, a respective driven roller from an actuated drive mechanism is configured to rotate a selected number of rotations to dispense a select amount of sheet material upon manual actuation of the actuated drive mechanism.
In further embodiments, described herein is a sheet material dispenser that includes a sheet material dispenser that includes a dispenser housing, a first drive mechanism, a second drive mechanism, a first support assembly, a second support assembly, and a selection mechanism. In aspects and as shown, the dispenser housing has a back portion and a front cover that is selectively rotatable relative to the back portion.
The first drive mechanism of the sheet material dispenser is operably coupled to a first roller assembly to selectively drive rotation of a select driven roller. As shown, the first drive mechanism comprises a first manually actuatable push button assembly that is in geared cooperation with the select driven roller of the first roller assembly. Similarly, the second drive mechanism of the sheet material dispenser is operably coupled to a second roller assembly to selectively drive rotation of a select driven roller. In this aspect, the second drive mechanism is exemplarily illustrated as comprising a second manually actuatable push button assembly that is in geared cooperation with the select driven roller of the second roller assembly. In operation, a respective driven roller from an actuated drive mechanism is configured to rotate a selected number of rotations to dispense a select amount of sheet material upon manual actuation of the actuated drive mechanism.
Further, in operation, the selection mechanism is slidably mounted between the first push button assembly and the second push button assembly and is configured to allow for operator selection of the desired supply of rolled sheet material within the dispenser housing. The selection mechanism has a selection knob that is configured to slide axially along a pair of spaced and opposed slots that are defined in the housing between the respective first and second push button actuation assemblies. The manually actuated selection knob is coupled to an elongated support member that is configured to slide axially within a trough that is defined in the enclosure as the coupled selection knob is concurrently moved axially between the respective first and second push button actuation assemblies. Still further, the selection mechanism includes a first bias able tab rotatably positioned at a proximal end of the elongated support member and a second bias able tab rotatably positioned at a distal end of the elongated support member.
As shown, in aspects, each first and second support assembly is configured to rotatably support a respective supply of rolled sheet material within the dispenser housing. Each respective first and second support assembly includes a pair of opposing support members that are spaced apart such that a roll of sheet material can be mounted therebetween on a paper mandrel. In operation, the pair of opposing support members are configured to move from a first position, in which the roll of sheet material mounted on the paper mandrel is at full size to an in-use position in which the paper material is fed consistently to the select driven roller as the diameter of the in-use roll of sheet material is reduced.
Further, each of the pair of opposing support members has a first arm that has a proximal end that is configured to be rotatably mounted to an upper surface of the housing and a second arm that has a distal end that defines a slot for operative receipt of a respective end of the paper mandrel. In an additional embodiment, each support member includes a blocking assembly that extends outwardly from the first arm proximate a proximal end of the first arm. The blocking assembly defining a slot extending inwardly from a second edge of the blocking assembly such that the slot is spaced from the first arm and is positioned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first arm.
Any of the features of the various embodiments of the disclosure can be combined with replaced by, or otherwise configured with other features of other embodiments of the disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
The foregoing description generally illustrates and describes various embodiments of the present invention. It will, however, be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the above-discussed construction of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein, and that it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as being illustrative, and not to be taken in a limiting sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure shall be construed to cover various modifications, combinations, additions, alterations, etc., above and to the above-described embodiments, which shall be considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, various features and characteristics of the present invention as discussed herein may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the invention, and numerous variations, modifications, and additions further can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/548,093, filed on Nov. 10, 2023. The disclosures of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/524,084, filed on Jun. 29, 2023; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/524,310, filed on Jun. 30, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/529,740, filed on Jul. 30, 2023 are specifically incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63548093 | Nov 2023 | US |
