Patent Grant
7980506
The present invention relates to a dispenser for rolls of web-shaped material, such as paper and non-woven sheets, said dispenser comprising a housing having at its bottom part an outlet opening for the web-shaped material and a space for at least two rolls. A first part of the space is located adjacent the outlet opening and is intended for a first roll in a dispensing, or use position and a second part of the space may be provided for keeping the second roll in a standby position. The first part is provided with holding means cooperating with spindle means in the first roll in order to support the roll in the dispensing position. When the first roll is nearly exhausted it is released and displaced into a stub roll position, in which retaining means for the spindle means are provided.
Dispensers for multiple rolls of web-shaped material, such as paper and non-woven sheets, are often provided with a stub roll position in which a substantially exhausted roll is located. When the stub roll is completely exhausted the remaining spindle means or core means may simply be released from the dispenser. This is often the case when rolls are provided with separate spindle means inserted into the ends of a roll or when split core rolls are used. A dispenser of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,388 showing a roll dispenser for split core rolls.
A problem with these solutions is that the spent spindle means or core halves are allowed to drop out of the dispenser onto the floor, causing a litter problem. This can also create additional, unnecessary work for maintenance staff that must search the floor for spent spindle means or core halves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,032 describes a dispenser provided with a container for receiving spent residual roll elements. According to this solution spent roll elements are allowed to drop out of a dispensing position into the container for later removal.
A problem with this type of dispenser is that a spent roll element may be caught or wedged in the dispensing position, preventing a reserve roll from reaching the dispensing position and causing a malfunction of the dispenser. Additionally, a separate container or space for storing spent spindle means or cores must be provided inside the lower end of the dispenser. Because the dispensed web is usually removed through an opening at the bottom of the dispenser, such a container may obstruct the user's access to the web. This makes this particular solution unsuitable for dispensers with rolls mounted on horizontal axes at right angles to a wall supporting the dispenser.
The above problems are solved by a dispenser according to the invention, which dispenser provides an improved arrangement for handling not only separate spindle means, but also spindles mounted in split or solid cores.
The object of the invention is achieved by a dispenser for rolls of flexible sheet material according to the invention, having the characteristic features defined in the appended claims.
According to one embodiment, the invention relates to a dispenser for rolls of flexible sheet material, each of said rolls having spindle means extending axially outwardly beyond the ends thereof, wherein a first roll is located in a dispensing position. A second roll may preferably, but not necessarily, be located in a reserve position above said dispensing position. The dispenser further comprises a stub roll position arranged to receive a first roll exhausted to a predetermined extent. A sensor means may be provided to monitor the diameter of the roll and release it from the dispensing position, from which it may be displaced into the stub roll position. The spindle means may cooperate with a pair of guide slots connecting the dispensing position and the stub roll position to direct the downwards movement of the first roll. Retaining means may be arranged on both sides of the stub roll position to support the spindle means inserted into each end of a roll, wherein the retaining means arranged for simultaneous, or substantially simultaneous release of the spindle means when the dispenser is opened. Depending on the location of a means cooperating with the cover for releasing the spindle means, the spindle means may be released at any suitable time between the unlocking of the cover and the cover being completely opened. Preferably the cover should be opened sufficiently to catch the spindle means in the cover when they are released.
When the nearly exhausted first roll is released from the dispensing position it may be displaced towards the stub roll position under the influence of gravity, by a user pulling the web, by a reserve roll coming into contact with the first roll while moving into the dispensing position, or by a combination of one or more of these actions. The retaining means are arranged to rotatably support the spindle means of the roll located in the stub roll position both during removal of the last web section and after the roll has been exhausted.
In order to support the roll the retaining means and the spindle means are provided with cooperating interlocking surfaces. The retaining means may comprise a keyed slot having a cross-sectional shape corresponding at least in part to an axial cross-sectional shape of the spindle means. According to one example, the retaining means comprises a keyed slot arranged to support a spindle means provided with an axially outer, enlarged section. Preferably the outer section of the spindle means has a rotation symmetrical shape with a relatively larger diameter, and an axially inner, cylindrical section, has a relatively smaller diameter. The outer section may have a substantially conical shape with its apex facing the said inner section. Such a substantially conical outer section may preferably, but not necessarily, be provided with a cylindrical end section. A suitable type of spindle means is described in the international patent application no. WO 2006/050043 which is hereby incorporated by reference. However, the dispenser according to the invention may also use spindles having fixed outer ends, providing that the shape of said ends may cooperate with the said guide slots and catches. Although an outer, substantially conical section is preferred, other shapes such as a hemispherical or cylindrical are also possible. At least one retaining means may comprise a catch resiliently held in contact with a circumferential surface of the end section of a spindle means. According to a preferred example, the catch may be arranged on a pivotable lever with a pivot joint having an axis parallel to the axis of the roll. A resilient means such as a spring may hold the catch in a spring loaded, active position to act as a brake on the spindle means in the stub roll position. According to an alternative example, a catch may be provided on either side of the stub roll in order to assist in retaining the spindle means when the stub roll has been exhausted.
The retaining means may comprise a pivotable lever located on either side of the stub roll position. In order to ensure simultaneous release of the spindle means, the levers may be connected by a transverse bar parallel to the roll axis. The transverse bar is preferably, but not necessarily, arranged to coincide with the pivot axis of the pivotable lever. The retaining means may be arranged to release the spindle means when a dispenser cover is moved from a closed to an open position. The cover comprises a front, side and upper surfaces and may be removed by tilting an upper end of the cover outwards and downwards, about a pivot axis through a lower section of the side surfaces of the dispenser. The lever adjacent the front of the dispenser may be provided with a contact surface that is in contact with and supported by an inner side surface of the dispenser cover. When the cover is opened beyond a predetermined angle, the contact surface on the lever will disengage the cover, allowing the lever to pivot away from the stub roll position. This movement will also disengage the retaining means from the spindle means in order to release them. The levers may be arranged to be actuated under the influence of gravity, as the centre of gravity of the levers is located to one side of a vertical plane through the pivot axis of the levers. Alternatively, a resilient means, such as a resilient tongue on the lever, may bias the levers and the contact surface into contact with the inner surface of the cover when closed. As soon as the cover is opened, the resilient means may initiate the pivoting movement of the levers to release the spindle means. The keyed slots in the levers making up the retaining means may be substantially hook- or J-shaped. As the levers are pivoted the spindle means will automatically fall out of the slots, whereby the spindle means will drop down into and be caught by the opened cover.
According to a preferred embodiment, the spindle means comprises separate adapters inserted into each end of a roll. If the adapters are inserted into each end of a coreless roll, the retaining means will keep the spindle means from dropping out of the roll dispenser until the cover is opened for re-filling. Similarly, if the spindle means comprises adapters inserted into each end of a roll provided with a split core, the spindle means and both halves of the core will be retained in the dispenser. Although not primarily intended for rolls of the said type, the dispenser may also be operated using adapters inserted into each end of a roll with a solid core or a spindle means comprising a pair of adapters joined by an axle or similar arranged along the central axis of a roll. Alternatively, the spindle means may comprise adapters adhesively attached to each end of a coreless or solids roll. In this way it is possible to prevent the spindle means from an exhausted roll from dropping out of the dispenser and littering the floor.
In the following text, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. These schematic drawings are used for illustration only and do not in any way limit the scope of the invention. In the drawings:
The dispenser is provided with an automatic roll changing mechanism comprising a first sensor means 21 for determining that the first roll A located in the dispensing position 16 is nearly exhausted, a first catch 22 for supporting the first roll A in a dispensing position, a second sensor means 23 for determining that the first roll has been released from the dispensing position, and a second catch 24 for supporting the second roll B in the reserve position 17. In the dispenser shown in
In operation, spring loaded, roll change initiating first sensor means 21 will start to move when the first roll A has been reduced to a certain pre-determined diameter. The sensor movement will cause a pair of first catches 22 supporting the first roll A in the dispensing position 16 in the dispenser to be moved out of contact with their spindle means S1 or roll support adapter. The first roll A still has a small amount of paper left and under the influence of gravity and/or the user pulling the paper, the roll A will move to the stub roll position 25. In the stub roll position 25 the paper will be removed until the roll A is completely exhausted. When the first roll A moves towards the stub roll position 25 a second spring loaded sensor means 23 will be actuated. Actuation of the second sensor means 23 will cause the second catch 24 to release the second roll B from the reserve position 17. When released, the second roll B will move under the influence of gravity to take its place in the dispensing position 16. As the second roll B moves into the dispensing position, the end surfaces of the roll will simultaneously displace the first sensors 21 outwards against a spring load into contact with the respective end surfaces of the second roll B and move the first catches into contact with their respective spindle S2 means.
In this way paper is always available on the first roll A during the roll change. The relatively small first roll A needs to be moved away from the regular dispensing position 16 to leave space for the new, second roll B, allowing it to drop into position. The first roll A may be moved to its stub roll position by gravity, by pull force from paper that is removed by a user, or by a combination of both. To ensure that the first roll A is correctly located in the stub roll position 25, the second roll B may also push the first roll A into the stub roll position 25 just before reaching its dispensing position 16. When this occurs, sufficient inertia is transferred to the first or stub roll A to push it into the sub roll position 25. At the same time, the speed of the second roll is reduced, resulting in a relatively soft landing of the new roll in the dispensing position.
The stub roll is held in the stub roll position 25 by a retaining mechanism 26 that ensures that the inner and outer spindles S1 remain in the dispenser when the web is exhausted. The retaining mechanism 26 is shown in
According to the preferred embodiment described above, the spindle means comprises separate adapters inserted into each end of a roll. If the adapters are inserted into each end of a coreless roll, the retaining means will keep the spindle means from dropping out of the roll dispenser until the cover is opened for re-filling. Similarly, if the spindle means comprises adapters inserted into each end of a roll provided with a split core, the spindle means and both halves of the core will be retained in the dispenser. Although not primarily intended for such rolls, the dispenser may also be operated using adapters inserted into each end of a roll with a solid core. In this way it is possible to prevent the spindle means from an exhausted roll from dropping out of the dispenser until the dispenser is opened.
The invention is not limited to the above examples, but may be varied freely within the scope of the claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2006/000856 | 7/7/2006 | WO | 00 | 12/30/2008 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008/004919 | 10/1/2008 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|
| 0351187 | Jan 1990 | EP |
| 2110944 | May 1998 | RU |
| 9304965 | Mar 1993 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090314874 A1 | Dec 2009 | US |
