Recessed apparatus for cutting and dispensing a web of rolled material

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6591727
  • Patent Number
    6,591,727
  • Date Filed
    Friday, February 25, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 15, 2003
    20 years ago
Abstract
A dispenser for dispensing and cutting a measured amount from a web of roll material includes a housing and a roll carrier disposed within the housing to rotationally carry a first web of roll material. A rotatable drum is disposed in the housing proximate to the roll carrier. The roll carrier is biased towards the drum so that a roll carried by the roll carrier is urged towards the drum and the web material is frictionally engaged against the drum to rotate the drum upon a consumer pulling on the free end of the web material. A cutting device extends longitudinally along and is disposed at least partially within the drum. The cutting device extends automatically from a retracted position to a cutting position upon the drum being rotated a constant predetermined amount by a consumer pulling on the free end of the web material. A stub roll carrier is disposed in the housing to rotationally carry a depleted second roll of material that is simultaneously dispensed with the first web of roll material. The stub roll carrier defines an axis of rotation that is behind a vertical plane through the first axis of rotation of the primary roll carrier.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a dispenser for a roll of material, and particularly to a sanitary dispenser that automatically cuts and dispenses a measured amount of material upon a user grasping and pulling the tail end of the web.




A number of dispensing devices are well known in the art for dispensing and cutting webs of roll material, including paper toweling, paper products, and the like. In such dispensers, the processes of dispensing and cutting the web material are carried out automatically by pulling on the free or “tail” end of the web material that extends from the apparatus. The web material is engaged against a “rough” or friction enhancing surface of a feed drum and the action of pulling the web material causes the drum to rotate. The drum includes a drive mechanism and, after the initial pull on the web material by the user, the drum is driven a predetermined rotational degree to dispense a metered amount of the web material. The drum is equipped with a cutting tool, such as a bar, blade, or the like, which extends from a retracted position within the drum to an extended position once the drum reaches a predetermined rotational position to affect a cutting of the web material. Dispensing devices of this type are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,363; 4,635,837; 4,621,755; 4,846,035; and 4,122,738.




The dispensers described in the patents cited above are commonly referred to as “sanitary” dispensers because the user does not manually operate any portion of the drive or cutting mechanism. The user only touches the tail end of the web material that is dispensed and cut for that particular user.




A number of these conventional dispensers also incorporate an additional “stub” roll feature. When the primary roll of web material becomes depleted to a certain extent, it can be placed on a stub roll carrier so that a new primary roll may be loaded into the dispenser. The web material from the stub roll is then fed through the dispensing device with the web material from the primary roll and the two web materials are simultaneously dispensed until the stub roll is completely depleted. Thus, the user obtains two metered sheets or lengths of the web material until the stub roll is depleted. The stub rolls are thus utilized in their entirety and the user need not consecutively activate the dispenser to obtain additional sheets of web material. Dispensers of this type are well known in the art. Examples of such dispensers include a line of “No Touch” or “Hands Free” sanitary dispensers from Kimberly Clark Corporation referred to as SaniTouch® dispensers, the “No Touch” dispensers, and the “Hands-Free” dispensers. These commercial dispensers are well known and understood by those skilled in the art.




With the conventional dispensers, the stub roll carrier feature results in a relatively large housing that covers the internal components of the apparatus, particularly towards the bottom dispensing end. It has been the common practice to mount the stub roll carrier generally below and in front of the rotatable drum. The overall housing thus has a relatively “deep” cross sectional profile, particularly when the backside of the housing is mounted flush on a wall or other support member. The dispensing slot or opening is typically defined in the bottom and more towards the back of the housing. This is problematic in certain situations because a direct line of sight to the tail end of the web material extending out of the dispensing slot is blocked by the protruding front surface of the housing. This may result in dispensing defects with the conventional dispensers as users fail to grasp an appropriate area of the towel to successfully execute a dispense cycle due to lack of visual contact with the towel or web tail.




The present invention relates to an improvement in the conventional dispensers utilizing a stub roll carrier to reduce the number of dispensing defects.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, or may be learned from the description or through practice of the invention.




The present invention includes an apparatus for automatically dispensing and cutting measured amounts of material from a web of roll material. The invention utilizes the “sanitary” dispensing and cutting mechanisms of the conventional devices discussed in the BACKGROUND SECTION.




The apparatus includes a housing in which the internal components of the apparatus are disposed. A roll carrier is disposed within the housing to rotationally carry a primary or first web of roll material to be dispensed from the apparatus. The roll carrier defines a first axis of rotation for the first web of roll material. A rotatable feed drum is disposed within the housing proximate to the roll carrier. The roll carrier is biased towards the rotatable drum so that a roll of web material carried by the roll carrier is urged towards the drum. In this way, the web material is frictionally engaged against the drum so as to rotate the drum upon the “tail” or free end of the web material being pulled from the housing.




A cutting device extends longitudinally along and is operably disposed at least partially within the rotatable drum. This cutting device is configured to automatically extend from a retracted position within the drum to a cutting position beyond the drum upon the drum being rotated a constant predetermined amount by pulling the free end of the web material.




A stub roll carrier is disposed within the housing to rotationally carry a partially depleted second web of roll material. The second web of material is dispensed with the first web until the second web is exhausted. The stub roll carrier defines a second axis of rotation that is behind a vertical plane through the first axis of rotation with respect to a front side of the housing. In this way, the stub roll carrier is mounted within the housing behind the roll carrier for the primary web material and thus does not unnecessarily add to the depth of the apparatus with respect to a wall or other support frame upon which the apparatus is mounted.




In one embodiment, the stub roll carrier is mounted within the housing so that the second axis of rotation is above the first axis of rotation. To further reduce the depth or profile of the apparatus from the support wall, the housing may be configured for mounting at least partially within a recess defined in the wall. In this embodiment, the housing has a front portion that is exposed to view and a recess back portion that is recessed within the wall when the housing is mounted. In this embodiment, the stub roll carrier may be mounted at least partially within the back portion so that it does not contribute at all to the depth of the front portion. The front portion and back portion may be defined by a flange section that positions or mounts the front portion on the wall around the circumference of the recess.




Due to the beneficial positioning of the stub roll carrier, the housing may have a front surface having a forwardmost protruding section that is disposed proximate to the primary roll carrier. This forwardmost protruding section need only be sufficient enough to accommodate the diameter of the primary web of roll material. The front surface tapers rearwardly from the forwardmost protruding section towards a dispensing slot defined in the housing. In this manner, an unobstructed line of sight is provided for the user at an eye level about at the same height as the protruding section to the tail of the web material that extends from the dispensing slot. The user need not bend over or look under the housing in order to locate and grasp the tail end of the web material.




In order to further reduce the depth of the housing, the roll carrier and drum may be mounted on a frame member that is in turn mounted within the housing at an angle such that the roll carrier is tilted rearward and the drum is moved forward with respect to a vertical plane through the housing. This embodiment is particularly suited for the recessed wall configuration in that the roll carrier can thus be moved at least partially into the back portion of the housing. Thus, the forwardmost projection of the housing can be further reduced since the first roll of web material is moved at least partially into the back portion of the housing that resides within the wall recess.




The invention will be explained in greater detail below through use of the appended Figures.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the internal components of the dispenser shown in

FIG. 1

; and





FIG. 3

is a cross-sectional side view of the dispenser with certain components indicated in phantom.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION




Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. It is intended that the present application include such modifications and variations.




An embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention is indicated as a dispenser


10


in the Figures. Dispenser


10


is configured to dispense a primary web of roll material


12


that may comprise a standard eight-inch paper towel roll. Dispenser


10


is also configured to carry and dispense a “stub” roll of material


14


, as will be discussed in greater detail below.




Referring to

FIG. 1

, dispenser


10


includes a housing


16


. Housing


16


further comprises a front portion


18


and a back portion


40


. A circumferential flange


26


separates the front portion


18


from the back portion


40


. Back portion


40


may have a generally rectangular shape and include a top


44


, sides


42


, and a bottom


46


. Back portion


40


is configured to fit into a recess or opening provided in a wall or other support structure. Flange


26


is configured so as to abut against the wall. Thus, it should be understood that when mounted to a wall or support structure, the only portion of dispenser


10


visible will be front portion


18


. Thus, the profile or projection of the dispenser


10


relative to a wall or support structure is reduced by housing at least a portion of the internal components of the dispenser


10


within the back portion


40


and mounting the back portion


40


within a recess.




It should be appreciated that the dispensing apparatus


10


according to the invention is not limited in its construction by any.particular type of materials. For example, back portion


40


may comprise a sheet metal assembly and front portion


18


may comprise a plastic assembly.




Front portion


18


includes a pivotal cover


22


that is latched by way of any conventional latch mechanism


96


to a stationary part


24


.

FIGS. 2 and 3

depict the cover


22


pivoted away from the stationary part


24


to provide access to the internal working components of the dispenser


10


.




The front portion


18


also includes sides


28


, a front surface


30


, and an edge


34


against which the cover


22


abuts in a closed configuration of the components. A viewing window


32


is defined in the front surface


30


of cover


22


. This window may allow an operator to visually check on the state of the first web of roll material


12


. The window may also serve a decorative function in that a decorative strip or material may be placed behind the window. A dispensing slot


36


is defined in the front portion


18


in the bottommost portion of stationary member


24


. Measured or metered sheets of the roll material are dispensed through this slot, as will be described in greater detail below.




Referring particularly to

FIGS. 1 and 3

, it can be seen that front portion


18


has a forwardmost projecting section


20


. This section


20


has a size and shape so as to accommodate the primary or first web of roll material


12


. The front surface


30


tapers inward and downward from the forwardmost projection


20


towards the dispensing slot


36


. By providing a relatively slim and tapered profile, a consumer at eye level with the forwardmost projecting part


20


has a clear line of sight to the free or tail end of the web material extending out of the dispensing slot


36


. Thus, the consumer can readily see and grasp the tail end for a subsequent dispensing operation and need not bend or reach blindly below the dispenser to feel and grasp the tail end of the web material.




The dispenser


10


is of the type described in the Background Section of this application wherein a measured or metered length of the roll material is automatically dispensed and cut upon the consumer grasping and pulling on the tail end of the material. In this regard, the working components, particularly the feed and cutting mechanisms, of the dispenser need not be described in great detail herein since such mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art. The internal components illustrated in

FIGS. 2 and 3

correspond essentially to the components illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,755 to Granger. The '755 patent is thus incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The dispenser according to the invention may also incorporate the features of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,635,837; 4,213,363; 4,846,035; and 4,122,738 all to Granger. All of these cited patents relate to mechanisms and components that may be used in the present invention for automatically dispensing and severing a length of web material upon a consumer grasping and pulling on the tail end of the material. All of the patents cited above are thus incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.




Briefly, a primary or first web of roll material


12


is carried by a primary roll carrier


50


. Roll carrier


50


has opposite arms


52


and roll supports


54


extending inward from the arms


52


. The arms


52


may be spring loaded towards a rotatable feed drum


70


. The leading or free end of the web material passes around the outer circumferential surface of feed drum


70


and out through the dispensing slot


36


. Drum


70


has a “rough” or frictional surface


72


and is rotatable so that upon a consumer grasping and pulling the tail end of the web material extending out of the dispensing slot


36


, drum


70


is caused to rotate. A removable protective plate


76


is disposed in front of the feed drum


70


. A tensioned eccentric device (not illustrated) is configured with feed drum


70


such that energy is developed and stored in a spring upon the initial rotation of the drum


70


. A cam (not illustrated) is configured on feed drum


70


to rotate therewith. A cam follower is configured with the cam and the cutting device


78


disposed within the feed drum


70


. When the tail end of the web material is pulled, the drum


70


rotates and the cam follower rolls on an upper profile of the cam in order to move the cutting device


78


, out of the longitudinal slot


80


defined in the drum


70


. The cutting device


78


penetrates into the material that is held taut on the surface of the feed drum


70


until the material is severed. The feed drum


70


is then relieved from the pulling tension and continues to turn due to the action of the eccentric and spring. The cam follower continues to follow along an opposite side of the cam thus ensuring that the cutting device


78


retracts through the longitudinal slot


80


into the interior of the feed drum


70


. A shock absorber device, generally


74


, stops the return rotation of the feed drum


70


so that the drum is then in position for a subsequent pulling and cutting operation. A manual rotation knob


94


is provided for manually advancing the drum


70


in the event of a jam or tear of the roll material within the housing. Again, the components and processes for feeding and cutting the web material is described in detail in the Granger patents cited above.




The dispenser


10


also incorporates a stub roll feature. Referring to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, a stub roll carrier


82


includes arms


84


and inwardly disposed roll supports


86


. Arms


84


are connected to a base


88


. As shown in

FIG. 3

, a partially depleted or “stub” roll is held by the stub roll carrier


82


and the roll material from this stub roll is fed simultaneously with the roll material from the primary roll


12


until the stub roll


14


is completely exhausted. In this regard, a consumer is dispensed two sheets of roll material in a single dispensing operation, as is commonly understood by those skilled in the art.




Referring again to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, it can be seen that the stub roll carrier


82


is mounted above and behind the primary roll carrier


50


. A rotational axis


92


for the second or stub roll


14


is thus behind a vertical plane through a first axis of rotation


90


for the primary or first roll of web material


12


with respect to the front side of the housing


16


. It may be preferred to dispose the stub roll carrier above a horizontal plane through the rotational axis


90


so that the stub roll does not interfere with the feeding and cutting mechanisms of the dispenser. In the embodiment illustrated, the base


88


of the stub roll carrier


82


is mounted directly against the back surface


48


of the back portion


40


. In this regard, the stub roll carrier


82


is thus housed at least partially within the recess back portion


40


so as not to contribute to the “visible” profile or depth of the front portion


18


. With conventional dispensers, the stub roll carrier was typically disposed below and generally in front of the primary roll carrier and thus added significantly to the depth or profile of the housing.




In order to further reduce the depth or profile of the front portion


18


of the housing


16


, the feed drum


70


and primary roll carrier


50


are mounted to a frame member or support plate


58


. This member or support plate


58


is angled or tilted with respect to a vertical plane such that the primary roll carrier


50


is disposed towards the back portion


40


of the housing. As can be particularly seen in

FIG. 3

, the support member or plate


58


extends at least partially into the back portion


40


. Thus, the primary web of roll material


12


is drawn towards the back portion


40


of housing


16


and the forwardmost projection


20


of housing


16


can be appropriately reduced.




One method for tilting the support member or plate


58


is with an angle block


60


mounted onto a vertical housing frame member


56


. Vertical member


56


may also define the flange member


26


. The angle block


60


has an angled forward face upon which the support plate or member


58


is mounted, for example by way of screws


62


. Applicants have found that a desired angle for angle block


60


is about 15° degrees from vertical.




The unique configuration of components for the dispenser as described herein offers a number of advantages. The depth or forwardmost projection of the dispenser with respect to the mounting wall is significantly reduced since at least a portion of the components are contained within the back recess portion of the housing. Also, the forwardmost part or projection of the visual housing is reduced by placement of the internal components rearward within the housing, particularly the stub roll carrier. With the present configuration, the forwardmost part or projection need only be configured to accommodate the size of the primary roll of web material. The front surface of the housing can thus be tapered or sloped directly to the dispensing slot so that the tail or free end of the web material is clearly visible to the consumer.




It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. It is intended that the invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.



Claims
  • 1. An apparatus having a streamlined housing for dispensing and cutting measured amounts of a web material, said apparatus being configured for mounting at least partially within a wall recess, comprising:a housing configured for mounting at least partially within said wall recess, said housing comprising a front portion that is exposed to view and having a rear side mountable against a wall, the housing further comprising a back portion that is recessed with respect to the front portion, such that said back portion is disposed within said wall recess, when the housing is mounted; a roll carrier disposed within said housing to rotationally carry a first web of roll material to be dispensed from said apparatus, said roll carrier defining a first axis of rotation for the first web of roll material; a rotatable drum disposed within said housing proximate to said roll carrier, said roll carrier biased towards said rotatable drum so that the first web of roll material carried by said roll carrier is urged towards said drum and the first web of roll material is frictionally engaged against said drum so as to rotate the drum upon a free end of the first web of roll material being pulled from said housing; a cutting device extending longitudinally along and operably disposed at least partially within said drum, said cutting device configured to automatically extend from a retracted position within said drum to a cutting position beyond said drum upon said drum being rotated a constant predetermined amount by pulling the free end of the first web of roll material; and a stub roll carrier disposed within said housing to rotationally carry a partially depleted second web of roll material that is capable of being dispensed simultaneously with the first web of roll material, the stub roll carrier fixedly mounted relative to said housing so as to remain stationary regardless of the size of the second web of roll material carried thereby and defining a fixed second axis of rotation for the partially depleted second web of roll material that is behind said first axis of rotation, said stub roll carrier comprising carrier arms having a length and disposed at least partially within the recessed back portion of the housing such that said stub roll carrier cannot carry a roll of web material as large as a maximum size of the first roll of web material carried by said roll carrier.
  • 2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a dispensing slot located on the front portion of the housing is capable of ejecting a paper tail of said first web of roll material.
  • 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a flange section separating said front portion from said back portion.
  • 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a tapered front portion having a front surface with a forward most protruding section disposed proximate said roll carrier to accommodate the first web of roll material, said front portion tapering rearwardly and downwardly from said protruding section to a dispensing slot defined on the front portion of said housing.
  • 5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said roll carrier and said drum are mounted on a frame member that is mounted within said housing at an angle that deviates from vertical towards said recessed back portion of said housing.
  • 6. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said stub roll carrier is mounted within said housing above said angled frame member to facilitate the location of the partially depleted second web of roll material within the back portion of the housing.
  • 7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said front portion further comprises a releasable cover member to provide access into said housing.
  • 8. An apparatus for dispensing and cutting measured amounts of web material from a web of roll material, said apparatus comprising:a housing configured for mounting at least partially within a wall recess, said housing comprising a front portion that is exposed to view and having a back mountable against a wall, the housing further comprising a back portion that is recessed with respect to the front portion, the back portion being disposed within the wall recess when said housing is mounted; a roll carrier disposed within said housing to rotationally carry a first web of roll material to be dispensed from said apparatus, said roll carrier defining a first axis of rotation for the first web of roll material; a rotatable drum disposed within said housing proximate to said roll carrier, said roll carrier biased towards said rotatable drum so that the roll carried by said roll carrier is urged towards said drum and the web material is frictionally engaged against said drum so as to rotate the drum upon a free end of the web material being pulled from said housing; a cutting device extending longitudinally along and operably disposed at least partially within said drum, said cutting device configured to automatically extend from a retracted position within said drum to a cutting position beyond said drum upon said drum being rotated a constant predetermined amount by pulling the free end of the web material; and a stub roll carrier fixedly mounted with respect to said housing so as to remain stationary for any size web of roll material carried thereby and having side arms disposed at least partially within said back portion of said housing, said back portion of said housing having a size such that the roll of web material carried between said side arms of said stub roll carrier must have a diameter less than the diameter of a maximum size web of roll material carried by said roll carrier, said stub roll carrier defining a second axis of rotation for the second web of roll material that is positioned above said first axis of rotation and behind a vertical plane through said first axis of rotation with respect to a front side of said housing.
  • 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further wherein said housing comprises a front surface having a forward most protruding section disposed proximate said roll carrier to accommodate the first web of roll material, said front surface tapering rearwardly from said protruding section to a dispensing slot defined on the front surface of said housing.
  • 10. An apparatus, comprising:a housing, the housing being configured for mounting at least partially within a wall, said housing comprising a front portion that is exposed to view and having a back mountable against the wall, the housing further comprising a back portion configured for disposition within the wall; a roll carrier disposed within said housing to rotationally carry a first web of roll material to be dispensed from said apparatus, said roll carrier defining a first axis of rotation for the first web of roll material; a rotatable drum disposed within said housing proximate to said roll carrier, said roll carrier biased towards said rotatable drum so that a first web of roll material carried by said roll carrier is urged towards said drum and the first web of roll material is frictionally engaged against said drum so as to rotate the drum upon a free end of the first web of roll material being pulled from said housing; a cutting device extending longitudinally along and operably disposed at least partially within said drum, said cutting device configured to automatically extend from a retracted position within said drum to a cutting position beyond said drum upon said drum being rotated a constant predetermined amount by pulling the free end of the first web of roll material; and a stub roll carrier disposed within said housing to rotationally carry a partially depleted second web of roll material that is dispensed with the first web of roll material, the stub roll carrier defining a fixed second axis of rotation for the partially depleted second web of roll material, said second axis of rotation disposed above and behind said first axis of rotation; and wherein the roll carrier and said rotatable drum are stationarily mounted on a common frame member within the housing, said frame member provided at an angle that deviates from vertical and extends into said back portion of said housing.
  • 11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein a dispensing slot located on the front portion of the housing is configured to eject a paper tail of said first web of roll material.
  • 12. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said housing further comprises a flange section separating said front portion from said back portion.
  • 13. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said housing comprises a front surface having a forward most protruding section disposed proximate said roll carrier to accommodate the first web of roll material, said front surface tapering rearwardly and downwardly from said protruding section to a dispensing slot defined on the front portion of said housing.
  • 14. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said common frame member is at an angle of about 15 degrees from vertical, such that said roll carrier is oriented rearward of said drum.
  • 15. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said common frame member is mounted against an angled block.
  • 16. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said housing comprises a front surface having a forward most protruding section disposed proximate said roll carrier to accommodate the first web of roll material, said front surface tapering rearwardly from said protruding section to a dispensing slot defined in said housing.
  • 17. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said front portion further comprises a releasable cover member which provides access into said housing.
US Referenced Citations (71)
Number Name Date Kind
886092 Tily et al. Apr 1908 A
1693338 Honschopp Nov 1928 A
2121346 Harvey Jun 1938 A
2174190 Hunt Sep 1939 A
2626761 Simpson et al. Jan 1953 A
2668022 Fairfield Feb 1954 A
2913299 Clift, Jr. Nov 1959 A
2957738 Marcuse Oct 1960 A
3494518 Goss Feb 1970 A
3697146 Boisen Oct 1972 A
3713569 Dashnier, et al. Jan 1973 A
4122738 Granger Oct 1978 A
4206858 DeLuca et al. Jun 1980 A
4213363 Granger Jul 1980 A
4307639 DeLuca Dec 1981 A
4362278 Hopkinson Dec 1982 A
4404880 DeLuca Sep 1983 A
4422585 Schultz et al. Dec 1983 A
4432261 DeLuca Feb 1984 A
4441392 DeLuca Apr 1984 A
4444359 Butler Apr 1984 A
4552315 Granger Nov 1985 A
4611768 Voss et al. Sep 1986 A
4621755 Granger Nov 1986 A
4634033 Lloyd Jan 1987 A
4635837 Granger Jan 1987 A
4712461 Rasmussen Dec 1987 A
D293750 Leotta Jan 1988 S
4732306 Jesperson Mar 1988 A
4790490 Chakravorty Dec 1988 A
4846035 Granger Jul 1989 A
4960248 Bauer et al. Oct 1990 A
D312179 DeLuca et al. Nov 1990 S
D316788 Fischer et al. May 1991 S
5048386 DeLuca et al. Sep 1991 A
5078033 Formon Jan 1992 A
5125548 Perrin et al. Jun 1992 A
5135147 Granger Aug 1992 A
5146830 Granger Sep 1992 A
5161723 Wirtz-Odenthal Nov 1992 A
D332023 Campbell Dec 1992 S
5205454 Schutz et al. Apr 1993 A
5244161 Wirtz-Odenthal Sep 1993 A
5257711 Wirtz-Odenthal Nov 1993 A
5294192 Omdoll et al. Mar 1994 A
D346519 Krueger et al. May 1994 S
D347135 Morand May 1994 S
5318210 Morand Jun 1994 A
5335811 Morand Aug 1994 A
5410930 DeLuca et al. May 1995 A
5441189 Formon et al. Aug 1995 A
D363628 McCanless Oct 1995 S
5549218 Asmussen Aug 1996 A
5558302 Jesperson Sep 1996 A
5630526 Moody May 1997 A
5772291 Byrd et al. Jun 1998 A
D398797 Brandenburg et al. Sep 1998 S
5836862 Granger Nov 1998 A
5860578 Laguna Jan 1999 A
5868343 Granger Feb 1999 A
5904316 Dunning et al. May 1999 A
5924617 LaCount et al. Jul 1999 A
5937718 Granger Aug 1999 A
5967011 Feldkamper et al. Oct 1999 A
5975456 Bodkin et al. Nov 1999 A
5979062 Prosan Nov 1999 A
5979284 Granger Nov 1999 A
5979821 LaCount et al. Nov 1999 A
6012674 Leeuwenburg Jan 2000 A
6027002 Granger Feb 2000 A
D426412 Cameron Jun 2000 S
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
U.S. Patent Application entitled “Paper Towel Dispenser”, USSN 29/122/634, filed May 1, 2000, KCX-190-D (Kimberly-Clark Reference No. 15466).