Patent Application
20220175201
The following disclosure(s) are submitted under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1)(A): DISCLOSURE: Screen captures from YouTube video clip entitled “Brawny® 2.0 Professional Cleaning Towel System (:30 sec),” 2 pages, uploaded on Nov. 6, 2020 by user Georgia-Pacific Professional, retrieved from the Internet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tunRA11s8-c.
The present disclosure relates to a nozzle for a sheet material dispenser, and more particularly, to a ribbed petal slotted conical nozzle for multiple types of sheet substrates.
Single-sheet dispensers, i.e., dispensers that dispense a consistent, fixed quantity of sheet material, are also desired for many reasons. Such dispensers reduce the quantity of sheet material used by an individual patron, thereby saving on material costs, disposal costs, and costs associated with the frequency whereby the dispensers must be refilled. Single-sheet dispensers are also advantageous because they do not require the patron to touch the nozzle of the dispenser, which reduces the chance of transferring disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. Single-sheet dispensers make the process of obtaining a sheet quick and simple.
Manual single-sheet dispensers dispense single-sheets from rolled products by various methods. For example, rolls of sheet material have offset zones/regions of weakness, i.e., perforations. The dispensers include mechanisms to appropriately tension the sheet material flowing therethrough to allow withdrawal of one sheet at a time from a roll of sheet material to prevent both user waste from excessive dispensing and user frustration from inadequate dispensing. In order to remove a sheet, a patron applies a pulling force to remove the sheet material from the dispenser to cause the zones/regions of weakness between the individual sheets to separate and tear a single sheet from the roll of material within the dispenser.
The single-sheet dispenser mechanisms function either by various mechanisms. In a center-pull mechanism, the patron pulls the sheet directly from the dispenser (i.e., an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal surface of the dispenser lid), which causes the regions of weakness to separate a single sheet from the roll. In other mechanisms, the patron pulls the sheet from the dispenser at an angle (i.e., an acute angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the dispenser lid) and must perform the work to manually tear the single sheet from the roll.
According to embodiments, a sheet dispenser lid includes a lid attachable a container and a slotted conical nozzle arranged on the lid. The conical nozzle has an exit port and a plurality of ribs arranged on an interior surface.
According to other embodiments, a sheet dispenser lid includes a lid attachable a container and a conical nozzle arranged on the lid. The conical nozzle has an exit port and a plurality of slots extending from the exit port along sidewalls to form a plurality of flexible petals. The conical nozzle also includes a plurality of ribs arranged on interior surfaces of the plurality of petals.
According to some embodiments, a sheet dispenser includes a container for housing a roll of sheet material, a lid attachable the container, and a slotted conical nozzle arranged on the lid. The conical nozzle has an exit port and a plurality of ribs arranged on an interior surface.
Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with the advantages and the features, refer to the description and to the drawings.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
Various challenges are associated with manual single-sheet dispensers that dispense single-sheets from rolled sheet material with offset zones/regions of weakness, i.e., perforations. First, the dispenser must include a reliable mechanism(s) to appropriately tension the sheet material flowing therethrough to allow withdrawal of only one sheet at a time from a roll of sheet material. The pulling force that the patron must apply to separate zones/regions of weakness, i.e., perforations, will depend on the type of sheet material. Tearing a single sheet from a roll of thicker and heavier sheet material requires a greater pull force. If the patron does not apply the appropriate force and/or angle if necessary, the perforations do not separate, more than one sheet is pulled from the dispenser, resulting in unnecessary waste.
Another challenge for dispenser manufacturers is that the dispenser mechanism(s) must vary based on the type of sheet material that is to be dispensed, as thicker and heavier materials require more pulling force to tear a single sheet from a roll. Therefore, the different dispensers must be designed for different types of sheet material. Accordingly, there is a need for a single sheet dispenser that reliable dispenses a single sheet of material of multiple types of sheet materials requiring a range of pull forces via a center pull mechanism that does not require additional work from the patron.
In response to the above challenges, described herein is a dispenser with a lid that includes ribbed conical nozzle that dispenses single sheets of multiple types of substrates of varying thicknesses, weights, strengths, and textures. The ribbed conical nozzle with petals and slots reliably dispenses single sheets from rolls of material with regions/zones of weakness (such as perforations), while minimizing failures, such as roping, jamming, sheet tearing, and dispensing multiple sheets. The dispenser dispenses single sheets of various substrates, including hydroentangled (HEF) sheet substrates, spun laced sheet substrates, spunbonded sheet substrates, melt blown sheet substrates, airlaid sheet substrates, paper sheet substrates, resin bonded sheet substrates, natural fiber hydroentangled substrates, and double re-creped sheet substrates.
The lid of the dispenser includes a conical shaped nozzle with an exit port and sidewall slots that form a plurality of flexible petals, with a plurality of ribs arranged on the interior surface of the petals. The ribs flex the petals to variably change the central aperture opening, depending on the substrate sheet thickness and thereby controlling the pull force required to tear a sheet from the roll. The central aperture and slots within the nozzle restrict the sheet so the perforations separate just outside the nozzle. The purpose of the petal ribs is to control the pull force required for each type of sheet material in order to separate the perforations outside the nozzle opening. The ribs accomplish this by changing the angle of the petals and thereby changing the aperture diameter; guiding a larger amount of the thinner materials into the slots to restrict flow; and reducing the amount of heavier material into the slots to reduce excessive force when pulling the sheet material thru the nozzle. When a patron pulls on the sheet material from the exit port, the petals flex to eliminate undesired wearing of the nozzle and to prevent jamming, the conical nozzle opens, and a single sheet is torn from the sheet material roll.
The container 104 has a round cylindrical shape in some embodiments; although the container 104 is not limited to this shape. While not required, in some embodiments, the container 104 includes a curved handle 106 affixed to the exterior surface for the user to easily move and transport the sheet dispenser system 100.
The roll of sheet material 150 (see
The sheet dispenser lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses single sheets of multiple types of substrates of varying thicknesses, weights, strengths, and textures. Non-limiting examples of sheet materials 150 including hydroentangled (HEF) sheet substrates, spun laced sheet substrates, spunbonded sheet substrates, melt blown sheet substrates, airlaid sheet substrates, paper sheet substrates, resin bonded sheet substrates, natural fiber hydroentangled substrates, and double re-creped sheet substrates. The sheet material 150 includes natural fibers, including natural cellulosic fibers (wood and non-wood fibers), reconstituted cellulosic fibers, polymeric fibers, or any combination thereof. The sheet substrates are perforated rolls (see
The lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses single ply sheets and multi-ply sheets, for example, double-ply sheets. The lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses sheet material 150 with a range of total thicknesses, for example, sheet material 150 with thicknesses of about 0.1 to about 1.9 millimeters (mm). In other embodiments, the lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses sheet material 150 with total thicknesses of about 0.1 to about 1.5 mm.
The lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses sheet material 150 with a variety of basis weights. The lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses sheet material 150 with a range of basis weights, for example, sheet material 150 with basis weights of about 10 to about 30 grams per square meter (gms). In other embodiments, the lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 dispenses sheet material 150 with basis weights of about 20 to about 150 gsm.
As shown in
While the sheet material in a perforated roll in some embodiments, in other embodiments, the sheet material is a stack of sheet material 160 with perforations 161, as shown in
When a patron pulls on the lead end 152 of the roll of sheet material 150 with sufficient tension or force, the flexible petals of the slotted conical nozzle 108 move to expand and open the exit port 204, as the ribs (see
The sheet material, in the form or a roll or in stacked sheets, have zones/regions of weaknesses, such as perforations. The lids 102 with the conical nozzles 108 dispense single sheets of sheet material within a broad range of average pull forces (pounds (lbs) of force). In some embodiments, the lids 102 with the conical nozzles 108 dispense single sheets of sheet material 150 with a pull force of about 2 to about 14 lbs of force. In other embodiments, the lids 102 with the conical nozzles 108 dispense single sheets of sheet material 108 with a pull force of about 4 to about 12 lbs of force. Still yet, in other embodiments, the lids 102 with the conical nozzles 108 dispense single sheets of sheet material 150 with a pull force about or in any range between about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 lbs of force.
The lid 102 is attachable to the container 104 and mounted on or affixed to the container 104 by means, including but not limited to, threads, snap fitting, inter-engaging ribs, frictional engagement or the like. Although not required, the lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 is integrally formed as a single piece.
The container 104 and lid 102 with the conical nozzle 108 are formed from any suitable polymeric material. Non-limiting examples of materials for the container 104 and lid 102 with conical nozzle 108 include polypropylene, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, polyoxymethylene, or any combination thereof.
Referring to
Although five slots 206 and five petals 202 are shown throughout the figures, including
In some embodiments, as shown in
The sides/edges of the slots 206 of the conical nozzle 108 are straight, tapered, or curved.
The terminal ends of the slots have any shape or end position with respect to its terminal point in contact with the lid.
In some embodiments, each flexible petal 202 includes a rib 501 on the interior surface, as shown in
The plurality of ribs 501 have any shape, dimension, or position on the interior surface of the flexible petals 202. The ends of the plurality of ribs 501 are flush with the exit port 204 in some embodiments, as shown in
The exit port of the conical nozzle has any shape or dimension. The exit port 204 has a round or non-round shape.
Various sheet substrates were tested to determine the range of pull forces needed to tear a single sheet from a roll within a conical nozzle dispenser according to embodiments of the present invention.
Referring to Table 1, P100 substrates were 2-ply paper substrates; D400 substrates were double re-creped substrates; H700 were 65 grams per square meter (gsm) hydroentangled polypropylene/pulp substrates; and H800 were 85 gsm hydroentangled polypropylene/pulp substrates.
Using a force gauge, the pull force measurements were recorded in the beginning (0.5 inch from the core), middle (0.5 to 1.5 inch from the core), and end of the roll (1.5 inch from the outer edge of the roll). A piece of string was tied with a loop to the end of the sheet to be removed from the nozzle. A force gauge was hooked on the loop of the string, zeroed, and the string with the sheet was pulled straight up. The peak forces (pounds (lbs)) to pull and tear the sheets from the nozzle were recorded. The average peak force reported is for each beginning, middle, and end.
As shown in Table 1, the D400 substrates had the lowest pull force at just over 2 lbs of force. The H800 substrate had the highest pull force at 14.4 lbs of force. The average pull force of all four substrates tested was about 4 pounds to about 10 pounds.
Various embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the related drawings. Alternative embodiments can be devised without departing from the scope of this invention. Although various connections and positional relationships (e.g., over, below, adjacent, etc.) are set forth between elements in the following description and in the drawings, persons skilled in the art will recognize that many of the positional relationships described herein are orientation-independent when the described functionality is maintained even though the orientation is changed. These connections and/or positional relationships, unless specified otherwise, can be direct or indirect, and the present invention is not intended to be limiting in this respect. Accordingly, a coupling of entities can refer to either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional relationship between entities can be a direct or indirect positional relationship. As an example of an indirect positional relationship, references in the present description to forming layer “A” over layer “B” include situations in which one or more intermediate layers (e.g., layer “C”) is between layer “A” and layer “B” as long as the relevant characteristics and functionalities of layer “A” and layer “B” are not substantially changed by the intermediate layer(s).
The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used for the interpretation of the claims and the specification. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” “contains” or “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, a mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.
Additionally, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” Any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The terms “at least one” and “one or more” are understood to include any integer number greater than or equal to one, i.e. one, two, three, four, etc. The terms “a plurality” are understood to include any integer number greater than or equal to two, i.e. two, three, four, five, etc. The term “connection” can include an indirect “connection” and a direct “connection.”
References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the described structures and methods, as oriented in the drawing figures. The terms “overlying,” “atop,” “on top,” “positioned on” or “positioned atop” mean that a first element, such as a first structure, is present on a second element, such as a second structure, wherein intervening elements such as an interface structure can be present between the first element and the second element. The term “direct contact” means that a first element, such as a first structure, and a second element, such as a second structure, are connected without any intermediary conducting, insulating or semiconductor layers at the interface of the two elements.
The terms “about,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and variations thereof, are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
While the preferred embodiments to the invention have been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/122,987, filed Dec. 9, 2020, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63122987 | Dec 2020 | US |
