Patent Grant
11529029
The present application is a U.S. National Stage entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of, and claims priority to, International Application No. PCT/EP2018/065540, filed Jun. 12, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to a support spindle assembly for rotatably supporting a coreless paper roll for dispensing.
Dispensing from a cored or coreless paper roll without a rotational brake mechanism may result in overspinning of the roll, i.e., the roll spinning freely and the user withdrawing more paper than intended. Such free rotational dispensing leads to paper waste, which is costly and not environmentally friendly. Overspinning may also result in the leading tail of the paper ending up inside the dispenser, and thereby not being readily accessible to the next user.
Solutions have been proposed that utilize a tab that engages a roll of paper during dispensing. A problem with this assembly, however, is the fact that the braking force is entirely dependent on friction between the spindle member and the center of the coreless roll, which makes it difficult to anticipate or control the braking force exerted on to the roll.
Hence, there is a need for a support spindle assembly that allows the exertion of a controlled, predictable braking force and which prevents free-wheeling of a coreless roll mounted on a rotatable spindle member.
In one embodiment, a support spindle assembly is provided for rotatably supporting a coreless paper roll for dispensing. The support spindle assembly comprises a spindle base and a spindle element having a central longitudinal axis and comprising a first and a second end. The spindle element is attached to the spindle base at the first end and is rotationally fixed in relation to the spindle base. A rotatable sleeve is rotatably disposed about the spindle element and is rotatable in relation to the spindle base and to the spindle element. The support spindle assembly further comprises a resilient member disposed about the first end of the spindle element, which resilient member is arranged to cooperate with the spindle base and with the rotatable sleeve in order to provide the rotatable sleeve with rotational resistance.
The rotatable sleeve is intended to be inserted into a central cavity of a coreless paper roll and to rotatably support the coreless paper roll during dispensing. The rotatable sleeve is intended to receive the spindle element attached to the spindle base, which spindle base is arranged to be fitted in a dispenser housing or be an integral part of a dispenser housing. The resilient member is arranged between the spindle base and the rotatable sleeve in order to cooperate with both components. The resilient member exerts an axial force directly or indirectly on the rotatable sleeve, which gives rise to rotational resistance caused by friction. This resistance prevents free-wheeling, i.e., overspinning, of the coreless paper roll during unwinding.
The rotatable sleeve is provided with an outer peripheral surface for frictional engagement with a peripheral side surface of a radially inner wound portion of tissue web making up a coreless tissue roll.
The rotatable sleeve comprises a body which is axially elongated in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the spindle element. The rotatable sleeve comprises a first end located adjacent the spindle base and second end located remote from the spindle base. The first end of said rotatable sleeve comprises an enlarged part having a radius larger than the radius of a major portion of the body of the rotatable sleeve extending towards the second end. The resilient member is arranged to directly or indirectly cooperate with a suitable facing surface on the enlarged part. Hence, the resilient member can either be in direct contact with the rotatable sleeve, in which case it is fixed against rotation, or be in contact with an intermediate component that contacts the rotatable sleeve.
The first end of the rotatable sleeve may be widening such that the enlarged part is at least partially frustoconical or partially spherical. The first end may also be provided with an annular enlarged part comprising a substantially radially extending flange, which flange can have a cylindrical or conical extension extending towards the spindle base to at least partially enclose the resilient member. The enlarged part can extend over the resilient member so that the resilient member directly or indirectly cooperates with a surface in the interior of the enlarged part. The enlarged part can extend over the resilient means in axial direction of the central longitudinal axis. By partially or fully enclosing the resilient means, the enlarged part can hold the resilient means in position, protect the resilient means and minimize the risk of the resilient means being tampered with. The enlarged part may or may not be an integral part of the rotatable sleeve.
The spindle base can be arranged to be fitted in a dispenser housing or be an integral part of a dispenser housing.
At least one spindle base holding a support spindle assembly can be fitted in a dispenser via guide channels in a dispenser so as to be slidable in those guide channels. The guide channels can be positioned in the back or rear wall of the dispenser or be positioned in either one of the side walls of the dispenser. The spindle base can also be removably fixed to the dispenser housing or an integral part of a dispenser housing. Alternatively, at least two spindle bases holding support spindle assemblies can be fitted on or be integral with a support arranged to hold two or more rolls in a multi-roll dispenser. A support comprising at least two spindle bases holding support spindle assemblies can be provided with a second support facing the first support. The second support can be mounted in or be an integral part of the dispenser, or be attached to the spindle elements on the first support to form a unit. A unit of this type can be rotated in the dispenser to present a new roll to a user. The spindle element can thereby be either movable or fixed in respect to a dispenser housing.
The rotatable sleeve may be removably mounted about the spindle element. The rotatable sleeve is mounted by displacing it along the spindle element towards the spindle base. The resilient member will be compressed as the rotatable sleeve approaches its operational position. The first end of the rotatable sleeve compresses the resilient means between the enlarged part and the spindle base upon receiving the spindle means, thereby causing a predetermined preloading of the resilient means. The resilient means will then cause a friction force in order to exert a braking force on the rotatable sleeve.
In one example, the rotatable sleeve may not be removed from the spindle element once it has received the spindle element. The second end of the spindle element and the second end of the rotatable sleeve can both be tapered. In this way, the tapered second end of the rotatable sleeve can pinch around the first end of the spindle element. The second end of the spindle element may be provided with a head and a radial flange at its outer end, which flange is spaced a predetermined distance from the head at the second end. The spindle element body is tapered towards the second end, so that the second end has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the elongated body of the spindle element adjacent the first end. The head and the radial flange both have diameters larger than the diameter of the elongated body adjacent the second end of the spindle element. The tapered second end of the rotatable sleeve comprises a pair of resilient tongues separated by axially extending cut-outs in the tapered second end of the rotatable sleeve. During assembly, the rotatable sleeve is arranged to be pushed onto the spindle element, with the head and the radial flange being arranged to expand and pass through the resilient tongues at the second end of the rotatable sleeve. The expanded resilient tongues will then snap back into position behind the radial flange. The rotatable sleeve will then be held in a desired axial position by the resilient member forcing the second end of the rotatable sleeve into contact with the radial flange on the spindle element.
According to one example, a first end of the resilient means is arranged to abut the spindle base, i.e., the resilient means is in contact with the spindle base but is not attached or fixed to said spindle base. The spindle base can be provided with a circular or annual slit or groove which can accommodate the first end of the resilient member in order to keep it in position.
According to a further example, the support spindle assembly further comprises an intermediate component, such as a bushing, positioned between the resilient means and the enlarged part of the rotatable sleeve. The bushing can be disposed about the spindle element. A second end of the resilient means can be arranged to abut the bushing and the bushing is in contact with at least a portion of the enlarged part of the rotatable sleeve in the axial direction of the assembly. The bushing is arranged so as to press against a corresponding surface of the enlarged part the rotatable sleeve in the direction of the central longitudinal axis.
The enlarged part of the rotatable sleeve can be provided with a suitable friction surface, such as an annular rib, on its interior, radially extending surface facing the bushing, wherein the bushing abuts the friction surface. The radially extending surface can be a radial surface or a conical surface extending in the radial direction. This allows the contact surface between the bushing and the rotatable sleeve to be dimensioned to provide a predetermined surface that, in combination with a resilient member having a predetermined spring rate, will give a desired braking force for the size and type of roll to be dispensed.
The rotatable sleeve can be made of a suitable plastic material. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials for the sleeve comprise thermoplastic polymers, such as polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), or the like, that provide sufficient strength and is suitable for injection molding. The bushing can be made of any suitable plastic material that facilitates controlled friction between contacting surfaces of the bushing and the rotatable sleeve. One non-limiting example of a suitable material for the bushing is acetal (POM).
The bushing is arranged to press against the enlarged part of the rotatable sleeve in the axial direction and thereby cause friction between the bushing and the enlarged part in order to prevent overspinning of the rotatable sleeve in relation to the spindle element. The resilient means thereby facilitates braking of the rotatable sleeve supporting a coreless paper roll during dispensing and prevents excessive lengths of paper from being dispensed.
In one example, the first end of the resilient member is attached to the spindle base, instead of merely abutting the spindle base as described above. Attaching the resilient means to the spindle base advantageously reduces the likelihood of the resilient means twisting during rotation of the rotatable sleeve when paper from the coreless paper roll is being dispensed. This avoids twisting, or winding-up, of the resilient means during dispensing, which would otherwise result in the resilient means untwisting once dispensing is complete and the leading tail of a subsequent portion of the roll retracting into the dispenser under the action of the spring.
The bushing can have an annular shape where a radially inner portion can bear against the spindle base or the spindle element. The radially inner portion can be at least partially cylindrical and ensures that the bushing is maintained centered relative to the spindle base or the spindle element.
In one example, the radially inner portion of the bushing engages with the spindle base or the spindle element in the radial direction, with the bushing being locked against rotation in relation to the spindle base and the spindle element. As indicated above, the bushing can have an axially elongated, cylindrical body and a radially extending flange. At least a part of the radially inner circumferential portion of the bushing body facing the spindle base or the spindle element can be provided with one or more form-fitting elements, such as raised ribs, extending axially along the inner surface of the elongated body. Form-fitting elements such as one or more raised ribs can be arranged to engage with corresponding axially extending slits or grooves on the spindle base or the spindle element, respectively. The bushing is thereby locked against rotation and can only move in the axial direction of the spindle base and/or the spindle element under the influence of the force exerted by the resilient means.
Locking the bushing against rotation in relation to the spindle base and the spindle element gives the advantage of eliminating the risk of the resilient means twisting during rotation of the rotatable sleeve during dispensing of paper from the coreless paper roll. The reason for this is that the resilient means will be located between two component parts that do not rotate relative to each other.
The resilient member may be in the form of a compression spring. Examples of suitable compression springs include cylindrical or conical coil compression springs, which can be made from a suitably chosen metallic or plastic material. The material and the spring rate of the compression spring are selected depending on the size of the dispenser and/or the size and type of roll to be dispensed. The resilient means facilitates braking of the coreless paper roll during dispensing by means of the force being exerted on the interior surface of the enlarged part of the rotatable sleeve. In embodiments in which the resilient member is a compression spring, the rotational resistance and the drag of the rotatable sleeve depend on the spring properties, e.g., spring constant and the degree of compression of the spring.
Advantages of using a compression spring include, for example and without limitation, the fact that a relatively long compression spring with relatively low spring constant minimizes the impact of manufacturing tolerances of the support spindle assembly; the fact that a spring is relatively easy to prototype and manufacture; and the fact that wear and friction surfaces of the assembled assembly are independent of the spring, i.e., using a steel spring and a plastic bushing. Further, the compression spring assembles into the assembly in the line of draw of the injection molded parts, which simplifies manufacturing of the plastic components.
In one example, the second end of the support spindle can engage with a locking element when the support spindle assembly is in its operational position. Such a locking element can provide additional support for the at least one spindle element in order to relieve the load on the respective spindle base. Such a locking element can be provided on the dispenser housing, e.g., on a wall opposite the wall on which the spindle base is located. Alternatively, the support spindle assembly can comprise at least two spindle elements mounted spaced apart on a common first support and extending in the same direction. In this case, locking elements can be provided on a corresponding second support, located parallel to and facing the first support within the dispenser. In addition to providing additional support, the locking element prevents a coreless paper roll being supported for dispensing by the support spindle assembly from moving in the axial direction. In this context, a locking element can comprise means for locking or snapping onto the end of a spindle element, or means for simply contacting and supporting the end of the spindle element.
The term “axial direction” is herein defined as the direction running along the central longitudinal axis of the spindle element. The rotatable sleeve is arranged to rotate around the central longitudinal axis of the spindle element. The term “radial direction” is herein defined as the direction perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the spindle element.
The present invention is illustrated by way of examples and not limited to the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements:
It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the following is a description of example embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure.
With reference to the figures, and particularly to
A rotatable sleeve 20, rotatable around the central longitudinal axis X, is disposed about the spindle element 12. The rotatable sleeve 20 is rotatable in relation to the spindle base 11 and the spindle element 12 attached to the spindle base 11. The rotatable sleeve 20 has a first end 21 comprising an at least partially frustoconical enlarged part 22 facing the spindle base 11.
A coiled compression spring 23 is disposed about the first end 13 of the spindle element 12. The compression spring 23 is placed over and is located by the axially extending part 15. The coiled compression spring 23, cooperating with the spindle base 11 and the rotatable sleeve 20, is arranged to provide an axial friction force and thereby act as part of a braking mechanism during dispensing of the coreless paper roll supported by the support spindle assembly 10.
A bushing 24 is disposed about the first end 13 of the spindle element 12. A flange 25 of the bushing is positioned between the compression spring 23 and the rotatable sleeve 20 in the direction of the central longitudinal axis X. The flange 25 abuts an interior surface of the frustoconical enlarged part 22 of the rotatable sleeve 20. A cylindrical part 26 of the bushing 24 is positioned onto the axially extending part 15 of the spindle base 11. The cylindrical part 26 of the bushing 24 comprises internal, axially extending ribs 28 arranged to cooperate with the axially extending grooves or slits 19 on the axially extending part 15 of the spindle base 11. This assembly prevents relative rotation between the bushing 24 and the spindle base 11, while the bushing 24 can be displaced relative to the spindle base 11 in the direction of the longitudinal axis X. A first end 31 of the compression spring 23 abuts the spindle base 11, while a second end 32 of the compression spring 23 abuts the bushing 24. Consequently, the compression spring 23 is located between two component parts that are prevented from relative rotation. The bushing 24 is thereby arranged so as to press against the frustoconical enlarged part 22 of the rotatable sleeve 20 in the axial direction under the action of the compressed spring 23, and friction is created between the bushing 24 and the rotatable sleeve 20 to brake the rotation of a roll supported on the rotatable sleeve 20. The bushing 24 allows for better control of the friction and thus better control of the rotational resistance. It also helps avoid any twisting of the compression spring 23 in its compressed state during dispensing.
As described above, the first end 13 of the spindle element 12 is attached to the spindle base 11. The second end 14 of the spindle element 12 comprises a head 29 and a radial flange 30, which flange 30 is spaced a predetermined distance from the head 29. The spindle element 12 body is tapered towards the second end 14, such that the second end 14 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the elongated body of the spindle element 12 adjacent the first end 13. The head 29 and the radial flange 30 both have diameters larger than the diameter of the elongated body adjacent the second end 14 of the spindle element 12. The rotatable sleeve 20 comprises a cylindrical body 33 over a major portion of its longitudinal extension and is tapered towards its second end 34, remote from the spindle base 11. The tapered second end 34 comprises a pair of resilient tongues 35, 36 separated by axially extending cut-outs in the tapered second end 34 of the rotatable sleeve 20.
During assembly, the rotatable sleeve 20 is arranged to be pushed onto the spindle element 12, and the head 29 and the radial flange 30 are arranged to expand and pass through the resilient tongues 35, 36 at the second end 34 of the rotatable sleeve 20. At the end of the assembly, displacement of the rotatable sleeve 20 towards the spindle base 11 will cause preloading of the compression spring 23. The expanded resilient tongues 35, 36 will then snap back into position behind the radial flange 30. The rotatable sleeve 20 will then be held in a desired position by the compression spring 23 forcing the second end 34 of the rotatable sleeve 20 into contact with the radial flange 30 on the spindle element 12.
With continued reference to
The first end 13 comprises a locking means 17, such as a radially protruding rib, arranged to cooperate with a corresponding form-fitting portion, such as a groove, of an opening in the spindle base (see,
Bushing 24 is disposed about the first end 13 of the spindle element 12. The bushing 24 encircles the axially extending part in the radial direction relative to the central longitudinal axis X. A radially extending flange 25 of the bushing 24 is positioned to interact with the compression spring 23 and a friction rib 37 of a rotatable sleeve 20 in the axial direction. The friction rib 37 is positioned on the interior surface of the frustoconical enlarged part 22 at the first end 21 of the rotatable sleeve 20. The shape and surface area of the friction rib 37 can be selected to provide the desired friction force between the bushing 24 and the rotatable sleeve 20. The first end 21 of the rotatable sleeve 20 opens up in the direction of the spindle base 11 and extends over and encloses the bushing 24 and at least a portion of the compression spring 23. In this example, the frustoconical enlarged part 22 can transition into a similarly shaped tapered part 42 having a steeper taper than the frustoconical enlarged part 22. The tapered part 42 encloses at least a portion of the compression spring 23. Alternatively, the frustoconical enlarged part 22 can transition into a cylindrical portion (not shown). The tapered part 42 or the cylindrical portion has a minimum internal diameter exceeding the outer diameter of the bushing 24. An annular slit 40 in the spindle base 11 locates and holds the compression spring 23 centered around the axially extending part 15 of the spindle element 12.
With continued reference to
Rotatable sleeves 53, 63, rotatable around the central longitudinal axes X1, X2, are disposed about the respective spindle elements 52, 62. The rotatable sleeves 53, 63 are rotatable in relation to the spindle base 51 and the spindle elements 52, 62 attached to the spindle base 51. Each rotatable sleeve 53, 63 has a first end comprising an at least partially frustoconical enlarged part 54, 64 facing the spindle base 51.
A coiled compression spring 57, 67 is disposed about each of the first ends of the respective spindle element 52, 62. In the example shown, the compression springs 57, 67 are placed over and are located by the axially extending parts 55, 65. The coiled compression springs 57, 67 cooperate with the spindle base 51 and the rotatable sleeve 53, 63, in order to provide an axial friction force and thereby act as part of a pair of braking mechanisms during dispensing of the coreless paper rolls supported by the support spindle assembly 50.
Bushings 58, 68 are disposed about the first end of each spindle element 52, 62. A flange 59, 69 of each bushing is positioned between the respective compression spring 57, 67 and the rotatable sleeves 53, 63 in the direction of the central longitudinal axes X1, X2. Each flange 59, 69 abuts an interior surface of the respective conical enlarged parts 54, 64 of the rotatable sleeves 53, 63. A cylindrical part of each bushing 58, 68 is positioned onto the corresponding axially extending parts 55, 65 of the spindle base 51. The cylindrical part of each bushing 58, 68 comprises internal, axially extending ribs arranged to cooperate with the axially extending slits on the axially extending parts 55, 65 of the spindle base 51. This arrangement prevents relative rotation between the respective bushing 58, 68 and the spindle base 51, while the bushings can be displaced relative to the spindle base 51 in the direction of the longitudinal axes X1, X2. The first ends of the compression springs 57, 67 abut the spindle base 51, while the second ends of the compression springs 57, 67 abut the respective bushing 58, 68. In this way, the compression springs 57, 67 are each located between two component parts which are prevented from relative rotation. The bushings 58, 68 are thereby arranged so as to press against the respective frustoconical enlarged parts 54, 64 of the rotatable sleeves 53, 63 in the axial direction under the action of the compressed springs 57, 67, with friction being created between the bushings 58, 68 and the corresponding rotatable sleeves 53, 63 to brake the rotation of rolls supported on the rotatable sleeves 53, 63. The function and advantages achieved by this assembly has been described in detail in connection with the embodiments of
With reference to
In one example, the second ends of the spindle elements 52, 62 can be inserted into and supported by the recesses 60a, 60b in a second spindle support 61. In this example, the second spindle support 61 can be mounted in or be an integral part of the housing of a dispenser on a wall opposite the wall on which the spindle base is located.
In another example, the second ends of the spindle element 52, 62 each comprises a head 29 (
The provision of a second spindle support improves the stability of the support spindle assembly and reduces the load on the spindle elements. It will also reduce deflection of the spindle elements during dispensing. In addition to providing additional support, the locking element prevents a coreless paper roll being supported for dispensing by the support spindle assembly from moving in the axial direction.
The invention is not limited to the examples of coreless rolls that have been depicted in the figures. The application of the absorbent web product is broad and encompasses numerous away-from-home, domestic or sanitary applications, e.g., towels, kitchen towels, hand towels, toilet papers, wipes, facial tissues, bath tissues, napkins, etc., that are dispensable from a roll.
Any reference sign in a claim should not be construed as limiting the claim. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed in a claim. The word “a” or “an” or “at least one” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such element. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, but various modifications and alterations are conceivable within the scope of the appended claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/065540 | 6/12/2018 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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| WO2019/238222 | 12/19/2019 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20210121026 A1 | Apr 2021 | US |
