Patent Application
20120193387
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a rolled sheet dispenser, and more particularly to a dispenser configured to dispense a variety of types and sizes of rolled material.
2. Background Art
Paper towel dispensers are ubiquitous items in public restrooms. There are many different types and styles. Some are automatic and some are manually operated. Automatic styles of dispensers generally include a housing, a roll mount, and a feeding mechanism configured to dispense paper. The feeding mechanism may include a motor, a fixed guide, and/or fixedly mounted rollers for moving the towel material along a path from the roll to an exterior part of the housing.
Prior art dispensers are generally configured to accommodate only a certain type of roll. Additionally, prior art dispenser can be difficult to load. It would be advantageous to have a dispenser configured to dispense various types of rolled material without these limitations.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Additionally, for simplicity of discussion and brevity of application, one illustrative embodiment of a dispenser has been set forth in
Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in various combinations of apparatus components related to dispensation of rolled materials. Accordingly, the apparatus components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such apparatus components with minimal experimentation.
Embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.
Prior art rolled product dispensers suffer from two limitations. The first relates to the roll mount. Many dispensers are configured for only one type of roll mount. The roll may be designed with a particular width or thickness. Further, the roll may have a “core,” such as a cardboard tube, or it may only be a roll of the material, i.e., “coreless.” Using a ten-inch, cored roll as an example, many dispensers have a roll mount that includes a right mount and a left mount. The right and left mounts are configured to precisely fit within the diameter of the core. Further, the right and left mount are generally configured to fit into the core by only an inch or so on either side so the core can be easily removed when a new roll is required. The problem with such a mount is that if a user wishes to use, for example, an eight-inch, coreless roll, they simply cannot.
The second limitation relates to the feeder. In most prior art dispensers, a user must “feed” a portion of a new roll either into a feeding guide or between to fixed rollers. Said differently, when changing the roll, an attendant must break or tear the rolled product, and then meticulously feed it into a mechanical feeding system. If the product is incorrectly fed, stoppages may occur. Further, if the attendant is not successful in “threading the needle” on the first try, product may be wasted.
Embodiments of the present invention overcome both of these limitations. Embodiments of the present invention provide a rolled product dispenser that is capable of using any of a variety of roll types. For instance, embodiments described herein are capable of dispensing ten-inch, cored rolls. They are also capable of dispensing ten-inch, coreless rolls. They are also capable of dispensing eight inch, cored rolls. Additionally, they are capable of dispensing eight inch, coreless rolls. Of course, dimensions and core constructions other than these illustrative examples can also be accommodated.
Additionally, with embodiments of the present invention, there is no need to meticulously feed a thin, pliable sheet of product into a feeding mechanism. In one embodiment, a dispenser configured in accordance with the present disclosure includes a first roller and a second roller that separate when a first housing member is opened about a hinge assembly from a second housing member. This “separation of rollers” permits an attendant to simply lay the rolled material across one of the exposed rollers and close the housing members. That's it! Time is saved and product is conserved.
In short, embodiments described herein provide a universal solution in a rolled product dispenser. Embodiments described below are well suited for dispensing paper products, such as paper towels, but can also be used to dispense other rolled product and materials. When configured as a paper towel dispenser, embodiments described below are capable of automatically dispensing paper towels without a feeding requirement when loading the roll. As will be illustrated and described in more detail below, embodiments of the present invention employ a pair of rollers that close directly on the product during the loading process. As noted above, this eliminates the need for an attendant to manually feed paper into the machine. Further, embodiments described herein are capable of using either coreless or cored roles due to the inclusion of a single-ended mounting stem. Rather than meticulously fitting a roll between right and left mounts, with embodiments of the present invention an attendant simply slides the roll along the single-ended mounting stem.
In one embodiment, a housing dispenser is configured to “split” in the middle. This separated housing design exposes the single-ended mounting stem when the housing is opened, thereby causing the open end of the mounting stem to conveniently and efficiently face the attendant. The split housing also causes the rollers to separate, thereby making the loading process simpler. Accordingly, with embodiments described below, it matters not how the roll is oriented during installation, as the dispenser works whether the roll is inserted left end first, right end first, upside down, etc. The design also represents a robustness of design and a simplification of parts and components providing, in one embodiment, a reliable, automatic, and touch-less rolled product dispenser that does require complex circuits or exotic parts. Embodiments described herein are easy to maintain and are resistant to abuse. Embodiments described herein include a simple parts list that is easy and economical to manufacture.
While the dispensation of paper towels will be used herein to illustrate operation of some of the apparatus components, it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the invention are not so limited. They could also be used to dispense other rolled product, including toilet paper, wrapping paper, cellophane and other types of plastic wrap, fabric, material sheeting, and so forth.
Turning now to
In one embodiment, the housing 101 is manufactured from metal. For example, in one embodiment the housing 101 is manufactured from stainless steel sheet metal. In another embodiment, the housing 101 is manufactured from painted sheet metal. In another embodiment, the housing 101 is manufactured from an enamel-coated metal. In another embodiment, the housing 101 is manufactured from opaque thermoplastic material, such as polycarbonate or ABS. In another embodiment, the housing 101 is manufactured from a translucent thermoplastic material. Other materials will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
In one embodiment, the housing 101 comprises a first housing member 601 and a second housing member 602. As shown in
In one embodiment, the first housing member 601 comprises a sidewall 201 and a mounting wall 606. The mounting wall 606, in one embodiment, includes one or more through-hole features 701,702,703,704 that are configured for mounting the rolled sheet dispenser 100 to a wall or other surface. Other mounting features could be substituted for the through-hole features 701,702,703,704, including hooks, loops, wires, and so forth.
In one embodiment the sidewall 201 extends distally from mounting wall 606 to form a substantially orthogonal angle. The term “substantially” is used herein to describe a measurement that is targeted to be a particular amount, but is not necessarily exactly that amount due to manufacturing tolerances. For example, a substantially orthogonal wall configuration may include two walls that are oriented 89.0234 degrees relative to each other, 92.321 degrees relative to each other, or another angle that is not exactly 90 degrees due to manufacturing tolerances. The term “about” is used herein to incorporate the same tolerance limitations.
In one embodiment, the second housing member 602 comprises a front wall 102 and another sidewall 201 extending distally from the front wall 102. In one embodiment, the front wall 102 and sidewall 201 are oriented substantially orthogonally relative to each other.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in the figures, each of the first housing member 601 and the second housing member 602 include a bottom wall 401,402 that extends from its respective housing member toward the other. The first housing member 601 includes a first bottom wall 410 that extends from the mounting wall 606 towards the second housing member 602, while the second housing member includes a second bottom wall 410 that extends from the front wall 102 towards the first housing member 601. In one embodiment, each bottom wall 401,402 extends toward the opposite housing member substantially orthogonally. In another embodiment, each bottom wall 401,402 extends at an obtuse angle from its respective housing member. In one embodiment, each bottom wall 401,402 stops short, i.e., it stops extending from its respective housing member, to define a paper dispensing opening 403 through which rolled product 104 is dispensed. The bottom walls 401,402 provide a safety feature in that they work to prevent users from coming in contact with the blade 405 of the cutting head 609.
In one embodiment, the first housing member 601 and the second housing member 602 are hingedly coupled together by a hinge assembly 302. In one embodiment, the hinge assembly 302 is arranged substantially parallel with an edge 605 of the mounting wall 606. In the illustrative embodiment shown in
In one embodiment the first housing member 601 is configured to rotate about the hinge assembly 302 relative to the second housing member 602. Looking at the rolled sheet dispenser 100 in a mounted scenario, when the mounting wall 606 is fixedly coupled to a mounting surface, such as a wall, the second housing member 602 is configured to rotate about the hinge assembly 302 relative to the first housing member 601. In one embodiment, the first housing member 601 and second housing member 602 are configured to rotate relative to each other about the hinge assembly from a closed position, shown in
The feeding mechanism of the rolled sheet dispenser, in one embodiment, comprises a first feed roller 501 and a second feed roller 502. While the first feed roller 501 and the second feed roller 502 can take any of a number of forms, in one embodiment they have a diameter of about two and one-quarter inches. Their periphery is covered with a compressible friction surface, such as one made from a layer of soft rubber.
In one embodiment the first feed roller 501 is a drive roller and the second feed roller 502 is a pressure roller, in that it passively rolls when the first feed roller 501 is driven, but while placing pressure against the first feed roller 501. In another embodiment, the second feed roller 502 is the drive roller, while the first feed roller 501 is a pressure roller. In yet another embodiment, both the first feed roller 501 and the second feed roller 502 are drive rollers, such that the pressure roller formed by the second feed roller 502 is also a drive roller. In one embodiment, the first feed roller 501 is driven by a belt that is driven by a battery-operated motor. The operation of the drive action will be explained in more detail below.
In one embodiment the first feed roller 501 is fixedly coupled to the first housing member 601, while the second feed roller 502 is fixedly coupled to the second housing member 602. Of course, the opposite could be true. However, in one embodiment the rolled paper dispenser 100 is configured with one of the rollers is disposed in one housing and another roller in the other housing such that when the first housing member 601 is rotated away from the second housing member 602 about the hinge assembly 302, one of the rollers separates from another of rollers. Illustrating by example, if the drive roller is disposed in the first housing member 601 and the pressure roller is disposed in the second housing member 602, when the first housing member 601 is rotated away from the second housing member 602 about the hinge assembly 302, the pressure roller separates from the drive roller, thereby separating the feeding mechanism down the middle.
In one embodiment, a mounting stem 503 is disposed within the second housing member 602. In one embodiment, the mounting stem 503 fixedly coupled to the sidewall 201 of the second housing member 602 and is also arranged substantially parallel to the second feed roller 502. In one embodiment, the mounting stem 503 is positioned beneath the top 103. Where, as in
In one embodiment, the mounting stem 503 comprises about a one-half inch diameter steel rod. Such a mounting stem 503 is well suited for use with embodiments of the invention in that both cored and coreless paper rolls having widths of between eight inches and twelve inches can easily be slid along the mounting stem 503. For example, a cored paper roll 504 has been placed on the mounting stem 503 in
In one embodiment, when the first housing member 601 is rotated about the hinge assembly 302 relative to the second housing member 602 from a closed position (
In one embodiment, an optional lock 106 is provided to keep the first housing member 601 and the second housing member 602 closed. In the illustrative embodiment shown in the figures, the lock 106 is disposed substantially opposite the hinge assembly 302 and is used for selectively locking the first housing member 601 and the second housing member 602 together. The inclusion of the lock 106 prevents unauthorized personnel from removing the paper roll 504.
A cutter head 609 is provided with a cutting blade 405 attached thereto. In the illustrative embodiment shown in the figures, the cutter head 609 is mounted above the product dispensing opening 403, in a slightly off-center alignment. The off-center alignment permits rolled product 104 to pass substantially through the center of the product dispensing opening 403.
In one embodiment, the cutter head 609 is a pivoting cutter head and is coupled to a switch. When a user pulls the rolled product 104 against the cutter head 609 to cut the rolled product 104 with the blade 405, the cutter head 609 pivots slightly, thereby actuating the switch. The switch then actuates the motor 507 that is coupled to the drive roller. Accordingly, when a first sheet of rolled product 104 is torn, the drive roller is actuated to dispense another sheet of rolled product 104 through the product-dispensing opening 403. Using paper towels as an illustrative example, when a user tears one sheet with the blade 405, the cutter head 609 pivots to actuate the drive roller so that another sheet can be dispensed. It will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the drive roller can be configured to dispense a new sheet of varying lengths, depending upon application.
In one embodiment, the motor 507 driving the drive roller is controlled by circuitry that executes ladder logic when actuating the motor. For example, in one embodiment, the switch comprises a series or switches arranged such that when a user pulls rolled product 104 against the blade 405, the cutter head 609 pivots and triggers a first switch. The motor 507 then becomes energized, thereby causing the drive roller to make a predetermined number of revolutions until another switch, known as a “follower switch,” causes the motor 507 to stop. In one embodiment, this action causes a predetermined length, such as about ten inches or so, of rolled product 104 to be dispensed for the next user.
The paragraphs above set forth an “automatic” dispensation where a pivoting cutter head 609 is used. However, other embodiments are possible as well. For example, in one embodiment the cutter head 609 can be fixed. A user can cause dispensation of rolled product 104 at the time of their choosing by actuating a push-button switch 105. In another embodiment, a manual dispensation lever or handle can be used. Of course, combinations of these can be used. For example, in one embodiment the rolled sheet dispenser 100 can be configured as an automatic dispenser, for example by using the pivoting cutter head 609 and switch described above, along with the push-button switch 105 serving as an auxiliary switch that overrides the switch toggled by the pivoting cutter head 609. This configuration allows a user to selectively dispense rolled product 104 if something goes wrong with the automatic feeding mechanism.
In one embodiment, each of the first housing member 601 and the second housing member 602 includes a rigid inclined plane 505,506 disposed above its respective roller. For instance, as shown in
In one embodiment, to make low-supply detection easier, one of the walls of either the first housing member 601 or the second housing member 602 includes a rolled product capacity detection window 304. In one embodiment, the rolled product capacity detection window 304 comprises an aperture through one sidewall 301. In another embodiment, the rolled product capacity detection window 304 comprises a translucent window, made from glass or plastic. An attendant can quickly determine a remaining capacity 705 of rolled product 104 by looking through the rolled product capacity detection window 304. Note that the capacity detection window 304 could be placed on any of the surfaces of the rolled sheet dispenser 100. For example, it is shown on a sidewall 301 in
As described above, embodiments of the invention provide a product dispenser that includes a first half housing that is hingedly coupled to a second half housing. A first feed roller is disposed within the first half housing, while a second feed roller is disposed within the second half housing. In one embodiment, each of the first feed roller and the second feed roller are mounted horizontally within the dispenser. When the first half housing is pivoted against the second half housing in a closed position, the first feed roller and the second feed roller abut.
A mounting stem is disposed substantially above an intersection of, and parallel with, the first feed roller and the second feed roller. When the first half housing is pivoted away from the second half housing to an open position, the first feed roller and the second feed roller separate, with an end of the mounting stem becoming exposed and accessible. This separation of rollers and exposure of the mounting stem provides advantages over the prior art in that product loading is greatly simplified. Another advantage is that both cored and coreless rolls, in a variety of dimensions, can be accommodated in a universal dispensing system.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Thus, while preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims.
