AU654722B2

AU654722B2 - Paper hand towel dispenser with paper

Info

Publication number: AU654722B2
Application number: AU19586/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Benno Kurtz; Roman Schreck
Original assignee: Von Lepel Barbara Freifrau
Current assignee: Von Lepel Barbara Freifrau
Priority date: 1991-07-12
Filing date: 1992-07-10
Publication date: 1994-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-10
Also published as: JPH0622882A; DE4123027A1; EP0522477A1; EP0522477B1; AU1958692A; ATE129136T1; DE59204043D1

Abstract

A towel dispenser with paper is described, there being at least two or more than two rolls of paper (4, 5) in a housing, and each roll of paper (4, 5) being drivable separately. In this case, the webs of paper (8, 9) of the respective roll of paper (4, 5) converge in the vicinity of a lower removal opening (23) of the apparatus so that, alternatively, either the one or the other web of paper (8, 9) can be removed from the apparatus. <IMAGE>

Description

4A 4722

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): BARBARA FREIFRAU VON LEPEL ROMAN SCHRECK BENNO KURTZ *r Address for Service: CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: PAPER HAND TOWEL WI-H DISPENSER WITH PAPER oeeo

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*oo e e The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: PAPER HAND TOWEL DISPENSER WITH PAPER Summary of the Invention: The invention resides in the field of paper hand towel dispensers.

Paper towel dispensers have been known heretofore, of the general kind in which an aggregate of paper or toweling is wound on a roller, and dispensed therefrom in response to pulling of the paper by the hand of the user.

In one form the paper is pulled, and after a certain quantity is withdrawn, a stopping means is activated which prevents further pulling of the paper, and simultaneously activates a cutting mechanism. In another kind, the paper in response to being pulled, drives the paper roller over a ratchet mechanism, and after a certain length of paper is thus pulled, the ratchet mechanism stops and also a cutting mechanism is activated for cutting the toweling.

In both of the foregoing kinds of dispensers, a disadvantage was encountered in that only a very limited amount of paper could be withdrawn. In such a case where a large quantity of paper was required the prior devices 2C' were not fully usable, because after that certain la l quantity of paper was withdrawn, no further paper could be withdrawn.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser, which while occupying substantially the same spatial dimension of devices heretofore known, enables a larger amount of paper or toweling, to be removed.

A more specific object is to provide such a device, which in a single housing, two or more paper rollers are accommodated, whereby each roller can be operated separately, or both paper rollers can be run together, in a lower area of the dispensing opening of the device, so that paper or toweling can be selectively withdrawn from the rollers.

Another feature of the invention is that after one of the paper sheets is withdrawn from the device, the other paper sheet automatically leads to the outlet of the device, in position for grasping and removal.

Soe Another feature of the invention is that the capacity of the device can be increased substantially o: over those heretofore known. For example, two such rollers of paper may be provided, but the device is not limited to two rollers, and a greater number may be utilized. For purposes of simplicity, the ptrsent disclosure includes two such rollers.

2 Another great advantage is that upon depletion of the quantity of paper on one of the rollers, the paper from the other roller may be withdrawn, and the first roller may be replenished with a quantity of paper, throughout an extended period of time in which the other roller is utilized, rendering it unnecessary to immediately replenish a roll that was depleted, Accordingly it is not necessary that a roller that has been depleted, be replenished at any certain short period of time.

According to the present invention there is provided a paper hand towel dispenser comprising, a housing having a discharge opening, a plurality of rollers mounted in the housing adapted to retain sheet paper thereon, means for driving each roller separately, or all together, 00 15 selectively, for thereby driving sheet paper therefrom and out through the discharge opening, said driving means including a separate drive unit for each roller, electronic control means responsive to depletion of paper on a particular roller, for controlling the driving 20 means, 0*t means for selectively changing the driving means from •0 one roller to another, and ole means for sensing the paper on the rollers and operable in response to depletion of the paper on one 25 roller, for transmitting drive from the driving means on the one roller to another roller.

Preferably the dispenser includes sensing means for determining the proper identity of the roller and sensing the termination of the supply of paper and thereby changing the drive transmission of the driving means to another supply of paper.

Preferably, the dispenser also includes a light sensor operably associated with the sheet paper for determining termination of the paper sheet.

The dispenser may suitably include a single electric motor drive, drive transmitting means between the drive and the rollers, and gear change means in the drive transmitting means fot selectively transmitting the drive

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from the motor to the rollers.

The dispenser may also suitably include a sensor responsive to the presence of the user's hand, posterior to the discharge opening for operating the driving means.

Preferably the dispenser includes cutting means posterior to the discharge opening, operable for partially cutting the paper discharge at a predetermined position on the paper.

6 to 0 o *s The cutter cutting the aggregate of the toweling, to provide an individual towel, does not cut completely through the paper which would enable the cut piece to fall to the floor, but partially cuts it, and the cut piece can be grasped and easily ripped off by the hand.

The objects of the invention do not derive solely from individual claims, but instead, from combinations of all of the claims taken together.

Brief Description of the figures of the Drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a device made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the device.

Detailed Description: The hand towel dispenser according to Figs. 1 and 2 includes essentially a mounting means or housing or unit itself including two parallel, oppositely disposed bearing plates In the upper region between these bearing plates, on a first roller axis a first paper roller is mounted, of which the paper sheet is directed downward over a deflection roller (21) and to a corresponding discharge mechanism (10) in the region of a funnel and a discharge opening (23) below the S* funnel.

11 Below the first paper roller on a second roller axis is a second and separate paper roller of which the paper sheet reaches at least to the region of the funnel The paper sheet is directed over a further discharge mechanism which is constructed separately from the first discharge mechanism (10) that is provided for the paper sheet As in most paper dispensers heretofore known, the paper sheets (8, 9 -re continuous, and may be referred to as toweling, or aggregate.

Each discharge mechanism (10, 10') consists of a motor (11, 15) respectively and includes a gear (12, 16).

The gears work respectively on drive shafts (13, 14), and the drive shafts are constructed as rubber cylinders At each rubber cylinder (20) is a pressure plate These pressure plates are shown only diagrammatically and are movably mounted in the device, movable into positions in which they operably engage the rubber cylinders, and appropriate weight is provided for pressing the plates against the sheet or toweling 9), against the respective rubber cylinders Thus friction drive is provided for driving the sheet or toweling, and in conjunction with the drive of the motors (11, 15), either the one sheet (8S or the other, is driven forwardly, downwardly as viewed in Fig. 2.

Below the funnel (17) is a paper cutter driven by a conventional means not shown.

Adjacent the discharge opening (23) is a sensor (24) at the front, below the discharge opening, which senses the user's hand when it is placed below and adjacent dispenser, therebv activating the respective drive, either the motor (11) or the motor Adjacent the paper sheets or toweling are respective sensors (25, 26), which sense whether the one paper sheet or the other is being used, or not used, and the drive changed from one sheet to the other.

The sensor (24) provides a very important safety factor, preventing a person from unintentionally reaching past the discharge opening (23) and into the space (22).

In order to assure that the proper paper rollers (4, are used with the device, and in accordance with the invention, an electronic safety device is provided. This, o; in a preferred form of the device, includes a roller sensor Fig. 1, arranged at the front side of the respective roller, and opposite thereto is a stationary receiver or counterpart (28).

;This sensing device (27, 28) operates on the I electrical control of the device, and the electrical 251.-: control is rendered functional, when a proper roller (4, with the corresponding sensor is put in place in the device.

A further important feature of the invention is that in the supporting frame or housing other components may be mounted, as for example, a soap dispenser with a corresponding dose device, which also is sensor activated, a cream dispenser, and if desired a scent dispenser.

A great advantage of the device, and the components 0 just referred to, is that the various components can be mounted together, or in a single housing, in order to accommodate various devices for hand washing in a single space.

*a o* Legend 1 Mounting 2 Bearing plate 3 Bearing plate 4 Paper roller Paper roller 6 Roller axle 7 Roller axle 8 Paper sheet 9 Paper sheet Discharge mechanism 11 Motor 12 Gear 13 Drive shaft 14 Drive shaft Motor 16 Gear 17 Funnel 18 Paper cutter 19 Pressure plate Rubber cylinder 21 Deflection roller 22 Shaft 23 Discharge opening 24 Sensor Sensor 26 Sensor 27 Roller sensor 28 Receiver ft

Claims

9. 0.00 9. 9. 0 .900 9*9* .9 60 9 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A paper hand towel dispenser comprising, a housing having a discharge opening, a plurality of rollers mounted in the housing adapted to retain sheet paper thereon, means for driving each roller separately, or all together, selectively, for thereby driving sheet paper therefrom and out through the discharge opening, said driving means including a separate drive unit for each roller, electronic control means responsive to depletion of paper on a particular roller, for controlling the driving means, means for selectively changing the driving means from one roller to another, and means for sensing the paper on the rollers and operable in response to depletion of the paper on one roller, for transmitting drive from the driving means on the one roller to another roller. 2. A dispenser according to Claim 1 and including, sensing means for determining the proper identity of the roller and sensing the termination of the supply of paper and thereby changing the drive transmission of the driving means to another supply of puper. 3. A dispenser according to Claim 2 and including, a 25 light sensor operably associated with the sheet paper for determining termination of the paper sheet. 4. A dispenser according to Claim 1 and including, a single electric motor drive drive transmitting means between the drive and the rollers, and gear change means in the drive transmitting means for selectively transmitting the drive from the motor to the rollers A dispenser according to Claim 1 and including, a sensor responsive to the presence of the user's hand, posterior to the discharge opening for operating the driving means. 6. A dispenser according to Claim 1 and including, cutting means posterior to the discharge opening, operable -1, 1. A I for partially cutting the paper discharge FA t a predetermined position on the paper. 7. A paper hand towel dispenser substantially herein descr4.bed with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 31st day of August 1994 BARBARA FREIFRAU VON LEPEL B3y her Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. S S S. S S S S S. 55 S S S S Set S 555* S S S S 555555 5555 SSSS S S S S SSS. S S SSSS S *S S I S PAPER HAND TOWEL DISPENSER WITH PAER Abstract of the Disclosure: A single housing with two or more -ollers of con-tinuous paper toweling, each roller separately driven. The paper from the rollers are moved to a discharge opening at the bottom, and the paper from either roller, selectively, can ba discharged, and cut off to towel length. 4 6 6 0 66 0.*'0*6 04