EP1469766B1 - Device for controlling and regulating the pressure of a roll of material in an automatic-cutting dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling and regulating the pressure of a reel of material in an automatic-cutting dispenser. Each side panel of the dispenser comprises a slot that receives, internally, two flanges which are disposed around said slot in lower and upper horizontal planes thereof and which are used to position and support a pivoting shaft. The shaft receives a flap which passes through each of the side panels, via the slot, and which extends outwards from the side panel. The rear of each reel holder arm comprises a tab which is used to receive and fix a return means. This return means is solidly connected to the flap. In this way, when the reel holder arm is lowered, each of the flaps is articulated and the reel is pressed continuously against the drum.

Description

The invention relates to the technical sector of dispensing devices for wiping material with automatic cutting.

The devices of this type have been developed by the applicant and they are arranged globally as follows. They comprise a housing (1) receiving an articulated protection cover (2). Between the casing flanges or between lateral flanges, attached to the inside of the casing, are arranged a drum (3) having a gripping zone on its periphery associated with a cutting mechanism (4), the material spool (5) being supported on said drum, and being articulated from a reel holder (6). A safety roller (7) is arranged in the lower part of the apparatus at the exit of the belt, and is coupled with the drum by means of a guide and transmission belt, also allowing the exit control of the belt. strip of material.

The various mechanisms that allow the operation of the drum or its cutting device have been described in many patents belonging to the applicant, and in the context of the present application, they are independent thereof.

The problem lies in the control of the bearing pressure of the material reel on the drum, during the continuous unwinding of said reel after collection of the web of material as and when required by users and operators.

The applicant has already worked on this type of problem in connection with automatic cutting machines and dispensers. Briefly recalls the prior art developed by the applicant.

In a first variant and implementation described in French Patent No. 2621304 , the applicant has developed a cam mechanism biased against an elastic biasing means against the spool pin to cause a pushing effect and pressurization of the spool of material on the drum. Such an arrangement is disposed in the center of the apparatus and requires specific arrangements of the rear portion of the housing and the reel holder. In this embodiment, the central positioning of the voltage regulating device allows the bobbin holder to tilt without there being however a homogeneous distribution of pressure over the length of the coil. Indeed, it is found that there are tensile effects of the web of material by the user which prevent a regular pressure, and moreover, the coil of material has a tendency to move laterally under the effect of roughness drum.

The applicant has developed another alternative implementation of this concept in French patent no. 2764278 . The control device associated with each of the spool holder arms includes slide rails between the side wings of the housing and the spool arms to allow the sliding and limited displacement of sliders mounted floating on the rails with controlled displacement elastic capacity. and adapted until the depletion of the coil and in constant tension. This patent FR 27 64 278 relates in its teaching in the preamble of claim 1.

Such an arrangement, if it operates satisfactorily, nevertheless remains expensive to implement by the number of pieces to be made.

The applicant's approach was therefore to move towards a simplification of the mechanisms to ensure the aforementioned function, with a rationalization in the manufacture of the apparatus and the molds in particular.

After various lines of research, the applicant turned to the implementation of a simplified device with a limited number of parts, while offering all the guarantees of pressure, whatever the diameter of the coil of material under load and in use.

The invention is defined by the features of claim 1.

These and other characteristics will be apparent from the rest of the description.

• La figure 1 est une vue de côté en coupe d'un appareil distributeur de matériau d'essuyage incluant le dispositif de l'invention, la bobine de matériau étant pleine.
• La figure 2 est une vue identique à la figure 1, mais dans l'hypothèse où la bobine de matériau présente une réduction de diamètre très substantielle, suite à une consommation importante de matériau d'essuyage par les consommateurs, et avec représentation en position du dispositif.
• La figure 3 est une vue de l'appareil distributeur de l'autre côté, dans une position intermédiaire de chargement de la bobine.
• La figure 4 est une vue partielle avant montage illustrant l'un des dispositifs de l'invention et sa relation avec le bras porte-bobine.
• La figure 5 est une vue selon la ligne A.A de la figure 3.
• La figure 6 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne B.B. de la figure 3.

For fixing the object of the invention illustrated in a nonlimiting manner to the figures of the drawings where:

• The figure 1 is a sectional side view of a wipe material dispensing apparatus including the device of the invention, the material reel being full.
• The figure 2 is a view identical to the figure 1 , but in the event that the coil of material has a very substantial diameter reduction, following a significant consumption of wiping material by consumers, and with representation in position of the device.
• The figure 3 is a view of the dispensing apparatus on the other side, in an intermediate loading position of the spool.
• The figure 4 is a partial view before assembly illustrating one of the devices of the invention and its relationship with the reel arm.
• The figure 5 is a view along line AA of the figure 3 .
• The figure 6 is a sectional view along line BB of the figure 3 .

In order to make the object of the invention more concrete, it is now described in a nonlimiting manner illustrated in the figures of the drawings.

The dispensing apparatus is referenced as a whole by (1). It comprises a housing having a rear face (1a), an inclined bottom face (1b), side wings (1c) and (1d). The casing receives a lid (2) rocker known per se. Lateral flanges (8-9) reported are arranged inside the volume of the housing, and are established in the form of plastic plates duly attached detachably to the walls of the housing by any suitable means. Between these flanges, is mounted the drum (3) which is associated with the cutting mechanism (4). This drum has any characteristics as defined in the various patents of the applicant. We have represented for example, but not limited to, the use of a safety roller (7) associated with the drum (3) through a guide belt (10) and transmission, also allowing the control and passage of the paper at the output of the device. There is also shown an eccentric device (11) and associated return means (12) for launching the drum and its return. The material coil (5) is mounted in a manner known per se on a gantry or spool holder (6) which is articulated on pins (6a) disposed in the rear part of the lateral flanges (8-9) mentioned above. The constitution of the reel holder with bent arms is made in different ways according to the previous patents filed by the applicant. As shown in the drawings, the coil is intended to bear on the drum, the material strip passing in support on the drum and outward towards the rear of the apparatus.

The device which aims to ensure control and voltage regulation with a constant maintenance of the coil of material on the drum is achieved in the following manner.

Each of the flanges (8-9) carrying the drum and allowing the articulation of the reel arm is arranged in its rear part, as illustrated figure 4 , with a cutout (8a-9a) profiled in the form of a cross for example, and disposed between two jumpers or flanges (10-11) arranged internally on the aforementioned flanges. These flanges are arranged horizontally in the upper and lower parts of each of the aforementioned cuts. These flanges allow the reception and positioning of a hinge pin (13). The flange pairs have a fork shape (10a-11a) with a central recess (10b-11b) to allow the positioning and holding of the aforementioned guide shaft (13). This axis is advantageously supported at its ends to allow positioning and insertion between the two flanges, and ensuring its maintenance relative to said flanges. The axis, according to the invention, is arranged with a flap (13a) arranged perpendicularly and in a horizontal plane, through the cut opposite and outwardly projecting from the plane of each flange (8-9). This shutter, produced integrally with the axis by molding, is capable of pivoting with said axis and thus, as shown figure 6 , to be able to be translated on one side or the other of the above-mentioned cutout (8a-9a) at an angle of about 180 °. Thus, the flap is likely to take two opposite positions in the left and right end portions of the cut by lateral displacement. Furthermore, each bent configuration spool arm has an end flange (6a) projecting. A resilient return means (14) of the spring type is thus attached to each of said tabs (8b-9b) on the one hand, and end of the flap on the other hand. There is therefore an elastic tension connection between the spool arm and the pivoting flap of the control and regulation device.

When the reel of material is full, said flap is opposite the side of the housing and it allows by its positioning a lightening effect of the coil on the drum. When the coil is finished, said flap is moved laterally and thus being closer to the drum. In an intermediate situation corresponding to neutral and a decrease of about half the diameter of the coil, said biasing means (14) is substantially in a vertical plane, without particular effect of pressure. The positioning of the shutter relative to its dead point, in one direction or another, depending on the coil diameter, causes either lightening in the support of the coil on the drum or a stronger support.

With the device according to the invention, the unwinding of the reel of material causes the movement of the reel arm in a tilting movement forward. This tilting is amplified until the reel of material is free of material. The tilting of the two spool arms forward will cause the displacement of the rear leg associated with the arm, so that by the connection with the elastic means, it will cause the progressive pivoting of each of the flaps. These, as represented in figures 1 and 2 drawings, pass from one end position to the other at 180 °, always creating a tension effect on the elastic element. In this situation, there is therefore a constant maintenance of the coil of material on the drum. There is shift to neutral when the coil is discharged substantially half, allowing the biasing means to play the desired pressure effect. The proposed solution is simple to implement because it uses a limited number of parts, and the control of the firm support of the coil on the drum is ensured. The establishment of the pivoting device in its manufacture is simple, while ensuring the desired function.

Interestingly, the flanges are shaped by molding with the flanges (8-9), which allows a reduction in the number of parts.

The cut (8a-9a) advantageously has a cross shape, but it can have any other configuration, the essential is that it allows the passage and positioning of the flap and its articulation.

Claims (4)

1. Device for monitoring and adjusting the pressure of a reel of material (5) in a machine for dispensing a strip of wipe material, the machine comprising a housing which accommodates a protective cover, two lateral side pieces (8, 9), a drum (3) associated with a cutting mechanism (4), a reel holder and the device including said two lateral side pieces (8, 9), two elastic return means (14), two curved reel-holder arms (6), each reel-holder arm (6) being articulated by a hinge pin located on one of said lateral side pieces (8, 9) and having a lug (6a) for mounting and receiving one of said elastic return means (14), and means stressed in opposition to elastic return means (14) in order to allow said pressure monitoring, characterised in that said two lateral side pieces (8, 9) are designed to accommodate said drum (3) associated with a cutting mechanism and in that each lateral side piece (8, 9) has a shaped cutout (8a, 9a) and internally receives, around the cutout, pairs of flanges (10, 11) located either side of the cutout in the lower and upper horizontal planes and allowing positioning and retention of a pivot pin (13) and in that each pin (13) receives a flap (13a) which passes through each of the side pieces (8, 9) through the corresponding cutout and protrudes externally beyond said side pieces and in that the hinge pin of each reel-holder arm (6) is located in the rear part of each lateral side piece (8, 9) and lug (6a) for mounting and receiving it is an end lug which protrudes beyond the rear part of reel-holder arm (6), said return means (14) also being attached to said flap and lowering of the reel-holder arm causing articulation of each of the flaps and continuous exertion of pressure on the drum by the reel.
2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each cutout has a cross shape.
3. Device as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each flap is capable of being swivelled from one end to the other of the cutout and can move through 180°.
4. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the flanges are horizontally arranged in the upper and lower parts of each of the above-mentioned cutouts and make it possible to receive and position a pivot pin (13), and in that the pairs of flanges have a fork shape (10a-11a) with a central opening (10b-11b) in order to allow positioning and retention of the above-mentioned guide pin (13).

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