EP1799083B1 - Toilet paper dispenser housing a roll, toilet paper roll and dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The dispenser has a case (6) in which a roll (3) of a paper strip (2) is housed. The roll has precuts transversal to the strip to define rectangular paper sheets (5). The case has a nozzle (9) with a distribution orifice (10) by which the strip is unwound. The nozzle and roll are arranged so that the sheets are unwound one by one and come out at an outlet of the nozzle. A ratio of width and length of the sheets is between 0.5 and 0.65.

Description

The invention relates to a toilet paper dispenser in which is housed a roll.

In public places, in particular, the toilet paper dispensers generally comprise a housing, in which is mounted a roll of a strip of paper which is unwound by a dispensing orifice. The paper strip has pre-cuts transverse to the direction of its unwinding, defining rectangular sheets that can be detached individually. The toilet paper is a cellulose wadding paper, flexible and soft surface, comprising one or more plies whose weight is usually between 14g / cm ² and 30g / cm ² approximately.

The most common dispensers include an opening, or window, at least the width of the toilet paper, arranged in a low position on the dispenser, by which the paper is unwound. The unwinding takes place by pulling on the free end of the paper which corresponds to the outer layer of the roll: in this case it is referred to as peripheral feeding of the paper. When the user has a certain amount of paper, he can cut it by, for example, a cutting edge of the dispenser opening.

For the operator of the paper dispenser, and therefore for its designer, one of the main issues in defining the characteristics of the dispenser and its roller is the minimization of paper consumption. The disadvantage of the device described above is the freedom of the user of the paper to unwind a large amount of paper sheets by pulling on the end of the strip continuously. This faculty of the user is statistically translated by a considerable waste of paper, since the user rolls out more paper than he needs.

One solution is to force the user to unwind the sheet-by-sheet paper. The prior art proposes, in the field of kitchen paper or wiping, that is to say paper which is, in comparison to toilet paper, thicker, whose leaves are larger, as well as less flexible and less soft, from single-sheet dispensers to central reeling. In the latter, the paper is unwound from the center of the roll and extracted through the orifice of a nozzle, placed in the axis of the roll or at the periphery of the dispenser, the nozzle being generally of frustoconical shape and of small cross section. exit to impose the distribution sheet by sheet. We are talking about central reeling of the paper, in this case sheet to sheet. An example of such a dispenser is described in the document FR 2, 761, 252 .

It is interesting to note at the outset that the sheet-to-sheet distribution is conditioned by the ratio of the force required to extract the sheet through the nozzle and the force required to tear the tenons holding between them two adjacent sheets of the strip. paper; the section of the outlet orifice of the nozzle influences this ratio: the lower it is, the greater the probability of cutting a sheet at each extraction.

The application to the toilet paper of the principle of central wipe dispensers of paper wiping, imposing a distribution sheet by sheet through the orifice of the nozzle, could seem obvious. However, its implementation faces a series of drawbacks that lead to a dead end, especially if the minimum consumption criterion must be respected.

Indeed, because of the characteristics inherent in standard toilet paper, in the field of community products, whose current width of the sheets is close to 100 mm and the length of 350 mm, it has been proposed a dispenser with a nozzle having an orifice output of very small diameter, to ensure the distribution sheet to sheet. The disadvantage of such a nozzle was, firstly, the difficulty of the initial introduction of the paper in the nozzle, then, the fact that at the outlet of such a nozzle, the toilet paper was completely wrinkled and was in the form of an unpleasant string for the user, who had to unfold the outgoing sheet to be able to use it. In order for the paper to no longer crease, the outlet section of the nozzle has been increased; but then, the distribution was no longer made sheet by sheet with the same regularity and the problem of overconsumption of paper reappeared. Toilet paper in the wiping paper format was also used with a larger nozzle exit orifice which, as in the document, was guaranteed. FR 2, 761, 252 , the distribution sheet by sheet; but then, the format of the sheets was too big for the use that was made of them and the problem of overconsumption of paper arises again. In addition, it was not possible to reduce the width of the leaves.

The document US 3,973,695 discloses a roll dispenser of wet wipes made of nonwoven or specific tissue paper (nonwoven substitute which has the same strength characteristics). This nozzleless dispenser allows sheet-fed dispensing due to the aperture port combining a circular shaped portion and a proportionally sized slot.

The object of the invention is to provide a sheet-by-sheet toilet paper dispenser with a dispensing nozzle, which delivers slightly crumpled sheets of paper at the outlet of the nozzle, which makes them pleasant to use, while at the same time ensuring minimum paper consumption.

To this end, the invention firstly relates to a paper dispenser, comprising a housing in which is housed a roll of a paper strip, which comprises pre-cuts transverse to the band defining rectangular paper sheets, the width is

transverse and longitudinal length, the housing having a dispensing orifice, through which the paper web is unwound, the width of a sheet being between 125 mm and 180 mm and the ratio of the width of a sheet along its length being between 0.45 and 1, preferably between 0.5 and 0.65, characterized in that said paper is a toilet paper and said dispenser comprises a nozzle with said dispensing orifice, said nozzle and said roll of paper being arranged so that the sheets of paper are unwound one by one and leave with a reduced wrinkling at the outlet of the nozzle, the paper being consumed optimally and pleasantly.

The applicant has discovered that by proposing a new proportion between the width and the length of the sheets of paper, it is possible not only to ensure a single sheet distribution of the paper, but also to allow the sheet of paper to wrinkle itself when leaving the nozzle when pulling on it, while maintaining a standard sheet surface and thus avoiding over-consumption of paper.

The invention also relates to a papler roll housed in the dispenser, which comprises transverse cut-outs to the web defining rectangular paper sheets, whose width is transverse and the longitudinal length, the width of a sheet is between 125 mm and 180 mm and the ratio of the width of a sheet along its length is between 0.45 and 1, preferably between 0.5 and 0.65.

Finally, the invention relates to a toilet paper dispenser, comprising a housing with a roll of a paper web, the width of which is between 125 mm and 180 mm, the housing comprising a nozzle with a paper dispensing orifice, the nozzle being of frustoconical shape, its small diameter orifice being the dispensing orifice situated outside the nozzle relative to the housing, the diameter of the dispensing orifice of the nozzle being between 6 and 8 mm, preferably equal to 7 mm.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective du distributeur de l'invention avec une feuille en train d'être dévidée et
• la figure 2 représente une vue en perspective du rouleau de papier de l'invention.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of the preferred embodiment of the dispenser of the invention, with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

• the figure 1 represents a perspective view of the dispenser of the invention with a sheet being unwound and
• the figure 2 is a perspective view of the paper roll of the invention.

With reference to the figure 1 , the dispenser 1 of the invention is a toilet paper dispenser. The toilet paper is here a paper made of cellulose wadding, for example comprising two plies, or layers, interconnected by any appropriate mechanical or chemical means, for example by knurling or collage, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. With reference to the figure 2 , the toilet paper is in the form of a strip 2 which is wound into a roll 3, the latter having no central inner mandrel, the paper being initially wound so that one end of strip 12 protrudes from the part center of the roll 3 before it can be unwound. The band 2 comprises pre-cuts 4, transverse to the unwinding direction of the band 2, defining paper sheets 5 which can be detached individually. These sheets of paper are rectangular; they are defined by a transverse width "1" and a length "L" longitudinal.

In the remainder of the description, transversely or longitudinally, reference will always be made to transverse and longitudinal with respect to the strip 2, in its unwinding direction.

The dispenser 1 comprises a casing 6, of cylindrical shape, for receiving the roll 3, also of cylindrical shape. The housing 6 is arranged so that the roller 3 does not rotate on its axis during unwinding. When the roller 3 is housed in the housing 6, their axes are a priori coincident, if the cylinders are identical, or at least parallel. The housing 6 comprises hooking means, not shown, to a support, here to a wall 7 of the room in which the dispenser 1 is to be arranged, means arranged so that once the dispenser hooked, the axes of the housing 6 and the roller 3 are perpendicular to the wall 7. The housing-6 here comprises, on its face opposite the wall 7, a portion 8 transparent, which allows to see, by transparency, the roller 3 and the strip 2 to 1 inside the case 6.

The housing 6 comprises, peripherally, at an edge on the side opposite the wall, a nozzle 9 distribution. This nozzle 9 is here of frustoconical shape, its smaller diameter orifice being the outlet orifice, or dispensing orifice 10, located on the outside of the nozzle 9 with respect to the housing 6.

The general operation of the dispenser 1 of the invention will now be explained. The free end of the strip of toilet paper 12, starting from the center of the roll 3, is inserted into the nozzle 9 so as to project from its dispensing orifice 10. The nozzle 9 being here located at the periphery of the case 6, with its axis perpendicular to the axes of the casing 6 and the roller 3, there is an angle of the band 2 between the axis of the roller 3 and the axis of the nozzle 9. This angular reference is effected here naturally, without the addition of additional structural element. It could nevertheless be provided a deflection member such as a pulley or an axis.

When a user pulls on the end 12 of the band protruding out of the nozzle 9, the band 2 is unwound from its center. The diameter of the dispensing orifice 10 of the nozzle 9 and the sheets 5 are arranged, as developed below with their dimensions, so that the distribution is done sheet by sheet. For this purpose, the extraction force of the paper out of the nozzle 9, which depends in particular on the friction of the toilet paper strip 2 on the wall of the dispensing orifice 10 of the nozzle 9, must be greater than the tearing force of the tenons holding two adjacent sheets of the strip 2, which depends in particular on the resistance of the toilet paper and the perforation rate of the pre-cuts 4, equal to the ratio of the sum of the transverse dimensions of the tenons of a sheet on the Thus, while the user is unwinding the strip 2, when the next precut 4 leaves the nozzle 9, because of the balance of power that has just been described, the sheet 5 on which the user draws is detached from the next sheet before the latter completely out of the nozzle 9. This is therefore a single sheet distribution. The next sheet then protrudes out of the nozzle 9 and can in turn be unwound.

This ratio of the extraction force to the tearing force must in particular be sufficient to compensate for the angle variations between the pre-cuts 4 of the paper and the axis of the dispensing orifice 10 of the nozzle 9, which angle affects tearing of the paper, variations due to the fact that the paper does not always appear at the same angle, in particular according to the quantity of paper that has already been unwound.

In order to surely obtain this distribution sheet by sheet, while ensuring that the unwound sheet unwinds itself on leaving the nozzle 9, the Applicant has discovered that it is possible to propose a new one. sheet format 5, arranged so that the ratio "I / L" of their width over their length is between 0.45 and 1, for sheets whose width is between 125 mm and 180 mm.

In particular, with respect to the prior art, the Applicant had desired to increase the width "1" of the sheets 5 as well as the diameter of the dispensing orifice 10 of the nozzle 9, in order to facilitate the unfolding of the sheets 5 at the outlet of the nozzle 9. The applicant furthermore considered that the sheets 5 must maintain a surface area equivalent to that of the sheets of the prior art, in order not to cause overconsumption of paper but to still ensure the wiping function of the sheets. 5. In general, in the dispensers of public places, the sheets of the prior art are 98 mm wide and 350 mm long, thus having an area of 34,300 mm ² . The plaintiff therefore modified the proportions between width "I" and length "L" of leaves, but respecting an equivalent leaf area, to a percentage, which is to be defined by the manufacturer of the distributor 1.

The Applicant has carried out a series of tests, including tests for calculating the percentage of successful sheet-feed, user behavior tests, tests well known to those skilled in the art. She deduced a range of preferred parameters, in addition to the I / L ratio. to further fulfill all the objectives of the invention, namely a paper sheet feed, a degreasing leaves at the nozzle outlet and reduced paper consumption compared to prior art dispensers. These additional preferred parameters will be presented below.

The table below represents certain data from a series of tests which have been carried out, on the one hand on a roll of the prior art, on the other hand on a series of rollers 3 according to the invention, whose sheets comprise an "I / L" ratio of between 0.45 and 1. The tests were carried out with two-ply paper 16 g / m ² for each, with a nozzle 9 whose dispensing orifice 10 has a diameter of 7 mm. Art
prior Invention Width I (mm) 98 130 136 140 145 150 155 180 Length L (mm) 350 264 254 245 235 228 221 190 I / L ratio 0.28 0.49 0.54 0.57 0.62 0.66 0.70 0.95 Surface I * L (mm ² ) 34300 34320 34544 34300 34075 34200 34255 34200 Roll length (m) 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 Number of roll sheets 571 758 787 816 651 677 905 1053 Average number of sheets per user 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Number of users per roll 95 152 157 163 170 175 181 210 Increased autonomy 59.09% 65.35% 71.43% 78.72% 84.21% 90.05% 121.68%

Another advantage of the invention appears on reading this table: because of the increase in the width of the strip 2 for about the same unit area of sheet 5, the length "L" of the sheets 5 must be decreased. Thus, for a roll of equal length (by length of the roll 3 is meant the length of the strip 2 which composes it), for example here equal to 200 m, the number of sheets 5 of the roll 3, and therefore the autonomy of the dispenser 1, is increased. This makes it possible to reduce the number of personnel interventions to fill the empty distributors and thus to save money on maintenance.

In addition, it is found that with this new sheet size 5, consumers consume fewer sheets 5 (see "average number of sheets per user" in the table), so a smaller sheet area; the consumption of toilet paper per user is thus reduced and the autonomy of the dispenser 1 increased all the more.

The embodiment of the figure 1 With the axis of the housing 6 and the roller 3 perpendicular to the wall 7, in conjunction with the dimensioning of the toilet paper of the invention is advantageous because the space requirement is reduced in the direction perpendicular to the wall of the toilet 7. Indeed This size is here directly dependent on the width "I" of the sheets of paper 5, which is fixed, as we shall see, between 125 and 180 mm. This size is acceptable in a room and is thus limited. It is then possible to increase the diameter of the housing 6 as desired in order to accommodate a roller 3 of larger diameter, that is to say having a greater number of sheets 5; the influence of this increase in the number of sheets 5 only affects the directions parallel to the wall of the toilet 7, in planes bounded by the width of the groomed paper between 125 and 180 mm. It can thus, without additional inconvenient space, further increase the autonomy of the dispenser 1.

• papier toilette comportant un ou plusieurs plis, de préférence comportant deux plis, en ouate de cellulose, chaque pli ayant un grammage compris entre 14 et 30 g/m², de préférence entre 15 et 20 g/m² ;
• largeur "I" comprise entre 125 et 180 mm, de préférence entre 135 et 150 mm ;
• rapport "I/L" compris entre 0,45 et 1, de préférence entre 0,5 et 0,65 ;
• diamètre d'orifice de distribution 10 de la buse 9 compris entre 6 et 8 mm, de préférence égal à 7 mm ;
• taux de perforation des prédécoupes 4 de la bande 2 compris entre 12 et 30%, de préférence entre 14 et 20% ;
• rapport, de la force d'extraction du papier toilette hors de la buse sur la force de déchirure des dents de deux feuilles 5 adjacentes de la bande 2, supérieur strictement à 1, de préférence compris entre 1,1 et 2.

Following these various tests and others, as well as having taken into account many parameters such as the size, the ease of extraction of paper while ensuring its distribution sheet by sheet, etc., the Applicant has defined the following parameter ranges (with the additional preferred parameters announced above), for optimum operation of the dispenser 1 of invention:

• toilet paper comprising one or more plies, preferably having two plies, of cellulose wadding, each ply having a basis weight of between 14 and 30 g / m ² , preferably between 15 and 20 g / m ² ;
• width "I" of between 125 and 180 mm, preferably between 135 and 150 mm;
• "I / L" ratio of between 0.45 and 1, preferably between 0.5 and 0.65;
• diameter of the dispensing orifice 10 of the nozzle 9 between 6 and 8 mm, preferably equal to 7 mm;
• perforation rate of the pre-cuts 4 of the strip 2 between 12 and 30%, preferably between 14 and 20%;
• ratio of the extraction force of the toilet paper out of the nozzle on the tearing force of the teeth of two adjacent sheets of the strip 2, strictly greater than 1, preferably between 1.1 and 2.

Thanks to the invention, there is obtained a distributor 1 comprising a housing 6 and a nozzle 9, thus providing a protective function of the roll 3 for hygiene and prevention against theft. The dispensing is sheet-fed and the replacement and placement of the roll 3 is easy to perform, especially with a nozzle dispensing orifice 9 large enough to reduce the wrinkling of the sheets. The size of sheets 5, combined with single-sheet distribution, results in lower paper consumption by users. In the case of an arrangement of the casing 6 with its axis perpendicular to the support 7, the size is limited by the width of the band 2 and allows an increase in the length of the band 2, increasing the autonomy of the roll 3, especially since the latter comprises a greater number of sheets per unit length.

The Applicant has carried out tests to size the paper roll 3 and the distributor 1 in a preferred embodiment of the invention, here in the context of a central unwinding with the nozzle 9 in the axis of the roll 3, of which the results are reported in the table below. For a paper with two plies of weight 16 g / m ² each, with a nozzle 9 whose dispensing orifice 10 has a diameter of 7 mm, the Applicant has carried out tests for three perforation rates of different pre-cut, 14% , 16% and 20%, each for two sheet formats ((254x136) mm ² and (235x146) mm ² ) and belonging to the parameter ranges of the invention. It then measured, using a dynamometer, the extraction force of the sheets 5 and their tearing force, in centitonton (cN) with the indication of a standard deviation in the table, all of first at the beginning of the roll, when the sheets 5 are close to the cone in the context of a central reeling with the nozzle 9 in the axis, then after 100 sheets have been unwound, after 200 sheets and after 300 sheets. The average ratios between the extraction force and the tear force obtained are quite within the required ranges and very good results are obtained with regard to sheet-fed feeding. Perforation rate of pre-cut 14% 14% 18% 116% 20% 20% Sheet dimensions
(LXI) 254x136 235x146 254x136 235x146 254x136 235x146 Extraction force (cN) Near the cone 645 +/- 75 830 +/- 140 615 +/- 100 835 +/- 70 750 +/- 110 990 +/- 140 After 100 sheets 520 +/- 40 675 +/- 70 575 +/- 90 710 +/- 70 565 +/- 70 770 +/- 230 After 200 sheets 540 +/- 45 650 +/- 75 555 +/- 55 650 +/- 90 520 +/- 40 620 +/- 90 After 300 sheets 540 +/- 50 645 +/- 80 550 +/- 50 465 +/- 75 500 +/- 50 645 +/- 35 Tear strength (cN) Near the cone 355 +/- 80 330 +/- 60 370 +/- 55 370 +/- 85 490 +/- 65 535 +/- 100 After 100 sheets 330 +/- 70 370 +/- 75 380 +/- 75 380 +/- 170 475 +/- 75 620 +/- 80 After 200 sheets 310 +/- 55 345 +/- 90 345 +/- 80 400 +/- 60 520 +/- 95 555 +/- 90 After 300 sheets 330 + / 40 315 +/- 95 280 +/- 95 545 +/- 60 585 +/- 195 Extraction force / tear force rate 1.7 2.0 1.6 1.9 1.2 1.3 Success rate of cut-sheet 100% 100% 100% 100% 99% 99%

The invention has been described in connection with a central unwinding, but it goes without saying that it also applies to a lateral unwinding. In addition, in the case of central unwinding, the nozzle 9 may, as described here, extend at the periphery of the housing 6, but also in the axis of the roller 3, which could in this case be horizontal or vertical, which whatever the chosen embodiment. Furthermore, it could optionally be provided a support chuck roller 3 in the housing 6. Finally, the nozzle 9 is not necessarily frustoconical; it can be any calibrated dispensing orifice.

Claims (9)

1. Paper dispenser, comprising a housing (6) in which a roll (3) of a paper strip (2) is housed, which comprises precuts (4) transverse to the strip (2) and defining rectangular paper sheets (5), of which the width (l) is transverse and the length (L) is longitudinal, the housing (6) comprising a dispensing orifice (10) through which the paper strip (2) is unwound, the width (l) of a sheet (5) being between 125 mm and 180 mm and the ratio of the width (1) of a sheet (5) to its length (L) being between 0.45 and 1, preferably between 0.5 and 0.65, characterized in that the said paper is a toilet paper and the said dispenser comprises a nozzle (9) with the said dispensing orifice (10), the said nozzle (9) and the said roll of paper (3) being designed so that the paper sheets (5) are unwound one at a time and emerge with less crumpling at the outlet of the nozzle (9), the paper being consumed in an optimum and pleasant manner.
2. Dispenser according to Claim 1, in which unwinding takes place from the centre of the roll (3).
3. Dispenser according to either of Claims 1 and 2, in which the nozzle (9) has a frustoconical shape, its small-diameter orifice being the dispensing orifice (10) situated on the outside of the nozzle (9) with respect to the housing (6).
4. Dispenser according to one of Claims 1 to 3, in which, with the housing (6) being fixed to a support (7), the axis of the roll (3) is perpendicular to this support (7).
5. Dispenser according to one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the width (l) of the sheets (5) is between 135 and 150 mm.
6. Dispenser according to Claim 5, in which the diameter of the dispensing orifice (10) of the nozzle (9) is between 6 and 8 mm, preferably 7 mm.
7. Dispenser according to either of Claims 5 and 6, in which the degree of perforation of the precuts (4) of the strip (2) is between 12 and 30%, preferably between 14 and 20%.
8. Dispenser according to one of Claims 5 to 7, in which the ratio of the force for extracting the toilet paper from the nozzle (9) to the force for tearing the non-perforated parts holding two adjacent sheets (5) of the strip (2) together is strictly greater than 1, preferably between 1.1 and 2.
9. Dispenser according to one of Claims 5 to 8, in which the toilet paper is a one-ply or two-ply paper made of tissue, each ply having a basis weight of between 14 and 30 g/m², preferably between 15 and 20 g/m²,

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