EP3699123B1 - Device for dispensing foliate items on a roll - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing foliage articles in a roll, for example bags for collecting dog droppings, or bags for wrapping fruits and vegetables, or disposable gloves allowing a user to use. fuel to a gas pump without getting your hands dirty.

The term “foliate articles” is intended to denote any article of substantially planar shape made from any material in the form of a sheet, such as plastic or paper, for example.

In known dispensing devices, users directly grasp the follower articles to remove them from the dispenser. Follower articles are normally intended to be used individually, that is, the user is expected to enter only one follower article at a time. However, some users then abuse the free items generally made available to them by seizing a larger number of items than necessary, or even literally plundering the distributor by directly seizing a plurality of items in such a way. repetitive. Ease of access to follower articles thus favors abuse on the part of users.

The document JP 2015-3747 A describes a dispensing device according to the preamble of claim 1.

The document WO 2016/124848 A1 describes a dispensing device using a dispensing orifice of circular shape defined by the juxtaposition of several flexible lips providing a progressive narrowing of said dispensing orifice.

The document EP 0 109 343 A1 describes a dispensing device using a dispensing orifice defined between two rigid lips movable in translation one away from the other and permanently biased towards each other for a pinching effect of the foliated article engaged in the dispensing orifice.

A dispenser as described in the document is also known. EP 2 083 659 B1 , comprising a housing adapted to receive said roll of foliated articles in rotation about a longitudinal axis. The housing has a dispensing opening through which the articles can be extracted. foliated out of the housing, said dispensing opening comprising a slot extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and defined between two flexible and flat lips which come into contact with the foliated article when it leaves.

To limit the risks of looting by malicious people, there is provided in this distributor means for braking the rotation of the roller by means of lateral flanges, fixed relative to the housing and coming by pressing to bear on the ends of the roller. foliate articles. The fact that users have to force to extract an item deters them from taking too much.

A first drawback of this distribution device is that the braking means increase its manufacturing cost.

A second drawback is that the resistance induced by the braking means that a user must overcome is a function of the diameter of the roll of foliage articles. The more the radius of the roll decreases, the more the lever arm to rotate the roll decreases, so that the tensile force to be applied on the foliated article to rotate the roll and extract the foliated article increases as time goes by. and as the radius of the roll decreases. However, the foliated articles are generally connected to each other by precut provided to break under a constant predefined tensile force when the article following the extracted article begins to exit through the slot of the dispensing opening. Due to the increase in the tensile force to be applied to the foliated article during extraction, as the radius of the roll decreases, there is sometimes a rupture of the pre-cuts even before the The article following the extracted article begins to exit through the slit of the dispensing opening. The dispenser is then “defused”: no foliated article protruding through the slot of the dispensing opening, making any extraction by a user impossible. Since the housing is generally locked, the intervention of a technician is then necessary to “re-prime” the dispenser by unlocking and opening the housing and by inserting a part of the following foliated article through the slot of the dispensing opening.

To resolve these drawbacks, the applicant has carried out confidential tests (not publicly disclosed) by removing the braking means and leaving the roll of leaf articles to rotate freely around the longitudinal axis.

It has been found that, in the absence of means for braking the rotation of the roller, the roller can be driven in rapid rotation around the longitudinal axis. However, the roller has a significant inertia, in particular when it is relatively recent (and therefore has a large diameter). Thus, when a foliage article is extracted rapidly, driving the roller at a high rotational speed, and separates from the next foliage article, which next foliage article protrudes through the slot of the dispensing opening, the roller continues its rotation by inertia and unwinds inside the housing. After a certain number of turns, it often happens that the roller rewinds on itself in the opposite direction. The foliated article which then protruded through the slot of the dispensing opening is "swallowed" inside the housing, which has the effect of defusing the dispenser, again making it necessary for a technician to intervene.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A problem proposed by the present invention is to design a reliable, simple and inexpensive dispenser making it possible to distribute follower articles while limiting, on the one hand, the risks of vandalism and looting by successive frantic taking of articles, and by limiting d 'on the other hand the risks of untimely deactivation.

To achieve these and other objects, the invention provides a device for dispensing foliate articles in a strip wound in the form of a roll, said device comprising a housing adapted to receive said roll in rotation about an axis. longitudinal, said casing comprising a dispensing opening through which the leaf articles can be extracted from the casing, said dispensing opening comprising a slot extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and defined between two flexible lips forming a first surface on the outer side of the casing. housing and forming a second surface on the inside of the housing, characterized in that, in section along a transverse plane, the first surface has along the slit a convexity which is greater than that of the second surface.

During the extraction of a foliated article, the lips rub against the foliated article, which slows down the extraction movement and limits the risks of successive frantic gripping of articles.

Furthermore, due to their different convexities, the lips provide different retention depending on the direction in which a leaf article is pulled through the slot. In this case, in the present invention, the lips more easily allow the foliated article to pass towards the outside of the housing, and exert a greater retention of the foliated article when the latter tends to be swallowed inside the housing, which limits the risks of untimely deactivation.

Advantageously, the second surface can be substantially planar.

Alternatively, the second surface may be concave to even better allow the leaf articles to pass to the outside of the housing.

Preferably, in the transverse plane, the first surface may be substantially in the form of a dihedron. When a foliate article tends to be tucked into the interior of the housing, pinching of the foliage occurs between the lips at the upper edge of the dihedron.

Advantageously, the dihedron can have an angle of less than 90 degrees. Such an angle makes it possible not to stiffen the lips too much, which would hamper the extraction of articles from the casing, while providing a strong pinching of the foliated article tending to be swallowed up inside the casing.

• la fente s'étend entre une première extrémité et une deuxième extrémité,
• les lèvres comportent au moins une première découpe transversale et une deuxième découpe transversale s'étendant transversalement de part et d'autre de la fente, lesdites première et deuxième découpes transversales étant respectivement situées à l'écart des première et deuxième extrémités de la fente.

Preferably, it can be provided that:

• the slot extends between a first end and a second end,
• the lips comprise at least a first transverse cutout and a second transverse cutout extending transversely on either side of the slot, said first and second transverse cutouts being respectively located away from the first and second ends of the slot.

Such cutouts prove to be particularly useful in the case of foliated articles in a strip of the "suspender bag" type. In such a strip, the straps of one bag are connected to the bottom of the next bag by pre-cutouts. When a bag being extracted is no longer engaged by its straps through the slot in the housing, the sections of the lips located longitudinally between the cutouts remain in place and are not lifted by the traction carried out on the straps . Thus, when the next bag begins to come out of the case through the slot, its bottom rubs, on the one hand on the sections of lips which rubbed on the straps of the previous bag, on the other hand on the sections of the lips located longitudinally. between the cuts. This results in a sudden and clear increase in the retaining force on the strip of foliated article, which causes the breakage of the pre-cuts. The bag pulled by the user is thus automatically released while retaining the device initiated by passing the next bag through the slot.

Advantageously, the first and second transverse cutouts may be located, away from the first and second ends of the slot, at a distance of between approximately 1.5 cm and approximately 5 cm. The lips thus comprise end sections, located between the cutouts and the first and second ends of the slot, and which come to exert a satisfactory friction against the straps.

Preferably, the dispensing device may include roller receiving means allowing free rotation of the roller about the longitudinal axis. The device is thus simple and inexpensive to manufacture. And the risk of inadvertent breakage of the pre-cutouts inside the housing is reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• [Fig.1] La figure 1 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale et de dessus d'un mode de réalisation particulier de dispositif de distribution selon l'invention ;
• [Fig.2] La figure 2 est une vue schématique en coupe transversale du dispositif de distribution de la figure 1 ;
• [Fig.3] La figure 3 est une vue schématique de face du dispositif de distribution de la figure 1 ;
• [Fig.4] La figure 4 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale et de dessus du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3 lors de l'extraction d'un premier article folié ;
• [Fig.5] La figure 5 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale et de dessus du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3 en fin d'extraction du premier article folié ;
• [Fig.6] La figure 6 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale et de dessus du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3 en fin d'extraction du premier article folié, lorsque celui-ci s'est détaché de l'article folié suivant ;
• [Fig.7] La figure 7 est une vue schématique de détail en coupe transversale des lèvres du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3 ;
• [Fig.8] La figure 8 est une vue schématique de détail en coupe transversale des lèvres du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3, pendant l'extraction d'un premier article folié ;
• [Fig.9] La figure 9 est une vue schématique de détail en coupe transversale des lèvres du dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3, lorsque la rotation du rouleau tend à ravaler l'article folié suivant dans le boîtier ;
• [Fig.10] La figure 10 est une vue schématique de détail en coupe transversale d'une variante de lèvres pour le dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3 ; et
• [Fig.11] La figure 11 est une vue schématique de détail en coupe transversale d'une autre variante de lèvres pour le dispositif de distribution des figures 1 à 3.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the accompanying figures, among which:

• [ Fig. 1 ] The figure 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal section and from above of a particular embodiment of the dispensing device according to the invention;
• [ Fig. 2 ] The figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dispensing device of the figure 1 ;
• [ Fig. 3 ] The figure 3 is a schematic front view of the dispensing device figure 1 ;
• [ Fig. 4 ] The figure 4 is a schematic view in longitudinal section and from above of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 when extracting a first foliated article;
• [ Fig. 5 ] The figure 5 is a schematic view in longitudinal section and from above of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 at the end of the extraction of the first foliated article;
• [ Fig. 6 ] The figure 6 is a schematic view in longitudinal section and from above of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 at the end of the extraction of the first foliated article, when the latter has become detached from the following foliated article;
• [ Fig. 7 ] The figure 7 is a schematic detail view in cross section of the lips of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 ;
• [ Fig. 8 ] The figure 8 is a schematic detail view in cross section of the lips of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 , during the extraction of a foliated first article;
• [ Fig. 9 ] The figure 9 is a schematic detail view in cross section of the lips of the dispensing device figures 1 to 3 , when the rotation of the roller tends to swallow the next foliated article in the housing;
• [ Fig. 10 ] The figure 10 is a schematic detail view in cross section of a variant of lips for the dispensing device of figures 1 to 3 ; and
• [ Fig.11 ] The figure 11 is a schematic detail view in cross section of another variant of lips for the dispensing device of figures 1 to 3 .

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

On the figures 1 to 9 A particular embodiment of the dispensing device 1 according to the present invention is illustrated.

This dispensing device 1 is intended for dispensing foliated articles in a strip 2 wound in the form of a roll 3. The device 1 comprises a housing 4 capable of receiving said roll 3 in rotation about a longitudinal axis I-I.

In this case, the dispensing device 1 comprises receiving means 14 allowing free rotation of the roller 3 around the longitudinal axis II. The receiving means 14 comprise two substantially frustoconical points 14a and 14b, integral with the housing 4 and fixed with respect to the latter, between which is disposed in free rotation a tube 30 around which is wound the strip 2 forming the roll 3 ( figure 2 ). The substantially frustoconical points 14a and 14b are engaged in the tube 30 to maintain the latter along the longitudinal axis 1-1.

As an alternative, the substantially frustoconical tips 14a and 14b can press the tube 30 together, but being themselves in free rotation with respect to the housing around the longitudinal axis I-I.

The casing 4 comprises a dispensing opening 5 through which the foliated articles can be extracted from the casing 4 along a transverse axis II-II, said dispensing opening 5 comprising a slot 6 extending parallel to said longitudinal axis II and defined between two flexible lips 7 and 8 forming a first surface S1 on the exterior side 9 of the housing 4 and forming a second surface S2 on the interior side 10 of the housing 4.

As it is more particularly visible on the figures 2 and 7 , in section along a transverse plane PT (parallel to the transverse axis II-II and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis II), the first surface S1 presents along the slot 6 (that is to say along a part at least of the length of the slot 6) a convexity which is greater than that of the second surface S2.

In this case, the second surface S2 is substantially planar while, in the transverse plane PT, the first surface S1 is substantially in the form of a convex dihedron 11.

The dihedron 11 here has an angle A less than 180 degrees and greater than 90 degrees. However, an angle A of less than 90 degrees may be preferred.

• la fente 6 s'étend entre une première extrémité 6a et une deuxième extrémité 6b,
• les lèvres 7 et 8 comportent au moins une première découpe transversale 12 et une deuxième découpe transversale 13 s'étendant transversalement de part et d'autre de la fente 6, lesdites première 12 et deuxième 13 découpes transversales étant respectivement situées à l'écart des première 6a et deuxième 6b extrémités de la fente 6.

On the figure 3 , we can see that :

• the slot 6 extends between a first end 6a and a second end 6b,
• the lips 7 and 8 comprise at least a first transverse cutout 12 and a second transverse cutout 13 extending transversely on either side of the slot 6, said first 12 and second 13 transverse cutouts being respectively located away from the first 6a and second 6b ends of slot 6.

The first 12 and second 13 transverse cuts are located, away from the first 6a and second 6b ends of the slot 6, at distances D1 and D2 of between approximately 1.5 cm and approximately 5 cm.

Other cutouts 18a to 18d can be made along the slot 6.

The operation of the device 1, for the distribution of foliated articles of the “suspender bags” type will now be explained by means of the figures 1 to 9 .

Initially, the device 1 is presented as illustrated on the figures 1 to 3 , with a bag 15 protruding slightly from the housing 4 through the slot 6 of the dispensing opening 5.

The flexible lips 7 and 8 are in the position shown on the figure 7 , in which they slightly pinch, depending on their thickness, the bag 15 between their free ends 7a and 8a.

To extract the bag 15, a user pulls along the transverse axis II-II on the bag 15 by gripping it by its part projecting outside the housing 4. This movement is illustrated by arrow 16.

This movement induces a slight pivoting of the lips 7 and 8 towards the outside 9 of the housing 4, as illustrated in figure 8 by means of arrows 17. The bag 15 then only rubs against the posterior edges 7b and 8b of the lips 7 and 8, or even rubs against only one of the posterior edges 7b and 8b. The user can thus remove the bag 15 until it reaches the position illustrated on the figure 4 .

On the figure 4 , the bag 15 is still engaged through the slot 6 of the dispensing opening 5, but only along its straps 15a and 15b.

At their free ends 150a and 150b, the straps 15a and 15b are connected to the bottom 19c of the following bag 19 by pre-cutouts 20 and 21 illustrated schematically by broken lines.

The straps 15a and 15b having a width less than D1 and D2, the bag 15 only rubs against the lips 7 and 8 according to the section of lips located between the end 6a and the cutout 12 and according to the section of lips located between the 'end 6b and the cutout 13. The bag no longer rubs against the lips 7 and 8 between the cutouts 12 and 13. The tensile force performed by the user, when performing the movement illustrated by the arrow 16, decreases thus from the moment when the straps 15a and 15b pass through the slot 6.

• les tronçons de lèvres 7 et 8 situés entre l'extrémité 6a et la découpe 12, et entre l'extrémité 6b et la découpe 13, se présentent dans la configuration illustrée sur la figure 8,
• les tronçons de lèvres 7 et 8 situés entres les découpes 12 et 13 se présentent dans la configuration illustrée sur la figure 7.

Thus, in the position of the figure 4 :

• the lip sections 7 and 8 located between the end 6a and the cutout 12, and between the end 6b and the cutout 13, are in the configuration illustrated on figure 8 ,
• the lip sections 7 and 8 located between the cutouts 12 and 13 are in the configuration illustrated on the figure 7 .

The user continues to pull on the bag 15 in the movement illustrated by the arrow 16, until reaching the position illustrated on the figure. figure 5 , in which the next bag 19 begins to protrude along its bottom 19c through the slot 6 of the dispensing opening 5. At this moment, the next bag 19 rubs against the lips 7 and 8 along their entire length, and in particular against the lip sections 7 and 8 located between the cutouts 12 and 13. The result, with respect to the position of the figure 4 , where only the straps 15a and 15b pass through the slot 6, a sudden increase in the tensile force that the user must perform when he continues the movement illustrated by the arrow 16. This sudden increase causes the breakage of the pre-cutouts 20 and 21, which detaches the bag 15 from the strip 2.

The bag 15 has thus been dispensed, while automatically leaving the bottom 19c of the next bag 19 to protrude in order to keep the device 1 primed.

If the bag 15 has been quickly pulled out of the housing 4, the roller 3 can, after the next bag 19 has reached the position shown in the figure. figure 6 , continue to rotate around the longitudinal axis 1-1 under the effect of its inertia. After a partial unwinding of the roll 3 in the housing 4, there may be a rewinding (in the opposite direction) of the roll 3, which then generates a traction on the following bag 19 according to a movement illustrated according to arrow 22 (reverse to that illustrated by arrow 16).

As shown on the figure 9 , such a movement (arrow 22) produces a slight pivoting of the lips 7 and 8 (illustrated by the arrows 23) towards the interior 10 of the housing 4. Due to the greater convexity of the surface S1, the greater the traction. (arrow 22) on the next bag 19, plus the free ends 7a and 8a of the lips 7 and 8 are pressed against each other in the vicinity of their front edges 7c and 8c. Thus, the lips 7 and 8 strongly grip the following bag 19 along their anterior edges 7c and 8c, and effectively prevent the following bag 19 from being swallowed inside the housing 4. The device 1 thus remains primed.

On the figures 10 and 11 two variants of lips 7 and 8 are illustrated. In these two variants, the second surface S2 is concave. Be that as it may, the first surface S1 always presents along the slot 6 a convexity which is greater than that of the second surface S2. The operation of these lips 7 and 8 is similar in all respects to that explained in connection with the figures 1 to 9 .

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variations and generalizations contained within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (8)

1. Device (1) for dispensing banded foliated items (2) wound in the form of a roll (3), said device (1) comprising a housing (4) capable of receiving said roll (3) in rotation about a longitudinal axis (I-I), said housing (4) comprising a dispensing opening (5) through which the foliated items can be extracted from the housing (4), said dispensing opening (5) comprising a slit (6) running parallel to said longitudinal axis (I-I) and defined between two flexible lips (7, 8) forming a first surface (S1) on the outside (9) of the housing (4) and forming a second surface (S2) on the inside (10) of the housing (4), characterized in that, in cross section on a transverse plane (PT), the first surface (S1) exhibits, along the slit (6), a convexity which is greater than that of the second surface (S2).
2. Dispensing device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second surface (S2) is substantially flat.
3. Dispensing device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second surface (S2) is concave.
4. Dispensing device (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the transverse plane (PT), the first surface (S1) is substantially in the form of a dihedron (11).
5. Dispensing device (1) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the dihedron (11) has an angle (A) less than 90 degrees.
6. Dispensing device (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:

   - the slit (6) extends between a first end (6a) and a second end (6b),

   - the lips (7, 8) include at least one first transverse cutout (12) and one second transverse cutout (13) extending transversely on either side of the slit (6), said first (12) and second (13) transverse cutouts being respectively situated away from the first (6a) and second (6b) ends of the slit (6).
7. Dispensing device (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the first (12) and second (13) transverse cutouts are situated, away from the first (6a) and second (6b) ends of the slit (6), at a distance (D1, D2) of between approximately 1.5 cm and approximately 5 cm.
8. Dispensing device (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises receiving means (14) allowing a free pivoting of the roll (3) about the longitudinal axis (I-I).

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