ES2655327B1 - PRE-DECORATED PAPER SHEET DISPENSER - Google Patents

Abstract

Pre-cut paper sheet dispenser # Includes means (2) to hold a roll of paper (3) inside a housing (1), cutting means (4, 5) of a sheet (3a) of paper (3) ) pre-cut and means for holding (6, 7) one end of the paper (3) of said roll once a sheet (3a) of precut paper has been removed, and is characterized in that said paper holding means comprise a pressure bar (6) arranged and adapted to permanently contact the paper (3) while a user pulls the paper (3) to remove a sheet (3a), and by the fact that said cutting means comprise an element (4) cutting provided on a support surface (5) of a sheet (3a) paper (3), said support surface (5) associated with said pressure bar (6) so that a sheet (3a) of paper can be manually cut by said cutting element (4) when the user modifies the direction of the paper on said support surface (5) while the paper perman It is tensioned with the pressure bar (6).

Description

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DESCRIPTION

PRE-DECORATED PAPER SHEET DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a dispenser for sheets of pre-cut paper, such as sheets of paper for towels or the like, which allows to obtain paper towels or napkins, and other similar elements, from a roll of paper or similar material pre-cut The invention allows delivery so that the dispensed amount is predetermined.

The dispenser can be used in the sanitary sector for the drying of the hands, in the industrial sector for the cleaning of surfaces, in the sanitary sector for the supply of toilet paper, in the catering sector for the supply of napkin paper, in the distribution sector for the packing of objects whether food or not, and in any sector that needs to obtain a certain amount of paper or similar material.

STATE OF THE ART

There are several types of paper dispensers in rolls with numerous patents.

The most commonly used are devices that distribute the paper around its axis, called wick or chimney dispensers, by which the paper is manually stretched from the inner axis of the roll that is in the vertical position. At the outlet of the apparatus, a lateral force must be exerted to cut the paper with a serrated cutting surface. The drawback of this technique is that the paper comes out wrinkled and that the length of the paper dispensed is not previously determined but depends on the force applied by the user.

With the roll in horizontal position there are other types of dispensers that can be summarized in three. The simplest is a lever dispenser, whereby an outer lever is actuated so that an inner rack moves a pinion that supplies a certain amount of paper. This dispenser also requires that the paper be cut by exerting a lateral force, moving the paper against a saw blade.

A second type of device solves the problem of the lever -which ends up being a point of bacteriological contagion among the users- by means of an automation of the mechanism, so that a motor supplies the fixed amount of paper, which in turn must be cut off. manually against a serreta outside the appliance. This second device solves the

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problem of user contact with the lever but persists in the manual cutting mode once the amount of paper is supplied.

Finally another device called "auto-cut" automatically cuts the paper in the form of a roll. For its operation, the paper is pulled outwards, an action that moves an inner roller whose development coincides with the determined amount of paper to be supplied. The roller has a moving blade that is the one that finally cuts the paper when it passes over another fixed blade. To overcome the cutting action, the pulling force loads a spring that will yield its energy just at the moment of cutting. The design solves all the problems of the lever and electric dispensers, so the supplied paper always has the same length, does not contaminate between different users and the paper is definitely cut.

However, this third system introduces a new problem that is paper resistance. As the apparatus needs a cutting energy that accumulates with the paper extraction force, the resistance of the paper must be noticeably high. Moreover, the greater use of this type of apparatus is for the drying of hands, and the humidity reduces the resistance of the paper. Therefore, this type of apparatus is limited to the use of papers with a minimum weight that gives sufficient strength to move the internal drum and exert the cut. Another option is to make a paper more resistant to moisture, but it increases the cost. In addition to all this, this device limits the use of low grammages for the use of toilet paper or napkin paper, for example.

A development of this type uses pre-cut paper, so that the dispenser calculates the length of the pre-cut and fixes the paper just at the moment where the paper must be cut. This last system consists of a roller with an encoder that calculates the length of the paper in such a way that it drives one or two coils that fix a pinch roller.

Examples of dispensers of the state of the art can be observed in US4186633A, US2003110911A1 and WO9322962A1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a pre-cut sheet paper dispenser having the advantages described below. This dispenser solves the problems of the state of the art with its different embodiments.

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The pre-cut paper sheet dispenser comprises means for holding a roll of paper inside a housing. It includes means for cutting a sheet of pre-cut paper and means for holding one end of the paper of said roll once a sheet of pre-cut paper has been removed. In addition, the paper holding means comprises a pressure bar arranged and adapted to permanently contact the paper while the user pulls the paper to remove a sheet. Likewise, the cutting means comprise a cutting element provided on a paper supporting surface that is associated with said pressure bar. The sheets of paper are capable of being cut manually by said cutting element when the user modifies the direction of the paper in contact with a edge of said support surface while the paper remains tensioned by the pressure bar.

The claimed device has the advantage that it allows the paper to be manually and effectively cut by its pre-cut line using very few components. The pressure bar provides the minimum pressure and tension necessary so that the user can make the cut only by modifying the direction of the paper in contact with the edge of the support surface.

Preferably, the pressure bar is arranged and adapted to press a sheet of paper on an auxiliary support base, the role of running between said auxiliary support base and said pressure bar being susceptible while the user pulls the paper to remove a sheet .

According to a preferred embodiment, said auxiliary support base comprises a paper support roller which is arranged in the housing to cooperate with said pressure bar so as to receive a paper end coming from said roll. In another embodiment, said auxiliary base may be a support plate arranged to cooperate with the same pressure bar so as to receive one end of the paper roll from a paper forwarding roller to said support plate. In any case, both the support roller and the support plate should always allow the sheet of paper to run under said pressure bar while the user pulls the paper to remove said sheet.

According to the same preferred embodiment, the pressure bar is arranged and adapted to press the paper due to the force of gravity acting on the mass of the bar and, advantageously, the mass of said bar is determined as a function of the resistance that offers the paper and / or the type of perforated paper, to be able to pull the paper and cut it

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easily by the pre-cut line without tearing it. It has been observed that, for example, a suitable mass of the pressure bar can be a mass equal to or greater than 200 gr.

Advantageously, said dispenser comprises means for regulating the pressure exerted by the bar on the paper depending on the resistance offered by the paper and / or the type of perforation that the paper possesses.

According to an embodiment, said means for regulating the pressure comprise a set of springs arranged in an upper cover of the dispenser housing so that when closing the cover the springs act on the pressure bar.

Preferably, according to one embodiment, the pressure bar is hingedly joined to the housing so that it is capable of being raised to an upper position in order to be able to easily remove the paper roll. For example, each end of said pressure bar is attached to a rotating arm which is hinged at one of its ends to a side wall of the housing. According to another embodiment, the pressure bar can be attached to a collapsible upper lid of the dispenser housing so that said bar is able to contact the paper when closing said upper lid.

Again preferably, the paper cutting element is disposed on a bearing surface, such as for example a paper support platform, which is mounted swingably in the housing of the dispenser and, advantageously, the dispenser comprises means for fixing the angular position of said support surface. In this way, the paper exit angle can be modified depending on the paper type.

According to a preferred embodiment, the cutting element is arranged on one edge of the paper supporting surface.

One of the advantages of the invention is the possibility of using more efficient and reliable types of cutting elements. For example, the cutting element may be a profile with protuberances or a profile with a sharp edge. Normally, the cutting element will be on the edge of the support surface where the change of paper direction occurs.

The casing will be dimensioned to be able to be hung from a wall, or deposited on a support table, and preferably it will comprise a cover arranged on one side for

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facilitate the removal of the paper roll. The paper roll holding means can be, for example, a spool holder.

The paper dispenser of the present invention may be adapted to dispense sheets of pre-cut paper of any type of paper. For example, sheets of cellulose paper of one or several layers, suitable for hygienic use, for packaging or for use in restoration or similar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of all that has been presented, some drawings are attached in which, schematically and only by way of non-limiting example, several practical cases of embodiment of the pre-cut paper sheet dispenser are represented.

Figure 1 shows a schematic top view of a dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment.

Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a schematic section of a dispenser according to another embodiment, together with a detail extension.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the dispenser.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 4 showing a sheet of paper on the supporting surface.

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the dispenser of Figure 4 devoid of a part of the outer casing.

Figure 7 shows a detail of the pressure bar assembly, auxiliary support base and paper support surface, of the dispenser of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a schematic side view of the assembly of Figure 7 devoid of a sheet of pre-cut paper.

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MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Next, several embodiments of the invention will be briefly described, as an illustrative and non-limiting example thereof, with reference to the figures.

The present invention includes an apparatus for dispensing sheets of pre-cut paper in roll form with a certain length so that no force must be exerted on the paper to be used in its cut.

The pre-cut sheet paper dispenser shown in the embodiments of the figures comprises a housing 1 with a spool holder 2 for holding a roll 3 of paper or other similar pre-cut element. It also comprises cutting means 4, 5 of the paper, for forming sheets 3a of pre-cut paper, and means for holding 6, 7 an end of the paper of said roll once a sheet 3a of pre-cut paper 3 has been removed. The paper holding means comprises a pressure bar 6 arranged and adapted to permanently contact the paper while the user pulls the paper to remove a sheet 3a. Likewise, the cutting means comprise a cutting element 4 provided on a paper support surface 5 which is associated with the pressure bar 6. In this way, the sheet 3a of paper or the like is capable of being manually cut by said cutting element 4 when the user modifies the direction of the paper in contact with a edge of said support surface 5 while the paper remains stretched by the bar 6 of pressure.

When the paper 3 is retained by the fastening means 6, 7, when the user pulls the free end of the paper 3, a tension is secured that helps the paper break in the cutting element 4 but is not excessive to prevent breakage unwanted in the clamping line. The clamping means 6, 7 also have the function of preventing the paper from retracting after its breaking. In this way there is always a piece of paper 3 available for a new service.

The change of direction and the pre-cut (not shown) of the paper 3 allow a manual cut without requiring additional elements to effect the cut.

In all embodiments, the pressure bar 6 is arranged and adapted to press a sheet 3a of paper onto an auxiliary support base 7. Likewise, the paper 3 must be able to run between said auxiliary support base 7 and said pressure bar 6 while the user pulls the paper 3 to remove a sheet 3a. The auxiliary base 7 may have

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several forms: a plate, a roller, a profile, ... as long as it allows the pinching of the paper 3 between the bar 6 and the auxiliary base 7.

To facilitate the correct orientation of the paper 3 as it is unwound, when the auxiliary base 7 is a support plate, the dispenser 1 also includes a paper return roller 3 up to said support plate (see figure 3).

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bar 6 has means to regulate its pressure on the paper 3 depending on the resistance and the type of perforation that the paper has 3. If the paper 3 is very resistant, it will be necessary increase the pressure to produce the break. On the other hand, if it is weak, excessive pressure can cause undesired breaks in the clamping line.

Normally, a bar 6 that rests on the base 7 simply by gravity is sufficient. The mass of the pressure bar 6 may vary depending on the strength and type of paper, but a mass of 200 gr may suffice.

In the embodiment described in FIGS. 4 to 8, the bar 6 is hingedly connected to the housing 1 so that it is capable of being lifted up to an upper position in order to be able to easily remove the paper roll 3. For example, each from the ends of said pressure bar 6 is attached to a rotary arm 13 which is hinged at one of its ends to a side wall of the housing 1.

An example of means for regulating the pressure can be a system of springs 9 arranged in a hinged upper lid 10 of the housing 1 of the dispenser so that when closing the lid 10 the springs 9 act on the pressure bar 6. When the cover 10 is opened, it will be possible to act on the springs 9 or on its support to increase or decrease the pressure.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, and 4 to 8, the bearing surface 5 is pivotally mounted in the housing 1 in order to be able to modify the cutting angle "a" of the paper. In this way the change of direction that occurs on the cutting element 4 is controllable. In any case, whether the tilting support surface 5 or not, this surface will be arranged so that the value of the cutting angle "a" of the paper is between 120 and 150 ° (see Figure 3 and Figure 5)

The cutting element 4 will generally be arranged on the edge of said support surface 5 of the paper, which may be a living edge or a series of protuberances, for example teeth distributed on the edge.

The housing 1 can be arranged in several positions, generally hanging on a wall, or deposited on a support table. For that the dimensions must be calculated according to their use. In a preferred embodiment, the paper exit will be in the upper part of the housing 1.

Finally, the paper roll 3 can be removed by the upper lid 10 where the means for regulating the pressure or in a side cover 11 are arranged.

Other variants of the dispenser may include a fabric 12 or elastic element that frictionally brakes the roll rotation, brackets on the wall, rubber pads for support on a table or on the floor.

Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the dispenser is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the mentioned details can be replaced by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims (16)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 1. Paper dispenser (3a) pre-cut (3), such as pre-cut paper (3) in roll form, comprising means (2) to hold a roll of paper (3) inside the a casing (1), cutting means (4,5) of a sheet (3a) of pre-cut paper (3) and means for holding (6,7) one end of the paper (3) of said roll once removed a sheet (3a) of pre-cut paper, characterized in that said paper holding means comprise a pressure bar (6) arranged and adapted to permanently contact the paper (3) while a user pulls the paper (3) to remove a sheet (3a), and by the fact that said cutting means comprise a cutting element (4) provided on a support surface (5) of a sheet (3a) paper (3), being associated said support surface (5) to said pressure bar (6) so that a paper sheet (3a) can be manually cut by said cutting element (4) when the user modifies the direction of the paper the above said support surface (5) while the paper remains tensioned with the pressure bar (6). Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said pressure bar (6) is arranged and adapted to press a sheet (3a) of paper on an auxiliary support base (7), the paper being able to run between said base (7) auxiliary support and said pressure bar (6) while the user pulls the paper (3) to remove a sheet (3a). Dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary base (7) comprises a paper support roller (3a) which is arranged in the housing (1) to cooperate with said pressure bar (6). Dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 2, wherein said pressure bar (6) is arranged and adapted to press the paper (3) by effect of gravity acting on the mass of the bar ( 6). Dispensing according to claim 4, in which the mass of said bar (6) is determined according to the strength of the paper (3) and / or the type of perforation that the paper (3) possesses. Dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, comprising means for regulating the pressure of the bar (6) on the paper (3) depending on the resistance and the type of perforation that the paper (3) has. 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 7. Dispenser according to claim 6, wherein said means for regulating the pressure comprise a set of springs (9) arranged in a top cover (10) hinged the housing (1) of the dispenser so that when closing the lid ( 10) the springs (9) act on the pressure bar (6). Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pressure rod (6) is hingedly connected to the housing (1) so that it is capable of being lifted up to an upper position which allows the roll of paper to be removed (3). ). Dispenser according to claim 8, in which each end of said pressure bar (6) is connected to a rotating arm (13) which is articulated at one of its ends to a wall of the housing (1) . Dispenser according to any of claims 2 to 9, comprising a paper return roller (8) to said auxiliary support base (7). Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims 1, wherein said cutting element (4) is arranged on a paper supporting surface (5) that is mounted swingably in the housing (1) of the dispenser. Dispenser according to claim 11, comprising means for fixing a certain angular position of said support surface (5). Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cutting element (4) is arranged on one edge of said paper supporting surface (5) (3). 14. Dispenser according to claim 13, wherein said cutting element (4) is configured as a sharp cutting edge on said support surface (5). 15. Dispenser according to claim 13, wherein said cutting element (4) is shaped as protuberances on one edge of said support surface (5). Dispenser according to claim 1, comprising a housing (1) sized so that it can be hung from a wall, or deposited on a support table.