GB2390357A

GB2390357A - Web material dispenser having a plurality of dispensing openings.

Info

Publication number: GB2390357A
Application number: GB0312717A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Sundberg
Original assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB
Current assignee: Essity Hygiene and Health AB
Priority date: 2002-06-06
Filing date: 2003-06-03
Publication date: 2004-01-07
Also published as: SE0201729D0; GB0312717D0

Abstract

A dispenser 1 for a core-less roll of web material 2 comprises a casing 3 with first and second openings, the first 8 arranged so as to allow web material to be axially drawn from the axial centre of the roll and the second 12 so as to allow web material to be unwound from the periphery of the roll. The openings may be provided with cutting devices 10,15 to sever the free ends of the web material and may have a length considerably exceeding their width, which may vary along the length of the openings. A third opening (not shown) may be provided in the periphery of the dispenser. The roll of web material may be rotatably mounted within the casing and the casing may be provided with a support allowing it to be mounted on a substrate such as a wall.

Description

l t.; DISPENSER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a dispenser for a fibre web on a roll comprising a casing for enclosing the roll, which dispenser has a first axial extension 10 and an axial centre line, in which axial extension the axial extension of the roll is designed to be arranged, an opening being arranged in the dispenser centrally in its axial extension for removal of the fibre web from the centre of the roll.

15 BACKGROUND ART

Tissue paper is often distributed on rolls and is used by a consumer from these rolls. Traditionally, tissue paper on rolls, such as toilet paper or household towels, has been rolled up on a hollow cardboard tube. The 20 cardboard has been rolled into a tube and glued together. The tube has also been glued to the innermost ply of tissue paper, so that the tissue paper will not come off the tube. When the product is to be used by a consumer, the roll is usually placed on a pin around which the roll can rotate while the tissue paper is unrolled from the cardboard tube from the 25 periphery of the roll of tissue paper.

The technique of rolling up tissue paper on a cardboard tube has, however, a number of disadvantages. The manufacturing process comprises not only the production of the tissue paper but also the 30 manufacture of the cardboard tube and a gluing step. When the tissue paper is used up, a cardboard tube remains which must be disposed of in some way. This can be a problem from an environmental point of view. The manufacturing process is also fairly expensive, as it comprises additional steps concerning the manufacture of cardboard tubes and steps 35 concerning gluing the cardboard tubes to the rolls of tissue paper. Another disadvantage of tissue paper rolls that contain cardboard tubes is that in public places they are stolen fairly frequently, as they fit the holders for tissue paper that are to be found in the home.

There is therefore a need for a tissue paper dispenser, which does not have the abovementioned disadvantages.

The abovementioned problems have been solved by manufacturing rolls of 5 tissue paper without cardboard tubes.

These rolls of tissue paper without cardboard tubes are usually arranged so that the roll of tissue paper is put in a dispenser with one short end of the roll arranged over the dispensing opening in the dispenser. The tissue 10 paper is removed from the centre of the roll and the roll can remain stationary. However, this design means that the paper that is fed out from the centre of the roll and the dispenser is twisted. Some consumers do not like to use 15 twisted paper or to have to flatten out the piece of paper from a twisted configuration into a flat configuration.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

20 The invention solves the abovementioned problem by the dispenser comprising a second opening arranged in the periphery of the dispenser in relation to the axial centre line of the dispenser for removal of the fibre web from the periphery of a roll. The material of the fibre web can, for example, be tissue paper or non-woven material.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a tearing device for tearing off the fibre web is arranged in conjunction with the openings. The tearing device makes it easier for the consumer to tear off the required length of the fibre web. The tearing device can be an edge, possibly 30 serrated.

According to an embodiment of the invention, an additional third opening can be arranged in the periphery of the dispenser. When the dispenser has two peripheral openings, it is possible for the user to select the 35 opening for the peripheral removal of the fibre web. This can be an advantage when the dispenser is located in different positions, for example in tight spaces where access is limited.

l In order to facilitate the feeding out of the fibre web from the periphery' a means for rotation of the roll can be arranged in the dispenser. The rotation means can be a bearing. The bearing is then arranged at the bottom of the dispenser, surrounding the central opening and supporting 5 the roll that is inside the dispenser. The rotation means can also be a smooth surface on the walls with which the roll comes into contact. This can depend upon how the dispenser is mounted or how the dispenser is positioned in cases when the dispenser is not fixed to a substrate.

10 The peripheral opening or openings are preferably of the letterbox type that is rectangular with a length that considerably exceeds the width. This is to ensure that the fibre web can be fed out in the best possible way.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of the opening varies over the length. This is to ensure that the fibre web is fed 15 out in the best possible way, while at the same time making it easier for the consumer to take hold of the outer end of the fibre web. This is achieved by the width of the opening or openings being greater at a middle section and narrower at the end sections.

20 According to an embodiment of the invention, the dispenser comprises a support for attaching it to a substrate. As the dispenser is attached to a substrate by means of the support, it is easy for the user to remove material from the roll, using just one hand. This is, however, not necessary for the invention. The dispenser can also be used without a support. An 25 advantage of such a dispenser is that it is portable.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a dispenser for tissue paper on a roll according to an 30 embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a dispenser for tissue paper on a roll according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

35 Figure 3 shows a roll of tissue paper placed in a dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a dispenser 1 according to an embodiment of the invention provided with a roll 2 of tissue paper. The dispenser is shown from a 5 perspective view. The dispenser comprises a casing 3 and a support 4 for holding the roll 2. The dispenser 1 has an axial centre line 5 which is arranged to coincide with an imaginary axial centre line 6 on the roll 2 when this is placed in the dispenser 1. The casing 3 is attached to the support 4 by means of a screw 7a-b on each side of the casing 3, in such a 10 way that it can pivot. By means of this construction, the casing 3 can be opened in order to insert a new roll 2 and can be closed to enclose the roll 2 in use. The dispenser 1 with the casing 3 in the opened position is shown in Figure 4. The casing 3 has an essentially cubic shape, with the exception of the side of the cube that constitutes the support 4. In other 15 words, the cross-section of the dispenser is essentially a square. Other cross-sections, such as a semicircle or a circle and other shapes of dispenser, such as a cylinder or the like, are also possible within the framework of the invention. The cross-section can vary with the height of the dispenser, so that the dispenser is, for example, in the shape of a cone 20 or a pyramid. Viewed in cross-section, the casing constitutes three of the four sides of the square and the support constitutes the fourth side. This is only one example of how a dispenser according to the invention is designed. The dispenser can be any shape and, as stated above, the support can be omitted from the design of a dispenser according to the 25 invention.

The dispenser 1 has a first opening 8 arranged centrally in the axial extension of the dispenser 1, for removing paper from the centre of a roll 2.

That is to say, the first opening 8 is arranged in the lower bottom surface 9 30 of the cube that the dispenser constitutes. The reason that this bottom surface, comprising the first central opening, is designated the lower bottom surface is because the dispenser 1 can suitably be mounted on a wall in such a way that the bottom surface 9 faces downwards. The first opening 8 is an essentially circular shape. The first opening 8 could be 35 other geometric shapes. Because the paper that comes out of the first opening 8 has a tendency to be twisted and thereby has an essentially circular cross-section, a circular shape is, however, suitable for the first opening 8. Figure 1 shows how a piece of tissue paper 11 fed out from the centre comes out of the first opening 8.

A first tearing device 10 is arranged in the first opening 8, to make it easier to tear off the tissue paper 11. The first tearing device 10 consists here of a serrated edge. Within the framework of the invention, the first tearing 5 device 10 can, however, consist of any tearing device that has the function of tearing off the paper efficiently, in a way that is safe for the hand that is holding the paper. The first tearing device 10 could, for example, be a sufficiently sharp edge. The first tearing device 10 is arranged in a circular shape in the first opening 8 and protrudes from the opening 8 in relation to 10 the lower bottom surface 9 of the dispenser. This is to make it easier for the consumer to tear off the paper.

A second opening 12 for the paper is arranged in the periphery of the dispenser, in its envelope surface 13. The opening 12 is arranged in the 15 casing 3 on the side 14 of the casing 3 which is diametrically opposite the dispenser's support. A second tearing device 15 is arranged at the second opening 12. The second tearing device 15 can be designed in the same way as the first tearing device 10, that is it can consist of a serrated edge.

The serrated edge is not a circular shape here, but is a straight line as it is 20 arranged to fit the shape of the second opening 12. The second opening 12 is in general the shape of a letterbox. By a letterbox shape is meant that the opening 12 has one dimension that considerably exceeds the other dimension in extent. Such an opening is suitable for inserting and removing objects, which have a similar shape, that is a shape in which one 25 length dimension is considerably less than one or both of the other dimensions of the object, such as for example a sheet of paper. The larger dimension of the second opening 12 is called here the longitudinal direction 16 of the opening and the smaller dimension is called here the width 17 of the opening. In the longitudinal direction 16 of the opening, the 30 opening 12 can be divided into three sections: a middle section 19 and two end sections 18, 20 surrounding the middle section 19. The second opening 12 has a width at the middle section that is larger than the width at the end sections 19, 20. The second opening 12 could also be a completely rectangular shape. The advantage of the second opening 12 35 having a wider middle section 19 is that in this way the opening 12 is made wide enough for a consumer to insert his hand to extract the paper, while most of the opening 12 is still so narrow that the paper is drawn out through the opening in a controlled way. The middle section 19 should be sufficiently wide for one to four fingers to be able to be inserted to extract

the paper. For example, the middle section can be 3 cm wide and 10-11 cm long, while the end sections 18, 20 can have a width of 0.5-1 cm and a length of 10-11 cm. Other dimensions are, of course, possible within the framework of the invention and should be adjusted to suit the size of the 5 roll and the thickness of the material that is to be drawn out. The second opening 12 is arranged in the casing 3 in such a way that the longest dimension of the opening, its longitudinal direction 16, is parallel to the axial centre line 5 of the dispenser. The second opening 12 will, in this way, be adapted to the direction of the roll 2 of tissue paper and the 10 direction of the paper 21 that is fed out from the periphery.

Figure 1 shows how tissue paper can be removed from the roll 2 and out of the dispenser 1 through both the central first opening 8 and also the peripheral second opening 12. The tissue paper 11 that comes out through 15 the first opening 8 will be twisted and the tissue paper 21 that comes out through the second opening 12 will be essentially flat.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment, a third opening 22 is arranged in the dispenser 1. The 20 third opening 22 is arranged in the casing 3 parallel to the second opening 12. According to this embodiment, the second opening 12 and third opening 22 are thus arranged in the side 14 of the casing 3 that is diametrically opposite the support 4. The openings 12, 22 are arranged with their longest dimension parallel to the axial centre line 5 of the 25 dispenser. The second opening 12 and the third opening 22 are arranged symmetrically on the side 14 of the casing, that is they are arranged at an equal distance from an imaginary centre line on the side of the casing.

In order to show clearly the position of the roll 2 of tissue paper in the 30 dispenser 1 according to the invention, the dispenser 1 is shown in section in Figure 3. The dispenser 1 that is shown is according to the same embodiment as is shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows how the central first hole 8 is arranged to receive and feed out tissue paper from the centre of the roll 2. The roll 2 of tissue paper is a roil without a core, from which roll 35 paper is easily taken from the inside of the roll. The paper 11 that comes out from the centre of the roll will be slightly twisted. The paper 11 is pulled straight down and is torn off against the tearing device (not shown in Figure 3). According to the invention' in order to make it possible for the consumer to obtain paper from the dispenser 1 that is not twisted, in

addition to twisted paper, the second opening 12 is arranged in the casing 3. The second opening 12 is arranged with its longest extension parallel to the axial centre line 5 of the dispenser. When the roll is inserted in the dispenser 1 with its axial centre line 6 essentially coinciding with the axial 5 centre line 5 of the dispenser, it will be possible to remove paper 21 from the periphery of the roll 2 and to draw this out through the second opening 12 in such a way that it remains flat.

Figure 4 shows a dispenser 1 according to a further embodiment of the 10 invention. The dispenser 1 is shown here with the casing 3 opened and separated from the support 4. The general description of the parts that are

revealed here is the same for all embodiments.

In relation to the preceding figures, the dispenser 1 is shown in Figure 4 in 15 a position in which the dispenser 1 is open and the casing 3 and the transverse upper short side 23 of the support and its longitudinal side edges 24, 25 are at an angle to each other which approaches 180 , instead of being essentially parallel as in the closed position.

20 In comparison with the closed position, this position has been achieved by the casing 3 being able to be rotated in relation to the support 4, via the two screws 7a-b that fasten together the casing 3 and the support 4. The screws 7a-b are arranged in the sides 26, 27 of the casing 3 that do not have the peripheral opening 12. By turning a key (not shown) so that a 25 locking catch 28 arranged in the short side 29 of the casing is released from a recess 30 arranged in the support 4, the casing 3 can be separated from the support 4 except in the vicinity of the screws 7a-lo.

The support 4 has a plate 31 which is designed to be attached to a wall by 30 means of fixing devices that are passed through the four holes 32a- d that are arranged in the plate 31. The plate 31 is an essentially rectangular shape. Other shapes, such as oval, circular or square, are possible within the framework of the invention The plate 31 has three depressions 33a-c, or corrugations. These are arranged in order to make it possible to use 35 relatively thin and light material for the plate 31, while at the same time ensuring that the plate 31 is sufficiently rigid. From the lower short side 34 of the plate, preferably the side that is intended to be placed at the bottom when installed, there is a projecting hoop 35, essentially at right angles in relation to the plate 31. The projecting hoop 35 is arranged along the

whole of the lower short side 34 of the plate. The projecting hoop 35 and the plate 31, which together form the support 4, can, for example, be injection moulded as a single unit. The central first opening 8 is arranged in the projecting hoop 35. The first tearing device 10 is located in the 5 central opening 8. The first tearing device 10 is attached to the projecting hoop by means of fixing devices 36a-d. The attachment of the tearing device 10 can be carried out in any way known to the person skilled in the art. 10 According to the embodiment shown in Figure 4, a bearing 37 is arranged around the first central opening 8. The bearing 37 is arranged with a movable part in relation to the projecting hoop 35, which means that a roll of tissue paper can rotate inside the dispenser 1 with a minimum of friction.

This makes it easier to remove the paper from the periphery. It is possible 15 to have other means of rotation within the framework of the invention. One alternative can be to construct the projecting hoop 35 with a low-friction material, for example a coating of polytetrafluorethylene. Under certain conditions, such as with certain types of tearing device, it can be advantageous not to have a special rotation means. This can, for example, 20 be the case when the tearing device does not cut quickly. If the roll rotates easily, in this case the user can obtain more paper than required out of the opening. The rotation that is obtained by the casing material being relatively smooth, is adequate in this situation.

25 The support 4 is designed with a receiving groove 38 at the periphery of the short side 23 that does not have the projecting hoop, along the upper short side and along the longitudinal side edges 24, 25. The receiving groove 38 is designed to receive the casing 3 and thereby achieve a tight and secure closure of the dispenser 1.

The dispenser 1 is preferably designed to be mounted on a wall in such a way that the central opening 8 in the dispenser 1 faces downwards, that is the dispenser 1 is intended to be positioned in such a way that the axial centre line 5 of the dispenser is vertical. If the dispenser is positioned in 35 this way, optimal function of the dispenser 1 can be obtained, particularly for the embodiment that is described in Figure 4, with a rotation bearing 37. Other positionings are, however, possible within the framework of the invention. I

The embodiments described above are just examples of how the invention can be implemented. Many of the parameters can be varied greatly within the framework of the invention' for example the fixing devices for the dispenser and the tearing devices or the elongated shape of the 5 dispenser.

Claims

1. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll (2) comprising a casing (3) for enclosing a roll (2), which dispenser (1) has a first axial extension and an 5 axial centre line (5), in which axial extension the axial extension of the roll is designed to be arranged, a first opening (8) being arranged in the dispenser (1) centrally in its axial extension for removal of paper from the centre of a roll, characterized in that the dispenser (1) comprises a second opening (12) arranged in the periphery (13) of the dispenser (1) in relation 10 to the axial centre line (5) of the dispenser for removal of the fibre web from the periphery of the roll (2).

2. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll according to Claim 1,

characterized in that tearing devices (10), (15) for the fibre web are 15 arranged in conjunction with the openings (8), (12).

3. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a third opening (22) is arranged in the periphery of the dispenser (1).

4. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a means (37) for rotation of the roll (2) is arranged in the dispenser (1).

25

5. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web according to Claim 4, characterized in that the rotation means (37) is a bearing.

6. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll according to any one of the preceding claims, in which at least one of the peripheral openings (12), 30 (22) has a width and a length where the length considerably exceeds the width, characterized in that the width varies over the length.

7. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web on a roll according to Claim 6, the width of the opening or openings having a central middle section (19) and 35 end sections (18), (20) to each side of the middle section, characterized in that the width of the peripheral opening (12), (22) or the peripheral openings (12), (22) is greater at the middle section (19) and narrower at the end sections (18), (20).

8. Dispenser (1) for a fibre web according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a support (4) for attaching the dispenser (1) to a substrate.

9. A dispenser according to claim 1 substantially as described herein by reference to any one of figures 1 to 4.