JP2023048716A - Feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a feeding device post-attached to a paper holder.SOLUTION: A feeding device 1 feeds a toilet paper sheet from a paper roll. The paper roll is formed by winding the toilet paper sheet a plurality of times, and is held on a paper holder. The feeding device 1 includes a rotating mechanism 12 and a fitting mechanism 17. The rotating mechanism 12 rotates the paper roll held on the paper holder. The fitting mechanism 17 fits the feeding device 1 to at least either of the paper holder or the fitting surface where the paper holder is to be fitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to dispensers, and more particularly to dispensers for dispensing toilet paper.

Patent Literature 1 describes a toilet paper dispenser that automatically feeds out a hand-held portion of the toilet paper. The toilet paper dispenser described in Patent Document 1 includes a toilet paper roll rotating tire that rotates the toilet paper roll, and a motor that drives the toilet paper roll rotating tire. The toilet paper dispenser described in Patent Literature 1 is housed in a toilet paper holder.

In the toilet paper dispenser disclosed in Patent Document 1, by rotating the toilet paper roll rotating tire, the hand portion of the toilet paper can be automatically extended.

JP 2020-178878 A

However, the feeding device (toilet paper feeding machine) described in Patent Document 1 is housed in a paper holder (toilet paper holder) as described above. Therefore, when the feeding device described in Patent Document 1 is used, the existing paper holder is replaced, and the feeding device cannot be retrofitted using the existing paper holder.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a feeding device that can be retrofitted to a paper holder.

A payout device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a payout device that pays out toilet paper from a paper roll. The paper roll is formed by winding the toilet paper a plurality of times, and is held by a paper holder. The feeding device includes a rotation mechanism and an attachment mechanism. The rotating mechanism rotates the paper roll held by the paper holder. The attachment mechanism is a mechanism for attaching the feeding device to at least one of the paper holder and an attachment surface on which the paper holder is attached.

According to the feeding device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to retrofit the feeding device to the paper holder.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feeding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a construction example of the delivery device same as the above. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the same delivery device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the same feeding device. FIG. 5 is a side view of the feeding device same as the above when there is a large amount of remaining toilet paper. FIG. 6 is a side view of the same feeding device when the remaining amount of toilet paper is low. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the overall operation of the same feeding device. FIG. 8 is a time chart showing the overall operation of the same feeding device. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing display processing of the same feeding device. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the feeding process of the feeding device. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing notification processing of the same feeding device. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a feeding device according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a feeding device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a construction example of the feeding device according to Modification 3 of the embodiment.

(embodiment)
Hereinafter, a feeding device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Each of FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, 6, and 12 to 14 described in the following embodiments is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component does not necessarily correspond to the actual dimension. It does not necessarily reflect the ratio. Also, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made according to design and the like as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(1) Overview First, an overview of the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

A feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device for automatically feeding toilet paper 31 from a paper roll 3 held by a paper holder 2, which is used together with a paper holder 2, as shown in FIG. The paper roll 3 is formed in a roll shape in which toilet paper 31 is wound multiple times, and is held by the paper holder 2 in a rotatable state.

By the way, as described above, the toilet paper dispenser described in Patent Literature 1 cannot be retrofitted to an existing paper holder because it is structured to be housed in the toilet paper holder. The feeding device 1 according to this embodiment employs the following configuration so that it can be retrofitted to the existing paper holder 2 .

That is, the feeding device 1 according to this embodiment is a feeding device for feeding the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3 . The paper roll 3 is formed by winding toilet paper 31 multiple times and is held by the paper holder 2 . The feeding device 1 includes a rotation mechanism 12 (see FIG. 1) and an attachment mechanism 17 . The rotating mechanism 12 rotates the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2 . The attachment mechanism 17 is a mechanism for attaching the feeding device 1 to at least one of the paper holder 2 and the attachment surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is attached. The mounting surface 100 is, for example, the wall surface of a toilet provided in a facility. Facilities are, for example, factories, commercial facilities, amusement facilities, hospitals, offices, non-residential buildings such as buildings, or residential units such as detached houses and collective housing (for example, condominiums). In this embodiment, as an example, the facility is described as a building (office building).

The feeding device 1 according to this embodiment includes the attachment mechanism 17 as described above. Therefore, for example, even if the paper holder 2 is an existing paper holder, it is possible to attach the feeding device 1 to at least one of the paper holder 2 and the attachment surface 100 using the attachment mechanism 17 . That is, according to the feeding device 1 according to this embodiment, the feeding device 1 can be retrofitted to the paper holder 2 .

(2) Details Next, details of the feeding device 1 and the paper holder 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

In the following description, the arrows shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5 and 6 define the vertical, horizontal and longitudinal directions of each of the feeding device 1 and the paper holder 2, unless otherwise specified. That is, when the feeding device 1 and the paper holder 2 are attached to the mounting surface 100 when viewed from the front, the vertical direction (vertical direction) is defined as the vertical direction, the horizontal direction is defined as the horizontal direction, and the normal direction of the mounting surface 100 is defined as The front-to-rear direction (the front side is the front side). However, these directions are not meant to define the direction of use of the feeding device 1 and the paper holder 2 . Also, the arrows shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6 are merely described for the purpose of assisting the explanation, and are not substantial.

(2.1) Feeding Device The feeding device 1 according to this embodiment is a device for feeding the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3 as described above. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 11, a rotation mechanism 12, a detection unit 13, a switching unit 14, a presentation unit 15, a communication unit 16, and a power supply unit 10 . Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes an attachment mechanism 17 , a deformation mechanism 18 , a peeling mechanism 19 , and a pressing mechanism 20 . However, the control unit 11 , the detection unit 13 , the switching unit 14 , the presentation unit 15 , the communication unit 16 , the deformation mechanism 18 , the peeling mechanism 19 and the pressing mechanism 20 are not essential components of the feeding device 1 . All or part of the control unit 11, the detection unit 13, the switching unit 14, the presentation unit 15, the communication unit 16, the deformation mechanism 18, the peeling mechanism 19, and the pressing mechanism 20 are not included in the components of the feeding device 1. good too. That is, the feeding device 1 only needs to have the rotation mechanism 12 and the attachment mechanism 17 as minimum components.

(2.1.1) Control Unit The control unit 11 is provided, for example, inside a case 101 of the power supply unit 10 described later. The control section 11 controls each section of the feeding device 1 . The control unit 11 can be realized by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, one or more processors execute programs recorded in one or more memories of the computer system, thereby functioning as the control unit 11 (including the prediction unit 111 and the notification unit 112 described later). Although the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the control unit 11 here, it may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card. good too.

The control unit 11 includes a prediction unit 111 and a notification unit 112, as shown in FIG.

The prediction unit 111 predicts the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 (see FIG. 2) based on the detection result of the detection unit 13 . Here, the detection unit 13 includes a first sensor 131 as described later. The first sensor 131 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor. Therefore, the detection unit 13 can detect the distance L1 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) from the detection unit 13 to the toilet paper 31 by the first sensor 131, which is an ultrasonic sensor. Then, the prediction unit 111 predicts the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 based on the distance L<b>1 that is the detection result of the detection unit 13 . More specifically, for example, the prediction unit 111 predicts that the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 is large when the distance L1 is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value α1, and when the distance L1 is less than the reference value α1, the toilet paper 31 is expected to be low.

The notification unit 112 notifies that the replacement time of the paper roll 3 is approaching based on the prediction result of the prediction unit 111 . More specifically, when the prediction unit 111 predicts that the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 is low, the notification unit 112 notifies that the time to replace the paper roll 3 is approaching. On the other hand, when the prediction unit 111 predicts that the amount of remaining toilet paper 31 is large, the notification unit 112 does not notify that the time to replace the paper roll 3 is approaching. In the present embodiment, the notification unit 112 can directly or indirectly notify the communication terminal 4 via the communication unit 16 that the time to replace the paper roll 3 is approaching. That is, the notification unit 112 notifies the communication terminal 4 as described above.

(2.1.2) Rotation Mechanism The rotation mechanism 12 is a mechanism for rotating the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2 . The rotation mechanism 12 includes a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) rollers 121 and a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) motors 122, as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the plurality of rollers 121 and the plurality of motors 122 are in one-to-one correspondence. Also, the number of rollers 121 and the number of motors 122 are the same.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the plurality of rollers 121 is formed in a columnar shape elongated in the left-right direction, and is arranged so that the direction of the rotation axis is the left-right direction. The plurality of rollers 121 are pressed against (in contact with) the paper roll 3 by a pressing mechanism 20 to be described later, and rotate the paper roll 3 . In other words, the paper roll 3 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rollers 121 by rotating the rollers 121 in contact with the paper roll 3 .

Each of the plurality of motors 122 is arranged at one end (right end in FIG. 1) of the corresponding roller 121 among the plurality of rollers 121 . Each of the plurality of motors 122 drives a corresponding roller 121 among the plurality of rollers 121 . Each of the plurality of motors 122 rotates in a predetermined direction according to a control signal from the control section 11 . The predetermined direction is the direction in which the paper roll 3 is rotated in the direction in which the toilet paper 31 is fed out from the paper roll 3 .

Each of the plurality of rollers 121 is arranged between two adjacent movable pieces among the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 included in the deformation mechanism 18, which will be described later. Similarly, each of the plurality of motors 122 is arranged between two adjacent movable pieces among the plurality of movable pieces 181-184.

(2.1.3) Detector As shown in FIG. 2, the detector 13 detects that the toilet paper 31 has been fed from the paper roll 3 . The detection unit 13 includes a first sensor 131 and an encoder 132, as shown in FIG.

The first sensor 131 is an ultrasonic sensor, as described above. That is, the detection unit 13 includes an ultrasonic sensor. When the first sensor 131 is an ultrasonic sensor, the detection unit 13 not only detects that the toilet paper 31 is fed from the paper roll 3, but also detects the distance L1 (FIG. 5) from the detection unit 13 to the toilet paper 31. and FIG. 6) can also be detected. The detection unit 13 detects (estimates) the distance L1 based on the time it takes for the ultrasonic waves output from the first sensor 131 to reflect off the toilet paper 31 and return to the first sensor 131, for example. Here, "a1" in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 indicates the detection range of the first sensor 131. As shown in FIG. That is, the first sensor 131 detects the toilet paper 31 when the toilet paper 31 is included in the detection range a1.

The encoder 132 is, for example, a rotary encoder (hereinafter also referred to as "rotary encoder 132"). The encoder 132 detects rotation of the paper roll 3 . That is, the detector 13 includes a rotary encoder 132 that detects rotation of the paper roll 3 . The detection unit 13 outputs the detection result of the rotary encoder 132 to the prediction unit 111 of the control unit 11 . When the toilet paper 31 is used, the paper roll 3 rotates. In other words, as the number of revolutions of the paper roll 3 increases, the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 decreases. Therefore, the prediction unit 111 can predict the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 based on the number of rotations of the paper roll 3 that is the detection result of the rotary encoder 132 .

(2.1.4) Switching Unit The switching unit 14 shown in FIG. 4 switches whether to enable or disable the feeding function for feeding the toilet paper 31 (see FIG. 2) from the paper roll 3 (see FIG. 2). When the feeding function is enabled by the switching unit 14, it is possible to automatically feed the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the switching unit 14 disables the feeding function, the toilet paper 31 is not automatically fed from the paper roll 3 .

The switching unit 14 includes a second sensor 141, as shown in FIG. The second sensor 141 is, for example, an infrared sensor. That is, the switching unit 14 includes an infrared sensor. Then, the switching unit 14 switches whether to enable the feeding function according to the detection result of the second sensor 141 (infrared sensor). More specifically, when the feeding function is enabled, the switching unit 14 causes the second sensor 141 to emit infrared light when an operator (for example, an installer of the feeding device 1) holds his/her hand over the second sensor 141. is detected, the feeding function is switched from enabled to disabled. Further, the switching unit 14 switches the feeding function from disabled to enabled when the second sensor 141 detects an infrared ray by the worker holding his/her hand over the second sensor 141 when the feeding function is disabled. That is, according to the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to switch whether to enable the feeding function simply by holding the hand over the second sensor 141 (infrared sensor). Here, “a2” in FIG. 2 indicates the detection range of the second sensor 141 . That is, the second sensor 141 detects the detection target when the detection target (the worker's hand in this embodiment) is included in the detection range a2.

(2.1.5) Presentation Unit The presentation unit 15 presents whether or not the above-described feeding function is effective. The presentation unit 15 includes a light emitting unit 151 as shown in FIG. The light emitting unit 151 includes, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The light emitting unit 151 displays whether or not the above-described feeding function is effective by turning on or off the LED. More specifically, the light emitting unit 151 turns on the LED when the above-described feeding function is valid, and turns off the LED when the above-described feeding function is disabled.

(2.1.6) Communication Unit The communication unit 16 is provided, for example, inside a case 101 of the power supply unit 10 described later. The communication unit 16 is a communication interface that performs wireless communication with the server 5, as shown in FIG. The communication unit 16 includes an antenna and a communication circuit. The communication unit 16 transmits a communication signal including the notification by the notification unit 112 to the server 5 by wireless communication with the server 5 . Here, the communication signal includes identification information (for example, an address) individually assigned to the feeding device 1, and the server 5 identifies the feeding device 1, which is the source of the notification, based on this identification information. It becomes possible to

The server 5 performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 4 as shown in FIG. The communication terminal 4 is, for example, a smartphone carried by a manager who manages the facility. Through wireless communication with the communication terminal 4, the server 5 transmits to the communication terminal 4 a communication signal including the notification obtained from one of the feeding devices 1 and the identification information of the feeding device 1 that is the source of the notification. . The communication terminal 4 displays information based on the above notification on a display unit (not shown), thereby notifying the management company that the time for replacing the paper roll 3 in the toilet where the feeding device 1 is installed is approaching. becomes possible.

In the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment, the communication unit 16 and the server 5 perform wireless communication, and the server 5 and the communication terminal 4 perform wireless communication. It is possible to do

(2.1.7) Attachment Mechanism The attachment mechanism 17 is a mechanism for attaching the feeding device 1 to at least one of the paper holder 2 and the attachment surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is attached, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the attachment mechanism 17 attaches the feeding device 1 to both the paper holder 2 and the attachment surface 100 .

The mounting mechanism 17 includes a pair of arm pieces 171, a pair of support pieces 172, a base 173, and a pair of mounting pieces 174, as shown in FIGS. Each of the pair of arm pieces 171, the pair of support pieces 172, the base 173, and the pair of mounting pieces 174 is made of metal, for example.

Each of the pair of arm pieces 171 has a main piece 1711 and a hook piece 1712, as shown in FIG. The main piece 1711 is formed in a rectangular plate shape elongated in the vertical direction when viewed from the left and right in a plan view. The hooking piece 1712 is integrally formed at the tip (upper end) of the main piece 1711 and is bent in the thickness direction (rightward or leftward) of the main piece 1711 . Therefore, each of the pair of arm pieces 171 is formed in an L shape in plan view from the front-rear direction.

The main piece 1711 has a first adjustment hole 1713 . The first adjustment hole 1713 penetrates the main piece 1711 in the thickness direction of the main piece 1711 . The first adjustment hole 1713 is an elongated hole elongated in the vertical direction. The first adjustment hole 1713 is formed at one end (lower end) of the main piece 1711 in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction).

Each of the pair of arm pieces 171 engages the first mounting screw B1 passed through the first adjustment hole 1713 through a screw hole provided in the first piece 1721 of the corresponding support piece 172 of the pair of support pieces 172 (Fig. (not shown) is screwed to the corresponding support piece 172 . Also, each of the pair of arm pieces 171 is attached to the corresponding arm 21 of the pair of arms 21 of the paper holder 2 by double-sided tape C1 (see FIG. 2) attached to each of the pair of arm pieces 171 . Here, since the first adjustment hole 1713 is an elongated hole elongated in the vertical direction as described above, it is possible to adjust the position of each of the pair of arm pieces 171 with respect to the base 173 in the vertical direction. That is, in the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment, the mounting mechanism 17 positions the feeding device 1 in a direction parallel to the mounting surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is mounted and to the rotational axis P1 of the paper roll 3. (see FIG. 2) in a first direction parallel to and in a second direction orthogonal. In this embodiment, the first direction is the horizontal direction, and the second direction is the vertical direction. "Orthogonal" as used in the present disclosure refers not only to the state in which the angle between the two is strictly 90 degrees, but also the range of tolerance (e.g., ±5 degrees) where the angle between the two is substantially effective. The meaning also includes the state of being within.

Each of the pair of support pieces 172 has a first piece 1721 and a second piece 1722, as shown in FIG. The first piece 1721 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view from the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the second piece 1722 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The second piece 1722 is formed integrally with the first piece 1721 at one end (lower end) of the first piece 1721 in the vertical direction, and is bent in the thickness direction (left or right direction) of the first piece 1721. It is Therefore, each of the pair of support pieces 172 is formed in an L shape in plan view from the front-rear direction.

The first piece 1721 has a threaded hole (not shown) into which the first mounting screw B1 described above is screwed. The second piece 1722 has one second adjustment hole 1723 . The second adjustment hole 1723 penetrates the second piece 1722 in the thickness direction of the second piece 1722 . The second adjustment hole 1723 is an elongated hole elongated in the left-right direction.

Each of the pair of support pieces 172 is screwed to the base 173 by inserting the second mounting screw B2 passed through the second adjustment hole 1723 into a screw hole (not shown) provided in the base 173. be stopped. Here, since the second adjustment hole 1723 is an elongated hole that is long in the left-right direction as described above, it is possible to adjust the position of each of the pair of support pieces 172 with respect to the base 173 in the left-right direction. That is, in the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment, the mounting mechanism 17 can adjust the position of the feeding device 1 in the first direction parallel to the mounting surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is mounted. be.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the base 173 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above and below. The base 173 is placed on the second piece 1722 of each of the pair of support pieces 172, and the two second mounting screws B2 are inserted into the two screw holes provided in the base 173. , are screwed to a pair of support pieces 172 .

The first sensor 131 described above is attached to the front end surface (tip surface) of the base 173 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A pair of mounting pieces 174 are integrally formed at the rear end of the base 173 . A double-sided tape C1 is attached to a surface (rear surface) facing the mounting surface 100 of each of the pair of mounting pieces 174, and the mounting mechanism 17 can be attached to the mounting surface 100 with the double-sided tape C1.

As described above, the feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to the paper holder 2 by the pair of arm pieces 171 to which the double-sided tape C1 is attached, and the attachment surface by the pair of attachment pieces 174 to which the double-sided tape C1 is attached. 100 is attached. That is, the feeding device 1 according to this embodiment is attached to both the paper holder 2 and the attachment surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is attached by the attachment mechanism 17 .

(2.1.8) Deformation Mechanism The deformation mechanism (caterpillar structure) 18 deforms as the shape of the paper roll 3 changes. That is, the feeding device 1 according to this embodiment further includes a deformation mechanism 18 that deforms as the shape of the paper roll 3 changes. The deformation mechanism 18, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of movable pieces 181-184. A plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 are arranged along the rotation direction A1 of the paper roll 3 (see FIG. 2). More specifically, the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 are composed of a movable piece 181, a movable piece 182, a movable piece 183, a movable piece 181, a movable piece 182, a movable piece 183, and a movable piece 181, a movable piece 182, a movable piece 183, a movable piece 181, a movable piece 182, a movable piece 183, a movable piece 181, a movable piece 182, and a movable piece 183. They are arranged in order of the movable piece 184 .

Each of the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 is formed into a curved surface having a predetermined radius around a predetermined center of curvature. The movable piece 181 has, for example, a rectangular shape elongated in the front-rear direction in plan view from the up-down direction. Each of the movable pieces 182 to 184 has a rectangular shape elongated in the horizontal direction when viewed from the top and bottom.

The movable piece 181 has a rotating shaft 185 as shown in FIG. The movable piece 181 is attached to a pair of mounting pieces 174 of the mounting mechanism 17 by a movable shaft 185 . The movable piece 181 is rotatable with respect to the pair of mounting pieces 174 with the rotating shaft 185 as the center of rotation. That is, the movable piece 181 is held by the pair of mounting pieces 174 in a rotatable state.

The movable piece 182 is connected to the movable piece 181 by a rotating shaft (not shown). The movable piece 182 is rotatable with respect to the movable piece 181 around the rotation axis. That is, the movable piece 182 is held by the movable piece 181 in a rotatable state.

The movable piece 183 is connected to the movable piece 182 by a rotating shaft (not shown). The movable piece 183 is rotatable with respect to the movable piece 182 around the rotation axis. That is, the movable piece 183 is held by the movable piece 182 in a rotatable state.

The movable piece 184 is connected to the movable piece 183 by a rotating shaft (not shown). The movable piece 184 is rotatable with respect to the movable piece 183 around the rotation axis. That is, the movable piece 184 is held by the movable piece 183 in a rotatable state. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the movable piece 184 has a tapered tip portion 1841 that contacts the surface of the paper roll 3 . The tip portion 1841 is inclined so that the thickness of the movable piece 184 becomes thinner toward the tip. The tip portion 1841 functions as a peeling mechanism 19, which will be described later.

(2.1.9) Peeling Mechanism The peeling mechanism 19 separates the leading end portion 311 (see FIG. 2) of the paper roll 3 of the toilet paper 31 from the remaining portion 312 (see FIG. 2) of the paper roll 3 . In this embodiment, the peeling mechanism 19 is composed of the movable piece 184 located at the tip of the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 included in the deformation mechanism 18 described above.

As described above, the tip portion 1841 of the movable piece 184 is formed in a tapered shape, and by inserting the tip portion 1841 between the tip portion 311 of the paper roll 3 and the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3, the paper It becomes possible to peel the tip portion 311 of the roll 3 from the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3 .

(2.1.10) Pressing Mechanism The pressing mechanism 20 is a mechanism for pressing the above-described roller 121 and peeling mechanism 19 against the paper roll 3 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the pressing mechanism 20 has a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) first spring bodies 201 and a plurality of (six in the illustrated example) second spring bodies 202 . Each of the multiple first spring bodies 201 and the multiple second spring bodies 202 is, for example, a torsion spring. That is, the pressing mechanism 20 has a spring structure including a plurality of first spring bodies 201 and second spring bodies 202 (hereinafter also referred to as "spring structure 20").

A plurality of first spring bodies 201 are attached to the rotating shaft 185 of the movable piece 181 . The plurality of first spring bodies 201 apply spring force (elastic force) to the movable piece 181 in a direction to rotate the movable piece 181 so as to approach the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2 . That is, the movable piece 181 is given a rotational force in a direction approaching the paper roll 3 by the spring force from the plurality of first spring bodies 201 .

The plurality of second spring bodies 202 are arranged on both sides of each roller 121 and each motor 122 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. That is, the plurality of second spring bodies 202 are arranged between two adjacent movable pieces among the plurality of movable pieces 181-184. In this embodiment, two second spring bodies 202 are provided for one roller 121 and one motor 122 . For example, the two second spring bodies 202 arranged between the movable piece 181 and the movable piece 182 are springs that rotate the movable piece 182 so as to approach the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2. A force is applied to the movable piece 182 . That is, the movable piece 182 is given a rotational force in a direction approaching the paper roll 3 by the spring force from the two second spring bodies 202 . Also, the two second spring bodies 202 arranged between the movable piece 182 and the movable piece 183 give the movable piece 183 a spring force in a direction to rotate the movable piece 183 so as to approach the paper roll 3 . That is, the movable piece 183 is given a rotational force in a direction approaching the paper roll 3 by the spring force from the two second spring bodies 202 . Also, the two second spring bodies 202 arranged between the movable piece 183 and the movable piece 184 give the movable piece 184 a spring force in a direction to rotate the movable piece 184 so as to approach the paper roll 3 . That is, the movable piece 184 is given a rotational force in a direction approaching the paper roll 3 by the spring force from the two second spring bodies 202 .

(2.1.11) Power Supply Unit The power supply unit 10 has, for example, one or more batteries (not shown) and a case 101 that houses the one or more batteries. The one or more batteries may be primary batteries or secondary batteries. Moreover, the power supply unit 10 further has a power switch (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the power supply unit 10 is attached to the central portion of one surface (lower surface) of the base 173 of the attachment mechanism 17 described above. When the power switch is turned on, the power supply unit 10 supplies power to the control unit 11, the rotation mechanism 12, the detection unit 13, the switching unit 14, the presentation unit 15, and the communication unit 16 described above.

(2.2) Paper Holder The paper holder 2 is a device for holding the paper roll 3 . The paper holder 2 holds the paper roll 3 in a rotatable state. The paper holder 2 is attached to the mounting surface 100 by appropriate mounting means, as shown in FIGS. The attachment means is, for example, at least one of attachment screws, double-sided tape, magnets, and Velcro (registered trademark).

The paper holder 2 includes a pair of arms 21 (only one is shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) and a cover 22. As shown in FIG. The pair of arms 21 and cover 22 are made of synthetic resin, for example.

(2.2.1) Arm Each of the pair of arms 21 has an arm body 211 and a holder 212 . The arm body 211 and the holding body 212 are integrally formed.

The arm body 211 is formed in a U shape when viewed in plan from the left and right direction by a first plate-like piece 2111 elongated in the vertical direction and a second plate-like piece 2112 and a third plate-like piece 2113 elongated in the front-rear direction. ing. The second piece 2112 protrudes forward from one end (upper end) of the first piece 2111 . The third piece 2113 protrudes forward from the other end (lower end) of the first piece 2111 . In this embodiment, each of the pair of double-sided tapes C1 (see FIG. 2) respectively attached to the pair of arm pieces 171 of the attachment mechanism 17 is attached to the third piece 2113 of the corresponding arm 21 of the pair of arms 21. The feeding device 1 is attached to the paper holder 2 by being attached to the .

The holder 212 is formed integrally with the arm body 211 at the tip of the third piece 2113 of the arm body 211 described above. The holder 212 is formed in a disc shape. The holder 212 has a shaft portion 2121 (see FIG. 14). The shaft portion 2121 protrudes toward the paper roll 3 from the left-right inner surface of the holder 212 (the surface on the paper roll 3 side). As an example in this embodiment, the shaft portion 2121 is formed in a prismatic shape, but may be formed in a cylindrical shape.

In this paper holder 2, the paper roll 3 is held by the paper holder 2 by inserting the pair of shafts 2121 of the pair of holders 212 into a cavity (not shown) at the center of the paper roll 3. .

(2.2.2) Cover The cover 22 has a flat portion 221 (see FIG. 14) and a curved portion 222 . The flat plate portion 221 and the curved surface portion 222 are integrally formed.

The cover 22 is attached to the pair of arms 21 so as to be movable (rotatable) between the first position and the second position. The first position is a position where the cover 22 covers the top of the paper roll 3, as shown in FIG. The second position is a position where the cover 22 does not cover the upper portion of the paper roll 3 and is a position where the cover 22 is rotated so that the flat plate portion 221 is substantially parallel to the mounting surface 100 .

(3) Operation (3.1) Operation of Deformation Mechanism First, the operation of the deformation mechanism 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

When the rest of the toilet paper 31 held by the paper holder 2 is large, as shown in FIG. All are deformed to contact the surface of the paper roll 3 (remainder 312).

As the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 decreases from the state of FIG. At this time, the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 are in contact with the surface (remaining portion 312) of the paper roll 3 by the pressing mechanism 20. FIG.

When the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 held by the paper holder 2 is small, the pressing mechanism 20 moves the movable pieces 182 to 184 out of the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 to the paper roll 3 as shown in FIG. It is deformed to contact the surface (remaining portion 312).

In this manner, the deformation mechanism 18 deforms as the shape of the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2 changes. This enables the deformation mechanism 18 to follow changes in the shape of the paper roll 3 .

(3.2) Overall Operation Next, the overall operation of the feeding device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

Power is turned on by a power switch (not shown), and power is supplied to each unit (control unit 11, rotation mechanism 12, detection unit 13, switching unit 14, presentation unit 15, and communication unit 16) of the feeding device 1. Then (S1), the feeding device 1 executes detection processing S2 in which the second sensor 141 of the switching unit 14 detects infrared rays. After the detection process S2 ends, the feeding device 1 executes a display process S3 for displaying whether or not the above-described feeding function is enabled by the light emitting section 151 of the presentation section 15. FIG.

When the display processing S3 is completed, the feeding device 1 determines whether or not the feeding function of feeding the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3 is valid (S4). If the feeding function is valid (S4; Yes), the feeding device 1 executes a feeding process S5 for feeding the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3. FIG. When the feeding process S5 ends, the feeding device 1 executes a notification process S6 for notifying that the replacement time of the paper roll 3 is approaching. When the notification process S6 ends, the feeding device 1 returns to the detection process S2.

On the other hand, if the feeding function is disabled (S4; No), the feeding device 1 returns to the detection process S2 without executing the feeding process S5 and the notification process S6.

Hereinafter, each process of display process S3, delivery process S5, and notification process S6 will be described.

(3.3) Display Processing First, the display processing S3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

Before time t1, the second sensor 141 of the switching unit 14 does not detect infrared rays (detection target), so the feeding function is disabled. Along with this, the presentation unit 15 turns off the LED (light emitting unit 151).

When the second sensor 141 detects infrared rays (detection target) at time t1 (S31; Yes), the switching unit 14 switches the feeding function from disabled to enabled. Along with this, the presentation unit 15 lights the LED (light emitting unit 151) (S32). On the other hand, when the second sensor 141 does not detect infrared rays (S31; No), the feeding function remains disabled, so the presentation unit 15 extinguishes the LED (light emitting unit 151) (S33).

(3.4) Feeding Process Next, the feeding process S5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10. FIG.

The feeding device 1 determines whether the paper roll 3 is rotating based on the detection result of the encoder 132 of the detection unit 13 (S51). For example, during the period from time t2 to time t3, the user of the toilet manually rotates the paper roll 3, so the feeding device 1 detects the rotation of the paper roll 3 from the detection result of the encoder 132. FIG. During the period from time t2 to time t3, since the paper roll 3 continues to rotate (S52; No), the feeding device 1 keeps the first sensor 131 of the detection unit 13 OFF (S53). , the state in which the motor 122 of the rotation mechanism 12 is stopped is maintained (S54). That is, the feeding device 1 does not feed the toilet paper 31 during the period from time t2 to time t3.

During the period from time t3 to time t4, the user of the toilet has stopped rotating the paper roll 3, so the rotation of the paper roll 3 is stopped (S52; Yes), but the predetermined time has not passed. (S55; No), the feeding device 1 maintains the state in which the first sensor 131 is turned off (S53) and the state in which the motor 122 is stopped (S54).

At time t4, since a certain period of time has passed (S55; Yes), the feeding device 1 turns on the first sensor 131 (S56). That is, the function of detecting the toilet paper 31 by the first sensor 131 is turned on. Thereafter, the feeding device 1 determines whether or not the toilet paper 31 is detected by the first sensor 131 (S57). At this time, the leading end of the toilet paper 31 is torn off by the user and the toilet paper 31 is not detected by the first sensor 131 (S57; No), so the feeding device 1 drives the motor 122 (S58). ).

During the period from time t4 to time t5, the toilet paper 31 is fed by the rotation of the motor 122, but the toilet paper 31 is not detected by the first sensor 131 (S57; No), so the motor 122 does not rotate. continue (S58).

When the toilet paper 31 is detected by the first sensor 131 at time t5 (S57; Yes), the feeding device 1 stops the motor 122 (S54). At this time, the function of detecting the toilet paper 31 by the first sensor 131 is also turned off. As a result, the feeding process S5 ends.

In the example of FIG. 8, at time t6, the second sensor 141 detects infrared rays, and the switching unit 14 switches the feeding function from enabled to disabled. Then, the presentation unit 15 turns off the LED (light emitting unit 151) when the feeding function is switched from enabled to disabled.

(3.5) Notification Processing Next, the notification processing S6 will be described with reference to FIG.

In a state where the above-described feeding process S5 is executed and the toilet paper 31 is fed from the paper roll 3, the detection unit 13 detects the distance L1 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) from the detection unit 13 to the toilet paper 31. (Estimate) (S61).

The feeding device 1 compares the distance L1 with a predetermined reference value α1, and if the distance L1 is less than the reference value α1 (S62; Yes), it notifies that the time to replace the paper roll 3 is approaching ( S63). On the other hand, when the distance L1 is equal to or greater than the reference value α1 (S62; No), the feeding device 1 does not make the notification.

(4) Effect The feeding device 1 according to the embodiment includes the mounting mechanism 17 for mounting the feeding device 1 to the paper holder 2 . Therefore, for example, even when the paper holder 2 is an existing paper holder, it is possible to attach the feeding device 1 to the paper holder 2 using the attachment mechanism 17 . That is, according to the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to retrofit the feeding device 1 to the paper holder 2 .

Further, in the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment, as described above, the mounting mechanism 17 is adjustable in the first direction (horizontal direction) and the second direction (vertical direction). Thereby, the position of the feeding device 1 with respect to the paper holder 2 can be adjusted in the first direction and the second direction.

Further, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment includes a rotation mechanism 12 including rollers 121 . The roller 121 contacts the paper roll 3 to rotate the paper roll 3 . As a result, the toilet paper 31 can be automatically fed out by rotating the paper roll 3 .

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a pressing mechanism 20 . As a result, idle rotation of the roller 121 can be suppressed.

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a peeling mechanism 19 . This allows the tip portion 311 of the paper roll 3 to be peeled off from the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3 . Further, as described above, since the pressing mechanism 20 is provided, it is possible to bring the peeling mechanism 19 into close contact with the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3. As a result, the leading end portion 311 of the paper roll 3 can be peeled off with high precision. It becomes possible to

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a detection unit 13 . Therefore, it is possible to detect that the toilet paper 31 has been fed from the paper roll 3 . Furthermore, in the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment, the detection section 13 includes the first sensor 131 that is an ultrasonic sensor. Therefore, the detection unit 13 can detect the distance L<b>1 to the toilet paper 31 .

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a prediction section 111 . Therefore, the remaining amount of toilet paper 31 can be predicted based on the distance L<b>1 from detection unit 13 (first sensor 131 ) to toilet paper 31 .

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a notification unit 112 . As a result, it is possible to notify the communication terminal 4 that the replacement time of the paper roll 3 is approaching.

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a switching section 14 . Therefore, it is possible to switch whether the feeding function is enabled or not. Furthermore, in the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment, the switching section 14 includes the second sensor 141 that is an infrared sensor. For this reason, for example, it is possible to switch between validating and not validating the feeding function simply by holding the hand over the infrared sensor.

Moreover, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment further includes a presentation unit 15 . Therefore, it is possible to present whether or not the feeding function is effective. Furthermore, in the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment, the presentation unit 15 includes the light emitting unit 151 made up of an LED. Therefore, it is possible to visually present whether or not the feeding function is effective.

Further, the feeding device 1 according to the embodiment is installed below the paper roll 3 held by the paper holder 2, as shown in FIG. For this reason, there is an advantage that it is difficult to enter the user's field of vision and the design is less likely to deteriorate.

In the above-described embodiment, the number of movable pieces 181 to 184 constituting the deformation mechanism 18 is four, but the number of movable pieces is not limited to four, and may be one, two, three, or five or more. There may be.

(5) Modifications The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways according to design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

(5.1) Modification 1
A feeding device 1 according to Modification 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 12 . The feeding device 1 according to Modification 1 differs from the feeding device 1 (see FIG. 1) according to the above-described embodiment in that the peeling mechanism 19 includes an air blowing mechanism 191 . Regarding the feeding device 1 according to Modification 1, the same components as those of the feeding device 1 according to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 1, as shown in FIG. The blower mechanism 191 has a blower (blower) 1911 and an air tube 1912 . The blower 1911 is attached to the base 173 of the attachment mechanism 17, as shown in FIG. The air tube 1912 is arranged along the plurality of movable pieces 181 to 184 that constitute the deformation mechanism 18 . The air tube 1912 connects the blower port (not shown) of the blower 1911 and the first hole (not shown) provided on the side surface of the movable piece 184 . The first hole communicates with a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) second holes 1842 provided at the tip of the movable piece 184 .

In this blower mechanism 191 , the wind (air) sent from the blower 1911 passes through the air tube 1912 , is taken into the movable piece 184 through the first holes, and is discharged to the outside through the plurality of second holes 1842 . According to this blowing mechanism 191, it is possible to send wind (air) between the leading end portion 311 of the paper roll 3 and the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3 in the above-described feeding process S5 (see FIG. 10). . That is, the peeling mechanism 19 includes an air blowing mechanism 191 that blows air between the tip portion 311 of the paper roll 3 and the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3 .

In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 1, the peeling mechanism 19 includes the air blowing mechanism 191 as described above. Therefore, it is possible to separate the leading end portion 311 of the paper roll 3 from the remaining portion 312 of the paper roll 3 by the wind (air) from the blowing mechanism 191 .

Note that although the number of the second holes 1842 is three in the feeding device 1 according to Modification 1, the number of the second holes 1842 is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or four or more. may

(5.2) Modification 2
A feeding device 1 according to Modification 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 2, the feeding device 1 is attached to the paper holder 2 by a pair of suction cups 175 attached to the pair of arm pieces 171 of the mounting mechanism 17, respectively. It differs from device 1 (see FIG. 1). Regarding the feeding device 1 according to Modification 2, the same components as those of the feeding device 1 according to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 2, the mounting mechanism 17 further has a pair of suction cups 175 . A pair of suction cups 175 are attached to a pair of arm pieces 171, respectively, as shown in FIG.

In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 2, the pair of suction cups 175 respectively attached to the pair of arm pieces 171 are sucked to the pair of arms 21 of the paper holder 2 (see FIG. 2), respectively, so that the paper holder 2 is attached. It becomes possible to attach the feeding device 1 . That is, in the feeding device 1 according to Modification 2 as well, the feeding device 1 can be retrofitted to the paper holder 2 .

The feeding device 1 according to Modification 2 can be attached to the paper holder 2 with the suction cups 175, but it may be attached to the paper holder 2 with, for example, double-sided tape, magic tape, or magnets.

(5.3) Modification 3
A feeding device 1 according to Modification 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 . The feeding device 1 according to Modification 3 is different from the embodiment described above in that the feeding device 1 can be mounted independently of the paper holder 2 on the mounting surface 100 to which the paper holder 2 is mounted. It differs from the feeding device 1 (see FIG. 2). Regarding the feeding device 1 according to Modification 3, the same components as those of the feeding device 1 according to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 3, as shown in FIG. 14, the attachment mechanism 17 does not include the pair of arm pieces 171 (see FIG. 1) described in the above embodiment. In the feeding device 1 according to Modification 3, the double-faced tape C1 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the surface (rear surface) facing the mounting surface 100 of each of the pair of mounting pieces 174 (only one is shown in FIG. 14). , the feeding device 1 can be attached to the attachment surface 100 . That is, according to the feeding device 1 according to Modification 3, the feeding device 1 can be mounted on the mounting surface 100 independently of the paper holder 2 mounted on the mounting surface 100 . Therefore, in the feeding device 1 according to Modification 3, as shown in FIG. 14, the feeding device 1 can be attached to the mounting surface 100 on which the paper holder 2 is mounted while being separated from the paper holder 2. .

(5.4) Other Modifications Other modifications are listed below.

The feeding device 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system in the control section 11, for example. A computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the feeding device 1 in the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer system-readable memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. may be provided. A processor in a computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here is called differently depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partitions inside the LSI may also be adopted as the processor. can be done. A plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices. A computer system, as used herein, includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Accordingly, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large scale integrated circuits.

Although the first sensor 131 is an ultrasonic sensor in the above-described embodiment, the first sensor 131 is not limited to being an ultrasonic sensor and may be, for example, a photoelectric sensor. That is, the detection unit 13 may include a photoelectric sensor. In this case, the photoelectric sensor may be of a reflective type or a transmissive type. When the photoelectric sensor is of a reflective type, the detection unit 13 detects the toilet paper 31 when the light output from the photoelectric sensor is reflected by the toilet paper 31 and is input to the photoelectric sensor. Further, when the photoelectric sensor is of a transmissive type, the detection unit 13 is designed so that the light output from the light emitting unit that constitutes the photoelectric sensor is blocked by the toilet paper 31 and is not input to the light receiving unit that constitutes the photoelectric sensor. , the toilet paper 31 is detected. As described above, if it is not necessary to detect the distance L1 from the detection unit 13 to the toilet paper 31, it is possible to detect that the toilet paper 31 is fed from the paper roll 3 even with the photoelectric sensor. .

In the above-described embodiment, the number of rollers 121 included in the rotation mechanism 12 is three, but the number of rollers 121 is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or four or more. good. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the number of motors 122 included in the rotation mechanism 12 is three, but the number of motors 122 is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or four or more. may Further, in the above embodiment, the number of rollers 121 and the number of motors 122 are the same, but the number of rollers 121 and the number of motors 122 may be different. In this case, the number of rollers 121 may be greater than or less than the number of motors 122 .

In the above-described embodiment, when the feeding function is valid, the feeding device 1 executes the feeding process regardless of the presence or absence of a person. In this case, the drawing process may be executed. Further, the feeding device 1 may execute the feeding process when the toilet seat is opened, for example.

Although the attachment mechanism 17 is made of metal in the above-described embodiment, the attachment mechanism 17 may be made of synthetic resin, for example. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the paper holder 2 is made of synthetic resin, but the paper holder 2 may be made of metal, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the first spring body 201 and the second spring body 202 is a torsion spring, but at least one of the first spring body 201 and the second spring body 202 is, for example, arc-shaped rubber. may

Further, the deformation mechanism 18 itself may be configured to deform according to the remaining amount of the toilet paper 31 . As an example, the deformation mechanism 18 may be made of a shape memory alloy. This makes it possible to omit the pressing mechanism 20 .

In the above-described embodiment, the detection unit 13 detects that the toilet paper 31 is fed based on the detection result of the first sensor 131, but the detection unit 13 detects, for example, the rotation time of the paper roll 3 or It may be detected that the toilet paper 31 has been fed based on the number of revolutions. This makes it possible to omit the first sensor 131 .

In the above-described embodiment, the communication between the communication unit 16 of the feeding device 1 and the server 5 is wireless communication, but the communication between the communication unit 16 of the feeding device 1 and the server 5 is not limited to wireless communication. It may be wired communication. However, in a structure that is retrofitted to the paper holder 2 like the feeding device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, wireless communication that does not require a communication line is preferable.

In the above-described embodiment, the power supply unit 10 supplies power from one or more batteries to each unit (motor 122, etc.) of the feeding device 1, but the power supply unit 10 supplies power from, for example, a power outlet. may In addition, the power supply unit 10 generates electric power obtained by water current generation by water passing through a spout for washing hands or a water supply hose, or electric power obtained by electric power generated by rotational force when manually rotating the paper roll 3, as described above. may be configured to charge one or more batteries (storage batteries).

In the above-described embodiment, the feeding device 1 performs the feeding operation of feeding the toilet paper 31 from the paper roll 3, but the feeding device 1, for example, manually feeds too much toilet paper 31. may be rewound.

In the above-described embodiment, the light emitting unit 151 of the presentation unit 15 turns on the LED when the switching unit 14 enables the feeding function, and turns off the LED when the switching unit 14 disables the feeding function. However, the light emitting unit 151 may turn off the LED when the switching unit 14 enables the feeding function, and turn on the LED when the switching unit 14 disables the feeding function.

Also, the light emitting unit 151 may include a plurality of LEDs that emit lights of different colors. In this case, the light emitting unit 151 emits light of a first color (eg, red) when the above-described extension function is enabled, and emits light of a second color (eg, green) when the above-described extension function is disabled. You may make it emit.

In the above-described embodiment, the communication terminal 4 is a smart phone, but the communication terminal 4 is not limited to being a smart phone, and may be, for example, a personal computer or a tablet terminal.

Further, the communication terminal 4 is not limited to a terminal carried by a manager, and may be a terminal carried by a cleaner who cleans a toilet, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the feeding device 1 is attached to the paper holder 2 by a pair of double-faced tapes C1 attached to the pair of arm pieces 171, respectively. Alternatively, the feeding device 1 may be attached to the paper holder 2 using screws. In this case, a through-hole is provided at one end portion (upper end portion) of the pair of arm pieces 171 in the longitudinal direction of the main piece 1711 so as to pass through the main piece 1711 in the thickness direction of the main piece 1711 . Further, the third pieces 2113 of the pair of arms 21 are provided with screw holes penetrating the third pieces 2113 in the thickness direction of the third pieces 2113 . Then, the feeding device 1 is screwed to the paper holder 2 by inserting the screw inserted through the through hole into the screw hole.

(mode)
The following aspects are disclosed in this specification.

A feeding device (1) according to a first aspect is a feeding device (1) for feeding toilet paper (31) from a paper roll (3). The paper roll (3) is formed by winding toilet paper (31) multiple times, and is held by the paper holder (2). A feeding device (1) comprises a rotation mechanism (12) and an attachment mechanism (17). A rotating mechanism (12) rotates a paper roll (3) held in a paper holder (2). The attachment mechanism (17) is a mechanism for attaching the feeding device (1) to at least one of the paper holder (2) and the attachment surface (100) on which the paper holder (2) is attached.

According to this aspect, it is possible to retrofit the feeding device (1) to the paper holder (2).

The feeding device (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, further comprises a deformation mechanism (18). The deformation mechanism (18) deforms as the shape of the paper roll (3) changes.

According to this aspect, it is possible to cause the deformation mechanism (18) to follow the change in the shape of the paper roll (3).

The delivery device (1) according to the third aspect further comprises a peeling mechanism (19) in the second aspect. The peeling mechanism (19) peels the tip portion (311) of the paper roll (3) of the toilet paper (31) from the remaining portion (312) of the paper roll (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to peel off the tip portion (311) of the toilet paper (31) from the remaining portion (312) of the paper roll (3).

In the delivery device (1) according to the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the peeling mechanism (19) includes an air blowing mechanism (191). A blowing mechanism (191) blows air between the tip portion (311) and the rest portion (312).

According to this aspect, it is possible to separate the leading end portion (311) of the toilet paper (31) from the remaining portion (312) of the paper roll (3) by the wind sent from the blowing mechanism (191).

In the feeding device (1) according to the fifth aspect, in the third or fourth aspect, the rotating mechanism (12) includes a roller (121) and a motor (122). The roller (121) contacts the paper roll (3) to rotate the paper roll (3). A motor (122) drives a roller (121).

According to this aspect, it is possible to rotate the paper roll (3).

The feeding device (1) according to the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, further comprises a pressing mechanism (20). The pressing mechanism (20) presses the roller (121) and peeling mechanism (19) against the paper roll (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to press the roller (121) and the peeling mechanism (19) against the paper roll (3).

In the feeding device (1) according to the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the pressing mechanism (20) has a spring structure (20).

According to this aspect, the spring structure (20) allows the roller (121) and stripping mechanism (19) to be pressed against the paper roll (3).

In the feeding device (1) according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the deformation mechanism (18) includes a plurality of movable pieces (181-184). A plurality of movable pieces (181-184) are arranged along the rotation direction (A1) of the paper roll (3). The spring structure (20) has at least one spring body (202). At least one spring body (202) is arranged between two adjacent movable pieces among the plurality of movable pieces (181-184).

According to this aspect, at least one spring body (202) enables the roller (121) and peeling mechanism (19) to be pressed against the paper roll (3).

A feeding device (1) according to a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprises a detection section (13). A detector (13) detects that the toilet paper (31) is fed from the paper roll (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect that the toilet paper (31) has been fed from the paper roll (3).

In the feeding device (1) according to the tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the detector (13) includes an ultrasonic sensor (131).

According to this aspect, it is possible to measure the distance (L1) from the detector (13) to the toilet paper (31).

In the feeding device (1) according to the eleventh aspect, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the detector (13) includes a photoelectric sensor (131).

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect that the toilet paper (31) has been fed from the paper roll (3).

In the feeding device (1) according to the twelfth aspect, in the tenth or eleventh aspect, the detector (13) detects the distance (L1) from the detector (13) to the toilet paper (31). The feeding device (1) further comprises a prediction section (111) and a notification section (112). A prediction unit (111) predicts the remaining amount of toilet paper (31) based on the detection result of the detection unit (13). A notification unit (112) notifies that the replacement time of the paper roll (3) is approaching based on the prediction result of the prediction unit (111).

According to this aspect, it is possible to notify that the time to replace the paper roll (3) is approaching.

In the feeding device (1) according to the thirteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, the notification section (112) notifies the communication terminal (4).

According to this aspect, it is possible to notify the communication terminal (4) that the time to replace the paper roll (3) is approaching.

In the feeding device (1) according to the fourteenth aspect, in any one of the ninth to thirteenth aspects, the detector (13) includes a rotary encoder (132). A rotary encoder (132) detects the rotation of the paper roll (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to detect the rotation of the paper roll (3).

A feeding device (1) according to a fifteenth aspect, in any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, further comprises a switching section (14). A switching unit (14) switches whether to enable or disable a feeding function for feeding toilet paper (31) from a paper roll (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to switch whether the feeding function is enabled or not.

In the feeding device (1) according to the sixteenth aspect, in the fifteenth aspect, the switching section (14) includes an infrared sensor (141). A switching unit (14) switches whether to enable the feeding function according to the detection result of the infrared sensor (141).

According to this aspect, it is possible to switch whether to enable the feeding function simply by holding the hand over the infrared sensor (141).

The feeding device (1) according to the seventeenth aspect, in the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect, further comprises a presentation section (15). A presentation unit (15) presents whether or not the feeding function is effective.

According to this aspect, it is possible to present whether or not the feeding function is effective.

In the feeding device (1) according to the eighteenth aspect, in the seventeenth aspect, the presentation section (15) includes a light emitting section (151). A light emitting part (151) displays whether or not the extension function is effective.

According to this aspect, it is possible to visually present whether or not the feeding function is effective.

In the feeding device (1) according to the nineteenth aspect, in any one of the first to eighteenth aspects, the attachment mechanism (17) moves the position of the feeding device (1) in the first direction and the second direction. can be adjusted to The first direction is a direction parallel to the mounting surface (100) on which the paper holder (2) is mounted and parallel to the axis of rotation (P1) of the paper roll (3). The second direction is a direction parallel to the mounting surface (100) and orthogonal to the first direction.

According to this aspect, it is possible to adjust the position of the feeding device (1) in the first direction and the second direction.

In the feeding device (1) according to the twentieth aspect, in any one of the first to eighteenth aspects, the attachment mechanism (17) is attached to the attachment surface (100) to which the paper holder (2) is attached. On the other hand, the delivery device (1) can be attached in a state separated from the paper holder (2).

According to this aspect, it is possible to attach the feeding device (1) to the attachment surface (100) in a state separated from the paper holder (2).

The configurations according to the second to twentieth aspects are not essential to the feeding device (1) and can be omitted as appropriate.

1 feeding device 111 prediction unit 112 notification unit 12 rotation mechanism 121 roller 122 motor 13 detection unit 131 first sensor (ultrasonic sensor, photoelectric sensor)
132 encoder (rotary encoder)
14 switching unit 141 second sensor (infrared sensor)
15 presentation unit 151 light emitting unit 17 mounting mechanism 18 deformation mechanism 181 to 184 movable piece 19 peeling mechanism 191 air blowing mechanism 20 pressing mechanism (spring structure)
201 first spring body (spring body)
202 second spring body (spring body)
2 Paper holder 3 Paper roll 31 Toilet paper 311 Tip part 312 Remaining part 4 Communication terminal 100 Wall surface (mounting surface)
A1 rotation direction L1 distance P1 rotation axis

Claims (20)

A feeding device for feeding the toilet paper from a paper roll formed by winding the toilet paper a plurality of times and held by a paper holder,
a rotating mechanism that rotates the paper roll held by the paper holder;
an attachment mechanism for attaching the feeding device to at least one of the paper holder and an attachment surface to which the paper holder is attached;
delivery device. Further comprising a deformation mechanism that deforms as the shape of the paper roll changes,
2. A payout device according to claim 1. Further comprising a peeling mechanism for peeling the tip portion of the paper roll of the toilet paper from the remaining portion of the paper roll,
3. A payout device according to claim 2. The peeling mechanism includes an air blowing mechanism that blows air between the tip portion and the remaining portion,
4. A payout device according to claim 3. The rotating mechanism is
a roller that contacts the paper roll and rotates the paper roll;
a motor that drives the roller;
A feeding device according to claim 3 or 4. Further comprising a pressing mechanism for pressing the roller and the peeling mechanism against the paper roll,
A payout device according to claim 5. The pressing mechanism has a spring structure,
A payout device according to claim 6. The deformation mechanism includes a plurality of movable pieces arranged along the rotation direction of the paper roll,
The spring structure has at least one spring body arranged between two adjacent movable pieces among the plurality of movable pieces,
A payout device according to claim 7. Further comprising a detection unit that detects that the toilet paper is paid out from the paper roll,
The feeding device according to any one of claims 1-8. The detection unit includes an ultrasonic sensor,
A payout device according to claim 9 . The detection unit includes a photoelectric sensor,
A payout device according to claim 9 or 10. The detection unit detects a distance from the detection unit to the toilet paper,
a prediction unit that predicts the remaining amount of the toilet paper based on the detection result of the detection unit;
a notification unit that notifies that the time to replace the paper roll is approaching based on the prediction result of the prediction unit;
A payout device according to claim 10 or 11. The notification unit notifies the communication terminal,
13. A payout device according to claim 12. The detection unit includes a rotary encoder that detects rotation of the paper roll,
The feeding device according to any one of claims 9-13. Further comprising a switching unit for switching whether to enable or disable a feeding function for feeding the toilet paper from the paper roll,
A payout device according to any one of claims 1-14. The switching unit includes an infrared sensor, and switches whether to enable or disable the feeding function according to the detection result of the infrared sensor.
16. A payout device according to claim 15. Further comprising a presentation unit that presents whether or not the feeding function is valid,
17. A payout device according to claim 15 or 16. The presentation unit includes a light emitting unit that displays whether the feeding function is valid,
18. A payout device according to claim 17. The mounting mechanism moves the position of the feeding device in a first direction parallel to the mounting surface on which the paper holder is mounted and parallel to the rotation axis of the paper roll, and in a first direction parallel to the mounting surface. a direction that is adjustable in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A payout device according to any one of claims 1-18. The attachment mechanism is capable of attaching the feeding device to the attachment surface to which the paper holder is attached while being separated from the paper holder.
A payout device according to any one of claims 1-18.

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