JP5769433B2 - Roll paper towel dispenser - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a roll paper towel dispenser obtained by winding a belt-shaped paper towel into a roll, and more particularly to a roll paper towel dispenser that automatically unwinds and discharges a paper towel having a predetermined length.

  The roll paper towel dispenser allows paper towels to be unwound from roll paper that is rotatably supported inside the housing, and a paper towel of the required length can be exposed from the paper discharge opening provided at the bottom of the housing to allow cutting. Is.

  This type of paper towel dispenser is often installed in a relatively narrow place near a washstand in a restroom, near a water wall such as a kitchen, and the like, and it is desired that the dispenser is compact from the viewpoint of the installation place.

  On the other hand, in the roll paper towel dispenser, for example, as shown in the following Patent Document 1 and the like, a user or the like is detected by a sensor, and the roll paper towel inside the housing is rotated in accordance with this detection signal, and the discharge port The automatic paper discharge type that automatically discharges a long paper towel as appropriate is known (this type of paper paper dispenser for automatic paper discharge is also called an auto dispenser, a hands-free dispenser, etc.).

  In this automatic paper discharge type dispenser, only the paper towel of a preset length is exposed from the paper discharge port, so that the user does not manually pull out the paper towel excessively and can hold the roll paper towel held inside. However, the automatic paper dispenser is more compact because the paper ejection sensor, roll paper drive mechanism, power supply circuit, etc. are housed inside the housing. There is a problem that is difficult.

  In particular, in a conventional automatic paper discharge type dispenser, a sensor for operating the paper discharge mechanism is provided at the bottom of the dispenser and in the center in the width direction.

  The reason for installing the sensor in the center in this way is that people have a dominant hand, but regardless of the dominant hand that one sensor takes, the detection range should be symmetrical to accommodate right-handed and left-handed people. There is a reason that it was.

  On the other hand, when a sensor is provided at the center, detection by the sensor may be insufficient. The reason for this will be described with reference to FIG. 5 showing a front view of the conventional dispenser X2. In general, the detection range of the sensor extends radially from the sensor 50 in a conical shape.

  In this type of dispenser, the detection range of the sensor is generally limited to the downward projection range of the dispenser so that there is no malfunction such as operation when a person approaches. And the dispenser is short in the depth direction with respect to the width direction in view of the shape of the roll paper and the desired installation mode. This tendency becomes remarkable especially when downsizing. Due to such restrictions, when the sensor 50 is provided at the center in the width direction of the dispenser X2, if the detection range is to be expanded, that is, if θ is increased in FIG. The protruding range is indicated by Z3 in the figure), which is likely to cause a malfunction or is insufficiently detected at a position far from the lower surface of the dispenser. On the other hand, if θ is reduced, the detection range of the dispenser is narrowed, and the detection range particularly near the lower surface of the dispenser is not sufficient.

  More specifically, this type of dispenser is provided so that the height L1 is generally 100 to 150 cm from the installation reference plane G such as the floor surface so that the user can easily grasp the paper. Under such an installation mode, the dispenser user usually stands in front of the dispenser and holds one hand or both hands below the dispenser so that the sensor 50 detects the paper discharge. Perform the action.

  According to the applicant's investigation, under the general installation mode and usage mode of this automatic paper discharge dispenser, the position where most of the subjects hold their hands is below the dispenser and in front view, From the position 5 cm below the center in the width direction, each range is 5 cm in the width direction and 20 cm below (the range indicated by reference numeral Z1). In addition, when holding both hands, the user is required to perform this operation. Often stands in front of the dispenser, so that the hand may be placed at a position (position Z2) that is shifted in the left-right direction from the center in the width direction of the dispenser. In addition, when the operation is performed with one hand, the hand may be held at a position offset to the dominant hand side (any one of Z2).

  In the conventional dispenser X2 provided with the sensor 50 at the center, it is difficult to cover the sufficient detection ranges Z1 and Z2 in view of the user's operation.

  On the other hand, this type of dispenser requires a power source, and although a household power source may be used as the power source, many of them are battery type. Generally, it is a battery type which incorporates four single batteries. In such a battery type, in consideration of the appearance of the dispenser, the center of gravity, and the necessity of battery replacement, it is desirable to position the battery storage socket in the vicinity of the lower front surface of the housing. However, in the conventional dispenser, since there is a sensor at this position, it is necessary to secure a battery storage position in another place, which is a factor that hinders the downsizing of the dispenser.

Special table 2008-521549 JP 09-215628 A JP 2006-068345 A JP2007-222372 JP 2002-102105 A JP2010-068972 JP2007-190292

  Therefore, the main problem of the present invention is to improve the sensor position in the automatic paper discharge type roll paper towel dispenser to achieve further compactness and reliable operation.

The present invention that has solved the above problems is as follows.
<Invention of Claim 1>
Support mechanism for supporting the roll paper towel inside the housing, paper discharge means for unwinding the paper towel from the roll paper towel and discharging it, and the detected object within the detection range when the detected object enters the detection range One or a plurality of sensors for detecting the paper, and a control means for driving the paper discharge means in response to detection of the detected object by the sensor to discharge a paper towel of a predetermined length,
The sensor is attached to the lower part and the width side of the dispenser so that the center axis of the detection range of the sensor is directed to the center of the dispenser in the width direction and toward the back side of the dispenser. The roll paper towel dispenser characterized in that the detection range includes a range of 5 cm in the width direction and 20 cm in the lower direction from a position 5 cm below the center in the width direction of the dispenser in front view .

<Invention of Claim 2>
The dispenser for roll paper towels according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided at a position within 15 cm in the depth direction from the front end of the dispenser.

<Invention of Claim 3>
The roll paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a detection range by the sensor is in a range surrounded by a virtual surface that hangs downward from a front end of the dispenser and a virtual surface that hangs downward from both side ends of the dispenser.

<Invention of Claim 4>
The roll paper towel dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor is provided at a position avoiding the roll paper supported by the support mechanism in the height direction and the depth direction.

  According to the present invention described above, it is possible to achieve further downsizing and a wider detection range in the automatic paper towel dispenser.

It is a front view of the dispenser for roll paper towels of this invention. It is a side view of the dispenser for roll paper towels of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the support mechanism and discharge mechanism of the dispenser for roll paper towels of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the detection range by the sensor of the dispenser for roll paper towels of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the dispenser for roll paper towels of the conventional dispenser.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.
The automatic paper discharge type roll paper dispenser X1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as dispenser X1) of the present embodiment is a long strip paper towel used for wiping skin such as hands and face, wiping food drip, moisture, etc. 20 is a roll paper towel dispenser X1 wound around a paper tube.

  The dispenser X1 of the present embodiment is a support that rotatably supports a roll paper towel (hereinafter also simply referred to as roll paper) 2 inside a housing 1 whose material is a synthetic resin such as ABS resin or a metal material. A mechanism, a paper discharge roller 4 that rotates while nipping a paper towel 20 that is a free tip portion of the roll paper towel unwound from the roll paper 2, a sensor 5 that detects an object to be detected within a detection range, and the sensor A control means for driving the paper discharge means to discharge a paper towel of a predetermined length in response to detection of the detected object by 5 and a power drive source such as a motor for driving the paper discharge roller 4 are arranged. The detected object (for example, a user's hand) by the sensor 5 is detected, the power driving source is activated, and the discharge roller 4 is Is moving, the sheet discharge outlet 6 disposed at a lower portion of the housing 1, thereby automatically exposing the paper towel 20 suitable length outside the housing 1.

“Example of housing structure”
The case 1 is composed of a case body 10 with an open front surface and a lid body 11 covering a front surface opening portion of the case body 10, and is unwound from a roll paper 2 supported by the support mechanism at a lower portion thereof. A paper discharge port 6 is provided to expose the paper towel 20 to the outside of the housing.

  The case main body 10 includes a top plate portion 12, a bottom plate portion 13, a back plate portion 14, and a pair of left and right main body side plate portions 17 and 17 extending forward from both side edges or both side edges of the back plate portion 14. It is installed on the wall surface or the like via the back plate part 14.

  The illustrated lid 11 includes a front plate portion 16 having a curved surface portion whose upper portion is in series with the top plate portion 12 of the case body 10, and a back side (back plate side) perpendicular to the front plate portion 16. ) And a pair of left and right lid body side plate portions 15, 15, which are arranged so as to cover the front side open portion of the case body 10, and constitute the box-shaped housing 1 together with the case body 10.

  The illustrated lid 11 is attached to the case body 10 in a hatched manner, and is pulled down to open the front surface of the case body 10 and expose the internal mechanisms such as the support mechanism and the discharge roller 4 inside the housing. The roll paper 2 can be exchanged.

  In making such a hatch type, the hinge mechanism 18 may be provided on the front side edge of the bottom plate portion 13 of the case body 10 and the lower edge of the front plate portion 16 of the lid body 11. It is good also as a hatch type which provides the hinge mechanism 18 in the front side edge of the top-plate part 12 of the case main body 10, and the back side upper edge of the front board part 16 of the cover body 11, and it flips up the front surface. Furthermore, a pair of locking projections (not shown) are provided at the upper or lower portion of each main body side plate, and a pair of locking fitting holes corresponding to the locking projections at the upper or lower portion of each lid side plate. (Not shown) may be provided, and the case main body 10 and the lid body 11 may be coupled by fitting them. In this case, the locking projection and the locking fitting hole may be paired, and it does not matter which is on the case body side.

  On the other hand, the paper discharge port 6 at the bottom of the housing can be formed in the bottom plate portion 13 of the case body 10. In the illustrated example, the front side of the bottom plate portion 13 of the case body 10 is inclined toward the top plate portion 12 side. In addition, a slender discharge port 6 in the width direction is formed in the inclined portion, so that the user can easily take out the paper towel.

  Further, in the illustrated example, a cutter blade 61 is attached so as to partially cover the paper discharge port 6 in order to easily cut out the paper towel exposed from the paper discharge port 6. In the illustrated example, the cutter blade is a saw blade. In addition, this cutter blade can be formed with a metal or a hard plastic resin. Further, if a long paper towel constituting the roll paper is provided with a perforation line for cutting to facilitate cutting at an appropriate interval in the longitudinal direction, such a cutter blade can be dispensed with.

"Example of support mechanism"
The support mechanism housed in the housing 1 can take a known configuration. In the form shown in the figure, it has a pair of arm portions 31, 31 extending from the vicinity of both side plates of the back plate portion 14 toward the front plate side (the front side when the wall surface is mounted), respectively, by a predetermined length. Support portions 32, 32 are attached to the tips of 31, 31. In addition, not only the example of illustration but the arm parts 31 and 31 may be the aspect extended so that it may protrude in the horizontal direction from the side board part 17, and it is an aspect which hangs down from the top-plate part 12. Alternatively, it may stand up from the bottom plate portion 13 toward the top plate portion 12. If the arm parts 31 and 31 place the support part 32 in the predetermined position in the range which does not prevent the effect of this invention, the specific aspect will not be limited.

  In the normal state, the illustrated support portions 32 and 32 protrude toward the inside in the horizontal direction at the inner side of the housing, and the base end portions of the support portions 32 and 32 are urged to the normal state. It is comprised so that it may fall toward the back side as an axis | shaft.

  The distance between the tips 32t and 32t of the pair of support portions 32 and 32 is less than the length (width) of the paper tube 21 of the roll paper 7 and is supported when the tips 32t and 32t are tilted to the back side. The gap between the tips 32t and 32t of the section is wider than the width of the roll paper 2. When the roll paper is attached, the roll paper 2 is inserted between the support portions 32 and 32 from the front side to the back side, and further pushed inward until the tip 32t of the fallen support portion 32 is located in the paper tube. When the support portion tips 32t and 32t arrive in the paper tube, the support portions 32 and 32 return by urging to the normal position, the support portion tips 32t and 32t are positioned in the paper tube 21, and the roll paper 2 is moved by the support mechanism. Supported.

  The support mechanism is configured to be able to jump upward while the tip ends 32t and 32t draw an arc orbit with the base end portion as an axis in a state where the support portions 32 and 32 are biased to the normal state. A thing can also be illustrated.

"Eject mechanism"
On the other hand, the dispenser X1 of the present invention can employ a known paper discharge mechanism. In the illustrated form, a paper discharge roller provided with a rubber roll portion 42 at an appropriate position on the outer periphery of a rod-shaped rotating shaft 41 having an axis parallel to the axis when the roll paper 2 is attached to a support mechanism; A pair of nip means 43 and a nip means 43 are provided below the support mechanism (on the bottom plate side), and the paper discharge roller and the paper towel 20 unrolled from the roll paper 2 are sandwiched by the nip means. Then, the paper discharge roller 4 is rotated by a drive source via the rotation shaft 41.

  That is, the paper towel 20 can be exposed from the paper discharge port 6 by rotating the rotary shaft 41 by the motor means or the like while the paper discharge roller 4 and the nip roll 43 nip the paper towel 20. Yes.

  Note that the both-end support portions of the paper discharge roller and the nip roller are not shown. A well-known support mechanism can be adopted for the both end support portions. Examples of the nip means 43 include a nip roll paired with the rubber roll portion 41, or a pressing means such as a pressing spring attached to the front plate of the housing so as to press the paper towel against the paper discharge roller 4 (this) The form is not shown).

  Further, the shaft of the motor means and the rotating shaft need not be coaxial, and the rotating shaft 41 may be rotated by appropriately interposing a known mechanism such as a gear, an endless belt, and a pulley. The driving and stopping of the motor means is performed according to a signal detected by a sensor described later.

"Sensors and control means"
The sensor 5 according to the present invention is such that the detection range 5S extends in a conical shape with the sensor 5 at the apex, and the sensor 5 itself can be appropriately selected from known ones and employed. Further, the mechanism of the sensor 5 is not limited. As a specific example, an IR sensor having an irradiation unit that irradiates infrared rays and a reception unit that detects that an object to be detected has entered a sensor detection range constituted by infrared rays irradiated from the irradiation unit can be exemplified.

  The sensor 5 is provided at a position to be described later, and when an object to be detected such as a user's hand enters the detection range 5S of the sensor 5, the sensor 5 detects the detection object and uses the detection signal as a control means. Then, the drive source of the discharge roller 4 such as motor means of the paper discharge mechanism is driven for a predetermined time via the control means. As a result, the paper towel 20 is exposed from the paper discharge port 6 by the amount of rotation of the paper discharge roller 4 corresponding to the drive time of the drive source. The control means for controlling the driving of the driving source such as the motor means in accordance with the detection signal detected by the sensor 5 is not particularly limited and can be configured by an appropriate electric circuit.

"Sensor mounting position"
In the dispenser X1 of the present invention, the mounting position of the sensor 5 is located on the lower side of the housing 1 and on the side in the width direction of the housing 1. By providing the side of the housing in this way, a sensor detection range 5S described later can be suitably formed, and the miniaturization of the dispenser X1 and the detection range 5S in view of the operation of the user are possible. Moreover, it is possible to set the detection range 5S in which an unintended object is not detected. More preferably, the sensor is at least 1 cm or more away from the housing side (indicated by symbol L3 in the figure) and within 1 to 15 cm from the center C in the width direction of the housing 1 to the side surface (in the figure). In the depth direction (rear side direction) from the front end of the dispenser X1 (indicated by L4 in the figure), particularly in the range of 5 to 15 cm. Above, in particular, the sensor is oriented so as to go to the side of the casing opposite to the side of the casing where the sensor 5 is provided, and the central axis of the detection range 5S from the sensor 5 is directed to the center in the width direction of the dispenser and downward. And attach. In this attachment mode, the central axis may be parallel to the axial center direction of the roll paper 2 positioned inside the casing, or may be attached so as to be directed toward the back side of the dispenser. . Moreover, you may make it go to the front side direction of a dispenser. However, if the central axis is parallel to the axial center direction of the roll paper 2 positioned inside the casing or is directed toward the back side of the dispenser, the detection range is larger than that of the front surface of the dispenser. However, it is hard to be positioned forward, and malfunction is difficult.

  By setting the mounting position of the sensor 5 as described above, the detection range 5S of the sensor 5 can be set to the preferable ranges Z1 and Z2 in consideration of the user's operation.

  Further, the sensor 5 avoids the roll paper 2 supported by the support portion in the height direction and the depth direction inside the casing, that is, the roll paper 2 supported by the support portion inside the casing and the height direction and It is desirable to be provided at a position that does not overlap in the depth direction. It becomes easier to achieve compactness.

  In the automatic paper discharge dispenser X1, a battery may be used as a power source as described in the prior art section. In the dispenser X1 of the present invention, since the sensor 5 is positioned on the side of the casing, a battery storage location can be secured in the center of the casing. Since the battery is a heavy part among the parts constituting the dispenser X1, the center of gravity of the dispenser is stabilized when the battery can be stored in the center of the housing 1. In addition, the battery can be easily replaced. Furthermore, it becomes possible to place batteries in series along the width direction of the dispenser at the lower part of the supported roll paper. In this case, the thickness of the dispenser (length in the depth direction) can be reduced, and compactness can be achieved. Can be planned.

"Detection range of sensor"
The detection range 5S of the sensor 5 of the dispenser X1 of the present invention includes at least a range Z1 of 5 cm in the width direction and 20 cm below from the position 5 cm below the center in the width direction of the dispenser X1 (housing 1). It is desirable to sufficiently cover this range. As described above, the detection range 5S of the sensor 5 is radially conical with the sensor 5 as a center. Since the distance to the above preferred range is far from the sensor, it is possible to cover a wide area with the widened conical skirt, thereby ensuring a sufficient detection range. In addition, the vicinity of the sensor where the detection range 5S becomes narrower is a position on the side of the housing where it is difficult for the user to hold his hand, so that the detection is not insufficient. Furthermore, the position (position Z2) that is offset from the range Z1 in the left-right direction in the width direction of the dispenser is easier to cover than the conventional dispenser.

  Here, in order to make the above range sufficient, the radiation angle θ of the detection range from the sensor 5 is set to 30 to 90 ° in consideration of the size of the dispenser X1, and the center axis A1 (detection range of the sensor). The vertical axis of the dispenser X1 and the vertical surface A2 to the reference floor surface passing through the center of the dispenser X1 is located at a distance L5 of 100 to 200 mm from the sensor 5. Adjust to.

  It is desirable that the detection range 5S by the sensor 5 is in a range surrounded by a virtual surface that hangs down from the front end of the dispenser X1 and a virtual surface that hangs down from both side ends of the dispenser. For example, when the hang down further beyond the virtual plane, the sensor may react at a portion such as a foot and the sheet may be fed out. That is, it is desirable not to exceed the downward projection range of the dispenser X1. Exceeding this range may cause malfunction. In the present invention, this can be easily achieved by appropriately adjusting the sensor output by a known method within the above range.

  Here, in the dispenser of the present invention, the sensor 5 is not limited to one and may be a plurality. For example, you may provide in the side part right and left of a dispenser, respectively. If only one is provided, it should be provided on the user's dominant hand side. For example, if many of the users are right-handed, it is desirable to provide the right side toward the dispenser. In this case, both detection ranges can be prevented from overlapping.

  In the automatic paper discharge dispenser according to the present invention described above, by providing the sensor at a predetermined position of the dispenser, the detection range can be widened and the dispenser can be made compact.

  X1, X2 ... dispenser for roll paper towel, 1 ... housing, 2 ... roll paper towel, 20 ... paper towel, 4 ... paper discharge roller, 5 ... sensor, 5S ... detection range, 6 ... paper discharge port, 10 ... case body, 11 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Cover body, 12 ... Top plate part, 13 ... Bottom plate part, 14 ... Back plate part, 15 ... Main body side plate part, 16 ... Front plate part, 17 ... Cover body side plate part, 18 ... Hinge mechanism, 61 ... Cutter blade, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Arm part, 32 ... Support part, 32t ... Support part tip, 21 ... Paper tube, 41 ... Rotating shaft, 42 ... Rubber roll part, 43 ... Nip means (nip roller), Z1 ... Preferred detection range, P ... Intersection, L1 ... Distance from the reference floor to the lower surface of the dispenser, L2 ... Distance from the center in the width direction of the dispenser to the sensor mounting position, L3 ... Distance from the side in the width direction of the dispenser to the sensor mounting position , L4 ... distance from the front of the dispenser to the sensor mounting position, the distance from the L5 ... sensor to the intersection P.

Claims (4)

Support mechanism for supporting the roll paper towel inside the housing, paper discharge means for unwinding the paper towel from the roll paper towel and discharging it, and the detected object within the detection range when the detected object enters the detection range One or a plurality of sensors for detecting the paper, and a control means for driving the paper discharge means in response to detection of the detected object by the sensor to discharge a paper towel of a predetermined length,
The sensor is attached to the lower part and the width side of the dispenser so that the center axis of the detection range of the sensor is directed to the center of the dispenser in the width direction and toward the back side of the dispenser. The roll paper towel dispenser characterized in that the detection range includes a range of 5 cm in the width direction and 20 cm in the lower direction from a position 5 cm below the center in the width direction of the dispenser in front view . The dispenser for roll paper towels according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided at a position within 15 cm in the depth direction from the front end of the dispenser. The roll paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a detection range by the sensor is in a range surrounded by a virtual surface that hangs downward from a front end of the dispenser and a virtual surface that hangs downward from both side ends of the dispenser. The roll paper towel dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor is provided at a position avoiding the roll paper supported by the support mechanism in the height direction and the depth direction.

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