LU81986A1 - BAND PRODUCT DISPENSER, SUCH AS PAPER - Google Patents

Description

*

The present invention relates to a dispenser for a strip product, such as paper, from rolls of this product.

The dispensers for strip products, such as absorbent paper, can be of two types: either they make it possible to dispense a length which is determined by the user, or they make it possible to dispense predetermined lengths of strip product at each operation , the dispenser of the present invention is of the latter type.

Known distributors of the latter type have certain drawbacks. In a known dispenser, a certain length of paper is dispensed when the user pulls on a short length of paper exceeding 15 from the casing, by tearing a predetermined length, and after a short period of time, for example five seconds, a short length of paper comes out automatically, ready for the next user. Thus, the paper protrudes from the housing while it is not in use and it may become contaminated. This may be unacceptable in hospitals and other places where hygienic precautions are to be taken. Roll paper dispensers are usually used in public restrooms and the amount of paper used can be considerable. It is common for the supervisor to recharge each case twice a day, and therefore the cost of labor may exceed that of the paper used.

An object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which eliminates or minimizes these drawbacks.

The dispenser according to the invention is intended to distribute successive lengths of strip product, such as paper, from rolls of this product. It comprises a housing having means for rotationally supporting at least two rolls of product in a strip, a dispensing orifice through which this product can be dispensed, and a system for feeding the strip comprising cooperating supply means with the product in a strip when it is unwound from a roll and distributing it in the direction of distribution through the dispensing orifice, drive means comprising means for energy storage connected to the supply means to impart to them a forward movement by releasing the energy stored during a first part of a distribution operation, and designed to restock energy when the supply means are actuated by manual traction on the strip product during a second part of the dispensing operation, stop means limiting the length of which the strip can be pulled during this second part of the dispensing operation distribution, so that the distributed length of the strip can then be torn, a release device controlled by hand to initiate a distribution operation, this release device serving to release the stop means and actuating the drive means 15 to release the stored energy and, therefore, distribute a sufficient length of product in a strip during the first part of the dispensing operation, so as to allow the hand to be grasped strip product and pull it to complete the second part of the distribution operation, this device further comprising a system cooperating with the supply means for transferring the free end of a strip from a other roller in the housing when all, or practically all, of the strip product of the first roller has been dispensed, so that the product can be dispensed by the rollers one after the other, this transfer system comprising means d e. detection for measuring the diameter of the first roll, and transfer means for grasping the free end of a strip and causing it to cooperate with the supply means 30 when the detection means measure a predetermined dimension of the first roll.

Preferably, the dispenser further comprises means preventing any movement of the supply means which would cause movement of the strip product in the opposite direction to that of the dispensing direction.

the supply means comprise in one embodiment, two practically parallel rollers which are drawn towards one another to form an interval, the strip product being able to be introduced into the interval between these s * t "'two rollers for be in frictional contact with them.

The means preventing any movement of the supply means in a direction tending to retract the product in a strip may include a ratchet wheel integral in ro ~ 5 tation of the shaft of one of these rollers, this wheel for, / 1 shaft before cooperating with a pawl preventing 'from rotating in a direction tending to retract the band.

. Alternatively, the means may include a spring wound around the shaft of one of said rollers in a "10 direction tending to tighten it on the shaft when the latter rotates in a direction tending to retract the band.

Preferably, the energy storage means comprise a spring, one end of which is fixed and the other end is attached to one of the rollers.

Alternatively, the drive means comprise an abutment element disposed eccentrically with respect to one of the two rollers and integral with the latter and, in this case, the energy storage means are, so advantageous, a linear spring of which one end is fixed tan-20 say that the other comes into abutment with said element.

The stop means comprise, in one embodiment, a stop element disposed eccentrically on one of the two rollers and integral in rotation with the latter, this element being able to come into abutment with a cleat which can be brought on the circular path described by the stop element when this roller rotates, and being able to be released therefrom.

* Advantageously, the release device with ma- command; nuelle has a sliding arm on which the cleat is fixed.

. The dispenser may further comprise shaft advancement means for rotating one of the rollers to distribute the paper, the shaft advancement means being rotationally integral with the shaft of this roller and comprising a röchet wheel cooperating with a pawl ac-35 actuated by a spring lever projecting through the housing. A knurled wheel, at least part of which projects through the housing and is available to a user, can replace the aforementioned advancement means.

The transfer system further comprises, in one embodiment, a locking element connected to. means of -. 4 detection and a stop sensitive to the movement of the locking element and arranged to keep the transfer means clear of the supply means until it is necessary to have the product in a strip on the other 5 roll .

Preferably, the detection means are arranged to be movable so as to remain in contact with the first roller when strip product is dispensed from this roller.

Preferably also, the detection means are part of an articulated transmission arranged to move the locking element when the detection means move.

* Several embodiments of the invention are described below with the attached drawing in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention seen from line II of FIG. 2 and showing a system of tape feed ready for dispensing paper from a lower roll; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of the device of Figure 1, viewed from the line 11I-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of part of a second embodiment, seen as in Figure 1, after a short length of paper has been dispensed in a first portion of a dispensing operation; Figure 4 shows the dispenser of Figures 1 and 2, "seen from the other side, and the transfer system which is; rest by allowing the introduction of a new lower roller; Figure 5 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 4 but with the transfer system in the active position shortly before the transfer from the lower roller to the upper roller; Figure 6 shows the device of Figures 4 and 5, 35 after the transfer system has moved lice * start feeding from the upper roller; Figure 7 shows part of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIG. 8 shows a different embodiment in a view corresponding to FIG. 6.

5

The distributor generally comprises a housing with a housing, or casing, 2, intended to be fixed on a vertical wall and a removable cover 5 (fig. 1) which is removably fixed on the casing 2. Means are 5 provided in the housing for rotationally supporting a lower roll 4 and an upper roll 6 of paper.

Inside the box are also housed a tape feed system (fig. 1 and 2) to feed the paper from one of the rollers 4 efc 6, and a roll transfer system 1Q (fig. 4 to 6 or Fig. 8) to start the oven. niture of paper from the upper roller 6, as soon as the paper from the lower roller 4 is completely exhausted or close to being exhausted. The cover 3 of the housing can easily be removed from the casing 2 so that two new rolls of paper can be introduced as soon as the upper roll is finished. The cover has a transparent zone 5, making it possible to see the upper roller from the outside of the housing, so that it is known when it is necessary to refill the housing.

Figures 1 and 2 show the tape feed system of the dispenser. This system comprises two rollers 8 and 10 practically parallel and mounted in rotation, arranged to form a pressure interval through which the paper is pulled before being distributed through a fen-25 te 12 in the housing 2, The first roller consists of three rubber drums H, with a knurled periphery and integral in rotation with a shaft 16. The shaft 16 is rotatably mounted on bearings in two parallel and spaced support plates 18 and 20. Means are provided for per-30 put the shaft 16 to rotate in one direction; these means - are described below. The second roll. 10 is constituted by three rubber drums 22 each of which is arranged to press against a corresponding drum 14. The drums 22 are integral in rotation with a rod 24, the ends 26 of which are of smaller diameter, each protrude through a slot 28 in the form of a keyhole and are fixed to one end of a helical spring 30 The other ends bbs helical springs 30 are fixed on pins on the support plates 18, 20.

40 A disc 32 is integral in rotation with an end V, <Ο of the shaft 16 and a stop 16 is provided on its periphery. An arm 38, carrying a stopper 39 extending from its face opposite the disc 32 and carrying a push button 40 on one of its ends, is slidably mounted on the support plate 18 by means of bolts 41 and 43 prisoners in slots in the arm 38. A helical spring 42 is fixed both to the support plate 18 and to the arm 32 to return the arm towards the right side * of FIGS. 1 and 3. The cleat 39 e3t placed on the arm 10 38 so as to be on the circular path of the stop 36, when the arm is returned to the right (fig.1). A second stop 35 is arranged on the same face of the dis-4 as 32 as the stop 36 and is diametrically opposite to it, but is located closer to the center of the disc, at a place where the stopper 39 is arranged. on the circular path of the stop 36 when the push button 40 is pressed to move the arm 38 to the left.

Referring now to FIG. 7. A lever 100 is mounted in rotation on the shaft 16 to advance this-20 itself and, therefore, the paper caught in the interval between the rollers 8 and 10, the lever having a lower part 102 and an upper part 104 moving away from the shaft 16. The upper part 104 is biased to the left by a spring 106 and tends to rotate the lever 25 anticlockwise watch. A pawl 108 is articulated on the upper part 104, and carries a spout 110 which can cooperate with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 112 fixed on the shaft 16. By pressing to the left (fig.7) on the lower part 102 of the protruding lever of the casing 2 30 of the housing, the wheel 112 and, therefore, the shaft 16, are driven clockwise by the spout 110 trapped between two teeth of the wheel 112. As soon as 'The lever 100 is released, the pawl 108 emerges from the path of the teeth and falls by gravity between two other teeth. The lever 100 can be pressed repeatedly to further advance the paper through the slot 12.

To prevent the shaft 16 from rotating in the opposite direction, an element 114 is articulated on the support plate 18 and has a flange 116 which extends in the circular path of the 40 teeth of the ratchet wheel 112.

• v 7

In another embodiment (FIG. 2), a helical spring 17 can be fixed by one of its ends to the plate 18 and be wound around the shaft 16 in a direction such that it tightens on the shaft 16 if this shaft turns in 5 anticlockwise direction (fig. 1 and 3), thus allowing shaft 16 only to turn in one direction.

Instead of a lever 100, the end of the shaft 16 opposite to that carrying the disc 32 can project from the casing 2. 10 and a knurled wheel can be integral in rotation.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment. A shaft 44 is mounted between the support plates 18 and 20 and extends through the plate 18 to pass between two rods 46, 48, 'enclosing between them a spring 50, one end of which is applied against the casing 2 of the housing and the other end 51 extends in one direction and one direction such that it is applied against a circumferential groove in a button 34.

The paper is unrolled either from roll 4 (as shown) or from roll 6, and it is threaded between rollers 8 and 10, then between roll 10 and a tear plate 52, having a lower edge serrated, and finally through slot 12.

Figures 4 to 6 show the other end of the dispenser and show an embodiment of the roll transfer system. An arm 54 pivots at each end of the shaft 44.

The ends of the arms 54 opposite the shaft 44 support in rotation a shaft carrying a follower roller 56 whose function is to monitor the diameter of the lower roller 4 and to activate the roller transfer system as soon as the dia-50 meter has reduced to a predetermined value, for which only a small amount of paper remains on the roll 4.

One end 57 of the follower roller 56 shaft projects through an opening 58 in the support plate 20. In FIG. 4, the follower roller 56 is held by its shaft end 57 in the inactive position by the intermediate a bent lever 59 having an end forming a hook articulated on the support plate 20 and recalled by a spring 60 in an anticlockwise direction. This lever is automatically lowered, releasing the shaft end 57, when the cover 40 is applied to the distributor. A stud 62 on (:, the arm 54 which is adjacent to '. The support plate 20 extends through the opening 58 in the support plate. A cam element 66 pivots on the stud 62, is returned by a spring 74 and cooperates with an intermediate lever 94 pivo-5 both on the support plate 20. A stud 70 is fixed on the lever 94. The latter has a spout 96 which receives a tongue 86 as soon as the upper end of the element cam 66 has moved down from the position in figure 4 to that of figure 5. The transfer mechanism is actuated when - the end of the slot 68 abuts on the stud 70 by pivoting the lever 94 to release it from the tab 86, allowing the latter and, therefore, a transfer roller 76 to fall in the interval between the rollers 8 and 10 'to effect the transfer, by the fact that the roller 76 15 applies the paper coming from the roll 6 in contact with the paper coming out of the roll 4 and placed on the roll 8.

An adjustment screw 98 can effectively lengthen or shorten the slot 68 to activate the transfer for different critical diameters of the lower paper roll 4.

In all the figures, the paper is supplied by the lower roller 4, while the upper roller 6 is in reserve, supported in rotation on pins 7, with the free end of the paper wrapped around the transfer roller 76. A magnet 78 removably holds the free end of the paper against the roller 76. The latter is supported on the support plates 18, 20 by means of two elements 80, 82 each of which pivots at 84 on the plates respective supports 18, 20.

The roll transfer system is kept in the inactive position of FIG. 4 when a new paper roll is introduced 4. As soon as the roll is introduced, the cover 3 pushes the bent lever 59 in the direction of the needles. a watch to release the follower roller 56 and apply it clockwise downward to the surface of the roller 4 · The paper roll is distributed in a manner which will be described more fully below until its diameter decreases to a value shown in Figure 5. The arms 54 have pivoted clockwise, the cam member 66 has pivoted 40 relative to the arm 54 and has sliding down and towards the ·. * '9 right as seen in 1-s Figures 4 to 6, due to the relative movement between the slot 68 and the stud 70. the cam element has also slid relative to the tongue 86, which has remained in the same position.

5 In FIG. 6, the lower roller 4 has reached a critical diameter and the follower roller 56, applied in contact on the circumference 4 by the spring 76, has pulled the cam element 66 down and to the right of such , so that the lever 94 is disengaged from the path of the tongue 10 86 and that the transfer roller 76 may, consequently, fall by gravity. Roll 76 has the paper loop which surrounds it in the gap between rolls 8 and 10. The paper from roll 6 is drawn by friction, between rolls 8 and 10 with the short length of paper 15 remaining on the roll 4, so that the user takes a double thickness of paper until the roller 4 is completely used up. The transfer is thus finished and the paper continues to be dispensed from the upper roller 6.

According to an embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a cam element 66 is still slidably mounted on the upper plate 20 by means of the stud 70 extending from the plate 20 through the slot 68, the element cam being retained on the stud 70 by a washer 72. The cam element now has an enlarged opening at the end of the slot 68 and is pulled down by a coil spring 74. A tongue 86 extends from the element. 82 through an opening 88 and supports the roller 76 until the pin 70 comes into the opening which lowers it (fig. 8).

The paper is distributed from either rolls 4 or 6 through the web feed system described above. The dispenser distribution operation is a two-part operation. A user presses the push button 40, which brings out a short length of paper through the slot 12, which is long enough for the user to be able to grasp it; the paper is then pulled down in the second part of the dispensing operation to extract an additional length of paper. The total length of paper thus distributed can be torn against the tearing plate 52.

40 In FIG. 1 the device is ready to be used 10 The previous user will have pulled the paper through the slot 12 ”thus rotating the drums 14 and the roller 8 clockwise, in the figures 1 and 3, because the paper is gripped by the rollers 14 and 22. The rotation of the drums 14 causes the rotation of the shaft 16 on which they are mounted and, therefore, the rotation of the disc 32 until the position of Figure 1. Referring to the embodiment of Figure 3, the button 34 will have rotated, its peripheral groove sliding along the portion of ex-10 end 51 of the spring 50 and pushing it down to increase the tension of the spring 50 until the button 34 has moved beyond a neutral position. Immediately after this neutral point, the button 34 will have been driven in rotation under the action of the traction of the previous user 15 on the paper, in addition to the spring action of the end 51 of the spring which returns to a short distance. The engagement of the stop 36 against the cleat 39 stops the disc 32 and, therefore, stops the rotation of the roller 8; the tape feed system is then in the starting position, with the spring 50 still constrained. Read that the roller 8 is not stopped before the button 34 has passed its neutral position, the neutral position corresponding to that where the spring is constrained to the maximum, the shaft 16 tends to rotate in one direction rather than in the other to provide paper, not retract it. The operation is similar for the feeding system employing a coil spring. In any case, this rotation in the opposite direction cannot take place due to the presence of the spring 17 or of the flange 16 and of the ratchet wheel 112. Another advantage of this locking after neutral is that user clearly perceives the moment when the length of paper to be dispensed in the second part of the dispensing operation has been taken off, because the roller 8 stops suddenly. The previous user will then have torn the total length of paper dispensed in the total dispensing operation against the edge of the tear plate 52.

Until the next user arrives, the paper is kept inside the housing, and virtually no paper is exposed through the slot 12. The next user first presses the push button 40 inwards * 11 to slide the Iras;> 8 and therefore move the cleat 39 to the left in order to free the circular path of the stop 36. Under the action of the spring 50, the disc 52 , the arm 16 and the drums H rotate to provide a small length of paper, thus performing the first part of a dispensing operation, this short length is sufficient for the user to be able to grasp and pull the length exposed paper through the slot 12 until the stop 36 comes to stop against the cleat 39; - 10 the length of paper provided by a full revolution of the drums 14, that is to say a length equal to their circumference, can be torn, thus completing the dispensing operation. If a greater length of paper, that is to say a length multiple of the circumference of the drums, is desired, several dispensing operations can be carried out by pushing the push button 40 several times, the paper being pulled out. between each push of the button 40 until the desired length of paper is dispensed. This length is then torn against the tear-off plate 52.

In the case where the dispenser is misused, for example if a user tears the paper after pushing the button 40, but before having pulled on the short length ejected by the push button, the shaft 16 and therefore 25 the paper entered in the interval between the rollers 8 and 10 can be advanced by acting on the lever 100 • or by turning the knurled wheel.

To prevent a user from continuously pressing the button 4Ö and from pulling on the paper to take a continuous length while avoiding locking between the stop 36 and the cleat 39, the second stop 35 is arranged on the disc at a certain distance from the center of the latter such that, when the button 40 is pushed, the cleat 39 on the arm 38 is on the circular path of the stop 35. It is only by releasing the button 40 that the 'the additional paper can be pulled through the slot.

As soon as the two rolls of paper 4 and 6 have been completely distributed through the slot 12, the cover 3 is removed from the housing, a cover which can be locked inside the housing 2, and the transfer system 12 is put on. “* Roller in the position either of FIG. 4 or of FIG. 8, by pressing up the follower roller 56 in antagonism with the force of the spring 74, until the end 57 of the shaft of the follower roller is gripped 5 in the hook end of the angled lever 59. Once in this position, a new lower roller 4 "can be inserted, plain, resting on the floor of the casing 2 of the housing. the dispenser operates in the same way, that the rollers 4 and 6 are unwound in one or the other direction, r 10 and FIGS. 1 and 5 show the roller 4 unwinding in an opposite direction. The free end of the roller 4 is extracted, placed in the interval between the rollers 8 and 10 "and brought between them by pressing the lever or by rotating the wheel until a sufficient length 15 paper comes out through slot 12 for user input. A new upper roller 6 is then mounted on its trunnions.

It is obvious that each of the above-described tape feed systems can be used in conjunction with each of the transfer systems.

Although only two rolls of paper have been described and illustrated in the housing, it is also possible to arrange three or more rolls therein to distribute paper successively from these rollers.

Claims (7)

1. A strip product dispenser, such as paper, characterized in that it comprises a housing having means for rotationally supporting at least two rolls of strip product 5, a dispensing orifice through which this pro-. duit can be dispensed, and a strip feeding system comprising feeding means cooperating with the strip product when it is unwound from a roll and distributing it in the direction of distribution through the ori - 10 distribution, drive means comprising energy storage means connected to the supply means to impart thereto a forward movement * by releasing the energy stored during a first part of a distribution operation, and designed to restock energy when the supply means are actuated by manual traction on the product in the band during a second part of the distribution operation, stop means limiting the length from which the strip can be pulled during this second part of the dispensing operation 20 so that the dispensed length of the strip can then be torn, a release device controlled by hand to trigger an oper dispensing ation, this release device serving to release the stop means and to actuate the drive means to release the stored energy and, therefore, distribute a sufficient length of product in a strip during the first part of the “distribution” operation, so as to allow the product to be grasped by hand in a strip and to be pulled to complete the second part of the distribution operation, this arrangement! l.if further comprising a system cooperating with the supply means for transferring the free end of a strip from another roll into the housing when all, or practically all of the strip product of the first roll has been distributed, so that the product can be distributed by the rollers one after the other, this transfer system comprising detection means for measuring the diameter of the first roll, and transfer means for grasping the end free of a strip and cause it to cooperate with the supply means when the detection means measure a predefined dimension-40 of the first roll. v: 14 s 2. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the supply means comprise two practically parallel rollers which are biased towards one another and form a gap in which the strip product can be introduced to be in contact friction with them and in that the energy storage means comprise a spring, one end of which is fixed and the other of which is attached to one of the rollers. 3. Dispenser according to claim 2, characterized in. 10 that the drive means comprise a stop element arranged eccentrically with respect to one of the two parallel rollers and integral with the latter in rotation, and * in that the stop means comprise an element d 'stop • arranged eccentrically on one of the two practically 15 parallel rollers and integral in rotation with the latter, this element being able to come into abutment with a cleat which can be brought along the circular path described by the element when this roller turns and can be released. 4. Dispenser according to claim 3, characterized in that the release device which can be controlled by hand comprises a sliding arm on which the cleat is fixed. 5. Distributor according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a ratchet wheel secured to one of the rollers and cooperating with a pawl actuated by a lever 25. protruding spring through the housing to advance the rollers. 6. Dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that the transfer system further comprises a locking element connected to the detection means and a stop sensitive to the movement of the locking element and arranged to hold the transfer means released from the supply means until it is necessary to have the product in a strip on the other roller. 7. A dispenser according to claim 6, characterized in that means are provided to prevent any movement of the supply means in a direction tending to retract the product into a strip, these means comprising a ratchet wheel integral in rotation with the shaft of one of the rollers, this wheel being able to cooperate with a pawl preventing the shaft from turning 40 in a direction tending to retract the strip.