Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
  • A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
  • A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
  • A47K10/34—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means
  • A47K10/36—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
  • A47K10/3631—The cutting devices being driven manually
  • A47K10/3637—The cutting devices being driven manually using a crank or handle
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
  • A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
  • A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
  • A47K10/34—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means
  • A47K10/36—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
  • A47K10/3631—The cutting devices being driven manually
  • A47K2010/365—Triggering mechanism for the blade

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for the controlled dispensing, with manual tearing, of portions of paper from a continuous roll, to be used as towels, of the type wherein the action exerted by the user on the strip of paper projecting from the device controls the feeding of a pre-established length of paper and the cutting thereof.
• a device for the controlled dispensing, with manual tearing, of portions of paper from a continuous roll, to be used as towels of the type wherein the action exerted by the user on the strip of paper projecting from the device controls the feeding of a pre-established length of paper and the cutting thereof.
• the attempts made until now in this direction have resulted in various drawbacks, related especially to the operating reliability and to the user safety, besides some difficulties concerning the
• a paper-dragging cylinder with a rough surface and preferably made of rubber in order to enhance the friction, is provided with a blade driving cam which makes it spring out radially from a rest position, within a longitudinal slot formed in the cylinder, to a cutting position in which it interferes with the paper outside said cylinder.
• a blade driving cam which makes it spring out radially from a rest position, within a longitudinal slot formed in the cylinder, to a cutting position in which it interferes with the paper outside said cylinder.
• the subject-matter of the present invention is a manually operated device for dispensing portions of paper from a continuous roll, of the type mentioned at the beginning, which does not have the above- mentioned drawbacks.
• the present device is provided with safety measures such as to prevent damages to the user or the operator which looks after the paper loading and at the same time the cutting blade is relatively accessible for interventions thereon and its possible replacement.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned type, which offers a sufficient operating reliability while preventing paper jamming during the loading, which can be carried out without taking into account the unwinding direction of the roll, whereby the latter can be placed in the device in one direction or the other indifferently.
• Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of the device, with the lid removed in order to show the internal mechanisms, with some parts omitted;
• Figure 2 shows a side view of the device, along the direction of arrow
• Figure 2a corresponds to fig.2, in a subsequent situation, after acting on an external knob or crank, along a length of idle rotation during which the cylinder is still, to be used upon loading of the paper, thus preventing the blade working;
• Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views similar to the preceding views of the device according to the invention, in subsequent operating situations following the continued pulling of the strip of paper starting from the position of fig.2, as an alternative to the situation of fig.2a.
• the device includes, similarly to conventional devices for dispensing paper towels obtained by tearing portions of constant length from a continuous feed roll, a supporting and covering structure 1 of which only the shoulders 1a and 1 b are shown, also comprising a lid not shown, on which structure the feed roll 10 and the mechanisms described hereafter are mounted.
• a supporting and covering structure 1 of which only the shoulders 1a and 1 b are shown, also comprising a lid not shown, on which structure the feed roll 10 and the mechanisms described hereafter are mounted.
• an elastic member 1 ' (fig.1 and 2a) suitable to exert a braking pressure onto roll 10 during the unwinding thereof in order to oppose its inertia. Therefore, said member 1 ' is mainly acting at the largest roll thickness, when it can exert thereon the greatest braking action, which is progressively reduced as roll 10 decreases in diameter while its mass and therefore its inertia also decrease.
• a cylindrical paper dragging roller 2 and a pressure roller 2a, of smaller diameter and elastically pushed in contact with the preferably rough surface of roller 2, made of a material similar to rubber, are mounted in a substantially known way on the two lateral shoulders 1 a and 1 b.
• Guides 20 are also provided for the paper path, for example consisting of at least a pair of shaped metallic wires. It should be noted that in fig.1 the pressure roller 2a has been omitted in order to prevent hidding of the parts thereunder, and that in fig.2 two different paths of the paper 10 have been illustrated, both being possible according to the present invention thanks to the particular arrangement of roller 2a with respect to the dragging roller 2, taking into account said guides 20.
• an assembly 3 already known, including cams, ratchet gears and pawls.
• a biasing spring 24 which is secured at the other end to shoulder 1 b.
• Spring 24 is suitable to be loaded during the operation in a first rotation phase of roller 2, and to assure therefore the continuation of the rotation up to the correct stopping of the dragging roller in the cutting position, as it will be better described further on. Since their application, for the same purposes, is already known in prior art devices, said mechanisms will not be described in greater detail.
• the device according to the present invention has a mobile cutting assembly consisting of a blade 4, extending transversely with respect to the two shoulders 1a, 1 b, along almost the whole width of roller 2, and mounted on a fork 5 whose side arms are pivoted in 6' at their ends on a substantially C-shaped mobile frame 6 which supports the cutting assembly.
• This frame 6 has its two side arms rotatably mounted, against the action of a biasing spring 23, on pivot 2' of roller 2 and the central portion of frame 6 is parallel to blade 4 and to its blade-carrier which forms the nearly horizontal central area of said fork 5.
• two members 15 are integral therewith, preferably small rollers, suitable to slide in respective lateral guides 7, cam-shaped and pivoted in T at their lower ends onto the lateral shoulders 1 a and 1b.
• Pins T are preferably slidable in turn in a slot (not shown) formed in said shoulders, being normally retained against an end of the corresponding slot by elastic pulling means shown in fig.4 only. These cams are therefore free to rotate around pins T along a short pre-established length, the length being defined for example by the length of said slot.
• pivoting of fork 5 on frame 6 of the cutting assembly is limited, on one side, by the engagement of rollers 15 with guides 7 and on the other by means of any stop member (not shown) integral with frame 6, against which fork 5 is normally elastically pushed, for example by pulling springs , as indicated by 16 in fig.4 only, for the sake of clarity.
• the driving mechanism of the cutting assembly will now be described, i.e. the members which transfer the motion from the dragging roller 2 to blade 4, through frame 6, so as to bring it to the position of a slot 21 provided along a generatrix of the cylindrical roller 2.
• a driving member 8 consisting of a L-shaped lever pivoted in 8' onto the lateral end wall of roller 2.
• Said lever 8 has a projecting pawl 11 , at the bend, suitable to come into contact with the corresponding arm of frame 6 thus pushing it for the blade operation.
• an operating cam 9 is mounted, pivoted on the rotation pin 2', which is integral with an external knob or crank 12.
• Said cam 9 can make an idle rotation along an arc, around pivot 2, between two stops 9' and 9" integral with roller 2, coming in contact therewith through its tooth 19.
• the driving member 8 is normally elastically pushed onto the profile of cam 9 by a biasing spring 8" (figs.3-5).
• the arm of frame 6 on the side of shoulder 1 a has, for a limited portion of its length between pivot 2' and pivot 6' of fork 5, an outwards deviation 13 from its straight shape. This allows in certain conditions, better detailed hereafter, the passage of pawl 11 without interference with the arm, whereas there is interference between pawl 11 and the frame arm outside said area of deviation or passage 13.
• a fixed member is provided, projecting from shoulder 1a towards the end of roller 2 nearby, such that, without reaching it, this member can come in contact with the driving member 8 during the operation.
• this member has been depicted as a pin 14 encountered by the lever driving member 8 with a properly shaped profile thereof, on the side opposite to pawl 11 , so as to perform a rotation around pivot 8'. In this way, a more effective final push is given by pawl 11 during the blade action at slot 21 to carry out the cutting.
• a new paper roll 10 Starting from the loading of a new paper roll 10, this is inserted with its core into a freely rotating pivot 10a, while being supported at its ends in two proper seats formed in shoulders 1 a and 1 b of the device.
• the resilient pressure member 1' consisting for example of a sheet fixed at one end, exerts with its free end the greatest braking action on the new roll 10, of largest diameter, thus reducing the inertia thereof which could cause an additional unwinding of paper even after each dispensing and cutting action.
• the paper is first manually unwound by the operator and introduced into the device following the guides 20, so as to be arranged on slot 21.
• the operator is not required to mount the roll in a compulsory way, but rather the mounting can be carried out indifferently in one way or the other as shown in fig.2, thus facilitating the operator's work.
• the only difference is the amount of winding around the pressure roller 2a, which is smaller when the paper path is the one depicted in broken lines as shown in fig.2.
• cam 9 which is integral therewith, is initially rotated idle from the position of fig.2, wherein its tooth 19 is in contact with stop 9", to that of fig.2a wherein the contact is with stop 9'.
• the dragging cylinder 2 remains still and the driving member 8, constantly pushed against cam 9 by springs 8" makes a corresponding clockwise rotation around pivot 8' until it carries pawl 11 at passage 13. Therefore, when proceeding with the clockwise rotation of crank 12, cam 9 now takes along therewith roller 2 with stops 9' and 9" but the cutting assembly remains inactive, since it is not engaged by pawl 11 passing through passage 13 without interfering with the support frame 6.
• fork 5, driven by frame 6, also begins its movement guided by rollers 15 along the set path of guides 7 which, due to the cam profile of the latter, is eccentric with respect to pivot 2' in order to take blade 4 with a radial component towards slot 21 which in the meantime is moving to the pre-established contact generatrix along which the cutting will take place.
• fork 5 carries out a rotation around pivot 6', while springs 16 between said fork and the support frame 6 are loaded.
• spring 24 is loaded due to the rotation of assembly 3.
• this additional arc of rotation provides for a further length of paper to be unwound, thanks to the friction between rollers 2 and 2a, which is sufficiently long to protrude from the device so as to be available to be grasped by the user for a subsequent operation.
• the latter are mobile and pivoted in 7 ', so as to allow the rolling of rollers 15 along their outer profile which is eccentric, as mentioned before, but can be adapted to the almost circular trajectory of fork 5 by rotating around pivots T, which can also slide transversely in a suitable slot formed in the lateral shoulders 1a and 1b. It should also be noted that the contact on the outer profile is assured by the pull exerted by springs 16 on fork 5 as soon as the latter comes out from guides 7.
• guides 7 When, at the end of the return stroke of the cutting assembly, fork 5 has reached the upper ends of guides 7 with its rollers 15, the pulling springs 17 are under tension due to the shifting caused by the (counter-clockwise) rotation of the guides. Therefore, guides 7 return to the starting position, under the action of springs 17, as soon as rollers 15 leave the outer profile and go back to the inlet of said guides, preferably rail-shaped, ready for a new stroke therein upon a subsequent cutting operation. It should be noted that guides 7 could also be made fixed with a member, e.g. a lever, which causes the cutting assembly to be directed towards the inlet of the guides.
• the inlet cross-section will be such as to guarantee that when rollers 15 leave the outer profile of the guides 7 or return to said position in any way, they will reliably enter inside them.
• provision can be made for a sure contact with an abutment on the inner side of guides 7, opposite to the side along which the return stroke was carried out, even in case of external starting lever.
• the lateral guides may be fixed while providing an auxiliary member to return the cutting device to its starting position.
• the driving member may have a different embodiment, as well as the means provided for disengaging it from the cutting assembly, both for the initial safety measures during the paper loading and at the end of the cutting operation.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Advancing Webs (AREA)
• Replacement Of Web Rolls (AREA)
• Details Of Cutting Devices (AREA)
• Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11373833

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (6)

• 1996
  • 1996-03-29 IT IT96MI000632A patent/IT1283710B1/it active IP Right Grant
• 1997
  • 1997-02-12 TW TW086101544A patent/TW321627B/zh active
  • 1997-03-26 AR ARP970101214A patent/AR006403A1/es unknown
  • 1997-03-26 WO PCT/IT1997/000069 patent/WO1997036531A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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