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
  • A47K10/3643—The cutting devices being driven manually by pulling the paper

Definitions

• the present invention relates to devices for the controlled dispensing of portions of paper from a continuous band to be used as towels, and in particular to a device of the manually-operated type.
• a device of the manually-operated type In this kind of device it is the pull exerted by the user on the end of paper projecting from the device that controls the feeding of a pre-established length of towel web or flight and the cutting thereof.
• a natural evolution of said device is the automatic paper cutting, though still manually-operated device and without resorting to motor-driven solutions which are much more expensive and less reliable.
• An example of such a kind of device is a device wherein a blade-driving cam is provided which is connected to the paper-feeding roller, so that it springs out radially from a rest position within a longitudinal slot formed in the roller itself to a cutting position wherein it intersects the paper outside the roller. This involves a clear danger of a possible springing out of the blade while the user is manually performing the paper inserting operation on the feed roller. Moreover, it may be difficult to access the blade for its possible replacement, due to its position inside the roller.
• Another kind of device similar to the preceding one is a device wherein the blade acts on the strip of paper in a radial direction from outside towards the inside of the feed roller by entering a longitudinal slot thereof.
• the blade is mounted on a cutting group by means of a fork pivoted and laterally guided so as to be operated in synchronism with the rotation of the roller.
• Still other kinds of device produce portions of band with saw-toothed or V-shaped cuts which therefore have an irregular and unpractical shape for the use as towels. Furthermore, the progressive wear of the blade and/or the occurring of plays may make the web cutting ever more difficult and irregular.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing paper towels which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks.
• a first advantage of the present device is to provide an effective cutting which is consistent in time, with the automatic recovery of the play, if any. This result is achieved through a very simple, inexpensive and reliable mechanism.
• a second advantage of this device is that it produces towels with a regular rectangular shape thanks to a straight cut which is perpendicular to the web axis.
• a further advantage of said device is that it includes a feeding and cutting mechanism which can be easily replaced completely since it is mounted in a removable way inside the case of the device.
• Still another advantage of the present device is to make easier the protrusion of the tip of paper for the following user. This is achieved by means of a small uncut central portion of the web which allows for exerting still a certain pull even after the cutting has been carried out.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view from the bottom of the closed and empty device
• Fig 2 is a partial schematic front view of the above-mentioned device in the opened position
• Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view from the right of the feeding and cutting mechanism in a partially disassembled condition
• Fig. 4 is a front view of the device of Fig. 3 in the assembled condition.
• Fig. 5 is a view from the left of the mechanism of Fig. 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• the case of the device is made up of a rear base 1 , an upper transparent dome 2 and a lower door 3.
• the case of the device has a lower slot 4 as paper outlet, as well as a circular opening on the right side for a knob 5 for initially feeding the web of paper toweling when the device is loaded with a new roll of paper toweling.
• Dome 2 and door 3 are hinged to base 1 by means of horizontal hinges 6 which allow a frontal opening of the device.
• base 1 there are formed holes 7 for the wall mounting, rests 8 for the roll of paper toweling, catches 9 for mounting the feeding and cutting mechanism M (as it will be made clear further on), catches 10 for locking door 3 and a sleeve 11 wherein there is rotatably inserted a roll support 12 having a variable width, so as to receive paper rolls of different width.
• Slot 4 is formed partially in base 1 and partially in door 3, which also has a central rib 13 whose function will be illustrated later on.
• Door 3 also carries a pair of hooks 14 connected to a rod 15 and biased by a spring 16 into engagement with the locking catches 10 when door 3 is closed onto base 1. Dome 2 is retained in turn in its closed position by door 3.
• Mechanism M essentially includes a rear supporting member 17 with end vertical seats 18 for inserting a left side shoulder 19 and a right side shoulder 20, between which there are rotatably mounted a feeding and cutting roller 21 and a shaft 22 carrying a pressure group 23.
• the latter pressure group 23 is made up of a pair of pressure rollers 23a, preferably, made from rubber with a horizontal knurl, between which there is placed a small tube 23b acting as a spacer.
• the length of spacer 23b is such that the two rollers 23a abut corresponding strips of rubber band or strip 24 applied to roller 21.
• roller 21 In a central position on roller 21 there is formed a groove 25 which rib 13 of door 3 enters upon closure of the latter. In this way, the paper web carried by roller 21 is surely directed out of the device by rib 13 through slot 4. Therefore there is no risk that the web remains on roller 21 beyond the angular rotatory position corresponding to the outlet slot 4.
• a first pair of blades 26 is projectingly mounted in a longitudinal position on roller 21 in corresponding aligned horizontal seats, said seats being are formed with an angle intermediate between the radial direction and the tangential direction. Blades 26 extend along the whole length of roller 21 , except at groove 25, and they have a thickness sufficient to provide a suitable rigidity, preferably 2 mm.
• a second pair of blades 27 is mounted on the inner face of the rear support 17, i.e., on the side facing roller 21. Blades 27 are mounted in a position converging upwards, i.e., in the direction opposite to the feeding direction of the paper band, and they have a thickness suitable to provide an adequate flexibility, preferably 0.3 mm.
• Roller 21 in the illustrated embodiment, can only rotate clockwise (as seen from the right) since on the right end of its supporting shaft there is placed a counter-reverse spring 28.
• This spring 28 is a left-spiral spring and has a tip 28b which projects radially into engagement with one of the notches of a raised crown 29 formed on the inner face of the right shoulder 20.
• the clockwise rotation of roller 21 causes by reaction the "opening" of spring 28, whereas a counter-clockwise rotation causes the "closing" thereof on the shaft of roller 21 which is therefore braked.
• Figure 5 illustrates in particular the spring group which provides the completion of the rotation of roller 21 so that the cutting is soft and light since it depends more on the spring strength than on the pull of the user on the band. Furthermore, the spring makes sure that an end tip of the band projects from the device for the following user.
• a crank 30 is keyed at one end thereof onto the axis of roller 21 , and carries at its opposite end a pulley 31 rotatable around a relevant pin 32.
• a shaped spring 33 is mounted on a pin 34 and engages pulley 31 between pin 32 and the axis of roller 21. Spring 33 is shaped so as to produce a rest position of roller 21 (a little after the position shown in fig. 5) and a position beyond which the rotation of roller 21 is completed under the push of spring 33, through crank 30, even if there is no more pull on the toweling web by the user.
• the ends of shaft 22 are housed in radially elongated seats 35 and leaf springs 36 mounted on the outside of shoulders 19, 20 act on said ends.
• the whole mechanism M can be easily removed from the case of the device in which it is mounted through resilient latching means 37.
• These means 37 are formed on the support 17 at the top of seats 18, and they are shaped so as to engage catches 9 formed on base 1. In this way, mechanism M is retained between catches 9 and the bottom of base 1 at slot 4, and in order to pull it out, it is sufficient to act on latches 37. In case of failure or maintenance it is therefore advantageous to replace the whole mechanism M rather than working on site, the removed mechanism being then easily serviced at the manufacturing company.
• the continuous paper web unwound from the roll retained by support 12 is introduced from the front side between the pressure group 23 and roller 21 which is rotated through knob 5 until the web comes out through slot 4.
• this pull causes the rotation of roller 21 which carries blades 26 into contact with blades 27 fixed on support 17.
• the two blades 26 are mounted so as to come into contact with the flexible blades 27 which slightly bend upon the contact with the rigid blades 26.
• blades 27 are inclined, the contact does not occur along their whole length but just at a point which progressively moves from the center outwards. This produces a straight "scissors-like" cut perpendicular to the feeding direction of the web, thus obtaining a rectangular paper towel.
• the presence of the counter-reverse spring 28 prevents a possible reverse motion of roller 21 at the end of the rotation under the push of spring 33. This makes sure that the tip to be pulled by the following user comes out.
• the use of a pair of rigid blades 26 and a pair of flexible blades 27 which intersect each other prevents tearing of the web by the blades and provides a certain amount of self sharpening.
• the discontinuity in cutting at the central groove 25 allows a small connection to be retained between the web and the cut portion, whereby no accidental fall of the towel produced by the cutting is possible.
• the number of blades may be different from those illustrated, e.g., by using more than two blades on roller 21 with more than one groove 25, or the pairs of blades could include longer and shorter blades, for example if groove 25 is not in a central position. It is also possible to replace the flexible blades 27 with rigid blades yet mounted in a yielding way, i.e., by means of biasing springs which allow a certain degree of motion upon contact with the rigid blades 26.
• latches 37, the spring group of roller 21 , the counter-reverse spring 28, and so on could be replaced by other mechanically equivalent members and/or could be arranged in a different way.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Unwinding Webs (AREA)
• Advancing Webs (AREA)
• Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
• Control Of Cutting Processes (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11378594

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (11)

Citations (3)

• 1998
  • 1998-01-15 IT IT98MI000065A patent/IT1298135B1/it active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-09-22 ES ES98830550T patent/ES2187917T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-22 AT AT98830550T patent/ATE228325T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-09-22 DE DE69809702T patent/DE69809702T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-22 EP EP98830550A patent/EP0930039B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-22 DK DK98830550T patent/DK0930039T3/da active
• 1999
  • 1999-01-12 AU AU18881/99A patent/AU743644B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-01-12 BR BR9906977-6A patent/BR9906977A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-01-12 CA CA002318099A patent/CA2318099A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-01-12 NZ NZ505755A patent/NZ505755A/xx unknown
  • 1999-01-12 WO PCT/IB1999/000142 patent/WO1999035950A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-01-15 AR ARP990100123A patent/AR014309A1/es active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (3)

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