WO2004084694A2

WO2004084694A2 - Roll dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2004084694A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/001205
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert James Gardner
Original assignee: Robert James Gardner
Priority date: 2003-03-25
Filing date: 2004-03-19
Publication date: 2004-10-07
Also published as: WO2004084694A3; GB0306796D0; GB2392435B; GB2392435A

Abstract

A roll dispenser (1) comprising a stand (2, 5) arranged to receive thereon a roll (4) to be dispensed, in generally co-axial relationship therewith, and an operating member (10, 10') which is mounted to the stand (2, 5), preferably at the upper region thereof, and which is reciprocably movable between respective first, second and third positions. Wherein the member in its first position, permits a roll (4) to be dispensed to be received upon the stand (2, 5), in its second position, allows a so-received roll (4) to be rotated with respect to the stand (2, 5) and hence dispensed and in its third position, engages a so-received roll (4) to be dispensed to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the stand (2, 5).

Description

ROLL DISPENSER

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a roll of sheet material, such as a roll of tear-off paper towels.

In US-A-2002/0070308, there is disclosed a paper towel dispenser having a knob assembly with a coil spring which is located between upper and lower portions of that assembly. The spring abuts an inner surface of a cylindrical recess in the upper portion of the knob assembly, whilst coinciding with a retaining post of the lower portion of the assembly. In this manner, the spring is able to apply a permanent upward force to the upper portion, thereby retaining a braking section out of contact with the core of a roll of tear-off paper towels during unreeling of the roll, until the user depresses the upper portion of the knob assembly, to apply a braking force to the roll core of the paper towels, thus abating over unreeling and dispensing of unwanted paper towels.

This and other similar known paper towel dispensers have several disadvantages, one being that their construction, and particularly that of the knob assembly, is complicated and thus renders the dispensers comparatively expensive to manufacture . Further, and in order to change a roll on the dispenser disclosed in the US specification mentioned above, both hands of a user are required, because the knob assembly requires twisting disengagement from the remainder of the dispenser, essentially a two-handed operation. Similar problems arise with other known dispensers of this type.

Another disadvantage of this known paper towel dispenser is that the coil spring is always under compression, namely, to retain the brake section out of contact with the core of the paper towel roll. Indeed, when a braking force is applied as a user depresses the upper portion of the knob assembly, the coil spring is placed under further compression. As a consequence, the working life of the spring is substantially reduced.

Other known paper towel dispensers have similar problems, as well as several operating parts which make them comparatively expensive to manufacture and render them prone to failure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roll dispenser, such as a paper towel roll dispenser, which overcomes, or at least substantially reduces, the disadvantages associated with the known roll dispensers discussed above, particularly in reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating substantially the need to place the coil spring under permanent compression, whilst also reducing the number of operating parts.

Accordingly, the invention resides in a roll dispenser comprising a stand arranged to receive thereon a roll to be dispensed, in generally coaxial relationship therewith, and an operating member which is mounted to the stand, preferably at the upper region thereof, and which is reciprocably movable between respective first, second and third positions, wherein the member in its:

first position, permits a roll to be dispensed to be received upon the stand;

second position, allows a so-received roll to be rotated with respect to the stand and hence dispensed; and

third position, engages a so-received roll to be dispensed to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the stand.

Preferably, the member, in its first position, extends co-axially, or otherwise axially, with respect to the stand, such as an upstanding stem thereof, to permit a roll to be dispensed to be passed thereover and on to the stand for subsequent dispensing with the member in its second position. In that second position, the member may lie over the upper axial end of a roll received upon the stand, to prevent removal of the roll therefrom.

In an embodiment of roll dispenser to be described hereinbelow, the member acts, in its third position, as part of a brake movable relatively with respect to the stand.

A biasing arrangement may be arranged to act between the stand and member, such that when the biasing arrangement is in a substantially unbiased condition, the member is in its second position and thus disengaged from a roll received on the stand, to permit substantially free rotation of the roll.

When a roll received on the stand and being dispensed, needs to be braked to prevent its further rotation during detachment of a dispensed length of roll, the member may be urged in a direction such that, as a result of relative movement between that member and the stand, the member is placed in its third position and engages the roll, to prevent further rotation thereof, with any biasing element being placed in a biased condition to act between the member and the stand. In this manner, and when the length of dispensed roll has been detached from the remainder of the roll, the member can be released, such that it disengages automatically from the roll, due to the biasing action of the biasing element between the brake, namely the member, and the stand and is urged into its second position. In this manner, further rotation of the roll is permitted.

A second aspect of the invention resides in a roll dispenser comprising:

(i) a stand having a base which is arranged to receive thereon an axial end of a roll to be dispensed and a first stem which upstands from the base and which is arranged to extend generally co-axially of a roll having said axial end received on the base;

(ϋ) a brake having a second stem, such as a sleeve, which is mounted, for example, telescopically, to the stem of the stand for relative longitudinal movement therebetween and which has at one end remote from the base of the stand an operating member movable reciprocably between respective first, second and third positions, to permit a roll to be dispensed to be received upon the base of the stand, to allow a so-received roll to be rotated with respect to the base and hence dispensed and to engage a so- received roll to be dispensed to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the base; and (iii) a biasing element, such as a spring, which is located and arranged to act between the brake and the stand, such that, when the biasing element is in a substantially unbiased condition, with the operating member in its second position and not in engagement with the other axial end of a roll received upon the base of the stand, the roll is capable of substantially free rotation and when the biasing element is in a substantially biased condition, with the member in its third position, and in engagement with the other axial end of a roll received upon the base of the stand, the roll is prevented from rotation.

Thus, when a roll received on the stand and being dispensed, needs to be braked to prevent its further rotation during detachment of a dispensed length of roll, the member may be urged in a direction into its third position such that, as a result of relative movement, such as relative telescopic movement, between the first and second stems, the member engages the other end of the roll remote from the base of the stand, to prevent further rotation thereof, with the biasing element being placed in a biased condition to act between the brake and the stand. In this manner, and when the length of dispensed roll has been detached from the remainder of the roll, the brake can be released to place the member in its second position, such that it disengages automatically from the other axial end of the roll, due to the biasing action of the biasing element between the brake and stand. In this manner, further rotation of the roll is permitted.

Throughout this specification, the term "substantially unbiased condition" when used in connection with the biasing element, means that the element is totally unbiased or is biased to a negligible extent, due to its being subjected to comparatively small forces resulting from the weight of at least one of the components of the dispenser, for example, the brake which it supports.

Preferably, the first stem of the stand and the second stem of the breaking device are mounted together telescopically for sliding movement therebetween, in which case, the second stem of the brake is in the form of a sleeve in which the first stem of the stand is slidably received. Alternatively, the second stem of the brake may be slidably received within the first stem of the stand.

In one embodiment of roll dispenser to be described in more detail hereinbelow, the biasing element is in the form of a coil or helical spring which is arranged to act between the lower end of the first stem and the base of the stand, respective co-axial recesses therein, in which the respective opposed ends of the spring are located. In the one embodiment, therefore, the spring is biased or otherwise compressed by a negligible amount equal to at least the weight of the brake comprising the second stem and the operating member.

Only when the brake is actuated to prevent further rotation of a roll received on the stand, is the spring or other biasing element placed under any real compression or other bias.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of paper towel roll dispenser in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment of paper towel roll dispenser;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the dispenser shown in Figure 1 but with a paper towel roll received thereon for subsequent dispensing;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a detail of an operating member of the paper towel roll dispenser shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation of a detail of a biasing element for the paper towel roll dispenser shown in Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of, say, the paper towel roll dispenser shown in Figures 1 to 4 but with a modified base structure.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of dispenser, indicated generally at 1, for dispensing tear-off paper towels from a roll thereof, comprises a stand having a base 2 on which is received the lower axial end 3 of a roll 4, as shown in Figure 2. Also, the stand 2 has a hollow stem 5 which upstands therefrom and which extends through the core 6 of the roll 4 generally co-axially therewith.

The dispenser 1 also comprises a brake, indicated generally at 8, having its own stem, in the form of a sleeve 9, mounted telescopically with the stem 5 of the stand for providing relative axial movement between the stem 5 and sleeve 9.

To the upper end of the sleeve 9, remote from the base 2 of the stand, is mounted pivotally an operating member 10.

The operating member 10, 10 ' is pivotable about an axis 11 provided at one end of the member 10, 10 ' and mounted to the upper end of the sleeve 9. That one end of the member 10, 10 ' is cranked, as shown at 15, and is engagable with a stop 14, also fixed to the upper end of the sleeve 9. The operating member 10, 10 ' is movable reciprocably about the axis 11 between:

a first position, as shown at lθ', which permits the roll 4 to be received upon the base 2 of the stand, as shown in Figure 2;

a second position, as shown at 10, which allows the so-received roll 4 to be rotated with respect to the stand for dispensing paper towel sheets; and

a third position in which the member 10 is in engagement with the upper axial end of the roll 4 to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the stand to allow unrolled paper towel sheets to be torn, or otherwise removed, from the remainder of the roll 4.

Thus, reciprocable movement between first and second positions of the member 10 is angular, whilst reciprocable movement between its second and third positions is linear.

A biasing element, in the form of a coil or helical spring 12, has its lower end in contact with the lower closed end 17 of the stand stem 5 which is located within a blind bore 18 in the base 2, with its upper end bearing against a transverse peg 19 fixed to the outer sleeve 9 but slidable within diametrically-opposed vertical slots 20 in the inner stem 5. Thus, the spring 12 is arranged to act between the stand and the brake 8.

In its relaxed condition, in which the spring 12 is in its substantially unbiased or uncompressed condition, the member 10 of the brake 8 is in its second position and, thus, not engaged with the upper axial end of the paper towel roll 4, as shown in Figure 2, thereby allowing the latter to be rotated freely about the sleeve 9 and the stem 5.

When a sufficient number of tear-off paper towels have been dispensed by rotation of the roll 4, the member 10 can be depressed downwardly, in the direction of the arrow A from its second position to its third position, such that the member 10 now engages the upper axial end of the roll 4, thereby preventing further rotation of the roll 4, so that the paper towel (s) dispensed therefrom can be torn- off.

This operation is carried out with the spring 12 under compression and with the sleeve 9 having been moved downwardly upon the stem 5, such that, when further rotation of the roll 4 for additional paper towel dispensing purposes is required, the brake 8, including the sleeve 9 and member 10, are urged upwardly in the direction of the arrow B by the action of the compressed spring 12, into their original non roll-engaging positions, with the member 10 in its second position. An empty roll 4 can be removed from the dispenser by pivoting the member 10 from its second position to its first position. Then, a further roll 4 can be placed upon the stand base 2 with the member 10 in that first position.

In Figures 1 to 4, the base 2 of the dispenser 1 is solid and circular. However, an alternative base 2¹ for the dispenser 1 is shown in Figure 5, its being in the general form of a spoked wheel.

Otherwise, the components of the dispenser 1 shown in Figure 5, such as the member 10, brake 8, sleeve 9 and the like, are generally the same as those of the dispenser 1 of Figures 1 to 4.

Thus, it can be seen that the invention provides a roll dispenser which is simple in construction and, thus, inexpensive to manufacture, whilst also providing its components, particularly the biasing element, such as the spring 12, 32, with longer working life than previous roll dispensers.

Further, it is to be appreciated that the invention provides a roll dispenser which, unlike that disclosed in US-A-2002/0070308, requires only one hand of a user to change a roll.

Claims

1. A roll dispenser comprising a stand arranged to receive thereon a roll to be dispensed, in generally co-axial relationship therewith, and an operating member which is mounted to the stand, preferably at the upper region thereof, and which is reciprocably movable between respective first, second and third positions, wherein the member in its:

first position, permits a roll to be dispensed to be received upon the stand;

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the member, in its first position, extends co-axially, or otherwise axially, with respect to the stand, to permit a roll to be dispensed to be passed thereover and on to the stand for subsequent dispensing with the member in its second position.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stand comprises an upstanding stem.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein, in its second position, the member lies over the upper axial end of a roll received upon the stand.

5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the member acts, in its third position, as part of a brake movable relatively with respect to the stand.

6. A dispenser according to any preceding claim including a biasing arrangement arranged to act between the stand and member, such that when the biasing arrangement is in a substantially unbiased condition, the member is in its second position and thus disengaged from a roll received on the stand, to permit substantially free rotation of the roll.

7. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein, when a roll received on the stand and being dispensed, needs to be braked to prevent its further rotation during detachment of a dispensed length of roll, the member can be urged in a direction such that, as a result of relative movement between that member and the stand, the member is placed in its third position and engages the roll, to prevent further rotation thereof, with a biasing element being placed in a biased condition to act between the member and the stand, whereby, when the length of dispensed roll has been detached from the remainder of the roll, the member can be released, such that it disengages automatically from the roll, due to the biasing action of the biasing element between the member and the stand and is urged into its second position, so that further rotation of the roll is permitted.

8. A roll dispenser comprising:

(ii) a brake having a second stem, such as a sleeve, which is mounted, for example, telescopically, to the stem of the stand for relative longitudinal movement therebetween and which has at one end remote from the base of the stand an operating member movable reciprocably between respective first, second and third positions, to permit a roll to be dispensed to be received upon the base of the stand, to allow a so-received roll to be rotated with respect to the base and hence dispensed and to engage a so- received roll to be dispensed to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the base; and

(iii) a biasing element, such as a spring, which is located and arranged to act between the brake and the stand, such that, when the biasing element is in a substantially unbiased condition, with the operating member in its second position and not in engagement with the other axial end of a roll received upon the base of the stand, the roll is capable of substantially free rotation and when the biasing element is in a substantially biased condition, with the member in its third position, and in engagement with the other axial end of a roll received upon the base of the stand, the roll is prevented from rotation.

9. A dispenser according to claim 8, wherein, when a roll received on the stand and being dispensed therefrom, needs to be braked to prevent its further rotation during detachment of a dispensed length of roll, the member can be urged in a direction into its third position such that, as a result of relative movement, such as relative telescopic movement, between the first and second stems, the member engages the other end of the roll remote from the base of the stand, to prevent further rotation thereof, with the biasing element being placed in a biased condition to act between the brake and the stand, whereby, when the length of dispensed roll has been detached from the remainder of the roll, the brake can be released to place the member in its second position, such that it disengages automatically from the other axial end of the roll, due to the biasing action of the biasing element between the brake and stand, to permit further rotation of the roll.

10. A dispenser according claim 8 or 9, wherein the first stem of the stand and the second stem of the braking device are mounted together telescopically for sliding movement therebetween.

11. A dispenser according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the second stem of the brake is in the form of a sleeve in which the first stem of the stand is slidably received.

12. A dispenser according claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein the second stem of the brake is slidably received within the first stem of the stand.

13. A dispenser according to any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the biasing element is in the form of a coil or helical spring which is arranged to act between the lower end of the first stem and the base of the stand, with respective co-axial recesses therein, in which the opposed ends of the spring are located.

14. A dispenser according to any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the biasing element is in the form of a coil or helical spring, has its lower end in contact with a lower closed end of the inner stem of the stand which is located within a blind hole in the base, with its upper end bearing against a transverse peg fixed to the outer sleeve but slidable within diametrically-opposed vertical slots in the inner stem.

15. A dispenser according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the spring is biased or otherwise compressed by a negligible amount equal to at least the weight of the brake comprising the second stem and the operating member.

16. A dispenser according to any of claims 8 to 15, wherein, only when the brake is actuated to prevent further rotation of a roll received on the stand, is the spring or other biasing element placed under any real compression or other bias.

17. A roll dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.