DE69700664T2 - DISPENSING SHAFT FOR TOWEL MATERIAL IN A DISPENSER WITH REGULATING DEVICE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE MATERIAL TO BE DISPENSED - Google Patents

Abstract

A drum for dispensing a wiping material in a dispensing apparatus, including a cutting device (5) and coacting with a pressure element (6) so that the sheet of material to be cut may be inserted therebetween. The drum and the pressure element are built into the housing of the dispensing apparatus, and one 360 DEG rotation of the drum enables a length of material to be dispensed. The drum (4) contains means enabling adjustment as programmed by a mechanism (24, 25) for selecting the length of sheet material to be dispensed on the basis of minimum and maximum values and a differential amplitude.

Description

The invention is assigned to the technical field of devices for dispensing wiping paper made of cellulose wadding, crepe paper or similar materials, in particular for wiping the user's hands, for dispensing toilet paper or for dispensing paper napkins. The paper can be in folded or unfolded form.

The applicant has developed numerous patents on devices of the aforementioned type in automatic or semi-automatic design for dispensing a paper web coming from a loading reel.

The characteristics of such a device are recalled below in a non-exhaustive manner.

The device is designated as (1) and consists of a housing (2), a cover (3), a drum (4), a cutting device (5) integrated into the drum, a pressure element (6) and devices for releasing and retrieving the drum, including an eccentric (7) and a spring (8). In the upper part, the housing has two side walls (2a - 2b) which are suitable for accommodating a spool carrier (9) or supporting attachments for feeding with a wiping material spool (B).

The drum (4) and the pressure element are also held between lower side parts (2c - 2d) running perpendicular to the rear plane (2e) of the housing. The drum comprises an axle (4a) which is extended at the ends to accommodate a control button on one side and on the other hand, to form, on the other side, beyond the receiving side part (2c), an eccentric lever (7) suitable for housing the release and return spring (8). The entire system comprising the drum (4) and the pressure element (6) enables the paper web to be passed and taken along behind the drum for cutting, the pressure element resting on the drum and the functional unit rotating in the opposite direction like a gear train. A follower roller (10) can be fitted in the lower part of the housing, which serves, in a known manner, particularly at the point where the paper comes out of the device, to protect the user's hands and to guide the paper as it comes out. The follower roller is set in motion by means of a belt (11) combined with the drum.

In all types of machines, the sheet of material that emerges with each drum revolution has a fixed and final size, e.g. 10 inches or 18 inches, etc., regardless of its structural characteristics. If you want to change the format length of each unit of paper cut, you have to replace the drum so that it has a diameter or circumference that corresponds to the selected format length during one drum revolution. This therefore significantly limits the conditions of use of the dispenser.

Experience has shown that the consumption habits of wiping paper vary considerably between the markets in EUROPE, the UNITED STATES or other countries, whether for paper towel applications, Universal wiping paper, toilet paper, etc. or within the same application. It is therefore currently necessary to manufacture dispensers in which the drum, as the main element or component, must be changed depending on the conditions of use and paper dispensing. This leads to corresponding changes in the shapes and dimensions of the device and its individual components.

To the applicant's knowledge, and generally for all wiper paper dispensers - both those of the applicant and those of competitors - the dispensers are limited to dispensing a specific material web format.

We are therefore faced with significant disadvantages that stand in the way of standardizing the production of components.

It should also be noted that the format lengths of the paper web vary depending on the application of the dispenser for paper towels, universal wiping paper, toilet paper or paper napkins. There are problems with standardization and devices with specific components must be manufactured for each application.

US Patent 3459353 discloses a drum for dispensing wiping material, which has devices on the outside that enable a programmed change through a mechanism for selecting the format length of the material web to be dispensed.

The aim of the invention was therefore to develop a new drum for wiping material dispensers in all of the above-mentioned applications, which is suitable for dispensing a wiping material web in a different format in a single revolution.

Another aim of the invention was to develop a drum that is capable of offering a length variation (α) covering all material length ranges in a rotation corresponding to the emergence of a material format, in order to be suitable for all dispensing applications.

Another aim of the invention was to develop a new drum that would meet the problems, but which would also be inexpensive to manufacture and quick to assemble.

These and other objects will become clear from the further description of the invention, which is defined by the features of independent claim 1.

These and other features are clearly evident from the following description.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the drum according to the invention with the individual components for separating wiping material web formats in variable lengths.

Figure 2 is a perspective view before installation of the drum according to the invention, with all components drawn apart in a line in the order of assembly.

Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-section along the line B-B of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-section along the line C-C of Figure 1 and shows a first setting of the drum components for the output of a material web in a given format.

Figure 6 is a cross-section along the line C-C of Figure 1 and shows a first setting of the drum components for the output of material webs in a different format.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the roll of Figure 1 in a top view when inserting the roll into a dispenser.

Figure 8 is a side view of a material dispenser including the drum according to the invention and, in addition, a device for preventing material return.

Figure 9 is a front view showing one side of the gear that serves as a selector switch.

Fig. 10 is a front view of one of the sides of the cylindrical part.

Figure 11 is a schematic view and shows different material web formats.

In order to make the subject matter of the invention even clearer, it is described below in a non-exhaustive manner with reference to the figures in the drawings.

The drum, designated as a whole by (4), is used in a dispenser of wiping material webs, designated as a whole by (1). The drum participates in the dispensing of the web of material coming from the reel (B) in a known manner by pressing the web against the drum, the drum then taking the web of material with it by its rotation under the action of an additional pressure element (6). In a known manner, the drum also has a cutting device, designated as a whole by (5). The drum has, for example and not exclusively, an internal recess (4a) and, under the conditions described, for example, in the applicant's French patent N.2.332.215, the articulated cutting device. The single rotation of the drum is achieved by the user extracting the material from the device in a given format.

The subject of the invention is therefore the equipment of the drum (4) with a mechanism which offers the possibility, after setting and selection, to vary the format length of the material to be dispensed as required and to obtain different formats in the lengths (L1) and (L2) (minimum and maximum) and a difference amplitude (α).

For this purpose, the drum according to the invention is provided with an adjustable selection mechanism which allows the format length of the web to be varied by means of a specific action in order to obtain, in addition to the circumferential length (L) of the drum, a complementary differential (α) corresponding to the increase or decrease of the format length of the web.

The concrete implementation of the invention is explained below.

The drum (4) consists of various components made of plastic and which are connected to one another by means of a quick assembly, essentially by plugging them together. It comprises a cylindrical base body (10) which, starting from a central disc (10a), has a continuous shaft (10b) which runs axially and longitudinally to the drum axis and protrudes beyond the disc on both sides. The shaft therefore consists of two successive halves (10b1-10b2) which are suitable for forming a base for the introduction of the two side pieces (11-12) of the drum. The latter are plugged on and are held to the shaft (10b) by means of a connecting screw (13) or similar. The two opposite halves (10b1 - 10b2) of the shaft are of different lengths in order to take account of the assembly of the other drum components.

In order to ensure a secure centering and alignment of the side pieces (11-12) of the drum (4) on the base body (10), notches (11b - 12b) are provided on each of the side pieces and in particular on their cylindrical parts (11a - 12a) which complementarily facilitate the insertion designed pin (14) on the opposite parts.

The first side part (11) has a circular stepped shape (11c) made in one piece by casting, which is extended internally by a short sleeve (11a) that fits onto the half part (10b1) of the shaft of the base body, and which has a centering pin (15) on the outside that is extended by a cam-like profile that forms an eccentric (16) in order to adapt to the stationary side wall (2c) of the dispenser. This side part (11) has, for example, a cutout (11d) for the passage and alignment of the cutting device (5), which is, for example, in the form of a portal frame with a toothed cutting edge.

The second side part (12) on the opposite side of the drum comprises a one-piece, stepped shape (12c) with an internal long sleeve (12a) which fits onto the half part (10b2) of the shaft of the base body (10) and has an external extension for the formation and realization of the operating wheel (12d).

According to the invention, the base body comprises on the first side a profiled wall (10d) on a part of the drum circumference and on a part of the interval between the disc (10a) of the base body (10) and the opposite side part (11). This peripheral wall (10d) is formed on a drum circumference of approximately 300-330º in order to enable the passage and articulation of the portal frame carrying the cutting blade (5). The peripheral wall (10d) is suitable for receiving a belt-forming rubber band (16). The latter is mounted in a bean shape, as shown in Fig. 2, to surround the corresponding shaft part (10b1) of the base body.

The other side (10f) of the base body (10) on the control button side (120c) is formed with a first strip (10g) that protrudes axially for a certain length perpendicular to the disk wall (10a) and with a second strip (10h) of a similar length that is spatially separated from the first. These strips (10g - 10h) are advantageously arranged on both sides of the notch (e) of the drum for the passage of the cutting blade (S). A stop (17) is formed at a suitable place on the disk wall (10a) of the base body (10). Advantageously, the shaft (10b) of the base body has a cylindrical bushing (19) which is directly formed or attached to it, but which is mounted eccentrically with respect to the half part (10b2) of the shaft and comes into contact with one side (19a) against the disk wall of the base body and has a centering body (19b) on the other side, the function of which will be explained later.

The disc wall (10a) of the base body has a perforation (10m) in the material thickness to allow the positioning of a return device (18) of the spiral spring type, as described below. Behind the aforementioned eccentric cylindrical bush (19) there is a cylindrical part (20) which has very special shapes and which is fitted by means of a bush (20a) onto the half part (10b2) of the shaft (10b) of the base body (10). The part (20) is positioned with the sleeve part (12a) of the adjacent side part (12) of the drum The part (20) is provided on the outside with curved support surfaces (20b - 20c) which are intended to enable the paper or wiping material to be guided and supported in the correct position. Both support surfaces (20b - 20c) are located on either side of the recess (e) in the drum (4) which accommodates the cutting element (5). The profile of the support surfaces is only formed on part of the drum circumference. The first support surface (20b) is designed to accommodate a tilting locking pawl (21) which is hinged to an axis (22) integrated in the aforementioned support part. This support surface also has slots (20d - 20e) or cutouts which enable the generally U-shaped pawl to be positioned.

In this way, a radial inner chamber (23) is formed between the disk wall (10a) of the base body (10) and the annular disk (20f) of the support part (20), which allows the insertion of a special novel mechanism with which the format length of the material web output from the device drum can be varied. The mechanism comprises a gear (24) which is freely mounted around the collar (19b) of the eccentric bush on the shaft of the base body, the gear being opposite the locking pawl (21). The wheel has a plurality of consecutive teeth (24a) and slots (24b) on the edge, the teeth being identified by numbers (24c) which define, for example, step lengths. The gear (24) is suitable for receiving the pawl (21) in a slot (24b) between the teeth, thereby defining a particular position for a certain format length of the paper web. The gear has on the inside a stop-forming projection (24d), the meaning of which is explained below. The gear wheel therefore serves as a format selector. Adjacent to the gear wheel is a profiled dispensing ring (25) which is attached to the eccentric bushing of the shaft of the base body. For this purpose, the dispensing ring has a bore (25a) which is freely rotatable and in contact with the aforementioned eccentric bushing. The dispensing ring comprises an inner disk (25b) which forms a central wall and defines two chambers (25c - 25d) or recesses on either side, one (25c) facing the gear wheel (24) and the other (25d) facing the base body. The first chamber (25c) also has a stop (26) which is suitable for cooperating under certain conditions with the projecting pin (24d) on the gear wheel (24). The other chamber (25d) is suitable for receiving the return spring (18). The first end (18a) of this spring is inserted into the opening (10m) of the disc wall of the base body. The other end (18b) of the spring is inserted into the material thickness (25e) of the central disc of the dispensing ring. The dispensing ring is otherwise surrounded at the edge by a rubber band (27) that can serve as a support surface for the material. The ring is thus mounted eccentrically in order to be clearly offset to the outside compared to the support surfaces of the material on the other components of the drum.

The output ring is therefore set in rotation against the elastic deformation of the return spring and can trigger a return effect through its elastic relaxation.

Note that the raised blade carrier allows easy manual access for adjusting the gear that serves as a selector switch.

According to an important feature of the invention, means are provided which limit the angular rotation of the gearwheel relative to the cylindrical part (20) in order to define an adjustment of the travel between a minimum and maximum position according to the change (α) in the length of the material format to be dispensed. These means prevent the gearwheel from becoming a loose wheel and thus preventing adjustments of the selected format. To this end, the gearwheel has a circular groove (24e) on a part of the circumference of the wheel in its material thickness in order to define stop zones (24f - 24g) which correspond to the minimum and maximum positions. A projecting stop (20g) on the externally projecting cylindrical part (20) of the disc wall opposite the gearwheel is suitable for penetrating into the circular groove (24e) of the latter. The rotation of the gear is therefore limited to approximately 300-340 degrees, because the protruding part (20g) blocks the position of the gear.

It has already been pointed out in the description that the gear has gear steps expressed in inches. Of course, other reference dimensions are possible, in particular according to the metric system. As can be seen from Fig. 10, the cylindrical part (20) has an eccentric elevation (20 m) on the axis, which enables the part to be conveniently placed on the base body. A structural unit with a groove and pin enables the cylindrical part (20) to be connected and assembled with the base body (10).

The dispensing ring (25) also has a projection (25 g) in the chamber (25b) which is suitable to interact with the stop (17) on the base body (10).

With reference to the figures in the drawings, the functioning of the invention will be explained below.

The dispensing ring (25) is mounted so that it can rotate and pivot freely relative to the return spring (18). The gear (24) combined with it is positioned opposite a marking point which is advantageously formed on the anchoring base of the pawl (21) in the gear. The number appearing on the tooth of the gear below the pawl therefore corresponds to the indication of the format length of the material to be dispensed and separated. In the example with a minimum length of the material format, e.g. 10 inches corresponding to the drum circumference, the rotation of the drum causes the rotation of the material by establishing contact between the dispensing ring (25) and the material until the stop (26) in the inner chamber (25c) comes into contact with the stop pin (24d) or projection on the gear.

In this position, the latch locks the gear in the notch on the marked tooth (10 inches), and a minimum-format web of material is output.

If the operator wants to change the length of the material format to be output, he locks the latch (21) and turns the gear (24) to the selected position for the format length. He can therefore easily change the length of the gear by partially turning it at the desired angle, which can be The operator must maneuver the dispenser by pulling on the length of the material web to change the angular distance between 10 and 18 inches. When the length has been selected, the operator turns the pawl over the gear to lock it in place so that the projection (24d) combined with it is aligned at an angle with the chamber (25c) of the dispensing ring. The operator can now use the dispenser by pulling on the material web.

According to the invention, the pressure roller (6) rests on the eccentric dispensing ring in the initial phase, while the drum is stationary. When the paper is pulled, the dispensing ring and pressure element are set in rotation. This results in the length difference that was programmed on the gear wheel forming the selector switch. When the dispensing ring comes into contact with the drum, the latter is carried along and enables continuous material dispensing. As soon as the drum walls (10d - 20c) are in contact with the material web and no longer with the dispensing ring, the latter is released and returns to the zero point due to the return effect of the internal spring (18), whereby an additional length of material web is unrolled.

With the invention, the material format lengths to be cut can therefore be programmed without any problem.

The drum design is easy to implement.

In addition, and with regard to the type and manner of material dispensing, the addition of a device for preventing material return (40) is provided. It comprises a bar (40a) which is attached to a side wall of the housing transverse to the device and behind the drum. The bar has a brake shoe (40b) which rests on the pressure roller (Fig. 8). This blocks the material in position.

Claims (9)

1. Dispenser of wiping material for the dispensing of material in folded or unfolded form of the type of devices with a housing (2), a cover (3), a drum (4), a cutting device (5) integrated into the drum, a pressure element (6) and devices for the release and retrieval of the drum including an eccentric (7) and a spring (8) in the upper part, the housing having two side walls (2a - 2b) which are suitable for receiving a spool of wiping material (B), the drum (4) and the pressure element being held between side parts (2c - 2d) running perpendicularly to the rear plane (2e) of the housing, while a follower roller is arranged in the lower part of the housing, which cooperates with the rotating drum by means of a drive belt, characterized in that the dispenser comprises a device which enables the dispensing of the paper web coming from the spool in two Operating modes enabled: - either by allowing the paper web to emerge during each rotation cycle of the drum, - or by preventing the paper web from coming out during each rotation cycle of the drum, whereby the user must also act on the mechanisms of the device and the device behaves like a position selector with passive or active drum action, and that the device comprises a device (3a) in the form of a projecting stop in the central lower part of the hood (3) which is suitable for interacting elastically with the follower roller (10) and causing its backward movement, and that the follower roller (10) controls, in an elastically controlled articulated connection, an angled profile part (12), the upper part (12b) of which is suitable for possibly cooperating with a complementary shape (4d) on the side (4a) of the drum (4), and that a selection lever (17) is hinged to the angle piece (12) in order to define, depending on the position, the type of output and exit of the paper web from the device. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device ensures the temporary blocking of the drum after its partial rotation for the purpose of dispensing the paper web by preventing it from emerging from the device by partially releasing the energy of the release and return spring, and that the device releases the drum after actuation in order to enable an additional rotation with the residual energy of the release and return spring until the end of one revolution and in the process allow the paper to emerge from the device. 3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the angle piece (12) in the lower part is designed to accommodate one of the end axes (1a) of the follower roller (10), the angle piece being articulated in relation to the lower side part (2c) of the drum-carrying device, and that the lower end (12e) is connected to an elastic return device (15) attached to the housing of the device, and that the upper end has a stepped profile (12b) with a tab (12c) which is perpendicular angled and facing the drum side of the device to engage in a recess (4b) in the side wall (4a) of the drum. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the drum (4) has on the side an internal elevation (4c) with a recess (4b) for the insertion of the axis of the operating wheel (14), the elevation (4c) having a profile shape with a stop-forming surface (4d) and optionally - depending on its position - cooperating with the recess (12b) of the angle piece (12). 5. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the angle piece (12) has a projecting pin (12f) for fastening the elastic return device (15), the other end of which is fixed to the base of the housing, and that it has a further notch (12h) suitable for cooperating with the selection lever (17). 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the selection lever (17) is articulated relative to the angle piece (12) and has an axis (17a) which is suitable for cooperating with the notch (12h) of the angle piece by ensuring its spreading and thus enabling the device to function with the paper web being dispensed from the device, and in that the selection lever (17) has a shape (17c) in the upper part which cooperates with a positioning ramp (18) on the side wall of the housing or on a protective wall of the drum. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the second end (10b) of the following roller (10) is attached to the wall or side part opposite the device housing on the eccentric and release spring side. 8. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the positioning ramp (18) has a switching position (18a) with which the selection lever can be brought into the spread lever position in order to enable the angle piece of the drum to be released. 9. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that it has a device (16) in the form of a stationary plate on the side wall of the housing, which enables optical orientation.