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
  • A47K10/38—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge
  • A47K10/3809—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge with roll spindles which are not directly supported
  • A47K10/3818—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge with roll spindles which are not directly supported with a distribution opening which is perpendicular to the rotation axis
• • 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
  • A47K10/38—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a web dispensing centre-feed roll, and in particular to a centre-feed roll such as a paper or nonwoven barrel roll from which sheets are intended to be dispensed singly.
• Centre-feed rolls commonly consist of a single web comprising one or more plies of paper or nonwoven material which are perforated such that the web can be separated into individual sheets.
• the roll is usually installed in a dispenser with the axis of the roll being vertical, and the web is fed from the centre of the roll out of the dispenser through an aperture, usually in the base of the dispenser.
• This type of roll and dispenser is often found in public toilets, on petrol station forecourts, and in hospitals and industry, either for use as a dispenser for hand towels or for tissues or towels for general cleaning use.
• the perforations are made stronger to overcome more reliably the natural resistance against web withdrawal, they have a tendency not to break at all when the end of the web is pulled, resulting in a long stream or rope of web being pulled out of the dispenser.
• the user will then need to grip the web with both hands and physically part one or more sheets from the web to detach them. Again, this problem is inconvenient and is also worsened if the user has wet hands, and usually results in the withdrawn web being crushed into a tight rope which is unsuitable for the intended purpose.
• the remaining web left hanging from the dispenser can look unsightly for the next user, and if already soiled could be unhygienic.
• small pieces of torn web often land on the floor beneath the dispenser which is untidy.
• the web is then pulled at an angle across the serrations which will cause the web to break either at the serrations or at perforations between the user and the serrations, depending on the relative strengths of the web and the perforations. As with the other systems, this can also leave an unsightly torn web behind for the next user together with small pieces of web on the floor, and if the web breaks at the serrations, can also cause difficulties and risk of injury for the next user in trying to locate and grip the end of the web. A tendency to pull too much out before severing also still exists, as does the possibility of pulling out only half a sheet if the web tears before the next perforations reach the aperture.
• a V-shaped grip is provided beneath the dispenser.
• the shape of the aperture is essentially rectangular and has a V-shaped extension at one end. In use, an amount of web is withdrawn down vertically through the aperture and is then pulled at an angle (normally towards the user) such that the web is then wedged into the V-grip and breaks.
• Folded, interleaved sheet systems are known to achieve single sheet dispensing, however such systems are more expensive and complex to manufacture than roll products due to the manufacturing machinery involved.
• External-feed systems comprise a roll wound from a perforated web of material, usually around a tube or core, in which the axis of the. roll is mounted horizontally, the web being dispensed from the outer surface of the roll and not from the centre. Examples are lavatory and kitchen towel rolls.
• US patent number 3,770,172 Paper Converting Machine Company discloses an external-feed roll comprising two perforated webs, the perforations of one web being offset from those of the other web. The two webs are fed through grip rollers in the dispenser, and by virtue of the offset perforations, when one web is pulled through, the perforations of that web will break at or near the grip rollers.
• this system has a number of disadvantages.
• the strength of the perforations is in practice difficult to control during manufacture.
• perforations have to overcome the roll's turning resistance but, on the other hand, they must sever after passing the grip rollers whose resistive force cannot be so high as to make the web too hard to withdraw. If the web breaks inside the dispenser, a complicated re-threading operation through the grip rollers is required.
• the dispenser requires moving parts which increase the cost of the system, require careful adjustment and increase the risk of mechanical failure.
• the rollers must be adjusted each time to compensate, either manually or by means of an adjusting mechanism. This can increase the complexity of the dispenser, and can be inconvenient for the person refilling the dispenser.
• the invention provides a centre-feed roll formed from two webs each having lines of weakness which allow the web to be separated into a plurality of sheets, the lines of weakness of one web being offset from those of the other such that in use the sheets can be dispensed singly from alternate webs.
• the invention provides a centre-feed roll which allows single-sheet dispensing.
• both webs feed through an aperture of a dispenser, with one web protruding further than the other due to the offset lines of weakness.
• a user will grip and pull the outermost web, and the friction between it and the aperture causes the next line of weakness in that web to break when it is at or near the aperture such that a single sheet is dispensed.
• this web is being pulled from the dispenser and a sheet detached, so the other web is also being drawn out from the dispenser.
• the lines of weakness are offset, by the time the line of weakness of one web has broken, the first sheet of the next web is already protruding from the dispenser. Thus, a well-presented and untouched sheet is available for the next user.
• the present invention allows one-handed controlled dispensing from a centre-feed roll. No tearing action is needed because the webs do not form a rope, and therefore no serrations or edges around the aperture are needed.
• the sheet opens out easily, even if it initially comes out slightly rolled up, because the single sheet is twisted through less revolutions (or even through less than one revolution) than when longer lengths are pulled out as in the prior art systems previously discussed.
• the lines of weakness may be at any angle across the web relative to the edge of the web.
• the lines of weakness are perpendicular to the edge of the web.
• the lines of weakness are in the form of perforations.
• the perforation strength is not as critical in the present invention as in prior art systems. Unlike external feed systems, a substantial force to rotate the roll need not be imparted via the perforations,- an internal feed web is inherently easier to withdraw from the roll. The minimum acceptable tear strength is therefore reduced.
• the dispenser aperture can therefore provide a resistive force which is significantly greater than the minimum acceptable strength and the tolerance "window" for the perforation strength is widened.
• the lines of weakness or perforations are manufactured to be as weak as possible such that the frictional force exerted by the aperture may be minimised and the web will break as soon as the frictional force between the web and the aperture is present across the perforations.
• the perforations and aperture are designed so that the web breaks inside the dispenser or aperture, this will not cause the problems encountered in prior art systems because one web should be supported by the other web (which will be protruding from the dispenser at this time) and will be drawn through the aperture when the other web is pulled.
• the perforation strength which can be achieved may depend on the limitations of the manufacturing process. During manufacture of the web, the machines will require a certain tension in the web to be able to run correctly; the perforation strength cannot be less than the required tension otherwise the web will break during manufacture.
• the desired perforation strength will also depend on the strength of the web or base sheet.
• a stronger base sheet will tolerate stronger perforation strengths; in order to cause the perforations to break, the aperture will need to be more restrictive in order to provide a frictional force greater than the perforation strength, but because the web itself is stronger, there is less risk of it shredding in the aperture before a sheet becomes detached.
• Weaker base sheets will need weaker perforations and a less-restrictive aperture; there is a greater risk of the web shredding, making it necessary to have a lower frictional force provided by the aperture to cause a sheet to detach.
• the force required to detach a sheet from the web is less than about 3000g. It is possible that a detaching force of this order might cause some webs to shred in the aperture, and therefore a preferred operational value for the detaching force is about 800g or less.
• the minimum achievable detaching force will depend on the manufacturing process and the minimum tension required by the machinery. It is considered that there is no minimum detaching strength beneath which the web will not perform satisfactorily in use.
• the configuration of the perforations across the web can be varied according to the manufacturing process, the characteristics and dimensions of the webs and the particular application.
• the ratio of the width of the remaining uncut web to the total width of one perforation and one uncut portion (the bond ratio)
• the number of perforations per unit width of the line of weakness can be adjusted to give the desired detaching strength of the sheet, and will be dependent on the thickness of the web, the strength of the web and the dimensions of the aperture through which the web is dispensed.
• the perforations are configured to achieve a detaching strength of 800g or less. Generally, the wider the perforation, the more consistent the bond ratio will be.
• the perforation width is greater than 1mm.
• the tendency of a web having shorter uncut portions to rip during manufacture is greater compared to a web having the same detaching strength but longer uncut portions.
• the bond ratio is about 1:5 (20%) or less. More preferably the bond ratio is about 1:10 (10%) or less. Still more preferably, the bond ratio is about 1:20 (5%) or less. Even more preferably, the bond ratio is about 1:30 (3.33%) or less.
• This ratio will clearly be the same as the ratio of the strength of the line of weakness to that of the material itself; if there is a 10% perforation, the sheet detaching strength will be 10% of the material tensile strength. However, if the material strength approaches the perforation strength, the risk of the web shredding at the aperture and not detaching into single sheets is greater. Preferably therefore this ratio is less than 20%.
• each web has less than about 15 perforations per 10cm width of the roll, more preferably less than about 10 perforations per 10cm and still more preferably less than about 5 perforations per 10cm.
• One preferred perforation configuration which the applicants have found to work satisfactorily in practice is a bond ratio of 10% and a perforation width of 18mm, making the uncut web width 2mm.
• any suitable perforation configuration which will achieve the desired detaching strength is envisaged.
• any suitable amount of offset may be used for the webs.
• the offset can be expressed in terms of a ratio of percentages; the ratio must total 100 because if the offset is uneven, one sheet will have more than half of its length presented whereas the next sheet will have correspondingly less than half its length presented, the sum of both lengths totalling the whole length of one sheet.
• the offset ratio is less than about 70/30, and more preferably the ratio is less than about 60/40.
• the optimum offset is about 50/50, with each sheet being presented an amount equal to that of the previous and the subsequent sheets.
• the outer web projects more once a sheet has been detached from the inner web than the inner web projects when a sheet has been detached from the outer web.
• the outer web When the outer web is pulled from the roll, it will almost certainly pull the inner one with it because of the way the webs are wound up. Conversely, when the inner web is pulled, the certainty that the outer web will be pulled out is less because the inner web does not surround the outer web; more reliance is placed on the friction between the two webs to pull the outer web out. Therefore, it is preferable that the outer web projects by a greater amount than the inner web each time so that there is more chance that the outer web will be drawn down with the inner web.
• the webs may be single-ply or may consist of more than one ply.
• the size and nature of the aperture to achieve a satisfactory frictional force will then depend on the physical dimensions of the roll and also the thickness of the webs.
• the centre-feed roll of the present invention may be used for sanitary applications such as hand towels and wipes, impregnated wipes, toilet tissue, kitchen towel and facial tissues, but may also be used in other applications where a single-sheet dispensing system is advantageous.
• other applications may be dispensers for foil or cling-film, nappy liners, bags such as those found in supermarkets, etc.
• the present invention is suitable for any type of material which can be formed into a web, perforated and rolled.
• the web may be formed from paper, nonwoven or film, and may be natural or synthetic. Because there is less waste with the present invention
• the invention can also be applied to dispense more costly materials which have not previously been dispensed from a centre-feed roll.
• more expensive materials which can be dispensed in this system are Hydroknit ® (a hydraulically entangled nonwoven fabric having high strength and abrasion resistance manufactured by the applicants) , Kimtex ® (a synthetic thermoplastic fibre fabric for use in industry and other areas, also manufactured by the applicants) , and medical sheet having a polyethylene baffle with pulp fluff on one surface for use in operating theatres.
• the present invention is also suitable to provide double-sized sheets from a roll whose width is half the sheet width. This is achieved by folding both webs in half along their length (i.e. in the machine direction) before the roll is wound up. Perforation can be carried out either before or after the webs are folded. When a sheet is dispensed, it will be folded in half and can be unfolded to provide a double-width sheet. Triple-sized sheets or larger can also be provided in a similar way.
• the centre-feed roll according to the invention can be manufactured by winding up two webs having lines of weakness such as perforations which have the required offset.
• This offset may be achieved by feeding each unperforated web into offset perforators before they are combined to form the roll.
• the two webs can be brought together first and then fed to a single perforator where they are perforated simultaneously.
• the webs are then separated and one web made to travel a further distance than the other before they are again united and wound into a roll.
• This latter method has the advantage that only one perforator is needed, thus simplifying and reducing the cost of the manufacturing process.
• the invention provides a centre-feed roll dispensing system comprising: a centre-feed roll formed from two webs each having lines of weakness to allow the web to be separated into a plurality of sheets, the lines of weakness of one web being offset from those of the other such that in use the sheets can be dispensed singly from alternate webs; and a dispenser for supporting the roll and having an aperture therein through which the webs can pass from the inner surface of the roll, the perforation strength in each web being selected such that the web can be withdrawn from the centre of the roll but is broken as a result of the resistance provided adjacent or within the aperture.
• the centre-feed roll will dispense with its axis in any orientation, however the axis is preferably vertical such that the webs are dispensed from either the top end or the bottom end of the roll.
• the webs are dispensed from bottom end of the roll as this allows the webs to hang down and be more readily grippable.
• the aperture in the dispenser may simply be a hole.
• serrations are not required around the aperture because it will not be necessary to rip the web to detach a sheet.
• the size of the aperture will depend on the material characteristics of the webs. The important criterion is that a frictional force is present between the web being pulled and the aperture which is sufficient to break the line of weakness or perforations in the web when the force is transmitted across the line of weakness. This removes the need for the user to separate physically the sheet from the web.
• the necessary frictional force and consequently the size of the aperture will depend partly on the strength of the perforations.
• the size of the aperture will also depend on the physical dimensions of the web and the individual sheets, such as thickness, flexibility and width.
• the invention provides a base for use with a centre-feed roll formed from one or more webs each having lines of weakness which allow the web to be separated into a plurality of sheets, wherein the base is provided with a rim extending around an aperture, which rim projects into the centre of the roll in use, whereby the web may pass through the aperture from the inner surface of the roll.
• the rim of the base projecting into the centre of the roll may have any suitable cross- section such as circular, elliptical or polygonal.
• the cross-section is circular, and the rim which projects into the roll is a truncated cone with its narrower section furthest from the base.
• the centre-feed roll is formed as described above from two webs, the lines of weakness of one web being offset from those of the other such that in use the sheets can be dispensed singly from alternate webs.
• this aperture design still permits the single sheet dispensing operation when used with the two-web offset perforation centre-feed roll as described above, however it also has the advantage over a conventional aperture such as a hole formed in the dispenser that lower dispensing forces are needed.
• the base provides a rim on the upper edge of which the perforations tend to separate sequentially across the width of the web (“zipping") and not simultaneously (“bursting") as would happen with a two-dimensional aperture.
• the tear strength of the perforations can advantageously be increased relative to the dispensing force "felt" by the user since there is a more effective severing action. This has manufacturing advantages.
• the base could be formed as an insert in the end of the roll; the roll plus base could then be inserted into a conventional dispenser.
• the base design could be provided as an insert to modify existing dispensers, or it could be incorporated into the dispenser itself.
• a pocket is provided on the external side of the aperture which is a suitable chamber in which to put a seal, such as a resealable cap, which may be useful when the invention is being used to dispense impregnated wipes.
• the seal will prevent the wipes from drying out and will ensure that the next wipe to be dispensed will still be moist.
• the base can be formed from any suitable material such as metal, plastic or card.
• the invention provides a centre-feed roll dispensing system comprising: a centre-feed roll formed from at least one web having lines of weakness to allow the web to be separated into a plurality of sheets; and a dispenser for supporting the roll and having a base therein which is provided with a rim extending around an aperture, which rim projects into the centre of the roll in use, the web passing through the aperture from the inner surface of the roll, the perforation strength in the or each web being selected such that the web can be withdrawn from the centre of the roll but is broken as a result of the resistance provided adjacent or within the aperture.
• Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a centre-feed roll according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the centre-feed roll of Fig. 1 in use in a dispenser,-
• Fig. 3A shows in perspective a base according to another aspect of the invention suitable for use with the centre-feed roll of the invention
• Fig. 3B shows the base and centre-feed roll of the invention in use
• Fig. 4 shows in elevation apparatus for manufacturing the centre-feed roll of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a centre-feed roll or barrel roll 1 according to the invention.
• the roll has been unwound slightly from its outer surface to show the offset perforation arrangement. It should be understood that in use, the webs will be fed out from the inner surface, and the webs on the outer surface will usually be secured to one another so that the roll does not unwind as shown in the figure.
• the roll comprises an inner web 2 and an outer web 3 each having perforations 4 which allow individual sheets 5 to be detached from the webs.
• the individual sheets have a length X.
• the roll is made from paper and is suitable for use as a hand towel or other wiper.
• the offset of the perforations is shown as length Y, and in this embodiment has an offset of 50/50.
• Fig. 2 shows the roll l in use in a dispenser 6.
• the dispenser is shown in outline only for simplicity of the figure.
• Inner and outer webs 2 and 3 are fed through aperture 7 of the dispenser, and due to the offset perforations, sheet 8 of inner web 2 protrudes from the dispenser further than sheet 9 of outer web 3.
• the user will grip sheet 8 and pull downwards until the friction force between the inner web 2 and the rim of aperture 7 passes across perforations 10. Sheet 8 will then detach leaving the end of the next sheet 11 of the inner web at the aperture 7.
• Kimberly-Clark Europe standard test procedure number KCN-060 can be used to test the detaching strength of the line of perforations.
• This test uses an Instron Universal Testing Instrument to simulate a detaching action between two adjacent sheets of the perforated product. For a 200mm wide roll, the sheets are folded into thirds along the machine direction and placed in the 3 inch (76mm) jaws of the Instron instrument before the test is begun. The jaws initially have a gap of 102 ⁇ 2mm, and the top jaw is moved upwards at a constant rate of 250mm/min away from the bottom jaw until the perforations are broken. Total energy (kg/mm) , peak load (g) , percentage stretch at peak (%) and total stretch as a percentage (%) can be measured.
• Fig. 3A shows a base 12 according to another aspect of the invention.
• the base consists of a circular plate 13 having a rim 14 in the form of a hollow truncated cone in the middle.
• the base is placed adjacent one end of the barrel roll 1 with the rim projecting into the centre void of the roll.
• Webs 2 and 3 pass through aperture 14, and upper edge 15 of the rim provides an edge on which the perforations separate sequentially across the width of the web.
• Apparatus suitable for manufacturing the centre- feed roll of the present invention is shown in Fig. 4.
• Two base rolls 16 on unwinding stands supply inner and outer webs 17 and 18 which are brought together and fed to a single perforator 19 where the perforations 20 are applied to the webs simultaneously.
• the outer web 18 is made to travel a further path than inner web 17 by passing it around roller 21.
• the position of the roller can be adjusted in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the webs such that the degree of offset can be adjusted for different products.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Sanitary Thin Papers (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
• Replacement Of Web Rolls (AREA)
• Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
• Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
• Unwinding Webs (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (17)

Cited By (21)

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Citations (3)

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• 1995
  • 1995-12-14 GB GB9525506A patent/GB2308114B/en not_active Revoked
• 1996
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  • 1996-12-12 CO CO96065134A patent/CO4650056A1/es unknown
  • 1996-12-13 ES ES96942461T patent/ES2171754T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-12-13 UA UA98073739A patent/UA43909C2/uk unknown
  • 1996-12-13 KR KR10-1998-0704460A patent/KR100433137B1/ko not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-12-13 BR BR9611954A patent/BR9611954A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-12-13 WO PCT/GB1996/003101 patent/WO1997021377A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1996-12-13 CN CN96199856A patent/CN1104869C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
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  • 1996-12-13 RU RU98113073/12A patent/RU2164775C2/ru active
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• 1998
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• 2007
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