Device for distributing paper segments

Abstract: A device for distributing paper segments, comprising a containment structures (2); at least a continuous roll (3) of paper presenting a plurality of perforations (4) distributed along the direction of unwinding of the roll (3), said roll (3) developing inside said containment structure (2) until reaching an exterior release area (6) presented by the containment structure (2) itself; means (5) for unwinding said roll (3) towards the release area (6); at least a detector (9), positioned downstream of the roll (3) within the containment structure (2), to identify at least a perforation (4) in the paper roll (3) during the unwinding thereof; and locking means (12) connected to said detector (9) to lock the unwinding of the roll (3) when said perforation (4) is identified.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for distributing paper segments, in particular segments coming from a continuous roll. In the field of sheet dispensers applied for instance inside public facilities, such as workshops, petrol stations or car washes, devices are known for distributing sheets of paper or similar materials coming from a continuous roll which is unwound within a containment structure towards a release area, in correspondence with which the user can tear from the continuous roll a segment of the desired size. Some of these devices lack means able to facilitate the detachment of the paper segments so they present the drawback that, during the tearing phase, the force exerted by the user is not always sufficient completely to detach the sheet from the remainder of the roll. In these devices, therefore, separating a sheet of the desired dimensions and with sufficiently regular edges from the continuous roll is difficult. Also known are devices that present cutting elements in correspondence with the release area, to favour the tearing effected by the user and to obtain a sheet with more regular edges. These devices, however, do not allow to obtain individual segments of equal dimensions, the dimensions being evaluated by the user who performs the tearing action. Also known are devices that use paper rolls presenting transverse weakening or incised lines, in order to facilitate the tearing while providing paper segments of regular shape and size. In these devices, however, there is a continuous succession of segments, which the user interrupts at his/her own discretion. To facilitate the tearing, the user must in this case separate the segment in correspondence with the weakening or incised line, which operation can be found difficult because it is necessary to exert a traction on a segment of the roll whilst holding the contiguous segment still, which segment as a result of the exerted traction would tend to unwind towards the release area. Moreover, to avoid paper wastage, the user has to perform the aforesaid operation in proximity to the release area, in order not to leave a quantity of paper unused outside the dispensing device. Dispensing devices are known which regulate the exit of the paper segments in relation to the rotation effected by the paper roll during its unwinding; for instance, the unwinding of the paper is interrupted at each rotation of the roll. Since roll diameter changes during use, it is evident that when the roll is new the quantity of paper unwound is much greater than when the roll approaches exhaustion. In this situation, the weakening or incised lines do not always align in correspondence with the release area, thus making it difficult to tear off individual segments. As disclosed in Patent BO95A000258, also known are devices for dispensing paper segments soaked with a cleaning product, which is dispensed on a portion of roll inside the containment structure before an end of the roll itself exits the release area. Such devices present the drawback that the dispensing of the product is not always effected on the individual paper segment to be selected by the user as it exits, since the unwinding of the roll depends either on the user's intervention or on the adjustment based on the rotation of the roll itself. In this situation, the cleaning product is dispensed on a surface that does not correspond exactly with the individual segment, so that the user may have available a paper sheet that is only partially soaked with the product. It is also known from document WO-A-99 59457 a powered dispenser for dispensing individual paper towel segments from a continuous roll of paper provided with spaced lines of tearing, said disperses comprising a housing, a support for the roll of paper, a feed mechanism and a control device. The control device senses the presence of a user to activate the feed mechanism, controls the amount of material which is dispensed from the housing for any cycle, and prevents further dispensing of the paper until the previous segment is separated from the roll. The control device detects the leading edge of the paper to initiate monitoring of the length of paper to be dispensed to prevent any cumulative error in dispensing the segment. To control the amount of paper fed so that one sheet segment only is fed, the disperser employs a length detector, which detects the difference in transmissivity of the web when a perforation line crosses an optical interrupter. Document WO-A-9959457 is however not relevant to the question of inventive step, as it falls within the terms of Article 54(3)EPC.> Moreover, there are also known from documents US-A- 3 621 964 and DE 3 342 921A dispensers for dispensing paper segments according to the preamble of claim 1. These dispensers present electronic counter circuits used in combination with optical counters for counting the paper segments. The aim of the present invention therefore is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks by means of a device for dispensing paper segments which provides, in correspondence with the release area, a segment that can be easily separated from the previous one. A further aim of the present invention is to prevent subsequent segments from being unwound from the coil as a result of the traction exerted on a first segment to be used. Another aim of the present invention is to lock the unwinding of the roll when the weakening or incised line is in correspondence with the release area. The present invention also allows to position the single segment in correspondence with a possible apparatus for dispensing cleaning product located inside the containment structure. These aims and others besides, which will become more readily apparent in the description that follows, are achieved in accordance with the present invention by a device for dispensing paper segments, as disclosed in claim 1. Further technical features and advantages of the invention shall become more readily apparent from the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent embodiments provided purely by way of non limiting examples, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the subject device; Figure 2 shows a detail of the detector of the subject device in perspective view. In accordance with the figures of the accompanying drawings, the reference number 1 indicates a device for dispensing paper segments. The device 1 comprises a containment structure 2, within which is positioned a continuous roll 3 of paper. In the device according to the invention, the paper roll 3 presents a plurality of perforations 4 distributed along the direction of unwinding of the roll, defining for instance weakening or incised lines, transverse relative to the development of the roll. The roll 3 is unwound by unwinding means 5 towards a release area 6, for instance a slot obtained in the containment structure 2. The unwinding means 5 can be constituted by a pair of rollers 7a, 7b through which is inserted an end of the roll 3 to be unwound towards the release area 6. In the embodiment of Figure 1, a roller 7a is connected to a motor 14 for the automatic and non manual unwinding of the roll 3. This actuation can be obtained by acting o an element outside the containment structure 2, for instance a pushbutton or lever 8, or preferably a coin machine or reading card. In accordance with the present invention, the device 1 is provided with a detector 9, for instance an optical sensor, positioned downstream of the roll 3 inside the containment structure 2, to identify at least a perforation 4 in the roll 3 itself as it unwinds towards the release area 6. The device further comprises a retractor element 10 for widening the perforation 4 and favouring the identification of the perforation 4 by the detector 9. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the detector 9 and the retractor element 10 are supported by a spindle 11 parallel to the axis of the roll 3. The retractor element 10 comprises a pair of disks 13 which rotate on the spindle 11. When the roll 3 is unwound and the paper passes over the spindle 11 and on the disks 13, by effect of the difference in diameter between disks 13 and axis 11, which would force the paper to a longer path in correspondence with the disks, the paper itself spreads in the area presenting at least a perforation 4 allowing the sensor 9 to detect the point of discontinuity in the paper roll. The device of the invention further comprises locking means 12, connected to the detector 9, to lock the unwinding of the roll 3 when a perforation 4 is identified. In the case of a manual operation of the unwinding means 5, the user exerts a traction on an end of the paper roll 3 projecting from the release area 6. In this way, the rollers 7a, 7b for the unwinding of the roll 3 are set in rotation and cause the roll 3 to be unwound within them. During the unwinding of the roll 3, the perforations 4 slide following the direction of development of the roll 3. When one of the perforations 4 is in correspondence with the retractor element 10, it is widened by the disks 13 mounted on the axle 11, so that the sensor 9 can detect a discontinuity, in practice the absence of paper, in that given point. The sensor 9 then sends a signal to the locking means 12 which act on the rollers 7a, 7b, preventing the rollers 7a, 7b from rotating and thus the roll 3 from being unwound within them. In correspondence with the release area 6, a single paper segment appears, whose weakening area is in proximity to the slot, and which can therefore easily be separated from the contiguous segment of the roll which is held still by the locking action exerted on the unwinding rollers 7a, 7b. In case of automatic operation of the unwinding means 5, as shown in Figure 1, the user activates the unwinding of the roll 3 acting on the pushbutton, or lever, 8. When one of the perforations is detected, the locking means 12 connected to the sensor 9 stop the operation of the motor 14 of the unwinding roller 7a preventing its rotation. The dispensing device according to the invention thus allows to provide a single paper segment in the release area which can easily be separated from the continuous roll. The segments thus provided have predetermined size and regular shape since the separating operation does not entail tearing and occurs exactly in correspondence with the weakening or incised line. Moreover, the roll stops unwinding when a single segment is in the release area, so that the user needs only to exert a traction on the external paper segment, without intervening on the roll to hold it still. The stopping of the roll in a predetermined position also allows to effect the dispensing of a possible cleaning product exactly in correspondence with the surface of a single segment, which therefore exits from the release area completely soaked with the selected segment. Additionally, only a segment at a time is provided in the release area, thereby limiting paper wastage. If the user wants to obtain multiple contiguous paper segments, he/she should simply exert a traction on the segment following the first in case of manual operation, or activate the unwinding means again by means of the pushbutton located outside the containment structure.

Claims: A device for distributing paper segments, comprising a containment structure (2); at least a continuous paper roll (3) presenting a plurality of perforations (4) distributed along the direction of unwinding of the roll (3), said roll (3) developing inside said containment structure (2) until reaching an exterior release area (6) presented by the containment structure (2) itself; and means (5) for unwinding said roll (3) towards the release area (6); at least a detector (9), positioned downstream of the roll (3) inside the containment structure (2), to identify at least a perforation (4) in the paper roll (3) during the unwinding thereof and locking means (12) connected to said detector (9) to lock the unwinding of the roll (3) when said perforation (4) is identified; characterised in that it further comprises a retractor element (10) operating on at least one of said perforations (4) to widen said perforation (4) and favour the identification of said perforation (4) by said detector (9). A device as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said detector (9) and said retractor element (10) are supported by a spindle (11) parallel to the axis of the roll. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said retractor element (10) comprises at least a disk (13) mounted rotatively on said spindle (11). A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said retractor element (10) comprises at least a pair of disks (13) mounted rotatively on said spindle (11). A device as claimed in any of the previous claims, characterised in that said retractor detector (9) is an optical sensor. A device as claimed in any of the previous claims, characterised in that said means (5) for unwinding the roll (3) can be actuated from outside the containment structure (2). A device as claimed in any of the previous claims, characterised in that said locking means (12) are constituted by the unwinding means (5) themselves.

Inventors: CAMPAGNA GIANNI, CAMPAGNA, GIANNI
Applicants: CAMPI CT APPLIC MODERNIPRODOTT, CAMPI CENTRO APPLICAZIONE MODERNIPRODOTTI INDUSTRIALI SRL
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A47K10
IPC codes: A47K10