Abstract:
A dispensing system that removes individual napkins from a stack of interfolded napkins in a manner that allows the number of napkins dispensed to be easily counted and controlled so that an appropriate number of napkins are dispensed. The counted napkins are collected in an easily manageable form and presented to a user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dispensing system for dispensing a number of paper products from a dispenser. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Paper products such as napkins, paper towels, or the like are often provided to a customer at fast food establishments or other places where food and/or drinks are served. A napkin is an exemplary paper product and is discussed below. Often, when napkins are provided as part of a “to go” order or at a drive-thru, a server just grabs a random number of napkins and gives the napkins to the customer as part of the customer&#39;s order. Such napkins might be loose in a pile or might be stacked in a napkin dispenser. 
     However, often too many or too few napkins are presented to a customer by a server. Dispensing too many napkins to the customer is a waste of money for the food establishment. Dispensing too few napkins could lead to a customer becoming dissatisfied with the overall service of the establishment. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a dispensing system that provides a predetermined number of napkins to a customer based on the specific food item or items that the customer orders. Such an automated dispenser would dispense the proper number of napkins for every order and eliminate human error and guesswork. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, the present inventors have invented a novel dispensing system. In one embodiment, the dispensing system works with an existing interfolded napkin, so that the same type of napkin dispensed by the present dispensing system and provided by the server for “to go” orders is also dispensed by the customer at napkin dispensers that are accessible to the customer, i.e. within the food service establishment. In this way, a single napkin Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) or other code assigned to a product to identify the price, product options and manufacturer can be used by the food service establishment for all the dispensers in the establishment for ease of use and reordering. 
     In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of napkins can be dispensed from a stack of interfolded napkins by automated gripping fingers pulling a leading edge of each of the napkins one-at-a-time from an opening in the dispenser. As the dispensed napkin is withdrawn from the stack, the dispensed napkin unfolds. Then, each dispensed napkin is folded upon itself and a predetermined amount of folded napkins are collected in a collection tray and presented to the customer as part of their order. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects, features and advantages of the dispensing system according to the invention will be more readily apparent after reading the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the appended drawing figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view from the left side of a dispensing system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view from the right side of the dispensing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a front view of the dispensing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a sectional view of the dispensing system of  FIG. 3  along line A-A in a first position; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a sectional view of the dispensing system of  FIG. 3  along line A-A in a second position; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a sectional view of the dispensing system of  FIG. 3  along line A-A in a third position; and 
         FIG. 7  depicts a side view of a dispensing system according to the invention with certain elements removed in order to see other features of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIGS. 1-7 , it can be seen that the dispenser  5  includes a paper product holder  10  that holds a supply of paper products  100  (see  FIG. 7 ). In one embodiment, the paper products are part of cartridge based loading system whereby multiple cartridges containing the paper products might be preloaded with product and placed in a staging area. The paper product holder  10  would initially be loaded with a full cartridge. Once the cartridge becomes depleted, another full cartridge would readily be available from the staging area for placement into the paper product holder  10 . The cartridge might consist of the paper product packaging, a separate part, or an assembly of parts. Of course, a cartridge is not required to load the paper product into the holder. 
     In another embodiment, a plurality of holders might be moveably attached to the dispenser such that each holder  10  could be loaded with paper product and moved between a staging position and a feeding position. The feeding position would align one holder to feed the dispenser paper product. As the feeding holder becomes depleted it would be moved from the feeding position to a staging position. This motion would bring a previously staged holder into the feeding position. Such holder movement might require a manual actuation or it could be automated. 
     In a presently preferred embodiment, the holder  10  includes a downwardly facing opening  70  (see  FIG. 7 ) through which a first one of the paper products extend. An example of such a dispensing opening is disclosed in applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 10/938,527, the entirety of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Of course, dispensing is not limited to a downward facing opening and one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the dispenser might be configured, for example, to have a sideways facing opening, or even an upward facing opening (so long as a mechanism is used to push the paper products toward the opening) for such upward facing opening. 
     As known in the art, paper products refer to items such as napkins, paper towels, or the like. The term napkin as used below is used as an exemplary paper product and is not meant to limit the invention. The presently preferred napkin is an interfolded napkin  75 . Such an interfolded napkin presents a leading edge for each successive napkin. An example of such an interfolded napkin is disclosed in applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 12/055,334, the entirety of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Folded napkins that are not interfolded and unfolded napkins are also contemplated for use in the present invention. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the dispenser further includes a movable grabbing mechanism  50  that grabs the leading edge  77  of the napkin one-at-a-time from the opening  70  and withdraws the paper products completely from the holder  10 . The grabbing mechanism shown is an exemplary mechanism wherein the napkins are withdrawn from the stack using a mechanical gripping device incorporated with a linear or rotational motion to grip the napkins one-at-a-time by each leading edge at the point where the napkin is protruding from the holder  10 . The mechanical gripping device moves to a point such that the napkin is removed from the stack and then releases the grip allowing the napkin to be cleared from the mechanism before returning to its original position where it could grip the next napkin. An exemplary mechanical gripping device might include rubber fingers, or fingers having a magnetic attraction, which tends to draw the fingers toward each other. See, for example, magnet  85  of  FIG. 6 . Alternatively, the napkins might be pulled from the stack one-at-a-time using nip rollers, or the napkins might be pulled from the stack using vacuum rollers. 
     For these above noted alternatives, or even for an embodiment with a mechanical gripping device, the leading edge of the napkin need not be what is used to pull the napkin from the holder. Rather, an edge exposed to the opening at one end of the stack, an outwardly exposed planar portion, or any other part of the napkin that is exposed to the opening might be used to pull, grab or otherwise withdraw the napkin from the holder, regardless of whether the napkin is interfolded, folded but not interfolded, or unfolded. 
     In the presently preferred embodiment the dispenser  5  also includes a folder  20  (see  FIG. 1 ) that receives the napkins withdrawn completely from the holder  10  by the grabbing mechanism  50  and that folds each napkin upon itself to form a refolded napkin. As described below, the napkin  75  unfolds as it is withdrawn from the holder  10  and then is refolded by the folder  20 . In  FIG. 1 , the folder  20  is depicted in an exemplary manner by a pair of opposing rollers  22 ,  24  forming a nip  25  therebetween (see  FIG. 4 ). An example of such a nip configuration is disclosed in applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 11/390,185, the entirety of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. 
     However, the present invention is not meant to be limited by the two roller configuration, and other ways of folding the withdrawn napkin upon itself would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art including, but not limited to a bar that forces at least one unfolded napkin through a slot to fold the napkin as the napkin is pushed through the slot. Alternatively, the folder  20  is omitted and the napkins are not refolded (or were never folded in the first place). 
     The withdrawn napkins, whether they are unfolded (an embodiment where there is no folder), or refolded by the folder, are then collected. In the presently preferred embodiment, the napkins are collected in a collection tray  30  that is immediately downstream of the folder  20  (in a direction away from the napkin holder  10 ) and is rigidly connected to the folder  20  so that as each napkin  75  (see  FIG. 5 ) is folded by the folder  20 , the napkin  75  falls by the force of gravity into the collection tray  30  without the collection tray moving. In an embodiment without a folder, the collection tray  30  or other collection area might be substantially vertically below the holder to allow the napkins to fall by the force of gravity for collection after they are withdrawn from the holder. 
     In one embodiment, the individual napkins might be collated into a single stack which is then presented to the user. The full stack might be presented in a flat, semi folded, or fully folded configuration to the user. In another embodiment, the napkins might be collected rotationally around a mandrel type device which would wrap the napkins around a core. The napkins could then be pulled or ejected from the core to be presented to the user. 
     In another embodiment, the napkins might be presented through an opening in the dispenser from which the user would remove them or could be dispensed into a tray outside of the main dispenser body. 
     For the presently preferred embodiment, the collection tray  30  has four sides  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  (see  FIG. 2 ), a bottom  39  and an open top  33 . The napkins withdrawn from the holder  10  enter the collection tray  30  through the open top  33 . In the presently preferred embodiment, at least one side (side  36  in  FIG. 2 ) of the four sides  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  is spaced apart from the bottom  39  so as to form an opening  80  to ease removal of the napkins from the collection tray  30 . 
     When the dispenser  5  includes folder  20  having the pair of rollers  22 ,  24 , an urging device  40  may be provided in order to ensure that the napkin  75  enters the nip  25  for folding. Such an urging device  40  urges the paper products withdrawn from the holder  10  by the grabbing mechanism  50  toward the nip  25 . 
     In the presently preferred embodiment, the urging device  40  includes a first plate  44  having a first end  42  pivotally connected adjacent behind the opening  70  and having a second end  46  movable toward said nip  25  so as to place the napkin  75  into the nip  25  (see  FIG. 6 ). When napkins are not being dispensed, the first plate is biased against the roller  22  using a spring or other biasing device. Contact between the first plate and the roller  22  when napkins are not being dispensed is not necessary and the first plate could be spaced apart from roller  22  at this time. However, any bias created by the spring or other device must be sufficient to urge the napkin  75  into the nip  25 . 
     The urging device also includes a second plate  45  having a first end  47  pivotally connected adjacent to a second side of said opening and having a second end  49  movable toward said first plate so as to maintain tension on the napkin  75  as the napkin  75  is being moved into said nip  25 . 
     An exemplary sequence of movement of the urging device  40  is shown in  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 6 . First, as seen in  FIG. 4 , the leading edge  77  of the napkin  75  extends through the opening  70  due to the trailing edge of the preceding napkin pulling the napkin therethrough in a manner known per se for interfolded napkins. The leading edge  77  of the napkin  75  is grasped by grabbing mechanism  50 . 
     In a presently preferred embodiment, the grabbing mechanism  50  includes a pair of opposing gripping fingers  55 ,  56  that grasp the napkin therebetween on one side of the napkin. The grabbing mechanism  50  also includes gripping fingers  65 ,  66  that grasp the napkin therebetween on another side of the napkin. Each gripping finger  55 ,  56  and  65 ,  66  is connected to a respective endless loop. That is gripping finger  55  is connected to endless loop  51 , gripping finger  56  is connected to endless loop  52 , gripping finger  65  is connected to endless loop  61 , gripping finger  66  is connected to endless loop  62 . The endless loop might be a chain or belt or the like. Although only one gripping finger is shown per endless loop, nevertheless, two or more gripping fingers might be provided on each endless loop that are spaced from each other so as to reduce the time that grippers are not pulling napkins. 
     The endless loops,  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62  are moved in unison by a gear system  110  driven by a motor  200  (see  FIG. 1 ) so that as seen in  FIG. 4 , the grippers  55 ,  56  grab the leading edge  77  of the napkin  75  in a first position, whilst the first plate  44  is against roller  22  and the second plate  45  is against the first plate  44 . Although only grippers  55  and  56  are shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , nevertheless, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that based on their connection to the gear system  110 , grippers  65 ,  66  would also grab the leading edge  77  of the napkin  75  in the first position, but on the other side of the napkin  75 . The remainder of the napkin is still within the holder  10  in the first position. 
       FIG. 5  shows a second position wherein the grippers  55 ,  56  (and  65 ,  66 ) still hold the leading edge of the napkin  75  therebetween. In the second position, the napkin  75  has now been completely withdrawn from the holder  10  and is unfolded. The napkin is now between the first plate  44  and the second plate  45 . Since the endless loops  51 ,  52  and  61 ,  62  are spaced from the rollers  22 ,  24 , as the grippers are moved from the first position to the second position; the first plate  44  is pivoted away from the roller  22  so that as seen in  FIG. 5  the first plate  44  is separated from and moves away from the rollers  22 ,  24 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a third position where the grippers  55 ,  56  (and  65 ,  66 ) are moving away from each other and have released the leading edge  77  of the napkin  75 . At this time, the first plate  44  pivots back toward the rollers  22 ,  24 . Because the napkin  75  is still on the first plate  44 , as the first plate  44  nears the rollers  22 ,  24 , a central portion M of the napkin  75  is urged into the nip  25  between the rollers  22 ,  24 . 
     At the time the napkin  75  is urged toward the nip  25 , the rollers  22 ,  24  are rotating based on gear  115 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , gear  115  is part of gear system  120 , which also includes gears  117  and  119 . As gear  115  rotates counter clockwise (as seen from the left side view of  FIG. 1 ), the gear  117  rotates clockwise, which in turn rotates gear  119  counter clockwise to draw the napkin  75  into the rollers as the first plate  44  is urging the napkin  75  into the nip  25 . In addition, as seen in  FIG. 6 , since gear  115  is on a common shaft  112  with the endless loop  52  (as well as endless loop  62 ), gear  115  moves together with the endless loop  52 , which is driven by motor  200 . 
     Based on the exemplary dispenser described above, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that such a dispenser is capable of dispensing a specific number of paper products from a larger quantity of paper products e.g., the supply of paper products  100 . The dispenser might be configured to dispense a specific number of paper products based on input from a user, or from an electronic system such as an electronic cash register connected to the dispenser. An example of a user input device is key pad  130  that is electronically connected to the motor  200  and/or a counting mechanism or counting circuitry. The key pad might be attached to the dispenser as seen in  FIG. 1 , or be remote therefrom. Once the predetermined number of paper products is input for a particular order that predetermined number of paper products will then be presented to the user. 
     In the presently preferred embodiment described above, the predetermined number of napkins might be counted as they are removed from the stack by pulling one napkin at a time in such a way as to create a space between it and each subsequent napkin as they are pulled. Such counting might be performed by a sensor  140  (see  FIG. 6 ) such as an optical or infrared sensor that identifies the gap between napkins, or that identifies an edge of the napkin, i.e. each napkin&#39;s leading edge or trailing edge, allowing them to be counted. Although a single sensor  140  is shown, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a pair of sensors, one having a transmitting function and the other having a receiving function could also be used. 
     Alternatively, the number of rotations of the motor  200  might be counted and correlated to the number of napkins dispensed. For the embodiment described above that includes magnetic gripping fingers, the magnet might pass by a sensor and that sensor determines how many times the magnet has passed. The above-mentioned devices for determining the number of napkins dispensed are meant to be exemplary and one of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that any known device or electrical configuration for counting objects, determining the number of rotations of a motor or belt, or that indicates the repeat of an occurrence is contemplated by the present invention. Regardless of the method for determining the number of napkins dispensed, the counted napkins are then collated or restacked as described above and presented to the user in a manageable fashion. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with various preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that those embodiments are provided merely to illustrate the invention, and should not be used as a pretext to limit the scope of protection conferred by the true scope and spirit of the appended claims.