Abstract:
Improvements to paper web material dispensers, particularly two roll tissue dispensers. A dispenser according to the invention is able to prevent access to a second or reserve roll of tissue until a first or dispensing roll is entirely or substantially depleted. As a result, the tissue of the first roll must be used up, or substantially used up, before tissue from the second roll can be used, thereby avoiding tissue waste. The dispenser of the invention can be used with reduced core tissue rolls, where each roll has first and second core sections that are spaced apart from each other to form a gap between facing ends thereof so that the total length of the core sections is less than the width of the tissue wound onto the core sections. The dispenser of the invention thus encourages the use of reduced core tissue rolls, which results in a reduction of waste resulting from used tissue cores.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10,767,707, filed Jan. 29, 2004, which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention disclosed herein relates to the dispensing of paper web material, such as toilet tissue or paper towel, from at least one roll of paper web material contained within a dispenser. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to a dispenser that contains a plurality of rolls of paper web material, where the first roll must be completely depleted or substantially depleted before a second roll that is held in reserve can be brought into position to dispense web material. The inventive concepts will be described hereinafter primarily in relation to toilet tissue dispensers and dispensing tissue from toilet tissue rolls. It is to be realized that the inventive concepts described herein have applications to other types of paper web materials in addition to toilet tissue, including, but not limited to, paper towels.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     There has been continuing effort over the years to provide toilet tissue dispensers that store multiple rolls of toilet tissue and that sequentially dispense the rolls. One of the advantages provided by these types of dispensers is that a reserve roll (or rolls) is available as a replacement for the roll that is currently in use. To avoid tissue waste, it is desirable that the roll currently in use be completely or substantially depleted before allowing the user to access a replacement roll.  
         [0004]     As an example, the use of tissue dispensers that hold two tissue rolls, with one roll dispensing tissue and the second roll being held in reserve so that it can dispense tissue when the first roll is completely or substantially depleted, is well known. These types of dispensers are often employed in commercial, industrial and public settings, and in other institutional environments. Examples of two roll dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,439,502, 6,202,956, 5,813,624, 5,628,474, 4,522,346, 4,422,585, 3,387,902, and 3,381,909.  
         [0005]     Toilet tissue rolls and other paper roll products, such as paper towel rolls, typically comprise a paper web material that is wound around a central core. The core helps to support the paper web material and define the shape of the roll, as well as define a central opening for interaction with a support structure, such as a mandrel, on a suitable dispensing apparatus.  
         [0006]     In many paper roll products, the core is a one piece structure that extends the entire width of the roll product. However, in some known paper roll products, the core is formed by core sections that are spaced apart from each other to form a gap therebetween so that the total length of the core sections is less than the width of the web material wound onto the core sections. These reduced core paper roll products having spaced core sections separated by a gap help to reduce the amount of core stock material that is used, thereby reducing material waste and production costs. Examples of reduced core paper roll products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,648,267 and 6,491,251.  
         [0007]     There is a continuing need for improved paper web material dispensers, for example two roll tissue dispensers. Moreover, to encourage use of the more environmentally friendly reduced core paper web material rolls, there is a need for a paper web material dispenser, for example a two roll tissue dispenser, which is designed for use with reduced core paper web material rolls.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The invention relates to improvements to paper web material dispensers, particularly two roll tissue dispensers. A dispenser according to the invention is able to prevent access to a second or reserve roll of paper web material until a first or dispensing roll is entirely or substantially depleted. As a result, the web material of the first roll must be used up, or substantially used up, before web material from the second roll can be used, thereby avoiding waste.  
         [0009]     The dispenser of the invention can be used with reduced core paper web material rolls, where each roll has first and second core sections that are spaced apart from each other to form a gap between facing ends thereof so that the total length of the core sections is less than the width of the web material wound onto the core sections. The dispenser of the invention thus encourages the use of reduced core web material rolls, which results in a reduction of waste resulting from used cores.  
         [0010]     In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a dispenser for dispensing paper web material from rolls of paper web material comprises a housing having a front cover and a rear housing defining a housing interior. The front cover includes opposite end walls, an opening that communicates the housing interior with the exterior, and a door slideably supported in a portion of the opening and slideable between a first door position and a second door position. First and second roll support mechanisms are disposed within the housing interior, with each roll support mechanism including a mandrel upon which a paper web material roll is to be supported, and each mandrel being movable in a direction toward one of the end walls of the front cover.  
         [0011]     In another aspect of the invention, a dispenser for dispensing paper web material from reduced core paper web material rolls, where each roll has a core formed by first and second spaced apart core sections, comprises a housing having a front cover and a rear housing defining a housing interior. The front cover includes opposite end walls, and an opening that communicates the housing interior with the exterior. A door is slideably supported in a portion of the opening and is slideable between a first door position and a second door position. First and second roll support mechanisms are disposed within the housing interior, with each roll support mechanism including a mandrel upon which a reduced core roll is able to be supported. The mandrels faces in opposite directions and each mandrel has a free end projecting toward a respective end wall of the front cover. Each mandrel is sized such that when a reduced core roll is disposed thereon, the second core section overhangs the free end of the mandrel. In addition, each mandrel is movable in a direction toward the respective end wall of the front cover, whereby when a roll becomes depleted and a mandrel supporting the depleted roll moves toward the respective end wall, engagement between the second core section and the respective end wall forces the second core section toward the first core section.  
         [0012]     These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying description, in which there is described a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of preferred embodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention and in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a two roll dispenser in accordance with the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the dispenser with the front cover opened to show two rolls held in the dispenser.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the dispenser with the front cover open.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is front view of the dispenser with the front cover opened, with the two rolls removed to show the roll support mandrels.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is rear perspective view of the front cover and door, with the back housing removed, illustrating details of how the door is retained on the front cover.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a front plan view of the front cover and door.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a rear view of the front cover and door, with the back housing removed, at a first stage of transfer to access the second roll.  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , showing a second stage of transfer to access the second roll.  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , showing a third stage of transfer.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  illustrates the interaction between the door and the stop.  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the dispenser with the door removed.  
         [0027]      FIG. 14  is a front plan view of the dispenser with the door removed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a dispenser  10  that incorporates the concepts of the invention is illustrated. The dispenser  10  is illustrated as a two roll toilet tissue dispenser. In the two roll tissue dispenser  10  described herein, when two tissues rolls are in the dispenser  10 , a first roll is accessible for dispensing tissue while the second roll is generally inaccessible until the first roll is completely depleted or substantially depleted. Once the first roll is completely depleted or substantially depleted, the dispenser then permits access to the second roll so that it can dispense tissue. While the dispenser  10  is described as a two roll toilet tissue dispenser, the concepts described herein can be used on dispensers that dispense other types of paper web material, such as paper towel dispensers. Therefore, paper web material is meant to include toilet tissue and paper towel.  
         [0029]     The terms completely depleted and substantially depleted as used in this patent application mean all or a sufficient amount of tissue has been removed from a roll to allow transfer to the second roll. For sake of convenience, the term depleted will hereinafter be used, it being understood that this term encompasses both complete depletion of tissue as well as depletion to an extent that permits transfer to the second roll.  
         [0030]     The dispenser  10  comprises a housing formed by a front cover  12 , a rear housing  14 , and a door  16  that together define a housing interior. The rear housing  14  is configured for attachment to a wall or other support surface. The front cover  12  is pivotally connected to the rear housing  14  for pivoting movement relative to the rear housing between a closed position, shown in  FIG. 1 , and an open position, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The front cover  12  includes an opening  18  that provides access to the housing interior and the tissue rolls held therein, and the door  16  is slideably attached to the front cover  12  in the opening  18  for sliding movements between a first door position (shown in  FIG. 1 ), and a second door position (shown in  FIG. 8 ).  
         [0031]     Pivotal attachment of the front cover  12  to the rear housing  14  is provided by a plurality of spaced pivot pins  20  that are fixed to flanges  22  projecting forwardly from the rear housing  14 , as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 . The front cover  12  includes flanges  24 , shown in  FIGS. 2, 4 , and  5 , with holes that receive the pivot pins  20  for pivotally attaching the front cover  12 , and the door  16 , to the rear housing  14 . Only two sets of pivot pins  20 , flanges  22 , and flanges  24  are visible in the figures. However, an additional two sets of pivot pins  20 , flanges  22  and flanges  24  are used on the left side of the housing (when viewing  FIG. 2 ), for pivotally connecting the front cover  12  to the rear housing  14 .  
         [0032]     The cover  12  is pivoted to the open position to permit access to the housing interior for, e.g., loading tissue rolls into the dispenser  10 . During use of the dispenser  10 , the cover  12  is at the closed position, and a suitable locking mechanism  26  is provided to maintain the cover at the closed position and deter access to the housing interior.  
         [0033]     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the opening  18  includes a bottom edge  30 , a top edge  32 , a right side edge  34 , and a left side edge  36 . The door  16  includes a top edge that has front ribs  38   a ,  38   b  and a back rib  40 . The ribs  38   a ,  38   b ,  40  hold the top edge  32  of the opening  18  therebetween and permit the top edge of the door  16  to slide relative to the front cover  12  between the first and second door positions. The ribs  38   a ,  38   b ,  40  also prevent the top edge of the door from being pushed inwardly and outwardly relative to the opening  18 .  
         [0034]     The bottom edge of the door  16  comprises a slide portion  42  that slideably supports the bottom edge of the door  16  on the front cover  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 2, 4  and  5 . The slide portion  42  includes a generally flat front portion  44  that is slideably supported on a flat portion  46  of the bottom edge  30  of the opening. The slide portion  42  also includes an arcuate rear portion  48  that has a slot  50  extending the majority of the length thereof. A retainer  52  (shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) is fixed to the front cover  12  and projects upwardly from the cover  12  and through the slot  50 . The slot  50  permits the door  16  to slide relative to the cover  12  between the first and second door positions, with the retainer  52  remaining stationary. The retainer  52  also prevents the bottom edge of the door  16  from being pulled forwardly through the front of the opening  18 . To prevent the bottom edge of the door  16  from being pushed further inwardly into the opening  18 , the bottom edge of the door  16  also comprises a pair of flanges  54  (which are partially visible in  FIG. 1 ) that engage with and slide on the forward facing surface of the cover  12  adjacent the bottom edge  30  of the opening  18 .  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the door  16  also includes a pair of projections  100  that are spaced from each other. The projections  100  form handles and provide a means by which a user&#39;s finger or fingers can grip the door  16  to facilitate movements of the door between the first and second door positions.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 6-8  illustrate details of the top and bottom edges of the door  16 . The engagement between the rib  38   b  and the top edge  32  of the opening  18  is seen in  FIG. 7 . In addition,  FIG. 7  shows the slide portion  42  in detail, with the retainer  52  engaging with the slot  50 .  FIG. 8  illustrates details of the engagement between the back rib  40  and the top edge  32  of the opening  18 . The interior surface of the front cover  12  includes a ledge  41  upon which the back rib  40  is slideably supported. One of the flanges  54  at the bottom edge of the door  16  is also visible in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0037]     With reference now to  FIGS. 2-4 , a pair of roll support mechanisms  60   a ,  60   b  each of which supports a tissue roll  64  in the dispenser  10 , are illustrated. The support mechanisms  60   a ,  60   b  are similar in construction, with the mechanism  60   a  being configured to support a tissue roll  64  on the left side of the dispenser  10  and the mechanism  60   b  being configured to support a tissue roll  64  on the right side of the dispenser  10 . The support mechanisms  60   a ,  60   b  are configured to interact with the door  16  to prevent movement of the door from the first door position to the second door position until the tissue roll that is at the dispensing position is depleted.  
         [0038]     Each roll support mechanism  60   a ,  60   b  includes a mandrel arm  66   a ,  66   b  having an apertured end  68   a ,  68   b . The apertured ends  68   a ,  68   b  fit onto the end of a pivot shaft  70  that is fixed to and projects forwardly from the rear housing  14 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The ends  68   a ,  68   b  are supported on the pivot shaft  70  so that the arms  66   a ,  66   b  are able to freely pivot about the shaft  70 . A gap is provided between the facing surfaces of the arms  66   a ,  66   b , and a stop  72  projects forwardly from the rear housing to limit movement of the arms  66   a ,  66   b  toward each other and maintain the gap therebetween. The stop  72  engages with tabs  74   a ,  74   b  that are disposed at the bottom end of the arms  66   a ,  66   b . The tabs  74   a ,  74   b  have lower ends that extend from the arms  66   a ,  66   b  and upper ends that extend inside the arms  66   a ,  66   b , as illustrated in dashed lines in  FIG. 2 . A spring  76   a ,  76   b , shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 2 , within each arm  66   a ,  66   b  bias the tabs  74   a ,  74   b  downwardly so that the tabs  74   a ,  74   b  engage opposite sides of the stop  72 . The stop  72  is sized so that the arms  66   a ,  66   b  are oriented generally vertically during normal operation, as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0039]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , mandrel  78   a ,  78   b  are fixed to and project from each arm  66   a ,  66   b  at right angles to the axis of the respective arm  66   a ,  66   b . When the front cover  12  is at its closed position, the mandrels  78   a ,  78   b  also project toward respective end walls  80   a ,  80   b  of the front cover  12 . The mandrels  78   a ,  78   b  have free ends  82   a ,  82   b  that are sloped or angled from top to bottom as shown in  FIG. 4 . The purpose of the sloped ends  82   a ,  82   b  will become apparent later in the description.  
         [0040]     The mandrels  78   a ,  78   b  support the tissue rolls  64  during use, so the size of the mandrels should be chosen to permit the core of the tissue roll to fit over the mandrel  78   a ,  78   b  and permit rotation of the core relative to the mandrel when tissue is being pulled from the roll. As discussed above, increasing use is being made of reduced core paper roll products. The dispenser  10  of this invention is particularly designed for use with reduced core tissue rolls. The rolls  64  illustrated in  FIG. 2  are reduced core tissue rolls, with each roll  64  having first and second core sections  84 ,  86  (shown in dashed lines) that are spaced apart from each other to form a gap between facing ends thereof so that the total length of the core sections is less than the width of the tissue wound onto the core sections.  
         [0041]     Returning again to  FIGS. 2, 4  and  5 , the surface of the door  16  that faces the interior of the housing when the front cover  12  is closed is provided with a pair of stops  88 ,  90  integrally formed therewith. Each stop  88 ,  90  includes a generally vertical stop surface  92  that faces toward the respective end walls  80   a ,  80   b , and a ramp surface  94 . The stops  88 ,  90  are designed to interact with the tabs  74   a ,  74   b  on the arms  66   a ,  66   b  to prevent movement of the door  16  from the first door position to the second door position until the tissue roll  64  that is at the dispensing position is depleted.  
         [0042]     The operation of the dispenser  10  will now be described. With reference initially to  FIG. 1 , assume that a pair of full tissue rolls  64  are present in the dispenser  10  mounted on the mandrels  78   a ,  78   b . In addition, assume that the door  16  is at the position shown in  FIG. 1  and that this position is the first door position, and that the tissue roll visible in  FIG. 1  is the dispensing roll and the tissue roll that is not visible is a reserve roll with access thereto prevented by the door  16 . Assume as well that the door  16  positioned at the opposite end of the opening covering the dispensing roll would be the second door position.  
         [0043]     With the configuration in  FIG. 1 , a user is able to access tissue from the dispensing roll. If the user tries to slide the door  16  to the second door position, the stop surface  92  of the stop  90  (see  FIG. 2 ) would engage the portion of the tab  74   b  that extends below the stop  72 , thereby applying a force to the mandrel arm  66   b  tending to rotate the arm  66   b  in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot  70 . However, rotation of the arm  66   b  is limited by engagement between the tissue remaining on the dispensing roll and the end wall  80   b  of the front cover  12 . As long as sufficient tissue remains on the dispensing roll, the arm  66   b  will not rotate a sufficient amount to permit the stop  90  to pass under the tab  74   b . However, once the dispensing roll becomes sufficiently depleted, the arm  66   b  is able to rotate counterclockwise a sufficient amount to permit the stop  90  to pass under the tabs  74   b .  FIG. 9  illustrates the dispenser from the rear without the rear housing  14 , with the tissue on the dispensing roll being depleted. This is considered the first stage of transfer for accessing the reserve roll, at which the door  16  is first able to be moved to the second door position to uncover the reserve roll.  
         [0044]      FIG. 10  illustrates a second transfer stage for accessing the reserve roll. As the door  16  is pushed toward the second door position (i.e. to the left in  FIG. 10 ), engagement between the stop surface  92  and the tab  74   b  rotates the mandrel arm  66   b  about the pivot  70 . As the mandrel arm  66   b  rotates, the mandrel  78   b  moves toward the end wall  80   b , and the outer core section  86  will hit the end wall  80   b  which forces the core section  86  toward the core section  84  on the mandrel  78   b . The sloped end  82   b  of the mandrel  78   b  prevents interference between the mandrel  78   b  and the end wall  80   b  during rotation of the arm  66   b . This permits the mandrel arm  66   b  to rotate a sufficient amount to permit the stop  90  to pass under the tab  74   b . Once this occurs, the mandrel arm  66   b  then swings back to its home position under the force of gravity with the tab  74   b  engaging the stop  72 .  
         [0045]     As evident from  FIG. 10 , the length of each mandrel  78   a ,  78   b  is approximately equal to the length of the two core sections  84 ,  86 . Therefore, when a roll is disposed on a mandrel  78   a ,  78   b , an end portion of the roll will overhang the end of the mandrel. Such a configuration provides adequate support for the tissue roll, while permitting the core section  86  to be forced toward the core section  84  without the end of the mandrel engaging the end wall  80   b  of the front cover. The end wall  80   b  (and the end wall  80   a ) could be a wall that forms a portion of the exterior of the front cover  12 , or the end wall could be a wall that is provided in the dispenser for the purpose of engaging with the core section  86 .  
         [0046]     It is to be noted that rotation of the mandrel arm  66   b  to permit the stop  90  to clear the tab  74   b  is facilitated by the use of a reduced core tissue roll. If a standard, single core tissue roll were used, one end of the core would abut against the end wall  80   b  while the other end would be against the mandrel arm  66   b . Although a single core could be crushed sufficiently to permit transfer to the second roll, the force required to crush a single core exceeds 20 pounds, which is over American With Disability Act (ADA) guidelines. Further, applying the necessary crushing force is difficult to do, and could result in damage to the dispenser.  
         [0047]     Once the stop  90  clears the tab  74   b , the door  16  can continue to move toward the second door position. With reference to  FIG. 11 , which illustrates the final transfer stage for accessing the reserve roll, as the door  16  gets closer to the second door position, the stop  88  approaches the tab  74   a . The ramp  94  of the stop  88  pushes the tab  74   a  upward into the arm  66   a  against the bias of the spring  76   a  ( FIG. 2 ). As soon as the stop  88  passes under the tab  74   a , the tab  74   a  snaps back into position behind the stop surface  92 . The door  16  is then locked at the second door position, with the depleted roll covered by the door with the reserve roll now uncovered and becoming the dispensing roll ready for use. If the user tries to push the door back to the first door position, such movement will be prevented as discussed for the original dispensing roll.  
         [0048]     With the reduced core rolls discussed above, the core section  86  will be prevented from being forced toward the core section  84  by tissue remaining on the roll. It is anticipated that about 3 to 6 feet of tissue left on the roll (approximately 1-2 uses) will allow the core section  86  to be forced toward the core section  84  a sufficient distance to allow transfer to the second roll. If the remaining tissue is greater than this amount, transfer may not be possible.  
         [0049]     With reference to  FIG. 12 , a portion of the rear housing  14  is illustrated, along with the door  16  and stop  72 . The stop  72  is pivotally connected at its back end  100  to the rear housing by pivot  102 . In addition, the bottom of the stop  72  includes a curved surface  104  that is supported by the arcuate portion  48 , and a slot  106  that is sized to receive the stops  88 ,  90  at the first and second door positions. As  FIG. 12  illustrates, the stop  72  is supported by the door  16  to prevent the stop  72  from rotating downward about the pivot  102 . Therefore, as long as the door  16  is present, the stop  72  is kept in position between the arms  66   a ,  66   b  to limit movement of the arms  66   a ,  66   b  toward each other and maintain the gap therebetween.  
         [0050]     However, if the door  16  is removed, the support for the stop  72  is no longer present, and the stop  72  will pivot downward under the force of gravity. This is illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . By pivoting downward, the stop  72  is no longer positioned to limit movement of the arms  66   a ,  66   b  toward each other. As a result, the arms  66   a ,  66   b  will pivot into contact with each other. When this happens, the rolls  110 ,  112  will be held at an angle within the dispenser, as shown in  FIG. 14 . In this position, the edges of the rolls contact the end walls  80   a ,  80   b.    
         [0051]     When a user then tries to pull tissue from the tail end of one of the rolls, for example the roll on the left in  FIG. 14 , the pulling force will cause the arms  66   a ,  66   b  to swing counterclockwise. Likewise, if a user tries to pull tissue from the tail end of the right roll, the pulling force will cause the arms  66   a ,  66   b  to swing clockwise. When the arms  66   a ,  66   b  swing in one direction or the other, contact between the rolls and the end walls  80   a ,  80   b  increases, thereby making tissue dispensing difficult.  
         [0052]     In an alternative embodiment, the stop  72  could be fixed to the rear housing  14  so that it cannot pivot relative to the rear housing. As a result, if the door  16  is removed, the stop  72  would remain in position between the arms  66   a ,  66   b  to limit movement of the arms  66   a ,  66   b  toward each other and maintain the gap therebetween.  
         [0053]     In addition to reduced core rolls, the dispenser  10  could also operate with coreless rolls. However, coreless rolls are difficult to make to the diameter used in the dispenser  10  because they tend to get crushed and are difficult to load onto the mandrels. In addition, rolls having a core section missing from one or more ends of the rolls can also be used with the dispenser  10 . Likewise, a narrow tissue roll (e.g. about 3 inches wide) could also be used with the dispenser  10 .  
         [0054]     The embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein have been discussed for the purpose of familiarizing the reader with novel aspects of the invention. Although preferred embodiments have been shown and described, many changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made by one having skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.