Patent Publication Number: US-10327601-B2

Title: Dispenser for rolls

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION 
     This application is a § 371 National Stage Application of PCT/EP2015/076670 filed Nov. 16, 2015, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates to dispensers for rolls particularly of tissue paper such as toilet paper, wipers, hand towels, kitchen towels, etc. More particular, the application relates to dispensers for public restrooms and the like configured to accommodate at least two rolls and successively dispense the rolls. Accordingly, one of the two rolls is a spare roll. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One such dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,816. The dispenser has a slidable closure connected to the dispenser housing. The closure serves to alternatively give access to one of the rolls contained in the housing of the dispenser depending on the remaining amount of paper and to protect the spare roll from being damaged and/or soiled. The closure is formed by a body slidably guided in the housing of the dispenser and first and second walls rotatably attached to the body at a first edge of the walls. One spring connects the first and second walls adjacent the first edges of the walls so as to urge the first and second walls toward each other. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is desired to provide a dispenser for rolls of tissue paper ensuring reliable dispensing of the accessible roll and reliably protecting the non-accessible roll. 
     According to an aspect of the disclosure, a dispenser for rolls of tissue paper, particularly toilet paper, kitchen towels, etc. is suggested. More particular, the disclosure suggests a dispenser to be used in public locations such as public restrooms. The dispenser includes a housing for accommodating at least two of said rolls. 
     In an embodiment, the housing includes at least two axes (support axes) for rotatably supporting the rolls within the housing. Further, in an embodiment, the housing is configured to capsule the rolls and avoid soiling thereof. An access opening is defined in the housing in order to allow dispensing of the rolls. 
     In an embodiment, the access opening is defined in a bottom of the housing so that a tail of the roll is freely accessible via the access opening so that the paper of the roll may be dispensed and separated from the rest of the roll through the access opening. Because the housing accommodates two of said rolls, only one of said rolls needs to be accessible at a time so that the remaining roll is still protected from being soiled, etc. This roll may also be referred to as a non-accessible or spare roll. 
     To obtain this, a closure is provided for selectively closing a portion of the access opening and thereby protecting the non-accessible roll. In order to enable access to the non-accessible roll, thus changing the state of the roll from the spare roll to the accessible roll, the closure is slidably held in the housing and movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a first portion of the access opening is closed preventing access to a first roll of said rolls, which is then the non-accessible or spare roll. In a second position, a second portion of the access opening is closed thereby preventing access to a second roll of said rolls or at least a compartment previously holding the second roll, which then becomes also a non-accessible roll or a non-accessible compartment containing the remainder of the previously accessible roll (the substantially dispensed roll or the empty core). 
     The closure includes a body. The body may be the part which is guided within the housing to obtain the movement of the closure. Further, first and second walls are each rotatably connected to the body at a first edge. In addition, the first and second walls are urged toward each other to respectively position second edges of the first and second walls opposite to the first edges in a blocking position. In this blocking position, sliding of the closure into the respective first or second position is blocked until a predetermined amount of paper of the respective roll has been dispensed. This predetermined amount may be limited by the amount of usable paper in coreless rolls such as those described in EP 1 782 722 A1. Because the center of these rolls is stiffened by water spraying including e.g. starch, the paper in the center of these rolls may stick together and may not be used. Rolls having a core made of paperboard may even entirely be dispensed. Thus, the predetermined amount may be determined based on the outer diameter of the core. In the blocking position, the second edges of the first and second walls respectively interfere with the outer circumferential surface of the roll, if not substantially dispensed to the predetermined amount. Thereby, the closure is prevented from being entirely moved to the respective first or second position. In this case, the closure, however, would remain in an intermediate position between the first or second position at which the respective second edge interferes with the outer circumferential surface of the respective roll. Depending on the amount of paper already dispensed, this intermediate position can be different. The more paper has been dispensed, the further the closure may be moved and the larger the portion of the access opening, corresponding to the non-accessible roll which is opened, becomes. 
     To return the closure into the respective position covering and protecting the non-accessible roll, a first and second spring respectively connected to the first and second wall are suggested. The spring force of these springs is selected to be sufficiently high to automatically return the closure into the originate position (the first position if slid to the second position/the second position if slid to the first position) when the movement of the closure to the respective other position is blocked by interference of the respective second edge with the outer circumferential surface of the respective roll. Thereby, the wall not interfering with the outer circumferential surface of the accessible roll contacts the outer circumferential surface of the non-accessible roll. In that the respective spring induces a momentum about the axis of rotation of the wall, a force is induced to the closure pushing the closure into its originate position closing the portion of the access opening corresponding to the non-accessible roll. Thereby, it can be ensured that the non-accessible roll is securely protected from being soiled and dispensing of the non-accessible roll is prevented until the accessible roll is substantially dispensed to a predetermined amount and the closure can be moved into the respective other position to give access to the non-accessible roll, which then becomes the accessible roll or dispensed roll. 
     Because the force is introduced into the first and second walls during movement of the closure at a second edge of the first and second walls most distant from the first edge at which the first and second walls are rotatably connected to the body, a relatively large momentum is induced at the axis of rotation. If torsion springs are for example used to urge the first and second walls toward each other at the axis of rotation, i.e. the second edge, torsion springs having a relatively large spring force were required to return the closure into its originating position. The same applies with respect to the use of one spring as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,816 connected to the first and second walls adjacent the first edges, respectively. Also in this case, a relatively large spring force is required. Springs having a relatively large spring force have, however, disadvantages. First of all, it becomes more difficult to slide the closure past the non-dispensed roll to give access to the non-dispensed roll. Further, springs having a relatively large spring force are more expensive and a more expensive construction for attaching the springs and for connecting the first and second walls to the body are required. 
     One possibility to reduce the necessary spring force for returning the closure into its originate position is that the first and second walls each includes a bump adjacent to the second edge. The bump is a protrusion protruding from the wall toward the inner side, that is toward the roll or the body. To put it differently, the bumps protrude toward each other. Thereby the force initiated onto the roll for returning the closure into its originate position can be adjusted to be more parallel to the sliding direction of the closure, thereby reducing the spring force required to move the closure. 
     Moreover and particularly if a substantially rectangular (this encompasses also rectangular with rounded edges) housing in a front view seen along the axes of rotation of the rolls is used, it may be advisable to form the first and second walls with a concave portion from the first edges toward the second edges and a convex portion adjacent the second edges, respectively. In this context, the concave portion may correspond to the outer circumferential surface of a non-dispensed roll. The convex portion, in turn, serves to close a distance between a distal end of the concave portion and a wall of the housing. The wall of the housing may be a vertical partition between the two rolls or an outer wall, for example extending along a horizontal direction, approaching the outer circumferential surface of the rolls, respectively. Yet and due to the convex portion, the initiation of force onto the non-accessible roll to return the closure into its originate position is less than optimum. In particular, the initiation of the force is in this case very much angled to the sliding direction of the closure, thus requiring an even higher spring force to allow return of the closure into its originate position. In order to avoid this drawback, it is suggested that the inner surfaces of the bumps facing each other are continuous with the concave portions, respectively, or even extend further inward than the inner surfaces of the concave portions. Thereby, the initiation of the force onto the roll can be improved and springs having a lower spring force can be used. 
     Another additional or alternative approach to reduce the spring forces is the use of tension springs which are connected with a first end to the first wall and the second wall, respectively, between the first and second edges and with a second end to the body. In an embodiment, the first end of the springs is connected closer to the second edge than to the first edge. Because of the connection between the two edges of the walls, the force of the spring is initiated closer to the second edge, thereby inducing a much higher momentum at the axis of rotation of the respective wall than in a case at which the spring is attached close to the first edge. Accordingly, a spring with a lower spring force may be used. 
     So as to keep the first and second walls in the blocking position and prevent further rotation of the walls toward each other, a stop is provided for each of the walls, respectively limiting the rotational movement of the first and second walls toward each other. According to one aspect, this stop is multifunctional and also serves as a support protrusion supporting (attaching) the second ends of the first and second springs, respectively. In order not to interfere with the roll, the support protrusion can protrude away from the first and second walls in a direction along an axis of rotation of the first and second walls. 
     In order to improve the initiation of force onto the roll for returning the closure to its originate position, the first and second springs in the blocking direction of the first and second walls may extend along, for example parallel to, the sliding direction of the closure. In this context, along means that the longitudinal extension of the spring extends at most at an angle of 45° to the sliding direction of the closure. 
     According to another aspect, the closure should, in its position protecting the non-accessible roll, prevent rotation and, therefore, dispensing of the non-accessible roll. In order to prevent rotation, a rib can be provided on the body, the rib having a gradually increasing height along, for example parallel to, the axis of rotation of the first and second walls or to put it differently of the roll or to the roll axis. 
     In order to obtain a good mechanical strength of the rib without the risk of being broken, the height of the rib gradually increases to a back wall of the closure, particularly the body, where the rib is connected to the body. Thereby, the rib is supported at its highest position by the back wall and breaking can reliably be prevented. 
     The rib is, according to one aspect, located at a center between the axis of rotation of the first and second walls on the body. Accordingly, it can be ensured that the roll&#39;s outer circumferential surface interferes with the rib or engages with the rib during insertion of the roll and thereby reliably preventing rotation of the roll or at least braking the rotation of the roll (at least making rotation of the roll more difficult). 
     As used herein, the term “comprises,” “comprising,” and other derivatives from the root term “comprise” are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of any stated features, elements, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. Accordingly, such terms are intended to be synonymous with “has,” “have,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” and any derivatives of these words. 
     Further features of the disclosure, which may either be implemented separately or in combination of one or more of the aforesaid features unless the features contradict each other, are disclosed in the following description referring to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front view of a dispenser according to an embodiment with a lid being removed; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a perspective front view of the closure in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  shows a perspective back view of the closure in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  in which sliding of the closure is prevented by a completely non-dispensed roll; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  in which sliding of the closure is prevented by a partly non-dispensed roll; 
         FIG. 5  shows a front view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  in which sliding of the closure is permitted because the roll is substantially dispensed; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a front view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  with the closure being slid to close the access opening in a portion corresponding to the substantially dispensed roll. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS 
     The dispenser shown in the drawings includes a housing  10  which is shown in the drawings with the lid (not shown) being removed. 
     In the drawings, the housing  10  is configured for accommodation of two rolls  1 ,  2 . For this purpose, the housing has two axes  13  connected to the housing  10 , particularly its back wall  11 . In the present embodiment, the dispenser is configured for so-called coreless rolls. Coreless rolls, such as those described in EP 1 782 722 A1, consist of a rolled tissue paper web only. The center of the roll may be subjected to water spraying, wherein the water may contain starch. Thereby, the roll can frictionally be engaged with the axis  13 . To enable rotation of the rolls, the axes  13  are rotatably connected to the housing and rotate together with the roll. In an alternative embodiment, it is, however, also conceivable to configure the dispenser for accommodation of two rolls having a core as known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,816. 
     In the drawings, the housing  10  further has an access opening  14  defined in a bottom wall  15  of the housing  10 . Moreover, the housing  10  is separated into two compartments  16 ,  17 , one for each roll  1 ,  2  by a partition  18  in the center of the housing  10 . Thereby the access opening  14  is separated into a first portion  19  corresponding to the first roll  1  and a second portion  20  corresponding to the second roll  2 . 
     The dispenser of  FIG. 1  further includes a closure  21  slidably supported by the housing  10 . The closure  21  includes a body  22 . 
     The body  22  is translationally guided in the housing  10  for sliding of the closure  21  along the guide. For this purpose, a back wall  23  of the body  22  has at its lower end a U-shaped or bend portion  24  being bent away from the body  22  toward the back wall  11  of the housing  10  forming a groove  25  (see  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). The groove  25  is engaged with a lower end  26  of the back wall  11  of the housing  10  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Further, the body  22  has on its back wall  23  a rib  27  protruding from the back wall  23  toward the back wall  11  of the housing  10  resting with its lower surface  28  on a protruding surface  29  protruding from the back wall  11  of the housing  10 . Finally, an upper end  30  of the back wall  23  engages with a not shown groove formed in a protrusion protruding from the back wall  11  of the housing  10  toward the back wall  23  of the body  22 . 
     The body  22  further includes a handle  32  which may be gripped by a user to slide the closure  21  along the translational guide. 
     Moreover, the body  22  has two walls, a first wall  33  and a second wall  34 . The walls  33 ,  34  are connected to the body  22  at a first edge  39  being rotatable about a first axis of rotation  35  and a second axis of rotation  36 , respectively. Each of the walls  33 ,  34  is urged by a tension spring  45  about the axis of rotation  35 ,  36  so that the walls  33 ,  34  are urged toward each other. 
     Each of the walls  33 ,  34  have a concave portion  37  extending from the first edge  39  to a second edge  40  opposite to the first edge  39 . The concave portion  37  is concave toward the inside of the compartments  16 ,  17 , respectively, that is toward the rolls  1 ,  2  accommodated in the housing  10  of the support axis  13 . Further, each of the walls  33 ,  34  has a convex portion adjacent the second edge  40  so that each wall  33 ,  34  is flared at the second edge  40 . This enables that the second edge  40  extends away from the outer circumference  41  of the rolls  1 ,  2 , thereby closing the compartments  16 ,  17  (in cooperation with the partition  18  and the substantially horizontal walls  42  at the respective side ends of the housing  10  of the dispenser). Thus, the closure  21  with the body  22  and the walls  33 ,  34  closes one of the compartments  16 ,  17  depending on its position, so as to prevent access to the respective rolls  1 ,  2  via the access opening  14 , thereby avoiding soiling of the protected non-accessible roll and also preventing dispensing paper from this roll. 
     Each of the walls  33 ,  34  has a support protrusion  43  disposed at a respective end of the walls  33 ,  34  as seen in a direction along the axis of rotation  35 ,  36 . The support protrusion also serves as a stop interfering with the ends of the back wall  23  of the body  22  as shown in  FIG. 2B  thereby limiting the rotational movement of the walls  33 ,  34  around the rotational axis  35 ,  36  toward each other. Additionally, the support protrusions  43  serve as supports or holding structures for attaching second ends  44  of tension springs  45 . For this purpose, the support protrusions  43  have a hole into which the second ends  44  of the tension springs  45  are hooked in, respectively. 
     The first end  46  of the tension springs  44  are connected to the back wall  23  of the body  22 . For this purpose, a protruding rib  47  is provided having two holes into which the respective first ends  46  of the tension springs  45  are hooked in. The tension springs  45  urge the walls  33 ,  34  toward each other about the respective rotational axes  35 ,  36 . As previously mentioned, this rotational movement is limited by the support protrusions  43  interfering with the back wall  23  of the body  22  serving as a stop. Thereby, the walls  33 ,  34  are positioned in the blocking position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  by the springs  45 . 
     Bumps  50 , which are protrusions extending only over a part of the length of the walls  33 ,  34  along the rotational axis  35 ,  36  and protruding toward the rolls  1 ,  2  or the axis  13  or to put it differently toward each other, are provided adjacent or at the second edges  40 . According to one embodiment, an inner surface  51  of the concave portion  37  is continuous with an inner surface  52  of the bumps  50 . 
     Moreover, a rib  60  is formed on the body  22  in the center between the rotational axes  35  and  36  as shown in  FIG. 2A . The rib  60  has a gradually increasing height and an axial direction of the rotational axes  35 ,  36  and/or of the support axis  13  and connects at its maximum height to the back wall  23  of the body  22 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the rib engages with an outer circumferential surface  41  of the non-accessible roll  1 , thereby preventing rotation of the roll  1 . The rib extends parallel or along the rotational axis  35 ,  36  and/or along the support axis  13 . 
     In the following, the function of the dispenser described above is explained mainly referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6 . 
       FIG. 1  shows the dispenser loaded with two new, that is non-dispensed, rolls and with the closure  21  in the first position. In the first position, the portion  19  of the access opening  14  is closed by the closure  21 . In this position, the body  22  and the first and second wall  33 ,  34  protect the first roll  1  from being accessed. In particular, the first roll  1  is capsuled in the first compartment  16  which is closed by the closure  21  with the second edges  40  of the first and second walls  33 ,  34  cooperating with the partition  18  and the wall  42  to close the compartment  16  at a lower end. Further, the first roll  1  is prevented from rotating by the rib  60 , because the rib  60  is engaged with the outer circumferential surface  41  of the first roll  1 . In this stage the second roll  2  may be accessed by a user via the portion  20  of the access opening  14  to dispense tissue paper from second roll  2 . 
     If the user in this stage slides the closure  21  using the handle  32  toward the second position, that is in the drawings to the right, the second wall  34 , particularly its second edge  40 , interferes with (contacts, engages with) the outer circumferential surface  41  of the second roll  2  (see  FIG. 3 ). In this position, the second wall  34  being in the blocking position, in which the stop  43  abuts at the back wall  23  of the body  22 , cannot rotate about the axis  36  counterclockwise. Thus, the second wall  34  prevents the further movement of the closure  21  to the right. The distance of movement in this case corresponds to the distance D 1 . 
     At the same time, the spring  45  urging the first wall  33  toward the second wall  34  is tensioned, because the inner surface  51  of the concave portion  37  and the inner surface  52  of the bumps  50  engage with the outer circumferential surface  41  of the first roll  1 , thereby rotating the first wall  33  about the axis  35  counterclockwise. If the user releases the closure  21 , the spring  45  induces a force acting on the first wall  33  and via the first wall  33  on the outer circumferential surface  41  of the first roll  1 . The forces thereby applied substantially parallel to the movement direction of the closure  21  to the right as indicated by the arrow A in  FIG. 3 . As a result, the closure  21  is automatically moved to the left into its originate position, the first position, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     If the second roll  2  is further dispensed and the diameter of the second roll  2  reduces as shown in  FIG. 4 , the amount of movement of the closure  21  to the right increases to a distance D 2 . However, still the edge  40  of the second wall  34  interferes with the outer circumferential surface  41  of the second roll  2 , thereby preventing further movement of the closure  21  to the right. 
     In this stage, the first wall  33  is even further rotated about the axis  35 , thereby increasing the tension of the spring  45 . As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , which shows the spring, which is not visible in this view, by dotted lines, the spring acts substantially in parallel to a force vector perpendicular to the inner surface  52  of the bumps  50  and, thus, in an optimum direction to induce the force for returning the closure  21  into its originate position as shown in  FIG. 1 . Thus, the spring force required is not as high as if a spring was attached to the first edge  39  of the wall or if a torsion spring acted in the axis of rotation  35 . In particular, because of the attachment of the spring  45  closer to the second edge  40  than to the first edge  39 , the momentum achieved at the axis of rotation increases making use of a relatively large lever arm. In addition, the force vector is substantially parallel to the spring  45  meaning that not much force is lost acting in a different direction not usable for moving the closure  21  into its originate position. Moreover, because of the bumps  50 , the inner surface acting on the outer circumferential surface  41  of the first roll  1  in this stage is moved further to the end of the wall  33 , thereby also reducing the required force to return the closure  21  into its original position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Finally, if the second roll  2  is substantially dispensed as shown in  FIG. 5 , the upper edge  40  of the second wall  34  may pass the second roll  2 , whereby the first wall  33  is even further rotated counterclockwise about the axis  35 , thereby allowing movement of the closure, particularly the second wall  33  past the first roll  1  so that the closure  21  may be moved completely into the second position as shown in  FIG. 6 . In the second position, the portion  20  of the access opening  14  is closed and access to the first roll  1  is given via the first portion  19  of the access opening  14 . In this stage, a user can access the first roll  1  and dispense the paper by unreeling the first roll  1  and gripping the tail through the portion  19  of the access opening  14 . 
     In this stage, the dispenser may be refilled by an operator removing the remaining portion of the second roll  2 , if any, and replacing it by a new roll (then spare roll). If the first roll  1  is then again substantially dispensed, the closure  21  may be moved to the first position as shown in  FIG. 1 , whereby the process is the opposite to that shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . If the first roll  1  is not fully dispensed similar to the stage of the second roll  2  in  FIG. 4  or the second roll  2  in  FIG. 3 , the closure  21  may not be moved to the left, because the upper edge  40  of the first wall  33  interferes with the outer circumferential surface  41  of the first roll  1 . Similar as described above, the second wall  34  then serves to return the closure  21  into its originate position, then the second position covering the portion  20  of the access opening  14  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In the above embodiment, a dispenser having two rolls has been described, but a dispenser having more than two rolls is as well conceivable, wherein the rolls are disposed in a row. Also the embodiment has been described together with the use of so-called coreless rolls, but the present disclosure may also be applied to common rolls having a core, for example made of cardboard. Even further, the walls have been described as being a concave/convex, but it was also conceivable to use straight or planar walls instead. Moreover, the present embodiment has been described using a substantially rectangular housing. However, it is also conceivable to use a housing which is more closely adapted to the outer circumferential surface  41  of completely new rolls. Thereby, the entire footprint of the dispenser on a wall can be reduced. In addition various other amendments are conceivable to the described embodiment and the invention is, therefore, only limited by the following claims.