Patent Publication Number: US-2022218162-A1

Title: Multi-roll paper product dispenser

Description:
This disclosure generally relates to a consumable product dispensing system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Systems dispensing consumable products are common in many environments today. For example, consumable product dispensers, e.g., bath tissue dispensers, are used in many private, semi-private and public washrooms. As such, it&#39;s desirable to ensure the dispensers are easy to load with product to reduce maintenance overhead/burden and ensure smooth operation for users after the loading process. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general, the subject matter of this specification relates to a paper product dispenser for rolled products such as bath tissue. One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in systems that include a paper product dispenser comprising a housing comprising a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the back and two sides, wherein each of the two sides includes a vertical track and wherein one of the two sides is movably attached to the housing; and a support device configured to movably engage the vertical tracks of the first and second sides and to support a first roll and a second roll, vertically offset from one another, in the product holding area. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding apparatus and methods. 
     Yet another aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in systems that include a paper product dispenser comprising a housing comprising a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the back and two sides, wherein at least one of the two sides includes a vertical track and wherein one of the two sides is movably attached to the housing; and a support device configured to movably engage the vertical track and to support a first roll and a second roll, vertically offset from one another, in the product holding area. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding apparatus and methods. 
     Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented so as to realize one or more of the following advantages. For example, the dispenser has a side wall that is moveably attached to the dispenser housing so that the wall can be, for example, pivoted away from the housing to allow a roll to be more easily inserted or loaded into the housing. 
     In a two-roll holding configuration, the dispenser can include upper and lower roll holders for the upper and lower product rolls. The upper roll holder and roll are supported, at least in part, by the lower roll holder and lower roll such that as the lower roll depletes the upper roll holder and upper roll move down within the dispenser to be accessible by a user. In this way the user can use the lower roll and then access and use the upper roll when the lower roll is sufficiently depleted (and the upper roll drops down). As such, when not needed, the upper roll can remain, at least partially, in the dispenser housing and less exposed to the environment (and potentially reduce hygiene/contamination concerns). And when needed (e.g., when the lower roll is depleting or fully depleted), the upper roll drops down to be accessible to a user. 
     The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a representation of an example paper product dispenser. 
         FIG. 2  is a representation of an example paper product dispenser partially disassembled. 
         FIG. 3  is a representation of an example paper product dispenser with a support device. 
         FIG. 4  is a representation of an example paper product dispenser with paper product in a loading configuration. 
         FIG. 5  is a representation of an example paper product dispenser with paper product in a loaded configuration. 
         FIGS. 6A-6D  are representations of example support devices. 
         FIGS. 7A-7D  are cutaway representations of example paper product dispensers with various amounts of paper depleted. 
         FIGS. 8A-8B  are cutaway representations of another example support device. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a rolled paper product dispenser. 
     In some implementations, the dispenser includes two opposing sides with each side have a vertical track running from top to bottom. The dispenser also includes a support device, for example, an upper and lower roll holder. Each roll holder includes right and left braces that insert into the respective vertical tracks and slide up and down in the tracks. For example, the right and left side upper braces of the upper roll holder hold a first roll and the right and left side lower braces of the lower roll holder hold a second roll with the lower roll holder supporting the upper roll holder (and upper roll) to prevent the upper roll from dropping lower in the tracks. 
     The lower roll holder supports the upper roll holder in such a way that as the lower roll depletes the upper roll holder (and therefore the upper roll) slide down the vertical tracks in proportion to the depletion of the lower roll. Thus as the lower roll depletes the upper roll is presented to the user to enable the dispenser to (sequentially) dispense two rolls. This allows the upper roll to be exposed to the user only as necessary (e.g., when the lower roll depletes or is depleted). The dispenser is described in more detail below with reference to  FIG. 1 , which is a representation of an example product dispenser  100 , and  FIG. 2 , which is a representation of an example paper product dispenser  100  partially disassembled. 
     The dispenser  100  can be, for example, a bath tissue dispenser  100 , hand towel dispenser, wipe/wiper dispenser or the like for rolled paper products  102 . A paper product describes sheet materials made from cellulose fibers (e.g., wood pulp), synthetic fibers (e.g., polypropylene) or some combination thereof, and include, for example, bath tissue, paper towels and wipes/wipers including made from woven and nowoven technologies. A rolled product (or roll)  102  is a product that is wound around a core or center axis. 
     The dispenser  100  includes a body or housing  108 , e.g., a composite or metal housing. The dispenser  100  also includes a product holding area  110  to hold the rolled product  102  (roll  102 ). In some implementations, the housing  108  includes a back cover  114  (e.g., the side mounted or closest to the wall when installed in a typical configuration) and two sides  112   a  and  112   b.  As shown in  FIG. 1 , the housing  108  can, for example, include a front cover  101  to, in combination with one or more of the back cover  114 , side  112   a  and/or  112   b,  fully or partially define and/or enclose the product holding area  110 . Generally, the product holding area  110  is a space or cavity within the body  108  in which the roll(s)  102  can be positioned for dispensing. 
     In some implementations one or both sides  112  is/are movably attached to the housing  108 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the side  112   a  is pivotally attached to the back cover  114  at corner  114   a  through, for example, a living hinge or other type of pivoting or hinged connection. In some implementations, the other side  112   b  is (or both sides  112   a,    112   b  are) movably (or removably) attached to the housing  108  (e.g., pivotally attached to the back cover  114  or the bottom side  115  or one or both sides  112  can be completely detached and re-attached for roll loading purposes). 
     One or both sides  112  include a vertical track  116  on the interior portion of the sides  112  (e.g., the portion of the sides  112  facing each other and in the direction of the product holding area  110 ). The vertical tracks  116  function to engage a support device  125  to allow the support device  125  to move up and down (in the vertical axis A) and restrict the side-to-side movement of the support device  125  (along the horizontal axis B). In some implementations, the vertical tracks  116  are a slot or channel extending across at least a portion of the side(s)  112  along the vertical axis A, and the support device  125  is a sled or insert matched to the vertical tracks  116  to be inserted into and held by the vertical tracks  116 . For example, if the vertical tracks  116  include a channel having a channel opening with a particular cross section then the support device  125  can have a cross section matched to that of the channel opening such that the support device  125  can slide into and along the channel enables the vertical movement. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the support device  125  can include a left brace  125   a  and a right brace  125   b,  which engage respective left and right vertical tracks  116 . Such engagement is shown in  FIG. 3 , which allows the left brace  125   a  and a right brace  125   b  (not shown) to slide up and down the vertical tracks  116  along the vertical axis A. 
     In some implementations, the support device  125  includes nubs  127  or protrusions  127  to engage and hold/support the rolls  102 . For example, each of the left brace  125   a  and a right brace  125   b  can include two nubs  127 , vertically offset from one another. The upper nubs  127  can hold the upper roll  102   a  and the lower nubs  127  can hold the lower roll  102   b  by engaging the respective cores of the rolls  102  (e.g., for a given roll  102 , a right nub  127  engaging the right side of the core  151  and a left nub  127  engaging the left side of the core  151 ). 
     In some implementations, one of the sides  112  pivots open (e.g., away from the product holding area  110 ) to allow the rolls  102  to be pressed into the respective nubs  127  on that side  112 , as shown in  FIG. 4  in an “open” state. That side  112  can then be pivoted back towards the product holding area  110 , as shown in  FIG. 5  in a “closed” state, to cause the nubs  127  on the other side to engage the other sides of the cores  151 . The side  112  (e.g.,  112   a ) can be held in the closed state, for example, through a friction fit with the bottom side  115 . 
     In some implementations, only the left brace  125   a  or right brace  125   b  has nubs  127 . In this configuration the nubs  127  can extend further into the core  151  to support the core  151  (and the entire roll  102 ) from one side  112 . Further, in some implementations, the support device  125  only includes a left brace  125   a  or right brace  125   b  and only one side  112  includes a vertical track  116  (e.g., side  112   a  to hold the left brace  125   a  or side  112   b  to hold the right brace  125   b ). 
     In some implementations, the support device  125  includes an upper roll holder  129   a  and a separate lower roll holder  129   b  for each of the left brace  125   a  and/or right brace  125   b,  as shown in  FIG. 6B , as opposed to the single piece brace  125  shown in  FIG. 6A . In some implementations, whether for a single piece brace (e.g.,  125   a  or  125   b ) or a brace with upper and lower roll holders  129 , the braces/holders can include a resilient extension  131  along a portion or all of the side(s) of the braces/holders (e.g., extending in along axis A) that is deformable along the axis B. In this way the support devices  125  can exert pressure in the vertical track channels  116  to slightly resist vertical movement of the support devices  125  when inserted into the tracks  116 . Such resistance reduces the tendency, for example, of the support devices  125  to slide out the bottom of the vertical tracks  116  when the side(s)  112  is/are in the open state. 
       FIG. 7A  is a front cutaway representation (i.e., looking in the direction of line C of  FIG. 1 ) of an example paper product dispenser  100  with two full rolls  102   a,    102   b.    FIG. 7B  is a front cutaway representation of the example paper product  100  dispenser showing the upper and lower roll holders  129   a,    129   b.    
     In some implementations, when the respective roll  102  is, for example, full or at least 75 percent full, the left and/or right braces  125  of the upper roll holder  129   a  extend from at least a center  137  of the first roll  102   a  towards a bottom  139  of the first roll  102   a.  In some implementations, when the respective roll  102  is, for example, full or at least 75 percent full, the left and/or right braces  125  of the lower roll holder  129   b  extend from at least a center  137  of the second roll  102   b  towards a top  141  of the second roll  102   b.  In these Figures, the nubs  127  would be proximate the center  137  to engage the cores  151  of the rolls  102 . 
     In some implementations, when the respective roll  102  is, for example, full or at least 75 percent full, the left and/or right braces  125  of the upper roll holder  129   a  can extend further from the center  137  of the first roll  102   a  towards the bottom  139  of the first roll  102   a  than from the center  137  of the first roll  102   a  towards the top  143  of the first roll  102   a.  Additionally or alternatively, the left and/or right braces  125  of the lower roll holder  129   b  can, when the respective roll  102  is full or at least 75 percent full for example, extend further from the center  137  of the second roll  102   b  towards the top  141  of the second roll  102   b  than from the center  137  of the second roll  102   b  towards the bottom  145  of the second roll  102   b.    
     In some implementations, a majority of a length of the lower roll holder  129   b  is above the center  137  of the second roll  102   b,  when the roll  102   b  is full. Additionally or alternatively to the lower roll holder  129   b,  a majority of the length of the upper roll holder  129   a  is above the center  137  of the first roll  102   a  when the roll  102   a  is full. For both roll holders  129 , the length (L) of the roll holder  129  is measured along axis A and a majority is at least fifty percent of the length and more preferably at least sixty percent of the length. 
       FIG. 7C  is a front cutaway representation of the example paper product  100  dispenser showing second roll  102   b  approximately halfway depleted. Given that the second roll  102   b  supports its own weight (e.g., by resting on the bottom  115 ) as the second roll  102   b  depletes lower roll holder  129   b  accordingly drops towards the bottom  115 . As the upper roll holder  129   a  rests on the lower roll holder  129   b  (e.g., as shown in  FIG. 7B ), the upper roll holder  129   a  and the first roll  102   a  corresponding drop as shown in  FIG. 7D . In this way, the first roll  102   a  is lowered into a dispensing position for ease of access by a user as the second roll  102   b  depletes and is eventually depleted (e.g., the dispensing position is generally a position towards the bottom  115  and, for example, out (or partially out) from underneath any front cover  101  to the extent required for a user to access the first roll  102   a ). 
       FIG. 8A  is a front cutaway representation of another example support device  125 . This support device  125  includes an arm  180  with a lower end  181 , an upper end  182  and a pivot point  183 . The arm  180  functions to prevent the first roll  102   a  from dropping down towards bottom  115  until the second roll  102   b  has depleted to a specified level (e.g., dictated by the configuration and placement of the arm  180 ). In operation, the lower end  181  and upper end  182  are rotatable around the pivot point  183 . The lower arm  181  is biased (e.g., by a spring) towards the center of the dispenser  100  but is held back by the lower roll holder  129   b  (e.g., when the second roll  102   b  is, for example, full or greater than 50% full or greater than 25% full). As long as the lower end  181  is held back, the upper end  182  engages the upper roll holder  129   a  to prevent the upper roll holder  129   a  from dropping down (e.g., from gravity). 
     When the second roll  102   b  is sufficiently depleted (e.g., more than 50% or more than 75% or more than 90% depleted), the lower arm  181  will pivot inward toward the center of the dispenser  100  causing the upper arm  182  to pivot outward (away from the center of the dispenser  100 ) and disengage the upper roll holder  129   a,  which allows the upper roll holder  129   a  and the first roll  102   a  to drop down (e.g., into a dispensing position) as shown in  FIG. 8B . 
     In some implementations, the support device  125  includes a roll periphery device that is biased against and rests on the periphery of the second roll  102   b  (the periphery transverse to the axis of the core  151 ) so that it moves towards the core  151  as the roll  102   b  depletes. For example, the roll periphery device includes a top portion that rests on the roll  102   b  and a bottom portion that, when the second roll  102   b  is full, supports and lifts the bottom of the lower roll holder  129   b,  and a pivot in between the top and bottom portions around which they rotate. As the second roll  102   b  depletes the top portion follows the periphery of the roll  102   b  (moving towards the roll&#39;s core), which causes the bottom portion to move out from under the lower roll holder  129   b.  At a specified point (e.g., based on the dimensions of the roll periphery device) the bottom portion will fully move out from under the lower roll holder  129   b  so that the second roll  102   b  and lower roll holder  129   b  drop down towards the bottom of the dispenser  100 . In turn, the first roll  102   a  and upper roll holder  129   a  will also move down (e.g., to be more accessible to a user as the second roll  102   b  depletes). 
     Embodiments 
     Embodiment 1. A paper product dispenser comprising a housing comprising a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the back and two sides, wherein each of the two sides includes a vertical track and wherein one of the two sides is movably attached to the housing; and a support device configured to movably engage the vertical tracks of the first and second sides and to support a first roll and a second roll, vertically offset from one another, in the product holding area. 
     Embodiment 2. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 1, wherein the one of the two sides movably attached to the housing is pivotally attached to the back. 
     Embodiment 3. The paper product dispenser of embodiments 1 or 2, wherein the support device comprises an upper roll holder and a separate lower roll holder. 
     Embodiment 4. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 3, wherein each of the upper roll holder and lower roll holder include respective left and right braces with the left and right braces of the upper roll holder are configured to extend from a center of the first roll towards a bottom of the first roll and the left and right braces of the lower roll holder configured to extend from a center of the second roll towards a top of the second roll. 
     Embodiment 5. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 4, wherein the left and right braces of the upper roll holder are configured to extend further from the center of the first roll towards the bottom of the first roll than from the center of the first roll towards a top of the first roll. 
     Embodiment 6. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 5, wherein the left and right braces of the lower roll holder are configured to extend further from the center of the second roll towards the top of the second roll than from the center of the second roll towards a bottom of the second roll. 
     Embodiment 7. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 3, wherein each of the upper roll holder and lower roll holder include a respective brace slideably engaged to the vertical track with the brace of the upper roll holder configured to extend from a center of the first roll towards a bottom of the first roll and the brace of the lower roll holder configured to extend from a center of the second roll towards a top of the second roll. 
     Embodiment 8. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 7, wherein the brace of the upper roll holder is configured to extend further from the center of the first roll towards the bottom of the first roll than from the center of the first roll towards a top of the first roll, and the brace of the lower roll holder is configured to extend further from the center of the second roll towards the top of the second roll than from the center of the second roll towards a bottom of the second roll. 
     Embodiment 9. A paper product dispenser comprising a housing comprising a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the back and two sides, wherein at least one of the two sides includes a vertical track and wherein one of the two sides is movably attached to the housing; and a support device configured to movably engage the vertical track and to support a first roll and a second roll, vertically offset from one another, in the product holding area. 
     Embodiment 10. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 9, wherein the one of the two sides movably attached to the housing is pivotally attached to the back. 
     Embodiment 11. A paper product dispenser comprising a housing comprising a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the back and two sides, wherein at least one of the two sides includes a vertical track; a support device configured to movably engage the vertical track and to support a first roll and a second roll, vertically offset from one another, in the product holding area, and wherein the support device comprises an upper roll holder to hold the first roll and a separate lower roll holder to hold the second roll; and wherein a majority of a length of the upper roll holder is below a center of the first roll and a majority of a length of the lower roll holder is above a center of the second roll. 
     Embodiment 12. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 11, wherein the first and second rolls are bath tissue rolls. 
     Embodiment 13. The paper product dispenser of any of embodiments 11 or 12, wherein the housing comprises a bottom side and the bottom side includes a ridge along at least a portion of the width of the bottom side. 
     Embodiment 14. The paper product dispenser of any of embodiments 11-13, wherein one of the two sides is movably attached to the housing. 
     Embodiment 15. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 14, wherein the one of the two sides is pivotally attached to the back. 
     Embodiment 16. The paper product dispenser of embodiment 14, wherein the one of the two sides is pivotally attached to the bottom side. 
     Embodiment 17. The paper product dispenser of any of embodiments 11-16, wherein each of the two sides includes a vertical track. 
     Embodiment 18. The paper product dispenser of any of embodiments 11-17, wherein the majority of the length of the upper roll holder is below the center of the first roll, when the first roll if full, and the majority of the length of the lower roll holder is above the center of the second roll, when the second roll if full. 
     While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments. 
     This written description does not limit the invention to the precise terms set forth. Thus, while the invention has been described in detail with reference to the examples set forth above, those of ordinary skill in the art may effect alterations, modifications and variations to the examples without departing from the scope of the invention.