Abstract:
A dispenser of individual sheets by unwinding from the center of a product in roll form, without a central tube, having a plurality of successive sheets forming a coiled strip, a free end of which projects toward the outside of the roll from the center, of the type including a fixed dispensing nozzle which delimits a passage of frustoconical general shape and which includes a generally vertically oriented cutout to make it easier to introduce the free end of the strip of a roll into the passage, the width of the cutout in the vicinity of the upper orifice of the passage being markedly greater than its width in line with the lower outlet orifice of the nozzle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dispenser of individual paper sheets. 
     The invention relates, in particular, to a dispenser enabling its user to take one or more sheets in succession by unwinding from the center of a product in roll form, which has no central tube or core and which consists of a plurality of successive sheets forming a coiled strip, a free end of which projects toward the outside of the roll from the center of said roll. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Such a dispenser is used, in particular, for obtaining multiple-use absorbent paper sheets based on cellulose wadding. 
     The paper takes the form of a coiled strip, from which the successive sheets are to be dispensed. 
     For this purpose, a first technique involves providing, at the outlet of the dispenser, means which partially block the unwinding of the strip under the effect of the pull applied to the latter by the user, by means, the lower edge of which is cutting or in the form of sawteeth, so as to form sheets by tearing off and/or cutting off from a continuous strip. 
     According to another technique, the strip in roll form is precut, that is to say it comprises uniform partial cuts corresponding to consecutive sheets usually of the same length, and, here again, the dispenser comprises, in its lower part, means through which the precut paper strip passes, said means gripping the latter so as to enable the user to separate the sheet which is extracted from the dispenser from the following sheet by exerting a sudden additional pull in order to separate it along the precut line. 
     A dispenser has already been proposed for this purpose, of the type comprising: 
     a dispenser housing comprising a fixed first part and a moveable second part mounted in an articulated manner relative to the fixed part between an open position for reloading the dispenser and a closed position, in which said second part delimits, with the first part, an upper receptacle for storing in a vertical position the roll to be unwound; 
     a lower plate which is carried by the fixed part of the housing and which supports vertically a lower axial end of the roll and comprises a hole for the passage of the strip; 
     and a fixed dispensing nozzle which is arranged below the support plate and which delimits a downwardly convergent passage of frustoconical general shape, the upper inlet orifice of which is substantially in the extension of the hole in the support plate, so as to guide the strip toward its lower outlet orifice of reduced diameter, and which comprises a generally vertically oriented cutout in the general form of a slot, which extends between the upper inlet and lower outlet orifices, in order to make it easier for the free end of the strip of a roll to be introduced into the passage of the dispensing nozzle. 
     A first example of such a dispenser is described and illustrated in the document EP-A-0,740,921, in which the element for closing the cutout of the dispensing nozzle is produced in one piece with the lower part of the moveable second part of the housing and in which the cutout is a narrow vertical slot with parallel edges, which issues vertically upward and downward into the upper inlet and lower outlet orifices of the passage formed in the body of the dispensing nozzle. 
     Such a design has many disadvantages. 
     First of all, the slot is narrow and it is difficult to introduce the free end portion of the strip of a new roll or of a partially unwound roll, without damaging the strip, in as much as the slot is narrow and in as much as it is necessary to keep the moveable second part of the housing in the high position. 
     Moreover, when the housing is being closed as a result of the vertically downward tilting of its moveable second part, the closing of the cutout by the closing element integrated into the moveable part of the housing takes place “blind”, that is to say there is a considerable risk that the person responsible for replacing the roll will jam the strip in the introduction slot by means of the closing element. 
     Moreover, it is found, during use, that the paper strip which passes through the passage in the nozzle rubs continuously against that part of the inner wall of the convergent passage which is cut out and completed by the closing element, that is to say the strip rubs against a wall which is not perfectly smooth and continuous, with the considerable risk that the paper strip will be damaged if the two pieces do not have the perfect fit. 
     Another example of such a dispenser according to the prior art is described and illustrated in the American patent application number U.S. Ser. No. 81732,014 filed on Oct. 16 1996. 
     The design proposed in this document is substantially similar to that described and analyzed above, except that the axis of articulation of the moveable second part of the housing is a vertical axis. 
     This design has most of the disadvantages mentioned above in respect of that described and illustrated in the document EP-A-0,740,921. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to overcome these disadvantages, the invention proposes a dispenser of the type mentioned above, defined in that the width of the cutout in the vicinity of the upper orifice is clearly greater than its width in line with the lower outlet orifice into which it issues vertically downward, so as to make it possible to introduce said free end of the strip vertically from the bottom upward through the cutout and then radially toward the axis of the dispensing nozzle. 
     According to other characteristics of the invention: 
     the cutout is formed in a part of the passage which is located toward a rear vertical bottom of the fixed part of the housing, by means of which bottom the latter is fastened to a wall or to a support, in such a way that, during use, that portion of the strip which passes vertically through the dispensing nozzle cooperates with a portion, not cut out, of the inner wall of the passage; 
     the dispensing nozzle comprises an element for closing the cutout, which has a shape complementary to that of the latter and which is mounted in an articulated manner relative to the body of the dispensing nozzle between a position of use, in which the cutout is closed and in which the passage is delimited by a continuous inner wall, and a reloading position, in which said closing element is retracted in order to release the cutout for the purpose of introducing the free end of the strip; 
     the element for closing the cutout is mounted in an articulated manner relative to the body of the dispensing nozzle about a horizontal upper axis located vertically substantially in is line with the upper inlet orifice of the dispensing nozzle, and the element for closing the cutout is mounted tiltably between a high position of use and a low reloading position; 
     the axis of articulation of the element for closing the cutout is offset radially outward relative to that portion of the edge of the upper inlet orifice of the passage which said closing element comprises, so as to cause the element for closing the cutout to tilt by gravity from its high position of use toward its low reloading position; 
     the dispenser comprises means for the automatic locking of the element for closing the cutout in the position of use; 
     the means for the automatic locking of the element for closing the cutout comprise an elastically deformable automatic locking tab which comprises a catching nose which cooperates with a complementary notch in the support plate of the roll; 
     the means for the automatic locking of the element for closing the cutout comprise a locking and positioning finger which is arranged at the lower free end of the element for closing the cutout and which, in the position of use, is received in a complementary receptacle of the body of the dispensing nozzle; 
     the fixed first part of the housing comprises a perforated lower horizontal bottom, through which the dispensing nozzle extends vertically downward, so as to give access, from outside the housing, to the element for closing the cutout, for the purpose of manipulating said closing element between its position of use and its reloading position; 
     the body of the dispensing nozzle is fastened under the lower face of the support plate of the roll, so as to form a subassembly which bears vertically downward, with the outer periphery of the support plate, against a confronting portion of the upper face of the horizontal bottom of the fixed first part of the housing; 
     the body of the dispensing nozzle comprises, at its peripheral upper end, means of the bayonet type for mounting it and fastening it under the lower face of the support plate of the roll; 
     the fixed first part of the housing comprises a rear vertical fastening plate and a lower horizontal bottom, and all the other walls of the housing belong to the moveable second part of the housing, said second part being mounted in an articulated manner on the fixed first part of the housing about a horizontal axis of articulation arranged in the lower part of the housing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be gathered from a reading of the following detailed description, to understand which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of a dispenser according to the invention, with the moveable part of the housing forming a closing cover and illustrated in the open reloading position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view, on a larger scale, which illustrates the subassembly consisting of the support plate and the dispensing nozzle, with the element for closing the cutout of the latter, said closing element being illustrated as being locked in the high position of use; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view, similar to that of FIG. 2, in which the subassembly is illustrated in a perspective top view, that is to say from inside the dispensing nozzle; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the dispensing nozzle with the element for closing the cutout of the latter, said closing element being illustrated in the low reloading position; and 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are views in vertical section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of articulation of the element for closing is the cutout, which show the subassembly illustrated respectively in FIGS.  2  and  4 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, the terms vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, front, rear, etc. will be used with reference to the Figures in order to make it easier to understand the description, but in a meaning which does not limit the invention. 
     The dispenser  10  according to the invention, illustrated particularly in FIG. 1, consists essentially of a housing  12 , of an intermediate piece  14  comprising the dispensing nozzle and assigned to an element  16  for closing the cutout of the latter, and of a plate  18  which is intended for supporting a roll  20 . 
     The function of the dispenser  10  is, in fact, to allow the progressive unwinding of the roll  20  which, here, is a roll consisting of a strip  22  of cellulose wadding which is coiled about a vertical general axis A 1 . 
     The center of the roll does not have a tube or a central tube, that is to say consists of a vertically oriented central hole, via which the inner free end  24  of the strip  22  emerges, here vertically downward. 
     The roll  20  is delimited by a cylindrical outer lateral surface  26  and by two transverse end faces, one of which is a horizontal lower transverse face  28  of annular general shape which can be seen in FIG.  1 . 
     The housing  12  takes the form of two parts produced from plastic by injection molding. 
     A fixed first part  30  consists essentially of a rear vertical plate  32  and of a horizontal lower plate  34  forming a horizontal bottom which is perforated centrally by a substantially circular hole of large dimension  36 . 
     The fixed part  30  makes it possible, by means not illustrated, to fasten the housing  12  to a wall or to a column by means of the rear vertical plate  32 , and the fixed part  30  also comprises a lower lateral wall portion  35  in the form of an arc of a cylinder of low height. 
     The housing  12  also comprises a moveable second part  38  which forms a closing cover and which consists essentially of a U-shaped lateral wall  40  and of a front transverse wall oriented vertically in the closed position of the lid  42 . 
     The moveable part forming a cover  38  is mounted in an articulated manner on the fixed part  12  about a horizontal axis of articulation A 2  which is arranged in the vicinity of the bottom  34  of the fixed part  12  and in the vicinity of the horizontal lower edges  44  of the lateral wall  40 . 
     As can be seen in FIG. 1, with the cover  38  in the open position, the latter extends vertically completely below the fixed part  12 , at the same time completely freeing the upper part of the housing, without obstructing the surroundings of the latter. 
     Means, not illustrated, are, of course, provided for locking the cover  38  in the closed upper position, in which its lateral wall  40  and its front face  42  cooperate with the rear transverse wall  32  and the bottom  34  in order to delimit a closed containment, in which, in particular, the roll  20  is received. 
     The plate  18  has a peripheral contour of a shape complementary to that of the horizontal bottom  34  of the housing  12 , and said plate is dimensioned so as to be capable of being received in the housing  12 , with the outer peripheral part of its lower face  46  bearing vertically against the upper face  48  of the bottom  34 , the two faces  46  and  48  being in mutual bearing contact by gravity when the support plate is in place in the bottom of the housing  12 . 
     The support plate  18  has a smooth upper face  50 , on which the roll  20  bears with its face  28 , and said support plate is perforated centrally, that is to say it comprises a central hole of substantially circular contour  52  for the passage of the free end  24  of the strip  22  of the roll  20  through the hole  52 . 
     The dispensing nozzle  14  is a plastic injection molding of a general shape of revolution about the vertical axis A 1 . 
     It comprises a peripheral cylindrical annular skirt  54 , of which the upper edge which is in the form of a horizontal rim  56  comprises, here, three radial detents  58  which belong to means of the bayonet type for fastening the nozzle  14  under the support plate  18 , these means comprising, furthermore, complementary notches  60  formed under the lower face  46  of the plate  18 . 
     By virtue of being assembled by the means of the bayonet type, the body of the nozzle  14  and the plate  18  form a subassembly, illustrated particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, which is put in place in the housing  12 , the dispensing nozzle  14  then extending vertically downward through the cutout  36  beyond the bottom  34  of the housing  12 . 
     The nozzle  14  comprises, in a known general way, a central passage  62  of frustoconical general shape convergent with a vertically downward orientation. 
     More specifically, the passage  62  consists of the inner wall  64  of a central part in the form of a frustoconical dish  66  which is connected to the skirt  54  by means of a connecting ring  68 . 
     The passage  62  is delimited at its upper end by a circular upper orifice formed by an edge  70  and at its lower end by a lower outlet orifice  72  formed by the cylindrical wall of a lower free end portion  74  of cylindrical shape of the dish  66 . 
     According to a known general arrangement, the diameter of the lower outlet orifice  72  is markedly smaller than the large diameter of the upper inlet orifice  70 , so that the strip  24  which passes through the passage  62  is contracted progressively by the convergent concave frustoconical wall  64 , so that the whole of the strip is gripped radially toward the axis Al in the region of the lower orifice  72 . 
     According to the invention, the inner concave wall  64  of the passage  62  is not complete, that is to say it comprises a cutout  80  in the general form of a slot. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, the cutout or slot  80  does not have parallel edges, that is to say it is delimited by two opposite edges  82  which widen vertically from the bottom upward and radially from the inside outward. 
     Thus, whether in a top view along the axis A 1  or in a side view in the direction “D” of FIG. 6, the projection of the cutout  80  delimited by the edges  82  has a substantially triangular profile. 
     Thus, the circumferential extent or width L 1  of the slot  80  separating its two opposite edges  82  at the upper orifice  70  has a dimension markedly greater than its width L 2  at the lower end of the slot  80 , that is to say at the lower orifice  72 . 
     As can be seen in the Figures, the slot or cutout  80  issues vertically downward. 
     The shaping as a triangle and the dimensioning of the cutout  80  are such that it is possible to cause the strip  24  to pass through the cutout  80  vertically from the top downward, without gripping it or compressing it radially, then to introduce it into the passage  62  and, in particular, into the lower orifice  72 , then introducing it radially in the direction of the axis Al into the cutout. 
     By virtue of the design according to the invention, it is possible to put the roll  20  in place on the support plate  18 , then close the housing  12  and subsequently pull the strip  24  through the cutout  80  so as to cause it to pass vertically from the bottom upward into the cutout, and introduce it into the passage  62 , this taking place from the lower face of the housing  12  through which, as a result of the cutout  36 , the dispensing nozzle  14  extends vertically downward. 
     According to one characteristic of the invention, the cutout  82  is oriented in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane of the rear plate  32  of the housing  12 , that is to say the cutout  80  is formed in the rear part of the passage  62 , said rear part facing the wall. 
     During use, when a consumer pulls on the free end  24  of the strip  22  of the roll  20 , said free end passing through the passage  62 , he does this forward, that is to say toward him, or slightly laterally, but never rearward. Thus, the strip  24  is always in frictional contact with the convergent concave inner wall  64  of the dispensing nozzle  14 , that is to say with a continuous surface without a cutout, while the cut-out part is on the opposite side toward the rear. 
     Thus, for the entire length of the pull, the tissue or paper  24  is in contact with a perfectly smooth surface which is not liable to damage it. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a closing element  16  is provided for completing the passage  62  of the cutout in the position of use. 
     The closing element  16  is an element which is attached to the dispensing nozzle  14  and which is produced in the form of a plastic injection molding of a shape substantially complementary to that of the nozzle  14 . 
     The piece  16  for closing the cutout  80  is mounted in an articulated manner relative to the body of the dispensing nozzle  14  about a horizontal axis of articulation A 3  which is parallel to the plane of the vertical bottom  32  of the housing  12 , that is to say perpendicular to the mean vertical plane of the cutout  80 . 
     As can be seen in the Figures, the cutout  80 , in addition to its function as an introduction slot formed in the wall  64  of the passage  62 , is extended in a complementary cutout formed in the skirt  54  and the ring  68  which are cut out with a vertically oriented recess having parallel edges  90  and  92 . 
     In order to impart sufficient rigidity to the body of the nozzle  14 , the edges  90  of the cutout are connected to one another by means of an upper crossmember  94  which extends in the same plane as the edge  56 . 
     The crossmember  94  comprises, in its lower part, a hollow semicylinder  96  open vertically upward and forming a receptacle for a horizontal rod  98  belonging to the closing element  16  and forming the means of articulation of the latter relative to the nozzle  14 , about the axis A 3 . 
     More specifically, the receptacle  96  consists of two half receptacles which are arranged laterally opposite one another and each of which receives one lateral end of the rod  98 , thus forming two articulation pins. 
     The element  16  for closing the cutout  80  comprises an active main portion  100  which has a profile complementary to that of the dish  66  and which is delimited laterally by two opposite lateral edges  102  complementary to the edges  82  of the cutout  80 , in such a way that, in the high position of use illustrated in FIGS. 2,  3  and  5 , this active portion  100  forms the complement to the dish  66  so as to reconstruct a passage  62  in the form of a complete piece or dish of revolution  66 , this being so as to prevent any accidental escape of the strip  24  out of the passage  62  via the cutout  80 . 
     At its lower free end  104  of small width, the main portion  100  comprises a locking and positioning finger  106  which, in the high position of use, is received in two complementary semicylindrical receptacles  108  formed in the lower face of the dish  66  in the vicinity of the cylindrical part  74  (see FIGS.  2  and  4 ). 
     In order to connect the portion  100  of the closing element  16  to its articulation rod  98 , said portion is extended by two ring sections  108  and by a cylindrical skirt section  110  which are respectively complementary to the rings  68  of the skirt  54  of the body of the nozzle  14 . 
     A reinforcing rib  112 , which extends in a vertical plane, connects the active portion  100  to the immediately adjacent ring section which comprises, at its upper end, a finger  114  for the automatic locking of the closing element  16 , said finger being received, in the position of use and as may be seen particularly in FIG. 5, in a complementary receptacle  116  formed by a cup  118  produced integrally with the support plate  18  by injection molding. 
     The rib  112  also has an ergonomic shape to make it easier to close the element  16 . 
     The locking finger  114 , in the form of a locking nose, is chamfered in such a way that it is locked automatically during the closing movement of the closing element  16 , that is to say when the latter is pivoted clockwise from the position which it occupies in FIG. 6 into the position which it occupies in FIG.  5 . 
     In order to have access to the locking means consisting of the nose  114 , for the purpose of allowing the closing element  16  to tilt counterclockwise about its axis A 3 , as seen in FIG. 5, the hole  52  of substantially circular contour in the support plate  18  comprises, toward the rear, a clearance  120  which, after the housing  12  has been opened, makes it possible to release the notch  114  so as to cause the opening of the closing element  16  which pivots automatically about the axis A 3  by gravity. 
     This automatic pivoting is obtained by virtue of the fact that the axis A 3  is offset radially outward, while its principal mass and therefore its center of gravity are offset radially inward in the direction of the axis A 1 . 
     The closing and automatic locking of the element  16  can be carried out from outside the closed housing, that is to say below the latter, while still having a visual check of the correct position of the free end of the strip  24  in the passage  22  before the closing of the element and during the closing operation, that is to say without the risk of jamming the strip  24  between the cutout  80  and the active functional part  100  of the closing element  16 . 
     Designing in the form of a subassembly the plate  18  and the nozzle  14  which carries its articulated closing element  16  makes it possible to use the same housing  12  with the cutout  36  in its horizontal bottom  34  for another type of dispenser, that is to say, for example, by replacing the subassembly  14 - 18  by an element comprising an outlet passage convergent vertically downward, with means for cutting the sheet at the periphery of the lower outlet orifice of this passage, for example provided with sawteeth.