Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPENSING DEVICE FOR ROLLED SHEET PRODUCTS
BACKGROUND
Washrooms in commercial and residential buildings typically include products
such as toilet
tissue or paper towels. These products are typically housed by a dispenser and
are dispensed as
needed by the user. Indeed, there are a number of manual, semi-automatic, and
automatic dispensers
capable of dispensing said products. Rolled sheet materials can be dispensed
from said dispensers.
However, different rolled sheet materials can have varying widths or core
diameters. While rolled
products produced vary in terms of product width, systems and devices used to
dispense these
products generally only accommodate a single product width or product width
within a certain or limited
width range. Such limitations in dispensing systems and devices requires
multiple product dispensers
in order to accommodate the full range of product widths. Accordingly, there
is a need for improved
systems and dispensers for dispensing products of various widths that is
functional and can be
achieved at a reduced cost.
SUMMARY
In general, the present disclosure is directed to a dispenser for sheet
materials. The dispenser
includes a back frame assembly and a front cover assembly configured to form a
housing. The
housing defines an interior volume so as to retain at least one roll of sheet
material having a width and
a core diameter. The back frame assembly includes one or more mounting tracks
and one or more roll
support members. The one or more mounting tracks are disposed on an internal
surface of the back
frame assembly. The roll support members include a first end configured to
support a roll of sheet
material and a second end configured to engage the one or more mounting tracks
to attach the one or
more roll support members to the back frame assembly. The one or more roll
support members can be
positioned at various locations in the one or more mounting tracks in order to
accommodate rolls of
sheet material having varying widths.
Also provided is a dispenser for dispensing rolled sheet materials including a
back frame
assembly and a front cover assembly configured to form a housing having an
interior volume so as to
retain at least one roll of sheet material. The dispenser includes one or more
roll support members
disposed within the housing to retain the at least one roll of sheet material.
The roll support members
including a first end configured to support a roll of sheet material and a
second end configured to
securely attach to the back frame assembly. At least one of the one or more
roll support members
includes a connection hub having at least two diameters to facilitate
supporting of rolls of sheet
material having varying core diameters and/or widths.
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The disclosure is also directed to a dispenser for dispensing sheet materials
including a back
frame assembly and front cover assembly configured to form a housing having an
interior volume so
as to retain at least one roll of sheet material. A support panel secured
having a first end is secured to
the back frame assembly. One or more roll support members are also provided
and include a first end
configured to support a roll of sheet material and a second end configured
with a spring loaded hinge
secured to the back frame assembly such that the one or more roll support
members is capable of
pivoting about the hinge. A first side of the at least one roll of sheet
material is supported by the
support panel and a second side of the at least one roll of sheet material is
supported by the one or
more roll support members.
Other features and aspects of the present disclosure are discussed in greater
detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure is set forth more
particularly in the
remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying
figures, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a dispenser in accordance
with the
present disclosure with its front cover in an open position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame assembly in
accordance
with the present disclosure;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame assembly in
accordance
with the present disclosure;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a roll support member in
accordance with
the present disclosure;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a roll support member in
accordance with
the present disclosure;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of one embodiments of a back frame assembly and
roll support
member in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame assembly and
roll support
member in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame assembly and
roll support
member in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame assembly in
accordance
with the present disclosure;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a connection hub in
accordance with
the present disclosure;
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Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of two roll support
members and
connection hubs in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 12 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of two roll support
members and
connection hubs in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a connection hub in
accordance with
the present disclosure;
Figure 14 is a cross sectional view alone embodiment of two roll support
members and
connection hubs in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 15 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of a roll support member
and
connection hub in accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 16 is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of a back frame
assembly in
accordance with the present disclosure;
Figure 17 is a cross section view of one embodiments of a dispenser in
accordance with the
present disclosure;
Figure 18 is a cross section view of one embodiments of a dispenser in
accordance with the
present disclosure; and
Figure 19 is a cross section view of one embodiments of a dispenser in
accordance with the
present disclosure.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings
is intended to
represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present
discussion is a
description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the
broader aspects of the
present disclosure.
As used herein, the terms "first", "second", and "third" may be used
interchangeably to
distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify
location or importance of the
individual components.
The terms "coupled," "fixed," "attached to," and the like refer to both direct
coupling, fixing, or
attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or
more intermediate
components or features, unless otherwise specified herein.
The terms "communicate," "communicating," "communicative," and the like refer
to both direct
communication as well as indirect communication such as through a memory
system or another
intermediary system.
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The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the
context clearly
dictates otherwise.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and
claims, is applied to
modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without
resulting in a change in the
basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term
or terms, such as "about",
"approximately", and "substantially", are not to be limited to the precise
value specified. In at least
some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of
an instrument for
measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for
constructing or manufacturing
the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may
refer to being within a
1, 2, 4, 10, 15, or 20 percent margin. These approximating margins may apply
to a single value, either
or both endpoints defining numerical ranges, and/or the margin for ranges
between endpoints.
The embodiments including dispenser and methods of the present disclosure,
including
components thereof, can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the
essential elements and
limitations of the embodiments described herein, as well as any additional or
optional components or
limitations described herein or otherwise useful.
As used herein, the terms "sheet material" and "paper" means a material that
is thin in
comparison to its length and breadth. Generally speaking, sheet materials
should exhibit a relatively
flat planar configuration and be flexible to permit folding, rolling,
stacking, and the like. Exemplary
sheet materials and papers include, but are not limited to, paper tissue,
bath/toilet tissue, paper
towels, wipes, label rolls, or other fibrous, film, polymer, or filamentary
products. The terms "sheet
material" and "paper" may be used interchangeably.
The present disclosure is generally directed to a dispenser for sheet
materials and/or to a
dispenser assembly. The dispensers of the present disclosure are capable of
holding rolls of sheet
materials having varying widths and/or core diameters. Accordingly, rolled
products with different
widths or core diameters can all be dispensed from the same dispenser.
Advantageously, as product
widths or core diameters change, the provided dispenser can be used to
dispense the rolled products
without the need to purchase additional dispensers to accommodate different
products. Additionally,
features of the dispensers provided herein can be easily manufactured, saving
manufacturing time and
costs.
In one embodiment, the dispenser includes a dispenser for sheet materials
including a back
frame assembly and a front cover assembly configured to form a housing having
an interior volume so
as to retain at least one roll of sheet material. The back frame assembly
includes the back frame
assembly including one or more mounting tracks disposed on an internal surface
of the back frame
assembly. The dispenser also includes one or more roll support members. The
roll support members
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have a first end configured to support a roll of sheet material and a second
end configured to engage
the one or more mounting tracks to attach the one or more roll support members
to the back frame
assembly. The one or more roll support members can be positioned at various
locations in the
mounting tracks in order to accommodate rolls of sheet material having varying
widths.
In other embodiments, provided is a dispenser for sheet materials including a
back frame
assembly and a front cover assembly configured to form a housing having an
interior volume so as to
retain at least one roll of sheet material. The dispenser includes one or more
roll support members
disposed within the housing to retain the at least one roll of sheet material.
The roll support members
including a first end configured to support a roll of sheet material and a
second end configured to
securely attach to the back frame assembly. At least one of the one or more
roll support members
includes a connection hub having at least two diameters to facilitate
supporting of rolls of sheet
material having varying core diameters and/or widths.
In still another embodiment, provided is a dispenser for sheet materials
having a back frame
assembly and a front cover assembly configured to form a housing having an
interior volume so as to
retain at least one roll of sheet material. The dispenser includes a support
panel having a first end
secured to the back frame assembly. One or more connection hubs and/or nubs
for supporting a roll of
sheet material can be disposed on the support panel. The dispenser includes
one or more roll support
members including a first end configured to support a roll of sheet material
and a second end
configured with a spring loaded hinge secured to the back frame assembly such
that the one or more
roll support members is capable of pivoting about the hinge. A first side of
the at least one roll of sheet
material is supported by the support panel and a second side of the at least
one roll of sheet material
is supported by the one or more roll support members.
Referring particularly to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a dispenser 10 made
according to the
present disclosure is illustrated. As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the
dispenser 10 includes a housing
16 that can have any desired overall shape. The dispenser 10 includes a back
frame assembly 18 and
a front cover 22. The back frame assembly 18 and the front cover 22 are
capable of forming the
housing 16 when the front cover 22 is in a closed position. The front cover 22
can be pivotally mounted
to the housing 16 using any suitable means. For example, in one embodiment,
hinges can be used to
connect the front cover 22 with the back frame assembly 18. Alternatively, the
front cover 22 can be
completely separable from the back frame assembly 18. The front cover 22 is
moveable from a closed
position to an open position. The front cover 22 can define the front face and
top of the dispenser 10,
while the back frame assembly can define the bottom and the sidewalls of the
dispenser 10. In certain
other embodiments, however, the sidewalls can be formed via the front cover
22. The housing 16
defines an interior volume for housing the operational components of the
dispenser 10, as well as the
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roll or rolls of sheet material 17 to be dispensed, including a main roll. In
embodiments, the interior
volume of the housing 16 may be suitable for holding more than one roll of
material.
The operational components of the dispenser 10 may be mounted directly to the
back frame
member 18 or can be mounted and otherwise disposed within the housing 16. The
operational
components of the dispenser 10 can be part of a module or insert that is
received within the housing
16. For example, the operational components can be part of a module that may
be readily removable
from the housing for servicing and/or replacing components without the
necessity of having to remove
the entire dispenser 10 from its support surface. The operational components
can include a
dispensing mechanism 40 configured within the housing 16 of the dispenser 10.
The dispensing
mechanism 40 includes driver rollers, gear mechanisms, control circuitry, etc.
for advancing the roll of
sheet material through an opening 40 in the dispenser 10, so that the sheet
material 17 can be
dispensed to a user.
As shown, the back frame assembly 18 includes one or more mounting tracks 24.
The
mounting tracks 24 are disposed on an internal surface 26 of the back frame
assembly 18. The internal
surface 26 refers to the surface of the back frame assembly 18 that generally
faces the interior of the
dispenser 10. One or more rolls of sheet material 17 are disposed within the
housing 16. As shown,
one or more roll support members 30 are used to secure the roll of sheet
material 17 within the
housing 16. As shown, a first end 32 of the support members 30 is configured
to support the roll of
sheet material 17, while second end 34 of the support members 30 is configured
to engage the one or
more mounting tracks 24 to secure the support members 30 to the back frame
assembly 18.
Further embodiments of the back frame assembly 18 are shown in FIGS. 2-3. The
back frame
assembly 18 includes one or more connection apertures 40 disposed within the
mounting tracks 24. As
shown, the connection apertures 40 can include a plurality of spaced-apart
holes. For example, as
shown, the connection apertures 40 can be arranged in an offset pattern. That
is, the connection
apertures 40 can be disposed in linear patterns along the internal surface 26
of the back frame
assembly 18. As shown, a first line 42 of connection apertures 40 is disposed
on the internal surface
26 of the back frame assembly 18 and a second line 44 is disposed in an offset
manner from the first
line 42. Namely, the connection apertures 40 of the first line 42 and second
line 44 are not linearly
aligned along a y-direction. Additionally, a third line 46 and fourth line 48
of connection apertures 40
can also be provided. While offset linear patterns of connection apertures are
shown, the disclosure is
not so limited. In fact, the connection apertures 40 can be space in any
desired pattern. As will be
further discussed below, the connection apertures 40 should be spaced such
that the roll support
members can be spaced and secured in different locations within the mounting
tracks 24 of the back
frame assembly 18.
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FIGS. 4-5 illustrate various perspective views of a roll support member 30. As
shown, the roll
support member 30 includes a first end 32 that is generally configured to hold
and/or support a roll of
sheet material. For example, the first end 32 can include a nub or connection
hub capable of engaging
the diameter of the core of sheet material roll in order to securely hold the
roll of sheet material.
Additional embodiments of nubs and connection hubs will be further discussed
herein. The roll support
member 30 also includes a second end 34 that is configured to engage the
mounting tracks on the
back frame assembly in order to secure the support member 30 to the back frame
assembly. As
shown, the second end 34 can include one or more mounting holes 36. When the
second end 34 of
the support member 30 is disposed within the mounting tracks on the back frame
assembly, the
mounting holes 36 can be aligned with the one or more connection apertures 40,
such that the support
members 30 can be secured (e.g., fastened) to the back frame assembly 18. For
example, as shown
in FIGS. 6-7, the second end 34 of the roll support member 30 can be slid-fit
into engagement with the
mounting tracks 24 on the back frame assembly 18. Once secured within the
mounting tracks 24, the
supporting member 30 can be placed in a variety of locations, for example, any
location where the
mounting holes 36 are in alignment with one or more of the connection
apertures 40. A fastening
member 49 can then be used to secure the support member 30 to the back frame
assembly 18. Any
suitable fastening member can be used. Suitable fastening members include, but
are not limited to,
anchors, bolts, nails, nuts, pins, clips, rivets, rods, screws, clamps,
washers, and combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the fastening member includes a screw.
In other embodiments, for example as shown in FIGS. 8-9, instead of connection
apertures 40,
one or more protrusions 45, such as spring-loaded protrusions, can be disposed
within the mounting
tracks 24 on the back frame assembly 18. As the second end 34 of the roll
support member 30 is slid
into location within the mounting tracks 24, the protrusions 45 can pop into
the mounting holes 36 in
order to secure the roll support member 30 to the back frame assembly 18.
Further, the protrusions 45
can be depressed such that the roll support member 30 can move to different
positions and/or
locations within the mounting tracks 24 in order to accommodate rolls of sheet
materials having
different widths.
As shown in the above-described Figures, the roll support members 30 can be
adjusted within
the mounting tracks 24 on the back frame assembly 18, such that the roll
support members 30 can be
placed in various locations. For example, the roll support members 30 can be
moved towards the outer
portion of the mounting tracks 24 in order to accommodate a roll of sheet
material having a larger
width. Likewise, in other embodiments, the roll support members 30 can be
moved towards an interior
position within the mounting tracks 24 in order to accommodate a roll of sheet
material having a
smaller width. The dispensers 10 including the roll support members 30
disclosed herein, are suitable
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for supporting a roll of sheet material having a width ranging from about 5
inches to about 12 inches.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the first end of the roll support member 30
can be
configured with a roll engagement device 50. The roll engagement device 50 can
include any suitable
nub or connection hub. For example, in certain embodiments, the roll
engagement device 50 includes
a connection hub 52 having one or more spring-loaded telescoping portions
54,56. For example, the
embodiment shown illustrates a connection hub having a first telescoping
portion 54 having a first
diameter D1 and a second telescoping portion 56 having a second telescoping
diameter D2. As
shown, D1 is generally less than D2. Both telescoping portions 56 and 54 are
capable of being pushed
outward via spring 60. Accordingly, either or both of the telescoping portions
56 and/or 54 are capable
of being pushed into housing 58 upon engagement with a roll diameter. For
example, in order to
accommodate a larger width roll of sheet material, portions of either
telescoping portion 56 and/or 54
can be pushed into housing 58 in order to allow for a wider roll of sheet
material to be placed in the
dispenser. Further, since the telescoping portions 56,54 each include a
different diameter (e.g., D1 and
D2) they are capable of accommodating rolls of sheet material that have
different or varying core
diameters. For example, if a roll of sheet material has a smaller core
diameter, D1 may fit within the
smaller core diameter of the roll in order to properly support the roll of
material. Likewise, if the roll of
sheet material has a larger core diameter, then D2 may fit within the larger
core diameter of the roll in
order to properly support the roll of material.
Also, it should be appreciated, that while the telescoping connection hubs as
disclosed can be
used on any roll support members 30, in certain embodiments, the telescoping
connection hubs can
be used in embodiments where the roll support member is not moveable with
respect to the back
frame assembly. For example, in certain embodiments, the roll support member
30 can be fixedly
secured to the back frame member 18. In such embodiments, inclusion of the
telescoping connection
hub allows for the accommodation of varying widths of rolled sheet material
products. In certain
embodiments, at least two roll support members are used to support the roll of
sheet material. In such
embodiments, at least one of the roll support members includes the telescoping
connection hub as
disclosed, while the other roll support member can include any proprietary or
conventional nub or
connection hub known to those in the art. For example, as illustrated in FIG.
11, two roll support
members 30 are shown. The first includes connection hub 52 with one or more
spring-loaded
telescoping portions 54, 56 and the second including a varying diameter
connection hub 59.
Additionally, FIG. 12, illustrates an embodiment including two roll support
members 30 having different
roll engagement devices 50. The first roll support member 30 includes a
connection hub 52 with one or
more spring-loaded telescoping portions 54,56 and the second roll support
member 30 includes a fixed
diameter connection hub 61. Furthermore, instead of the fixed diameter
connection hub 61 as shown
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in FIG. 12, a fixed, two-diameter connection hub 60 as shown in FIG. 13 can be
used. As shown,
connection hub 60 has a first portion 62 including a first diameter D3 and a
second portion 64 including
a second diameter D4. The first diameter D3 is generally smaller than the
second diameter D4. The
connection hub 60 differs from connection hub 52, in that connection hub 52 is
outfitted with a spring,
such that portions 54 and 56 can be retracted into housing 58, while
connection hub 60 does not
include a spring. Accordingly, portions 62 and 64 are fixed, namely, in that
they are not retractable
and/or extendable. Connection hub 60 is just one option of a connection hub
that can be used on an
adjacent roll support member 30.
As shown in FIG. 14, a roll of sheet material 17 is disposed between two
support members 30.
One support member 30 includes connection hub 52. As shown, the core diameter
of the roll of sheet
material 17 generally corresponds to the diameter D2 of telescoping portion
56. As shown in FIG. 15,
however, the width of the roll of sheet material 17 is such that at least a
portion of telescoping portion
56 is retracted inside the housing 58 in order to accommodate the roll of
sheet material 17, while
telescoping portion 54 remains within the core diameter of the roll of sheet
material 17.
Now referring to FIGS. 16-19, illustrated are embodiments of suitable back
frame members 18
having a support panel 70 secured thereto. As shown in FIG. 16, the support
panel 70 generally
includes a first end 72 secured to the back frame assembly 18 extending to a
second end 74 disposed
outwardly therefrom. The support panel can be outfitted with one or more roll
engagement devices 50
including connection nubs or connection hubs as disclosed herein. Disposed
outward from the support
panel 70 is one or more roll support members 30. As shown, the roll support
members 30 include a
first end 32 configured to support a roll of sheet material and a second end
34 that is secured to the
back frame assembly 18. As shown, the second end 34 of the roll support member
30 is secured to the
back frame assembly 18 via a spring-loaded hinge 80. Accordingly, the roll
support member 30 is
capable of pivoting about the spring-loaded hinge 80 in order to accommodate
rolls of sheet materials
of varying widths. As shown, the first end 32 can include a connection hub 90
having at least one
telescoping portion 92 and a supporting nub 94 disposed thereon. The
telescoping portion 92 can
include a spring such that it is a spring-loaded telescoping portion. As shown
in FIG. 16, the top
connection hub 90 is in an extended state, while the bottom connection hub 90
is shown in a
compressed state. In addition to the roll support member 30 being able to
pivot about the spring-
loaded hinge 80 in order to accommodate rolls of varying sized, the
telescoping portion 92 of the
connection hub 90 can also be used to further accommodate rolls of various
widths or rolls having
varying core diameters.
FIGS. 17-19 illustrate dispensers having at least four (4) rolls of sheet
material 17 disposed
therein. Such arrangements are known generally as a quad arrangement. While
four rolls are shown,
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the disclosure is not so limited, indeed, the dispenser could be configured to
hold more than four or
less than four rolls of sheet material. As shown in FIG. 17, at least four
connection members 30 are
used to secure the outer sides of the rolls of sheet material 17, while the
support panel 70 is used to
secure the inner sides of the rolls of sheet material 17. FIGS. 18-19
illustrate dispensers without rolls
of sheet material disposed therein. As shown, the support panel 70 can be
outfitted with a variety of
roll engagement devices 50. For example, in FIG. 18, the support panel 70
includes connection hubs
100, while in FIG. 19, the support panel 70 includes connection nubs 101. The
roll engagement device
50 selected for the support panel 70 can vary depending on the type of roll
material and/or the type of
core.
These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be
practiced by
those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention,
which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it
should be understood that
aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in
part. Furthermore, those
of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is
by way of example only, and
is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended
claims.
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