Rolled product dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045669-B2
Application number	US-201514752428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A rolled product dispenser for dispensing a rolled product from a roll is provided. The rolled product dispenser includes a roll engagement member for supporting the roll and allowing the roll to rotate around an axis of rotation, and a roll braking assembly operatively connected to the frame for reducing over-rotation of the roll around the axis of rotation. The roll braking assembly includes at least one roll abutment member configured to abut against an outward-facing surface of the roll and create friction therewith, and a biasing member biasing the at least one roll abutment member towards the outward-facing surface of the roll. The roll braking assembly is configured such that friction between the roll abutment member and the outward-facing surface of the roll reduces as the rolled product is depleted from the roll. In an embodiment, the rolled product dispenser is a paper towel dispenser.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A paper towel dispenser for dispensing paper towels from a paper towel roll having two outward-facing side surfaces, the paper towel dispenser comprising:
a housing;
a roll support provided in the housing and comprising at least one support arm extending along one of the outward-facing side surfaces of the paper towel roll, the at least one support arm having a roll engagement end comprising a roll engagement member for rotatably supporting the paper towel roll around an axis of rotation;
a roll braking assembly for reducing overspinning of the paper towel roll, the roll braking assembly comprising:
at least one roll abutment member mounted to the at least one support arm, the at least one roll abutment member having an abutment surface and a biasing surface, opposite to the abutment surface, and being configured to abut and bias against the one of the outward-facing side surface of the paper towel roll, and apply a friction force thereon which decreases as the roll is depleted; and
a biasing member extending between the at least one support arm and the biasing surface of the at least one roll abutment member and biasing the abutment surface of the at least one roll abutment member towards the one of the outward-facing side surfaces of the paper towel roll; and

a dispensing assembly provided in the housing for dispensing the paper towels from a tail portion of the paper towel roll.

2. The paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the abutment surface of the at least one roll abutment member is tapered towards an end of the abutment surface adjacent to the roll engagement member.

3. The paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support arm comprises two support arms extending along opposite sides of the roll and the at least one roll abutment member comprises two roll abutment members and each one of the two support arms comprises a respective one of the roll abutment members.

4. The paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member further comprises guide walls extending laterally from opposite sides of the abutment surface and the at least one support arm comprises slots, the guide walls fitting within corresponding slots to allow a translation of the abutment surface toward and away from the outward-facing side surface of the roll.

5. The paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a compressive element which exerts an increasing force on the at least one roll abutment member as the biasing member is compressed and the at least one roll abutment member is offset from the axis of rotation of the roll.

6. The paper towel dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member is positioned such that a surface area of the at least one roll abutment member abutting the outward-facing side surface of the roll reduces as the roll is depleted and that a biasing force biasing the abutment surface towards the outward-facing side surface of the roll reduces as the roll is depleted.

7. A rolled product dispenser for dispensing a rolled product from a roll having an outward-facing side surface, the rolled product dispenser comprising:
a frame comprising at least one support arm extending along the side surface of the roll and having a roll engagement end comprising a roll engagement member for supporting the roll and allowing the roll to rotate around an axis of rotation; and
a roll braking assembly mounted to the at least one support arm for reducing over-rotation of the roll around the axis of rotation, the roll braking assembly comprising: at least one roll abutment member having an abutment surface and a biasing surface, opposite to the abutment surface; and a biasing member extending between the at least one support arm and the biasing surface of the at least one roll abutment member and biasing the abutment surface of the at least one roll abutment member towards the outward-facing side surface of the roll, the at least one roll configured to abut against and bias towards the outward-facing side surface of the roll and create friction therewith;
wherein the roll braking assembly is configured such that the friction between the abutment surface and the outward-facing side surface of the roll reduces as the rolled product is depleted from the roll.

8. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the roll braking assembly comprises a biasing member biasing the abutment surface of the at least one roll abutment member towards the outward-facing side surface of the roll.

9. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the abutment surface is tapered towards an end of the abutment surface adjacent to the roll engagement member.

10. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member further comprises guide walls extending laterally from opposite sides of the abutment surface and a biasing surface opposite the abutment surface; and the at least one support arm comprises slots, the guide walls fitting within corresponding slots in the at least one support arm to allow a translation of the abutment surface toward and away from the outward-facing side surface of the roll and the biasing member extending between the frame and the biasing surface.

11. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing member is a compressive element which exerts an increasing force on the at least one roll abutment member as the biasing member it is compressed.

12. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member is offset from the axis of rotation of the roll.

13. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member comprises two roll abutment members provided on opposite outward-facing side surfaces of the roll, when the roll is engaged with the roll engagement member.

14. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member is positioned such that substantially an entire surface area of the abutment surface is in contact with the outward-facing side surface of the roll when the roll is substantially non-depleted.

15. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member is positioned such that a surface area of the at least one roll abutment member abutting the outward-facing side surface of the roll reduces as the roll is depleted.

16. The rolled product dispenser according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one roll abutment member is positioned such that a biasing force biasing the abutment surface towards the outward-facing side surface of the roll reduces as the roll is depleted and the abutment surface of the at least one roll abutment member is textured.

Assignees

• Cascades Canada Ulc
• Cascades Canaga Ulc

Inventors

• Morand Michel

Classifications

• A47K2010/3863

  with roll rotation braking devices · CPC title

• A47K10/38 Primary

  the web being rolled-up · CPC title

• A47K10/3643

  by pulling the paper · CPC title