Roll holder appliance usable with a dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9241601-B2
Application number	US-91289010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2010
Priority date	Nov 6, 2009
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A dispenser suitable for dispensing a rolled product includes a housing having a back plate and a cover openably engaged with the back plate. Each of a pair of roll holder appliances disposed within the housing include a leg having a first end and a second end, and a first side and a second side. The first end has an attachment feature, and the second end has a first roll holder on the first side, and a second roll holder on the second side opposing and different from the first roll holder. The attachment feature of each appliance is removably attached to the back plate, each appliance being oriented with associated roll holders facing each other and suitably spaced apart so as to receive the rolled product therebetween.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser comprising:
a first leg comprising a first roll holder and a second roll holder positioned at a first leg first end, and a first attachment feature positioned at a first leg second end, wherein the first roll holder is positioned on a first leg first side and the second roll holder is positioned on a first leg second side; and
a second leg comprising a third roll holder and a fourth roll holder positioned at a second leg first end, and a second attachment feature positioned at a second leg second end, wherein the third roll holder is positioned on a second leg first side and the fourth roll holder is positioned on a second leg second side;
wherein:
the first roll holder, the second roll holder, the third roll holder, and the fourth roll holder each have a different configuration than the other roll holders;
the first leg is attached to the dispenser with the first attachment feature and the second leg is attached to the dispenser with the second attachment feature;
the first leg and the second leg are positioned spaced apart such that one of the roll holders of the first leg is facing one of the roll holders on the second leg;
the first leg is reversible and interchangeable with respect to the second leg; and
the first leg and the second leg are configured to support a sheet product roll positioned in between the first leg and the second leg and engaged with one of the first roll holder or the second roll holder of the first leg and one of the third roll holder or fourth roll holder of the second leg, such that the sheet product roll is supported by two different roll holders.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first roll holder and the second roll holder are fixed relative to the first leg, and the third roll holder and the fourth roll holder are fixed relative to the second leg.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein:
the first roll holder comprises a substantially cylindrical member extending from the first leg, the substantially cylindrical member comprising a cam projection extending along an outer surface of the substantially cylindrical member, wherein the substantially cylindrical member is hollow.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein:
the second roll holder comprises:
a first surface and a ramp extending from the first leg, wherein the ramp extends from the first leg to an end of the first surface; and
a cutout portion along a length of the first surface adjacent to an intersection between the ramp and the first surface.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein:
the third roll holder comprises a hollow cylindrical member extending from the second leg, the hollow cylindrical member comprising a first diameter at a first portion adjacent to the second leg, and a second diameter at a second portion adjacent to the first portion, wherein the second diameter is less than the first diameter.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein:
the fourth roll holder comprises:
a ramp portion extending from the second leg;
a cylindrical portion extending from the second leg and positioned adjacent to the ramp portion; and
a planar portion extending from the second leg and positioned adjacent to the cylindrical portion.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the attachment feature comprises a flexible finger comprising a snap fit locking detail.

8. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein:
the first leg defines a medial line extending from the first leg first end to the first leg second end;
the first roll holder has a first pivot axis that extends perpendicularly from the medial line, and the external pivotal surface extends from the medial line by a first distance; and
the second roll holder has a second pivot axis that extends perpendicularly from the medial line, and the internal pivotal surface extends from the medial line by a second distance different from the first distance.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the leg is a flexible leg when the attachment feature is rigidly fixed to a dispenser housing.

10. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein:
the first leg second end further comprises a tab configured and sized so as to be engageable by a person's finger, the tab being at a distal end of the leg outboard of the first and second roll holders, the tab having an outside dimension indicative of a stub roll having a desired outside diameter.

11. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein:
the attachment feature comprises a fixation portion having a length engageable with a dispenser housing so as to form a cantilevered beam rigidly fixed at the fixation portion when engaged with the dispenser housing; and
the attachment feature further comprises a stop surface that limits a degree of engagement of the fixation portion to the dispenser housing.

Assignees

• Case Abby C
• Trampolski Alexander
• Jordan Kathleen A
• Jackman Andrew
• Georgia Pacific Consumer Prod

Inventors

• Case Abby C
• Trampolski Alexander
• Jordan Kathleen A
• Jackman Andrew

Classifications

• A47K10/38 Primary

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