Braking wrap dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688507-B2
Application number	US-201615001281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A film dispenser apparatus for dispensing film from a film roll including a holding member. The holding member can define a longitudinal axis that extends from a first end to a second end. The holding can include a brake portion defined on the second end of the holding member, and a connecting portion extending radially inward from the brake portion. The second end of the holding member can define a slot including a first portion extending across the width of the brake portion and a second portion and a third portion extending across the length of the brake portion. The film dispenser can further include a rotating member defining an axis of rotation. The longitudinal axis of the holding member can be aligned with the axis of rotation of the rotating member.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A film dispenser comprising:
a holding member, the holding member comprising
a first end and a second end, the holding member defining a longitudinal axis that extends from the first end to the second end,
a brake portion defined on the second end of the holding member, the brake portion comprising a width and a length, and
a connecting portion extending radially inward from the brake portion,
the second end of the holding member defining a slot, the slot comprising a first portion extending across the width of the brake portion and a second portion and a third portion extending across the length of the brake portion, the second portion and the third portion distal from each other on opposing sides of the brake portion; and

a rotating member having a first end and a second end, the rotating member defining an axis of rotation that extends from the first end to the second end, the longitudinal axis of the holding member aligned with the axis of rotation of the rotating member.

2. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the holding member comprises an exterior holding surface that has a radius of curvature that is concentric with the longitudinal axis.

3. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the holding member is a handle and comprises an interior holding surface, the interior holding surface is curved and has a radius of curvature that is not concentric with the longitudinal axis.

4. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the holding member comprises an outside extremity that is spaced away from the first end of the rotating member by at least an amount greater than 0.25 inches.

5. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holding member comprises a rail on the first end of the holding member adjacent to the connecting portion, the rail comprising an interior holding surface.

6. The film dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the holding member comprises a transition portion attaching the rail to the connecting portion.

7. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the slot further comprises two additional portions that extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the holding member and extending only partially across the width of the brake portion.

8. The film dispenser of claim 7 , wherein a first of the two additional portions of the slot begins at an end point of the second portion of the slot extending and a second of the two additional portions of the slot begins at an end point of the third portion of the slot.

9. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holding member further comprises at least one snap proximate to an outside extremity of the second end of the holding member, the at least one snap defines a slot.

10. The film dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the first end of the holding member comprises an inside extremity and a distance from the inside extremity of the first end of the holding member to the at least one snap is greater than an overall length of the rotating member measured in direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the holding member, allowing the rotating member to fit between and abut the at least one snap and the inside extremity of the first end of the holding member.

11. The film dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the at least one snap has a ramp surface angled at 40 degrees from the longitudinal axis to provide a camming motion to the at least one snap as the holding member is inserted into the rotating member.

12. The film dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the rotating member comprises a nominal wall and the first end of the rotating member comprises an abutment portion that has a thickness along the axis of rotation that is the same as the nominal wall of the rotating member and extends annularly in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

13. A method of braking a film dispenser, the method comprising:
holding the film dispenser by gripping an interior holding surface and an exterior holding surface of a holding member of the film dispenser, the holding member comprising a first end, a second end, and a brake portion, the holding member defining a longitudinal axis that extends from the first end to the second of the holding member;
dispensing film from the film dispenser by rotating a rotating member of the film dispenser about the second end of the holding member, the rotating member having a first end and a second end, the rotating member defining an axis of rotation that extends from the first end to the second end of the rotating member, the longitudinal axis of the holding member aligned with the axis of rotation of the rotating member; and
braking the film dispenser by pressing the brake portion of the holding member to engage the brake portion with the rotating member to increase a tension in the film being dispensed, the brake portion comprising a width and a length, the brake portion defined on the second end of the holding member by a slot, the slot comprising a first portion extending across the width of the brake portion and a second portion and a third portion extending across the length of the brake portion, the second portion and the third portion of the slot distal from each other on opposing sides of the brake portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the interior holding surface of the holding member comprises a radius of curvature that is not concentric with the longitudinal axis.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rotating member comprises a nominal wall and the first end of the rotating member comprises an abutment portion that has a thickness along the axis of rotation that is the same as a thickness of the nominal wall of the rotating member and extends annularly in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the holding member further comprises at least one snap proximate to an outside extremity of the second end of the holding member.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one snap defines a slot.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first end of the holding member comprises an inside extremity and a distance from the inside extremity of the first end of the holding member to the at least one snap is greater than an overall length of the rotating member measured in direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the holding member, allowing the rotating member to fit between and abut the at least one snap and the inside extremity of the first end of the holding member.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second end of the rotating member comprises a sleeve portion and a nominal wall, the sleeve portion having a thickness that is the same as the nominal wall of the rotating member and extends in a direction that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating member.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein an exterior cylindrical surface of the sleeve portion of the rotating member comprises a plurality of ribs.

21. A film dispenser comprising:
a holding member, the holding member comprising
a first end and a second end, the holding member defining a longitudinal axis that extends from the first end to the second end,
a brake portion defined on the second end of the holding member, the brake portion comprising a width and a length, and
a connecting portion extending radially inward from the brake portion,
the second end of the holding member defining a slot, the slot comprising a first portion extending across the width of the br

Assignees

• Pratt Corrugated Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Stanton Christopher M

Classifications

• B65H16/005

  Dispensers, i.e. machines for unwinding only parts of web roll · CPC title

• B65H75/185 Primary

  End caps, plugs or adapters · CPC title

• B65H2701/1752

  Polymer film · CPC title

• B65H75/30 Primary

  Arrangements to facilitate driving or braking · CPC title

• B65B67/085

  using hand-held dispensers for stretch films · CPC title