"DISPENSING DEVICE FOR PAPER IN ROLL WITH TRIGGERING MECHANISM FOR A SPARE ROLL"

The present invention relates to devices for dispensing paper wound up in a roll to be used as toilet paper or towels, and in particular to a device of the manually-operated type and provided with a mechanism for initiating a spare roll. Specific reference will be made hereafter to a toilet paper device, while it is clear that what is said can be applied with obvious modifications to paper towels, kitchen rolls and the like. There are known devices for dispensing paper in roll in which a spare roll is present, but the replacement of the finished roll usually requires a manual command by the user or even by an operator. Moreover, said devices are generally arranged to operate with a single type of roll, which may be a roll with cylindrical core (full or broken) or a coreless roll (so-called "solid"). Therefore, these manually operated devices have a poor operative flexibility, in that they are limited to a single type of roll, and are rather inconvenient since they require a specific operation to replace the finished roll. Unfortunately said operation must be repeated quite frequently for the devices placed in intensive use locations, typically public spaces, stations, etc. Moreover there is the problem that when the operator is checking if the device has to be reloaded with a new spare roll, the roll presently in use is often replaced prior to its exhaustion since it is inconvenient to replace only the spare roll and to put back in place the roll in use. This obviously implies a waste of paper and the need for more frequent checks, as well as the risk that the roll in use falls to the ground and is then put back in place, which is quite unhygienic.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing paper in roll which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks.

This object is achieved by means of a device that combines a support system suitable for any type of roll, an automatic roll replacement mechanism and a cover that facilitates the reloading of the device and the exploitation of the roll in use up to exhaustion.

The main advantage of the present device is that of automatically performing the roll replacement, so as to provide the maximum convenience to the user while extending the intervals between the operator interventions to check and reload the device.

A second advantage of this device is given by the fact that it allows to use

eveiy roll up to exhaustion, so as to avoid a waste of paper.

Still another advantage of said device stems from its capacity to operate with rolls of any type, thus achieving the maximum operative flexibility.

A further advantage of said device is that said results are achieved through a very simple, inexpensive and reliable structure.

These and other advantages and characteristics of the device according to the present invention will be clear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of two embodiments thereof, with reference to the annexed drawings wherein: Fig.l is a front view of the base of the first embodiment of the present device with the elements connected thereto;

Fig.2 is a front view of the cover that is hinged on said base to form the casing of the present device;

Fig.3 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of the assembled device; Figs.4-7 are views similar to the preceding one that show the operation of the device with cylindrical core rolls;

Figs.8-11 are views similar to the preceding ones that show the operation of the device with coreless rolls;

Figs.12- 15 are views similar to the preceding ones that show the spare roll restoring phase during the operation of the device with cylindrical core rolls; and

Fig.16 is a front partial perspective view of a second embodiment of the device illustrated in the opened position.

Referring to figures 1 to 3, there is seen that the casing of the device is made up of a rear base 1 at the bottom of which there is hinged a cover 2, provided with a bottom opening 8 as paper outlet and a top window 9.

A follower 3 is pivoted on base 1 through a shaft 4 located about at mid- height, and in a similar manner a short rear roller 5 is also pivoted on base 1 at a centered position downward with respect to shaft 4. Follower 3 is shaped with a wing 3a projecting on one side thereof and extending along a portion of the length of follower 3, as well as with a recess 3b that allows it to rotate until it contacts base 1 at the rear roller 5.

A front roller 6, having a width substantially equal to the base width, is mounted slightly downward with respect to roller 5 and in a forward position at the front ends of support brackets 14. At the bottom ends of said brackets 14 there are also formed the seats of the pins 15 that connect base 1 and cover 2, and the device is locked at the top by locking means 12 that can be unlocked only by a specific

tool,

In case the device should be used with coreless rolls, between the two brackets 14 there is mounted a horizontal cradle 10 extending from the front roller 6 to base 1, up to under the rear roller 5, at such a position as to still allow the complete rotation of follower 3. On the contrary, when the device is used with rolls with cylindrical core the cradle 10 is not present, and the space beneath rollers 5, 6 acts as receiving area 11 for the core of the finished roll, as illustrated further on.

On the inside of cover 2 there is a projection 7 formed at the same height of shaft 4 and on the side where wing 3a of follower 3 extends. Furthermore, a pair of ribs 13 are preferably formed at the paper outlet 8 and extend backwards up to the front roller 6. The rotation of cover 2 with respect to base 1 is limited by a pair of stops 16 formed at the rear edge thereof at such a height as to abut against the ends of brackets 14 close to the front roller 6.

The simple and effective operation of the present device, as will be now illustrated, can be easily understood from the description above with the help of figs.4-7.

When the operator initially loads the device, for example with rolls with cylindrical core C, the first roll R is supported by rollers 5, 6 and its leading edge E projects horizontally from the device, supported by ribs 13. These ribs 13 have exactly the purpose of guiding the paper edge towards outlet 8 to prevent folds and diversions noxious to the integrity of the paper band, in order to allow an optimal dispensing of the paper even when the diameter of roll R decreases. The spare roll R' is arranged on top of the first roll R and is supported by follower 3 arranged therebetween. When the user pulls the projecting edge E, this causes the rotation of roll R on rollers 5, 6 and the user can cut away the desired portion of band by pulling it either upward or downward, and in particular in this latter case the shape of outlet 8 tapered downward acts as a brake for the band.

As clearly shown in figs.5-6, due to the progressive reduction of the diameter of roll R that is being consumed follower 3 rotates more and more downwards and the spare roll R' is progressively lowered wedged between follower 3 and cover 2. It should be noted that the operator can check through window 9 the position of the spare roll R ¹ even without opening the device, and thus can understand whether the exhaustion of the first roll R is more or less imminent or has already taken place. In fact, the continuous dispensing of paper leads finally to the moment, illustrated in fig.7, when the first roll R is finished, its core C has dropped down

into the receiving area 11 (since its diameter is smaller than the distance between rollers 5 and 6) and follower 3 has completed its rotation reaching contact with base 1 and thus allowing the spare roll R' to reach the operative position at which its leading edge can be pulled out through outlet 8. The operation of the device with coreless rolls is very much similar and is illustrated in figs.8-11. The only difference is the presence of cradle 10 that provides a support to roll R when the diameter thereof becomes smaller than the distance between rollers 5 and 6 (fig.9). The weight of the spare roll R' pushes backward follower 3 that in turn pushes roll R, but since cradle 10 extends up to the rear roller 5 it is possible to achieve a correct dispensing of the paper until the complete exhaustion of roll R (fig.10), whereafter the spare roll R ¹ takes over

(% 11).

It should be noted that, in order to further increase the flexibility of the device, the distance between rollers 5, 6 could be adjustable to adapt it to different core diameters. For example, the position of the front roller 6 on brackets 14 could change along a slot with positioning notches and/or the position of the rear roller 5 could change by rotation of a pair of rotatable support arms.

Even when roll R ¹ is not yet finished, the operator can proceed to reloading the device with a new spare roll as illustrated in figs.12-15. First, the operator disengages the locking means 12 with a suitable tool and opens cover 2 by rotating it downwards around the seats 15 of the pins, so that it remains supported by stops 16 abutting at the front roller 6. In this way, he can remove the core C of the first roll that has fallen from the receiving area down into cover 2, while roll R' remains in place resting between follower 3 and the front roller 6 (fig.12). At this moment, the operator must move down the unfinished roll R ¹ into cover 2 to be able to raise follower 3 (fig.13), whereafter he places the new spare roll R" on the latter and holds it up with one hand while the other hand starts to close cover 2. As soon as the internal projection 7 of cover 2 engages the side wing 3a of follower 3 (fig.14), the operator can remove his hand and close completely cover 2 while the ribs 13 bring back the roll in use R ¹ to its position on rollers 5, 6. In the final phase of the closing movement, projection 7 disengages the side wing 3a whereby follower 3 can rotate downwards until it rests on roll R ¹ , and the device is ready again for the automatic replacement of roll R ¹ with roll R" (fig.15).

Finally, fig.16 shows a second embodiment that differs from the previous one in follower 3 being provided with one or more pairs of rollers 17 (two pairs in the illustrated example) preferably arranged at recess 3b. Said rollers, by having an

axis' of rotation parallel to shaft 4, make easier for follower 3 to slide on roll R under the weight of the spare roll R.

It is clear that the above-described and illustrated embodiments of the device according to the invention are just an example susceptible of various modifications. In particular, the means to retain cover 2 in the reload position can be different from stops 16 (illustrated only in figs.3, 12 and 13), for example a retention strap secured between base 1 and cover 2, and the angle reached by cover

2 in said position may even be greater as long as it is not beyond 90°. Similarly, the exact shape and arrangement of the various elements may change as long as the device operation is retained as illustrated above and defined in the appended claims.