EP1083816B1 - Device for inserting a material strip in a wiping material dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for inserting a strip of material in a dispensing machine for material wipes of the type in which the machine includes a housing, a cover, the housing having end shields that support a reel holder, and a drum with a cutting device. The drum includes a cam associated with a start and return spring, a protection flap being located in front of the drum along with a pressure roller resting against the drum. The protection flap has an upper extension forming a support frame devised to accommodate a hinged secondary flap and a swivelling shaped plate is located behind the drum and capable of supporting a service roll that is being used up. The swivelling shaped plate cooperates with a mechanism capable of locking the secondary flap in position when a spare roll (RR) is being loaded and the service roll (RS) is positioned so that it can be used up.

Description

The invention relates to the technical sector of dispensing devices wiping materials of the paper or similar type for the purpose of hand wiping, toilet paper, the strip of material may be folded or unfolded position.

The Applicant has developed numerous dispensing devices of this type. type in automatic or semi-automatic dispensing versions.

The dispensing devices are of the type comprising a casing (1) capable of pivotally receiving a cover (3). The housing receives flanges (2) support of a reel holder (4) of wiping material in its upper part. In the lower part, a drum (5) is mounted to rotate freely with said flanges and is arranged to receive the cutting device (6). The drum can be arranged at one of its ends with an eccentric (7) associated with a launch and return spring (8), one end (8a) of which is attached to a finger (7a) associated with the eccentric and the other end (8b) to a fixed part of one of the side flanges (2) of the housing. Generally it is provided, in the lower part of the device and on the front facing the drum, an articulated protective flap (9) capable of preventing the introduction of hands of the user and any untimely contact with the cutting device. A pressure roller (10) is disposed between the flanges of the housing and is supported on the drum. The strip of material, coming from the reel, is introduced between said drum and said pressure roller.

The loading of the device is empirical, because the service operators in charge of maintenance and upkeep, do not wait systematically that the reels of material are in a quasi-finishing situation, and there is a large waste and waste because the operators change the coils. even unfinished to avoid breakage of operation of devices.

To avoid downtime of the device due to exhaustion of the reel of material, the Applicant has already proposed in his achievements the possibility for an operator to take the roll of reel in service not exhausted and place it behind the drum in the bottom of the housing, while replenishing the coil holder with a new coil with a reserve roller. In order to ensure the finish of the roll of service, the drum unit was thus arranged with return means from the strip of material to the drum drive area. Through this implementation, the Applicant has planned to arrange the cover (3) of the device with a profiled strip shape arranged horizontally and at a certain height on the cover to come, when closing the latter, in contact with the end of the strip of material of the roll of reserve and guide it to the passage and introduction area between the drum and the pressing means.

This implementation, although satisfactory, nevertheless leads to the distribution, during a given period corresponding to the completion of the service roll, two strips of paper, one from the service roller located at the bottom of the appliance, the other coming from the reserve roll.

The implementation remains however impractical for such a loading.

We know from patent FR 2751316 of the applicant a device of the type aforementioned further including an articulated flap disposed at the front of the drum (5), a pivoting profiled plate being disposed at the rear of the drum and likely to receive the service roll in support while finishing, said plate cooperating with a mechanism capable of locking in position said flap when loading a reserve roll and placement of the service roller for finishing.

The aim sought after according to the invention was therefore to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a simple solution by triggering the distributor of material from the reserve roll once exhausted only the service roller. This goal is achieved by the device dispenser according to claim 1.

Particular embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the device for introducing a strip of material into a dispensing device wiping materials of the type comprising a housing, a cover, the housing having flanges supporting a reel holder, a drum with cutting device, the drum including an eccentric associated with a spring launch and recall, a protective flap being disposed at the front of the drum, a pressure roller bearing on the drum, is remarkable in what the protective shutter presents in a superior extension a frame support arranged to receive an articulated secondary flap and in that a pivoting profiled plate is arranged at the rear of the drum and capable of to receive in support the service roller being finished, and in that said plate cooperates with a mechanism capable of locking in position the secondary shutter when loading a roll of reserve and place the service roller for finishing.

These characteristics and others will become clear from the rest of the description.

• La figure 1 est une vue de profil de l'appareil distributeur selon l'invention en phase normale de distribution d'une bobine de matériau.
• La figure 2 est une vue similaire à la figure 1 illustrant la présentation de l'extrémité d'une bande de matériau issue d'un rouleau de réserve, tandis que le rouleau de service est en cours d'épuisement.
• La figure 3 est une vue en perspective partielle avant montage du dispositif d'introduction d'une bande de matériau entre le tambour et l'élément presseur, et son mécanisme d'armement.
• La figure 4 est une vue de face selon la figure 2.

To fix the subject of the invention illustrated in a nonlimiting manner in the figures of the drawings where:

• Figure 1 is a side view of the dispensing apparatus according to the invention in the normal phase of dispensing a reel of material.
• Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the presentation of the end of a strip of material from a reserve roll, while the service roll is being depleted.
• Figure 3 is a partial perspective view before assembly of the device for introducing a strip of material between the drum and the pressing element, and its arming mechanism.
• FIG. 4 is a front view according to FIG. 2.

In order to make the object of the invention more concrete, it is described now in a nonlimiting manner illustrated in the figures of the drawings.

The dispensing apparatus comprises the elements described above.

The protective flap (9) has projecting axes laterally (9a) pivotally engaging in openings (2b) formed on the flanges (2a) of the housing. A return spring (8) ensures the elastic connection between said flap by an attachment tab (9b) to a projecting finger (7a) formed on the eccentric (7).

According to the invention, the protective flap (9) disposed opposite the drum (5) has, in upper extension, a support frame (11) attached or molded with said flap, this frame being arranged to receive, at additional title, a secondary component (12) articulated in relation to said frame. This frame advantageously has openings (11a) for the passage and introduction of axes (12a) of articulation of said secondary flap and, in its upper part, additional openings (11b) for the receiving and holding the pressure roller (10) through the axes (10a) end of the latter. Said secondary component (12) has, at least on one side, an overhanging protruding shape (12b) capable of constituting a support and retaining plan, as will be described later. Said component secondary (12) also includes longitudinally a tab gripping (12c) and manipulation by the user, as it will appear thereafter. The secondary flap (12) has around its axis (12a) of pivoting a return means (13) of the pin spring type, the ends (13a - 13b) are fixed respectively in the thickness of said secondary flap and pressing on the flap (9). This spring acts in torsion when the flap (12) is pivoted forward to press the flap (12) on the flap (9).

Said secondary flap can therefore be pivoted, on the one hand by the operator for its lifting, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, according to arrow F, or under the action of an arming mechanism described later.

The support frame (11) also has a central notch (11c) allowing the passage of a profiled lever (14). Said support frame presents also a hook shape (11d) oriented towards the secondary flap.

According to the invention, the casing of the dispensing device is capable of receive, in its bottom and at the rear of the drum (5), a profiled plate (15) curved in V and articulated, by its middle part, or zone of angulation by an axis (15a) engaging in openings (2d) formed on the casing flanges. This plate (15) is subjected to the solicitation of a return spring (16), one end (16a) of which is fixed to the flange (2a) in sight of the casing or on the bottom of it, while the other end (16b) is fixed on a projecting finger (15b) established on the front part of said plate. It is thus understood that the latter is susceptible to pivoting against the aforementioned elastic return means. This pivoting and tensioning of said spring (16) are obtained when the operator positions the service roller (RS) being finished on the plate (15). The weight of said service roller is greater than the force of resistance of the spring, so that, as shown in FIG. 2, the tilting back of the plate.

A connecting rod (17) guided by lugs (18a - 18b) formed on the flange (2a) of the casing is secured at its rear end (17a) to the aforementioned plate (15) by means of a connecting pin (15c) or equivalent formed on the plate (15). The front end (17b) of the connecting rod (17) is arranged with a cam profile. A profiled lever (14) is mounted articulated on the pivot axis (9a) of the main flap (9) by means of a suitable oblong notch (14d) and a locking means (19). The upper end of said lever (14) is profiled, bent at (14b) then hook shape (14c). The bent part is likely to be in the notch area (11c) of the frame, while the hook part (14c) of said lever is positioned in the complementary part (11d) of the frame support (11).

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the operation is the next :

In normal operating phase, Figure 1, the main flap (9) is found in maximum approximation of the drum (5) thanks to the connection elastic return (8) between the main flap and the eccentric at the end of drum. The secondary flap (12) is lowered and bears on the flap (9).

The plate (15) is in the non-tilting position, and by the effect of spring return (16), it pushes forward the connecting rod (17) which lifts the lever (14). The latter, by its hook part (14c), is released from the flap secondary (12) by engaging with the complementary part established on the support frame (11), or in a plane adjacent to said part.

To load a reserve roll (RR), the operator remove the service roller (RS), place it at the bottom of the appliance on the plate (15) which pivots by the effect of the weight of said roller. The operator proceeds prior to the tilting of the secondary flap (12) towards the front by support on the gripping tab (12c) associated therewith thereby releasing the space between the main flap and the drum and this against the means elastic (13). It positions the reserve coil (RR) leaving it hanging the free end (RR1) of the latter opposite the secondary flap (12). He can then close the device cover.

In this phase, the plate (15) has pivoted towards the rear of the housing in causing it to move backwards, along arrow F1 of the connecting rod (17). It no longer supports the lever (14), so that it falls by gravity. The lower part (14d) formed under the hook (14c) rests on the tab (12b) of the flap (12) thereby ensuring the locking in position of the shutter. The strip (RR1) of the reserve roll is hanging between the flap (12) and the drum (5).

When the service roller (RS) runs out, the weight of the latter decreases until it finally corresponds to the weight of the spool alone. This weight is less than the return force of the spring (16) then causing the raising the plate (15). This pivoting causes displacement towards the front of the connecting rod (17) which makes contact at its end with the lever (14), thereby releasing the secondary flap (12) which, under the effect of relaxation of the spring (13), returns to its initial position, and pushes the end of the strip of reserve material between the drum and the pressing element.

In an alternative embodiment, the service roller is carried by end caps (20) mounted on lugs (21) with elastic deformation capacity, established at the rear of the housing. The finishing service roller has a certain diameter which makes it push back the plate (15) against its elastic return means (16). Reducing the diameter of the roller service causes the progressive lifting of the plate until contact the connecting rod (17) and the lever (14) and release the shutter (12).

The advantages emerge clearly from the invention. We emphasize the simplicity mechanisms used, automatic operation which avoids all wasted material.

Claims (8)

1. Wipe material dispensing machine comprising a device for loading a strip of material into the dispensing machine, the machine comprising a housing (1), a cover (3), the housing having end shields (2) which support a reel holder (4), a drum (5) with a cutting device (6), the drum including a cam (7) associated with a start and return spring (8), a protective flap (9) being located in front of the drum, a pressure roller (10) pressing against the drum, a swivelling profiled plate (15) being located towards the rear of drum (6) and capable of supporting the roll of material when it has nearly been used up,
      characterised in that protective flap (9) extends upwards as a support frame (11) designed to accommodate a secondary articulated flap (12), and in that said pivoting profiled plate (15) located to the rear of the drum and capable of accommodating and supporting the roll of material when it has nearly been used up cooperates with a thrust and setting mechanism (14-17) capable of locking the secondary flap (12) in position when a spare roll (RR) of material is loaded and the service roll (RS) is nearly used up.
2. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that plate (15) is mounted so that it is articulated relative to the end shield of the housing and is subjected to a swivelling movement in opposition to a return spring (16), said plate being designed with a protruding shape (15c) to connect and couple it to one of the elements of the thrust and setting mechanism of the secondary flap (12).
3. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that plate (15) has a protruding stud (15b) used to attach one end (16b) of spring (16), the other end of the latter (16a) being attached to end shield (2a).
4. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the thrust and setting mechanism for protective flap (12) includes a connecting bar (17) which is guided on one of the end shields (2a) of the housing, the rear end of said connecting bar being connected to plate (15) and its front part being shaped in order to cooperate with a lever (14) capable of locking flap (12) in position.
5. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that main flap (9) is mounted so that it swivels relative to the housing in opposition to an elastic return means (8), one end of which is attached to said flap, the other end being attached to the cam.
6. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that connecting bar (17) has a front end (17b) shaped like a cam in order to cooperate with the lower part of said lever (14), and in that said lever (14) is mounted so that it is articulated on the swivel shaft (9a) of the main flap in oblong hole (14d), the upper end of said lever being shaped and bent so that its upper part forms a hook (14c).
7. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that secondary flap (12) has, on one side, a protruding shape (12b) constituting a support surface for the hook end of said lever (14) when it is locked in position as the protective flap swivels forward when the spare roll (RR) is loaded, and in that said secondary flap is swivellably mounted in opposition to a return means (13).
8. Dispensing machine comprising said device as claimed in any of the above claims, characterised in that the service roll is supported by end fittings (20) mounted on tabs (21) capable of elastic deformation located on the rear of the housing, and in that the service roll, when it is nearly used up, has a specific diameter which causes it to push plate (15) in opposition to its elastic return means (16), and in that the reduced diameter of the service roll causes the plate to gradually rise until it brings connecting bar (17) and lever (14) into contact and releases flap (12).

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