JPS6364973B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a towel dispensing device installed inside a toilet or the like, and in particular, unused towels are supplied to the outside when a main switch is energized directly or indirectly, and the towel dispensing device is disposed inside a toilet or the like for a predetermined period of time. This invention relates to an electric towel dispensing device that stores inside a loop-shaped used towel that is later wiped and soiled by a person.

Conventionally, as an electric towel dispensing device, the
No. 56-4253 (US Pat. No. 3,797,902) is known. As is clear from the specification, this electric towel dispensing device also includes a supply roller for supplying unused towels from an unused towel roll and a winding direction for winding used towels onto the used towel roll. A take-up roller that can also be driven in the opposite direction; a motor device that drives the supply roller and the take-up roller; an energizing device that is turned on directly or indirectly by a hand applying the energizing device; a deenergizing device that deenergizes the take-up roller after unwinding a predetermined length of used towel from a used towel roll; a deenergizing device that deenergizes the roller after a predetermined length of unused towel is supplied; a timer and a biasing device that bias the take-up roller in the winding direction after a predetermined time; It is comprised of a deenergizing device that drives the winding until the entire length of the towel exposed in a loop is wound up, and then deenergizes it.

Although this electric towel dispensing device is excellent in that it rationally drives the supply roller and take-up roller, it has a serious drawback in the opposite aspect. The first drawback is that when the power source of this device is constructed from dry batteries, the dry batteries are consumed extremely quickly, and the cost of replacing the dry batteries is high. In general, there are very few toilets that are equipped with an outlet for AC power. Therefore, dry batteries are required as a power source for the motorized towel dispensing device. However, in the electric towel dispensing device according to the above patent,
Since the used towel roll is driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions by the take-up roller, as the diameter of the used towel roll gradually increases and its weight increases, energy is consumed in both forward and reverse rotation. The disadvantage was that the amount of electricity generated was extremely large, accelerating the consumption of the dry cell batteries and making them expensive to replace.

Also, as a second drawback, the above-mentioned U.S. patent
Not only in No. 3797902 but also in other manual towel dispensing devices, the used towel roll is placed above the unused towel roll, so dirt particles adhering to the used towels scatter and fall to the unused towels. This caused hygienic problems for towel dispensing devices that required cleanliness.

Furthermore, the third drawback of the above-mentioned US Pat. No. 3,797,902 is that the only way to change the loop length of the towel loop is to change the rotation drive time of the supply roller or take-up roller, that is, the timer setting time. . Therefore, the only way for the user to change the loop length is by switching the timer that has various built-in time widths, and even with this, it is difficult to arbitrarily and easily adjust the loop length to a desired length. It was hot.

Furthermore, to address the first drawback, a mechanism was adopted that made it unnecessary to reverse the used towel roll. That is, the rotation of the supply roller in the supply direction and the rotation of the take-up roller in the take-up direction are essential and unavoidable movements in transferring the towel from the unused towel roll to the used towel roll. I learned that winding up and rotating in the opposite direction are not essential movements. On the other hand, dispensing a portion of the used towel from the rear of the towel dispensing device is necessary to improve towel economy in that the user only uses the front side of the towel loop and not the rear side. Therefore, the main part of the present invention is that the used towel is fed out so as to be on the rear side of the towel loop without reversing the used towel roll. That is, in addition to a take-up roller that rotates the used towel roll only in the winding direction, a feed roller that rotates in both forward and reverse directions is provided, and a towel storage chamber is also provided. Therefore, when winding up a towel loop, the entire length of the towel forming the loop is folded and stored in the storage chamber by rotation of the feed roller in the storage direction.
When using towels, the supply roller is rotated to supply unused towels to the front of the towel loop, and the take-up roller is rotated via an interlocking mechanism to collect the used towels in the storage chamber. Roll up the same length of the towel onto a used towel roll. At the same time, the feed roller is rotated in the feeding direction to feed the remaining amount of used towels in the storage chamber downward to form the rear surface of the towel loop. In this way, the present invention allows the used towels folded in the storage chamber to be delivered outside without reversing the used towel roll.
This is an electric towel dispensing device that can minimize battery consumption.

Also, to address the second drawback, it is possible to position the used towel roll below the unused towel roll, thereby eliminating the fallout of dirt particles from the used towel. Furthermore, by placing an unused towel roll on the towel tray, dirt particles flying up from the used towel can be blocked by the lower surface of the towel tray. The present invention thus aims to provide a clean motorized towel dispensing device.

Furthermore, to address the third drawback, if a towel loop is formed at the length desired by the user when placing an unused towel roll on the towel tray and setting the towel, the length will be maintained from then on. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric towel dispensing device that can adjust a towel loop to an arbitrary length.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the electric towel dispensing device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of the electric towel dispensing device, and as shown in the figure, an unused towel roll 2 is placed in a recessed portion of a towel tray 4 so as to be freely rollable. On the front side of the unused towel roll 2, a supply roller 6 whose surface is roughened to increase surface friction with the towel is pivotally supported. 8 and 10 are arranged. A gear G ₁ attached to one end of the supply roller 6 is meshed with a worm W ₁ , and an electric motor M ₁ rotates the supply roller 6 only in the towel supply direction to supply unused towels 12 . Further, at the other end of the supply roller 6, a sprocket 14 and an auxiliary roller 16 having a roughened outer peripheral surface are provided.

A used towel roll 18 is arranged below the unused towel roll 2, and a take-up roller 20 is pivotally supported in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the used towel roll 18. If the used towel roll 18 is provided below the unused towel roll 2 as described above, dirt particles attached to the used towel will not fall onto the unused towel roll 2. Further, since the towel tray 4 separates and shields both the towel rolls 2 and 18, dirt particles that fly up and scatter due to the rotation of the used towel roll 18 can be blocked.
A gear _G2 is attached to one end of the take-up roller 20, and an intermediate gear _G3 that meshes with the gear _G2 is provided integrally with an intermediate sprocket 22 on the side of the apparatus. The sprocket 14 and the intermediate sprocket 22 are connected by a chain 23.
These sprockets 14, 22, chain 2
3. An interlocking mechanism 25 is constituted by gears G ₂ and G ₃ . Therefore, when the supply roller 6 is rotationally driven, the chain 23 and the gears G ₃ and G ₂
The take-up roller 20 is rotated via the roller 18, and the used towel roll 18 winds up the used towel 24 by the same length as the supplied unused towel 12. or,
A rotating disk 26 having a concave portion 26a is pivotally supported in contact with the auxiliary roller 16, and a control switch CSW is placed in contact with the circumferential surface of the rotating disk 26.
is provided.

There is a storage room 28 behind the used towel roll 18.
is provided at the bottom 28a of the storage chamber 28.
is formed in a convex shape downward to facilitate winding up of the used towel, and an opening 28b is provided at the top. A plate-shaped projection 2 is provided near the bottom portion 28a.
8c is formed, and the used towel 24 is passed through the used towel roll 18 while the wrinkles are smoothed out by the slit 28d formed by the plate-like protrusion 28c.
driving towards. If the plate-shaped protrusion 28c is configured to be swingable while being biased by a spring member or the like, the towel can be easily set up for the first time. Further, a feed roller 30, a free roller 32, and an auxiliary roller 34 are arranged in parallel contact with each other in the opening 28b, and one end of the feed roller 30 is driven by an electric motor _M2 . A worm W ₂ and a gear G ₄ are provided. Below the used towel roll 18 is a bottom plate 3.
6 is arranged, and an inclined plate 38 is provided in front of it to facilitate the supply of unused towels 12. Further, an under switch UWS is provided at the center of the bottom plate 36. A towel loop 40 is formed below the bottom plate 36 by the unused towel 12 and the used towel 24. Note that the supply roller 6,
The used towel roll 18, take-up roller 20, etc. are rotatably supported by a side wall plate (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional side view of the main parts of this device, and the members not shown in FIG. 1 will be explained next. At the top of the storage chamber 18 is an end switch ESW that detects passage of the final end of the supplied towel.
is provided, and a plate-like protrusion 28c in the storage chamber 28 is provided.
A tension switch TSW is provided at a position directly above the storage chamber, and detects the amount of used towel 24 fed out from the storage chamber. The internal mechanism shown in FIG. 1 is surrounded by a case 42, and a supply slit 44 is formed between the lower front end 42a of the case 42 and the inclined plate 38, and a supply slit 44 is formed at the outlet of the unused towel 12. It's summery. Moreover, the case 42
A retraction slit 46 is formed between the rear lower end 42b and the end of the bottom plate 36, and the used towel 24 enters and exits through this retraction slit 46. case 4
A main switch MSW is provided on the front side of 2.

CC is the drive control circuit, end switch ESW,
It controls the timing and operation of the main switch MSW, control switch CSW, under switch USW, tension switch TSW, and electric motors M ₁ and M ₂ . In this embodiment, the main switch MSW is composed of a push button switch, but it may also be composed of a photoelectric switch, a proximity switch, or any other contact or non-contact switch. The switches ESW, CSW, USW, and TSW in this device are all composed of limit switches, but they may also be composed of other switches having similar detection functions.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a specific circuit configuration of the drive control circuit CC. In addition, the motion state of the towel controlled by this circuit CC is the fourth
As shown in FIG. First, to explain the configuration of Fig. 3, R ₁ , R ₄ , R ₆ , R ₉ are pull-down resistors, and each switch MSW, CSW, TSW,
It has the function of setting the potential at the upper end of the resistor to Ov, ie, "L" when USW is opened. Capacitor C ₁ ,
C ₂ , C ₃ , C ₄ and resistors R ₂ , R ₅ , R ₇ , R ₁₀ are elements that constitute a differential circuit. For example, C ₁ and R ₂
A set of differentiating circuits is configured to form a pulse signal to the next stage circuit. Therefore, the switch MSW,
When CSW, TSW, and USW are closed, these differentiating circuits output a pulse of potential "H".

AND is an and gate, and a flipflop
Outputs a set signal to FF ₁ . FF ₂ and FF ₃ are also flip-flop circuits, and in these circuits, S indicates a set terminal, R indicates a reset terminal, Q indicates an output terminal, and FF indicates an inverted output terminal. R ₃ , R ₈ , R ₁₄ are current limiting resistors, and switching transistors TR ₁ ,
Form appropriate base currents for TR ₂ and TR ₃ . M ₁ and M ₂ are electric motors, the motor M ₁ drives the supply roller 6 and the take-up roller 20 to rotate in one direction, and the motor M ₂ drives the feed roller 30 to rotate in forward and reverse directions.

Resistor R ₁₁ and capacitor C ₅ represent an integrating circuit,
When the output Q of flip-flop FF ₃ is “H”, C _{5
The upper end potential of R 13 V} /(R _{12 +}
R ₁₃ ), the output of the comparator CP is set to "H". The above fixed time is a time constant
Determined by R ₁₁ and C ₅ , this time constant determines the time from when the main switch MSW is pressed until the towel loop begins to be pulled up. D
is a rapid discharge diode, which is an element that rapidly discharges the charge stored in the capacitor _C5 when the output Q becomes "L". Ry is a relay, and when transistor TR ₃ is off, movable contact MC ₁ ,
Fixed contacts FC ₁ and FC ₃ are connected to MC ₂ as shown by solid lines, respectively.
When the transistor TR ₂ is connected to the motor
_M2 is rotated in the used towel delivery direction, and when the transistor _TR3 is on, the movable contact _MC1 ,
As MC ₂ is indicated by a dotted line, the fixed contacts FC ₂ and FC ₄
to rotate the motor _M2 in the used towel winding direction independently of the transistor _TR2 . Battery BT is usually constructed with dry batteries in places where AC power is not available, such as toilets, and its voltage V
is supplied to the part indicated by V in the figure when the end switch ESW is on. Further, the power source BT may be a DC power source using an AC adapter that converts alternating current to direct current. When the end switch ESW is turned off, the drive control circuit CC stops its function, and the motors M ₁ and M ₂ stop their rotation. The inverted output terminal Q of FF ₃ is AND gate AND
The main switch is connected to the input end of the
This is to cut off the input even if the main switch MSW is pressed again when the main switch MSW is pressed and the device is in operation.

Next, the operation of this device will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Normally used towels 24 are
As shown in Figure A, the towel is stored in the storage chamber 28 in a folded manner, with no towel loop formed below. When a person wipes wet hands after washing with water, first press the main switch MSW. Then, the differential circuit formed by C ₁ R ₂ outputs “H” to the AND gate AND.
Outputs a pulse and sets flip-flop _FF1 . When the transistor TR ₁ is turned on, the electric motor M ₁ moves the unused towel 1 as shown in FIG. 4B.
The supply roller 6 is rotationally driven so as to supply 2 in the direction of arrow a. The rotation of the supply roller 6 is controlled by the chain 2.
The gear _G3 is rotated through the winding roller 20.
The used towel roll 18 is rotated in the direction of the arrow. As a result, a portion of the used towels 24 folded and stored in the storage chamber 28 are sent in the direction of arrow b and wound up by the same length as the unused towels supplied to the used towel roll 18. At this time, the used towel 24 is sent out from the slit 28d while being squeezed by the plate-like protrusion 28c, so the wrinkles of the towel are stretched out, and since the bottom 28a of the storage chamber 28 is formed in a curved shape, the used towel 24 is smoothly wound. On the other hand, when the main switch MSW is pressed, the flip-flop FF ₂ is also set at the same time, and the transistor TR ₂ is turned on, causing the motor M ₂ to rotate the feed roller 30 in the direction of the arrow to remove the used towel folded and stored in the storage chamber 28. 24 in the direction of arrow c.
Therefore, the unused towel 12 being supplied and the used towel 24 being fed out begin to form a towel loop 40 below the device.

When the recess 26a of the rotary disk 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow and the actuator of the control switch CSW is inserted into the recess 26a, a reset signal is input to the flip-flop _FF1 , and the electric motor is activated.
M ₁ stops its rotation. Also, as a result of the used towel 24 in the storage chamber 28 being fed out in the direction of arrow c, the tension switch is activated by the tension of the towel.
When the TSW is turned on, a reset signal is input to the flip-flop _FF2 , the electric motor _M2 stops its rotation, and the towel loop 40 is completed downward as shown in FIG. 4c. Furthermore, the on operation of the main switch MSW is a flip-flop.
FF ₃ is set and the capacitor C ₅ is charged until its potential reaches the potential R ₁₃ V/(R ₁₂ + R ₁₃ ).
The towel loop 40 is stopped in its completed state. During this time, the person can dry their wet hands, feet or face with a looped towel.
Therefore, the integrating circuit formed by resistor R ₁₁ and capacitor C ₅ constitutes a timer.

The upper end potential of capacitor C ₅ is the potential R ₁₃ V/(R ₁₂ +
R ₁₃ ), transistor TR ₃ is turned on and
Relay Ry is activated and movable contacts MC ₁ and MC ₂ are connected to the third
As shown by dotted lines in the figure, it is switched and connected to fixed contacts FC ₂ and FC ₄ . As a result, the direction of the current flowing through the electric motor M ₂ is reversed, and the motor M ₂ rotates the feed roller 30 in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. Pull up in direction d. The used towel 24 that has been pulled up is stored in the storage chamber 28 in a folded manner due to its own weight. When the towel loop 40 turns on the under switch USW, the flip-flop _FF3 is reset and the charge stored in the capacitor _C5 is quickly discharged through the diode D. Therefore, the output of the comparator CP becomes "L", turning off the transistor _TR3 and demagnetizing the relay Ry. Therefore, the movable contact
MC ₁ and MC ₂ are fixed contacts FC _{1 and} MC 2, respectively, as shown by solid lines.
Connected to FC ₃ , motor M ₂ is stopped and the device returns to its original state as shown in FIG. 4E.

As described above, in this device, the used towel 24 is fed out to form the towel loop 40 by feeding out the used towel folded and stored in the storage chamber 28. There is no need to reverse the roller 20 and the used towel roll 18, and consumption of batteries such as dry batteries can be suppressed. Also, if you want to change the length of the towel loop, you can easily do so by replacing it with a rotating disk 26 of a different diameter, or by changing the length of the towel loop formed below when loading a new, unused towel roll 2. This can be done by freely adjusting the length of.

5A and 5B show the case where when an unused towel roll 2 is lost, the final end 24a of the towel is wound up. When a person presses the main switch MSW, if the remaining length of the unused towel is shorter than its supply length, the final end 24a of the towel will hang downward. In this state, a person wipes his or her hands, but after a certain period of time, the motor _M2 begins to pull up the used towel 24, as shown in FIG. 5A. As shown in Figure 5B, the used towels are stored in the storage room 2.
8, the towel is stored in a folded manner, but the moment the final end 24a of the towel passes through the end switch ESW,
The actuator of this switch ESW opens, the voltage supply from battery BT is cut off, and motor _M2 stops. Therefore, by cutting off the power regardless of whether the under switch USW is opened or closed, the unsightly final end 24a of the towel is drawn into the apparatus.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the circuit including the electric motor _M1 . This circuit transfers the final end 24a of towels stored in the state shown in FIG. 5B to the used towel roll 18.
It has a winding function. The movable contacts MC ₃ and MC ₄ are interlocked and are normally connected to fixed contacts FC ₅ and FC ₇ , respectively. Therefore, the end switch
When ESW is cut off, motors M ₁ and M ₂ stop,
The situation shown in FIG. 5B appears. The person who discovered this condition replaced the movable contacts MC ₃ and MC ₄ with the fixed contacts FC ₆ and FC _8.
When the motor _M1 is switched and connected to
8 rotates in the direction of winding up the used towel 24.
Therefore, all the used towels 24 in the storage chamber 28 are wound up on the used towel roll 18. To return to the original state, move the movable contact
What is necessary is to switch MC ₃ and MC ₄ to fixed contacts FC ₅ and FC ₇ , take out the used towel roll 18 to the outside, and load the unused towel roll 2 into the apparatus.

As described in detail above, the present invention prevents the reverse rotation of the used towel roll by feeding the used towel folded into the storage chamber downward by the feed roller, thereby suppressing the consumption of the battery. It is thus possible to provide a motorized towel dispensing device in which the loop length can be adjusted very easily according to the user's wishes, and furthermore, the contamination of unused towels by dirt particles is prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of an embodiment of an electric towel dispensing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of a main part of the same device, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a drive control circuit as an example. , FIGS. 4A to 4E are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the towel, FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of pulling up the final end of the towel, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a circuit for winding up the final end of the towel. 2... Unused towel roll, 6... Supply roller, 1
2...Unused towel, 18...Used towel roll,
20... Take-up roller, 24... Used towel, 25...
Interlocking mechanism, 28... Storage chamber, 28b... Opening, 28
c...Plate-like projection, 30...Feed roller, _M1 , _M2 ...Electric motor, CC...Drive control circuit, MSW...Main switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An unused towel roll 2 wrapped with an unused towel 12, a main switch MSW that is energized directly or indirectly when the towel is operated, and a main switch MSW that is energized by the energizing operation of the main switch. Supply roller 6 that supplies a predetermined length of towel from a towel roll
and the used towel 24 to the used towel roll 18.
A take-up roller 20 for winding up the supply roller 6 is connected to the supply roller 6 and the take-up roller 20.
The interlocking mechanism 25 winds up the used towel 24 of the same length as the unused towel 12 supplied from the folded and stored part onto the used towel roll 18, and also the internal 24 used towels that were folded and stored in
A storage chamber 28 in which the entire length of the towel loop 40 that was exposed outside after use is pulled up inside by the feed roller 30 and folded and stored. , electric motors M ₁ , M ₂ that drive the interlocking mechanism 25 and feed roller 30 , a drive control circuit CC that drives and controls the electric motors M ₁ , M ₂ , and the electric motors M ₁ , M ₂ and the drive An electric towel dispensing device comprising: a power supply for driving a control circuit CC; 2 The unused towel roll 2 is located above the used towel roll 18, and the unused towel roll 2
The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the towel dispenser is placed on the towel tray 4. 3. The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said interlocking mechanism 25 is a chain sprocket mechanism. 4. Insert the feed roller 30 into the opening 28b of the storage chamber.
An electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the electric towel dispensing device is provided with: 5. The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein a plate-shaped projection 28c for rubbing the used towel is formed at the lower part of the storage chamber 28. 6. The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery BT. 7. The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the battery BT is a dry battery. 8 When the power source is connected to an AC adapter,
The electric towel dispensing device according to claim 1, which can be used for both AC and DC.