Electronic residential tissue dispenser

• US 10,136,769 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2018
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Valve Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Osborne, Jr., Charles Agnew, Chang, Tsu-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Gallion, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US15/891,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20180153360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3612 with drive and pinch rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3625 with electronic control means
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/38 the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge A47K10/36 and A47K10/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/005 Dispensers, i.e. machines for unwinding only parts of web roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/41346 separate elements engaging each end of the roll (e.g. chuck)
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/43 Wall apparatus, i.e. mounted on vertical support
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1415 with male / female profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/143 driving roller and idler roller arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1924 Napkins or tissues, e.g. dressings, toweling, serviettes, kitchen paper and compresses

Abstract

The present disclosure is, in one aspect, directed to a sheet material dispenser assembly including a dispenser housing with at least one support and a discharge. The dispense assembly has a supply sheet material at least partially supported by the at least one support, and at least one driving roller driven to direct sheet material from the supply of sheet material to the discharge. In addition, the dispenser assembly includes a plurality of pressing rollers at least partially engaging the sheet material against the at least one driving roller as the at least one driving roller is driven to direct the sheet material towards the discharge, which pressing rollers are held in a substantially tensioned arrangement to facilitate a consistent drawing or pulling of the sheet material.

Claims

1. An dispenser assembly for dispensing sheet material, the dispenser assembly comprising:

a dispenser housing including a discharge;

a supply of sheet material that is supported at least partially along the dispenser housing;

a dispensing mechanism arranged adjacent the supply of sheet material and comprising at least one driving roller for driving sheet material from the supply of sheet material along a feed path through the dispenser housing and to the discharge thereof;

a plurality of pressing rollers at least partially contacting the sheet material such that the sheet material is engaged against the at least one driving roller to cause the sheet material to be drawn between the plurality of pressing rollers and the at least one driving roller as the at least one driving roller is rotated; and

a drive mechanism including at least one motor coupled to a transmission assembly operable to transfer power from the at least one motor to the at least one driving roller, and to the plurality of pressing rollers so as to drive the pressing rollers substantially in cooperation with the driving roller for drawing of the sheet material therebetween;

at least one drive belt operatively connected to the transmission assembly and to the plurality of pressing rollers.

2. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one drive belt engages the plurality of pressing rollers in substantially tensioned arrangement urging the pressing rollers toward the at least one driving roller sufficient to facilitate a substantially consistent driving of the plurality of pressing rollers at a substantially equivalent or cooperative rate with the at least one driving roller.

3. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mounts each coupled to an end of pressing rollers, and wherein each mount of the plurality of mounts comprises a groove formed about a periphery thereof within which the at least one drive belt is at least partially received.

4. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one drive belt is formed from a non-slip material and is substantially resistant to elongation, and wherein the at least one driving roller and/or the plurality of pressing rollers are formed from one or more materials that provide low static generation.

5. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmission assembly comprises a plurality of gears including a series of intermeshing gears operatively connecting the at least one motor to the at least one driving roller, and at least one gear operatively connecting the at least one motor and the at least one drive belt.

6. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors located about the dispenser housing and operable to detect the proximity of a user, wherein the at least one motor is activated in response to a received signal from the one or more sensors.

7. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressing rollers comprises a pair of pressing rollers mounted to a frame.

8. The dispenser assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving roller includes a plurality of spaced sections, and wherein each pressing roller of the plurality of pressing rollers includes a plurality of sections each spaced apart from an adjacent section.

9. An dispenser assembly for dispensing sheet material, the dispenser assembly comprising:

at least one paper roll holder, and a discharge through which the sheet material is at least partially fed;

a supply of sheet material supported by the at least one support of the dispenser housing;

at least one driving roller that is rotatably mounted along a feed path for the sheet material between the supply of sheet material and the discharge and about which the sheet material is at least partially engaged;

wherein as the at least one driving roller is rotated, the sheet material is drawn from the supply of sheet material and fed along the feed path to the discharge; and

a plurality of pressing rollers, the pressing rollers arranged adjacent the at least one driving roller, and the pressing rollers at least partially engaging the sheet material against the at least one driving roller such that the pressing rollers are driven as the at least one driving roller is rotated to cause the sheet material to be fed along its feed path such that the pressing rollers are driven between the plurality of pressing rollers and the driving roller, and

wherein the plurality of pressing rollers are held in a substantially tensioned arrangement to facilitate a substantially consistent drawing or pulling of the sheet material between the at least one driving roller and the pressing rollers with respect to the at least one driving roller so as to be driven at a substantially equivalent or cooperative rate with the at least one driving roller;

a drive mechanism including at least one drive motor operatively connected to the at least one driving roller and at least one drive belt in communication with the drive motor and in a tensioned engagement with the plurality of pressing rollers for cooperatively driving the plurality of pressing rollers with the rotation of the at least one drive roller.

10. The dispenser assembly of claim 9, further comprising a transmission assembly in communication with the at least one drive motor and the at least one drive belt.

11. The dispenser assembly of claim 10, wherein the transmission assembly comprises a plurality of gears, including one or more gears operatively connecting the at least one motor and the at least one driving roller, and one or more gears operatively connecting the at least one drive motor and the at least one drive belt.

12. The dispenser assembly of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of mounts operatively coupling the plurality of pressing rollers and the at least one drive belt, wherein each mount of the plurality of mounts comprises a groove formed about a periphery thereof within which the at least one drive belt is at least partially received.

13. The dispenser assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one drive belt comprises a non-slip material that is substantially resistant to elongation, and wherein the at least one driving roller and the plurality of pressing rollers are formed from one or more materials that provide low static generation.

14. The dispenser assembly of claim 9, further comprising one or more sensors located about the dispenser housing and operable to detect the proximity of a user, wherein the at least one motor is activated in response to a received signal from the one or more sensors.

15. The dispenser assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of pressing rollers comprises a pair of pressing rollers mounted to a frame at one or more ends of each pressing roller of the pair of pressing rollers.