Roll towel cabinet

• US 4,828,343 A
• Filed: 07/05/1988
• Issued: 05/09/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steiner Far East Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nippon Steiner Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Murano, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/214,823
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 312/37-41
• US Class Current: 312/34.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/28 dispensing a clean part and taking-up a soiled part, e.g. using rolls; with dispensers for soap or other detergents; with disinfecting or heating devices

Abstract

A roller towel cabinet in which when an unused roll towel (32) wound in a roll shape is pulled out for usage, a used portion of the roll towel is simultaneously wound. The unused portion of the roll towel is sequentially pulled out in the state of contacting the first roller (40) and sequentially wound up in the state of being pinched between a roll-up shaft (38) and a second roller (62). The first roller (40) is coupled with the second roller (62) by mechanical transmission means (65) and the first and second rollers are rotatably supported on an arm member (50) rotatably disposed on a base frame (21). The arm member (50) is constituted to apply a rotating force to the roll-up shaft (38) in the state that the second roller (62) is constantly pressing the used roll towel, and to be rotatable in accordance with the increment of the diameter of the used roll towel thereby maintaining the pulling force of the unused portion of the roll towel in a substantial uniform.

Claims

1. A roll towel cabinet having a towel bed for receiving an unused roll towel comprising:

a base frame fixable on a wall;

an arm member pivotably supported on said base frame and having a pair of arms disposed apart from each other, a first roller rotatably supported between said paired arms of said arm member and holding the unused portion of said roll towel on a portion of the periphery of said first roller, said first roller having a longitudinal axis, a second roller rotatably supported between said paired arms of said arm member and disposed substantially in parallel with said first roller, and mechanical transmission means for transmitting the rotation of said first roller to said second roller;

said arm member being pivotable, relative to said base frame, about said longitudinal axis of said first roller, said second roller having a locus of motion during pivoting of said arm member;

means for rotating said first roller during pulling-out of an unused towel portion from the unused roll towel; and

a roll-up shaft for winding used towel, rotatably mounted with respect to said base frame, said roll-up shaft being disposed in said locus of motion of said second roller due to the rotation of said arm member and also being disposed substantially in parallel with said second roller;

said arm member being constantly urged to press said used roll towel with a portion of the periphery of said second roller;

wherein frictional contact between said second roller and wound-up portions of the used roll towel causes said roll-up shaft to operate when unused towel is being removed; and

wherein as unused towel is being removed the diameter of the used roll towel wound upon said roll-up shaft increases and contact between said second roller and the used roll towel wound upon said roll-up shaft moves said second roller away from said roll-up shaft to pivot said arm member.

2. A roll towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said arm member is arranged to be rotated around the rotation axis coaxially disposed with the rotation axis of the first roller.

3. A roller towel cabinet according to claim 2, wherein said mechanical transmission means includes a first sprocket (52) fixed at one end of said first roller, a second sprocket rotatably mounted on an arm corresponding to said one end of said first roller, a chain coupled between said first and second sprockets, and gear means including a first gear coaxially fixed with said second sprocket, and a second gear coaxially fixed with said second roller for being mechanically coupled to said first gear.

4. A roller towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said arm member is adapted to be rotated around the rotation axis disposed at a shifted position from the rotation axis of said first roller.

5. A roller towel cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a third roller arranged to be in contact with a portion of the periphery of said first roller and the axis of said third roller moves in accordance with the movement of said first roller.

6. A roller towel cabinet according to claim 4, further comprising covers disposed movably on said base frame for covering said base frame, and said third roller is rotatably mounted at the inside of said cover.