Feed mechanism for flexible sheet material dispensers
First Claim
1. A method of dispensing a web of flexible sheet material from a dispenser including a feed roller rotatable through an operating cycle that includes a web cutting segment and a lead feed segment, a cam operably connected to said feed roller, a cam follower operable with said cam, and a drive spring tensionably attached to said cam follower, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing energy in said drive spring by rotating said feed roller through that portion of its operating cycle occurring prior to completion of said web cutting segment;
releasing at least a portion of the energy stored in said drive spring to assist rotation of said feed roller in cutting said web during the web cutting segment of said operating cycle;
thereafter storing energy in said drive spring during rotation of said feed roller following completion of said web cutting segment; and
releasing energy stored in the drive spring to assist in rotation of said feed roller during the lead feed segment of said cycle, such that a lead of said flexible sheet material is fed from said dispenser for access by a subsequent user.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A feed mechanism for feeding a web of rolled flexible sheet material, such as soft paper towels, out of a dispenser. The mechanism includes a feed roller within the dispenser and a web cutting blade in the feed roller and projectable and retractable therewith as the feed roller rotates. A contoured cam is attached to an end of the feed roller, and a spring-loaded cam follower presses against the contoured cam. The cam follower, through the cam, controllably assists in the rotation of the feed roller during the feed roller cycle when the blade cuts the web and thereafter to feed a free end of the material to an accessible position outside of the dispenser. The needed maximum pull forces by the user on the material to cut and withdraw the material from the dispenser are thereby significantly minimized, and the likelihood of the soft towel material tearing off in the user'"'"'s wet hands is accordingly reduced.
82 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of dispensing a web of flexible sheet material from a dispenser including a feed roller rotatable through an operating cycle that includes a web cutting segment and a lead feed segment, a cam operably connected to said feed roller, a cam follower operable with said cam, and a drive spring tensionably attached to said cam follower, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing energy in said drive spring by rotating said feed roller through that portion of its operating cycle occurring prior to completion of said web cutting segment; releasing at least a portion of the energy stored in said drive spring to assist rotation of said feed roller in cutting said web during the web cutting segment of said operating cycle; thereafter storing energy in said drive spring during rotation of said feed roller following completion of said web cutting segment; and releasing energy stored in the drive spring to assist in rotation of said feed roller during the lead feed segment of said cycle, such that a lead of said flexible sheet material is fed from said dispenser for access by a subsequent user.
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2. A feed mechanism for a dispenser, comprising:
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feed roller means for guiding a web of sheet material from a material storage position to a user accessible position relative to a dispenser, said feed roller means being rotatable through a cycle having a web cutting cycle segment and a lead feed cycle segment after said web cutting cycle segment and during which a lead of the remaining web material is fed out generally away from the dispenser; a cutter blade operatively associated with said feed roller means and positioned to cut the web during said web cutting cycle segment; and energy storage means containing means for cocking and releasing stored energy to said feed roller initially during said web cutting cycle segment and for subsequently cocking and releasing stored energy to said feed roller during said lead feed segment. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A feed mechanism for a dispenser, comprising:
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a rotatable feed roller adapted to controllably feed a flexible sheet material web out of a dispenser, said feed roller having a feed roller periphery; a cutter slidably mounted within said feed roller, said cutter having a cutter edge projecting beyond said feed roller periphery during a flexible sheet material web cutting cycle portion of a rotation cycle of said feed roller and thereafter retracting into said feed roller; a spring associated with said feed roller; first cocking means for cocking said spring and subsequently unloading said spring and thereby assisting the rotation of said feed roller during the web cutting cycle portion; and second cocking means for cocking said spring directly after said web cutting cycle portion and subsequently unloading said spring and thereby assisting the further rotation of said feed roller to feed a lead of the flexible sheet material web out of the dispenser and accessible to the next user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for dispensing a web of flexible sheet material, comprising:
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feed roller means for feeding a web of flexible sheet material generally out of a dispenser; severing means for cutting a portion of the web during one cycle segment of rotation of the feed roller means; a cam element attached to said feed roller means and rotatable therewith; drive spring means for storing energy a first time to assist in a cutting cycle segment of said feed roller means and a second time to assist in propelling the web out of the dispenser during a lead feed cycle segment of said feed roller means; and cam follower means for loading and releasing said drive spring means. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification