Dispenser for multiple rolls of sheet material

• US 6,758,434 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Kapiloff, David W., Phelps, Stephen L., Haen, William G., Westcott, Troy E., Haase, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matecki, Kathy
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANGDON, EVAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/189,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 242/597.5, 242/597.8, 242/594, 242/594.5, 242/591, 242/597, D 6/512
• US Class Current: 242/597.8
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3836 with roll spindles which are supported at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/324 Jumbo rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/326 dispensing simultaneously from several rolls or stacks

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing rolls of sheet material is provided. The dispenser has a housing which holds one or more rolls of sheet material. The housing has an opening which is defined by a perimeter. A hub which is configured to hold a roll of sheet material is positioned to extend at least partially through the opening, and is moveably retained within the perimeter. An arm supports the hub for pivotable movement on a first end thereof. A portion of the arm is pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing. A second end of the arm is also pivotably movable and configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions.

Claims

1. A dispenser for storing and dispensing rolled sheet material, comprising:

a housing configured to hold at least one roll of sheet material therein and formed to include an exit port, the housing having a backside and an opening in the backside defined by a perimeter;

a hub configured to hold a roll of sheet material thereon, the hub positioned to extend at least partially through the opening in the housing and being moveably retained within the perimeter; and

an arm supporting the hub on a first end thereof for movement of the hub within the perimeter, the arm positioned against the backside of the housing, a portion of the arm pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a second end of the arm pivotably movable against the backside of the housing and configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cover and a back plate, and the back plate includes the backside.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the opening is formed in the backplate, and the perimeter includes a track formed on a portion thereof.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the track is further defined as having a substantially arcuate configuration.

5. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the hub is movably positioned against the track and the hub is moveable only within the confines of the track.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the hub has a pair of spaced-apart rails, and each track is positioned between the rails.

7. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the arm is positioned against the backside of the back plate and coupled to the backside of the back plate via a pivot pin.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the second end of the arm includes a hinge having a tab thereon which is inserted into one of a plurality of apertures provided in the backplate to releaseably lock the arm to the back plate.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the second end of the arm is unlocked from the back plate when the tab is moved out of the one aperture.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to be positioned relative to an inner surface of the housing to rotatably support one of a jumbo roll, a mid-sized roll, and a stub roll without an outer perimeter of the roll substantially contacting the inner surface of the housing.

30. A method of positioning hubs in a dispenser adapted to hold at least two rolls of sheet material, the method comprising:

providing the dispenser of claim 2;

selecting a position for each hub such that the hubs are positioned to cooperate to hold one of rolls of substantially different diameters and rolls of substantially identical diameters without a substantial portion of an outer perimeter of a roll contacting an inner surface of the housing;

unlocking each arm and moving the hub thereon to the selected position;

locking each arm into the selected position thereby retaining each hub in the selected position; and

disposing a roll of sheet material of a selected diameter on the hub.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein in the step of selecting a position for each hub, the step further includes selecting a position for a combination of one of a jumbo roll and a stub roll, and two mid-sized rolls.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein in the step of unlocking each arm and moving the hub thereon to the selected position, the step further includes moving a tab provided on the arm out of one aperture and pivotably moving the arm such that the tab is in alignment with and positioned in another aperture.

11. A dispenser for storing and dispensing rolled sheet material, the dispenser comprising:

a housing configured to hold at least two rolls of sheet material therein and formed to include an exit port, the housing having a pair of spaced-apart openings, each opening defining by a perimeter, the housing having a backside;

a pair of hubs, each hub configured to hold a roll of sheet material thereon and one of each of the hubs being moveably retained within the perimeter of one of the openings; and

a pair of arms, each arm configured to support on a first end thereof one hub for movement of the hub within the perimeter, each arm positioned against the backside of the housing, a portion of each arm being pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a second end of each arm pivotably movable against the backside of the housing and configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a cover and a back plate, and the back plate includes the backside.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein each opening is formed in the back plate, and the perimeter of each opening includes a track formed on a portion thereof.

14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein each track is further defined as having a substantially arcuate configuration.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein each track is positioned on the back plate in a mirror image position relative to the other.

16. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein each hub has a pair of spaced-apart rails, and each track is positioned between the rails.

17. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein each arm is positioned against the backside of the back plate and coupled to the backside of the back plate via a pivot pin.

18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the second end of each arm includes a hinge having a tab thereon which is inserted into one of a plurality of apertures provided in the back plate to releasably lock each arm to the back plate.

19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the second end of each arm is unlocked from the back plate when the tab is moved out of the one aperture.

20. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein each hub is movable to hold one of a jumbo roll, a stub roll, and a mid-sized roll.

21. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the hubs together are selectively positioned to cooperate to hold one of rolls of substantially different diameters and rolls of substantially similar diameters.

22. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the hubs together cooperate to hold a combination of one of a jumbo roll and a stub roll, and two mid-sized rolls.

23. A dispenser for storing and dispensing rolled sheet material, comprising:

a housing configured to hold at least one roll of sheet material therein and formed to include an exit port, the housing having a backside and an opening defined by a perimeter;

at least one hub configured to hold a roll of sheet material thereon, the hub positioned to extend at least partially through the opening in the housing and being moveably retained within the perimeter; and

movement/locking means supporting the hub on one end for pivotable movement while simultaneously on an opposite end releasably locking the hub into one of a plurality of selected positions, the movement/locking means is positioned against the backside of the housing.

24. The dispenser of claim 23, wherein the housing includes a cover and a back plate, and the back plate includes a backside.

25. The dispenser of claim 24, wherein the movement/locking means includes an arm supporting a hub at a first end thereof which is pivotably coupled to the backside of the back plate.

26. The dispenser of claim 25, wherein the arm includes a second end configured to be releaseably locked to the back plate.

27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the second end includes a hinge having a tab thereon which is inserted into one of a plurality of apertures provided in the back plate to releasabley lock the arm to the back plate.

28. The dispenser of claim 27, wherein the second end of the arm is unlocked from the back plate when the tab is moved out of the one aperture.

29. The dispenser of claim 23, wherein the hub is configured to hold one of a jumbo roll, a stub roll, and a mid-sized roll.

33. A dispenser for storing and dispensing rolled sheet material, comprising:

a housing configured to hold at least one roll of sheet material therein and formed to include an exit port, the housing having a backside and an opening in the backside defined by a perimeter;

a hub configured to hold a roll of sheet material thereon, the hub positioned to extend at least partially through the opening in the backside and being moveably retained within the perimeter; and

an arm supporting the hub on a first end thereof for movement of the hub within the perimeter, a portion of the arm pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing and a second end of the arm pivotably movable and configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions.

34. The dispenser of claim 33, wherein the housing includes a cover and a back plate, and the back plate includes the backside.

35. The dispenser of claim 34, wherein the opening is formed in the backplate, and the perimeter includes a track formed on a portion thereof.

36. The dispenser of claim 35, wherein the track is further defined as having a substantially arcuate configuration.

37. The dispenser of claim 35, wherein the hub is movably positioned against the track and the hub is moveable only within the confines of the track.

38. The dispenser of claim 37, wherein the hub has a pair of spaced-apart rails, and each track is positioned between the rails.

39. The dispenser of claim 34, wherein the arm is positioned against the backside of the back plate and coupled to the backside of the back plate via a pivot pin.

40. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein the second end of the arm includes a hinge having a tab thereon which is inserted into one of a plurality of apertures provided in the backplate to releaseably lock the arm to the back plate.

41. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the second end of the arm is unlocked from the back plate when the tab is moved out of the one aperture.

42. The dispenser of claim 34, wherein the hub is configured to be positioned relative to an inner surface of the housing to rotatably support one of a jumbo roll, a mid-sized roll, and a stub roll without an outer perimeter of the roll substantially contacting the inner surface of the housing.

43. The dispenser of claim 33, wherein the second end of the arm is configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions outside the perimeter.