Spindle assembly for a web material dispenser, web material roll dispensing assembly and method for inserting a web material roll in a dispenser

1. A spindle assembly for supporting a web material roll in a web material dispenser having first and second opposed sides, the web material roll having first and second extremities and defining a central cavity provided with a bushing snugly fitted therein toward the first extremity, the bushing having an inner bearing surface, the spindle assembly comprising:

a bushing-engaging member comprising:

a first dispenser-mounting portion mountable to the first side of the web material dispenser, and

a bushing-engaging portion sized and configured to fit at least partially in the bushing and comprising a cylindrical portion having an outer surface facing and being rotatable with respect to the inner bearing surface when at least partially fitted in the bushing; and

a spindle connection member comprising:

a second dispenser-mounting portion mountable to the second side of the web material dispenser, and

a connecting portion mountable to at least one of the second extremity of the web material roll and the bushing-engaging member;

thereby allowing use of the web material roll with the bushing in the web material dispenser.

2. The spindle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion comprises:

a proximal portion proximate to the first dispenser-mounting portion, and

a free end,

at least one of the proximal portion and the free end comprising said cylindrical portion,

the bushing-engaging portion having a cross-section decreasing from the proximal portion towards the free end.

3. The spindle assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion further comprises a distal portion located between the proximal portion and the free end, the distal portion having a smaller cross section than a cross section of the proximal portion, and wherein a tapered head bulges at the free end.

4. The spindle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a peripheral recess is formed in the bushing-engaging portion, the peripheral recess extending around substantially an entirety of an outer periphery of the bushing-engaging portion.

5. The spindle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion has an outer surface and further comprises a blocking protrusion extending from the outer surface of the bushing-engaging portion.

6. The spindle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is removably mountable to the bushing-engaging portion and wherein:

one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member comprises an assembling rod; and wherein

the other one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member comprises an assembling sleeve defining an assembling cavity to receive at least partially the assembling rod for the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member to be configured in an assembled configuration.

7. The spindle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the spindle assembly defines a longitudinal axis and further comprises an angular coupler angularly coupling together the assembling rod and the assembling sleeve upon rotation about of the longitudinal axis of one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member when configured in the assembled configuration.

8. The spindle assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising an axial coupler axially coupling together the assembling rod and the assembling sleeve upon translation along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member when configured in the assembled configuration.

9. The spindle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein insertion of the assembling rod within the assembling cavity generates an audible indication of a proper configuration of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member in the assembled configuration.

10. The spindle assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the assembling rod comprises a free end and is configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration in which the free end of the assembling rod is respectively at first and second different distances from the first dispenser-mounting portion.

11. The spindle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second dispenser-mounting portions is rotatably mountable to the corresponding one of the first and second sides of the web material dispenser.

12. The spindle assembly according to claim 11 , wherein a first guiding rail is formed in the first side of the web material dispenser, the first dispenser-mounting portion comprising a first shaft removably receivable in the first guiding rail.

13. The spindle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first dispenser-mounting portion further comprises a first blocking disk, the first shaft extending between the first blocking disk and the bushing-engaging portion.

14. The spindle assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the bushing-engaging member further comprises a first abutting portion located between the bushing-engaging portion and the first blocking disk.

15. The spindle assembly according to claim 12 , wherein a second guiding rail is formed in the second side of the web material dispenser, the second dispenser-mounting portion comprising a second shaft removably receivable in the second guiding rail, and wherein the second dispenser mounting portion comprises a second blocking disk, the second shaft extending between the second blocking disk and the connecting portion.

16. The spindle assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the spindle connection member further comprises a second abutting portion located between the connecting portion and the second blocking disk.

17. A roll dispensing assembly comprising:

a web material roll having first and second extremities and defining a central cavity provided with a bushing toward the first extremity; and

the spindle assembly according to claim 1 , the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member being mountable respectively to the first and second extremities of the web material roll.

18. The roll dispensing assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the inner bearing surface being a first bearing surface, wherein the bushing has a second bearing surface, the first and second bearing surfaces being for rotation against respectively the proximal portion and the distal portion of the bushing-engaging portion.

19. The roll dispensing assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion further comprises a free end and a tapered head bulging at the free end, a shoulder being formed between the distal portion and the tapered head, wherein the bushing comprises a wall extending in the central cavity of the web material roll, and wherein the shoulder abuts against the wall when the bushing-engaging member is forced out of the bushing.

20. The roll dispensing assembly according to claim 19 , wherein a recess is formed in the bushing-engaging portion behind the tapered head, and wherein the wall is at least partially received in the recess when the bushing-engaging member is forced out of the bushing.

21. The roll dispensing assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion has an outer surface and comprises a blocking protrusion extending from the outer surface of the bushing-engaging portion, wherein the wall of the bushing abuts against the blocking protrusion of the bushing-engaging portion when the bushing-engaging member is mounted to the first extremity of the web material roll.

22. A spindle assembly for supporting a web material roll in a web material dispenser having first and second opposed sides, the web material roll having first and second extremities and defining a central cavity provided with a bushing snugly fitted therein toward the first extremity, the bushing having an inner bearing surface, the spindle assembly defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:

a bushing-engaging member comprising:

a first dispenser-mounting portion mountable to the first side of the web material dispenser, and

a bushing-engaging portion extending from the first dispenser mounting portion and being at least partially engageable in the bushing of the web material roll, the bushing-engaging portion having an outer bushing-contacting surface extending along at least a portion of a length of the bushing-engaging portion and substantially along an entirety of an outer periphery of the bushing-engaging portion, the outer bushing-contacting surface facing and being rotatable with respect to the inner bearing surface when at least partially fitted in the bushing; and

a spindle connection member comprising:

a second dispenser-mounting portion removably to the second side of the web material dispenser; and

a connecting portion at least partially engageable into the cavity of the web material roll toward the second extremity and connectable to the bushing-engaging portion to configure the spindle connection member and the bushing-engaging member in an assembled configuration thereby allowing use of the web material roll with the bushing in the web material dispenser.

23. The spindle assembly according to claim 22 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion comprises a proximal portion proximate to the first dispenser-mounting portion and having the outer bushing-contacting surface, the bushing-engaging portion comprising a free end and a distal portion located between the proximal portion and the free end, the distal portion having a smaller cross section than a cross section of the proximal portion, a head bulging at the free end and a peripheral recess being formed in the bushing-engaging portion.

24. The spindle assembly according to claim 22 , wherein:

one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member comprises an assembling rod; and wherein

the other one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member comprises an assembling sleeve defining an assembling cavity to receive at least partially the assembling rod when the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member are configured in the assembled configuration; wherein

the spindle assembly further comprises an angular coupler angularly coupling together the assembling rod and the assembling sleeve upon rotation about the longitudinal axis of one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member when configured in the assembled configuration; and wherein

the spindle assembly further comprises an axial coupler axially coupling together the assembling rod and the assembling sleeve upon translation along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of one of the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member when configured in the assembled configuration.

25. The spindle assembly according to claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first and second dispenser-mounting portions is removably and rotatably mountable to the corresponding one of the first and second sides of the web material dispenser.

26. The spindle assembly according to claim 25 , wherein:

a first guiding rail is formed in the first side of the web material dispenser, the first dispenser-mounting portion comprising a first shaft receivable in the first guiding rail, wherein the first dispenser mounting portion comprises a first blocking disk, the first shaft extending between the first blocking disk and the bushing-engaging portion; and wherein

a second guiding rail is formed in the second side of the web material dispenser, the second dispenser-mounting portion comprising a second shaft receivable in the second guiding rail and wherein the second dispenser mounting portion comprises a second blocking disk, the second shaft extending between the second blocking disk and the connecting portion, the spindle connection member further comprising a second abutting portion located between the connecting portion and the second blocking disk.

27. A method for inserting a web material roll in a web material dispenser, the web material dispenser having first and second sides, the web material roll having first and second extremities and defining a central cavity provided with a bushing snugly fitted therein toward the first extremity, the bushing having an inner bearing surface, the method comprising:

providing a spindle assembly comprising:

a bushing-engaging member comprising a first dispenser mounting portion and a bushing-engaging portion comprising a cylindrical portion having an outer surface; and

a spindle connection member comprising a second dispenser mounting portion and a connecting portion;

engaging the bushing-engaging portion in the bushing of the web material roll for the outer surface of the cylindrical portion to face and be rotatable with respect to the inner bearing surface; and

introducing the spindle connection member in the central cavity via the second extremity.

28. The method according to claim 27 , further comprising:

mounting the connecting portion to the bushing-engaging portion to configure the bushing-engaging member and the spindle connection member in an assembled configuration.

29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the bushing-engaging portion comprises an assembling sleeve defining an assembling cavity and wherein the spindle connection member comprises an assembling rod, the method further comprising:

at least partially engaging the assembling rod in the assembling cavity.