IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,179,010
Granted Patent B2
US 11,179,010 · App. 16/474,025 · Granted Nov 23, 2021

Paper product dispenser

Inventors: Joseph M. Sexton (Roswell, GA); Eric M. Chalko (Alpharetta, GA); Klemen Erzen (Preddvor, SI)
Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
A47K10/3618A47K10/3612A47K10/3687A47K2010/3854
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,179,010
App. No.
16/474,025
Granted
Nov 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and apparatus for dispensing of paper products. The dispenser includes two spindle arms. A rolled paper product rests on top of the two spindle arms and during dispensing the roll rotates on top the two spindle arms.

Claims (16)

1. A paper product dispenser comprising:

a housing comprising a front, a back, two sides, and a product holding area defined by the front, back and two sides;

a first spindle arm in the product holding area and extending between the two sides,

a second spindle arm in the product holding area, extending between the two sides and substantially parallel to the first spindle arm, wherein the first and second spindle arms are configured to hold a rolled paper product along a periphery of the rolled paper product and rotate to allow the rolled paper product to be unwound;

a stub roll holder below the first and second spindle arms, wherein the first and second spindle arms are separated by a first distance and when a diameter of the paper product roll is less than the first distance the paper product roll drops into the stub roll holder, wherein after the paper product drops into the stub roll holder paper from the paper product travels over the first spindle arm in a counterclockwise direction during dispensing such that a new roll placed on the first and second spindle arms rotates in a clockwise direction during dispensing of the stub roll;

a paper feed device configured to cause the first spindle arm to rotate in a clockwise direction in response to a user action, wherein the user action is a manual actuation of a dispensing process through force applied to an actuation device of the dispenser; and

a cutting drum configured to cut unwound portions of the rolled paper product.

2. The paper product dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spindle arms lie in a same horizontal plane.

3. The paper product dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the rolled paper product are hand towels.

4. The paper product dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is between 60 and 90 millimeters.

5. The paper product dispenser of claim 1 comprising a feeding roller proximate to the cutting drum, wherein the feeding roller rotates in an opposite direction with respect to the cutting drum.

6. A method for dispensing paper product comprising:

in response to a user action, driving at least one of a first spindle arm and second spindle arm, wherein the first and second spindle arms are in spaced relation to each other and are configured to hold a rolled paper product along a periphery of the rolled paper product;

rotating the rolled paper product in a clockwise direction, without dispensing the rolled paper product to a user, in response to driving the at least one of a first spindle arm and second spindle arm;

unwinding a stub roll in a stub roll holder in a counterclockwise direction for dispensing to the user; and

cutting the unwound rolled paper product with a cutting drum, wherein the cutting drum rotates more than once before the cutting.

Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62440913 · Dec 30, 2016
Related Publication 20190380546A1 · Dec 19, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,220,090