Automatic napkin dispenser
AssigneeGPCP IP Holdings LLC
InventorsAbby C. Case, David James Gennrich, Kent J. Kallsen, Stephen Andrew Latham, Christopher Timothy Strahm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application provides a napkin dispenser for dispensing a number of folded napkins from a sheet material to an end user. The napkin dispenser may include a loading station for loading the sheet material, a folding station for folding a napkin from the sheet material, and a presentation station for presenting one or more of the folded napkins to the end user.
Claims29
A dispenser for dispensing a number of folded products from a continuous roll of sheet material having a plurality of perforations therein to a user, comprising:
- a loading station for loading the sheet material;
- a buckle fold mechanism for folding a product with a buckle tray to accept a tail of the sheet material;
- a first pair of pinch rollers positioned upstream of the buckle tray to drive the sheet material therethrough;
- a second pair of pinch rollers positioned downstream of the buckle tray and spaced apart from the first pair of pinch rollers;
- the second pair of pinch rollers driving a fold of the product therethrough once the tail of the sheet material contacts an end wall of the buckle tray;
- wherein the first pair of pinch rollers comprises a first speed and wherein the second pair of pinch rollers comprises a second speed;
- and
- a presentation station for presenting one or more of the folded products to the end user.
A dispenser for dispensing a number of products from a sheet material, comprising:
- a loading station for loading the sheet material;
- a folding station for folding the sheet material;
- wherein the folding station comprises a reverse drive mechanism;
- wherein the reverse drive mechanism comprises a plurality of drive rollers and a separate directional roller;
- a cutting mechanism downstream of the reverse drive mechanism for cutting a sheet from the sheet material;
- and
- a presentation station for presenting one or more of the sheets.
A dispenser for dispensing a number of products from a sheet material, comprising:
- a loading station for loading the sheet material;
- a cutting mechanism for cutting a sheet from the sheet material;
- and
- a folding station for folding the sheet material downstream of the cutting mechanism;
- wherein the folding station comprises a tucker fold mechanism with a tucker bar and one or more rollers positioned adjacent to a slot for tucking a single fold of the sheet material into the slot.
A dispenser for dispensing a number of folded products from a continuous roll of sheet material having a plurality of perforations therein to a user, comprising:
- a loading station for loading the sheet material;
- a buckle fold mechanism for folding a product with a buckle tray to accept a tail of the sheet material;
- a first pair of pinch rollers positioned upstream of the buckle tray;
- a second pair of pinch rollers positioned downstream of the buckle tray and spaced apart from the first pair of pinch rollers;
- the second pair of pinch rollers driving a fold of the product therethrough once the tail of the sheet material contacts an end wall of the buckle tray;
- and
- a presentation station for presenting one or more of the folded products to the end user;
- wherein the first pair of pinch rollers comprises a first speed and wherein the second pair of pinch rollers comprises a second speed;
- and
- wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed such that the plurality of perforations separate between the first pair of pinch rollers and the second pair of pinch rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.