Dispensing systems with floating support rollers
AssigneeDispensing Dynamics International
InventorAlexander Trampolski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various dispensing systems with floating support rollers are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the dispensing system can include a housing, roll support arm, and a dispensing mechanism that can enable dispensing of tissue from a roll mounted on the roll supporting arm. The dispensing mechanism can include a main roller and a support roller. The support roller can move from a first position to a second position in response to a user pulling on a tail end of the tissue. The support roller can be biased towards the first position and can apply a compressive force to the main roller in the second position. The compressive force can urge the tissue towards the main roller and can provide improved tissue support.
Claims19
A dispensing system comprising:
- a housing;
- a roll support arm in the housing;
- and
- a dispensing mechanism in the housing, the dispensing mechanism configured to enable dispensing of tissue from a roll mounted on the roll support arm, the dispensing mechanism comprising:
- a main roller;
- and
- a support roller configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to a user pulling on a tail end of the tissue,
- wherein the support roller is biased towards the first position and applies a compressive force to the main roller when in the second position.
A dispensing mechanism for facilitating dispensing of tissue from a roll, the dispensing mechanism comprising:
- a main roller;
- a support roller having a first configuration and a second configuration, the support roller configured to move from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the tissue being pulled from the dispensing system, the support roller biased towards the first configuration and adapted to apply a compressive force to the main roller when in the second configuration;
- a main guide extending in an axial direction relative to the main roller and comprising a first guide wall, the first guide wall extending in a circumferential direction relative to an outer circumferential surface of the main roller;
- and
- a secondary guide extending in the axial direction relative to the main roller and positioned circumferentially between the support roller and the main guide, the secondary guide comprising a second guide wall extending in the circumferential direction relative to the outer circumferential surface of the main roller, the secondary guide fixed relative to the main guide;
- wherein the main guide and the secondary guide are configured to cooperate to guide the tissue around more than 180 degrees of the outer circumferential surface of the main roller.
A method of manufacturing a dispensing system, the method comprising:
- obtaining a support frame, a main roller, a support roller having a radial center, a guide, and a guide extension, wherein the guide comprises a first guide wall and the guide extension comprises a second guide wall, the first guide wall and the second guide wall having curvatures corresponding to a curve of an outer circumferential surface of the main roller;
- positioning the guide extension circumferentially between the support roller and the guide;
- and
- positioning the support roller in an elongated slot of the support frame, the support roller configured to slide in the slot between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the radial center of the support roller is closer to the outer circumferential surface of the main roller in the second configuration than in the first configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.