US20050275153A1 - Sheet feeder - Google Patents
Sheet feeder Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050275153A1 US20050275153A1 US11/132,679 US13267905A US2005275153A1 US 20050275153 A1 US20050275153 A1 US 20050275153A1 US 13267905 A US13267905 A US 13267905A US 2005275153 A1 US2005275153 A1 US 2005275153A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- roll
- sheet
- sheet feeder
- feeding roller
- receiving section
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
- A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
- A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
- A47K10/34—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means
- A47K10/36—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K10/00—Body-drying implements; Toilet paper; Holders therefor
- A47K10/24—Towel dispensers, e.g. for piled-up or folded textile towels; Toilet-paper dispensers; Dispensers for piled-up or folded textile towels provided or not with devices for taking-up soiled towels as far as not mechanically driven
- A47K10/32—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper
- A47K10/34—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means
- A47K10/36—Dispensers for paper towels or toilet-paper dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
- A47K10/3606—The cutting devices being motor driven
- A47K10/3618—The drive roller pressing against the paper roll
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a sheet feeder capable of automatically supplying a user with a sheet such as toilet paper.
- this type of sheet feeder has a problem that the feeding roller easily turns free and its performance of sheet conveyance is low. Particularly the use of the roll thins it down and makes it lighter in weight, by which the problem becomes increasingly apparent.
- the sheet feeder that conveys the sheet put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the above problem does not occur, but it requires an arrangement of a mechanism for supporting the rollers on both sides of the sheet. Therefore, this type of sheet feeder has a problem with downsizing and thus it is not suited to be installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, with the configuration in which the sheet is put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the sheet feeder presents a problem that it takes the time and trouble to pass the sheet between the pair of rollers in mounting a new roll. Moreover, in an unanticipated situation caused by a power failure or battery shutoff, a user cannot pull out the sheet manually since the sheet remains caught between the pair of rollers which is problematic.
- a sheet feeder comprising: a roll mounting section for receiving a roll of a continuous sheet wrapped around itself; and a conveying mechanism for automatically paying out the sheet of the roll mounted on the roll mounting section, wherein: a receiving section is provided on one side of a pullout portion of the sheet of the roll; and the conveying mechanism includes a feeding roller holding the pullout portion put between the feeding roller and the receiving section on the other side of the pullout portion and a drive motor for rotatably driving the feeding roller to pull out and convey the sheet of the roll.
- the feeding roller is rotated with the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll, which is mounted on the roll mounting section, put between the receiving section and the feeding roller.
- the sheet feeder is capable of paying out the sheet stably independently of the diameter or weight of the roll and thus is superior in performance of conveyance.
- the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when a user pulls the pullout portion of the sheet in this configuration, without the use of the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers.
- parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. This permits an accomplishment of a sheet feeder suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.
- the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a roll holder having the roll mounting section, and the feeding roller is placed on the side of the roll holder and located on the underside of the pullout portion and the receiving section is movable in a direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding roller on the upside of the pullout portion and biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.
- the receiving section moves away from the feeding roller by pulling the sheet manually. Therefore, it is possible to pull out the sheet with a light force and to prevent the sheet from being caught in the feeding roller and tearing.
- the receiving section is preferably formed in a rotating member supported by the roll holder so as to be rotatable around the roll mounted on the roll mounting section above the roll.
- the rotating member is preferably rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section under its own weight from a neutral position above the roll mounting section and the receiving section is biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller under the self weight of the rotating member.
- the rotating member can be rotated backward under its own weight so that the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area before mounting a new roll.
- the pullout portion of the sheet can be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller only by rotating the rotating member forward under its own weight.
- the rotating member is preferably provided with a weight for biasing the receiving section in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.
- the receiving section is put in the condition of holding the pullout portion of the sheet together with the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.
- a metal faceplate is preferably attached to the front face of the rotating member.
- the faceplate acts as a weight and causes the pullout portion of the sheet to be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.
- the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a stopper mechanism between the roll holder and the rotating member, the stopper mechanism limiting an amount of displacement of the receiving section toward the feeding roller to within a specified range of displacement.
- This arrangement prevents the receiving section from being pressed toward the feeding roller with an excess force. Therefore, even if a user accidentally puts his/her hand on the rotating member during sheet conveyance, a sheet jam, a halt of the feeding roller, or any other abnormality does not occur.
- the rotating member is, for example, a cover member rotatable between a position where the roll is covered and a position where the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area.
- the roll holder has a cutter in a downstream position of the feeding roller and the color of the cutter is preferably different from the color of the roll holder. This emphasizes the cutter, thereby offering a safety in a situation where the sheet feeder of the present invention is installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Moreover, the cutter is located on the side of the roll holder, thus preventing the cutter from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction and thus providing easy cutting.
- the roll is preferably rotatably mounted on the roll mounting section. This facilitates mounting of a roll.
- the roll type both of the cored roll and the coreless roll can be mounted.
- the feeding roller is preferably disposed in a plurality of locations in the width direction of the pullout portion. This arrangement prevents a local application of a great force to the sheet, thereby ensuring no occurrence of deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of the sheet during sheet conveyance.
- the target sheet type is not limited in the sheet feeder according to the present invention, the sheet is, for example, toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, or aluminum foil.
- the sheet feeder of the present invention conveys the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll with the sheet put between the receiving section and the feeding roller. Therefore, the sheet can be paid out stably independently of the diameter and weight of the roll, thereby ensuring a favorable performance of sheet conveyance. Moreover, the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when the sheet is pulled out in this configuration. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located on the side of the feeding roller alone, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. Thus, it is suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced, thus also enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.
- FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are perspective views showing a sheet feeder according to the present invention with the cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively;
- FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section showing an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are cross sections showing actions of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are cross sections showing a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are explanatory diagrams showing modifications of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show perspective views of the sheet feeder according to the present invention with a cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively.
- FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section illustrating an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 .
- the sheet feeder 1 of this embodiment is for use in the supply of a sheet 2 a out of a roll 2 , which is toilet paper as a continuous sheet 2 a wrapped around itself, and comprises a roll holder 4 having a roll mounting section 3 for receiving the roll 2 , a cover member 5 (rotating member) for covering the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 , a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet 2 a pulled out of the roll 2 toward an output port 6 , and a sawtooth cutter 8 located at the output port 6 .
- the roll holder 4 has narrow fixing boxes 11 and 12 on its both sides.
- the fixing boxes 11 and 12 support both ends of a guide member 13 in the horizontal direction.
- the roll mounting section 3 receiving the roll 2 is formed by an arc portion 15 , which curves backward from a substantially horizontal portion 14 in the front of the guide member 13 .
- the cover member 5 includes an arc cover portion 17 corresponding to the shape of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and side plates 18 and 19 extending from both edges of the arc cover portion 17 at a right angle toward the center of the arc. Projections 20 and 21 are formed in the center position of the arc on the side plates 18 and 19 , respectively. These projections 20 and 21 are then supported by sockets 22 and 23 formed on the fixing boxes 11 and 12 , respectively. Therefore, the cover member 5 rotates around the central axis of rotation provided by the projections 20 and 21 and the sockets 22 and 23 and thus can rotate between the forward position 5 A (See FIG. 1A ) where the cover member 5 covers the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and the backward position 5 B (See FIG. 1B ) where the roll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area.
- a faceplate 25 is attached to the front face of the arc cover portion 17 with a manufacturer's name, a product name, or the like put on the surface 25 A of the faceplate 25 .
- the faceplate 25 is made of a metal plate such as a rectangular stainless steel plate, which is graceful and elegant. Moreover, there is no need to mark the product for the manufacturer's name with a seal or printing.
- the faceplate 25 has also a role of a weight.
- the cover member 5 is formed so as to be rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section 3 under its own weight from the neutral position above the roll mounting section. Therefore, if the faceplate 25 is located forward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, the cover member 5 rotates forward under its own weight, while if the faceplate 25 is located backward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, the cover member 5 rotates backward under its own weight in this embodiment. Accordingly, the sheet feeder does not halt with the cover member 5 partly open (partly closed), thereby providing excellent usability in this embodiment.
- the bottom end of the front side of the arc cover portion 17 of the cover member 5 functions as a receiving section 28 for conveying the sheet 2 a by using a conveying mechanism 7 described later.
- the cover member 5 is made of resin having a low friction coefficient and the receiving section 28 forms a smooth surface, whereby the receiving section 28 has an extremely low friction coefficient.
- the receiving section 28 may be formed of resin having a low friction coefficient in the cover member 5 by using two types of resin for reducing the friction coefficient of the receiving section 28 .
- the conveying mechanism 7 includes a feeding roller 27 located on the side of the roll holder 4 and a roller driver 32 corresponding to the feeding roller 27 .
- the feeding roller 27 is disposed in five locations at regular intervals in the width direction of the sheet 2 a .
- the feeding rollers 27 are, for example, O rings made of polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, NBR, SBR, EPDM or the like put on a common rotary shaft 29 , each having a high friction coefficient on the roller surface.
- the rotary shaft 29 is rotatably supported by a bottom cover 30 located on the underside of the roll holder 4 .
- a bottom cover 30 located on the underside of the roll holder 4 .
- five rectangular holes 31 are formed in the width direction in the substantially horizontal portion 14 of the guide member 13 .
- the respective roller surfaces of the five feeding rollers 27 are protruding upward of the substantially horizontal portion 14 from the rectangular holes 31 and face the receiving section 28 . Therefore, the receiving section 28 is located on the upside of the pullout portion 2 b of the sheet 2 a of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and thereby the feeding rollers 27 hold the pullout portion 2 b put between the feeding rollers 27 and the receiving section 28 on the underside of the pullout portion 2 b . In this condition, the receiving section 28 is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5 .
- the faceplate 25 put on the cover member 5 also functions as a weight for biasing the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 .
- trapezoidal-shaped stoppers 40 protruding upward are formed at both ends of the guide member 13 on both sides thereof in the substantially horizontal portion 14 .
- the stoppers 40 are located slightly backward of the protruding position of the feeding rollers 27 .
- the amount of protrusion of the stoppers 40 is substantially the same as the amount of protrusion of the feeding rollers 27 . Therefore, when the cover member 5 is located in the forward position 5 A, an abutment surface 28 a formed at the rear end of the receiving section 28 abuts against the top faces 40 a of the stoppers 40 , thereby preventing a further rotation exceeding the forward position 5 A of the cover member 5 . Therefore, even if a downward large external force is applied to the cover member 5 as indicated by an arrow F as shown in FIG. 3 , the maximum displacement of the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 is limited to the position.
- the roller driver 32 includes a drive motor 33 as a driving source, a pinion 34 attached to the output shaft of the drive motor 33 , a speed reducing gear train 35 engaging with the pinion 34 , and a gear 36 engaging with the speed reducing gear train 35 and attached to the rotary shaft 29 for the feeding rollers 27 .
- An internal battery 37 housed in the fixing box 12 supplies power to the drive motor 33 .
- a control panel (not shown) is arranged in the front face of the fixing box 12 and the drive motor 33 is actuated by depressing a switch 38 of the control panel.
- the sawtooth cutter 8 is horizontally fixed being put between the guide member 13 of the roll holder 4 and the bottom cover 30 , with the cutting edge protruding forward.
- the sawtooth cutter 8 is made of hard rubber and the color of the sawtooth cutter 8 is apparently different from that of the roll holder 3 and that of the cover member 5 .
- FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D there are shown cross sections illustrating actions of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B there are shown cross sections illustrating a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 .
- the cover member 5 is rotated to the backward position 5 B as shown in FIG. 4A so that the roll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area and then the roll 2 is mounted on the roll mounting section 3 from the front.
- the roll 2 is rotatably mounted only by the mounting on the roll mounting section 3 .
- the sheet 2 a is paid out of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 , passed through the upper portion of the feeding rollers 27 , and pulled out to near the output port 6 .
- the cover member 5 is then rotated forward to the forward position 5 A.
- the center of gravity of the cover member 5 moves forward of the center of rotation when the faceplate 25 passes the position right above the center of rotation of the cover member 5 , whereby the cover member 5 automatically rotates to the forward position 5 A under its own weight and the weight of the faceplate 25 as a weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover member 5 from being left unclosed.
- This condition is a standby state of the sheet feeder 1 . If a user needs the sheet 2 a in the standby state and continuously depresses the switch 38 of the control panel, the drive motor 33 operates during the equivalent time period. Thereby, the feeding rollers 27 are driven, and the feeding rollers 27 pull the sheet 2 a out of the roll 2 and send it toward the output port 6 . During this time, the roll 2 rotates following the rotation in the roll mounting section 3 .
- the drive motor 33 stops.
- the sawtooth cutter 8 cuts the sheet 2 a .
- the sheet feeder 1 then enters the standby state again.
- the feeding rollers 27 cannot be driven for lack of power supply to the drive motor 33 due to battery shutoff of the internal battery 37 or the like, the front edge of the sheet 2 a is pulled diagonally upward as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B . Consequently, the sheet 2 a raises the cover member 5 and the receiving section 28 moves away from the feeding rollers 27 . The sheet 2 a also rises from the feeding rollers 27 . Thus, it is possible to pull out the sheet 2 a manually only by pulling the sheet 2 a lightly. To cut the sheet 2 a pulled out manually, the sheet 2 a is just pulled down in the same manner as in automatically pulling out the sheet 2 a , whereby the sawtooth cutter 8 cuts the sheet 2 a.
- the feeding rollers 27 are rotated with the sheet 2 a , which has been pulled out of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 , put between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27 .
- the sheet 2 a is pulled out of the roll 2 and conveyed. Therefore, the sheet feeder is capable of paying out the sheet 2 a stably and independently of the diameter and weight of the roll 2 from the beginning to end of use.
- the sheet feeder is therefore superior in the performance of conveyance, unlike the configuration in which the roll 2 a is rotatably driven directly.
- the pullout portion 2 b of the sheet 2 a of the roll 2 is put between the feeding rollers 27 and the receiving section 28 , without use of the configuration in which the pullout portion 2 b is put between the pair of rollers made of a feeding roller and a driven roller. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the feeding rollers 27 may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder 1 . This permits an accomplishment of the sheet feeder 1 suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which the pullout portion 2 b is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of the sheet feeder 1 to be achieved.
- the cover member 5 is rotatable between the forward position 5 A and the backward position 5 B: if the cover member 5 is rotated to the backward position 5 B, the roll mounting section 3 becomes open in the forward and upward directions.
- the roll mounting section 3 has a structure in which the roll 2 is rotatably mounted. Therefore, the roll 2 can be easily mounted onto the roll mounting section 3 .
- the roll 2 just follows the rotation and thus a user can use both types of rolls, a cored roll and a coreless roll. Still further, the user can mount the roll 2 in either right-hand or left-hand direction where the sheet 2 a is wrapped around itself when viewed from one side.
- the cover member 5 including the receiving section 28 can rotate between the forward position 5 A and the backward position 5 B, which facilitates the work between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27 , in comparison with the configuration in which the sheet 2 a is passed between the pair of rollers. Furthermore, if the feeding rollers 27 cannot be driven due to battery shutoff or the like, a user can raise the receiving section 28 by pulling the sheet 2 a manually, by which the sheet 2 a moves away from the feeding rollers 27 . Therefore, the user can pull the sheet 2 a with a light force. At this point, the sheet 2 a slides on the receiving section 28 , but an excess force is not applied to the sheet 2 a due to the low friction coefficient of the receiving section 28 .
- the receiving section 28 is movable in the direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding rollers 27 , while it is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5 .
- the faceplate 25 attached to the front face of the cover member 5 functions as a weight for biasing the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 . Therefore, the pullout portion 2 b of the sheet 2 a can be securely put between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27 without use of a spring, thus ensuring the conveyance of the sheet 2 a .
- the stoppers 40 are formed for limiting the amount of displacement of the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 to within a specified range of displacement at both ends of the substantially horizontal portion 14 of the guide member 13 .
- the plurality of feeding rollers 27 are disposed at regular intervals in the width direction of the sheet 2 a , thereby preventing a local application of a great force to the sheet 2 a . Therefore, deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of the sheet 2 a do not occur during sheet conveyance. Furthermore, paper lint may be sometimes put on the feeding roller 27 during conveyance of the toilet paper as the sheet 2 a . If so, the friction coefficient of the roller surface is lowered. The use of the plurality of feeding rollers 27 , however, prevents trouble in conveying the sheet 2 a even if a problem occurs in a part of the feeding rollers 27 .
- the sawtooth cutter 8 is located on the side of the roll holder 4 . This prevents the sawtooth cutter 8 from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction as has been in the arrangement of the sawtooth cutter on the side of the cover member, thus providing easy cutting. Moreover, the sawtooth cutter 8 has a color which appears different from the color of the roll holder 4 and of the cover member 5 , so that the sawtooth cutter 8 is emphasized. Therefore, the sheet feeder 1 can be safely installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Moreover, the sheet 2 a is pulled down instead of lifting the sheet 2 a for cutting the sheet 2 a in this embodiment.
- the emphasized position of the sawtooth cutter 8 helps the user to notice the way of pulling down the sheet 2 a . Therefore, it provides excellent usability for the elderly who may not readily adapt to a new system. Furthermore, while visually handicapped people find it hard to recognize an object unless it has a sharp contrast to others, the sawtooth cutter 8 has a different color from the color of the roll holder 4 and of the cover member 5 . Therefore, the visually handicapped can readily recognize the position of the sawtooth cutter 8 and thus the sheet feeder is also user-friendly for them.
- While the receiving section 28 is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5 and that of the faceplate 25 in the above embodiment, it is also possible to bias the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 by means of a biasing force of coil springs 42 with the coil springs 42 each coupled to the roll holder 4 and the cover member 5 as shown in FIG. 6A .
- a mechanism of rotating the cover member 5 between the forward position 5 A and the backward position 5 B it is also possible to arrange a slide mechanism with guides formed on the side of the roll holder 4 moving on arc rails 43 formed on the side plates 18 a and 19 a of the cover member 5 a , as shown in FIG. 6B . This arrangement permits setting of a virtual center of rotation and therefore there is no need to provide the sockets for rotatably supporting the cover member 5 .
- the present invention is also applicable to a sheet feeder for the supply of kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, aluminum foil or the like.
- the receiving section 28 has been located on the upside of the pullout portion 2 b of the sheet 2 a and the feeding rollers 27 have been located on the underside of the pullout portion 2 b in the above embodiment, it is also possible to arrange the feeding rollers 27 on the upside of the pullout portion 2 b of the sheet 2 a and the receiving section 28 on the underside of the pullout portion 2 b conversely.
- a dedicated weight may be attached or the thickness of the cover member 5 may be partially increased so that the thick part functions as a weight.
- two switches for “excrement” and “urine” may be arranged as switches 38 , so that the length of the sheet 2 a to be pulled out depends on which of the switches 38 is depressed.
- a sensor window may be formed on the roll holder 4 , so that the sheet 2 a is pulled out under remote control using infrared rays.
- an external battery pack or an AC power supply may be used as the power supply, instead of the internal battery 37 .
- the sawtooth cutter 8 may be formed of material other than hard rubber such as, for example, resin or metal and may be integrated with the guide member 13 or the bottom cover 30 only if it is located on the side of the roll holder 4 .
Abstract
A sheet feeder superior in performance of sheet conveyance, suitable for downsizing, and improved in usability. The sheet feeder comprises a roll holder having a roll mounting section and a cover member attached to the roll holder. The cover member is rotatable around the roll mounting section and automatically conveys a sheet with a pullout portion of the sheet of a roll put between a receiving section formed in the lower portion of the cover member and a feeding roller.
Description
- This application claims priority of Japanese Application No. 2004-152442, filed May 21, 2004, the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a sheet feeder capable of automatically supplying a user with a sheet such as toilet paper.
- 2. Related Background Art
- Conventionally, there is one type of sheet feeder for automatically paying out a sheet of a roll such as toilet paper that conveys the sheet of the roll to an output port by rotatably driving the roll mounted on a mounting section directly by means of a feeding roller located on the underside of the roll (Refer to “Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3024537,” for example).
- In addition, there is another type of sheet feeder that conveys a sheet paid out of a roll to an output port by pulling the sheet put between a pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet (Refer to “Japanese Patent Publication No. 1934158,” for example).
- The Inventor'S Discovery of Problems of the Related Art
- In the sheet feeder that rotatably drives the roll directly by means of the feeding roller in the above, the self weight of the roll alone is not enough to generate a pressing force for rotating the roll between the roll and the feeding roller due to light weight of the roll of toilet paper or the like. Therefore, this type of sheet feeder has a problem that the feeding roller easily turns free and its performance of sheet conveyance is low. Particularly the use of the roll thins it down and makes it lighter in weight, by which the problem becomes increasingly apparent.
- On the other hand, in the sheet feeder that conveys the sheet put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the above problem does not occur, but it requires an arrangement of a mechanism for supporting the rollers on both sides of the sheet. Therefore, this type of sheet feeder has a problem with downsizing and thus it is not suited to be installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, with the configuration in which the sheet is put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the sheet feeder presents a problem that it takes the time and trouble to pass the sheet between the pair of rollers in mounting a new roll. Moreover, in an unanticipated situation caused by a power failure or battery shutoff, a user cannot pull out the sheet manually since the sheet remains caught between the pair of rollers which is problematic.
- In view of these problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeder having a superior performance of sheet conveyance and suitable for downsizing.
- It is another object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeder in which its usability is improved.
- To accomplish these objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder comprising: a roll mounting section for receiving a roll of a continuous sheet wrapped around itself; and a conveying mechanism for automatically paying out the sheet of the roll mounted on the roll mounting section, wherein: a receiving section is provided on one side of a pullout portion of the sheet of the roll; and the conveying mechanism includes a feeding roller holding the pullout portion put between the feeding roller and the receiving section on the other side of the pullout portion and a drive motor for rotatably driving the feeding roller to pull out and convey the sheet of the roll.
- In the sheet feeder of the present invention, the feeding roller is rotated with the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll, which is mounted on the roll mounting section, put between the receiving section and the feeding roller. As a result, the sheet is pulled out of the roll and conveyed. Therefore, the sheet feeder is capable of paying out the sheet stably independently of the diameter or weight of the roll and thus is superior in performance of conveyance. Moreover, the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when a user pulls the pullout portion of the sheet in this configuration, without the use of the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. This permits an accomplishment of a sheet feeder suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.
- In the present invention, the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a roll holder having the roll mounting section, and the feeding roller is placed on the side of the roll holder and located on the underside of the pullout portion and the receiving section is movable in a direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding roller on the upside of the pullout portion and biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller. With this arrangement, the receiving section moves away from the feeding roller by pulling the sheet manually. Therefore, it is possible to pull out the sheet with a light force and to prevent the sheet from being caught in the feeding roller and tearing.
- In the present invention, the receiving section is preferably formed in a rotating member supported by the roll holder so as to be rotatable around the roll mounted on the roll mounting section above the roll.
- In the present invention, the rotating member is preferably rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section under its own weight from a neutral position above the roll mounting section and the receiving section is biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller under the self weight of the rotating member. With this arrangement, the rotating member can be rotated backward under its own weight so that the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area before mounting a new roll. Moreover, after the completion of mounting the roll, the pullout portion of the sheet can be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller only by rotating the rotating member forward under its own weight.
- In the present invention, the rotating member is preferably provided with a weight for biasing the receiving section in the direction of approaching the feeding roller. With this arrangement, the receiving section is put in the condition of holding the pullout portion of the sheet together with the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.
- In the present invention, a metal faceplate is preferably attached to the front face of the rotating member. With this arrangement, the faceplate acts as a weight and causes the pullout portion of the sheet to be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.
- In the present invention, the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a stopper mechanism between the roll holder and the rotating member, the stopper mechanism limiting an amount of displacement of the receiving section toward the feeding roller to within a specified range of displacement. This arrangement prevents the receiving section from being pressed toward the feeding roller with an excess force. Therefore, even if a user accidentally puts his/her hand on the rotating member during sheet conveyance, a sheet jam, a halt of the feeding roller, or any other abnormality does not occur.
- In the present invention, the rotating member is, for example, a cover member rotatable between a position where the roll is covered and a position where the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area.
- In the present invention, the roll holder has a cutter in a downstream position of the feeding roller and the color of the cutter is preferably different from the color of the roll holder. This emphasizes the cutter, thereby offering a safety in a situation where the sheet feeder of the present invention is installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Moreover, the cutter is located on the side of the roll holder, thus preventing the cutter from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction and thus providing easy cutting.
- In the present invention, the roll is preferably rotatably mounted on the roll mounting section. This facilitates mounting of a roll. Regarding the roll type, both of the cored roll and the coreless roll can be mounted.
- In the present invention, the feeding roller is preferably disposed in a plurality of locations in the width direction of the pullout portion. This arrangement prevents a local application of a great force to the sheet, thereby ensuring no occurrence of deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of the sheet during sheet conveyance.
- While the target sheet type is not limited in the sheet feeder according to the present invention, the sheet is, for example, toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, or aluminum foil.
- The sheet feeder of the present invention conveys the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll with the sheet put between the receiving section and the feeding roller. Therefore, the sheet can be paid out stably independently of the diameter and weight of the roll, thereby ensuring a favorable performance of sheet conveyance. Moreover, the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when the sheet is pulled out in this configuration. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located on the side of the feeding roller alone, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. Thus, it is suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced, thus also enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.
- The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawing in which:
-
FIG. 1A andFIG. 1B are perspective views showing a sheet feeder according to the present invention with the cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively; -
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section showing an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4A toFIG. 4D are cross sections showing actions of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5A andFIG. 5B are cross sections showing a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 6A andFIG. 6B are explanatory diagrams showing modifications of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 . - The preferred embodiment of the sheet feeder of the present invention will now be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- (General Configuration)
-
FIG. 1A andFIG. 1B show perspective views of the sheet feeder according to the present invention with a cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively.FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 .FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section illustrating an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 . - As shown in
FIG. 1A ,FIG. 1B , andFIG. 2 , thesheet feeder 1 of this embodiment is for use in the supply of asheet 2 a out of aroll 2, which is toilet paper as acontinuous sheet 2 a wrapped around itself, and comprises aroll holder 4 having aroll mounting section 3 for receiving theroll 2, a cover member 5 (rotating member) for covering theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3, a conveying mechanism for conveying thesheet 2 a pulled out of theroll 2 toward anoutput port 6, and asawtooth cutter 8 located at theoutput port 6. - The
roll holder 4 hasnarrow fixing boxes boxes guide member 13 in the horizontal direction. Theroll mounting section 3 receiving theroll 2 is formed by anarc portion 15, which curves backward from a substantiallyhorizontal portion 14 in the front of theguide member 13. - The
cover member 5 includes anarc cover portion 17 corresponding to the shape of theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3 andside plates arc cover portion 17 at a right angle toward the center of the arc.Projections side plates projections sockets 22 and 23 formed on the fixingboxes cover member 5 rotates around the central axis of rotation provided by theprojections sockets 22 and 23 and thus can rotate between theforward position 5A (SeeFIG. 1A ) where thecover member 5 covers theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3 and thebackward position 5B (SeeFIG. 1B ) where theroll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area. - In the
cover member 5, afaceplate 25 is attached to the front face of thearc cover portion 17 with a manufacturer's name, a product name, or the like put on thesurface 25A of thefaceplate 25. Thefaceplate 25 is made of a metal plate such as a rectangular stainless steel plate, which is graceful and elegant. Moreover, there is no need to mark the product for the manufacturer's name with a seal or printing. - In this embodiment, the
faceplate 25 has also a role of a weight. Specifically, as described later with reference toFIG. 4C andFIG. 4D , thecover member 5 is formed so as to be rotatable forward or backward of theroll mounting section 3 under its own weight from the neutral position above the roll mounting section. Therefore, if thefaceplate 25 is located forward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, thecover member 5 rotates forward under its own weight, while if thefaceplate 25 is located backward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, thecover member 5 rotates backward under its own weight in this embodiment. Accordingly, the sheet feeder does not halt with thecover member 5 partly open (partly closed), thereby providing excellent usability in this embodiment. - In this embodiment, the bottom end of the front side of the
arc cover portion 17 of thecover member 5 functions as a receivingsection 28 for conveying thesheet 2 a by using a conveyingmechanism 7 described later. In this regard, thecover member 5 is made of resin having a low friction coefficient and the receivingsection 28 forms a smooth surface, whereby the receivingsection 28 has an extremely low friction coefficient. Note here that, for example, only the receivingsection 28 may be formed of resin having a low friction coefficient in thecover member 5 by using two types of resin for reducing the friction coefficient of the receivingsection 28. - The conveying
mechanism 7 includes a feedingroller 27 located on the side of theroll holder 4 and aroller driver 32 corresponding to the feedingroller 27. The feedingroller 27 is disposed in five locations at regular intervals in the width direction of thesheet 2 a. The feedingrollers 27 are, for example, O rings made of polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, NBR, SBR, EPDM or the like put on acommon rotary shaft 29, each having a high friction coefficient on the roller surface. - The
rotary shaft 29 is rotatably supported by abottom cover 30 located on the underside of theroll holder 4. In theroll holder 4, fiverectangular holes 31 are formed in the width direction in the substantiallyhorizontal portion 14 of theguide member 13. With thebottom cover 30 attached to theroll holder 4, the respective roller surfaces of the fivefeeding rollers 27 are protruding upward of the substantiallyhorizontal portion 14 from therectangular holes 31 and face the receivingsection 28. Therefore, the receivingsection 28 is located on the upside of thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a of theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3 and thereby the feedingrollers 27 hold thepullout portion 2 b put between the feedingrollers 27 and the receivingsection 28 on the underside of thepullout portion 2 b. In this condition, the receivingsection 28 is biased toward the feedingrollers 27 under the self weight of thecover member 5. Thefaceplate 25 put on thecover member 5 also functions as a weight for biasing the receivingsection 28 toward the feedingrollers 27. - As shown in
FIG. 1A ,FIG. 2 , andFIG. 3 , trapezoidal-shapedstoppers 40 protruding upward are formed at both ends of theguide member 13 on both sides thereof in the substantiallyhorizontal portion 14. Thestoppers 40 are located slightly backward of the protruding position of the feedingrollers 27. Note here that the amount of protrusion of thestoppers 40 is substantially the same as the amount of protrusion of the feedingrollers 27. Therefore, when thecover member 5 is located in theforward position 5A, anabutment surface 28 a formed at the rear end of the receivingsection 28 abuts against the top faces 40 a of thestoppers 40, thereby preventing a further rotation exceeding theforward position 5A of thecover member 5. Therefore, even if a downward large external force is applied to thecover member 5 as indicated by an arrow F as shown inFIG. 3 , the maximum displacement of the receivingsection 28 toward the feedingrollers 27 is limited to the position. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , theroller driver 32 includes adrive motor 33 as a driving source, apinion 34 attached to the output shaft of thedrive motor 33, a speed reducinggear train 35 engaging with thepinion 34, and agear 36 engaging with the speed reducinggear train 35 and attached to therotary shaft 29 for the feedingrollers 27. Aninternal battery 37 housed in thefixing box 12 supplies power to thedrive motor 33. Furthermore, a control panel (not shown) is arranged in the front face of thefixing box 12 and thedrive motor 33 is actuated by depressing aswitch 38 of the control panel. - In the
output port 6, thesawtooth cutter 8 is horizontally fixed being put between theguide member 13 of theroll holder 4 and thebottom cover 30, with the cutting edge protruding forward. In this embodiment, thesawtooth cutter 8 is made of hard rubber and the color of thesawtooth cutter 8 is apparently different from that of theroll holder 3 and that of thecover member 5. - (Operation)
- Referring to
FIG. 4A toFIG. 4D , there are shown cross sections illustrating actions of the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 . Referring toFIG. 5A andFIG. 5B , there are shown cross sections illustrating a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown inFIG. 1 . - First, when the
roll 2 is supplied anew to thesheet feeder 1 of this embodiment, thecover member 5 is rotated to thebackward position 5B as shown inFIG. 4A so that theroll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area and then theroll 2 is mounted on theroll mounting section 3 from the front. In this embodiment, theroll 2 is rotatably mounted only by the mounting on theroll mounting section 3. - Subsequently, as shown in
FIG. 4B , thesheet 2 a is paid out of theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3, passed through the upper portion of the feedingrollers 27, and pulled out to near theoutput port 6. - The
cover member 5 is then rotated forward to theforward position 5A. At this point, as shown inFIG. 4C , the center of gravity of thecover member 5 moves forward of the center of rotation when thefaceplate 25 passes the position right above the center of rotation of thecover member 5, whereby thecover member 5 automatically rotates to theforward position 5A under its own weight and the weight of thefaceplate 25 as a weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent thecover member 5 from being left unclosed. - Thereafter, as shown in
FIG. 4D , upon the rotation of thecover member 5 completed to theforward position 5A, thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a is put between the feedingrollers 27 and the receivingsection 28. This condition is a standby state of thesheet feeder 1. If a user needs thesheet 2 a in the standby state and continuously depresses theswitch 38 of the control panel, thedrive motor 33 operates during the equivalent time period. Thereby, the feedingrollers 27 are driven, and the feedingrollers 27 pull thesheet 2 a out of theroll 2 and send it toward theoutput port 6. During this time, theroll 2 rotates following the rotation in theroll mounting section 3. - By releasing the
switch 38 when thesheet 2 a is pulled out by a given length, thedrive motor 33 stops. Thus, if the user pulls downward thesheet 2 a hanging from theoutput port 6, thesawtooth cutter 8 cuts thesheet 2 a. Thesheet feeder 1 then enters the standby state again. - If the feeding
rollers 27 cannot be driven for lack of power supply to thedrive motor 33 due to battery shutoff of theinternal battery 37 or the like, the front edge of thesheet 2 a is pulled diagonally upward as shown inFIG. 5A andFIG. 5B . Consequently, thesheet 2 a raises thecover member 5 and the receivingsection 28 moves away from the feedingrollers 27. Thesheet 2 a also rises from the feedingrollers 27. Thus, it is possible to pull out thesheet 2 a manually only by pulling thesheet 2 a lightly. To cut thesheet 2 a pulled out manually, thesheet 2 a is just pulled down in the same manner as in automatically pulling out thesheet 2 a, whereby thesawtooth cutter 8 cuts thesheet 2 a. - (Major Effects of this Embodiment)
- As stated hereinabove, in the
sheet feeder 1 of this embodiment, the feedingrollers 27 are rotated with thesheet 2 a, which has been pulled out of theroll 2 mounted on theroll mounting section 3, put between the receivingsection 28 and the feedingrollers 27. Thereby, thesheet 2 a is pulled out of theroll 2 and conveyed. Therefore, the sheet feeder is capable of paying out thesheet 2 a stably and independently of the diameter and weight of theroll 2 from the beginning to end of use. The sheet feeder is therefore superior in the performance of conveyance, unlike the configuration in which theroll 2 a is rotatably driven directly. Moreover, thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a of theroll 2 is put between the feedingrollers 27 and the receivingsection 28, without use of the configuration in which thepullout portion 2 b is put between the pair of rollers made of a feeding roller and a driven roller. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the feedingrollers 27 may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of thesheet feeder 1. This permits an accomplishment of thesheet feeder 1 suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which thepullout portion 2 b is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of thesheet feeder 1 to be achieved. - The
cover member 5 is rotatable between theforward position 5A and thebackward position 5B: if thecover member 5 is rotated to thebackward position 5B, theroll mounting section 3 becomes open in the forward and upward directions. Moreover, theroll mounting section 3 has a structure in which theroll 2 is rotatably mounted. Therefore, theroll 2 can be easily mounted onto theroll mounting section 3. Furthermore, theroll 2 just follows the rotation and thus a user can use both types of rolls, a cored roll and a coreless roll. Still further, the user can mount theroll 2 in either right-hand or left-hand direction where thesheet 2 a is wrapped around itself when viewed from one side. - Moreover, the
cover member 5 including the receivingsection 28 can rotate between theforward position 5A and thebackward position 5B, which facilitates the work between the receivingsection 28 and the feedingrollers 27, in comparison with the configuration in which thesheet 2 a is passed between the pair of rollers. Furthermore, if the feedingrollers 27 cannot be driven due to battery shutoff or the like, a user can raise the receivingsection 28 by pulling thesheet 2 a manually, by which thesheet 2 a moves away from the feedingrollers 27. Therefore, the user can pull thesheet 2 a with a light force. At this point, thesheet 2 a slides on the receivingsection 28, but an excess force is not applied to thesheet 2 a due to the low friction coefficient of the receivingsection 28. Therefore, even toilet paper which is easy to tear does not tear halfway. In addition, even if thesheet 2 a has a tear in it, it is not caught in the receivingsection 28 or the feedingrollers 27, whereby thesheet 2 a does not stick to the receivingsection 28 or the feedingrollers 27 which leads to jamming of the sheet. - Moreover, the receiving
section 28 is movable in the direction of approaching or moving away from the feedingrollers 27, while it is biased toward the feedingrollers 27 under the self weight of thecover member 5. Thefaceplate 25 attached to the front face of thecover member 5 functions as a weight for biasing the receivingsection 28 toward the feedingrollers 27. Therefore, thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a can be securely put between the receivingsection 28 and the feedingrollers 27 without use of a spring, thus ensuring the conveyance of thesheet 2 a. Moreover, in theroll holder 4, thestoppers 40 are formed for limiting the amount of displacement of the receivingsection 28 toward the feedingrollers 27 to within a specified range of displacement at both ends of the substantiallyhorizontal portion 14 of theguide member 13. Therefore, even if a user accidentally puts his/her hand on thecover member 5 during conveyance of thesheet 2 a, it does not disturb the rotation of the feedingrollers 27 and conveyance of thesheet 2 a. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an occurrence of jamming of thesheet 2 a and a failure of theroller driver 32 which may be caused by pressing thecover member 5 toward theroll holder 4. - Moreover, in the conveying
mechanism 7, the plurality of feedingrollers 27 are disposed at regular intervals in the width direction of thesheet 2 a, thereby preventing a local application of a great force to thesheet 2 a. Therefore, deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of thesheet 2 a do not occur during sheet conveyance. Furthermore, paper lint may be sometimes put on the feedingroller 27 during conveyance of the toilet paper as thesheet 2 a. If so, the friction coefficient of the roller surface is lowered. The use of the plurality of feedingrollers 27, however, prevents trouble in conveying thesheet 2 a even if a problem occurs in a part of the feedingrollers 27. In addition, due to the use of the plurality of feedingrollers 27 and the high frictional resistance of the roller surfaces, a large holding force is applied when the user cuts thesheet 2 a and the force does not concentrate in a single point of thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a at the time of cutting, thus preventing a tear in thesheet 2 a. Therefore, the user can neatly cut thesheet 2 a. - Still further, the
sawtooth cutter 8 is located on the side of theroll holder 4. This prevents thesawtooth cutter 8 from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction as has been in the arrangement of the sawtooth cutter on the side of the cover member, thus providing easy cutting. Moreover, thesawtooth cutter 8 has a color which appears different from the color of theroll holder 4 and of thecover member 5, so that thesawtooth cutter 8 is emphasized. Therefore, thesheet feeder 1 can be safely installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Moreover, thesheet 2 a is pulled down instead of lifting thesheet 2 a for cutting thesheet 2 a in this embodiment. Thus, the emphasized position of thesawtooth cutter 8 helps the user to notice the way of pulling down thesheet 2 a. Therefore, it provides excellent usability for the elderly who may not readily adapt to a new system. Furthermore, while visually handicapped people find it hard to recognize an object unless it has a sharp contrast to others, thesawtooth cutter 8 has a different color from the color of theroll holder 4 and of thecover member 5. Therefore, the visually handicapped can readily recognize the position of thesawtooth cutter 8 and thus the sheet feeder is also user-friendly for them. - (Other Preferred Embodiments)
- While the receiving
section 28 is biased toward the feedingrollers 27 under the self weight of thecover member 5 and that of thefaceplate 25 in the above embodiment, it is also possible to bias the receivingsection 28 toward the feedingrollers 27 by means of a biasing force ofcoil springs 42 with the coil springs 42 each coupled to theroll holder 4 and thecover member 5 as shown inFIG. 6A . Regarding a mechanism of rotating thecover member 5 between theforward position 5A and thebackward position 5B, it is also possible to arrange a slide mechanism with guides formed on the side of theroll holder 4 moving on arc rails 43 formed on theside plates cover member 5 a, as shown inFIG. 6B . This arrangement permits setting of a virtual center of rotation and therefore there is no need to provide the sockets for rotatably supporting thecover member 5. - While the above embodiment has been described by giving an example of using toilet paper as the
sheet 2 a, the present invention is also applicable to a sheet feeder for the supply of kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, aluminum foil or the like. - While the receiving
section 28 has been located on the upside of thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a and the feedingrollers 27 have been located on the underside of thepullout portion 2 b in the above embodiment, it is also possible to arrange the feedingrollers 27 on the upside of thepullout portion 2 b of thesheet 2 a and the receivingsection 28 on the underside of thepullout portion 2 b conversely. - While the
faceplate 25 pasted on the front face of thecover member 5 has been used as a weight in the above embodiment, a dedicated weight may be attached or the thickness of thecover member 5 may be partially increased so that the thick part functions as a weight. - While the
sheet 2 a has been fed out while theswitch 38 of the control panel is depressed in the above embodiment, it is also possible to adopt a mechanism of automatically feeding out thesheet 2 a by a fixed length just by depressing theswitch 38. In this regard, two switches for “excrement” and “urine” may be arranged asswitches 38, so that the length of thesheet 2 a to be pulled out depends on which of theswitches 38 is depressed. In addition, a sensor window may be formed on theroll holder 4, so that thesheet 2 a is pulled out under remote control using infrared rays. Furthermore, an external battery pack or an AC power supply may be used as the power supply, instead of theinternal battery 37. - Moreover, the
sawtooth cutter 8 may be formed of material other than hard rubber such as, for example, resin or metal and may be integrated with theguide member 13 or thebottom cover 30 only if it is located on the side of theroll holder 4. - While the foregoing description and drawings represent the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims (12)
1. A sheet feeder comprising:
a roll mounting section for receiving a roll of a continuous sheet wrapped around itself; and
a conveying mechanism for automatically paying out the sheet of the roll mounted on the roll mounting section, wherein:
a receiving section is provided on one side of a pullout portion of the sheet of the roll; and
the conveying mechanism includes a feeding roller holding the pullout portion put between the feeding roller and the receiving section on the other side of the pullout portion and a drive motor for rotatably driving the feeding roller to pull out and convey the sheet of the roll.
2. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , further comprising a roll holder having the roll mounting section, wherein:
the feeding roller is placed on the side of the roll holder and located on the underside of the pullout portion; and
the receiving section is movable in a direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding roller on the upside of the pullout portion and biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.
3. The sheet feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the receiving section is formed in a rotating member supported by the roll holder so as to be rotatable around the roll mounted on the roll mounting section above the roll.
4. The sheet feeder according to claim 3 , wherein:
the rotating member is rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section under its own weight from a neutral position above the roll mounting section; and
the receiving section is biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller under the self weight of the rotating member.
5. The sheet feeder according to claim 4 , wherein the rotating member is provided with a weight for biasing the receiving section in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.
6. The sheet feeder according to claim 4 , wherein a metal faceplate is attached to the face of the rotating member.
7. The sheet feeder according to claim 3 , further comprising a stopper mechanism between the roll holder and the rotating member, the stopper mechanism limiting an amount of displacement of the receiving section toward the feeding roller to within a specified range of displacement.
8. The sheet feeder according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating member is a cover member rotatable between a position where the roll is covered and a position where the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area.
9. The sheet feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the roll holder has a cutter in a downstream position of the feeding roller and the color of the cutter is different from the color of the roll holder.
10. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the roll is rotatably mounted on the roll mounting section.
11. The sheet feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding roller is disposed in a plurality of locations in the width direction of the pullout portion.
12. The sheet feeder according to-claim 11 , wherein the sheet is toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, or aluminum foil.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2004-152442 | 2004-05-21 | ||
JP2004152442A JP2005330091A (en) | 2004-05-21 | 2004-05-21 | Sheet supply device |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20050275153A1 true US20050275153A1 (en) | 2005-12-15 |
Family
ID=35459717
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/132,679 Abandoned US20050275153A1 (en) | 2004-05-21 | 2005-05-19 | Sheet feeder |
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---|---|
US (1) | US20050275153A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2005330091A (en) |
CN (1) | CN1698508A (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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WO2012003867A1 (en) * | 2010-07-07 | 2012-01-12 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products |
US20120090955A1 (en) * | 2010-07-30 | 2012-04-19 | Neopost Technologies | Mailpiece selector device for selecting mixed mailpieces |
CN102920384A (en) * | 2012-10-30 | 2013-02-13 | 金红叶纸业集团有限公司 | Toilet paper storing and fetching device |
US20150196174A1 (en) * | 2014-01-13 | 2015-07-16 | Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products Lp | Sheet product dispensers and related methods for automatically loading a roll of sheet product in a dispenser |
RU2616564C2 (en) * | 2012-10-26 | 2017-04-17 | Ска Хайджин Продактс Аб | Separation unit, as well as dispensing device containing separation unit |
US9999325B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2018-06-19 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US10058221B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2018-08-28 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Dispenser |
US11206956B2 (en) | 2014-04-28 | 2021-12-28 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Dispenser |
US11723495B2 (en) | 2019-03-29 | 2023-08-15 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Rolled product feed system |
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WO2014008628A1 (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-16 | Dong Haitao | Automatic toilet paper machine |
KR20150009228A (en) * | 2013-07-16 | 2015-01-26 | 쓰리엠 이노베이티브 프로퍼티즈 캄파니 | Tape cleaner |
JP6072864B1 (en) * | 2015-08-11 | 2017-02-01 | 茂一 菊地 | Roll paper holder |
EP3842363A4 (en) * | 2018-08-21 | 2022-04-27 | Matsuo Industries, Inc. | Sheet dispensing device |
CN115339253B (en) * | 2022-08-26 | 2024-05-03 | 河北智取科技有限公司 | Automatic stamping device for paper documents |
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- 2005-05-20 CN CNA2005100758994A patent/CN1698508A/en active Pending
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Cited By (18)
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WO2012003867A1 (en) * | 2010-07-07 | 2012-01-12 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet products |
US8517166B2 (en) * | 2010-07-30 | 2013-08-27 | Neopost Technologies | Mailpiece selector device for selecting mixed mailpieces |
US20120090955A1 (en) * | 2010-07-30 | 2012-04-19 | Neopost Technologies | Mailpiece selector device for selecting mixed mailpieces |
US9999325B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2018-06-19 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
RU2616564C2 (en) * | 2012-10-26 | 2017-04-17 | Ска Хайджин Продактс Аб | Separation unit, as well as dispensing device containing separation unit |
US11166604B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2021-11-09 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US10058221B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2018-08-28 | Sca Hygiene Products Ab | Dispenser |
US11871877B2 (en) * | 2012-10-26 | 2024-01-16 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US10390664B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2019-08-27 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US10568471B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2020-02-25 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US10842329B2 (en) | 2012-10-26 | 2020-11-24 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
US20200383530A1 (en) * | 2012-10-26 | 2020-12-10 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Separation unit and a dispenser comprising a separation unit |
CN102920384A (en) * | 2012-10-30 | 2013-02-13 | 金红叶纸业集团有限公司 | Toilet paper storing and fetching device |
US20150196174A1 (en) * | 2014-01-13 | 2015-07-16 | Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products Lp | Sheet product dispensers and related methods for automatically loading a roll of sheet product in a dispenser |
US10863875B2 (en) * | 2014-01-13 | 2020-12-15 | Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc | Sheet product dispensers and related methods for automatically loading a roll of sheet product in a dispenser |
US10149579B2 (en) * | 2014-01-13 | 2018-12-11 | Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc | Sheet product dispensers and related methods for automatically loading a roll of sheet product in a dispenser |
US11206956B2 (en) | 2014-04-28 | 2021-12-28 | Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag | Dispenser |
US11723495B2 (en) | 2019-03-29 | 2023-08-15 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Rolled product feed system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2005330091A (en) | 2005-12-02 |
CN1698508A (en) | 2005-11-23 |
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