Dispenser

Abstract

 A dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll and a complementary roll (10) of sheet material are disclosed, which roll (10) has a location arrangement for releasably mounting said roll between a spigot and an oppositely facing support element for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the dispenser, the arrangement comprising: a core (11) around which the sheet material is wrapped, one end of said core being mounted or mountable relative to said support element for rotation, the other end of the core having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion (11) projecting from the wrapped material, a generally axial slot (14) being provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof; and a fixing (16) provided on said cylindrical portion (11), the fixing having a bearing surface (24) for rotatably engaging said spigot for rotational movement about said longitudinal axis, the fixing (16) having a radial path (30) to said bearing surface, the path being radially aligned with the slot (14) in said core, whereby the end of the core (11) may be laterally engaged with said spigot support element.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to location arrangements for releasably mounting a roll of sheet material and in particular, but not exclusively, to such arrangements for use in dispensers for dispensing sheet material. The invention also extends to rolls of sheet material adapted for use in such arrangements as well as cores and fixings therefor.

[0002] There are numerous applications where it is required to be able to remove and replace a roll of sheet material from suitable mountings. For example in the catering industry aluminium foil, cling film, baking parchment are all commonly supplied as a roll of sheet material in a dispenser which stores, cuts and dispenses the material. It is important in some applications to ensure that the dispenser is only used with refill rolls that are designed for use with a given dispenser.

[0003] Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides a location arrangement for releasably mounting a roll of sheet material between a spigot and an oppositely facing support element for rotation about a longitudinal axis, the arrangement comprising: a core around which the sheet material is wrapped, one end of said core being mounted or mountable relative to said support element for rotation, the other end of the core having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the wrapped material, a generally axial slot being provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof; and a fixing provided on said cylindrical portion, the fixing having a bearing surface for rotatably engaging said spigot for rotational movement about said longitudinal axis, the fixing having a radial path to said bearing surface, the path being radially aligned with the slot in said core, whereby the end of the core may be laterally engaged with said spigot support element.

[0004] Although different methods of attachment are possible, said fixing preferably comprises a generally cylindrical inner portion for being push-fitted into the end of the cylindrical portion of said core.

[0005] To resist deformation or splaying of the core the fixing preferably includes one or more external constraining elements that fit around at least part of the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the core. The external constraining element conveniently comprises an external skirt extending around said fitting but interrupted adjacent the radial path. The fixing preferably includes means for resiliently and releasably trapping said spigot into engagement with an arcuate bearing surface of the fixing. The means for trapping may comprise at least one flexible finger adapted to snap around said spigot in use.

[0006] The invention also extends to a dispenser for dispensing sheet material from a roll, incorporating a location arrangement as set out above. To facilitate removal of a spent core a guide surface may be provided adjacent said spigot onto which an external surface of the fixing and/or core may be pushed when the spigot is moved along said radial path in use. The guide surface is preferably curved to assist the user to manipulate the core of the roll clear of the spigot, at least when the roll is empty.

[0007] The invention also extends to a roll of sheet material wrapped around a core, one end of said core having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the wrapped material, there being a generally axial slot provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof, and a fixing fitted into said cylindrical portion, the fixing having a bearing surface for rotatably engaging, in use, a spigot, the fixing having a radial path to said bearing surface, with the path being radially aligned with the slot in said core.

[0008] The invention also extends to a fixing for use in a roll or arrangement as described above.

[0009] The invention also extends to a core for a roll of sheet material, the core being provided at one end with a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion, and carrying a generally axial slot extending from the free edge thereof.

[0010] Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination or sub-combination of the features disclosed in the following description, claims or drawings.

[0011] The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a roll of sheet material prior to being mounted in a location arrangement in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a more detailed perspective view on the front side of a fitting at one end of the roll for use in the location arrangement;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear side and inner portion of the fixing when removed from the core of a roll;

Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are front, side and rear views of the fixing;

Figure 5 is a perspective exploded view of the fixing and the slotted end of the core of the roll;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the base of a dispenser showing the spigot and guide surface;

Figures 7a and b show the steps involved in loading a roll onto the location arrangement;

Figures 8a to f show the steps involved in removing a roll from the location arrangement;

Figure 9 is an end view of another embodiment of this invention; and

Figure 10 shows a further embodiment of a support element used in the invention.

[0012] The arrangement illustrated in the drawings is designed to allow a roll 10 of material to be fitted into a dispenser 12. The roll of material comprises a hollow core 11 of cardboard or the like on which is wrapped the sheet material. One end of the arrangement (the upper end as viewed) is supported for rotation in the dispenser in any suitable conventional means. In this example the core simply rests on an outwardly facing U-shaped semi-circular cup surface (38 Figure 6) for allowing the roll to rotate about its longitudinal axis. A variety of different arrangements could be used including various fixings which push into the end of the coil and engage complementary fixings on the inner wall of the dispenser.

[0013] At the other end of the roll 10, a location arrangement 5 is provided, having the following features. A strip of the core material has been cut away to provide a slot 14 (see in particular Figure 5). Pushed into the end of the core is a fixing 16 illustrated in Figures 2 to 5. The fixing 16 comprises an inner cylindrical portion in the form of a sleeve 18 which is a friction fit inside the inner surface of the core 12, and an outer skirt 20 which overlaps the end of the core so that the free edge of the core is securely located in a circular channel 22 defined between the inner sleeve 18 and the outer skirt 20. Axially extending grippers 17 (only one of which is referenced) formed on the outer surface of the sleeve 18 aid the friction fit of the sleeve 18 in the core 11. The fixing 16 is typically of moulded plastics material and relatively rigid between the skirt and the sleeve so that the core wall is held against splaying or deformation. Concentric in the fixing device is a semi-cylindrical bearing shell 24 which extends the full length of the fixing and is supported by plastic webs 26 running to the sleeve 18. The semi-cylindrical shell 24 is designed to be a rotational fit with the outer surface of a spigot 28 projecting from the wall of the dispenser (see Figures 6 to 8). The skirt 20 is interrupted at 23 to provide a circumferential gap which is the entrance to a path 30 radially aligned with the semi-cylindrical shell 24. Extending generally radially back from the entrance to the path are two sprung arms 32 designed to snap around the spigot so that bearing surfaces 34 on the clips of the arms cooperate with the cylindrical shell 24 rotatably to retain the fixing on the spigot.

[0014] The fixing 16 is fitted onto the core 12 by aligning the entrance 23 of the fixing with the slot 14 on the core and then pushing the fitting home so that the free edge of the core 12 is received in the channel 22 between the skirt 20 and the sleeve 18.

[0015] As seen in Figures 6 to 8, the wall of the dispenser beneath the spigot 28 carries a curved guide surface 36 which projects inwardly from the end wall of the dispenser by an axial extent similar to the axial length of the skirt 20 on the fixing 16. The guide surface 36 is designed to assist removal of a roll once the fixing has been disengaged from the spigot.

[0016] The operation of loading a refill roll and removing an empty roll will now be described. Referring to Figures 7a and 7b a roll 10 is fitted into the dispenser 12 by first aligning the roll so that the radial path 30 and slot 14 at the end carrying the fixing 16 are pointing downwards and then engaging the other end of the roll with its rotary support. The end of the roll carrying the fixing is then lowered so that the spigot 28 enters the path 30 of the fixing 16 and engages the sprung arms 32. Pushing the roll firmly downwards cams the spigot 28 past the resilient fingers so that the spigot rotatably engages the semi-cylindrical bearing shell 24 and the bearing surfaces 34. The roll 10 is now free to rotate about its longitudinal axis as shown in Figure 7a.

[0017] Referring now to Figures 8a to 8f, when it is desired to remove the roll 12, it is rotated until the radial path 30 is pointing uppermost (Figure 8a). This can be easily checked by looking for sight of the spigot 28. When arranged in the uppermost position, the core 11 is pushed downwardly (Figure 8b) so that the spigot 28 cams back past the resilient sprung arms 32 and enters the radial path 30. Travel down the path 30 is limited by the fixing 16 contacting the guide surface 36 on the end wall of the dispenser. The roll is then rotated through 180° (Figures 8c to 8f) for example in the direction of A , assisted by the guide surface 36 until the radial path 30 is pointing downwards whereupon the roll can be disengaged from the fitting and lifted clear of the dispenser in the direction of arrow B in Figure 8f.

[0018] Referring now to Figure 9, in this embodiment the guide surface and a trap rib are configured to ensure that an attempt to fit a roll provided with a slot but without a fixing is fruitless. In Figure 9 the dispenser housing releasably receives a roll holder component 40. The roll holder component 40 supports a spigot 28 and a guide surface 36 as described above, but a trap rib 42 is also provided in the generally same plane as the guide surface 36 but of lesser axial extent. If a slotted core without a fixing is fitted, then when the slot 14 reaches the 12 o'clock position with respect to the spigot, it will drop so that the end of the core 11 projecting from the roll will bear on the guide surface 36. The dispenser is designed so that the roll as viewed rotates counter-clockwise to dispense. As the core rotates, past the 12 o'clock position, the trailing edge of the slot 14 will tend to jam or wedge under the lower part of the spigot, and against the guide surface and the trap rib 42. Alternately, as the core rotates, the slot 14 will arrive at the 4 o'clock position where it will snag with the trap rib 42 and prevent further rotation and dispensing.

[0019] Another important advantage of the described embodiments is that they provide a 'push to fit' and a 'push to release' action for the rolls. This makes it easier to unload as the user does not have to pull on the roll whilst pushing on the dispenser; for both actions the user can use both hands to click or unclick the fitting. Also the 'push to release' feature means that the user can visually align the spigot with the slot. Thus, the invention provides a dispenser and roll of material to be dispensed from the dispenser, supported or supportable in the dispenser for rotation about an axis, said roll including a location arrangement adjacent at least at one end of the roll for releasably capturing a receiving arrangement of the dispenser, wherein the roll is, at least at one end, inserted into the dispenser in a radial direction to capture said receiving arrangement and allow said rotation.

[0020] Referring to Figure 10, the support 38 is shown in more detail. The support 38 includes a horseshoe shaped support 50 which supports the core 11, opposite the fixing 16. In use the rolled material on the roll 10 will abut the edge 52 of the support, preventing the roll from disengaging axially from the spigot 28. When the roll is empty, or substantially empty, in addition to the technique of removal mentioned above, the empty roll can be slid axially further into the support 38, away from the spigot 28, so that the roll clears the spigot 28. This movement is not possible when there is material on the roll because the rolled material abuts the surface 52.

[0021] A restriction 54 prevents the core 11 from slipping out of the support 50 in use, but allows the introduction and forced removal of the a roll which is full or partially used, should it be necessary to remove the roll for exchange with a different roll.

Claims

1. A location arrangement (5) for releasably mounting a roll (10) of sheet material between a spigot (28) and an oppositely facing support element (38) for rotation about a longitudinal axis, the arrangement comprising: a core (11) around which the sheet material is wrapped, one end of said core (11) being mounted or mountable relative to said support element (38) for rotation, the other end of the core (11) having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the wrapped material, characterised in that the core has a generally axial slot provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof; and in that a fixing (16) is provided on said cylindrical portion, the fixing having a bearing surface (24) for rotatably engaging said spigot (28) for rotational movement about said longitudinal axis, the fixing (16) having a radial path (30) to said bearing surface (24), the path (30) being radially aligned with the slot (18) in said core (11), whereby the end of the core may be laterally engaged with said spigot support element (28).

2. A location arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixing comprises a generally cylindrical inner portion (18) for being push-fitted into the end of the cylindrical portion of said core (11).

3. A location arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing includes one or more external constraining elements (20) that fit around at least part of the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the core (11).

4. A location arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the external constraining element (20) comprises an external skirt extending around said fitting but interrupted adjacent the radial path.

5. A location arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing includes at least one element (32) for resiliently and releasably trapping said spigot into engagement with an arcuate portion of the bearing surface (24) of the fixing.

6. A location arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one element for trapping comprises at least one flexible finger (32) adapted to snap around said spigot (28) in use.

7. A dispenser (12) for dispensing sheet material from a roll (18), comprising a spigot (28) and an oppositely facing support element (38), and comprising a location arrangement (5) for releasably mounting a roll of sheet material (10) between the spigot (28) and the oppositely facing support element (38) for rotation about a longitudinal axis, characterised in that the arrangement comprises: a core (11) around which the sheet material is wrapped, one end of said core being mounted or mountable relative to said support element (38) for rotation, the other end of the core having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the wrapped material, a generally axial slot (14) being provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof; and a fixing (16) provided on said cylindrical portion, the fixing (16) having a bearing surface (24) for rotatably engaging said spigot (28) for rotational movement about said longitudinal axis, the fixing (16) having a radial path (30) to said bearing surface (24), the path being radially aligned with the slot (14) in said core, whereby the end of the core may be laterally engaged with said spigot support element.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, further including a guide surface (36) provided adjacent said spigot onto which an external surface of the fixing and/or core may be pushed when the spigot is moved, relative to the fixing, along said radial path in use.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide surface (36) is curved to assist the user to manipulate the core of the roll clear of the spigot, at least when the roll is empty.

10. A dispenser as claimed in an one of the claims 7, 8 or 9, wherein the oppositely facing support element (38) includes a U-shaped formation (50) having an edge (52) facing the roll for abutting the material on the roll, and for allowing disengaging axial movement of the core (11) away from the spigot (28) only when the core is spent or substantially spent.

11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein said support element further includes a restriction (54) allowing forced removal of the core radially, when the roll is not spent.

12. A roll of sheet material wrapped around a core (11), one end of said core having a wall region defining a generally hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the wrapped material, characterised in that there is a generally axial slot (14) provided in the wall region extending to the free edge thereof, and in that a fixing (16) is fitted into said cylindrical portion, the fixing (16) having bearing surface (24) for rotatably engaging, in use, a spigot (28), the fixing having a radial path (30) to said bearing surface, with the path being radially aligned with the slot (14) in said core.

Drawing