Classifications

• • 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
  • A47K10/28—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 dispensing a clean part and taking-up a soiled part, e.g. using rolls; with dispensers for soap or other detergents; with disinfecting or heating devices

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for dispensing a flat and absorbent tape material for drying hands, a first partial volume for receiving and storing a supply of clean, ready-to-use tape material and a second partial volume for receiving used tape material being provided in an apparatus housing is, the two partial volumes are separated from each other by a sliding partition and the strip material forms a loose loop, which is manually triggered, transferred from the first partial volume at intervals and synchronously into the second partial volume, and the strip material used outside the two partial volumes , is transported on the side facing away from the user, forming a loop.
• the invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.
• a method according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from EP-AI-0 227 860.
• the implementation of this method in a towel dispenser leads to devices with a large overall height and also only allows the use of strip material of relatively short length. This dispenser is therefore unsuitable for applications with frequent use, for example in public washrooms.
• towel dispensers with towel rolls which are used in the form of clean cloth rolls in an apparatus and are removed as used, dirty rolls and brought to washing.
• These towel dispensers are usually constructed in such a way that the same fabric part is not used unintentionally multiple times; in particular, the end of the tape material must not hang freely accessible from the apparatus.
• absorbent and tear-resistant paper tapes are now used instead of fabric, which are removed from the dispenser and burned after use.
• the invention is also intended to simplify and reduce the cost of logistics for the operation and maintenance of the donors.
• the staff should touch it as little as possible; it should also be easy to transport and require little storage space.
• the subject of the invention is also intended to take into account the wide spread of the quality and the respective condition of the tape material. In particular, it should also be able to transport and stow long and sewn-together tapes without any problems, so that its uninterrupted use in frequently used public washrooms is guaranteed.
• This object is achieved according to the invention in that the position of the displaceable partition, depending on the degree of filling in the second partial volume, is controlled in such a way that this partial volume increases to accommodate additional strip material used.
• the method according to the invention allows the construction of compact towel dispensers in a large number of design variants, including their modular structure.
• the degree of filling mentioned in the patent claim is defined by the amount of strip material present in the respective partial volume, in relation to the maximum possible amount; the maximum degree of filling is related to the functional form of the strip material and not to the highest possible packing density. The maximum degree of filling is thus dependent on the winding form of the strip material, but also on this itself, for example on its quality, degree of wear, moisture content, etc.
• the subject of the invention can easily be combined with mechanisms which are known and proven per se for determining the interval or the accessible strip length per use.
• the corresponding device is characterized in that a spindle driven by an actuator is provided, which controls the position of the partition wall via a threaded nut.
• the control of the volumes according to claim 2 can be implemented in its simplest form via the forces occurring in the second partial volume.
• the known arrangement of the volumes, one above the other, is advantageous, since the lowering of the floor necessary for this is particularly simple.
• a position control according to claim 6 allows the inclusion of microprocessors and serves to achieve a maximum
• An improvement of the control by means of a spindle drive according to claim 8 has, according to claim 9, a belt, for example a toothed belt, to which the partition can be connected very easily. Velcro straps could be used in a similar manner.
• Another toothed belt ensures a smooth transfer of kinetic energy.
• Claim 11 relates to a favorable positioning of the rollers with minimal, necessary for the retraction of the tape end displacement paths.
• the embodiment according to claim 12 describes a very simple triggering of the displacement of the rollers to retract the end of the tape; only a small amount of force is required.
• the solution according to claim 13 is particularly advantageous, wherein the energy necessary for drawing in is stored inside a roll and this is released at the correct time.
• the volumes can be used optimally. Storage space during storage and transport is also reduced.
• the folding container according to claim 15 is particularly hygienic and facilitates the return of dirty material. It also prevents contamination in the device housing.
• Temporary storage of the energy for pulling in the end of the tape is particularly simple.
• a single, easily exchangeable cassette takes up both partial volumes, i.e. the clean and used tape material.
• the design of the cassette according to claim 23 is particularly simple and economical; the small space requirement also allows them to be assembled in a laundry.
• Fig. 5 shows the basic principle of an autonomous interchangeable cassette for taking up and transporting the tape
• FIG. 6 shows a further developed cassette with a folding container in an apparatus housing with a hinged lid
• FIG. 7 shows a further cassette in a perspective view, in the functional state, outside of an apparatus housing
• 8 shows the upper pair of rollers from FIG. 7 as a slide-in unit
• FIG. 13 shows the mode of operation of the element FIG. 12 when a predetermined degree of filling is reached
• an apparatus housing which has a front side F and a rear side R suitable for mounting on a wall.
• the outer wall of which is cut vertically is the strip material 2 intended for hand drying.
• This is in the form of a loop 3 of a first partial volume VI with a clean stack 5 of material 2, with folds 7, via a passage 1 ', transferred behind an inner wall 8 into a second partial volume V2, which contains a stack 6 with dirty strip material 2'.
• the stack 5 lies on a cover 10, which in turn is fixed on a base plate 9.
• the clean strip material 2 is passed between two rubberized sliding rollers 16 and 17 through an opening in the base plate 9 and upwards via similar rollers 18, 19 and 21 before it forms a loop 3 below a passage 1b.
• the dirty strip material 2 ' is also guided on rollers 22 to 24 above the partial volume V2 and slides through an opening 14' into a folding container 14 with bellows 15.
• the second partial volume V2 increases at the expense of the first partial volume VI, i.e. a partition 11, which has a friction block 12 with spring on each of two opposite end faces and is thus guided and braked in guide grooves 13 arranged on both sides, slides vertically downward and opens the bellows 15 in accordance with the increasing space requirement of the band material 2 'used.
• the friction block 12 is shown without a spring.
• the degree of filling in the partial volume V2 is kept approximately constant; the increasing weight of the filled band material is compensated for by the progressive spring action of the bellows 15.
• the roller 23 is arranged to be horizontally displaceable and is coupled to the roller 21 by an operative connection 27, which is also designed to engage horizontally (in the direction of the arrow to the right) and is supported in a support 26 '.
• a laced stack of tissue towels is inserted into the lower part volume VI of the apparatus housing.
• one end of the strip material 2 can be pushed between the rollers 16, 17;
• the strip material 2 slides between the rollers 18 and 19 on the left inner edge of the apparatus housing 1 and can be gripped there.
• the roller 20 is pushed axially parallel to the outside;
• the tape 2 is guided downwards in front of the roll 19 through an open gap and pulled until a loop 3 is formed which is large enough to dry the hands, cf. 1.
• the strip material 2 is then pushed up between the inner wall 8 serving as a guide wall and the outer wall of the apparatus housing 1 and pulled between the rolls 22, 23 and 24, so that the end projects into the folding container 14.
• the resiliently configured roller 20, described in more detail below in FIG. 4, and the identically constructed roller 21, determine the presence of strip material in a simple manner (see FIG. 1):
• both rollers are deflected on their spring travel.
• the deflection of the roller 21 is transmitted to the roller 23 by a two-armed lever 27 drawn outside the apparatus housing 1 for reasons of illustration, so that the lever loses its friction with the fabric band 2 'and the roller 24 now contacts.
• the roller 23 has an outer friction tube 30, which is coated in the usual way for the mass transfer.
• the friction tube 30 is centered on the left side on a sliding bush 34, on which a gear wheel 36 is pressed.
• a sleeve 32 is pressed into the interior of the friction tube 30, said sleeve being provided with a recess 31 and being connected to the friction tube 30 in a rotationally secure manner by means of a notch-like rim 31 ′.
• An axis 29 is axially inserted, on each side of which a spiral spring 37 engages with its inner spring end 38 in a shaft groove of the same name.
• the outer spring end 39 engages in a similar groove in the bore of the sleeve 32 in a form-fitting manner.
• a spring washer 40 on the left, which is embedded peripherally in the sliding bush 34 and axially secures the whole.
• the axle 29 also has a ratchet wheel 52, known per se, with a brake, which blocks the axle 29 on its sliding surfaces 35 during tensioning of the springs 37.
• the ratchet wheel 52 can also be used to limit travel and / or time.
• Fig. 3 shows the roller 23 in an end view with the one gear 36, here also the toothed belt 28 is shown and a slot 45 recessed in the apparatus housing 1, Fig. 1, laterally in the outer wall, in the form of a keyway.
• the keyway serves to support the roller 23 and allows it to be displaced axially parallel.
• a section in the horizontal plane is characterized by a double axis s of symmetry Execution of the support 26 drawn next to it with the lateral roller 20 'and a central roller 20.
• a yoke plate 41 is riveted inside the cover 25, which has a guide slot 50 lying in the horizontal plane, in which a shaft 48 is slidably mounted.
• a knurled screw 46 with a concentrically arranged, internal compression spring 47 is screwed into a thread 44 in a threaded plate 43, which is fixed in the yoke 41.
• the compression spring 47 acts on a pressure sleeve 51 through which the axis 48 is passed.
• the axis 48 is axially secured by two conventional shaft locks 49;
• On the outside is a previously described gear 36, on which the toothed belt 28 rests.
• the slidable bearing bore in the yoke 41 is designated 42.
• the springs 47 press the rollers 20, 20 'inwards in the horizontal plane. This spring travel is deflected via the operative connection 27 with the roller 21 and, in the manner described above, shifts the roller 23, which rotates counterclockwise due to its relief on the strip material 2 'and the stored spring energy by rotating the friction tube 30 transfers the roll 23 to the roll 24 so that the end portion of the towel is drawn in.
• So-called watch springs appear as particularly suitable coil springs 37, since these do not occur in normal operation are over-rotatable and reproduce a constant angle of rotation.
• the method and the device can also be applied to dispensers that are not operated purely manually. It is also possible to dispense with a path and / or time limitation for the mass transport, which is not shown here, or this can be implemented by a wide variety of mechanical and / or electrical means.
• the lateral bearings of the rollers can also be designed to be resilient, so that the necessary friction on the belt material to be transported is ensured, even when drenched.
• an autonomous cassette 60 can be seen in a sectional view, with an outer wall 61, which at the same time serves as an apparatus housing by means of suitable passages 1 'and 1b.
• the clean strip material 2 is removed from the stack 5 at the top in volume VI and deflected via the rollers 18 'and 21'. It is then removed from the slot-like passage 1b, with the formation of the loop 3 via the passage 1 ', and fed to the rollers 22 to 24 arranged here laterally.
• An overhead roller 26a serves as the drive.
• a covering guide wall 8 ' is provided here. hen.
• a friction block 12 ' is provided here, which instead of springs has permanent magnets which bring about a force fit in the guide grooves 13 lying opposite one another, which must be overcome by the growing strip material 2'.
• This variant can be implemented in a simple manner as an interchangeable, autonomous cassette 60, the strip material 2 ′ or 2 advantageously being replaced and refilled in a laundry.
• FIG. 6 again shows a simplified further development compared to FIG. 5 and represents an improved exemplary embodiment.
• a hinged lid la is fastened to a known apparatus housing 1 via a hinge 1c.
• a single replaceable cassette 60 which in turn contains the two partial volumes VI and V2.
• An insertion unit 65 is arranged in the volume V2, which receives the rollers 22 and 24, which have already been described earlier, and which serve to introduce the strip material 2 '.
• gearwheels 66 Arranged on the end face are two gearwheels 66 which mesh and allow the two rollers 22 and 24 to move synchronously with one another.
• fastening devices 67 are arranged on the insertion unit 65, which fix a sack-like covering 14a at its opening.
• the rollers 19, 20 and 23 already described above with their corresponding supports 26, 26 'and 26 "are fastened to the movable cover 1a and act in an analogous manner.
• the roller 21' is, taking into account its larger angle of wrap, compared to the roller 21 in Fig. 5, also chosen larger.
• This cassette 60 has the great advantage that the partial volume V2 can be increased at the expense of the volume VI by lowering the base plate 11 'without the strip material 2' causing contamination inside the cassette.
• the covering 14a consists of polypropylene and can be folded or dilated in a corresponding manner and can be disposed of without any problems.
• FIG. 7 shows the cassette 60 in its external appearance. Again, the rollers 22 and 24 can be seen, through which the used strip material 2 'is stuffed into the covering 14a, which is concealed here, and the strip material 2, which is led out of the lower partial volume VI via the roller 21.
• the roller 21 is laterally in Sidewalls 63 stored at bearings 74.
• the side walls 63 are closed by a wave-reinforced film in the form of a band-shaped cover surface 64 to form the cassette 60.
• the front surface 64 is embedded in the side cheeks 63 in a corresponding wave-shaped groove.
• the top surface 64 is torn open; the visible end faces of the film are labeled 64 '.
• the tape guide and the formation of the loop 3 are symbolized by arrows.
• rollers 22 and 24 can be seen in FIG. 8 within the autonomous slide-in unit 65, which can be mounted only before the cassette is used.
• the two fastening devices 67 are shown in more detail, in which the opening of the sack-like envelope 14a is fixed by simply pressing them together.
• Gears 66 can also be seen in a cut-open centering flange 68.
• the insertion unit 65 is centered within the cassette 60 by its fitting parts 69 and 71, the fitting part 69 being part of the gear 72; since the bearing points of the rollers 22 and 24 are guided axially parallel via the fastening devices 67 on both sides, any twisting of the cassette 60 does not have a negative effect.
• the subject matter of the invention also makes it possible to hand over the maintenance of towel dispensers to the tenants or buyers of the devices without the risk of a deterioration in the service.
• the manual triggering of the mass transfer can take place directly by pulling on the fabric web, but it can also be implemented by proximity detectors etc. and also with other functions, such as the previous water supply or the verification of a user authorization.
• the exemplary embodiments described above with their immediate lowering of the floor only achieve a limited utilization of the sub-volume V2, or they only achieve the optimal packing density in the ideal case, since the material quality of the strip material, especially when used, depends on numerous factors. In addition to the type and production quality of the strip material, these are its current state (for example after 100 washes), its degree of moisture, its state of creasing, the degree of soiling and, last but not least, differences in its thickness due to possible patches and / or seams. which are necessary for the economical use of approx. 30m long tapes.
• the servomotor 81 is connected via two spur gears 86, 87, cf. 10, which are arranged below a base plate 9 ', coupled to the spindle 80.
• the side walls 63 'of the cassette 60' are designed in the manner described above.
• a housing cover 95 in which roller-like rollers 22 'and 24', with longitudinal grooves and laterally arranged gear elements G, G 'are mounted.
• a roller drive 82 is shown schematically in FIG. 9 (by Dash-dot lines).
• a microswitch 85 which rests on the housing cover 95 with its active part.
• FIG. 10 shows further details of FIG. 9.
• a hinge 96 can be seen here, which permits the housing cover 95 to be opened or pivoted.
• the microswitch 85 is positioned diametrically opposite on the upper side.
• the roller 24 ' can be displaced horizontally by an adjusting screw 88 at a distance from the roller 22'. This serves to adjust the friction in relation to the band material 2 ', not shown here, which varies within wide limits as described above.
• the partition 11 ' is laterally guided in mutually opposite guide grooves 13 ".
• the rear wall R of the apparatus housing with the cassette 60 ' can again be seen.
• the threaded nut 83 surrounds the spindle 80 only halfway; it is therefore easy to engage when changing the cassette.
• rollers 22 'and 24' with their pronounced longitudinal grooves can be seen in FIG. 11.
• a scraper 91 In front of the roller 24 ' is a scraper 91 with a conventional longitudinal guide, which consists of a guide plate 92 and a pin 92'. The scraper 91 prevents that
• the scraper 91 in conjunction with the displaceable and resilient roller 22 ', considerably increases the operational safety of the towel dispenser.
• the strip material 2 'used is passed over the roller 22' in the direction of the arrow and through the roller
• FIG. 14 Another variant is shown in FIG. 14.
• an economically inexpensive and easy-to-manipulate toothed belt 84 is provided, which causes the partition 11 'to be displaced via a driver 98.
• the toothed belt 84 is vertically guided on its flat part via a support plate 94, springs 99 and pressure plates 93.
• the toothed belt 84 is driven via transport wheels 86 ', 87', analogously to FIG. 10, by means of a servomotor 81.
• the lowering process is repeated periodically during the use of the towel dispenser.
• This indirect lowering of the partition 11 ' enables an optimum filling level in volume V2 to be achieved, so that the overall height of a dispenser or its cassettes is reduced considerably can be.
• a further optimization can be achieved by including commercially available measuring and control elements, for example by compressing the stack 97, cf. 13, is taken into account computationally in the adjustment path of the partition wall 11 'in order to effect a pressure which is dependent on the fill level.
• the filling volume or the amount of clean strip material 2 in the first partial volume VI could be scanned and used to control the partition 11, 11 'and thus to enlarge the second partial volume V2.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)
• Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=25686112

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

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• 1996
  • 1996-04-19 AT AT96908990T patent/ATE194060T1/de active
  • 1996-04-19 WO PCT/CH1996/000144 patent/WO1996032875A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1996-04-19 DE DE59605511T patent/DE59605511D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-19 JP JP8531383A patent/JPH11503635A/ja active Pending
  • 1996-04-19 AU AU52673/96A patent/AU5267396A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-04-19 EP EP96908990A patent/EP0821562B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1997
  • 1997-10-16 US US08/945,117 patent/US6007168A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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