GB2351964A

GB2351964A - A Roll Dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2351964A
Application number: GB9916639A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham James New
Original assignee: Wrapex Ltd
Current assignee: Wrapex Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-15
Filing date: 1999-07-15
Publication date: 2001-01-17
Also published as: GB9916639D0

Abstract

An adaptor for a roll dispenser consists of two parts, a first outer part 21 being for engagement with the roll 13 of material and a second inner part 22 designed to engage the mounting spigot 10 of the dispenser. The two parts are rotatable with respect to each other allowing the roll of material to be rotated relative to the dispenser. Also disclosed are two means for providing a spigot for the roll to rest upon if none is incorporated into the dispenser. In these constructions a cylindrical spigot extends either from a flat plate which engages the sides of the dispenser, or from a U-shaped member which engages the upper surface of the mounting portion of the dispenser.

Description

2351964 ROLL DISPENSERS The present invention relates to roll dispensers,

and in particular, but not exclusively, to roll dispensers for dispensing plastics film, metal foil or paper.

Numerous dispensers are known for dispensing material from a roll stored within the dispenser, for example for dispensing toilet paper, kitchen paper, foil and plastics wrapping sheet. One such dispenser is described in UK patent GB 2297311, and is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The roll of'material 1 is formed around an inner tube 3, usually of cardboard, and is rotatably held within the dispenser so that material is can be unwound from the roll 1.

The roll is held at each end by respective journal mounting means. At one end of the roll, a bung 5 is interconnected with the tube 3, and forms an extension of the tube 3 around which material 1 is wrapped. The material 1 thereby holds the bung 5 in place within the centre of the roll of material. The bung 5 is designed to engage with a journal mounting means 9 at one end of the dispenser, and includes,projections 11 which engage corresponding indentations 13 of the journal mounting means 9. The journal mounting means 11 includes a fixed mounting portion 10 in which an insert 12 is rotatably mounted. The indentations 13 are formed in the insert 12.

Figure 2 illustrates the journal mounting means 9 in more detail and it can be seen that the mounting portion 10 defines a circular aperture in which the insert 12 is rotatable.

The opposite end of the roll of material is mounted in the dispenser by engaging an exposed portion of the tube 3 with appropriately shaped mounting means 7, 15(see Figures 1 and 3).

A significant disadvantage of this type of dispenser is that the rolls of material must be formed with the bung in place, and only the particular bung and insert combination can be used in refills for the dispenser.

Since the bung is held in place by the roll of material, and forms an integral part of the tube 3, it is not possible simply to transfer a bung to another roll. In particular, it is not possible to use conventional refill rolls of material with such a dispenser.

It is therefore desirable to provide an adaptor which allows conventional rolls of material to be used in such a dispenser.

According to the present invention, there is provided an adaptor for mounting a roll of material in a dispenser, the adaptor comprising a first part for engagement with the roll of.material, and a second part for engagement with a mounting means of the dispenser, the second part being rotatable with respect to the first part, such that in use a roll of material is rotatable with respect to the second part of the adaptor.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3, as referred to above, show a known dispenser; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting adaptor embodying the present invention in use; Figure 5 is an end view of the mounting adaptor of Figure 4; and Figure 6 and 7 show alternative mounting adaptors. Figure 4 shows one end of a conventional refill roll of material 1 supported by a mounting adaptor 20 in a dispenser as shown in Figures 1-3. The material 1 is 15 wound around a cardboard tube 3, as before. However, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the cardboard tube extends past the end of the wound material 1. The mounting adaptor 20 has two parts, both circular in 20 end view (see Figure 5). A first part 21 of the adaptor fits within the cardboard tube 3 and is retained within the cardboard tube 3 by virtue of friction between the outer surface of the part 21 and the inner surface of the tube 3. Alternatively, this 25 first part 21 of the adaptor could be glued in place in the tube 3. A second part 22 of the mounting adaptor has an end portion 23 for engaging with the dispenser, a central 30 portion 24 which extends through the first part 21 of the mounting adaptor, and a flange 25, which acts to retain the second part within the first part. The two parts of the adaptor can rotate relatively to each other. 35 The mounting portion 23 of the adaptor has a cylindrical interior and so fits over the fixed mounting portion 10 of the dispenser. The mounting adaptor 20 therefore does not engage in any way with the rotatable insert 12 of the dispenser. Preferably, the mounting portion 23 engages the mounting portion 10 sufficiently firmly to prevent rotation of the adaptor mounting portion 23 relatively to the dispenser mounting portion 10 in-normal use(i.e. when unwinding material from the roll).

Since the two parts of the mounting adaptor are rotatable with respect to one another, the cardboard tube, and hence the roll of material 1, is rotatable with respect to the dispenser. In this way, rotatable mounting of the roll of material can be achieved without the need for a keyed bung engaging with the keyed insert 12.

A user of the dispenser shown in Figures I to 3 consequently does not need to acquire refill rolls having the bung 5 with the formations 11 when the initial roll is empty. Instead, the adaptor 22 can be fitted to a conventional roll of material 1 having a plain cardboard tube 3, so enabling the conventional roll to be mounted in the dispenser.

An alternative arrangement for overcoming the need for a keyed bung 5 is simply to provide the roll of material with a tube 3 having an inner diameter sufficiently large to fit over the mounting portion 10 of the dispenser, thereby avoiding the need for a keyed bung. At the other end of the roll of material, a reduced diameter tube can be inserted into the cardboard tube 3 such that the mounting means 7, 15 at -5that end can be used as before.

Two further possible mounting adaptors are illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. 5 The Figure 6 adaptor includes a flat plate 28 for engagement with the sides of the dispenser just inboard of the end face of the insert 12. From the plate extends a cylindrical Spigot 29 which fits inside the cardboard tube 3 of the roll of material and about which the roll of material can rotate. The Figure 7 adaptor includes an inverted U-shaped member for engagement with the upper surface of the mounting portion 10 of the dispenser. The adaptor also includes a cylindrical spigot 31 which extends from the U-shaped portion 30 and about which the roll of material is able to rotate.

Claims

1. An adaptor for mounting a roll of material in a dispenser, the adaptor comprising a first part for engagement with the roll of material, and a second part for engagement with a mounting means of the dispenser, the second part being rotatable with respect to the first part, such that in use a roll of material is rotatable with respect-to the second part of the adaptor.

2. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second part is rotatably held by-the first part.

3. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part comprises a cylindrical portion which defines an aperture therethrough, and the second part comprises a mounting portion for engagement with the mounting means of the dispenser, a central portion which extends through the aperture in the cylindrical portion of the first part, and a flange portion which extends from the central portion and engages with an end region of the cylindrical portion.

4. An adaptor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mounting portion has a larger diameter than the central portion, the first part being retained axially on the second part between the mounting portion and the flange.

5. An adaptor as-claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second part has a cylindrical interior for receiving a mounting projection on the dispenser.

6. A mounting adaptor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, any one of Figures 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A roll of material comprising a tube, material wound around the tube and an adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims inserted into the tube.

8. A roll of material as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first part of the adaptor is a friction fit within the tube.

9. A roll of material as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the first part of the adaptor has a flange which abuts the end of the tube.

10. A roll of material provided with an adaptor, substantially as hereihbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.