WO2024084361A2

WO2024084361A2 - Dispenser for expandable slit sheet material

Info

Publication number: WO2024084361A2
Application number: PCT/IB2023/060372
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas R. J. Corrigan
Original assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
Current assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
Priority date: 2022-10-21
Filing date: 2023-10-13
Publication date: 2024-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 2025-04-21
Also published as: CN120019011A; EP4605328A2; WO2024084361A3

Abstract

A dispenser for a sheet material roll of sheet material having expandable slits. The dispenser including side support members, an input roller, an output roller, at least one roller support member and a drive system configured to couple rotation of the input roller and the output roller such that a velocity ratio of output roller to input roller is greater than 1.1 to expand slits in the sheet material. The dispenser may be unpowered or powered.

Description

DISPENSER FOR EXPANDABLE SLIT SHEET MATERIAL

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dispenser for sheet material rolls and, in particular, for sheet material rolls of tension-activated, expandable sheet material.

SUMMARY

[0002] In one aspect, a dispenser for a sheet material roll of sheet material having expandable slits, the dispenser includes side support members including a first side support member and a second side support member, each defining a material support interface configured to guide a material support member from an insertion position to a loaded position, an input roller rotatably coupled to the side support members and extending along a width direction, the input roller positioned to engage the sheet material when the material support member engages the sheet material roll, an output roller rotatably coupled to the side support members and extending along the width direction, the output roller spaced from the input roller along a draw direction orthogonal to the width direction, the output roller positioned to engage unrolled sheet material from the sheet material roll extending from the input roller, at least one roller support member slidably coupled to the side support members and extending along the width direction, the at least one roller support member positioned relative to the input roller or output roller to engage the unrolled sheet material when the unrolled sheet material is engaged with the respective input roller or output roller, the at least one roller support member configured to apply a loading force onto the unrolled sheet material toward the respective input roller or output roller, where the at least one roller support member is slidable relative to the side support members in a direction orthogonal to the width direction, and a drive system configured to couple rotation of the input roller and the output roller such that a velocity ratio of the output roller to the input roller is greater than 1.1 to expand slits in the sheet material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.

[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a dispenser according to the present disclosure.

[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure. [0006] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 in use with a sheet material roll having expandable slits according to the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 in use with a sheet material roll being deployed according to the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cross-sectional elevation view of another dispenser having one or more user interfaces according to the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of another dispenser having multiple input rollers according to the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of another dispenser having multiple roller support members according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] “Paper” as used herein refers to woven or non-woven sheet-shaped products or fabrics (which may be folded, and may be of various thicknesses) made from cellulose (particularly fibers of cellulose, (whether naturally or artificially derived)) or otherwise derivable from the pulp of plant sources such as wood, com, grass, rice, and the like. Paper includes products made from both traditional and non-traditional paper making processes, as well as materials of the type described above that have other types of fibers embedded in the sheet, for example, reinforcement fibers. Paper may have coatings on the sheet or on the fibers themselves. Examples of non-traditional products that are “paper” within the context of this disclosure include the material available under the trade designation TRINGA from PAPTIC (Espoo, Finland), and sheet forms of the material available under the trade designation SULAPAC. Paper also includes extensible and semi-extensible papers, such as the material available under the trade designation TEA-KRAFT from WestRock Company (Atlanta, GA).

[0012] In this disclosure, “Minimum Pull Force Per Meter” is determined according to the test method described herein. Unless otherwise specified, the width refers to the width of the expandable sheet material, that is, the dimension orthogonal to the draw direction and the direction which expandable sheet material is wound.

[0013] The term “expandable sheet material” refers to sheet material having expandable slits, which may be activated by tension (or tension activated). Slits in the sheet material can be characterized as “simple slits” or “compound slits,” where a “simple slit” is defined as having exactly two terminal ends and a “compound slit” has more than two terminal ends. In some embodiments, the tension-activated, expanding articles include compound slits having more than two terminal ends, at least two slit segments, and at least one segment intersection.

[0014] The terms “coupled” or “connected” refer to elements attached to each other either directly (in direct contact with each other) or indirectly (having one or more elements between and attaching the two elements). Either term may be replaced to “couplable” or “connectable” to describe that the elements are configured to be coupled or connected. In addition, either term may be modified by “operatively” and “operably,” which may be used interchangeably, to describe that the coupling or connection is configured to allow the components to interact to carry out certain functionality.

[0015] The term “slidably coupled” refers to elements coupled in a manner that allows for slidable movement relative to one another.

[0016] The term “rotatably coupled” refers to elements coupled in a manner that allows for rotational movement of at least one element relative to another element.

[0017] The term “releasably coupled” refers to elements coupled in a manner that allows for at least one element to be selectively uncoupled from another element.

[0018] The present disclosure relates to a dispenser for sheet material rolls and, in particular, for sheet material rolls of tension-activated, expandable sheet material. Tension- activated, expandable sheet material may also be described as sheet material having expandable slits. Sheet material having expandable slits may be described as slit paper sheet material.

[0019] Various existing dispensers are configured to increase resistance that is applied to the sheet material roll when a free end of sheet material is manually pulled so that the sheet material expands as the roll unwinds. However, the resistance provided by existing manual dispensers can be so high that the force needed to unwind the sheet material can tear the sheet material while dispensing. Further, such manual dispensers may require a user to provide a consistent pull force on the free end of sheet material to evenly expand the slit paper sheet material. Thus, this disclosure recognizes that it can be desirable to make a dispenser that lowers the friction and other resistive forces on the roll.

[0020] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a dispenser for sheet material rolls configured to facilitate consistent pull force on sheet material to evenly expand the slits while mitigating variations by a user, such as variations in pull force or pull velocity. In particular, dispensers of the present disclosure are configured to provide pull force on the sheet material independent from the pull force of the user, although the pull force of the user may be used to power the expanding force on the sheet material. Further, dispensers configured according to the present disclosure may operate using significantly lower the pull force by a user to expand the sheet material compared to existing manual dispensers. Other benefits that the dispenser may provide include easy loading of sheet roll material, capacity for sheet material rolls of various widths, compatible with core or coreless rolls with different internal diameters, few moving parts, use does not require threading sheet material, easily movable on a supporting surface 318, and configurable with powered assistance, such as a motor. Further features and advantages of the dispensers of the present disclosure are described further herein.

[0021] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show perspective views of a dispenser 102 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of the dispenser 102 with a sheet material roll 306 of sheet material 304 having expandable slits 402 (see magnified view 408 of FIG. 4). FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the dispenser 102 in use with the sheet material roll 306 being deployed into expanded sheet material 404 (see magnified view 410). The dispenser 102 includes side support members 108, an input roller 112, an output roller 114, at least one roller support member 116, and a drive system 122. The dispenser 102 may include a material support member 120 configured to engage the sheet material roll 306.

[0022] The sheet material 304 is shown in various forms, including rolled sheet material 314 on the sheet material roll 306, unrolled sheet material 406 from the sheet material roll 306, and expanded sheet material 404. In general, the dispenser 102 is configured to deploy the sheet material 304 in a draw direction 106 defined as a direction from the input roller 112 to the output roller 114. In particular, the dispenser 102 is configured to unroll the rolled sheet material 314 from the sheet material roll 306 to provide unrolled sheet material 406 and to expand the unrolled sheet material 406 between the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 to provide expanded sheet material 404. Rolled sheet material 314 may be described as rolled, undeployed sheet material. Unrolled sheet material upstream of, or before, the input roller 112 may be described as unrolled, undeployed sheet material. Unrolled sheet material 406 between the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 may be described as deploying sheet material, that transitions from undeployed sheet material to partially deployed sheet material to deployed, or fully deployed, sheet material, when the dispenser 102 is in use. Expanded sheet material 404 downstream of, or past, the output roller 114 may be described as deployed, or fully deployed, sheet material.

[0023] The side support members 108 are configured to support the sheet material roll 306 and other components of the dispenser 102 above a surface, such as a table. The side support members 108 may be formed of any suitable material, which may be rigid, semi- rigid, or any combination of these, such as metal. The side support members 108 may be integrally formed from a single piece of material or formed from one or more materials coupled together.

[0024] The side support members 108 may include a first side support member 110a and a second side support member 110b. Each of the side support members 108 may define a material support interface 124 configured to guide the material support member 120 from an insertion position 126 to a loaded position 128. In general, the material support interfaces 124 may be shaped or formed to guide the material support member 120 to the loaded position 128 with the assistance of gravity. In the illustrated embodiment, the material support member 120 is generally cylindrical and may be described as a rod or shaft. When the material support member 120 is in the loaded position 128, the lateral movement of the sheet material roll 306 may be limited by the side support members 108.

[0025] Any suitable shape or form of material support interface 124 may be used to guide the material support member 120 from the insertion position 126 to the loaded position 128. In the illustrated embodiment, the material support interfaces 124 are formed as a slot in each of the side support members 108. Depending on the shape or form of the material support interfaces 124, the insertion position 126 may include one or more locations along the interface where a user may position a material support member 120 engaged with a sheet material roll 306 for guidance to the loaded position 128. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the insertion position 126 may extend along the sloped upper edge of each of the side support members 108 to the upper opening of the slot. Once the material support member 120 is positioned anywhere along the sloped upper edge, the material support member 120 would be guided toward the loaded position 128 with the assistance of gravity. Likewise, the loaded position 128 may include one or more locations along the material support interface 124 where the sheet material 304 may be stably unrolled or otherwise positioned to engage with the input roller 112. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the loaded position 128 may change, or lower, as the rolled sheet material 314 is unrolled and deployed.

[0026] The side support members 108 are spaced apart in a width direction orthogonal to the draw direction 106 to define a dispenser width 104 extending along, or parallel to, the width direction. The dispenser 102 may include one or more cross members 132, 134, 202, 206 coupled to the side support members 108 to facilitate their spacing. In the illustrated embodiment, the dispenser 102 includes four cross members, including cross members 132, 134 proximate to the output roller 114, cross member 202 proximate to the material support interface 124 and the input roller 112, and cross member 206 positioned between the input roller 112 and the output roller 114. The cross member 206 may facilitate guiding deploying, unrolled sheet material 406 from the input roller 112 to the output roller 114. Collectively, the cross members and the side support members may be described as a frame, or support frame, of the dispenser 102.

[0027] In some embodiments, one or more of the cross members 132, 134, 202, 206 may also be functionally used as a handle, or gripping region, to facilitate lifting or otherwise moving the dispenser 102 to another location on the supporting surface 318. The dispenser 102 may be described as portable or nonfixed. The dispenser 102 may include one or more dispenser wheels 204 to facilitate moving the dispenser 102 using less force than the combined weight of the dispenser 102 and any loaded sheet material roll 306. In the illustrated embodiment, the two dispenser wheels 204 are raised from the bottom surface of the dispenser 102 and configured to not be in contact with a flat supporting surface 318 when the dispenser is in a nominal position. The dispenser 102 may be moved into a moving position to engage the dispenser wheels 204 with the supporting surface 318, for example, by manually lifting cross member 132 and tipping the dispenser 102 toward the dispenser wheels 204. In some embodiments, the dispenser wheels 204 are positioned upstream of any cross members used as a handle. The dispenser wheels 204 may also be positioned closer to the material support interface 124 than the output rollers 114. Such a position for the dispenser wheels 204 may reduce the amount of force needed to tip the dispenser 102 into the moving position compared to other positions, particularly when a heavy sheet material roll 306 is loaded onto the material support member 120 in the loaded position 128. The sheet material roll 306 may be any suitable weight up to 16 kg, for example, less than or equal to 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, or even 2 kg.

[0028] The material support member 120 may be configured to extend concurrently through both material support interfaces 124 of the side support members 108. The width of the material support member 120 may be equal to or greater than the dispenser width 104. In some embodiments, the material support member 120 may extend beyond the dispenser width 104 a sufficient amount to allow a user to hold onto both ends of the material support member 120 while loading a sheet material roll 306 into the dispenser 102. The material support member 120 may be releasably coupled to the side support members 108. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the material support member 120 may be removed from the material support interface 124 through the insertion position 126.

[0029] The sheet material roll 306 may include an inner surface defined by a hollow core and an outer surface defined by rolled sheet material 314. In the illustrated embodiment, the material support member 120 is configured to engage the inner surface of the sheet material roll 306. The sheet material roll 306 rests on the material support member 120 in the loaded position 128. The inner surface of the sheet material roll 306 may also be defined by rolled sheet material with no core, or coreless.

[0030] In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment, the material support member 120 is configured to provide an input loading force on the sheet material roll 306 toward the input roller 112. In some embodiments, the input loading force may be facilitated by the weight of the material support member 120, particularly when the sheet material roll 306 has a small amount of sheet material 304 left. For example, the input loading force is applied when the material support member 120 is engaged with the inner surface of the sheet material roll 306 such that the material support member 120 is at least partially resting on the sheet material roll 306.

[0031] The dispenser 102 may include at least one friction reduction element 130. The friction reduction element 130 may be any suitable structure positioned between various components to facilitate movement between the components. Various examples of suitable friction reduction elements 130 include bushings (e.g., bronze bushings), bearings (e.g. rolling element bearings), low friction tape (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene tape), low friction plastic (e.g., ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) plastic). The friction reduction element 130 may be described as being part of various components of the dispenser 102, such as the input roller 112, output roller 114, material support member 120, material support interfaces 124, roller support members 116, or side support members 108. In some embodiments, at least one friction reduction element 130 is positioned between the side support members 108 and the input roller 112, the output roller 114, or both. In some embodiments, at least one friction reduction element 130 is positioned between the side support members 108 and the material support member 120. In some embodiments, at least one friction reduction element 130 is positioned between side support members 108 and at least one of the roller support members 116.

[0032] The input roller 112 may be rotatably coupled to the side support members 108 and extend along the width direction. The input roller 112 is positioned to engage the sheet material 304 when the material support member 120 engages the sheet material roll 306. In the illustrated embodiment, the input roller 112 is positioned to engage the outer surface of the sheet material roll 306, particularly when the material support member 120 engages the inner surface of the sheet material roll 306 and the material support member is inserted into the material support interfaces 124 of the side support members 108. In other embodiments, the input roller 112 engages unrolled sheet material 406 and does not engage the sheet material roll 306 (see FIG. 7). [0033] The output roller 114 may be rotatably coupled to the side support members 108 and extend along the width direction. The output roller 114 is spaced from the input roller 112 along the draw direction 106. The output roller 114 is positioned to engage unrolled sheet material 406 from the sheet material roll 306 extending from the input roller 112.

[0034] The one or more roller support members 116 are slidably coupled to the side support members 108 and extend along the width direction. The roller support members 116 may be rotatably coupled to the side support members 108. The roller support members 116 are each slidable relative to the side support members 108 in a direction orthogonal to the width direction. In some embodiments, the roller support members 116 may be described as floating nip rollers.

[0035] Each roller support member 116 is positioned relative to the input roller 112 or output roller 114 to engage unrolled sheet material 406 when the unrolled sheet material 406 is engaged with the respective input roller 112 or output roller 114. The roller support members 116 are configured to apply a loading force onto the unrolled sheet material 406 toward the respective input roller 112 or output roller 114. The loading force may be facilitated by the weight of the roller support member 116. In the illustrated embodiment, the roller support member 116 includes an output roller support member 118 configured to apply a loading force toward the output roller 114. Each of the roller support members 116 may be rotatably coupled to the side support members 108.

[0036] The dispenser 102 may include roller support interfaces 136 configured to engage the roller support members 116. Each of the side support members 108 may define a roller support interface 136 configured to allow the roller support members 116 to slide, and optionally rotate, relative to the side support members 108. In general, the roller support interface 136 may be shaped or formed to guide the roller support members 116 to an engagement position 138 with the assistance of gravity. The engagement position 138 is defined as the position where the roller support member 116 engages sheet material 304 when the sheet material 304 engages the respective roller.

[0037] Various rollers of the dispenser 102, including the input roller 112, the output roller 114, and the roller support members 116 may have any suitable shape or form to facilitate engaging and moving sheet material 304 using rotary motion. The rollers have a generally cylindrical shape and may include one or more features to modulate the amount of engagement, or friction, with the sheet material 304. For example, one or more rollers may include a material engagement surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart wheels (or subrollers) connected by an axle, a cylindrical foam surface (e.g., a foam roller), a plurality of bristles configured to extend through slits in the sheet material 304 (e.g., a cylindrical bristle brush). In one example, each wheel of the spaced apart wheels may include a plurality of protrusions spaced around a circumference of the wheel to increase engagement with the sheet material 304. Any suitable material may be used for the wheel and the protrusions. In some embodiments, the protrusions may be made of a soft and somewhat tacky material (e.g., rubber). In other embodiments, the protrusions may be made of hard material (e.g., metal ridges). In some cases, use of the plurality of protrusions may mitigate developing slack in the sheet material 304 upstream of the input roller 112.

[0038] These material engagement surfaces may be used with rolled or unrolled sheet material that is deployed or undeployed. In general, the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 may be configured to have higher engagement with the sheet material 304 than the roller support members 116. In particular, the input roller 112 may be configured to have high engagement (e.g., a high frictional force with limited slip or no slip) with undeployed sheet material, which may include rolled or unrolled sheet material, and the output roller 114 may be configured to have high engagement with deploying or expanded sheet material, which is unrolled sheet material 406. In one example, the input roller 112 may include a plurality of spaced apart wheels with each wheel having a plurality of protrusions spaced around the circumference. In another example, the output roller 114 may include a plurality of bristles configured to extend through slits in the sheet material 304. In yet another example, the roller support members 116 may include a cylindrical foam surface. A person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure would understand how to select such material engagement surfaces to provide the desired functionality for each type of roller.

[0039] The drive system 122 is configured to couple rotation of the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 to provide a velocity ratio of output roller to input roller. As used herein, the term “velocity ratio” refers to a ratio the linear velocity as known to one skilled in the art, which describes the distance moved by one component in relation to the distance moved by another component, and may also be described as mechanical advantage. When using components having circumferences engaging with the sheet material 304 (e.g., material engagement elements 310, 316), the velocity ratio may be defined as the linear distance of sheet material moved by the output roller 114 compared to the linear distance of sheet material moved by the input roller 112 by rotating the coupled rollers. In general, a velocity ratio greater than 1 refers to more sheet material 304 passing the output roller 114 per unit of sheet material 304 passing the input roller 112. In some embodiments, the velocity ratio is greater than or equal to 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, or even 1.9 to sufficiently expand slits in the sheet material 304. In some embodiments, the velocity ratio is less than or equal to 2.5, 2.4, 2.3, 2.2, 2.1, 2, 1.9, 1.8, 1.7, or even 1.6 to mitigate exceeding the tear force of the sheet material 304. In one or more embodiments, the velocity ratio is between 1.5 and 2.

[0040] In some embodiments, the drive system 122 includes a rotary transfer element 302, which may include one or more components, to couple rotation of the input roller 112 and output roller 114. Various components in the drive system 122 to facilitate coupled rotation at the velocity ratio may include belts, chains, gears, and pulleys.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, various circumferences of the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 cooperatively provide the velocity ratio. The generally cylindrical input roller 112 may include a drive element 308 having a first circumference coupled to the rotary transfer element 302 (such as a belt or chain) and a material engagement element 310 having a second circumference configured to engage sheet material 304, and the generally cylindrical output roller 114 may include drive element 312 having a third circumference coupled to the rotary transfer element and a material engagement element 316 having a fourth circumference configured to engage sheet material 304. These circumferences may be selected to cooperatively provide the velocity ratio. In one example, the rotary transfer element includes a belt or chain coupled to the drive elements of the input roller 112 and the output roller 114. The relative ratios of the first, second, third, and fourth circumferences (e.g., circumference ratios) may be selected to provide the desired velocity ratio.

[0042] The dispenser 102 may be configured to manually powered or including various amounts of powered assistance during operation. In some embodiments, the dispenser 102 is configured to be manually powered by user pulling. In one example, a user may pull a free end of unrolled sheet material 406 extending past the input roller 112 and the output roller 114 in the draw direction 106. The input roller 112 and the output roller 114 are configured to rotate in response to the user exerting a pull force in the draw direction 106 on the unrolled sheet material 406.

[0043] For such manual configuration, the dispenser 102 may be configured to define a Minimum Pull Force Per Meter of sheet width to initiate rotation of the drive system 122. In some embodiments, the Minimum Pull Force Per Meter may be less than or equal to 75, 60, 45, 30, 15, or even 7.5 Newtons per meter (N/m). In one or more embodiments, the Minimum Pull Force Per Meter is less than or equal to 45 N/m.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional elevation view of a dispenser 502 similar to the dispenser 102 (FIG. 1-FIG. 4). The dispenser 502 may include additional components to facilitate operating the dispenser 502. In general, the components of the dispenser 102 are included in the dispenser 502, and such components are the same as the similarly named parts of the dispenser 102, except for the differences described herein.

[0045] In some embodiments, the dispenser 502 includes one or more user interfaces 504, 508 configured to accept user input to initiate rotation of the drive system 506. Such user interfaces 504, 508 may provide techniques for operating the dispenser 502 as an alternative, or in addition to, the user pulling on a free end of unrolled sheet material 406. [0046] The unpowered user interface 504 may be coupled to the drive system 506, for example, through the input roller 510, output roller 512, or rotary transfer element 514. The unpowered user interface 504 may include any suitable mechanism to drive rotation of the drive system 506 in response to manual user power to unroll and deploy rolled sheet material 314 (FIG. 3-FIG. 4). In some embodiments, the unpowered user interface 504 includes a crank or pedal for the user to engage in any suitable manner. In one example, a hand crank may be coupled to the drive system 506. In another example, a foot pedal may be coupled to the drive system 506.

[0047] The drive system 506 may include one or more motors 518 coupled to one or more of the input roller 510, output roller 512, and rotary transfer element 514. The motors 518 may be configured to drive rotation of the drive system 506 in operation. The drive system 506 may include one or more controllers 516 operatively coupled to the one or more motors 518. The controller 516 may be configured to command the one or more motors 518 to drive rotation of the input roller 510, output roller 512, and rotary transfer element 514. The components of the dispenser 502 may be powered in any suitable manner.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, the powered user interface 508 is operatively coupled to at least one controller 516, which is operatively coupled to at least one motor 518. The powered user interface 508 may include any suitable components to accept user input to initiate rotation of the drive system 506, such as a button, pedal, other actuator, or touch screen. The controller 516 is configured to command the at least one motor 518 to drive rotation of the drive system 506 in response to user input. In some embodiments, the rotation speed of the motor 518 may be controlled by the powered user interface 508. In some embodiments, the motor 518 may run continuously in response to user input or for a fixed time or distance based on a single user input command. The at least one motor 518 is mechanically coupled to the rotary transfer element 514 by any suitable mechanism, such as a pulley. The rotation of the input roller 510 and the output roller 512 are coupled by the rotary transfer element 514. To operate the dispenser 502, a user may engage the powered user interface 508. In response, the drive system 506 rotates one or more of the input roller 510, output roller 512, and rotary transfer element 514 to move sheet material 304 downstream along the draw direction 520 past the input roller 510 and the output roller 512 to provide expanded sheet material 404 (FIG. 4).

[0049] In other embodiments (not shown), the drive system 506 may include two motors. A first motor 518 may be coupled to the input roller 510, and a second motor 518 may be coupled to the output roller 512. The two motors 518 may be capable of receiving separate commands from the one or more controllers 516. The one or more controllers 516 be configured to power the two motors 518 to provide the velocity ratio in response to user input. In such embodiments, the input roller 510 and the output roller 512 may not need a purely mechanical technique to couple their rotation (e.g., belt or chain). The rotary transfer element 514 may not be needed or, alternatively, the rotary transfer element 514 may be described as including the one or more controllers 516 and two motors 518 that provides an electromechanical technique to couple rotation of the input roller 510 and the output roller 512.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of a dispenser 602 similar to the dispenser 102 (FIG. 1-FIG. 4). The dispenser 602 may include additional components to facilitate operating the dispenser 602. In general, the components of the dispenser 102 are included in the dispenser 602, and such components are the same as the similarly named parts of the dispenser 102, except for the differences described herein.

[0051] The dispenser 602 includes a first input roller 604 and a second input roller 606. The first input roller 604 is similar to the input roller 112 (FIG. 1-FIG. 4) except that the first input roller 604 is positioned slightly further downstream along the draw direction 608. The second input roller 606 is positioned upstream from the first input roller 604 to engage the sheet material roll 614 when the first input roller 604 engages the sheet material roll 614. The second input roller 606 is similar to the input roller 112 except that the second input roller 606 is not rotationally coupled to the coupled with the drive system 610. The rotation of the second input roller 606 is not coupled to the first input roller 604 or the output roller 612 except through the sheet material roll 614. The first input roller 604 and second input roller 606 cooperatively distribute the weight of the sheet material roll 614 between the rollers, which may mitigate undesirable effects, such as developing slack in the sheet material upstream of the input roller.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of a dispenser 702 similar to the dispenser 102 (FIG. 1-FIG. 4). The dispenser 702 may include additional components to facilitate operating the dispenser 702. In general, the components of the dispenser 102 are included in the dispenser 702, and such components are the same as the similarly named parts of the dispenser 102, except for the differences described herein.

[0053] The dispenser 702 includes a material support member 716 and a material support interface 714. The material support interface 714 is similar to the material support interface 124, except that material support interface 714 has less depth (or height). The loaded position 718 of the material support member 716 is relatively higher than the loaded position 128. The inner surface of the sheet material roll 712 rests on the material support member 716 in the loaded position 718, whereas the material support member 120 rests on the inner surface of the sheet material roll 306 in the loaded position 128.

[0054] The dispenser 702 includes an input roller 706, input roller support member 704, output roller 710, output roller support member 708, an input roller support interface 720, and an output roller support interface, whereas the dispenser 102 does not include an input roller support member or an input roller support interface. In general, the input roller support member 704 is another roller support member 116, and the input roller support interface 720 is another roller support interface 136.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the input roller 706 is positioned to engage deployed, unrolled sheet material from the sheet material roll 712, instead of engaging the sheet material roll itself. The input roller support member 704 is rotatably coupled to the input roller support interface 720 of the side support members 724. The input roller support member 704 is configured to engage the undeployed, unrolled sheet material and apply a loading force onto the unrolled sheet material toward the input roller 706.

[0056] The dispenser 702 includes cross member 726, which is similar to support cross member 202, except that cross member 726 is positioned upstream of the input roller 706 along the draw direction 728. The cross member 726 may function to guide unrolled sheet material from the sheet material roll 712 into engagement between the input roller 706 and the input roller support member 704.

[0057] Minimum Pull Force Per Meter

[0058] The Minimum Pull Force Per Meter can be thought of as the minimum tension per meter width of a sheet (the width being the dimension along the width direction orthogonal to the draw direction) that is required to unroll a roll of expandable sheet material that is at rest. In this disclosure, the minimum tension required to unwind a roll of expandable sheet material on a dispenser is determined by the following procedure: 1. Load the dispenser with a full roll of tension activated expandable sheet material. Any tape or adhesive that may be affixing the free end of the roll to the remainder of the roll must be removed.

2. To outside of the free end of the roll, attach a 15# monofilament fishing line (such as that available under the trade name Berkley Trilene Super Strong) with tape, such as tape available from 3M Company (St. Paul, MN, USA) under the trade designation 3M 3939 Duct Tape. So long as the tape does not detach from the roll during the test and the combined mass of the tape and the fishing line is no more than 0.1% of the mass of the roll (e.g., for an 11 kg roll, the maximum combined mass of fishing line and mass of tape that may be used is 11 g), the precise nature of the tape will not alter the result beyond the experimental error. The attachment point of the fishing line to the roll should be within 5 cm of the end of the roll and in the center of the width of the roll. The tape is to be placed parallel (+/- 5 degrees) to the free end of the roll, centered on the fishing line, and extending to at least 20% but no more than 90% of the width of the roll. The fishing line is then wrapped around the roll three times in the direction in which the roll is wound. The length of the fishing line must be sufficient to be wrapped around the roll as described in this step and to be configured as described in step 3, but the precise length will not appreciably alter the results so long as the combined mass requirements of the fishing line and tape, as described in this step, are met.

3. Route the free end of the fishing line so it can hang free straight down, in the direction of gravity. In certain configurations of the dispenser, it may be necessary to rest the dispenser on two surfaces with a gap between them to allow the fishing line to hang free and not be obstructed by the supporting surface. In certain configurations of the dispenser, it may be necessary to drill a hole in the bottom or base of the dispenser to allow the fishing line to hang free. These or similar manipulations are valid and, when necessary to achieve the required position of the cable, required in this test.

4. Carefully and slowly attach a standard calibration weight to the free end of the cable such that the weights do not contact the roll, the dispenser, or any other surface. Add additional standard calibration weights in increments until the roll just starts to move.

5. The lowest weight that just starts the roll to turn is the minimum pull force. If the weights are standardized by their mass (e.g. g or kg) rather than weight (e.g., Newtons or pounds), then the minimum pull force is calculated by multiplying the mass by the gravitational constant.

6. Minimum Pull Force Per Meter is calculated by dividing the minimum pull force from step 5 by the width of the roll of expandable sheet material.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for a sheet material roll of sheet material having expandable slits, the dispenser comprising: side support members including a first side support member and a second side support member, each defining a material support interface configured to guide a material support member from an insertion position to a loaded position; an input roller rotatably coupled to the side support members and extending along a width direction, the input roller positioned to engage the sheet material when the material support member engages the sheet material roll; an output roller rotatably coupled to the side support members and extending along the width direction, the output roller spaced from the input roller along a draw direction orthogonal to the width direction, the output roller positioned to engage unrolled sheet material from the sheet material roll extending from the input roller; at least one roller support member slidably coupled to the side support members and extending along the width direction, the at least one roller support member positioned relative to the input roller or output roller to engage the unrolled sheet material when the unrolled sheet material is engaged with the respective input roller or output roller, the at least one roller support member configured to apply a loading force onto the unrolled sheet material toward the respective input roller or output roller, wherein the at least one roller support member is slidable relative to the side support members in a direction orthogonal to the width direction; and a drive system configured to couple rotation of the input roller and the output roller such that a velocity ratio of the output roller to the input roller is greater than 1.1 to expand slits in the sheet material.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the input roller is positioned to engage an outer surface of a sheet material roll.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the input roller is positioned to engage the unrolled sheet material from the sheet material roll.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one roller support member comprises an output roller support member rotatably coupled to the side support members.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one roller support member comprises an input roller support member and an output roller support member, each rotatably coupled to the side support members.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein drive system comprises a rotary transfer element coupled to the input roller and the output roller.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein circumferences of the input roller and the output roller cooperatively provide the velocity ratio.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises at least one controller operatively coupled to at least one motor, the at least one motor coupled to the input roller, the output roller, or both, wherein the controller is configured to command the at least one motor to drive the input roller, the output roller, or both.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the at least one motor comprises a first motor coupled to the input roller and a second motor coupled to the output roller.

10. The dispenser of claim 8, further comprising a rotary transfer element coupled to the input roller and the output roller, wherein the at least one motor comprises only one motor coupled to at least one of the input roller, the output roller, and the rotary transfer element.

11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the velocity ratio is between 1.5 and 2.

12. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising the material support member configured to extend concurrently through both material support interfaces of the side support members and releasably coupled to the side support members.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the material support member is configured to provide input loading force on the sheet material roll toward the input roller when engaged with an inner surface of the sheet material roll.

14. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising at least one friction reduction element positioned between the side support members and one of more of: the input roller, the output roller, the material support member, and the at least one roller support member.

15. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the input roller and the output roller are configured to rotate in response to a user exerting a pull force in the draw direction on the unrolled sheet material.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein a Minimum Pull Force Per Meter to initiate rotation of the drive system is less than or equal to 45 N/m.

17. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to accept user input to initiate rotation of the drive system.

18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a crank or pedal configured to drive rotation of the drive system.

19. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a button or pedal operatively coupled to at least one controller configured to command at least one motor to drive rotation of the drive system.

20. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the input roller comprises a plurality of spaced apart wheels, each wheel comprising a plurality of protrusions spaced around a circumference of the wheel.

21. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the output roller comprises a plurality of bristles configured to extend through the expandable slits in the sheet material.

22. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a second input roller rotatably coupled to the side support members and extending along the width direction, the second input roller positioned to engage the sheet material when the input roller engages the sheet material roll.