Tissue Roll Dispenser

Abstract

A gravity-feed tissue roll dispenser for a plurality of tissue rolls includes: (a) a housing; (b) a supply turret with a plurality of spindles for mounting a plurality of tissue rolls for dispensing; (c) means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing about a center of rotation such that a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret defines a biasing sector of the dispenser and the spindles rotate between upper and lower positions, the dispenser also having a dispensing sector adjacent the biasing sector; (d) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in an elevated dispensing position in the dispensing sector of the tissue dispenser, the dispensing position being elevated with respect to a lower limit of travel of the spindle upon rotation of the turret; wherein the stop means are responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout; and wherein further the turret and stop means are configured such that when a loaded spindle is secured in the elevated dispensing position: (i) at least two spindles are in the biasing sector of the dispenser and (ii) the number of spindles in the biasing sector is equal to or greater than the number of other spindles of the dispenser, such that when the dispenser is fully loaded with a plurality of like tissue rolls, depletion of a roll in the elevated dispensing position distributes the weight of tissue in the dispenser so as to bias the turret in a dispensing direction.

1 . A gravity-feed tissue roll dispenser for a plurality of tissue rolls comprising:
 (a) a housing;   (b) a supply turret with a plurality of spindles for mounting a plurality of tissue rolls for dispensing;   (c) means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing about a center of rotation such that a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret defines a biasing sector of the dispenser and the spindles rotate between upper and lower positions, the dispenser also having a dispensing sector adjacent the biasing sector;   (d) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in an elevated dispensing position in the dispensing sector of the tissue dispenser, the dispensing position being elevated with respect to a lower limit of travel of the spindle upon rotation of the turret;
 wherein the stop means are responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout; and 
 wherein further the turret and stop means are configured such that when a loaded spindle is secured in the elevated dispensing position: (i) at least two spindles are in the biasing sector of the dispenser and (ii) the number of spindles in the biasing sector is equal to or greater than the number of other spindles in the dispensing sector, such that when the dispenser is fully loaded with a plurality of like tissue rolls, depletion of a roll in the elevated dispensing position distributes the weight of tissue in the dispenser so as to bias the turret in a dispensing direction. 
   
   
   
       2 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the stop means include a plurality of release arms. 
   
   
       3 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 2 , wherein the release arms are mounted on the turret and biased toward a release position, the release arms being further adapted to be compressed to a locking position when the spindles are loaded with tissue rolls. 
   
   
       4 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 3 , wherein the release arms are pivotally mounted and adapted to engage the end of tissue rolls loaded onto associated spindles whereby the arms are compressed to their locking positions. 
   
   
       5 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 4 , wherein the release arms have terminal portions gapped with an associated spindle a predetermined distance such that the release arm will assume its release position upon depletion of a tissue roll loaded onto its associated spindle. 
   
   
       6 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 5 , wherein the terminal portions of the release arms are generally arcuate such that a gap between the release arm and its associated spindle generally of uniform width in the locking position of the release arm. 
   
   
       7 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 6 , wherein the release arms have latch projections mounted thereon configured to cooperate with a locking shoulder on a back plate upon which the supply turret is mounted in order to secure the turret in the dispensing position. 
   
   
       8 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser further comprises means for manually advancing the turret in a dispensing direction. 
   
   
       9 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 8 , wherein the turret has gear teeth about its periphery and the means for manually advancing the turret include a geared advancing wheel which engages the gear teeth of the turret. 
   
   
       10 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 9 , wherein the advancing wheel is mounted on a one-way bearing. 
   
   
       11 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 8 , wherein the means for manually advancing the turret in a dispensing direction includes an advancing wheel mounted on a one-way bearing. 
   
   
       12 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 8 , wherein the means for manually advancing the turret in a dispensing direction comprises an advancing wheel with a molded-in direction indicator. 
   
   
       13 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , further including means for preventing rotation of the turret in a direction opposite the dispensing direction. 
   
   
       14 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a back plate, a cover hinged thereto and locking means for securing the cover to the back plate in a locking position. 
   
   
       15 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 14 , wherein the locking means includes a latch member mounted in a cavity in the back plate. 
   
   
       16 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 15 , wherein the latch member is an injection-molded part which includes integrally formed biasing projections bearing upon surfaces of the cavity to urge the latch member to a locking position. 
   
   
       17 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein a line from the spindle secured in the dispensing position to an opposed spindle in the biasing sector of the dispenser makes an angle, α, of from about 10° to about 30° with a vertical passing through the center of rotation of the turret. 
   
   
       18 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing comprises a mandrel with a stepped profile. 
   
   
       19 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply turret comprises a mounting wheel and a retaining plate each of which have molded-in features for securing them to each other. 
   
   
       20 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 14 , wherein the mounting wheel and retaining plate are rotationally lockable to each other along a locking direction co-directional with a dispensing direction in which the turret rotates to supply additional product. 
   
   
       21 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 18 , wherein the mounting plate has a plurality of release arms provided with biasing means and the retaining plate is adapted to secure the biasing means of the release arms to the mounting plate of the turret, thereby eliminating the need for additional hardware. 
   
   
       22 . A gravity-feed tissue roll dispenser for tissue rolls comprising:
 (a) a housing;   (b) a supply turret with four equally spaced of spindles for mounting tissue rolls for dispensing;   (c) a back plate for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing about a center of rotation such that a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret divides the dispenser into a biasing sector and a dispensing sector, the spindles being mounted to rotate between upper and lower positions; and   (d) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in an elevated dispensing position in the dispensing sector of the tissue dispenser, the dispensing position being elevated with respect to a lower limit of travel of the spindle upon rotation of the turret;
 wherein the stop means are responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle in the dispensing position so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout; 
   (e) the dispensing position of a loaded spindle being further characterized in that two spindles are in the biasing sector of the dispenser and two spindles are in the dispensing sector of the dispenser and a line between the loaded spindle in the dispensing position and an opposed spindle in the biasing sector defines an angle, α, of from about 10° to about 30° with respect to a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret; and
 wherein further the turret and stop means are configured such that when the dispenser is fully loaded with a plurality of like tissue rolls, depletion of a roll in the elevated dispensing position distributes the weight of tissue in the dispenser so as to bias the turret in a dispensing direction. 
   
   
   
       23 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 22 , wherein the angle, α, is from about 15° to about 25°. 
   
   
       24 . The tissue roll dispenser according to  claim 22 , wherein the angle, α, is about 18°. 
   
   
       25 . A method of dispensing tissue comprising:
 (a) disposing a plurality of tissue rolls in a dispenser comprising:
 (i) a housing; 
 (ii) a supply turret with a plurality of spindles for mounting a plurality of tissue rolls for dispensing; 
 (iii) means for rotatably mounting the supply turret in the housing about a center of rotation such that a vertical line through the center of rotation of the turret defines a biasing sector of the dispenser and the spindles rotate between upper and lower positions, the dispenser also having a dispensing sector adjacent the biasing sector; 
 (iv) stop means adapted for securing a loaded spindle in an elevated dispensing position in the dispensing sector of the tissue dispenser, the dispensing position being elevated with respect to a lower limit of travel of the spindle upon rotation of the turret; 
 wherein the stop means are responsive to depletion of the loaded spindle so as to allow rotation of the turret upon depletion of a roll of tissue mounted thereabout; and 
 wherein further the turret and stop means are configured such that when a loaded spindle is secured in the elevated dispensing position: (iv) at least two spindles are in the biasing sector of the dispenser and (v) the number of spindles in the biasing sector is equal to or greater than the number of other spindles of the dispenser, such that when the dispenser is fully loaded with a plurality of like tissue rolls, depletion of a roll in the elevated dispensing position distributes the weight of tissue in the dispenser so as to bias the turret in a dispensing direction; and 
   (b) withdrawing tissue from the dispenser.   
   
   
       26 . In a tissue roll dispenser of the class having a housing with a front cover and a rotatably mounted supply turret for dispensing tissue from a plurality of rolls mounted on a plurality of spindles, which rolls are sequentially presented to a dispensing position, the improvement comprising a front cover with relatively transparent area adapted and positioned for simultaneously viewing roll inventory on at least two spindles of the dispenser. 
   
   
       27 . The improvement according to  claim 26 , wherein the relatively transparent area of the front cover includes a plurality of discrete relatively transparent areas. 
   
   
       28 . The improvement according to  claim 26 , wherein the relatively transparent area of the front cover is adapted and positioned to facilitate simultaneous viewing of roll inventory on all of the spindles of the dispenser disposed in a position other than the dispensing position. 
   
   
       29 . The improvement according to  claim 26 , wherein a relatively transparent area of the front cover is ring-shaped, wherein the ring-shaped area is sized and positioned to facilitate simultaneous viewing of roll inventory on at least two spindles of the dispenser. 
   
   
       30 . The improvement according to  claim 29 , wherein the ring-shaped area is sized and positioned to facilitate simultaneous viewing of roll inventory on all of the spindles of the dispenser disposed in a position other than the dispensing position. 
   
   
       31 . The improvement according to  claim 26 , wherein the front cover has a unitary, injection-molded structure. 
   
   
       32 . The improvement according to  claim 31 , wherein the relatively transparent areas have a relatively smooth microstructure and the front cover includes less transparent area having a textured microstructure. 
   
   
       33 . The improvement according to  claim 31 , wherein the front cover comprises an acrylic molding composition. 
   
   
       34 . The improvement according to  claim 31 , wherein the front cover comprises a polycarbonate molding composition.