Dispenser Supply Roll Engagement System

Abstract

The disclosure herein provides a roll support system for a rolled web material dispenser which ensures that the proper rolled web material is installed in the dispenser and that the rolled web material is properly aligned in the dispenser. The system limits the size of the core or core plug that can be supported by the support in a towel dispenser. Also disclosed is a system to provide different sized roll caps and supports to ensure that the dispenser is dispensing web material which the dispenser as designed to dispense.

1 . A roll holder for a rolled product to be dispensed from a dispenser, the roll holder comprising:
 a support having an internal side and a first surface;
 a boss disposed on the internal side of the support, the boss extending outwardly from the first surface, the boss having a central axis and the boss is configured to engage a lumen; 
 an engagement barrier disposed on the internal side of the support; the engagement barrier being spaced apart from the boss, the engagement barrier having at least one arced structure proximate the boss, the arced structure extending outwardly from the first surface, the arced structure is concentric with the central axis of the boss; the arced structure and the boss form a channel which is positioned between the arced structure wall and the boss, and the engagement barrier extending away from the channel such that the engagement barrier inhibits the support from engaging a lumen having a diameter larger than a diameter of the arced structure as measured through the central axis of the boss. 
   
     
     
         2 . The roll holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the boss has an outer diameter measured through the central axis, and the boss prevents the support from engaging a lumen having an inner diameter less than the outer diameter of the boss. 
     
     
         3 . The roll holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the arced structure comprises at least one arced wall, wherein the arced wall extends outwardly from the first surface and is concentric with the central axis of the boss. 
     
     
         4 . The roll holder according to  claim 3 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises an inclined plane, the incline plane extends outwardly from the first surface of the support to the arced wall. 
     
     
         5 . The roll holder according to  claim 3 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises a plurality of arced walls, the plurality of arced walls and the boss from a plurality of channels. 
     
     
         6 . The roll holder according to  claim 3 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises a single arced wall. 
     
     
         7 . The roll holder according to  claim 6 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises an inclined plane, the incline plane extends outwardly from the first surface of the support to the arced wall. 
     
     
         8 . A roll holder system for a rolled product to be dispensed from a dispenser, the roll holder system comprising:
 a support having an internal side and a first surface;
 a boss disposed on the internal side of the support, the boss extending outwardly from the first surface, the boss having a central axis and the boss is configured to engage a lumen; 
 an engagement barrier disposed on the internal side of the support; the engagement barrier being spaced apart from the boss, the engagement barrier having at least one arced structure extending outwardly or a series of structures from the first surface, the arced structure is proximate the boss and the arced structure is concentric with the central axis of the boss; the arced wall and the boss form a channel which is positioned between the arced wall and the boss, and the engagement barrier extending away from the channel such that the engagement barrier inhibits the support from engaging a lumen having a diameter larger than a diameter of the arced wall as measured through the central axis of the boss. 
   a rolled product having a first end and a second end, a central axis extending from the first end to the second end, each end having an opening axially aligned with the central axis of the rolled product, and at least one end having roll cap axially inserted into one of the openings, the roll cap having a central axis and the roll cap being adapted to rotatably engage the support, the roll cap comprises
 a base plate having a first side and a second side; 
 at least one roll contacting member extending outwardly from the roll cap which will engage the rolled product at the opening; and 
 the second side of the base plate having
 a hub axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap extending outward from the second side, and 
 a lumen at least partially extending through the hub, the lumen being axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap, 
 
 wherein the hub and lumen are sized such that the hub and lumen to rotatably fit into the channel of the support. 
   
     
     
         8 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the boss has an outer diameter measured through the central axis, and the boss prevents the support from engaging the lumen having an inner diameter less than the outer diameter of the boss. 
     
     
         9 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises an inclined plane, the incline plane extends outwardly from the first surface of the support to the arced wall. 
     
     
         10 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises a plurality of arced walls, the plurality of arced walls and the boss from a plurality of channels. 
     
     
         11 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises a single arced wall. 
     
     
         12 . The roll holder system according to  claim 11 , wherein the engagement barrier comprises an inclined plane, the incline plane extends outwardly from the first surface of the support to the arced wall. 
     
     
         13 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the roll cap further comprises an outer rim, the outer rim being offset from the second side of the base plate in the same direction as the hub, the outer rim being connected to the base plate by at least one rim connecting member, where the rim connecting member, base plate, the hub and the outer rim form a hollow space in the roll cap between the hub and the outer rim and the hollow space allow the roll cap to fit around the engagement barrier of the support. 
     
     
         14 . The roll holder system according to  claim 7 , wherein the lumen extends through the first side of the base plate. 
     
     
         15 . A rolled product for dispensing from a dispenser, the roll product comprising
 a first end;   a second end;   a central axis extending from the first end to the second end,   wherein each end having an opening axially aligned with the central axis of the rolled product, and   at least one end having roll cap axially inserted into one of the openings, the roll cap having a central axis and the roll cap being adapted to rotatably engage the support, the roll cap comprises
 a base plate having a first side and a second side; 
 at least one roll contacting member extending outwardly from the roll cap which will engage the rolled product at the opening; and 
 the second side of the base plate having
 a hub axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap extending outward from the second side, and 
 a lumen at least partially extending through the hub, the lumen being axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap, 
 
 wherein the hub and lumen are sized such that the hub and lumen rotatably fit into a support of a dispenser. 
   
     
     
         16 . The rolled product according to  claim 15 , wherein the roll cap further comprises an outer rim, the outer rim being offset from the second side of the base plate in the same direction as the hub, the outer rim being connected to the base plate by at least one rim connecting member, where the rim connecting member, base plate, the hub and the outer rim form a hollow space in the roll cap between the hub and the outer rim and the hollow space allow the roll cap to fit around the engagement barrier of a support in a dispenser. 
     
     
         17 . The rolled product according to  claim 15 , wherein the lumen extends through the first side of the roll cap. 
     
     
         18 . A sheet dispenser comprising the roll holder of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A web material dispenser coordination system comprising
 at least a first and a second web material dispenser, each dispenser having a roll holder, wherein   the roll holder for each dispenser of the system comprises:   a support having an internal side and a first surface;
 a boss disposed on the internal side of the support, the boss extending outwardly from the first surface, the boss having a central axis and the boss is configured to engage a lumen, the boss having a diameter D b ; 
 an engagement barrier disposed on the internal side of the support; the engagement barrier being spaced apart from the boss, the engagement barrier having at least one arced structure proximate the boss, the arced structure extending outwardly from the first surface, the arced structure is concentric with the central axis of the boss; the arced structure and the boss form a channel which is positioned between the arced structure wall and the boss, the arced structure has a diameter D a , as measured through the central axis of the boss, and the engagement barrier extends away from the channel such that the engagement barrier inhibits the support from engaging a hub and lumen having a diameter larger than D a ; and 
   a first and second corresponding roll cap adapted to be inserted in a rolled product and to rotatably engage the support of the first and second dispenser respectively, each corresponding roll cap for each dispenser of the system comprises:
 a base plate having a first side and a second side; 
 at least roll contacting member extending outwardly from the roll cap which will engage the rolled product at the opening; and 
 the second side of the base plate having:
 a hub axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap extending outward from the second side, the hub has an outer diameter of D h , and 
 a lumen at least partially extending through the hub, the lumen being axially aligned in the central axis of the roll cap, the lumen has an inner diameter of D l    
 
   wherein the hub and lumen are sized such that the hub and lumen rotatably fit into the channel of the support and D a >D h >D l >D b ;   wherein   the first dispenser has a boss with a diameter D b1 , an arced structure with a diameter D a1  and the first corresponding roll cap having a hub outer diameter D h1  and a lumen with an inner diameter of D l1 ;   the second dispenser has a boss with a diameter D b2 , an arced structure with a diameter D a2  and the second corresponding roll cap having a hub outer diameter D h2  and a lumen with an inner diameter of D l2 ; and
 D b1 >D b2 ; 
 D l1 .>D l2 ; 
 D h1 >D h2    
 D a1 >D a2 . 
   
     
     
         20 . The web material dispenser coordination system of according to  claim 19 , further comprising a third dispenser, wherein the third dispenser has a boss with a diameter D b3 , an arced structure with a diameter D a3  and the third corresponding roll cap having a hub outer diameter D h3  and a lumen with an inner diameter of D l3 ; and
 D b1 >D b2 >D b3 ;   D l1 .>D l2 >D l3 ;   D h1 >D h2 >D h3 ;   D a1 >D a2 >D a3 .   
     
     
         21 . An adapter for converting a roll holder having an engagement barrier, where the engagement barrier serves to limit the roll holder's ability to only accept a roll of web material without a particular roll cap, to a roll holder which will accept a roll of web material with a different roll cap or without a roll cap, said adapter comprising a first end and an opposite second end, the second end being adapted to be adjacent the roll holder having an engagement barrier, such that the adapter at least partially covers an engagement barrier on a roll holder, the first end and the second end being joined to one another by a connecting surface, such that the first end is offset from the second end, and the first end is extended away from the roll holder, and the adapter is held in place to the roll holder by a connecting means. 
     
     
         22 . The adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein the adapter has a cylindrical structure. 
     
     
         23 . The adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein the connecting means comprises at least one engagement member extending from the second end of the adapter and the engagement member is adapted to engage the roll holder. 
     
     
         24 . The adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein the connecting means comprises an engagement member and the roller holder has a complementary connecting member. 
     
     
         25 . The adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein the connecting means comprises an adhesive to connect the adapter to the roll holder.