U.S. patent application number 17/498211 was filed with the patent office on 2022-05-05 for towel dispenser tail guard.
The applicant listed for this patent is San Jamar, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael Young.
Application Number | 20220133098 17/498211 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220133098 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Young; Michael |
May 5, 2022 |
TOWEL DISPENSER TAIL GUARD
Abstract
A shield for a rolled web material dispenser and that is defined
by a body that extends continuously between a first end and a
second end, as well as between a pair of respective sidewalls. The
first end of body is contoured to secure the body proximate a
discharge opening of an enclosure, while second end of body is
offset from the first end at a distance that allows body to overlie
an exposed tail of web material extending through discharge
opening. The pair of respective sidewalls extend in a rearward
direction such that the shield flanks the forward facing and
opposing edges of the exposed tail of the rolled web material.
Inventors: |
Young; Michael; (Mukwonago,
WI) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
San Jamar, Inc. |
Elkhorn |
WI |
US |
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Appl. No.: |
17/498211 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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63109148 |
Nov 3, 2020 |
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International
Class: |
A47K 10/38 20060101
A47K010/38 |
Claims
1. A shield for a rolled web material dispenser, the shield
comprising: a body that extends continuously between a first end
and a second end and a pair of respective sidewalls; the first end
of the body being contoured to secure the body proximate a
discharge opening of an enclosure; the second end of the body being
offset from the first end at a distance that allows the body to
overlie an exposed tail of web material extending through the
discharge opening; and the respective sidewalls extending in a
rearward direction at locations between the first end and the
second end of the body and oriented to flank opposing edges of the
exposed tail such that the exposed tail of the web material is
accessible from locations below the body of the shield.
2. The shield of claim 1 wherein the body is at least one of
transparent or translucent.
3. The shield of claim 1 further comprising a pivot constructed to
allow the shield to rotate relative to the enclosure when secured
thereto.
4. The shield of claim 1 wherein the pair of respective sidewalls
are shorter than a width of the body.
5. The shield of claim 1 when the body removably cooperates with
the rolled web material dispenser.
6. The shield of claim 1 wherein the second end of the body extends
in a rearward direction between the respective sidewalls.
7. The shield of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive tape
disposed proximate the first end of the body and having a first
side adhered to the body and a second side configured to engage the
enclosure.
8. A method of limiting exposure to an exposed tail end of a roll
of web material that depends from a rolled web material dispenser,
the method comprising: providing a guard constructed to be secured
to a rolled web material dispenser such that the guard depends over
an exposed portion of a rolled web material that depends from the
dispenser during use thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising shaping an upper
portion of the guard to have a shape that is similar to a shape of
a lower portion of the rolled web material dispenser.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising forming the guard of
at least one of a transparent material and a translucent
material.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising forming a pair of
sidewalls at respective opposing lateral ends of the guard and that
extend in a rearward direction.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming the pair of
sidewalls to extend in the rearward direction a shorter distance
than a width of guard.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising forming a pivot
between the guard and the rolled web material dispenser that allows
the guard to rotate relative to a cover of the rolled material
dispenser when the guard is attached thereto.
14. The method of claim 8 further comprising forming the guard to
removeably cooperate with the rolled web material dispenser.
15. A rolled web material dispenser comprising: an enclosure
defined by a cover that is pivotably connected to a base and shaped
to define a cavity shaped to receive a bulk roll of web material; a
dispense opening formed through the enclosure; a feed mechanism
disposed in the enclosure and configured to present a tail of the
bulk roll of web material during each dispense event; and a shield
attached to the enclosure proximate the dispense opening and
oriented to overlie the tail of the bulk roll of web material that
extends beyond the enclosure through the dispense opening.
16. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 15 wherein the
shield is at least one of pivotably attached to enclosure, adhered
to the enclosure with two sided tape, and removeably connected to
the enclosure.
17. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 15 wherein the
shield includes a pair of opposing sidewalls and a front facing
portion that extends between the pair of opposing sidewalls.
18. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 17 wherein the front
facing portion extends continuously between the pair of opposing
sidewalls.
19. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 17 wherein each of
the pair of opposing sidewalls extend in a rearward direction a
distance that is shorter than a width of the shield.
20. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 19 wherein the
rearward extending distance of each of the pair of opposing
sidewalls is sufficient to allow the shield to overlie the tail of
the bulk roll of web material relative to opposing side facing
directions.
21. The rolled web material dispenser of claim 15 wherein body is
at least one of transparent and translucent.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS
[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/109,148 filed on
Nov. 3, 2020 titled "Towel Dispenser Tail Guard" and the disclosure
of which is expressly incorporated herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to towel or rolled
web material dispensers and is more specifically directed to a
shield or guard that is constructed to cooperate with the dispenser
housing to isolate an exposed tail end of the web material that
depends, or hangs downwardly, from a dispense location of a web
material dispenser assembly.
[0003] Dispensers for dispensing discrete portions of rolled paper
or web material product from bulk rolls of such materials have been
employed for many years and across various industries and for
various applications. Such dispensers are widely used in kitchen
and public lavatory environments to dispense paper toweling for
users to dry their hands. Typically, a bulk roll of sheet material
is supported within a dispenser cabinet or housing and
incrementally rotationally advanced to dispense discrete portions
of the bulk material roll. In manually operated devices, manual
actuation of a button or lever effectuates operation of a feed
mechanism configured to rotationally advance the bulk roll and
dispense a tail end of the sheet material beyond the confines of
the cabinet or housing for use by the user. The feed mechanism
typically includes a feed drum or roller that is associated with a
drive roller and an idle roller to effectuate the desired
sequential incremental advancement of the web material from the
bulk roll. A manually actuated lever interacts with the drive
roller so that actuation of the lever rotates the drive roller.
Rotation of the drive roller acts to unwind material from the
material roll. These manually actuated roll dispensing assemblies
therefore require end users to touch the button or lever to obtain
paper toweling. Due to the number of end users touching the button
or lever, the button or lever is a high touch surface and can be
heavily contaminated with viruses and bacteria.
[0004] Alternative dispensers, which eliminate or limit manual
operation of the roll material dispensing systems, are often
referred to as "contactless" or "touchless" dispensers. Some such
dispensers commonly use one or more proximity sensors that detect
the presence of a hand or other part of a user relative to the
dispenser and include a motorized feed assembly that advance the
feed mechanism to effectuate dispensing of the sheet material from
the housing. End users can therefore obtain paper toweling without
touching the dispensing assembly. Furthermore, paper toweling is
only exposed to the environment when an end user desires to use
such paper toweling. However, these electronic sensor-operated
dispensers are expensive to obtain and require batteries and/or
source power to remain operational. Many users therefore consider
it cost prohibitive to replace manual operating roll material
dispensing systems with electronic sensor-operated dispensers.
[0005] Manual contactless dispensers are a low-cost alternative
that offer touch free dispensing but commonly leave an exposed end
of the roll material, referred to by many as a tail, exposed for
the end user to grab and extract or remove a desired length of
paper material from the dispenser. Occasionally the exposed tail is
provided in a desired use length and other dispensers are
configured to present a truncated dose portion such that user
interaction with the tail effectuates operation of the dispensing
mechanism, perforation or tearing of the web material from the
roll, and continued operation to present a tail that is accessible
for subsequent dispense events.
[0006] Regardless of the relative length of a tail presented, user
interaction with the exposed tail end of the roll operates the feed
mechanism of the dispenser to present a subsequent tail or volume
of towel material for use by subsequent users after a previous user
has acquired a desired amount of web material. The tail end of the
roll material extends from the dispenser allowing end users to
grasp and remove a section of roll material from the roll material
web such that the end user or consumer commonly must not interact
with the structure of the dispenser to attain a desired volume of
web material. However, while these dispensers offer touch free
manual dispensing, the exposed tail end of the roll material
remains exposed to the operating environment and is left
susceptible to exposure to any contagions associated therewith such
as airborne or droplet dispersed contagions such as viruses and
bacteria that may be present in the environment or expirated by
preceding users. Such instances tend to negate the objective of the
user having washed their hands immediately before drying their
hands with the potentially soiled rolled web material.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need to maintain the hygiene and/or
level of sanitation associated with dispensing rolled web towel
material in a touch-less and cost effective manner and a manner
wherein a sanitary condition of any exposed portion of the web
material can be better maintained between discrete users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention discloses a shield and method of
forming a web material guard for use with web material dispenser
assemblies that resolves one or more of the shortcomings disclosed
above.
[0009] One aspect of the present application discloses a germ guard
for use with a web material dispenser. The germ guard includes a
body that extends continuously between a first end and a second end
as well as between a pair of respective sidewalls. The first end of
the body is shaped to cooperate with the contour of the body so as
to be disposed adjacent to a discharge opening of the rolled web
material dispenser. The second end of the body is offset from the
first end at a distance that allows the body to overlie an exposed
end of web material extending through the discharge opening defined
by the dispenser assembly. The sidewalls extend in a rearward
direction toward a rear wall or base of the dispenser assembly
between the first end and the second end of the body and are
oriented to flank opposing edges of exposed end portions of the web
material such that the shield limits contact and access to the
exposed end portion of the web material.
[0010] Another aspect of the present application discloses a web
material dispenser having an enclosure that is defined by a cover
that is pivotably connected to a base and shaped to define a cavity
shaped to receive a bulk roll of web material. The web material
dispenser includes a dispense opening formed through the enclosure.
The web material dispenser further includes a shield that is
attached to the enclosure proximate the dispense opening and
oriented to overlie an end of the bulk roll of web material that
extends beyond the enclosure through the dispense opening.
[0011] Yet another aspect of the present invention discloses a
method of limiting exposure to an exposed tail end of a roll of web
material depending from a rolled web material dispenser. The method
includes providing a guard constructed to be secured to a rolled
web material dispenser such that the guard extends over an exposed
portion of a rolled web material that extends from the dispenser
during use thereof and mitigates airborne pollutants from
corrupting the sanitary condition of the exposed tail between
users.
[0012] Another aspect of the present application that is usable or
combinable with one or more of the above aspects discloses a pair
of respective sidewalls of the shield being shorter than a width of
the body.
[0013] Another aspect of the present application usable or
combinable with one or more of the above aspects discloses the body
of the shield as being transparent or translucent to allow visual
inspection of the tail end of web material disposed
therebehind.
[0014] Still another aspect of the present application usable or
combinable with one or more of the aspects disclosed above
discloses that the body of the shield removeably cooperates with
the housing of the rolled web material dispenser.
[0015] Another aspect of the present application usable or
combinable with one or more of the aspects includes pivotably
connecting the shield to the enclosure such that the shield can
rotate relative to the rolled material dispenser when secured
thereto. Such a consideration allows the shield to be disposed in
close proximity to the exposed tail of the web material without
adversely impacting the underlying operation of the dispenser
assembly and the ability to reload the underlying rolled web
material dispenser assembly.
[0016] These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the detailed
description, claims, and accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] A clear conception of the advantages and features
constituting the present invention, and of the construction and
operation of typical mechanisms provided with the present
invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the
exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in
the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,
wherein like reference numerals designate the same elements in the
several views, and in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a manual hands-free rolled
web material dispenser assembly having a shield according to the
present invention attached thereto;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a generally forward facing perspective view of the
shield of FIG. 1 removed from the underlying rolled web material
dispenser;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a generally rearward or towel facing perspective
view of the shield shown in FIG. 2;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the rolled web material
dispenser and shield assembly shown in FIG. 1; and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the rolled web material
dispenser and shield assembly shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] In describing the preferred embodiments of the invention
which are illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be
resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended
that the invention be limited to the specific terms so selected and
it is to be understood that each specific term includes all
technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to
accomplish a similar purpose. The various features and advantageous
details of the subject matter disclosed herein are explained more
fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments described in
detail in the following description.
[0024] Initially, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary dispenser assembly 10
when deployed for use in a customary manner and having a germ guard
or tail end shield 40 according to the present invention secured
thereto.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, material dispenser 10 includes a
cabinet, housing or enclosure 14 that is shaped to receive a
replaceable bulk roll of sheet or web material 16 therein.
Enclosure 14 is defined by a base, back, or back wall 17, a first
sidewall 18, a second opposing sidewall 20, a floor 22, and a front
cover 24. Front cover 24 is defined by a first cover sidewall 26, a
second opposing cover sidewall 28, a first cover shoulder portion
30, a second cover shoulder portion 32, and face portion 34. Back
wall 17, first sidewall 18, second opposing sidewall 20, floor 22,
and front cover 24 cooperate with one another to define an interior
cavity (not shown) of enclosure 14. Enclosure 14 may be formed of
plastic or other suitable material. The back wall 17, sidewalls 18,
20, and floor 22 collectively form a rear portion or base of
enclosure 14. Preferably, sidewalls 18, 20, floor 22, and back wall
17 are provided in a unitary single body construction. Similarly,
first cover sidewall 26, second opposing cover sidewall 28, first
cover shoulder portion 30, second cover shoulder portion 32, and
face portion 34 of cover 24 collectively form a front facing
portion of enclosure 14 and are also provided in a unitary single
body construction.
[0026] Cover 24 movably cooperates with the rear or base portion of
enclosure 14 to selectively expose the cavity or interior space
(not shown) of dispenser assembly 10 and which is associated with
receiving discrete sequential rolls of web material 16 associated
therewith. In one embodiment, cover 24 may movably cooperate with
rear portion of enclosure through a pivot connection. As disclosed
above, it is appreciated that the rearward portion of enclosure 14
or that portion that is generally rearward of cover 24 may be
formed as a single or multiple piece assembly formed by injection
molding, blow molding, thermoforming, roto molding, or other
suitable manufacturing processes. Alternatively, the various walls
or panels that define enclosure 14 may be separately manufactured
parts that are connected by methodologies such as welds, moldings,
fasteners, solder, overlapping snap fit connections, or the
like.
[0027] Once a roll of web material 16 has been inserted on an axis
(not shown) and placed within cavity (not shown) of enclosure 14,
tail or end portion 36 of the roll of web material 16 extends from
cavity (not shown) beyond the confines of enclosure 14 through a
dispense or discharge opening 38 defined by enclosure 14. As
disclosed above, when configured for manual hands-free dispensing
operation, user interaction with tail portion 36 during removal,
actuates the drive mechanism internal to enclosure 14 so as to
present another similarly sized subsequent sequential tail portion
36. Depending on the configuration of the dispenser assembly 10,
manual operation of the dispense mechanism 41, indicated by a dial
associated therewith, may periodically be necessary or desired to
achieve the desired presentation of tail end 36. Although a user
may require or desired more than one "dose" or discrete
predesignated length of web material by successive interaction with
tail portion 36, once a desired volume of web material has been
acquired by the user, dispenser assembly 10 is generally presented
in the manner shown in FIG. 1 wherein a successive tail portion 36
remains presented for use by a subsequent user. Although enclosure
14 substantially protects the integrity of the bulk roll of web
material contained therein between uses, the exposed tail portion
36 of the web material remains exposed to the operating environment
as well as persons passing therethrough. Such a methodology leaves
the tail portion 36 susceptible to exposure and collection of any
contagions that may be present in the environment and/or
inadvertently directed thereat via coughs, sneezes, or the like.
Consequently, user's may be less inclined to use towel dispensers
that require interaction with the dispenser to effectuate
advancement of a tail portion 36 and/or that present a tail portion
36 wherein the tail portion 36 is exposed to the environment due to
hesitation with respect to the perceived degree of sanitation
thereof. Such concerns can actually detract for the sanitation of
the environment wherein some users may decide to forgo washing of
their hands and/or forego drying of their hands in lieu of the use
of potentially contaminated web towel material.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, germ guard or shield 40 is
constructed to cooperate with dispenser assembly 10 to limit
exposure of the exposed end or tail portion 36 of web material 16
to contagions associated with users, the surroundings, and/or the
operating environment. Shield 40 is defined by a body portion 42
and a pair of opposing sidewalls 44. The body portion 42 extends
between a first or upper end 46 and a second or lower end 48 of
shield 40. First end 46 is shaped and contoured so that body
portion 42 may be secured to front cover 24 of dispenser assembly
10 as described further below. Shield 40 is further secured to
front cover 24 so that body portion 42 is disposed proximate
discharge opening 38 of dispenser assembly 10 and generally
overlies the exposed tail portion 36 of web material 16. As
disclosed further below with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5, when secured
or attached to a respective dispenser assembly 10, shield 40 is
preferably constructed to generally overlie each of the forward
facing and opposing lateral side portions of tail portion 36 of web
material 16. It should be appreciated that shield 40 can be
provided in shapes other than that which is shown to be constructed
to cooperate with the construction of an underlying dispenser
assembly to maintain the sanitary condition of the exposed tail and
to overlie the forward and side facing surfaces of the tail portion
without unduly interfering or obscuring user access to the
same.
[0029] Regardless of the relative shape of shield and the
underlying dispenser assembly, second or lower end 48 of body
portion 42 is offset from first or upper end 46 at a distance 60
(FIG. 4) allowing body portion 42 of shield 40 to be secured to the
underlying dispenser assembly 10 and extend over or overlie tail
end portion 36 of web material 16 extending from discharge opening
38. The pair of opposing sidewalls 44 of shield 40 extend or
project rearwardly from a front facing body portion 42 of shield 44
towards back wall 17 a distance 62 (FIG. 5) sufficient to allow the
sidewalls 44 to overlie tail portion 36 from the respective lateral
side directions or opposing lateral sides of dispenser assembly 10.
In a representative embodiment, sidewalls 44 further extend along
body portion 42, between first or upper end 46 to second or lower
end 48. Sidewalls 44 therefore flank opposing edges of the exposed
tail or end portion 36 of web material 16. The distance that
sidewalls 44 extend rearwardly from the center forward facing
portion of body 42 may be less than the width of body 42.
Preferably, sidewalls 44 extend in a generally rearward direction a
distance 62 that is sufficient to allow the sidewalls 44 to flank
and overlie the generally opposite lateral edges of the tail
portion 36 of webbed material 16. The body portion 42 and opposing
sidewalls 44 limit exposure of tail portion 36 to the environment,
mitigate contamination, and increase sanitation of the exposed tail
36 of web material 16.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, shield 40 may be attached to
dispenser 10 through one or more methodologies such as one or more
double-sided tape strips 64, mechanical fasteners arrangements,
such as magnetic arrangements or a pivot pin 66 or the like
constructed to extend from an interior surface of a shield 40'
(FIG. 1) and engage a corresponding cavity formed in the underlying
dispenser assembly 10, chemical or solvent bonding, or other
connection methodologies such as adhesives, snap-fitting
connection, as a few examples. It is appreciated that shield 40
could be constructed to removeably, movably, or be more permanently
affixed to an underlying dispenser 10.
[0031] When using shield 40, web material 16 is placed within the
enclosure 14 (shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5) of dispenser 10 with end
portion or tail 36 extending through discharge opening 38 and
generally disposed behind shield 40. In a preferred embodiment,
shield 40 is transparent or translucent so that the end user can
see through the shield 40 and visually assess the availability of
tail portion 36 of the web material 16. End users may look through
shield 40 to see the availability, location, position, and
orientation of end portion 36, reach generally under shield 40, or
around shield 40 if sufficiently spaced from a supporting structure
such as a wall 70 or the like (FIG. 5), grasp the tail portion 36
of the web material, and remove tail portion 36 from dispenser 10
to dry his or her hands. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, tail portion 36
of rolled web material is disposed behind shield 40 from both a
forward facing direction, as shown in FIG. 4, as well as the
opposing lateral side directions, as shown in FIG. 5, but remains
accessible to users from directions generally below shield 40 or
from lateral side directions from areas rearward of the trailing or
free edges of respective sidewalls 44. Shield 40 therefore prevents
unnecessary exposure of tail portion 36 to the environment and
other users associated therewith. Dispensers 10 equipped with
shield 40 allows for providing a contactless or touchless manual
web material dispenser event with increased sanitation while
eliminating the high installation and maintenance costs associated
with employing entirely electronically sensor-operated automatic
dispensing assemblies. Shield 40 provides an economical and
environmentally friendly alternative to disposing of previously
acquired dispenser assemblies which may include exposed towel tails
and allows such economically producible towel dispenser assembly to
be configured to incrementally dispense rolled towel material in a
manner that protects the sanitary condition associated with the
exposed tail end and in a manner that allows interaction with the
tail end to effectuate the gradual and sequential advancement of
the web material from the underlying dispenser assembly.
[0032] Further, it is appreciated that the shield 40 may be
implemented in a variety of configurations, using certain features
or aspects of the embodiments described herein and others known in
the art. Thus, although the invention has been shown and described
in what is perceived to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not
intended to be limited to the specific features and embodiments set
forth above. Rather, it is recognized that modifications may be
made by one of skill in the art of the invention without departing
from the spirit or intent of the invention and, therefore, the
invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to
the subject matter of the claims.
[0033] Therefore, one aspect of the present application discloses a
germ guard or shield for use with a web material dispenser wherein
the guard includes a body that extends continuously between a first
end and a second end and a pair of respective sidewalls. The first
end of the body is shaped and sized to fit snugly around the
perimeter of the body, proximate to a discharge opening of the
rolled web material dispenser. The second end of the body is offset
from the first end at a distance that allows the body to overlie an
exposed tail of web material extending through the discharge
opening. The sidewalls extend in a backwards or rearward direction
at locations between the first end and the second end of the body
and are oriented to flank opposing edges of the exposed tail such
that shield limits exposure of the available tail end of the web
material.
[0034] Another aspect of the present application discloses a web
material dispenser having an enclosure that is defined by a cover
that is pivotably connected to a base and shaped to define a cavity
shaped to receive a bulk roll of web material. The web material
dispenser includes a dispense opening formed through the enclosure.
The web material dispenser further includes a shield attached to
the enclosure proximate the dispense opening and oriented to
overlie an end of the bulk roll of web material that extends beyond
the enclosure through the dispense opening.
[0035] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of
limiting exposure to an exposed tail end of a roll of web material
depending from a rolled web material dispenser. The method includes
providing a guard constructed to be secured to a rolled web
material dispenser such that the guard depends over an exposed
portion of a rolled web material that depends from the dispenser
during use thereof.
[0036] These are other aspects, advantages, features, and
equivalents thereof, are encompassed by the appending claims.
* * * * *