Hand-towel dispenser

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand-towel dispenser (1) comprising a drive device (14) which additionally comprises a lever mechanism (200) that rotationally couples the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) via a mechanical gearing (20) when a timer control (16) is activated so that, by means of the rotation of the guide roller (25) when a length of fresh towel (6) is unwound, the towel can be drawn via the drive roller (13) and wound onto the used towel roll (11) simultaneously, wherein the lever mechanism (200) can be actuated by means of the timer control (16) via the mechanical gearing (20) after the period of time Δt expires such that the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) are rotationally decoupled. The invention also relates to a method for operating the hand-towel dispenser (1), having the additional steps of: - rotationally coupling the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) by means of a lever mechanism (200) such that a rotation of the guide roller (25) is produced by additionally unwinding a length ΔL of fresh towel (6) during the period of time Δt so that a towel length ΔL is drawn and wound onto a used towel roll (11) simultaneously via the drive roller (13) and at the same time the timer control (16) is reset and reactivated; and - actuating the lever mechanism (200) by means of the timer control (16) via the mechanical gearing (20) after the period of time Δt expires such that the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) are rotationally decoupled.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a towel dispenser according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a towel dispenser according to the preamble of patent claim 4.

[0002] From document GB 1 288 780 A a towel dispenser according to the preamble of claim 4 is known.

[0003] From the document US 6,267,460 B1 GAIDE ET AL., a towel dispenser is known which, after pulling out a fresh towel, dispenses a specific length of used towel, forming a towel loop that allows the user to conveniently dry their hands. A disadvantage of this known towel dispenser, however, is that improper operation—i.e., by repeatedly pulling out fresh towels in quick succession before the used towel is retracted—can create a loop at the bottom, which subsequently cannot be fully retracted during the towel retraction.

[0004] The invention aims to remedy this situation. The object of the invention is to provide a method and a towel dispenser that automatically prevents a floor loop from forming.

[0005] The invention solves the stated problem with a method for operating a towel dispenser having the features of claim 1, as well as with a towel dispenser having the features of claim 4.

[0006] The advantages achieved by the invention are essentially that thanks to the inventive method and the inventive towel dispenser: no floor loop can form due to improper operation. However, a fabric loop is always visible. If a fresh towel is pulled out several times in quick succession, the towel dispenser dispenses a towel at the front and simultaneously pulls the used towel back in again, so that the fabric loop formed when the fresh towel is first pulled out remains the same size. When the towel dispenser is at rest, only a small section of fabric is visible that can be pulled on; when in use, the towel dispenser dispenses a clean towel at the front and a used towel at the back, so that the user has enough towel to dry their hands. The fabric loop formed in this way remains the same size even if a fresh towel is pulled out several times.After a certain amount of time, the towel dispenser pulls in the used (dirty) cloth, leaving only a small section of cloth visible. If no used cloth were dispensed at the back, the user would have to constantly reach in to pull out a suitable towel loop. Parallel dispensing allows the towel to be pulled out without having to reach in. A rear portion of the towel loop, which is not used by the user when drying their hands, can be formed by a dirty cloth, ensuring the user has enough cloth to dry their hands and saving on fresh cloth.

[0007] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be commented on as follows: In a special embodiment of the method according to the invention, a spring-loaded drive for the drive device is pre-tensioned via the guide roller when the user unwinds a fresh towel from the fresh towel roll. This provides the advantage that the drive device, the positioning device, and the timing control can be driven by the energy stored in the spring-loaded device, so that the towel dispenser can be operated without external energy (e.g., electrical energy).

[0008] In another embodiment of the method, during the retraction and winding of the used cloth onto the dirty cloth roll in step B), the guide roller is temporarily locked to prevent the unwinding of fresh cloth from the fresh cloth roll, allowing the towel loop to be completely retracted. This provides the advantage that there is no towel loop when the towel dispenser is in the idle state, allowing the fresh cloth to be stored in the towel dispenser and protected from contamination.

[0009] In a special embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention, it comprises a portioning device by means of which the guide roller can be locked, so that when the guide roller is locked, no fresh towel can be unwound from the fresh towel roll.

[0010] The invention and further developments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the partially schematic representations of an embodiment.

[0011] They show: Fig. 1 a side view of an embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention without the front side wall of the housing; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the receiving device for the fresh tissue roll of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the receiving device for the fresh tissue roll of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention viewed from the rear; Fig. 4 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the starting position and viewed from the inside out; Fig. 5a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the starting position and viewed from the outside inwards; Fig. 6 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention during normal dispensing of fresh towels and viewed from the inside out; Fig. 7 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention during normal dispensing of fresh towels and viewed from the outside in; Fig. 8 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the end position of the normal dispensing of fresh towels and viewed from the inside out; Fig. 9 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the end position of the normal dispensing of fresh towels and viewed from the outside inwards; Fig. 10 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention during the retractive dispensing of fresh towel and viewed from the inside out; Fig. 11 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention during the retractive dispensing of fresh towel and viewed from the outside inwards; Fig. 12 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the final position of the retractive dispensing of fresh towel and viewed from the inside out; and Fig. 13 a side view of the mechanical transmission of the Fig. 1illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser according to the invention in the final position of the retractive dispensing of fresh towel and viewed from outside to inside.

[0012] The Fig. 1 - 13 The illustrated embodiment of the towel dispenser 1 according to the invention essentially comprises: a receiving device 5 with a tray 7 for inserting a fresh cloth roll 8 and a guide roller 25, wherein, when the towel dispenser 1 is used, fresh cloth 6 is unwound from the fresh cloth roll 8 via the guide roller 25; a dirty cloth roller 10, which is rotatably arranged in the towel dispenser 1 and to which one end of the fresh cloth 6 is attached, so that used cloth 9 can be wound onto the dirty cloth roller 10 to form a dirty cloth roll 11 when drawn in;a drive device 14 comprising: a drive roller 13, which is rotatably mounted in the towel dispenser 1 and pressed against the dirty cloth roll 11, so that the dirty cloth roll 11 can be driven in rotation by the drive device 14 for winding up and pulling in used cloth 9, a mechanical gear 20 coupled to the drive roller 13 with a spring-loaded drive 15, which can be pretensioned by rotation of the guide roller 25 when unwinding fresh cloth 6; a mechanical timer 16 (see below: Normal dispensing, step 7), which can be activated by rotation of the guide roller 25 via the mechanical gear when unwinding fresh cloth 6 and by which, after a time period Δt has elapsed, the spring-loaded drive 15 is activated to drive the drive roller 13 via the mechanical gear and used cloth 9 is wound onto the dirty cloth roll 11;a lever mechanism 200 which, upon activation of the timing control 16, rotatably couples the guide roller 25 and the drive roller 13 via the mechanical gear 20, so that by rotating the guide roller 25 while unwinding fresh cloth 6, cloth is simultaneously drawn in via the drive roller 13 and wound onto the dirty cloth roll 11 (see below: retractive output); wherein, by means of the timing control 16, after the time period Δt has elapsed, the lever mechanism 200 is actuated via the mechanical gear 20, so that the guide roller 25 and the drive roller 13 are rotatably decoupled.

[0013] Furthermore, the towel dispenser 1 comprises a portioning device 17 (see below: Normal dispensing, step 6), by means of which the guide roller 25 is temporarily locked, so that when the guide roller 25 is locked, no fresh towel 6 can be unwound from the fresh towel roll 8.

[0014] The drive device 14 also comprises a reversing gear, by means of which the drive roller 13 can be driven in rotation, so that in a first direction of rotation of the drive roller 13, used cloth 9 can be retracted and wound onto the dirty cloth roll 11 (see below: retractive dispensing, step 3) and in a second direction of rotation of the drive roller 13, used cloth 9 can be unwound from the dirty cloth roll 11 (see below: normal dispensing, step 2).

[0015] An embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating a towel dispenser 1 is described below with reference to the Figures 6 - 13 described in detail. The process essentially includes the following steps: A) Unwinding of fresh towel 6 from a fresh towel roll 8 arranged in a towel dispenser 1 by a user, wherein i) during unwinding of fresh towel 6 via the first guide roller 25 and a mechanical gear 20, a mechanical timer 16 arranged in the towel dispenser 1 is activated (see below: Normal dispensing, step 7); and ii) the dispensing of fresh towel 6 is stopped by locking the guide roller 25 by means of a portioning device 17 (see below: Normal dispensing, step 6) after dispensing a towel length ΔL of fresh towel 6 from the fresh towel roll 8;and B) drawing in and winding up the used cloth 9 onto a dirty cloth roll 11 by means of a drive roller 13 which is driven by a drive device 14 arranged in the towel dispenser 1 after a time period Δt determined by the time sequence control 16 has elapsed, the drive device 14 being activated via the mechanical gear 20 after the time period Δt has elapsed by the time sequence control 16, wherein; between step A) and step B) the following steps are carried out (see below: Retractive output): Rotative coupling of the guide roller 25 and the drive roller 13 by means of a lever mechanism 200, which is activated upon activation of the time sequence control 16 via the mechanical gear 20, so that during the expiration of the time period Δt, a rotation of the guide roller 25 by additionally unwinding a cloth length ΔL of fresh cloth 6 causes a cloth length ΔL to be simultaneously drawn in via the drive roller 13 and wound onto a dirty cloth roll 11, and at the same time a resetting and reactivation of the time sequence control 16 takes place; and actuating the lever mechanism 200 after the expiration of the time period Δt by means of the time sequence control 16 via the mechanical gear 20, so that the guide roller 25 and the drive roller 13 are rotationally decoupled.

[0016] When the user unwinds fresh cloth 6 from the fresh cloth roll 8, a spring-loaded drive 15 for the drive device 14 is pretensioned via the guide roller 25. Furthermore, when the fresh cloth 6 is unwound, a longitudinal section ΔLv of used cloth 9 is unwound and dispensed from the dirty cloth roll 11 by means of the mechanical gear 20, so that a towel loop 12 is formed by the longitudinal section ΔL of fresh cloth 6 and the longitudinal section ΔLv of used cloth 9. When the used cloth 9 is pulled in and wound onto the dirty cloth roll 11 in step B), the unwinding of fresh cloth 6 from the fresh cloth roll 8 is briefly prevented by locking the guide roller 25, so that the towel loop 12 can be completely retracted (see below: Normal dispensing, step 9). Start position / waiting position (Fig. 4 and 5):

[0017] (1) The first gear 101, or the first guide roller 25 (output roller), is held in the upper rest position by means of springs (not shown) attached to the first and second levers 211 and 212. (2) The second lever 212 is disengaged from the rocker 219 of the eighth gear 108 at position A. (3) The sixth gear 106 is held out of engagement with the fourth gear 104 ("loading wheel motor") by the fourth and fifth transmission levers 214 and 215. (4) The eighth gear 108, which is mounted on the rocker 219, is held out of engagement with the third gear 103 (positioning wheel) by the third lever 213. (5) The slider 216 has been moved to the right ( Fig. 4 ). This releases the third gear 103 (portioning wheel) for one rotation. Normal output (Fig. 6 - 9):

[0018] (1) When pulling fresh cloth 6 ( Fig. 1 ), the first guide roller 25 ( Fig. 2) (output roller) is pulled down with the first gear 101 ( Fig. 6 : Arrow E) and the first gear 101 begins to rotate and drives the second, third, fourth, and fifth gears 102, 103, 104, and 105. (2) The fourth and fifth levers 214 and 215 rotate until the sixth gear 106 engages with the fourth gear 104 (transmission gear). This then rotates the seventh gear 107 clockwise ( Fig. 7 ), which drives the drive roller 13 (winding roller), so that the rear of the dirty cloth roll 11 ( Fig. 1 ) cloth is dispensed. (3) The eighth gear 108 is blocked externally via the second lever 212 so that it does not engage with the third gear 103 in the current state. (4) The fifth gear 105 is connected to the spring-loaded drive 15 of the drive device 14 (spring motor) and rotates counterclockwise ( Fig. 7), ie "return", so that the spring of the spring-loaded drive 15 is preloaded (the spring motor is charged). Due to the transmission, 20% more energy is charged than is theoretically required. (5) The slide 216 is moved via the cam disc 217 ( Fig. 8 : Position B) is pushed backwards by the third gear 103 (portioning wheel). (6) The third gear 103 (portioning wheel) now rotates until it reaches the stop ( Fig. 8 : Position C) and the movement, ie the dispensing of fresh tissue 6, is stopped. (7) The tenth gear 110 (timer control) is driven over approximately 240° until the toothing slides out of the eleventh gear 111. (8) The spring 120 ( Fig. 9 ) pulls the tenth gear 110 further until the small toothing 112 ( Fig. 2 ) of the tenth gear 110 into the rotary damper 113 ( Fig. 8) engages. The spring 120 then pulls the tenth gear 110 further until the small toothing 112 of the tenth gear 110 also disengages from the rotary damper 113. This time is regulated by the rotary damper 113 and the spring tension. (9) If the tenth gear 110 disengages from the gear of the rotary damper 113, the sixth gear 106 is disengaged from the fourth gear 104 by the lever 213 and the stop pawl 221 (notch not visible) is disengaged from the seventh gear 107. This triggers the fabric feed. The sixth lever 218 temporarily blocks the fabric feed so that the feed can take place completely. The fabric feed is carried out by the spring-loaded drive 15, which drives the drive roller 13 ( Fig. 1 ) clockwise. (10) If the fabric is pulled before the time-stop function expires, the dispenser enters the retractive function, which is explained below. Retractive output (Fig. 10 - 13):

[0019] (1) As long as the teeth of the rotary damper 113 (damper teeth) are in engagement with the small teeth 112 of the tenth gear 110, the eighth gear 108 is brought into engagement with the third gear 103 by spring force (not shown). (Even if no movement occurs.) The lever 213 allows this movement. (2) If the fabric is now pulled, the first and second levers 211 and 212 rotate and block the rocker 219 of the eighth gear 108 at position D, so that this eighth gear 108 is not forced out of engagement by the applied force. (3) In contrast to the normal output (seventh gear 107), the twelfth gear 114 now rotates in the opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise ( Fig. 11 ) and pulls the material which is dispensed in the same ratio back in. (4) During the rotation of the third gear 103 (portioning wheel), the rack 220 ( Fig. 13), which is held by the rocker 219 of the eighth gear 108 to the thirteenth gear, which is rotationally coupled to the third gear 103 on the same axis, is moved upwards. This resets the tenth gear 110 (timer) to the beginning of the time stop function, and the time begins to run again.

[0020] The invention is not simply limited to the above-mentioned particularly preferred embodiments, but is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Method for operating a towel dispenser (1) comprising the following steps: A) Unwinding fresh towel (6) from a fresh towel roll (8) arranged in a towel dispenser (1) by a user, wherein i) when fresh towel (6) is unwound via a first guide roller (25) and a mechanical gear (20), a mechanical time control device (16) arranged in the towel dispenser (1) is activated; and ii) the dispensing of fresh towel (6) is stopped by locking the guide roller (25) by means of a portioning device (17) after a towel length ΔL of fresh towel (6) has been dispensed from the fresh towel roll (8); and B) Retracting and winding the used towel (9) onto a dirty towel roll (11) by means of a drive roller (13), which is driven by a drive device (14) arranged in the towel dispenser (1) after a time period Δt determined by the time control (16) has elapsed, wherein the drive device (14) is activated via the mechanical gear (20) after the time period Δt has elapsed by the time control (16), wherein C) between step A) and step B), the following steps are performed: - Rotary coupling of the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) by means of a lever mechanism (200), which is activated when the time sequence control (16) is activated via the mechanical gear (20), so that during the time period Δt, rotation of the guide roller (25) causes a length of cloth ΔL of fresh cloth (6) to be unwound, so that simultaneously, a length of cloth ΔL is pulled in via the drive roller (13) and wound onto a dirty cloth roll (11), and at the same time the time control (16) is reset and reactivated; and - Actuating the lever mechanism (200) after the time period Δt has elapsed by means of the time control (16) via the mechanical gear (20), so that the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) are rotatably decoupled, characterized in that when unwinding fresh cloth (6) by means of the mechanical transmission (20), a longitudinal section ΔLv of used cloth (9) is unwound from the dirty cloth roll (11) and dispensed, so that a towel loop (12) is formed by the longitudinal section ΔL of fresh cloth (6) and the longitudinal section ΔLv of used cloth (9) form a towel loop (12).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that when fresh cloth (6) is unwound from the fresh cloth roll (8) by the user via the guide roller (25), a spring-loaded drive (15) for the drive device (14) is preloaded.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the used towel (9) is pulled in and wound onto the dirty towel roll (11) in step B), the guide roller (25) is locked to briefly prevent fresh towel (6) from being unwound from the fresh towel roll (8) is briefly prevented by locking the guide roller (25) during step B), so that the towel loop (12) can be completely retracted.

4. Towel dispenser (1) comprising: a receptacle (5) with a tray (7) for inserting a roll of fresh towels (8) and a guide roller (25), whereby, when the towel dispenser (1) is in use, fresh towels (6) can be unwound from the roll of fresh towels (8) via the guide roller (25); a waste towel roller (10) which is rotatably arranged in the towel dispenser (1) and to which one end of the fresh towel (6) can be attached, so that used towel (9) can be wound onto the waste towel roller (10) to form a waste towel roll (11) when pulled in; a drive device (14) comprising: ∘ a drive roller (13) which is rotatably mounted in the towel dispenser (1) and can be pressed against the dirty towel roll (11) so that the dirty towel roll (11) can be rotated by the drive device (14) to wind up and pull in used towel (9), ∘ a mechanical gear (20) coupled to the drive roller (13) with a spring-loaded drive (15) which can be preloaded by rotating the guide roller (25) when unwinding fresh fabric (6); ∘ a mechanical time control (16) which can be activated by rotation of the guide roller (25) via the mechanical gear when unwinding fresh cloth (6) and by which, after a period of time Δt has elapsed, the spring-loaded drive (15) can be activated to drive the drive roller (13) via the mechanical gear (20) and used cloth (9) can be wound onto the dirty cloth roll (11); wherein - the drive device (14) additionally comprises a lever mechanism (200) which, when the time control (16) is activated via the mechanical gear (20), rotatably couples the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13), so that, when fresh cloth (6) is unwound, the rotation of the guide roller (25) simultaneously allows cloth to be drawn in via the drive roller (13) and wound onto the dirty cloth roll (11); whereby the time control (16) can be used to activate the lever mechanism (200) via the mechanical gear (20) after the time period Δt has elapsed, so that the guide roller (25) and the drive roller (13) are rotatably decoupled, characterized in that the drive device (14) comprises a reverse gear by means of which the drive roller (13) can be driven rotatably so that, in a first direction of rotation of the drive roller (13), used cloth (9) can be retracted and wound onto the dirty cloth roll (11), and in a second direction of rotation of the drive roller (13), used cloth (9) can be unwound from the dirty cloth roll (11).

5. Towel dispenser (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the towel dispenser (1) comprises a portioning device (17) by means of which the guide roller (25) can be locked so that no fresh towel (6) can be unwound from the fresh towel roll (8) when the guide roller (25) is locked.

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