Dual-Roll Tissue Dispenser with Sequential Access Door to Reduce Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue dispensers often lead to waste as users access the second roll of tissue before the first roll is exhausted, resulting in custodians replacing both rolls partially, which is inefficient and wasteful.
Innovation Solution
A tissue dispenser design that includes a housing with rotating back panels and mandrels for each roll, where the door can only switch to access the second roll once the first roll is depleted, ensuring complete utilization of the first roll before allowing access to the second.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two rolls of tissue are located side by side in a dispenser, then tissue availability is improved, but users may access the second roll before the first roll is exhausted, resulting in waste
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is segmented into multiple independent roll holders (first roll holder with first mandrel, second roll holder with second mandrel), each capable of holding and dispensing tissue independently. This segmentation allows the system to manage multiple rolls while controlling access to prevent waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The back panels are designed to rotate between locked and unlocked positions dynamically. When a roll is exhausted, its back panel rotates to unlock, allowing the door to be moved to access the next roll. This dynamic mechanism automatically enforces the depletion rule without user intervention.
2Loss of substance
If a door mechanism is added to control access between rolls, then tissue waste is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is designed to be self-regulating through its mechanical structure. The locked back panels and position-dependent door access create an automatic system that prevents access to subsequent rolls until previous rolls are depleted, eliminating the need for electronic sensors or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The door acts as an intermediary element between the user and the tissue rolls. Its movement is constrained by the back panel positions, mediating access control in a simple mechanical way that reduces waste without requiring complex electronics or automation.
3Loss of substance
If the dispenser is designed to hold multiple rolls with individual access control, then tissue conservation is improved, but the dispenser size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple roll holders are nested within a single dispenser housing, with each roll holder containing a mandrel and back panel assembly. This nesting allows multiple functional units to occupy compact space while maintaining individual access control through the shared door mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The door serves multiple functions: it provides access to the interior region, controls access to specific rolls based on their depletion state, and moves to different positions to enable access to different rolls. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control mechanisms for each roll.
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue dispenser includes: (a) a housing and cover that attach together and form an interior region for holding multiple tissue rolls and a dispenser opening for dispensing tissue from the dispenser interior; (b) a first roll holder located within the interior region, the first roll holder comprising a first back panel and a first mandrel extending from the first back panel, the first back panel is constructed to rotate, relative to the housing, between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the first mandrel is constructed to receive a first tissue roll; (c) a second roll holder located within the interior region, the second roll holder comprising a second back panel and second mandrel extending from the second back panel, the second back panel is constructed to rotate relative to the housing, between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the second mandrel is constructed to receive a second tissue roll; and (d) a door constructed to move within the dispenser opening between a first position and a second position so that when the door is provided in the first position, tissue can be dispensed from the first tissue roll provided on the first mandrel, and when the door is provided in the second position, tissue can be dispensed from the second tissue roll positioned on the second mandrel, wherein the door is constructed so that when the door is provided in either the first position or the second position and tissue is dispensing from either the first roll or the second roll, then the door is unable to move to the other of the first position or the second position until the tissue being dispensed is exhausted. A method for dispensing tissue is provided.