Stub roll dispenser system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue dispensers fail to efficiently manage stub rolls, leading to waste or unusability due to increased friction and tearing of tissue material, and lack a convenient method to switch from stub rolls to main rolls without user awareness.
Innovation Solution
A tissue dispenser design that automatically switches from a stub roll to a main roll without noticeable transition, using a stop cover and front cover mechanism that minimizes additional force on the tissue, reducing friction and preventing tearing, and includes a stub roll compartment for containing and dispensing the stub roll within the same location as the main roll.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If extensions engage within grooves on the roller and support a transfer lever, then the stub roll can be dispensed, but the increased friction leads to tearing of the tissue material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transfer lever and its associated extensions that engaged with grooves on the roller. By eliminating these components, the source of excessive friction is removed, preventing tissue material tearing while maintaining stub roll dispensing capability through a simplified mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cam mechanism as an intermediary between the stub roll and the main roll dispensing system. The cam provides a smooth transition and force distribution that eliminates the need for high-friction engagement components, thereby preventing tissue tearing while enabling automatic roll switching.
2Ease of operation
If the stub roll is left in a location proximate the tissue dispenser, then it remains accessible to the user, but there is no convenient way of dispensing tissue from the stub roll
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stub roll and main roll into a single integrated dispenser unit with a unified dispensing mechanism. Both rolls are positioned within the same housing and share common dispensing components, allowing tissue to be dispensed from either roll through the same user interface without requiring separate dispensing locations or mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing mechanism is designed to universally handle both stub rolls and main rolls. The same dispensing components can accommodate different roll types and sizes, providing a multi-functional system that maintains ease of operation regardless of which roll is being used.
3Force
If the transfer lever rests in contact with the extensions, then force can be transferred, but additional friction increases and leads to tabbing and shorter tail of tissue material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the transfer lever and extensions that created excessive friction. Force transfer is achieved through alternative means (cam mechanism and direct mechanical linkage) that do not require high-friction contact, thereby preventing tabbing and maintaining adequate tissue tail length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the high-friction mechanical contact system (transfer lever resting on extensions) with a cam-based mechanism that provides smooth force transfer with minimal friction. This substitution eliminates the harmful effects of excessive friction on tissue material while maintaining effective force transmission for roll switching.
Data Source
AI summary
Various tissue dispensers are disclosed. The tissue dispenser can hold a main roll of tissue and a stub roll of tissue. In response to the tissue of the stub roll being exhausted, an advance system of the tissue dispenser can automatically transition the tissue dispenser to dispensing tissue material of the main roll.