Sheet feeder

Abstract

A sheet feeder superior in performance of sheet conveyance, suitable for downsizing, and improved in usability. The sheet feeder comprises a roll holder having a roll mounting section and a cover member attached to the roll holder. The cover member is rotatable around the roll mounting section and automatically conveys a sheet with a pullout portion of the sheet of a roll put between a receiving section formed in the lower portion of the cover member and a feeding roller.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Japanese Application No. 2004-152442, filed May 21, 2004, the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sheet feeder capable of automatically supplying a user with a sheet such as toilet paper.

2. Related Background Art

Conventionally, there is one type of sheet feeder for automatically paying out a sheet of a roll such as toilet paper that conveys the sheet of the roll to an output port by rotatably driving the roll mounted on a mounting section directly by means of a feeding roller located on the underside of the roll (Refer to “Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3024537,” for example).

In addition, there is another type of sheet feeder that conveys a sheet paid out of a roll to an output port by pulling the sheet put between a pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet (Refer to “Japanese Patent Publication No. 1934158,” for example).

The Inventor'S Discovery of Problems of the Related Art

In the sheet feeder that rotatably drives the roll directly by means of the feeding roller in the above, the self weight of the roll alone is not enough to generate a pressing force for rotating the roll between the roll and the feeding roller due to light weight of the roll of toilet paper or the like. Therefore, this type of sheet feeder has a problem that the feeding roller easily turns free and its performance of sheet conveyance is low. Particularly the use of the roll thins it down and makes it lighter in weight, by which the problem becomes increasingly apparent.

On the other hand, in the sheet feeder that conveys the sheet put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the above problem does not occur, but it requires an arrangement of a mechanism for supporting the rollers on both sides of the sheet. Therefore, this type of sheet feeder has a problem with downsizing and thus it is not suited to be installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, with the configuration in which the sheet is put between the pair of rollers in both sides of the sheet, the sheet feeder presents a problem that it takes the time and trouble to pass the sheet between the pair of rollers in mounting a new roll. Moreover, in an unanticipated situation caused by a power failure or battery shutoff, a user cannot pull out the sheet manually since the sheet remains caught between the pair of rollers which is problematic.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of these problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeder having a superior performance of sheet conveyance and suitable for downsizing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeder in which its usability is improved.

To accomplish these objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder comprising: a roll mounting section for receiving a roll of a continuous sheet wrapped around itself; and a conveying mechanism for automatically paying out the sheet of the roll mounted on the roll mounting section, wherein: a receiving section is provided on one side of a pullout portion of the sheet of the roll; and the conveying mechanism includes a feeding roller holding the pullout portion put between the feeding roller and the receiving section on the other side of the pullout portion and a drive motor for rotatably driving the feeding roller to pull out and convey the sheet of the roll.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, the feeding roller is rotated with the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll, which is mounted on the roll mounting section, put between the receiving section and the feeding roller. As a result, the sheet is pulled out of the roll and conveyed. Therefore, the sheet feeder is capable of paying out the sheet stably independently of the diameter or weight of the roll and thus is superior in performance of conveyance. Moreover, the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when a user pulls the pullout portion of the sheet in this configuration, without the use of the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. This permits an accomplishment of a sheet feeder suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which the pullout portion is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.

In the present invention, the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a roll holder having the roll mounting section, and the feeding roller is placed on the side of the roll holder and located on the underside of the pullout portion and the receiving section is movable in a direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding roller on the upside of the pullout portion and biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller. With this arrangement, the receiving section moves away from the feeding roller by pulling the sheet manually. Therefore, it is possible to pull out the sheet with a light force and to prevent the sheet from being caught in the feeding roller and tearing.

In the present invention, the receiving section is preferably formed in a rotating member supported by the roll holder so as to be rotatable around the roll mounted on the roll mounting section above the roll.

In the present invention, the rotating member is preferably rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section under its own weight from a neutral position above the roll mounting section and the receiving section is biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller under the self weight of the rotating member. With this arrangement, the rotating member can be rotated backward under its own weight so that the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area before mounting a new roll. Moreover, after the completion of mounting the roll, the pullout portion of the sheet can be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller only by rotating the rotating member forward under its own weight.

In the present invention, the rotating member is preferably provided with a weight for biasing the receiving section in the direction of approaching the feeding roller. With this arrangement, the receiving section is put in the condition of holding the pullout portion of the sheet together with the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.

In the present invention, a metal faceplate is preferably attached to the front face of the rotating member. With this arrangement, the faceplate acts as a weight and causes the pullout portion of the sheet to be put between the receiving section and the feeding roller with a moderate force, thereby ensuring sheet conveyance.

In the present invention, the sheet feeder preferably further comprises a stopper mechanism between the roll holder and the rotating member, the stopper mechanism limiting an amount of displacement of the receiving section toward the feeding roller to within a specified range of displacement. This arrangement prevents the receiving section from being pressed toward the feeding roller with an excess force. Therefore, even if a user accidentally puts his/her hand on the rotating member during sheet conveyance, a sheet jam, a halt of the feeding roller, or any other abnormality does not occur.

In the present invention, the rotating member is, for example, a cover member rotatable between a position where the roll is covered and a position where the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area.

In the present invention, the roll holder has a cutter in a downstream position of the feeding roller and the color of the cutter is preferably different from the color of the roll holder. This emphasizes the cutter, thereby offering a safety in a situation where the sheet feeder of the present invention is installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Moreover, the cutter is located on the side of the roll holder, thus preventing the cutter from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction and thus providing easy cutting.

In the present invention, the roll is preferably rotatably mounted on the roll mounting section. This facilitates mounting of a roll. Regarding the roll type, both of the cored roll and the coreless roll can be mounted.

In the present invention, the feeding roller is preferably disposed in a plurality of locations in the width direction of the pullout portion. This arrangement prevents a local application of a great force to the sheet, thereby ensuring no occurrence of deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of the sheet during sheet conveyance.

While the target sheet type is not limited in the sheet feeder according to the present invention, the sheet is, for example, toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, or aluminum foil.

The sheet feeder of the present invention conveys the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll with the sheet put between the receiving section and the feeding roller. Therefore, the sheet can be paid out stably independently of the diameter and weight of the roll, thereby ensuring a favorable performance of sheet conveyance. Moreover, the pullout portion of the sheet of the roll is put between the feeding roller and the receiving section when the sheet is pulled out in this configuration. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the roller may be located on the side of the feeding roller alone, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder. Thus, it is suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom or a kitchen. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced, thus also enabling a low price of the sheet feeder to be achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are perspective views showing a sheet feeder according to the present invention with the cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section showing an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are cross sections showing actions of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are cross sections showing a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are explanatory diagrams showing modifications of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiment of the sheet feeder of the present invention will now be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(General Configuration)

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show perspective views of the sheet feeder according to the present invention with a cover member closed and with the cover member open, respectively. FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section illustrating an enlarged stopper of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2, the sheet feeder 1 of this embodiment is for use in the supply of a sheet 2a out of a roll 2, which is toilet paper as a continuous sheet 2a wrapped around itself, and comprises a roll holder 4 having a roll mounting section 3 for receiving the roll 2, a cover member 5 (rotating member) for covering the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3, a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet 2a pulled out of the roll 2 toward an output port 6, and a sawtooth cutter 8 located at the output port 6.

The roll holder 4 has narrow fixing boxes 11 and 12 on its both sides. The fixing boxes 11 and 12 support both ends of a guide member 13 in the horizontal direction. The roll mounting section 3 receiving the roll 2 is formed by an arc portion 15, which curves backward from a substantially horizontal portion 14 in the front of the guide member 13.

The cover member 5 includes an arc cover portion 17 corresponding to the shape of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and side plates 18 and 19 extending from both edges of the arc cover portion 17 at a right angle toward the center of the arc. Projections 20 and 21 are formed in the center position of the arc on the side plates 18 and 19, respectively. These projections 20 and 21 are then supported by sockets 22 and 23 formed on the fixing boxes 11 and 12, respectively. Therefore, the cover member 5 rotates around the central axis of rotation provided by the projections 20 and 21 and the sockets 22 and 23 and thus can rotate between the forward position 5A (See FIG. 1A) where the cover member 5 covers the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and the backward position 5B (See FIG. 1B) where the roll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area.

In the cover member 5, a faceplate 25 is attached to the front face of the arc cover portion 17 with a manufacturer's name, a product name, or the like put on the surface 25A of the faceplate 25. The faceplate 25 is made of a metal plate such as a rectangular stainless steel plate, which is graceful and elegant. Moreover, there is no need to mark the product for the manufacturer's name with a seal or printing.

In this embodiment, the faceplate 25 has also a role of a weight. Specifically, as described later with reference to FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D, the cover member 5 is formed so as to be rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section 3 under its own weight from the neutral position above the roll mounting section. Therefore, if the faceplate 25 is located forward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, the cover member 5 rotates forward under its own weight, while if the faceplate 25 is located backward of the position right above the central axis of rotation, the cover member 5 rotates backward under its own weight in this embodiment. Accordingly, the sheet feeder does not halt with the cover member 5 partly open (partly closed), thereby providing excellent usability in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the bottom end of the front side of the arc cover portion 17 of the cover member 5 functions as a receiving section 28 for conveying the sheet 2a by using a conveying mechanism 7 described later. In this regard, the cover member 5 is made of resin having a low friction coefficient and the receiving section 28 forms a smooth surface, whereby the receiving section 28 has an extremely low friction coefficient. Note here that, for example, only the receiving section 28 may be formed of resin having a low friction coefficient in the cover member 5 by using two types of resin for reducing the friction coefficient of the receiving section 28.

The conveying mechanism 7 includes a feeding roller 27 located on the side of the roll holder 4 and a roller driver 32 corresponding to the feeding roller 27. The feeding roller 27 is disposed in five locations at regular intervals in the width direction of the sheet 2a. The feeding rollers 27 are, for example, O rings made of polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, NBR, SBR, EPDM or the like put on a common rotary shaft 29, each having a high friction coefficient on the roller surface.

The rotary shaft 29 is rotatably supported by a bottom cover 30 located on the underside of the roll holder 4. In the roll holder 4, five rectangular holes 31 are formed in the width direction in the substantially horizontal portion 14 of the guide member 13. With the bottom cover 30 attached to the roll holder 4, the respective roller surfaces of the five feeding rollers 27 are protruding upward of the substantially horizontal portion 14 from the rectangular holes 31 and face the receiving section 28. Therefore, the receiving section 28 is located on the upside of the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3 and thereby the feeding rollers 27 hold the pullout portion 2b put between the feeding rollers 27 and the receiving section 28 on the underside of the pullout portion 2b. In this condition, the receiving section 28 is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5. The faceplate 25 put on the cover member 5 also functions as a weight for biasing the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27.

As shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, trapezoidal-shaped stoppers 40 protruding upward are formed at both ends of the guide member 13 on both sides thereof in the substantially horizontal portion 14. The stoppers 40 are located slightly backward of the protruding position of the feeding rollers 27. Note here that the amount of protrusion of the stoppers 40 is substantially the same as the amount of protrusion of the feeding rollers 27. Therefore, when the cover member 5 is located in the forward position 5A, an abutment surface 28a formed at the rear end of the receiving section 28 abuts against the top faces 40a of the stoppers 40, thereby preventing a further rotation exceeding the forward position 5A of the cover member 5. Therefore, even if a downward large external force is applied to the cover member 5 as indicated by an arrow F as shown in FIG. 3, the maximum displacement of the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 is limited to the position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the roller driver 32 includes a drive motor 33 as a driving source, a pinion 34 attached to the output shaft of the drive motor 33, a speed reducing gear train 35 engaging with the pinion 34, and a gear 36 engaging with the speed reducing gear train 35 and attached to the rotary shaft 29 for the feeding rollers 27. An internal battery 37 housed in the fixing box 12 supplies power to the drive motor 33. Furthermore, a control panel (not shown) is arranged in the front face of the fixing box 12 and the drive motor 33 is actuated by depressing a switch 38 of the control panel.

In the output port 6, the sawtooth cutter 8 is horizontally fixed being put between the guide member 13 of the roll holder 4 and the bottom cover 30, with the cutting edge protruding forward. In this embodiment, the sawtooth cutter 8 is made of hard rubber and the color of the sawtooth cutter 8 is apparently different from that of the roll holder 3 and that of the cover member 5.

(Operation)

Referring to FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D, there are shown cross sections illustrating actions of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, there are shown cross sections illustrating a motion of pulling the sheet manually in the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1.

First, when the roll 2 is supplied anew to the sheet feeder 1 of this embodiment, the cover member 5 is rotated to the backward position 5B as shown in FIG. 4A so that the roll mounting section 3 is open in the surrounding area and then the roll 2 is mounted on the roll mounting section 3 from the front. In this embodiment, the roll 2 is rotatably mounted only by the mounting on the roll mounting section 3.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, the sheet 2a is paid out of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3, passed through the upper portion of the feeding rollers 27, and pulled out to near the output port 6.

The cover member 5 is then rotated forward to the forward position 5A. At this point, as shown in FIG. 4C, the center of gravity of the cover member 5 moves forward of the center of rotation when the faceplate 25 passes the position right above the center of rotation of the cover member 5, whereby the cover member 5 automatically rotates to the forward position 5A under its own weight and the weight of the faceplate 25 as a weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover member 5 from being left unclosed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4D, upon the rotation of the cover member 5 completed to the forward position 5A, the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a is put between the feeding rollers 27 and the receiving section 28. This condition is a standby state of the sheet feeder 1. If a user needs the sheet 2a in the standby state and continuously depresses the switch 38 of the control panel, the drive motor 33 operates during the equivalent time period. Thereby, the feeding rollers 27 are driven, and the feeding rollers 27 pull the sheet 2a out of the roll 2 and send it toward the output port 6. During this time, the roll 2 rotates following the rotation in the roll mounting section 3.

By releasing the switch 38 when the sheet 2a is pulled out by a given length, the drive motor 33 stops. Thus, if the user pulls downward the sheet 2a hanging from the output port 6, the sawtooth cutter 8 cuts the sheet 2a. The sheet feeder 1 then enters the standby state again.

If the feeding rollers 27 cannot be driven for lack of power supply to the drive motor 33 due to battery shutoff of the internal battery 37 or the like, the front edge of the sheet 2a is pulled diagonally upward as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B. Consequently, the sheet 2a raises the cover member 5 and the receiving section 28 moves away from the feeding rollers 27. The sheet 2a also rises from the feeding rollers 27. Thus, it is possible to pull out the sheet 2a manually only by pulling the sheet 2a lightly. To cut the sheet 2a pulled out manually, the sheet 2a is just pulled down in the same manner as in automatically pulling out the sheet 2a, whereby the sawtooth cutter 8 cuts the sheet 2a.

(Major Effects of this Embodiment)

As stated hereinabove, in the sheet feeder 1 of this embodiment, the feeding rollers 27 are rotated with the sheet 2a, which has been pulled out of the roll 2 mounted on the roll mounting section 3, put between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27. Thereby, the sheet 2a is pulled out of the roll 2 and conveyed. Therefore, the sheet feeder is capable of paying out the sheet 2a stably and independently of the diameter and weight of the roll 2 from the beginning to end of use. The sheet feeder is therefore superior in the performance of conveyance, unlike the configuration in which the roll 2a is rotatably driven directly. Moreover, the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a of the roll 2 is put between the feeding rollers 27 and the receiving section 28, without use of the configuration in which the pullout portion 2b is put between the pair of rollers made of a feeding roller and a driven roller. Therefore, parts for rotatably supporting the feeding rollers 27 may be located only on a single side of the sheet, thereby enabling downsizing of the sheet feeder 1. This permits an accomplishment of the sheet feeder 1 suitable for installation in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the configuration in which the pullout portion 2b is put between the pair of rollers, thus enabling a low price of the sheet feeder 1 to be achieved.

The cover member 5 is rotatable between the forward position 5A and the backward position 5B: if the cover member 5 is rotated to the backward position 5B, the roll mounting section 3 becomes open in the forward and upward directions. Moreover, the roll mounting section 3 has a structure in which the roll 2 is rotatably mounted. Therefore, the roll 2 can be easily mounted onto the roll mounting section 3. Furthermore, the roll 2 just follows the rotation and thus a user can use both types of rolls, a cored roll and a coreless roll. Still further, the user can mount the roll 2 in either right-hand or left-hand direction where the sheet 2a is wrapped around itself when viewed from one side.

Moreover, the cover member 5 including the receiving section 28 can rotate between the forward position 5A and the backward position 5B, which facilitates the work between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27, in comparison with the configuration in which the sheet 2a is passed between the pair of rollers. Furthermore, if the feeding rollers 27 cannot be driven due to battery shutoff or the like, a user can raise the receiving section 28 by pulling the sheet 2a manually, by which the sheet 2a moves away from the feeding rollers 27. Therefore, the user can pull the sheet 2a with a light force. At this point, the sheet 2a slides on the receiving section 28, but an excess force is not applied to the sheet 2a due to the low friction coefficient of the receiving section 28. Therefore, even toilet paper which is easy to tear does not tear halfway. In addition, even if the sheet 2a has a tear in it, it is not caught in the receiving section 28 or the feeding rollers 27, whereby the sheet 2a does not stick to the receiving section 28 or the feeding rollers 27 which leads to jamming of the sheet.

Moreover, the receiving section 28 is movable in the direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding rollers 27, while it is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5. The faceplate 25 attached to the front face of the cover member 5 functions as a weight for biasing the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27. Therefore, the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a can be securely put between the receiving section 28 and the feeding rollers 27 without use of a spring, thus ensuring the conveyance of the sheet 2a. Moreover, in the roll holder 4, the stoppers 40 are formed for limiting the amount of displacement of the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 to within a specified range of displacement at both ends of the substantially horizontal portion 14 of the guide member 13. Therefore, even if a user accidentally puts his/her hand on the cover member 5 during conveyance of the sheet 2a, it does not disturb the rotation of the feeding rollers 27 and conveyance of the sheet 2a. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an occurrence of jamming of the sheet 2a and a failure of the roller driver 32 which may be caused by pressing the cover member 5 toward the roll holder 4.

Moreover, in the conveying mechanism 7, the plurality of feeding rollers 27 are disposed at regular intervals in the width direction of the sheet 2a, thereby preventing a local application of a great force to the sheet 2a. Therefore, deficiencies such as skewing, rupture, and jamming of the sheet 2a do not occur during sheet conveyance. Furthermore, paper lint may be sometimes put on the feeding roller 27 during conveyance of the toilet paper as the sheet 2a. If so, the friction coefficient of the roller surface is lowered. The use of the plurality of feeding rollers 27, however, prevents trouble in conveying the sheet 2a even if a problem occurs in a part of the feeding rollers 27. In addition, due to the use of the plurality of feeding rollers 27 and the high frictional resistance of the roller surfaces, a large holding force is applied when the user cuts the sheet 2a and the force does not concentrate in a single point of the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a at the time of cutting, thus preventing a tear in the sheet 2a. Therefore, the user can neatly cut the sheet 2a.

Still further, the sawtooth cutter 8 is located on the side of the roll holder 4. This prevents the sawtooth cutter 8 from withdrawing when the sheet is pulled in the cutting direction as has been in the arrangement of the sawtooth cutter on the side of the cover member, thus providing easy cutting. Moreover, the sawtooth cutter 8 has a color which appears different from the color of the roll holder 4 and of the cover member 5, so that the sawtooth cutter 8 is emphasized. Therefore, the sheet feeder 1 can be safely installed in a narrow space such as a bathroom. Moreover, the sheet 2a is pulled down instead of lifting the sheet 2a for cutting the sheet 2a in this embodiment. Thus, the emphasized position of the sawtooth cutter 8 helps the user to notice the way of pulling down the sheet 2a. Therefore, it provides excellent usability for the elderly who may not readily adapt to a new system. Furthermore, while visually handicapped people find it hard to recognize an object unless it has a sharp contrast to others, the sawtooth cutter 8 has a different color from the color of the roll holder 4 and of the cover member 5. Therefore, the visually handicapped can readily recognize the position of the sawtooth cutter 8 and thus the sheet feeder is also user-friendly for them.

(Other Preferred Embodiments)

While the receiving section 28 is biased toward the feeding rollers 27 under the self weight of the cover member 5 and that of the faceplate 25 in the above embodiment, it is also possible to bias the receiving section 28 toward the feeding rollers 27 by means of a biasing force of coil springs 42 with the coil springs 42 each coupled to the roll holder 4 and the cover member 5 as shown in FIG. 6A. Regarding a mechanism of rotating the cover member 5 between the forward position 5A and the backward position 5B, it is also possible to arrange a slide mechanism with guides formed on the side of the roll holder 4 moving on arc rails 43 formed on the side plates 18a and 19a of the cover member 5a, as shown in FIG. 6B. This arrangement permits setting of a virtual center of rotation and therefore there is no need to provide the sockets for rotatably supporting the cover member 5.

While the above embodiment has been described by giving an example of using toilet paper as the sheet 2a, the present invention is also applicable to a sheet feeder for the supply of kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, aluminum foil or the like.

While the receiving section 28 has been located on the upside of the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a and the feeding rollers 27 have been located on the underside of the pullout portion 2b in the above embodiment, it is also possible to arrange the feeding rollers 27 on the upside of the pullout portion 2b of the sheet 2a and the receiving section 28 on the underside of the pullout portion 2b conversely.

While the faceplate 25 pasted on the front face of the cover member 5 has been used as a weight in the above embodiment, a dedicated weight may be attached or the thickness of the cover member 5 may be partially increased so that the thick part functions as a weight.

While the sheet 2a has been fed out while the switch 38 of the control panel is depressed in the above embodiment, it is also possible to adopt a mechanism of automatically feeding out the sheet 2a by a fixed length just by depressing the switch 38. In this regard, two switches for “excrement” and “urine” may be arranged as switches 38, so that the length of the sheet 2a to be pulled out depends on which of the switches 38 is depressed. In addition, a sensor window may be formed on the roll holder 4, so that the sheet 2a is pulled out under remote control using infrared rays. Furthermore, an external battery pack or an AC power supply may be used as the power supply, instead of the internal battery 37.

Moreover, the sawtooth cutter 8 may be formed of material other than hard rubber such as, for example, resin or metal and may be integrated with the guide member 13 or the bottom cover 30 only if it is located on the side of the roll holder 4.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sheet feeder comprising:

a roll mounting section for receiving a roll of a continuous sheet wrapped around itself; and

a conveying mechanism for automatically paying out the sheet of the roll mounted on the roll mounting section, wherein:

a receiving section is provided on one side of a pullout portion of the sheet of the roll; and

the conveying mechanism includes a feeding roller holding the pullout portion put between the feeding roller and the receiving section on the other side of the pullout portion and a drive motor for rotatably driving the feeding roller to pull out and convey the sheet of the roll.

2. The sheet feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a roll holder having the roll mounting section, wherein:

the feeding roller is placed on the side of the roll holder and located on the underside of the pullout portion; and

the receiving section is movable in a direction of approaching or moving away from the feeding roller on the upside of the pullout portion and biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.

3. The sheet feeder according to claim 2, wherein the receiving section is formed in a rotating member supported by the roll holder so as to be rotatable around the roll mounted on the roll mounting section above the roll.

4. The sheet feeder according to claim 3, wherein:

the rotating member is rotatable forward or backward of the roll mounting section under its own weight from a neutral position above the roll mounting section; and

the receiving section is biased in the direction of approaching the feeding roller under the self weight of the rotating member.

5. The sheet feeder according to claim 4, wherein the rotating member is provided with a weight for biasing the receiving section in the direction of approaching the feeding roller.

6. The sheet feeder according to claim 4, wherein a metal faceplate is attached to the face of the rotating member.

7. The sheet feeder according to claim 3, further comprising a stopper mechanism between the roll holder and the rotating member, the stopper mechanism limiting an amount of displacement of the receiving section toward the feeding roller to within a specified range of displacement.

8. The sheet feeder according to claim 3, wherein the rotating member is a cover member rotatable between a position where the roll is covered and a position where the roll mounting section is open in the surrounding area.

9. The sheet feeder according to claim 2, wherein the roll holder has a cutter in a downstream position of the feeding roller and the color of the cutter is different from the color of the roll holder.

10. The sheet feeder according to claim 1, wherein the roll is rotatably mounted on the roll mounting section.

11. The sheet feeder according to claim 1, wherein the feeding roller is disposed in a plurality of locations in the width direction of the pullout portion.

12. The sheet feeder according to-claim 11, wherein the sheet is toilet paper, kitchen paper, paper towel, wet tissue, paper for cleaning buttocks, paper for wiping grease, or aluminum foil.