CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional application 62/457,501, titled: Paper Roll Holder, Filed Feb. 10, 2017, by the same inventor and currently pending.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The invention relates to a paper roll holder that uses magnetic attraction for positioning and holding a spindle.
Related Background Art Using spindles to hold rolled paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper is well known. Typically, the rolls include a hollow core that accepts a spindle and the loose fit allows the roll to turn freely about the spindle for dispensing the rolled paper product. The spindles are attached to dispensers that may be spring loaded arms, slots or vertical stands. Many forms use a spring within the spindle itself such that the outward tension on the spring can hold the spindle in a recess. The spring loading provides an advantage of firmly holding the ends of the spindle when the roll is turned for dispensing. However, inserting spring loaded spindles into a slot or receptacle can often be difficult. The loading requires simultaneous compression of a spring spindle and alignment of the ends of the spindle with a receptacle. There is a need for an improved spindle and receptacle system that securely holds the spindle in place for use and can be easily removed for refilling and replaced by simply dropping into position with automatic realignment for use.
Similarly, there are many industrial processes that rely upon handling rolled products such as papers, plastic films and metal films. There is a need for a system that provides, rapid, easy and accurate positioning of spindle ends for industrial applications as well.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention discloses a spindle and receiver for a spindle where the spindle, the receiver or both include a magnet for automatic alignment of the spindle in the receiver and for holding the spindle in place. In one embodiment both the spindle and the receiver include magnets with the polarity of the magnets aligned to provide magnetic attraction between the spindle and the receiver. In one embodiment the polarity of the magnets is arranged such that the spindle is attracted and snaps into place if properly aligned and the magnets repel if the spindle is inserted into the receiver in an undesired orientation. In another embodiment the spindle includes a magnet and the receiver includes a region that includes ferromagnetic material. In another embodiment the receiver includes at least one magnet and the spindle includes ferromagnetic material. In another embodiment the receiver and the spindle both include magnets and the poles of the magnets are oriented such that as the spindle rotates the spindle and the receiver are cyclically repelled and attracted producing a periodic detent to the rotation.
The specific examples are not intended to limit the inventive concept to the example application. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows prior art spindle and receiver systems.
FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the spindle and receiver system including a slot on the receiver.
FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of the spindle and receiver system where the slot is not used.
FIG. 3B shows an embodiment of the system where the slot is not used and the magnetically attractive material is incorporated into the paper roll.
FIG. 3C shows an embodiment that includes a hinge at one end of the spindle.
FIG. 3D shows an embodiment where the spindle is comprised of a string or wire.
FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a vertical slot on the receiver, where the receiver is built into a recess in a wall.
FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of a horizontal slot and the receiver built into a recess in a wall.
FIG. 6 shows a spring loaded embodiment of the spindle and receiver.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a view of prior art spindle and receiver systems. Three versions 101, 102, 103 are shown. The first version 101 is comprised of a bent metal or wire piece 111 over which a rolled product may be placed. The wire acts as a spindle for the rolled paper or film product (not shown). The disadvantage is that the roll is not secured in place and when pulling on the rolled paper product the roll may fall off of the spindle 111. An improved version is shown in the second view 102. A spindle 112 is held within a slot in a receiver 113. The spindle may be removed by lifting vertically and replaced by dropping into the slot 113. This version is an improvement in that the spindle is held more securely in position and the paper roll around the spindle (not shown) may be held apart from a wall. The disadvantage is that the spindle and receiver extend away from the wall and therefore take up space in a typically small cramped room. Improvements on these first two prior art 101, 102 spindle and receivers for rolled products have resulted in the now typically used spring loaded spindle 105 as shown in the third view 103. The spindle 105 includes an internal spring 106 that pushes the ends 108, 109 of the spindle apart in the direction 110. The ends 108, 109 each fit into receptacles 114 (only one visible in the perspective drawing). In order to place the spindle in place in the receiver 104 the ends 108, 109 are pushed towards one another thereby compressing the spring and once each end in aligned in the receptacle the ends are released and held in position in the receptacle 110 by the spring force. All of this procedure takes place with the spindle 105 held within the hollow core of a rolled paper product 117. A variation on this design places the spindle 105 within a recessed cavity 115 and the spindle ends are fitted into receptacles 116 within the recessed cavity.
Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram representation of components of a first embodiment of the improved current invention is shown. Note the FIG. 2 is a diagram and not a three-dimensional view of the invention. The receivers are shown as planar objects turned to show the components. In practice the receivers would be turned at 90 degrees to that shown. The invented system 201 is comprised of a spindle 202 and receivers 205, 206 for the spindle. The spindle 202 is a cylindrical structure having a main central region 213 which acts as an axle to support a rolled paper or film product (117 as was shown in FIG. 1). The spindle 202 includes ends 211, 212 that are sized to fit into receptacles 209, 210 on the receivers 205, 206. In a first embodiment the ends include magnets 203, 204 that are magnetically attracted to the receptacles 209, 210 on the receivers 205, 206 thereby holding the spindle in place. In one embodiment the ends of the spindle include magnets 203, 204 that are attracted to magnets 214, 215 placed within the receptacle 209, 210 on the receivers 205, 206. The magnets may be made from any materials known in the art. Nonlimiting examples include: neodymium iron boron (NdFeB), samarium cobalt (SmCo), alnico, and ceramic or ferrite magnets. In another embodiment the ends 203, 204 of the spindle are comprised of ferromagnetic material that is attracted to magnets 214, 215 in the receptacles 214, 215. In another embodiment the ends of the spindles are comprised of magnets and the receptacles include ferromagnetic material 214, 215. In one embodiment both the ends 203, 204 of the spindles and the receptacles include magnetic magnetic material 214, 215 and the polarity of the magnetic material in each is aligned such that a first end 203 of the spindle is magnetically attracted to a first receptacle magnet 214 and repelled by a second receptacle magnet 215. Similarly, a second end 204 of the spindle is attracted to a second receptacle 215 and repelled by the first receptacle 214. In such an embodiment therefore there is an orientation of the spindle where the spindle fits into and is attracted to the receivers and an end for end flipped orientation where the spindle is repelled by the receivers. Such an embodiment therefore provides for automatic orientation of the spindle relative to the receivers which may be useful in any process where orientation of a roll on the spindle is important for proper functioning or for a particular manufacturing process. In one embodiment the poles of magnets 203, 204 attached to the ends of the spindle are orientated parallel to a central axis 216 of the spindle and the magnets present either a North pole or a South pole to the receivers 205, 206. Similarly, the magnets within the receivers may be orientated along the same axis such that the receivers present either a north pole or a south pole to the ends of the spindle. In another embodiment the poles of the magnets in each of the spindle ends and the receivers are oriented perpendicular to the axis 216 of the spindle 202. In this embodiment there are detent positions as the spindle is rotated. The magnets within the spindle and the receiver may alternately attract and repel one another causing jumps in the rotating motion of the spindle held within the receptacles 209, 210 on the receivers 205, 206. The relative orientation of the poles on the two ends of the spindle and in each of the receivers will determine whether there is a single detent position or multiple detent positions. In one embodiment the detent positions determine a tear-off point(s) for a rolled paper or film product held upon the spindle 202. Note that in the multiple embodiments described the receptacles 209,210 and the regions within the receptacles 214, 215 and the ends 203, 204 may variously be magnetic material, ferromagnetic material and non-ferromagnetic material. The regions may be magnets with poles oriented parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the spindle. Referring now to FIG. 3A, an embodiment 301 includes a spindle 306 upon which a film product 305 may be rolled and at least one receiver 303. In the preferred embodiment a receiver is located at either end of the spindle. In the FIG. 3A, only a single receiver is shown to allow all components to be viewed. In the preferred embodiment the film product is a paper product. The spindle 306 is a cylinder that includes two ends 304, 307. At least one of the ends 304, 307 includes a region that is comprised of material that is magnetically attracted to a receptacle 302 on the receiver 303. The attraction may be effectuated by having magnetic materials on both the ends 304, 307 and the receptacle 302. In another embodiment the attraction is effectuated by having magnetic material on either or both of the spindle ends and having ferromagnetic material on the receptacle. In another embodiment the magnetic attraction is effectuated by having ferromagnetic material on at least on end of the spindle and having a magnet located within or near the receptacle 302. Note in this embodiment the receptacle 302 is a region located in the receiver. In one embodiment the receptacle is a region on the receiver to which the end of the spindle 307 is magnetically attracted. In this embodiment the receptacle may be flush with the surface of the receiver and in fact may not be visible. In another embodiment the receiver includes a slot that guides the spindle to the receptacle. In another embodiment the receptacle is an indentation within the wall of the receiver. Other embodiments are shown and described in other figures. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3B the system 308 includes a region 309 that is magnetically attracted to a receptacle 307 incorporated into the roll 305. That is, there is no need for a spindle. In one embodiment the region 309 is a magnet with the pole oriented such as to be attracted to a magnet in the receptacle 307. In another embodiment the region 309 includes ferromagnetic material that is attracted to a magnet in the receptacle 307. In another embodiment the receptacle is ferromagnetic material and the region 309 on the roll is magnetic. In the FIG. 3B the region 309 is shown as one limited to the size of a core for the roll 305. In another embodiment the region 309 is enlarged and covers the entire end 310 of the roll 305.
In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3C, the system 311 is comprised of a spindle 312 that is positioned between parallel walls 316, 317. The spindle includes a first end 313 and a second end 314. The first end 313 is attached to the first wall 316 using a hinge 315 that enables the spindle 312 to be rotated 318 out of the space between the walls for loading of a paper roll and rotated back into the space between the walls for use and dispensing of paper from the roll held on the spindle (not shown). The spindle includes a second end 314 and included in the second end is a region 319 that is magnetically attracted to a region 320 that is located in the second wall 317. As previously described the region 319 on the spindle may be a magnet material and the region 320 on the wall may be a ferromagnetic material or a magnetic material or vice versa. Although shown with the spindle in a horizontal position it should be understood that the hinge could be oriented such that the spindle is in a vertical position as well.
In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3D, the spindle 321 is comprised of a string or wire that is threaded through the hollow core 322 of the roll 305. In one embodiment the string or wire is rigid. In another embodiment the string or wire 321 is flexible.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an embodiment where the receiver includes a slot is shown. The invented system is comprised of a spindle 401. The spindle is a cylindrical object having an axis 410 and ends 402, 403. The ends include regions 407, 408 that are magnetically attracted to a region of the receptacle 409 on the receiver 404. The regions 407, 408 may cover the entire ends of the spindle as shown on a first end 408 or may cover only a portion of the end as shown in the second end 407. In one embodiment, the ends 402, 403 of the spindle have diameters 412 that are smaller than the diameter 411 of the main body of the spindle (as shown in the FIG. 4). In other embodiments the diameters 412 of the ends may be equal to or greater than the diameter 411 of the rest of the spindle. The latter two embodiments are not shown. The receiver 404 includes a receptacle 409 that receives and is magnetically attracted to the end regions 407, 408 of the spindle. In the embodiment shown the receptacle includes a slot 405 that is sided to receive the ends 402, 403 of the spindle and includes a region 406 to which the ends of the spindle are magnetically attracted. The attraction may be effectuated in the various ways described in conjunction with FIG. 3A. In one embodiment the entire slot is comprised of material that is magnetically attracted to the material 407, 408 on the ends of the spindle. In another embodiment the receptacle slot includes regions 406 that are magnetically attracted to the material 407, 408 on the ends of the spindle. In one embodiment the attraction is effectuated by placing either a magnet or ferromagnetic material 410 in the vicinity of the receptacle. Direct contact with the receptacle is not necessary as the magnetic attraction can act over a distance. The receptacle slot in FIG. 4 is shown in a vertical orientation with an entrance at the top. Embodiments of the invention further include a vertical slot with an entrance at the bottom, horizontal slots and slots oriented at all angles from vertical to horizontal.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment using a horizontal receptacle slot. The embodiment includes a spindle 501 with a first end 502 and da second end 503. The first end includes a region 504 that is magnetically attracted to a region 509 on a receiver 507. Similarly, the second end 503 includes a region 505 that is magnetically attracted to a region 509 on a receiver 507. Note a receiver is located at either end of the spindle but only a first receiver is shown. A second receiver (not shown) would interact with the first end 502 of the spindle 501. In one embodiment at least one end of the spindle 505 includes a magnet that has a polarity oriented in a direction 506 that is perpendicular to the axis 512 of the spindle 501. In another embodiment the receiver includes a magnet that has a polarity also oriented 510 perpendicular to the axis 512 of the spindle. In an embodiment where both the spindle end and the receptacle include such oriented magnets the spindle will exhibit a detent position as it rotates. The spindle will be held relatively more strongly in place when the polarities are anti-aligned that is N on the spindle aligns with S on the receptacle and the spindle end and receptacle will repel rather than attract when N on the spindle end aligns with N on the receptacle. In one embodiment a single end of the spindle includes such oriented magnets. In another embodiment both ends of the spindle and both receptacles include such oriented magnets. In the latter case, one embodiment includes one where the magnets on the spindle ends are oriented in the same direction and the magnets on the receptacles are oriented in the same direction and there is a single detent position as the spindle rotates. In another embodiment the magnets on the spindle ends and the magnets in the receptacles are oriented at angles to one another thereby producing a plurality of detent positions.
The embodiment further includes a slot 508 in the receiver 507 that acts as guide for the spindle end 502, 503 towards the receptacle 509 in the receiver. In the embodiment shown the slot further includes a stop 511 that prevents travel of the spindle end 502, 503 beyond the point where the spindle end 503 contacts the stop 511. In the example shown the slot is oriented horizontally. In other embodiments, any orientation of the slot relative to horizontal can be used. In the embodiment shown the attractive material 509 in the receptacle 508 is located within the receptacle. In another embodiment the attractive material may be located outside of the slot but within a range that will still attract the end of the spindle. This embodiment was shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment using a spring loaded spindle 601. In this embodiment, contrary to the prior art spring loaded spindle discussed in FIG. 1, the spring pulls the ends of the spindle 601 in an inward direction 603. When the ends 602 of the spindle are aligned with the receptacle 605 on the receiver 604 the magnetic attraction between the ends 602 of the spindle and the receptacle 605 cause the spindle to expand in an outward 606 direction and thereby hold the spindle in place in the receiver 604. Note that in this embodiment each receiver 604 is comprised of base 607 that may be attached to a wall or other structure and includes arms 608 that extend away from the base 607. The arms include a receptacle 605 that is magnetically attracted to the ends 602 of the spindle thereby holding the spindle in place when brought close enough for the magnetic attraction to be effective.
SUMMARY A novel spindle support system comprising a spindle and a receiver wherein one or both include magnetic material and the spindle is held in position relative to the receiver by magnetic forces is described. The spindle and receiver can be recessed in a wall unit or include in arms. Using oriented magnetic materials permits making a roller system that includes one or more detent positions. The invention is useful for dispensing of consumer rolled paper and film products as well as industrial film handling applications.
