General purpose dispenser to deploy and expand web material

摘要

A dispensing mechanism that deploys a roll of web material having slit cuts and expands it into a web with a cellular structure. This is accomplished by mounting the roll of unexpanded web material on an axle that is positioned at a first angle to a guide wheel assembly. That first angle is not perpendicular to the direction of deployment. The material moves through the guide wheel assembly longitudinally in such a way that tension is applied at a second angle to the direction of deployment. This diagonal tension causes the web material to expand and form cells. Single axle as well as multi-axle systems are disclosed. In this way, a plurality of rolls of web material may be deployed and expanded as a single unit.

主权项

1. A dispenser to deploy and expand unexpanded web material from a spiral wound roll of said web material, wherein:
the unexpanded web material is flexible; the unexpanded web material is substantially longer than it is wide; the unexpanded web material is die cut so that it produces a three-dimensional lattice when expanded; the unexpanded web material unwinds from the roll in a deployment direction; the roll comprises a hollow cylindrical core around which the unexpanded web material is wound, said core having two opposite ends each at a transverse edge of the unexpanded web material; and the roll further comprises two annular shaped core plugs that are inserted at the two opposite ends of the hollow cylindrical core;said dispenser comprising:
a) a base; b) a first support column affixed to and perpendicular to the base; c) a first axle for mounting the roll of unexpanded web material, wherein
the first axle comprises a first and a second end;the first end of the first axle is affixed to the first support column at a first vertical height from the base, wherein the first axle extends from the first support column at an angle that is not perpendicular to the deployment direction; d) a guide wheel assembly through which the unexpanded web material is threaded, wherein the guide wheel assembly is affixed to the base, and wherein the guide wheel assembly further comprises at least three guide wheels that contact and hold the unexpanded web material in at least three places; and e) a braking assembly to retard unraveling of the unexpanded web material from the roll, wherein the braking assembly further comprises:
i) a first component mounted to the first support column and designed to contact with the core plug inserted in a first end of the mounted cylindrical core of the roll of unexpanded web material, said first component additionally comprising a plurality of elements, the combination of which are elastic and which serve to retard motion of the mounted roll of unexpanded web material at the first end of the mounted cylindrical core; andii) a second component mounted to the first axle, said second component additionally comprising a plurality of elements, wherein at least one of said plurality of elements of said second component is in contact with the core plug inserted in a second end of the mounted cylindrical core opposite said first end, and is adjustable to apply braking pressure to said core plug inserted in the second end of the mounted cylindrical core;wherein the adjustable force applied to the core plugs at opposite ends of the mounted cylindrical core serves to retard motion of the roll as the web material unravels; and whereby, as the unexpanded web material is pulled through the guide wheel assembly in the deployment direction by applying a diagonally transverse force, the unexpanded web material expands in both the longitudinal and transverse directions.