초록 ▼

An electrically powered dispenser for paper towels uses a special roller bracket to provide not only proper positioning and support for the drive and pinch roller shafts, but also tension and grounding between the drive and pinch rollers, thereby producing a dispenser that is both reliable to operat

An electrically powered dispenser for paper towels uses a special roller bracket to provide not only proper positioning and support for the drive and pinch roller shafts, but also tension and grounding between the drive and pinch rollers, thereby producing a dispenser that is both reliable to operate and simple to assemble. The mounting bracket is integrally formed from a single sheet of conductive material and preferably includes a pair of side plates connected by a mounting bar which includes an integrally formed tear bar portion for cutting the material after it has been transported past the rollers. Each side plate incorporates a flexible bridge (arm) portion for biasing each of the two shafts against a respective bearing portion to thereby complete a static discharge path from the rollers to the mounting bar without requiring any separate springs, contacts or wires. In a preferred embodiment, a door mounted projection blade assists in proper paper loading, a removable top cover functions as a universal mounting bracket, and flexible paper protection fingers discourage unwanted contact between the paper and the tear bar.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. For use with an electrically powered dispenser, a material transport mechanism comprising:a drive roller formed about an electrically conductive drive roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a drive roller axis;a pinch roller formed about an electrically conducti

The invention claimed is: 1. For use with an electrically powered dispenser, a material transport mechanism comprising:a drive roller formed about an electrically conductive drive roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a drive roller axis;a pinch roller formed about an electrically conductive pinch roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a pinch roller axis parallel to the drive roller axis; anda unitary mounting bracket further comprising:a first side plate for supporting a first respective end of each of the two shafts,a second side plate for supporting a second respective end of each of the two shafts, anda mounting bar attached between the two side plates;wherein:the unitary mounting bracket including both the two side plates and the mounting bar is integrally formed from a single sheet of electrically conductive material, the unitary mounting bracket providing a static electricity discharge path from each of the drive roller and the pinch roller through their respective shafts.