The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 24, 1998
Bruce McLean Gemmell, Wilmington, DE (US);
Cleary Efton Mahaffey, Suwanee, GA (US);
John Richard Skerrett, Alpharetta, GA (US);
George R Cohen, Marietta, GA (US);
Donnie Lee Gantt, Marietta, GA (US);
Stephen Lawrence Phelps, Lilburn, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A system for dispensing coreless rolls of product. The system includes: (1) a rotary dispenser including a frame, a mounting mechanism and a pair of cooperating plungers, each plunger including: a base, the base being fixed to the frame; a distal end, the distal end having a radius of curvature; and a central shaft, the central shaft connecting the base and the distal end and providing sufficient length so the plunger has a length at least as great as its widest dimension so the plunger is adapted to penetrate a mounting hole defined at an end of a careless roll product, and (2) a coreless roll of product that is self-supporting in the rotary dispenser, the careless roll including: a rolled web of product that is wound substantially throughout its diameter about a winding axis into a cylinder having first and second flat ends; and at least one flat end defining a mounting hole at substantially the center of the winding axis of the coreless roll, the mounting hole having a depth and having sides generally perpendicular to the end of the roll, the sides being separated by a distance that is less than the depth of the hole. The mounting hole of the coreless roll is adapted to receive a plunger from a rotary dispenser such that radial displacement of the careless roll with respect to the frame is prevented during use.