US 11,780,699 B2
Sheet product dispenser with spring assembly
Brian Scott Borke, Appleton, WI (US); and Ryan Anthony Goltz, Neenah, WI (US)
Assigned to GPCP IP Holdings LLC, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by GPCP IP Holdings LLC, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/88,917.
Application 17/088,917 is a continuation of application No. 15/886,126, filed on Feb. 1, 2018, granted, now 10,850,938.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/569,742, filed on Oct. 9, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0061609 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B65H 35/00 (2006.01); B65H 20/02 (2006.01); A47K 10/36 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 35/0086 (2013.01) [A47K 10/3625 (2013.01); B65H 20/02 (2013.01); A47K 2010/3668 (2013.01); B65H 2301/415 (2013.01); B65H 2301/51512 (2013.01); B65H 2301/515323 (2013.01); B65H 2403/44 (2013.01); B65H 2403/92 (2013.01); B65H 2404/15 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dispenser for dispensing sheet product, the dispenser comprising:
a housing that defines an interior, the interior configured to accommodate at least one source of sheet product, wherein the housing further defines an outlet through which the sheet product is dispensed;
a knife drum that is rotatable with respect to the housing;
a knife that is movable between a retracted position within the knife drum and an extended position, wherein, when in the extended position, at least a portion of the knife protrudes outside of the knife drum, wherein the knife is operable to cut the sheet product;
a cam follower surface that is fixed with respect to the housing;
a cam follower attached to the knife and operable to engage the cam follower surface and travel along the cam follower surface to transition the knife between the retracted position and the extended position as the knife drum rotates; and
a spring assembly configured to bias the knife drum during rotation of the knife drum toward a predetermined position, wherein the spring assembly comprises a first spring and a second spring, wherein the spring assembly is attached to the housing via a single housing-attached mount, the single housing-attached mount at a single mount position, wherein the single housing-attached mount is fixed with respect to the housing, wherein the first spring provides a first force during rotation of the knife drum, wherein the second spring provides a second force during rotation of the knife drum.