Electronic dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material

A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:

• a housing having a support mechanism for holding at least one roll of sheet material, said housing comprising a base for mounting to a surface, a cover movably mounted to the base, and a discharge chute formed within the housing for discharging the sheet material from the dispenser;
• a feed roller and at least one pressing roller located and configured to engage and pull the sheet material therebetween for feeding;
• a control circuit to control dispensing of the sheet material from the housing;
• a dispensing mechanism to drive the sheet material from the housing upon receiving a signal from the control circuit, the dispensing mechanism including a motor and a belt drive mechanism, the motor operatively connected to the feed roller for driving the feed roller;
• a proximity sensor having an adjustable detection range, wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative in a first mode to be responsive to a signal from the proximity sensor to dispense a sheet of the sheet material;
• and
• a tear bar mounted within the housing for severance of the sheet by a user;
• wherein the belt drive mechanism comprises:
• a drive belt operatively connected to the motor and to the at least one pressing roller to transfer power from the motor to the at least one pressing roller to drive rotation of the at least one pressing roller, wherein the drive belt is biased by a biasing member in a prescribed direction to provide a substantially constant biasing force against the drive belt to substantially maintain tension along the drive belt, and wherein the biasing force along with the tension along the drive belt urges the at least one pressing roller toward the feed roller such that the at least one pressing roller is substantially maintained against the feed roller,
• a belt gear operatively connected to the motor,
• at least one belt gear respectively operatively connected to the at least one pressing roller, and
• at least one additional belt gear biased by the biasing member in the prescribed direction,
• wherein the drive belt engages the at least one belt gear operatively connected to the motor and engages the at least one belt gear respectively operatively connected to the at least one pressing roller to transfer power from the motor to the at least one pressing roller to drive rotation of the at least one pressing roller, and
• wherein the at least one additional belt gear biased by the biasing member engages the drive belt to provide the biasing force to substantially maintain the tension along the drive belt.