Electronic dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material

A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:

• a housing containing a support mechanism to hold at least one roll of flexible sheet material, said housing comprising a base for mounting to a surface, a cover pivotally mounted to the base, and a discharge chute formed within the housing for discharging the sheet material to an area outside the housing;
• a control circuit to control dispensing of the sheet material from the housing;
• a dispensing mechanism to drive the sheet material along a path extending through the discharge chute of the housing upon receiving a signal from the control circuit;
• 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;
• a substantially stationary tear bar mounted within the housing for severance of the sheet from the sheet material by a user;
• a pivotally mounted pawl member located proximate said tear bar such that movement of the sheet material into the tear bar for severance pivots the pawl member from a first position to a second position;
• a signal means cooperative with the pawl member and located such that movement of the pawl member to the second position causes the signal means to send a signal to notify the control circuit that the sheet has been removed;
• and
• a paper detection sensor focused across at least a portion of the path extending through the discharge chute, wherein the paper detection sensor is activated by the control circuit to verify that the sheet has been removed from the discharge chute, and wherein the paper detection sensor comprises an emitter and a detector, wherein the emitter is mounted adjacent to an end portion of the discharge chute and positioned to emit a signal through an opening in a bottom panel of the housing toward the detector mounted within the housing, and
• wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative in a second mode to dispense a next sheet of the sheet material in response to a signal from the paper detection sensor verifying that the sheet has been removed from the dispenser.

A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:

• a housing containing a support mechanism to hold at least one roll of flexible sheet material, said housing comprising a base for mounting to a surface, a cover pivotally mounted to the base, and a discharge chute formed within the housing for discharging the sheet material to an area outside the housing;
• a control circuit to control dispensing of the sheet material from the housing;
• a dispensing mechanism to drive the sheet material along a path extending through the discharge chute of the housing upon receiving a signal from the control circuit;
• a proximity sensor having an adjustable detection range, wherein the proximity sensor is mounted in a bottom section of the housing forward of the discharge chute facing downward and rearward toward an outermost edge of the discharge chute, and 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;
• a substantially stationary tear bar mounted within the housing for severance of the sheet from the sheet material by a user;
• a pivotally mounted pawl member located proximate said tear bar such that movement of the sheet material into the tear bar for severance pivots the pawl member from a first position to a second position;
• a signal means cooperative with the pawl member and located such that movement of the pawl member to the second position causes the signal means to send a signal to notify the control circuit that the sheet has been removed;
• and
• a paper detection sensor focused across at least a portion of the path extending through the discharge chute, wherein the paper detection sensor is activated by the control circuit to verify that the sheet has been removed from the discharge chute, and wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative in a second mode to dispense a next sheet of the sheet material in response to a signal from the paper detection sensor verifying that the sheet has been removed from the dispenser.