US 10,694,900 B2 · Automatic towel dispenser

Abstract

Dispensing towels includes, using a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from a housing of the dispenser and to cause the toweling to be subsequently retracted back into the housing, (a) the step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user; and (b) subsequent thereto, the steps of (1) retracting the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly; (2) sensing a leading edge of the toweling, using a sensor, while retracting the toweling; and (3) ceasing retracting of the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly as a function of sensing the leading edge of the toweling using the sensor. The toweling is advanced by the motor assembly such that a line of perforations in the toweling, along which the user tears the toweling, is located downstream of the sensor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A sheet material dispenser comprising:

a housing defining an interior space sized to receive a sheet material roll therein;
an outlet for dispensing sheet material from the sheet material roll;
a sensor positioned proximate the outlet and configured to sense a leading edge of the sheet material from the sheet material roll;
a motor assembly that drives dispensing of the sheet material from the dispenser;
and
a controller configured to perform a length learn calibration by:
causing the motor assembly to dispense a first predetermined length of the sheet material through the outlet;
causing, in response to expiration of a predetermined period of time and based on sensor data from the sensor, the motor assembly to retract the sheet material through the outlet such that the leading edge of the sheet material is retracted within the housing;
determining a retracted length of the sheet material corresponding to the amount of sheet material that was retracted through the outlet;
and
determining a second predetermined length of sheet material to dispense through the outlet during future dispenses based on the determined retracted length and the first predetermined length.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/283,112Filed 22 Feb 2019 · continuation

Priority

6 Jun 2009

Published

US 2019/0183297 A120 Jun 2019

Granted

30 Jun 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A47K 10/36
Dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means: with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
A47K 10/3625
The cutting devices being motor driven: with electronic control means
A47K 2010/3668
With mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices: detection of the presence of a user
A47K 2010/3681
With mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices: characterised by the way a new paper roll is loaded in the dispenser

Family

Application61/184,789Us provisional application · filed 6 Jun 2009

Application61/266,169Us provisional application · filed 3 Dec 2009

PCT/US2010/037561Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Jun 2010

Application12/795,384Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 2010

Application12/861,804Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Aug 2010

Application14/035,944Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Sep 2013

US 8,632,030 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Jan 2014

Application15/339,920Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Oct 2016

US 9,480,370 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 2016

US 2019/0183297 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Jun 2019

US 10,213,069 B2Parent of this continuation

Application12/861,804Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2010/0314429 A1Published application

US 2014/0021287 A1Published application

US 2017/0042393 A1Published application

US 10,694,900 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Automatic towel dispenser

Life of this patent

Automatic towel dispenser

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20