Apparatus to dispense feminine hygiene products with one or more user sensors
AssigneeThe Tranzonic Companies
InventorsFred I. Morad, Robert A. Acosta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispenser of feminine pads and tampons activated by a touch sensor or a proximity sensor. The touch of or the proximity of a person's hand closes an electronic circuit causing a motor to rotate. The motor is attached to a shaft which rotates. The shaft retains a feminine product dispenser. The feminine product dispenser transports a feminine napkin or tampon to a retrieval tray. The improved design enables the sanitary napkin rail and tampon rail to be adjacent to each other, thereby reducing the width requirements for the cabinet housing the rails. The activation by a touch screen or a proximity sensor significantly improves the selection and dispensing of the desired feminine napkin product and tampon product.
Claims20
A dispensing apparatus for dispensing hygiene products, the apparatus comprising:
- a first hygiene product rail having a first sidewall, the first hygiene product rail to hold first hygiene products;
- a second hygiene product rail having a second sidewall, the second hygiene product rail to hold second hygiene products;
- a motherboard;
- a first hygiene product sensor operatively connected to the motherboard, wherein activation of the first hygiene product sensor dispenses first hygiene products from the first hygiene product rail;
- and
- a second hygiene product sensor operatively connected to the motherboard, wherein activation of the second hygiene product sensor dispenses second hygiene products from the second hygiene product rail.
A hygiene product dispensing apparatus for dispensing hygiene products comprising:
- a first hygiene product structure having a first sidewall, the first hygiene product structure to hold first hygiene products;
- a second hygiene product structure having a second sidewall, the second hygiene product structure to hold second hygiene products;
- a computer chip;
- a first hygiene product sensor operatively connected to the computer chip, wherein activation of the first hygiene product sensor dispenses first hygiene products from the first hygiene product structure;
- a second hygiene product sensor operatively connected to the computer chip, wherein activation of the second hygiene product sensor dispenses second hygiene products from the second hygiene product structure;
- and
- wherein the computer chip is programmed to include a time delay and if one of the first hygiene product or the second hygiene product products is dispensed, the computer chip provides an automatic time delay before the other of the first hygiene product or the second hygiene product is dispensed.
A method of dispensing a first hygiene product and a second hygiene product from a dispensing apparatus comprising:
- providing a first hygiene product rail to hold a first column of a plurality of the first hygiene products;
- providing a second hygiene product rail to hold a second column of a plurality of the second hygiene products;
- dispensing one of the plurality of first hygiene products from the first column in response to activation of a first sensor, wherein the response is based on a condition of a switch having a touch activation mode or a proximity activation mode;
- dispensing one of the second hygiene products from the second column in response to activation of a second sensor, wherein the response is based on the condition of the switch having the touch activation mode or the proximity activation mode;
- and
- illuminating a light if one of the first column or the second column is out of the first hygiene product or second hygiene product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.