Electrical roll product dispenser
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorDavid Kapiloff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical rolled web dispenser includes a housing with a roll carrier disposed therein to rotationally support a roll of web material. An electrical feed mechanism is disposed in the housing to dispense measured sheets of the towel material. The feed mechanism is activated by a sensor that senses a changed parameter within or external to the housing resulting from a user grasping and pulling on a tail of the web material extending from a dispensing slot in the housing.
Claims13
An electronic dispenser for dispensing measured sheets from a roll of web material, comprising:
- a housing, and a roll carrier disposed in said housing to rotationally support the roll of web material, said housing further comprising a dispensing slot defined therein through which measured sheets of the web material are dispensed;
- an electrically driven feed mechanism disposed in said housing to dispense the sheets of web material therefrom;
- an electric motor configured with said feed mechanism, said motor driving said feed mechanism to dispense a measured length of the web material upon activation of said dispenser;
- a sensor disposed along a running path of the web material, said sensor configured to detect a parameter that is changed by a force exerted on a tail of the web material, said sensor being in a dormant unpowered mode until said changed parameter is sensed;
- and
- wherein said dispenser is activated to automatically dispense a measured length of the web material by a user pulling on a tail of the web material extending from said dispensing slot, said sensor detecting said initial pull and generating a signal causing said motor to drive said feed mechanism until the measured length of web material has been fed from said dispenser.
An electronic dispenser for dispensing measured sheets from a roll of web material, comprising:
- a housing, and a roll carrier disposed in said housing to rotationally support the roll of web material, said housing further comprising a dispensing slot defined therein through which measured sheets of the web material are dispensed;
- an electrically driven feed roll disposed in said housing to dispense the sheets of web material therefrom;
- an electric motor configured with said feed roll, said motor driving said feed roll to dispense a measured length of the web material upon activation of said dispenser;
- a first sensor disposed along a running path of the web material, the web material passing over said sensor, said sensor being deflected by the web material upon a user initially pulling on a tail of the web material extending from the dispensing slot and generating a signal causing said motor and feed roll to automatically dispense a measured length of the web material, said sensor being in a dormant unpowered mode until activated by the user pulling on the tail;
- a deflectable tear bar mounted proximate to said dispensing slot;
- a tear bar sensor disposed to detect movement of said tear bar upon the user severing the dispensed length of web material against said tear bar, said tear bar sensor generating a signal causing said motor and feed roll to dispense a second measured length of the web material to define the tail for the next user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.