Automatic paper product dispenser and associated methods
AssigneeGPCP IP Holdings LLC
InventorsTed Allen Casper, Kevin Michael Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sheet product dispensers and methods of dispensing sheet products are provided, including feeding a sheet material from a roll via a sheet feeding mechanism, separating one or more discrete sheet products from the roll via a separation mechanism, dispensing the one or more discrete sheet products to an end user at a presentation station via a sheet product conveying mechanism, and detecting a presence of the sheet material via a sensor downstream of the sheet feeding mechanism, wherein the sheet product conveying mechanism is driven in response to the sensor detecting the presence of the sheet material.
Claims20
A sheet product dispenser, comprising:
- a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed sheet material from a roll of sheet material;
- a separation mechanism for separating one or more discrete sheet products from the roll of sheet material;
- a sheet product conveying mechanism configured to convey the one or more discrete sheet products for access by an end user;
- a folding station for providing a fold in the sheet material downstream of the sheet feeding mechanism, the folding station comprising the sheet product conveying mechanism and a fold mechanism comprising at least one bar configured to urge a non-tail portion of the sheet material into the sheet product conveying mechanism to facilitate folding or creasing;
- and
- a sensor downstream of the sheet feeding mechanism, the sensor being configured to detect a presence of a tail portion of the sheet material,
- wherein the at least one bar is configured to urge the non-tail portion of the sheet material into the sheet product conveying mechanism after a duration measured from the detection of the presence of the tail portion of the sheet material by the sensor.
A sheet product dispenser, comprising:
- a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed sheet material from a roll of sheet material;
- a motor configured to drive the sheet feeding mechanism in operation;
- a separation mechanism for separating one or more discrete sheet products from the roll of sheet material;
- and
- a sheet product conveying mechanism configured to convey the one or more discrete sheet products for access by an end user,
- wherein an amount of sheet material fed from the roll of sheet material by the sheet feeding mechanism is determined by a predetermined number of rotations of the motor associated with the sheet feeding mechanism.
A method of dispensing sheet products, comprising:
- feeding sheet material from a roll via a sheet feeding mechanism;
- separating one or more discrete sheet products from the roll via a separation mechanism;
- and
- dispensing the one or more discrete sheet products for access by an end user via a sheet product conveying mechanism,
- wherein an amount of sheet material fed from the roll is determined by a predetermined number of rotations of a motor associated with the sheet feeding mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.