US 4,826,262 AGranted

Electronic towel dispenser

AssigneeSteiner Company, Inc.

InventorsKenneth D. Hartman, Donald B. Owen

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Abstract

A continuous towel dispenser includes a sensor which detects the disruption of the radio frequency (RF) field below the dispenser's cabinet caused by movement of a user's hands in withdrawing unused towel from a towel from supply roller and provides a control signal to a towel dispensing motor coupled to a supply roller allowing the towel to be dispensed for a predetermined time period corresponding to a desingated towel length. At the same time, a control signal initiates downward displacement of a towel idler bar allowing a length of used towel to also be withdrawn from the cabinet. After a predetermined time interval, e.g., 5 seconds, a towel takeup cycle is automatically initiated by upward displacement of the idler bar followed by a reversal in the direction of rotation of the towel takeup roller. The towel takeup cycle continues for a designated time period or until a stall current in a towel takeup motor is detected indicating that all of the towel has been withdrawn into the cabinet. Inhibit means prevents additional unused towel from being withdrawn during a hand drying cycle.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A continuous towel dispenser including a cabinet having means therein for dispensing a predetermined length of clean towel from said cabinet at a towel use position and for storing the towel after it is soiled during use, said dispenser comprising:

a motion sensor for detecting movement by the towel user within the towel use position and providing a first control signal in response thereto;
towel discharge means coupled to said motion sensor and responsive to said first control signal for discharging a predetermined length of clean towel at the towel use position in response to removal of the towel from the cabinet by a user;
an idler roller mounted in said cabinet coupled to and providing support for the soiled towel after it is used, said idler roller movable from a first position wherein a length of towel is stored in said cabinet to a second position wherein a portion of the towel stored in the first position is available outside said cabinet, said movement of said idler roller being in response to removal of the towel from the cabinet by a user;
displacement means coupled to said idler roller and to said motion sensor and responsive to an absence of said first control signal from said motion sensor indicating no movement within the towel use position for moving said idler roller from said second to said first position in drawing the soiled towel into the cabinet;
and towel takeup means coupled to said idler roller and responsive to its position for rolling up the soiled towel within the cabinet after said idler roller is moved to said first position.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.