Hands-free paper towel dispenser and dispensing system

A hands-free paper towel dispensing system, comprising:

• a unit of consumable articles comprising a pile (5) of a continuous length of accordion-like folded web of towels of tissue paper or nonwoven material web comprising bundles (6), and means for connecting (7) between the bundles (6);
• a dispensing unit (1) comprising an outer front wall (2), two outer side walls (3), a top, and a housing (4) for holding said pile (5), said outer front wall (2) having an access opening (8) and a dispensing opening (9) for the web of towels, a feeding mechanism (10) comprising a member for controlling, by sending signals, the dispensing (11) of the web of towels from the upper part of the pile (5), the member for controlling including a microprocessor and at least one sensor unit, a drive unit (16), the drive unit (16) including two drive rollers (20, 21), and a braking arrangement (12) for the web of towels, the braking arrangement located at a web position upstream of the drive unit, the braking arrangement being configured so as not to allow the web of towels to go backward during normal operation, the braking arrangement including a nip for the paper web with a rubber covered roll (19) and a rod (24) to lock the web of towels against the rubber covered roll (19) when pulling backwards the rod being pivotable about an axis spaced from the rod, such that the rod presses against a downstream side of the rubber covered roll;
• the unit of consumable articles being located within the dispensing unit (1) and inserted through the access opening (8) into the housing (4) for holding the unit of consumable articles as the bundles (6) of a continuous length of accordion-like folded web of towels of tissue paper or nonwoven material web is added to the bottom of the pile (5), the unit of consumable articles being further connected by the web of towels from the upper part of the pile (5) to the dispensing unit via the braking arrangement (12) and out through the dispensing opening (9), whereas the feeding mechanism (10) automatically positions the web of towels in a starting mode (13) in the dispensing opening (9).

A hands-free paper towel dispensing system, comprising:

• a unit of consumable articles comprising a pile (5) of a continuous length of accordion-like folded web of towels of tissue paper or nonwoven material web comprising bundles (6), and means for connecting (7) between the bundles (6);
• a dispensing unit (1) comprising an outer front wall (2), two outer side walls (3), a top, and a housing (4) for holding said pile (5), said outer front wall (2) having an access opening (8) a dispensing opening (9) for the web of towels, and a feeding mechanism (10) comprising
• a member for controlling, by sending signals, the dispensing (11) of the web of towels from the upper part of the pile (5) the member for controlling including a microprocessor, a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit, the first sensor unit comprising a starting sensor (15) arranged to sense the presence of a user, and to activate the feeding mechanism (10), which automatically will initiate the dispensing of the web of towels to a hands-free position, the second sensor unit comprising at least one sensor at a side or sides of the pile (5) of the web of towels, the second sensor unit being configured to sense a last towel of the web of towels or an interruption of the web of towels,
• a drive unit (16), the drive unit (16) including two drive rollers (20, 21), and
• a braking arrangement (12) for the web of towels, the braking arrangement located at a web position upstream of the drive unit, the braking arrangement being configured so as not to allow the web of towels to go backward during normal operation, the braking arrangement including a nip for the paper web with a rubber covered roll (19) and a rod (24) to lock the web of towels against the rubber covered roll (19) when pulling backwards the rod being pivotable about an axis spaced from the rod, such that the rod presses against a downstream side of the rubber covered roll;
• the unit of consumable articles being located within the dispensing unit (1) and inserted through the access opening (8) into the housing (4) for holding the unit of consumable articles as the bundles (6) of a continuous length of accordion-like folded web of towels of tissue paper or nonwoven material web is added to the bottom of the pile (5), the unit of consumable articles being further connected by the web of towels from the upper part of the pile (5) to the dispensing unit via the braking arrangement (12) and out through the dispensing opening (9), whereas the feeding mechanism (10) automatically positions the web of towels in a starting mode (13) in the dispensing opening (9).