US 9,480,370 B2 · Automatic towel dispenser

Abstract

Dispensing towels includes, using a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from a housing of the dispenser and to cause the toweling to be subsequently retracted back into the housing, (a) the step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user; and (b) subsequent thereto, the steps of (1) retracting the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly; (2) sensing a leading edge of the toweling, using a sensor, while retracting the toweling; and (3) ceasing retracting of the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly as a function of sensing the leading edge of the toweling using the sensor. The toweling is advanced by the motor assembly such that a line of perforations in the toweling, along which the user tears the toweling, is located downstream of the sensor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

(a) advancing toweling using a motor of a paper towel dispenser apparatus;
(b) monitoring, via a sensor, rotation that occurs as toweling is advanced or retracted;
(c) determining, via the sensor, that a certain amount of rotation has occurred;
(d) based on said determining that a certain amount of rotation has occurred, ceasing the advance of the advancing toweling;
(e) after said ceasing of the advance of the advancing toweling, determining, via the sensor, that additional rotation has occurred;
and
(f) in response to said determining that a certain amount of rotation has occurred, applying force, via the motor, in a manner adapted to counteract the additional rotation;
(g) wherein the toweling gathers within a housing of the paper towel dispenser apparatus during retracting of the toweling, the toweling not being wound onto a roll.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/035,944Filed 24 Sep 2013 · continuation

Priority

6 Jun 2009

Published

US 2014/0021287 A123 Jan 2014

Granted

1 Nov 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A47K 10/36
Dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means: with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
A47K 10/3625
The cutting devices being motor driven: with electronic control means
A47K 2010/3668
With mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices: detection of the presence of a user
A47K 2010/3681
With mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices: characterised by the way a new paper roll is loaded in the dispenser

Family

Application61/184,789Us provisional application · filed 6 Jun 2009

Application61/266,169Us provisional application · filed 3 Dec 2009

PCT/US2010/037561Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Jun 2010

Application12/795,384Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 2010

Application12/861,804Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Aug 2010

US 2014/0021287 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Jan 2014

US 8,632,030 B2Parent of this continuation

Application12/861,804Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2010/0314429 A1Published application

US 9,480,370 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Automatic towel dispenser

Life of this patent

Automatic towel dispenser

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20