Hands-free electronic towel dispenser

• US 20060169827A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Richard P., Tramontina, Paul F., Engelstein, Geoffrey M., Oliver, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/563
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/36 with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3668 Detection of the presence of a user

Abstract

A hands-free towel dispenser for dispensing a measured sheet from a roll of towel material includes a housing having an internal volume so as to retain at least one roll of towel material therein. An electronically powered dispensing mechanism is contained within the housing for dispensing a measured sheet from the roll of towel material upon actuation of the dispensing mechanism. A sensor is contained within the housing to detect an object placed within a detection zone of the sensor. Control circuitry is configured with the sensor and dispensing mechanism to initiate a dispense cycle upon detection of an object by the sensor. The sensor is disposed relative to the housing such that the detection zone is defined substantially below a bottom surface of the housing requiring that an object must be placed at a location below the housing to be detected by the sensor.

Claims

1. A hands-free towel dispenser for dispensing a measured sheet from a roll of web material, comprising:

a housing having an internal volume so as to retain at least one roll of towel material therein;

an electronically powered dispensing mechanism contained within said housing for dispensing a measured sheet from the roll of web material upon actuation of said dispensing mechanism;

a sensor contained within said housing to detect an object placed within a detection zone of said sensor;

control circuitry configured with said sensor and said dispensing mechanism to initiate a dispense cycle upon detection of an object by said sensor; and

said sensor disposed relative to said housing such that said detection zone is defined substantially below a bottom surface of said housing such that an object must be placed at a location below said housing to be detected by said sensor.

2. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises at least one active transmitter and a receiver, said transmitter disposed within said housing and oriented to transmit an active signal defining said detection zone below said housing.

3. The dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said sensor comprises a combination of two IR transmitters disposed on opposite sides of an IR sensor.

4. The dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said active transmitter is disposed at an angle within said housing such that a sensing axis of said active signal is angled towards a back of said housing.

5. The dispenser as in claim 4, wherein said sensing axis is at an angle of about 15 degrees with respect to vertical.

6. The dispenser as in claim 4, wherein said active transmitter has a transmission cone of about 40 degrees.

7. The dispenser as in claim 4, wherein said sensing axis is at an angle of about 15 degrees with respect to vertical, and said active transmitter has a transmission cone of about 20 degrees on each side of said sensing axis.

8. The dispenser as in claim 7, wherein a forward portion of said transmission cone does not extend in a forward direction beyond a vertical plane of a forward most portion of said housing.

9. The dispenser as in claim 8, wherein said active transmitter comprises an adjustable intensity setting, and at a maximum intensity setting and range, said transmission cone does not extend to said vertical plane.

10. The dispenser as in claim 4, wherein said active transmitter has a transmission cone that does not extend in a forward direction beyond a vertical plane of a forward most portion of said housing.

11. The dispenser as in claim 10, wherein said active transmitter is shielded in a forward direction such that a forward portion of said transmission cone is reduced as compared to a rearward portion of said transmission cone.

12. The dispenser as in claim 11, wherein said active transmitter comprises an adjustable intensity setting, and at a maximum intensity setting and range, said transmission cone does not extend to said vertical plane.

13. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said active transmitter comprises an adjustable intensity setting.

14. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a dispensing throat in a bottom portion thereof through which the web material is dispensed, said sensor comprising at least one active transmitter and a receiver oriented within said housing adjacent to said dispensing throat to transmit an active signal in a transmission zone defining said detection zone below said housing.

15. The dispenser as in claim 14, wherein said active transmitter and receiver are oriented with respect to said dispensing throat such that a sheet of the towel material hanging out of said dispensing throat disrupts detection of an object within said detection zone.

16. The dispenser as in claim 15, wherein the active transmitter and receiver are oriented such that the hanging sheet of material passes in front of said transmission zone towards a front side of said housing and prevents reflection of the active signal from an object placed in said detection zone.

17. The dispenser as in claim 1, further comprising an ambient light detector, said ambient light detector configured with said control circuitry to allow a dispense cycle only upon detection of a threshold amount of ambient light in an area where said dispenser is located.

18. The dispenser as in claim 17, further comprising a manually actuated bypass to said ambient light detector so that said dispenser is configurable to operate regardless of ambient light level.

19. The dispenser as in claim 17, wherein said ambient light detector has a detection axis oriented towards a side of said housing.

20. The dispenser as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of user input switches for adjusting a plurality of operating parameters of said dispenser, and an indicator device that informs the user of a degree of adjustment of said parameters.

21. The dispenser as in claim 20, wherein said operational parameters include any combination of length of dispenser sheet, sensitivity of said sensor, delay between dispense cycles or manual paper feed.

22. The dispenser as in claim 20, wherein said indicator device includes at least one light, wherein a characteristic of said light is used to indicate different adjust settings.

23. A method of operation for an electronic hands-free paper towel dispenser, comprising defining a detection zone of an object sensor substantially entirely below a bottom portion of the dispenser housing and rearward of a front portion of the housing such that a user is required to place their hand or other object below and towards a back of the dispenser housing to initiate a automatic hands-free dispense cycle.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising defining the detection zone with an active transmitter and initiating a dispense cycle upon a receiver receiving a threshold amount of reflected active signal from an object placed in the detection zone.

25. The method as in claim 24, comprising directing the active signal below and at an angle towards the back of the dispenser housing such that a transmission cone of the active signal does not extend forward of a vertical plane of a forward most component of the dispenser housing.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the transmission cone is about 40 degrees.

27. The method as in claim 26, further comprising shielding a forward portion of said transmission cone.

28. The method as in claim 24, further comprising using the active transmitter and receiver for the additional function of detecting the presence of a hanging sheet of material and preventing initiation of a dispense cycle until the hanging sheet of material is removed.

29. The method as in claim 23, further comprising detecting a threshold amount of ambient light prior to initiating a dispense cycle along an axis that is directed away from a front side of the dispenser housing.

30. The method as in claim 23, further comprising adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor to change the detection zone.