Automatic multi-roll touch-less toilet paper dispenser

• US 20080245922A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scott T. Fellhoelter
• Original Assignee: Scott T. Fellhoelter
• Inventors: Fellhoelter, Scott T.
• Application Number:
  US11/784,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20080245922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/554.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/36 with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3618 The drive roller pressing against the paper roll
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3625 with electronic control means
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3687 with one or more reserve rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3668 Detection of the presence of a user

Abstract

The apparatus discloses a multi-roll toilet paper dispenser that automatically dispenses toilet paper. When a person places their hand in proximity of the sensor, the dispenser begins to dispense paper. A finite amount of toilet paper is dispensed allowing the user to tear off the dispensed paper from a roll. After the portion of toilet paper has been removed from the dispenser the dispenser can then dispense subsequent finite amounts of toilet paper. The dispenser allows for dispensing one or more additional rolls of toilet paper after the first roll has been expended. The dispenser can detect the wrapped orientation of each roll and feed accordingly. The presence of the user'"'"'s hand is detected with an optical or thermal sensor.

Claims

1. An automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser comprising:

an enclosure for storage and dispensing of rolled paper products;

wherein the dispenser uses sensors detect commands from a user to dispense the rolled product;

at least one roll of product is placed within the dispenser and the dispenser automatically threads said at least one roll out the dispensing opening of the dispenser, and

frictional drive wheels that provide for this dispensing of a finite amount of the rolled paper.

2. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein the dispenser automatically determines the wrapping direction of the multiple rolls placed in the dispenser.

3. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 2 wherein the dispenser utilizes a two directional drive motor to unwrap the roll from either side of the roll.

4. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 2 wherein the dispenser has frictional rollers to pull apart an outer layer of paper to dispense the remainder of the roll.

5. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes an optical sensor to detect and interpret a hand gesture to dispense variable finite amounts of the roll based upon gesture.

6. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 5 wherein the hand gesture includes multiple hand passes over the sensor.

7. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 5 wherein the hand gesture includes the number of extended fingers past the sensor.

8. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes an audible sensor to detect and interpret a verbal command to dispense a variable finite amount of the roll based upon the verbal command.

9. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that operates with standard toilet paper rolls that do not require separating and threading of the roll in the dispenser.

10. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further allows for multiple rolls of rolled paper products to be stored and loaded for dispensing.

11. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes a storage area for empty tubes where the rolled paper product has been dispensed.

12. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes a roll changing arm that moves to drop an unused rolled paper product into the dispenser.

13. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 5 that further includes an adjustable dispensing limiter that provides for limiting the amount of rolled paper product that is dispensed regardless of the hand gesture.

14. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 8 that further includes an adjustable dispensing limiter that provides for limiting the amount of rolled paper product that is dispensed regardless of the verbal command.

15. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes a window or slot to allow for the detection of the amount of undispensed rolled paper products remain within the dispenser without the need to open the dispenser.

16. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein the dispenser dispenses both perforated and non-perforated rolled paper products.

17. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 13 wherein the dispenser varies the maximum of paper that is dispensed with each command based upon the thickness or quality of the paper being dispensed.

18. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that further includes a breaking mechanism to limit the ability of the user from pulling additional rolled material from the dispenser.

19. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 2 wherein the automatic determining is by utilizing a frictional rollers that pull on the sides of the roll to separate the outer layer of rolled material and then turns the rolled paper product to detect separation of the outer layer.

20. The automatic multiple roll toilet paper dispenser as defined in claim 1 that detects the end of roll of rolled paper product and indexes another roll of rolled paper product for dispensing.