ELECTRONIC DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING SHEET PRODUCTS

• US 20100078459A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Geddes, Daniel J., Reinsel, Christopher M., Kane, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 225/10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3881 with tearing edges having movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/205 With feed-out of predetermined length from work supply

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing sheet product includes a housing, a proximity sensor operative to detect a presence of a user'"'"'s hand at a predetermined location near the dispenser, and a dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing, the dispensing mechanism including an electronic controller operably coupled to a drive motor that is operably coupled to a feed roller to dispense the sheet product. The dispensing mechanism is operative in a first mode to be responsive to a signal from the proximity sensor to dispense the sheet product, and is operative in a second mode to dispense a next sheet product in response to an existing sheet product being torn from the dispenser. The controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable time delay between sheet feeds when the dispensing mechanism is operating in at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing sheet product, comprising:

a housing;

a proximity sensor operative to detect a presence of a user'"'"'s hand at a predetermined location near the dispenser;

a dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing, the dispensing mechanism comprising an electronic controller operably coupled to a drive motor that is operably coupled to a feed roller to dispense the sheet product;

wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative in a first mode to be responsive to a signal from the proximity sensor to dispense the sheet product;

wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative in a second mode to dispense a next sheet product in response to an existing sheet product being torn from the dispenser;

wherein the controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable time delay between sheet feeds when the dispensing mechanism is operating in at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable sheet length to be dispensed when the dispensing mechanism is operating in at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable detection sensitivity range when the dispensing mechanism is operating in the first mode.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set the dispensing mechanism to be operative in the first mode or the second mode.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor senses a physical presence of the user'"'"'s hand that is stationary near the sensor for at least a defined minimum length of time.

6. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein a first switch defines the adjustable time delay switch, a second switch defines the adjustable sheet length switch, and wherein the controller is responsive to a third switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable detection sensitivity range when the dispensing mechanism is operating in the first mode.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the controller is responsive to a fourth switch adapted and configured to set the dispensing mechanism to be operative in the first mode or the second mode.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the proximity sensor senses a physical presence of the user'"'"'s hand that is stationary near the sensor for at least a defined minimum length of time.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a slide switch.

10. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch, comprises a slide switch.

11. A dispenser for dispensing sheet product, comprising:

a housing;

a proximity sensor operative to detect a presence of a user'"'"'s hand at a predetermined location near the dispenser; and

a dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing, the dispensing mechanism comprising an electronic controller operably coupled to a drive motor that is operably coupled to a feed roller to dispense the sheet product;

wherein

the dispensing mechanism is operative in a hang mode to dispense a next sheet product in response to an existing sheet product being torn from the dispenser; and

the controller is responsive to a switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable time delay between sheet feeds.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein a first switch defines the adjustable time delay switch, and the controller is responsive to a second switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable sheet length to be dispensed.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the controller is responsive to a third switch adapted and configured to set an adjustable detection sensitivity range when the dispensing mechanism is operating in the first mode.

14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the controller is responsive to a fourth switch adapted and configured to set the dispensing mechanism to be operative in the first mode or the second mode.

15. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the switch comprises a slide switch.

16. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch, comprises a slide switch.