LENGTH LEARN SEQUENCE FOR DISPENSING IN AUTOMATIC TOWEL DISPENSER
First Claim
1. A towel dispenser, comprising:
- (a) a housing for receiving toweling comprising a roll of paper towels;
(b) a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing by the motor assembly; and
(c) a motor assembly configured to cause, in response to the sensing of a hand proximate the dispenser, a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing, with the toweling being extended by at least a predetermined unit length beyond the point at which the sensor detects the leading edge of the toweling, and to cause the toweling to be retracted into the housing after the leading edge has been extended;
(d) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing; and
(f) wherein the motor assembly is further configured such that the predetermined unit length, by which the toweling is extended, is set in a length learn sequence that comprises the steps of,(i) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor,(ii) advancing the toweling a preset extended length, the preset extended length being greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling,(iii) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted, and(iv) determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length, the difference being the predetermined unit length.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A towel dispenser includes a housing, a sensor, and a motor assembly that causes in response to a hand: a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing a multiple of a predetermined unit length (PUL), optionally plus a further extent that is less than PUL; and then to be retracted. The motor assembly ceases retracting based on sensing the leading edge of the toweling. PUL is set in a length learn sequence by: retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed; advancing the toweling a preset extended length greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling; retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted; and determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A towel dispenser, comprising:
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(a) a housing for receiving toweling comprising a roll of paper towels; (b) a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing by the motor assembly; and (c) a motor assembly configured to cause, in response to the sensing of a hand proximate the dispenser, a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing, with the toweling being extended by at least a predetermined unit length beyond the point at which the sensor detects the leading edge of the toweling, and to cause the toweling to be retracted into the housing after the leading edge has been extended; (d) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing; and (f) wherein the motor assembly is further configured such that the predetermined unit length, by which the toweling is extended, is set in a length learn sequence that comprises the steps of, (i) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor, (ii) advancing the toweling a preset extended length, the preset extended length being greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling, (iii) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted, and (iv) determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length, the difference being the predetermined unit length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for dispensing towels from a roll of perforated paper towels using an automatic paper towel dispenser, comprising:
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(a) 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, the step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user, and subsequent thereto, the steps of, (i) retracting the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly, (ii) sensing a leading edge of the toweling, using a sensor, while retracting the toweling, and (iii) 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, (iv) wherein said step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user includes advancing the toweling such that the toweling is extended by at least a predetermined unit length beyond the point at which the sensor detects the leading edge of the toweling; and (b) the preliminary step of setting the predetermined unit length in a length learn sequence by, (i) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor, (ii) advancing the toweling a preset extended length, the preset extended length being greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling, (iii) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted, and (iv) determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length, the difference being the predetermined unit length. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification