MESHING DRIVEN ROLLERS OF TOWEL DISPENSER BY CLOSING LOADING DOOR

• US 20110068214A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovia Intellectual Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovia Intellectual Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Troutman, William B. II, Philpott, Thomas James, Ober, Lawrence, Kovacevich, Ian D., Troutman, William B., Hoy, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/957,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/564.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/36 with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3625 with electronic control means
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3668 Detection of the presence of a user
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3681 characterised by the way a new paper roll is loaded in the dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/10 Methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/206 Including means to select or adjust feed-out length

Abstract

A towel dispenser includes a main body; a loading door that rotates relative to the main body between open and closed positions; and a guide system that is configured to guide the toweling within the housing while towels are dispensed from the housing. The guide system includes a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface. The toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position.

Claims

1. A towel dispenser, comprising:

(a) a housing for receiving toweling, comprising

(i) a main body,

(ii) a loading door that is configured to rotate relative to the main body between,

(A) a closed position, in which the housing is configured to dispense towels there from, and

(B) an open position, in which the housing is configured to receive toweling therein, and

(iii) a guide system that is configured to guide the toweling within the housing while towels are dispensed from the housing;

(b) wherein the guide system comprises a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface; and

(c) wherein the toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position.

2. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises extension walls located proximate opposite exterior sides of the housing that extends above a top side of the housing, each extension wall comprising a weakened line extending parallel to a weakened line of the other extension walls, whereby the extent above the top side at which each extension walls extends may be changed, the extent representing a distance from the underside of a fixture below which the top side of the housing is mounted when the towel dispenser is installed under the fixture.

3. The towel dispenser of claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing and to cause the toweling to be retracted into the housing after the leading edge has been extended;

and a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly;

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.

4. The towel dispenser of claim 2, wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding.

5. The towel dispenser of claim 4, wherein the housing further comprises a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing and to cause the toweling to be retracted into the housing after the leading edge has been extended;

and a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly;

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.

6. The towel dispenser of claim 4, wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding.

7. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first roller engages the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position.

8. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein an axis of rotation of the first roller is located above and forward of an axis of rotation of the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position.

9. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first roller extends generally alongside a compartment of the housing in which a battery is received, the compartment being accessible through a removable front cover of the housing for changing the battery.

10. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein each toothed surface comprises an axially mounted end gear.

11. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first toothed surfaces is located proximate a first end of the first roller, and wherein the second toothed surface is located proximate a first end of the second roller, the respective first ends of the first and second rollers being located proximate one another when the loading door is in the closed position.

12. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein a transmission connects a motor to a second end of the first roller, the second end of the first roller being opposite to the first end of the first roller.

13. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first end of the first roller is configured to move vertically a small extent, but the second end of the first roller is not configured to move vertically a small extent.

14. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the toothed surface of the first roller is spring biased into meshing engagement with the toothed surface of the second roller when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position.

15. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first end of the first roller floats relative to the main body, but the second end of the first roller is fixed relative to the main body, and wherein the toothed surface of the first roller is spring biased into meshing engagement with the toothed surface of the second roller when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position.

16. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein a belt engages the second end of the first roller for driving of the first roller by the motor.

17. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the toothed surface of the first roller is spring biased into meshing engagement with the toothed surface of the second roller when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position.

18. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the only rollers of the guide system are the first and second rollers.

19. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the motor assembly is configured to wait a predetermined period of time after the toweling is extended exterior of the housing for grasping by a user before causing the toweling to retract into the housing and, while waiting, to retract the toweling in order to compensate for additional extension of the toweling resulting from the grasping of the toweling by the user.

20. The towel dispenser of claim 19, wherein the motor assembly is configured, while waiting, to continuously perform the steps of (a) attempting retraction of the toweling in response to detected further extension of the toweling resulting from grasping of the toweling by the user;

and (b) ceasing retraction of the toweling in response to detected retraction of the further extension of the toweling resulting from grasping of the toweling by the user.