TRANSMISSION ARRANGEMENT IN AUTOMATIC TOWEL DISPENSER

• US 20110068219A1
• 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:
  US12/957,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/564.4
• 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 toothed surface proximate a first end thereof, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a toothed surface proximate a first end thereof that is configured to mesh with the toothed surface of the first roller. A transmission connects a motor to a second end of the first roller, the second end of the first roller being opposite the first end of the first roller.

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 comprising a first roller attached to the main body and having a toothed surface proximate a first end thereof, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a toothed surface proximate a first end thereof that is configured to mesh with the toothed surface of the first roller; and

(c) wherein a transmission connects a motor to a second end of the first roller, the second end of the first roller being opposite the first end of the first roller.

2. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the motor is located within the main body between the first roller and a front panel of the housing.

3. The towel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a battery compartment and wherein the motor is battery powered, the battery compartment and motor being located within the main body between the first roller and a front panel of the housing.

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

5. The towel dispenser of claim 4, 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 is in the closed position.

6. The towel dispenser of claim 4, wherein the second end of the first roller comprises a pivot point of the first roller.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The towel dispenser of claim 7, wherein the second end of the first roller comprises a pivot point of the first roller.

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

11. 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 is in the closed position.

12. 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 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.

13. 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 comprising 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 first roller is spring biased toward engagement with the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position.

14. The towel dispenser of claim 13, 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.

15. The towel dispenser of claim 14, 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.

16. The towel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the second end of the first roller comprises a pivot point of the first roller.

17. The towel dispenser of claim 14, 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.

18. The towel dispenser of claim 13, wherein a belt engages the second end of the first roller for driving of the first roller by the motor.

19. The towel dispenser of claim 13, wherein the only rollers of the guide system are the first and second rollers.

20. The towel dispenser of claim 13, wherein the second roller acts against the spring biasing of the first roller to displace at least one end of the first roller when the loading door is moved into the closed position.