Electronic toilet tissue dispenser

• US 4,721,265 A
• Filed: 06/09/1986
• Issued: 01/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Junior F. Hawkins
• Original Assignee: Junior F. Hawkins
• Inventors: Hawkins, Junior F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US06/872,041
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 242/55.53, 242/55.2, 250/221, 200/DIG. 36, 307/117, 361/177, 361/176
• US Class Current: 242/564
• 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

Abstract

The Electronic Toilet Tissue Dispenser permits toilet tissue to be dispensed from a supply roll by placing your hand in front of a sensor and advancement is stopped when your hand is removed from in front of the sensor, thereby, permitting those with Arthritis and those who might have difficulty reaching; seeing or finding the end of the tissue, to easily dispense said toilet tissue.

Claims

1. A toilet tissue dispenser comprising a box having a back and four upstanding walls connected to the back such that the tops of the four upstanding walls form an opening;

a panel means having four panel sides integrally bound to each other and secured to the tops of the four upstanding walls and flanging outwardly therefrom;

a generally L-shaped compartment means mounted on two panel sides, said compartment means comprising a control compartment means secured to one panel side and a guard compartment means mounted to a panel side contiguous to the panel side that supports the control compartment;

a drive motor means mounted in said control compartment means;

a control circuit means mounted in said control compartment means for controlling the operation of said drive motor means;

a night sensor means mounted in said control compartment means and communicating with ambient light such that when ambient light does not strike the night sensor means said control circuit means can not energize the drive motor means;

a day sensor means mounted in said control compartment means and communicating with said ambient lighting such that if ambient lighting is striking the night sensor means, then interrupting the ambient lighting to the day sensor means causes the control circuit means to energize the drive motor means;

a stop member mounted to the panel side that is opposed to the panel side that supports the guard compartment;

a bracket assembly superimposed over the stop member and slidably mounted transverse to the panel side that is opposed to the panel side that supports the guard compartment; and

a means secured to said stop member and to bracket assembly for biasing said bracket assembly away from said stop member.

2. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 1 wherein said panel means has an internal perimeter where the tops of the four upstanding walls connect thereto.

3. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 2 wherein said four panel sides flange outwardly from the four upstanding walls generally normal thereto.

4. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 3 wherein said control compartment means and said guard compartment means comprise a common L-shaped compartment top.

5. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 4 additionally comprising a handle secured to said bracket assembly.

6. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 5 additionally comprising a bearing bound to said bracket assembly.

7. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 6 additionally comprising a motor pulley coupled to said drive motor means, said motor pulley disposed in said control compartment.

8. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 7 additionally comprising a drive pulley rotatably disposed in said guard compartment means, and an endless belt trained over said motor pulley and said drive pulley.

9. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 8 additionally comprising a drive bearing means bound to said drive pulley to receive rotational power therefrom.

10. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 9 additionally comprising a power source means mounted in said control compartment.

11. The toilet tissue dispenser of claim 10 wherein said L-shaped compartment top is pivotally mounted to said control compartment.

12. A method for dispensing toilet tissue comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a panel means circumscribing a box;

(b) mounting rotatably a roll of toilet tissue to the panel means such that said roll of toilet tissue rotates in said box spacedly;

(c) providing a night sensor means in a control compartment means supported by said panel means wherein said night sensor means communicates with ambient light such that when ambient light does not strike the night sensor means a control circuit means mounted in said control compartment means can not energize a drive motor means to rotate the roll of toilet tissue in order to dispense toilet tissue therefrom;

(d) providing a day sensor means in said control compartment wherein said day sensor means communicates with ambient lighting such that if ambient lighting is striking the night sensor means, then interrupting the ambient lighting to the day sensor means causes the control circuit means to energize the drive motor means to rotate the roll of toilet tissue in order to dispense toilet tissue therefrom;

(e) striking the night sensor means with ambient lighting;

(f) covering contactless the day sensor means to interrupt ambient lighting to the day sensor means causing the control circuit means to energize the drive motor means and commence the rotating of the roll of toilet tissue;

(g) maintaining said covering step (f) until the desired amount of toilet tissue has rotated off of the roll of toilet tissue; and

(h) removing said covering step (f) such that the day sensor again communicates with the ambient lighting to cause the control circuit means to deengage the drive motor means and stop the rotating of the roll of toilet tissue.

13. The method of claim 12 additionally comprising removing said desired amount of toilet tissue from the roll of toilet tissue.

14. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising providing a stop member bound to the panel means.

15. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising superimposing a bracket assembly over the stop member, and mounting slidably the bracket assembly to the panel means such that the bracket assembly slides transversely with respect to a portion of the panel means.

16. The method of claim 15 additionally comprising providing a spring means between said stop member and said bracket assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising sliding the bracket assembly transversely with respect to the portion of the panel means to bias the bracket assembly against the stop member.

18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising removing the roll of toilet tissue after said sliding step and replacing the roll of toilet tissue with another roll of toilet tissue.