Apparatus and method for dispensing sheet material

• US 7,726,599 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Phelps, Stephen L., Lewis, Richard Paul, Tramontina, Paul Francis, Clark, Gerald L., Kapiloff, David W., Johnson, Darrell R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUGLAND, SCOTT J
• Application Number:
  US10/750,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20050145745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,344 Days
• Field of Search: 242/563, 242/563.2, 242/564, 242/564.1, 242/564.3, 242/564.4, 242/565, 312/34.22, 312/34.8, 836/49
• US Class Current: 242/563
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/36 with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3612 with drive and pinch rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3625 with electronic control means
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/38 the web being rolled up with or without tearing edge A47K10/36 and A47K10/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3827 with a distribution opening which is parallel to the rotation axis
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3845 with devices preventing the use of non-authorised paper rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/424 dispensing from the bottom part of the dispenser A47K10/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3226 collecting data of usage
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3668 Detection of the presence of a user
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/06 Dispensers for soap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1209 with chamber in the form of a cylindrical tube
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

A sheet material dispenser includes a controller for automatically controlling the lengths of sheet materials dispensed from a continuous roll by identifying the type of sheet materials on the roll and dispensing suitable lengths of the identified sheet material. The dispenser desirably has a support for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material carrying identification relating to the type of sheet material on the roll, and an identifier positioned in or adjacent the dispenser for identifying the type of sheet material on the roll. A processor receives data from the identifier, processes the data and generates an output command, and a controller controls the lengths of sheet material dispensed from the roll in response to the output command. In this way, more absorbent products may be dispensed in shorter lengths and less absorbent products may be dispensed in longer lengths.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a web of sheet material from a continuous roll, the method comprising:

providing a roll of sheet material which includes identification relating to absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll;

rotatably supporting the roll of sheet material adjacent an identifier in a dispenser housing;

identifying the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll;

processing data relating to the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll to generate an output command; and

controlling a length of sheet material dispensed from the roll in response to the output command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a reader, and the step of identifying the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll comprises reading data from identification on the roll of sheet material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of reading data comprises reading data from a label, a logo, a bar code, a magnetic strip, a RFID, or a hologram on the roll of sheet material.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of reading data comprises reading data from identification on a core of the roll of sheet material.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of reading data comprises reading data from identification on the sheet material.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll includes decoding encoded identification on the roll of sheet material.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of reading data comprises reading data from an RFID tag embedded in or attached to the core of the roll of sheet material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on the roll comprises emitting infrared light into the core of the sheet material roll, and detecting reflection of the light off reflective identification on the core of the roll.

9. The method of claim 1, including the step of activating the identifier when the dispenser housing is opened so as to allow for identification of the absorbent characteristics of sheet material on a roll inserted onto the support.

10. The method of claim 9, including the step of deactivating the identifier after identification of the sheet material on the roll.

11. The method of claim 1, including the step of providing a delay between successive dispensing operations.

12. The method of claim 1, including the step of dispensing the length of sheet material with an electric motor.

13. The method of claim 1, including the step of dispensing the length of sheet material in response to sensing a user'"'"'s hand adjacent the dispenser housing.