Hybrid dispenser systems

• US 9,701,508 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC, Headway Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Diamond, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US15/008,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 318140, 318430, 318434, 318558, 242563, 242564, 312 348
• 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 2010/3668 Detection of the presence of a user
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/02 Tearing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/14 Roller pairs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/006 with means for delivering a predetermined length of tape
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0086 using movable cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 43/00 Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable

Abstract

Certain hybrid dispenser systems and methods of dispensing sheet product are provided. In one example, the method includes dispensing, by the dispenser, an exposed tail of sheet product upon activation of a proximity sensor associated with the dispenser. The method includes dispensing a second length of sheet product in response to a user manually exerting a pull force on the exposed tail. The method includes generating electrical energy using an electrical generator of the dispenser. An amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based in part on the second length of sheet product pulled by the user. The method includes charging an energy storage device electrically coupled to the electrical generator by transferring energy from the electrical generator to the energy storage device, and modifying the pull force the user exerts to dispense the second length by adjusting an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing sheet product from a dispenser, the method comprising:

dispensing, by the dispenser, an exposed tail of sheet product upon activation of a proximity sensor associated with the dispenser, wherein the exposed tail has a first length;

dispensing a second length of sheet product in response to a user manually exerting a pull force on the exposed tail, wherein a total length of sheet product dispensed in a dispensing cycle includes the first length and the second length;

generating electrical energy using an electrical generator of the dispenser, wherein an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based at least in part on the second length of sheet product manually pulled by the user;

charging an energy storage device electrically coupled to the electrical generator by transferring energy from the electrical generator to the energy storage device; and

adjusting an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device to modify the pull force which the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical generator is a three phase electrical generator comprising at least one pole pair, and is configured to generate alternating current and oscillating output voltage with three discrete voltage peaks per each of the at least one pole pair.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a number of voltage peaks output by the three phase electrical generator;

determining a number of revolutions of the three phase electrical generator associated with the number of voltage peaks; and

calculating the total length of sheet product dispensed based at least in part on the number of revolutions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of voltage peaks output by the three phase electrical generator are determined during the dispensing cycle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining output voltage flowing out of the electrical generator;

determining voltage input at the energy storage device; and

determining current flowing out of the electrical generator.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the pull force the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product is modified by manipulating the current flowing out of the electrical generator to the energy storage device based at least in part on the output voltage of the electrical generator, the voltage input at the energy storage device, or the current flowing out of the electrical generator, such that increasing the current flow results in increased pull force and decreasing the current flow results in decreased pull force.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the current flowing out of the electrical generator to the energy storage device is manipulated with a MOSFET device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull force the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product is modified to increase proportionally to the second length of sheet product during the dispensing of the second length of sheet product.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull force the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product is modified to increase after a threshold length of the second length of sheet product is dispensed during the dispensing of the second length of sheet product.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device comprises:

determining a first energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device; and

then

either (i) reducing the first energy transfer rate by an amount to achieve a second energy transfer rate in order to reduce the pull force, or

(ii) increasing the first energy transfer rate by an amount to achieve a second energy transfer rate in order to increase the pull force.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical generator is a brush direct current electrical generator comprising at least one pole pair, the electrical generator configured to generate direct current.

12. A dispenser system comprising:

a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense an exposed tail of sheet product having a first length;

an energy storage device configured to power the dispensing mechanism;

an electrical generator configured to transfer energy to the energy storage device, the electrical generator configured to generate electrical energy when a user, exerting a pull force on the exposed tail, manually pulls a second length of sheet product from the dispenser system, wherein an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based at least in part on the second length of sheet product manually pulled by the user; and

a current manipulation device configured to adjust an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device to modify the pull force the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product.

13. The dispenser system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing mechanism dispenses the exposed tail of sheet product upon activation.

14. The dispenser system of claim 13, further comprising a proximity sensor configured to activate the dispensing mechanism, wherein the energy storage device is configured to power the proximity sensor.

15. The dispenser system of claim 14, wherein the proximity sensor activates the dispensing mechanism upon detecting the user in proximity to the dispenser system.

16. The dispenser system of claim 13, further comprising a tear sensor configured to activate the dispensing mechanism, wherein the tear sensor activates the dispensing mechanism upon detecting that a length of sheet product has been separated from the dispenser system by the user.

17. The dispenser system of claim 16, wherein the tear sensor comprises a tear bar positioned about an outlet of the dispenser system.

18. A dispenser system comprising:

a dispensing mechanism;

a proximity sensor configured to activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense an exposed tail of sheet product having a first length;

an energy storage device configured to power the dispensing mechanism and the proximity sensor;

an electrical generator configured to transfer energy to the energy storage device, the electrical generator configured to generate electrical energy when a user, exerting a pull force on the exposed tail, manually pulls a second length of sheet product from the dispenser system, wherein an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based at least in part on the second length of sheet product manually pulled by the user; and

a current manipulation device configured to adjust an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device to modify the pull force the user must exert to dispense the second length of sheet product.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the electrical generator is a three phase electrical generator comprising at least one pole pair, the electrical generator configured to generate alternating current and oscillating output voltage with three discrete voltage peaks per each of the at least one pole pair.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a first sensor configured to determine a number of voltage peaks output by the three phase electrical generator; and

a controller comprising a memory having computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to implement a method comprising;

determining a number of revolutions of the three phase electrical generator associated with the number of voltage peaks; and

calculating the total length of sheet product dispensed based at least in part on the number of revolutions.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the current manipulation device is a MOSFET device.

22. A dispenser system comprising:

a manual dispensing mechanism configured to dispense sheet product;

an energy storage device;

an electrical generator configured to transfer energy to the energy storage device, the electrical generator configured to generate electrical energy when a user, exerting a pull force on the sheet product, manually pulls a length of sheet product from the dispenser system, wherein an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based at least in part on the length of sheet product manually pulled by the user; and

a current manipulation device configured to adjust an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device to modify the pull force the user must exert to dispense the length of sheet product.

23. A method of dispensing sheet product from a dispenser, the method comprising:

dispensing, by the dispenser, a length of sheet product in response to a user manually pulling on the sheet product;

generating electrical energy using an electrical generator of the dispenser, wherein an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrical generator is based at least in part on the length of sheet product manually pulled by the user;

charging an energy storage device electrically coupled to the electrical generator by transferring energy from the electrical generator to the energy storage device; and

adjusting an energy transfer rate from the electrical generator to the energy storage device to modify the pull force which the user must exert to dispense the length of sheet product.