Electronic roll towel dispenser
First Claim
1. A hygienic product dispenser for dispensing a length of product from a product roll, the dispenser comprising:
- a. a dispenser housing comprising a dispensing slot and an engagement opening;
b. a drive roller operatively configured to engage the product being dispensed;
c. a drive motor coupled to the drive roller;
d. a capacitive sensor adjacent to the engagement opening and operatively configured to provide a detection signal representing the proximity of a user target from the capacitive sensor;
e. a product path defined as the path the product will take from the product roll to the dispensing slot, the product path passing between the engagement opening and the capacitive sensor; and
f. a controller in communication with the capacitive sensor and the drive motor, the controller operatively configured to identify a dispense request based upon the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor and activate the drive motor upon the identification of the dispense request, the dispense request defined as an introduction of the user target within an introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by a removal of the user target beyond a removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor,wherein the dispense request is identified based upon a comparison of the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor to a dispense request profile, the dispense request profile defining one or more characteristics indicative of the introduction of the user target within the introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by the removal of the user target beyond the removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor, andwherein the comparison of the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor to the dispense request profile comprises;
a. establishing a plurality of time period based dispense request counting windows, each dispense request counting window encompassing a selected portion of the detection signal differing from selected portions of the detection signal encompassed by other dispense request counting windows;
b. calculating delta values between selected dispense request counting windows to provide an array of delta values; and
c. comparing the dispense request profile to the array of delta values.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure relates to a dispenser which in one embodiment is a motorized electric dispenser that reliably detects a request for a portion of product and electromechanically dispenses a pre-determined length of product to the user, without the user needing to directly touch any part of the dispenser. The dispenser comprises a product path passing between an engagement opening and a capacitive sensor. A controller is operatively configured to identify a dispense request based upon a detection signal received from the capacitive sensor and activate a drive motor upon the identification of the dispense request. The dispense request is defined as an introduction of a user target within an introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by a removal of the user target beyond a removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor.
41 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A hygienic product dispenser for dispensing a length of product from a product roll, the dispenser comprising:
-
a. a dispenser housing comprising a dispensing slot and an engagement opening; b. a drive roller operatively configured to engage the product being dispensed; c. a drive motor coupled to the drive roller; d. a capacitive sensor adjacent to the engagement opening and operatively configured to provide a detection signal representing the proximity of a user target from the capacitive sensor; e. a product path defined as the path the product will take from the product roll to the dispensing slot, the product path passing between the engagement opening and the capacitive sensor; and f. a controller in communication with the capacitive sensor and the drive motor, the controller operatively configured to identify a dispense request based upon the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor and activate the drive motor upon the identification of the dispense request, the dispense request defined as an introduction of the user target within an introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by a removal of the user target beyond a removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor, wherein the dispense request is identified based upon a comparison of the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor to a dispense request profile, the dispense request profile defining one or more characteristics indicative of the introduction of the user target within the introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by the removal of the user target beyond the removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor, and wherein the comparison of the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor to the dispense request profile comprises; a. establishing a plurality of time period based dispense request counting windows, each dispense request counting window encompassing a selected portion of the detection signal differing from selected portions of the detection signal encompassed by other dispense request counting windows; b. calculating delta values between selected dispense request counting windows to provide an array of delta values; and c. comparing the dispense request profile to the array of delta values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A hygienic product dispenser for dispensing a length of product from a product roll, the dispenser comprising:
-
a. a dispenser housing comprising a dispensing slot and an engagement opening; b. a drive roller operatively configured to engage the product being dispensed; c. a drive motor coupled to the drive roller; d. a capacitive sensor adjacent to the engagement opening and operatively configured to provide a detection signal representing the proximity of a user target from the capacitive sensor; e. a product path defined as the path the product will take from the product roll to the dispensing slot, the product path passing between the engagement opening and the capacitive sensor; and f. a controller in communication with the capacitive sensor and the drive motor, the controller operatively configured to identify a dispense request based upon the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor and activate the drive motor upon the identification of the dispense request, the dispense request defined as an introduction of the user target within an introduction threshold distance from the capacitive sensor followed by a removal of the user target beyond a removal threshold distance away from the capacitive sensor, wherein the controller is further operatively configured to; a. identify a stop request based upon the state of the drive motor and the detection signal received from the capacitive sensor; and b. deactivate the drive motor upon the identification of the stop request, the stop request defined as an introduction of the user target within a stop threshold distance from the capacitive sensor while the driver motor is activated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification