Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED ROLL TOWEL DISPENSER WITH
DATA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to paper towel dispensers, and more
particularly to an automatic electronically controlled roll towel dispenser
with a data
communication system for collecting data from the dispenser and transmitting
the data
to a receiving device for analysis.
Dispensers for dispensing paper towels are well known in the art. A paper
towel dispenser typically requires a user actuate a mechanism for the
dispenser to
dispense paper toweling. Folded paper towels are pre-cut and folded into
various
configurations to be individually dispensed. Roll paper towels are continuous
rolls of
paper which are wound around a central core and dispensed by advancing a
length of
paper toweling from the dispenser and tearing off the length of toweling along
a
stationary cutting bar in the dispenser.
Folded towels are paper towels which are pre-cut and folded into various
configurations. The use of folded paper towel dispensers allows a user to
dispense
towels by pulling on the exposed end of each new individual towel. These
dispensers
are also very easy to refill with folded towels. However, a number of the
folded towels
will often fall out when an exposed towel is pulled. This can result in a
significant
waste of paper towels. Accordingly, folded towel dispensers are not as
economical as
other types of alternative dispensers.
Roll towels are less expensive to manufacture and produce less waste than
folded towels. A roll towel dispenser typically includes a housing, a supply
of paper in
the housing, and a
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mechanism for unrolling a length of paper for use. Roll towel dispensers may
include a lever,
crank, or other mechanism for dispensing a length of towel from the dispenser
chassis and a
serrated blade for cutting the length of towel from the remaining roll.
However, manual contact
with a dispensing lever or the like raises health concerns for the user. To
alleviate these health
concerns, dispensers have been developed, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
4,712,461 to
Rasmussen, that eliminate contact with any part of the dispenser, and instead
rely upon the user
directly pulling the paper towel from the dispenser. In these type dispensers,
the paper toweling
must have sufficient strength to effect rotation of the feed roller and
actuation with the cutting
blade without premature tearing. Paper possessing the requisite strength to
operate these
dispensers is limited in the amount of softness and absorbency it can provide.
Another disadvantage of manual roll towel dispensers is that the user
generally controls
the length of paper dispensed prior to tearing it off the dispenser. A user
can therefore wastefully
dispense an excessive length of toweling. This adds to the waste and abuse
associated with
known paper towel dispensers.
Electrically powered roll towel dispensers are also known in the prior art.
Such an
example is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,452,832 to Niada. In the Niada
patent, a light sensitive
device is used to detect the presence of a user's hand in front of the
dispenser. After detecting
the user's hand, the dispenser advances paper toweling for a predetermined
length of time. The
dispensed length of paper towel is then separated from the supply roll by
pulling the paper
toweling against a serrated cutting bar on the dispenser.
U.S. Patent No. 4,738,176 to Cassia discloses an electrically powered
dispenser which
includes a reciprocating cutter to produce an individual towel from the
continuous web of paper.
While this arrangement enables the use of softer and more absorbent paper, the
dispenser
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requires a substantial amount of energy to drive both the feed mechanism and
the reciprocating
cutter. Accordingly, the batteries for this dispenser must be replaced
frequently. Moreover, the
dispenser design is much more complex and costly than other systems.
Also, in some electrically powered dispensers, such as the dispenser disclosed
in U.S.
Patent No. 4,796,825 to Hawkins, the paper will continuously dispense while a
user's hand or
other object is placed in front of the sensor. Thus, the dispenser is subject
to easy abuse and
waste of paper. In an effort to avoid abuses, some dispensers, such as U.S.
Patent No. 4,666,099
to Hoffman, have incorporated a waiting period where the dispenser will not
operate for a brief
time after each use. However, the need to wait can be frustrating to some
users.
None of the known prior art dispensers incorporate a microcontroller or an
electromechanical triggering mechanism for controlling operation of the roll
towel dispenser.
In addition, none of the prior art shows or discloses the use of an optical
data link for
transmitting status and usage data to a receiving device for analysis.
Optical data links are also well known in the art for use in transmitting data
between
electrical devices. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,691,699 to Vane et al.
discloses a security
detector having an optical data transmitter. Communication with visible light
is typically limited
to use with fiber-optic data links, while open-air optical data links
typically operate in the
infrared (IR) range. Well known are the familiar IR-remote control devices
used to control home
video and audio electronics. Other familiar methods of optical data
communication include the
Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard used with personal computers, lap
tops, computer
peripherals, and personal organizers to provide wireless data transfer between
devices.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved electronically controlled roll
towel dispenser
having an embedded microcontroller for controlling and monitoring the
dispenser, and having a
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transmitter for transmitting data to a receiving device that is of a simpler
design and is less
expensive than prior art systems.
Summary of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a paper towel
dispenser for
automatically dispensing a predetermined length of paper towel in response to
the tearing off of a
previously dispensed length of towel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispensing apparatus for
paper towels
that is touchless and automatic.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which automatically
supplies a
predetermined length of paper toweling from the roll.
A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic roll towel
dispenser which
does not require physical contact by the user.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser wherein the
lengths of paper
toweling dispensed is programmable.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser that monitors
and collects
data on usage and other information, etc.
The present invention is directed to an electronically controlled roll towel
dispenser with
a data communication system. The dispenser includes an optical transmitter in
the form of a
visible LED. The data transmitted by the dispenser can be received visibly
through blinking
LED data and through IR data packets. The addition of intelligent electronics
into the roll towel
dispenser creates a dispenser that automatically dispenses a predetermined
length of paper
toweling from the supply roll, monitors the status of the dispenser, and
collects data to be
transmitted to a receiver for analysis.
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The data receiver is preferably a 3-Com Palm IIIx organizer with an integral
infrared (IR)
transceiver. The data transmitter is preferably an IR-emitting bi-color LED.
The physical
communication complies with the HP-SIR protocol. Data is transmitted only when
the dispenser
cover is open.
Exposed toweling is removed from the electronically controlled dispenser by
the familiar
pulling and tearing action. To accomplish this end, the dispenser implements
an
electromechanical trigger to translate the physical motion of towel tearing
into an electrical
signal. This signal directs a motorized drive mechanism to automatically
dispense a fresh
portion of towel. The electronic control of the electromechanical dispensing
process is provided
by an embedded microcontroller.
In addition to controlling the electromechanical dispense processes, the
embedded
microcontroller provides other useful benefits. It can effect a programmable
dispense delay to
reduce towel consumption and waste. The length of the towel portion
distributed and the
operating mode are also programmable operating parameters. Access to modify
any of these
parameters is automatically enabled whenever the dispenser cabinet cover is
opened for periodic
service. The microcontroller also has the capability to monitor and record
important quantities
and events. For example, the microcontroller can be programmed to
automatically record the
date and time of paper outage and refill, automatically monitor the usage of
toweling to
determine times of peek usage or total paper distributed from the dispenser,
automatically
provide a usage history to allow end users to plan maintenance and ordering of
supplies, or
automatically page or otherwise notify maintenance personnel of machine
status. The dispenser
can also be programmed to distribute only a predetermined amount of paper and
to stop
functioning once the dispenser has output that amount, or can be programmed to
change the
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amount of paper dispensed to each individual depending upon the time of day.
Moreover, the
dispenser can be used as a tool to acquire and store usage information to be
used in research
relating to usage of the dispenser.
The touchless dispenser can dispense any grade of roll towel paper including
low basis
weight paper. The battery driven internal feeding mechanism is designed to
dispense any paper
easily and smoothly. All the user does is tear off the paper and another
length is automatically
dispensed. The dispenser is powered with four D-size alkaline batteries. The
unit is designed so
that the batteries last from six to twelve months. There is even a low battery
alert indicator.
The dispenser is fully programmable to dispense any length of paper, at any
speed, and
with any delay. The dispenser utilizes preset pushbuttons to select and adjust
the parameters.
The dispenser's embedded micro-controller collects and stores usage data that
can be
retrieved easily. The LED transmitter sends control signals to a data
collection device to tell if
the dispenser is low on paper or if the batteries are low. The data can also
be used to determine
paper ordering patterns for the best roll towel inventory management. The
dispenser can forecast
when the paper or the batteries need changing so maintenance can be planned.
A primary advantage of the invention is providing means for digital data
communication.
This particular advantage becomes increasingly significant as the
incorporation of embedded
controllers into simpler and lower cost products continues to expand into the
marketplace.
Inevitably, as this trend continues, the cost of an IRDA-compatible
communication port might
approach 50% of the total manufacturing cost of a product's electronic control
system.
The present embodiment is that of an improvement to the electronic control
system of a
battery-powered roll towel dispenser. This dispenser features a bi-colored LED
used to indicate
a variety of system conditions to the user or maintenance person. For example,
failure modes are
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typically indicated by red flashing patterns, while the relative battery
condition is indicated by
green, yellow or red flashes which represent good, marginal or low battery
voltage, respectively.
The color and pattern of each particular indicator signal is determined by the
firmware
programmed into the dispenser's embedded microcontroller IC. The dispenser is
equipped with
a transmitter, a visible red LED controlled by a microcontroller.
Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be made
apparent to
those schooled in the art from the following detailed description and
accompanying drawings.
Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electronically controlled roll towel
dispenser
constructed in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a
cover interlock
assembly;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a dispenser assembly that is installed in the
roll towel
dispenser of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the dispenser assembly
shown in
Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the dispenser assembly
shown in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a drive control assembly taken along line
8-8 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the drive gears of the drive
control
assembly taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 9;
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Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the drive
control assembly of
Fig. 8 showing a trigger lever contacting a switch on a printed circuit board
mounted in the drive
control assembly;
Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 10 showing the trigger lever
depressing
the switch on the printed circuit board;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a data communication system used in
connection with the
dispenser of the present invention;
Fig. 13 is a front plan view of a control panel that is mounted in the drive
control
assembly of Fig. 8;
Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuitry on the printed
circuit board
mounted in the drive control assembly; and
Figs. 15-24 are flow diagrams illustrating operation of the dispenser in
accordance with
the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Referring first to Fig. 1, an electronically controlled paper towel dispenser
10 is shown
constructed in accordance with the present invention. The paper towel
dispenser 10 includes an
outer housing 12 having a back panel 14 adapted to be fastened to a wall,
right and left side
panels 16 and 18, and a front cover 20. The front cover 20 is pivotally
mounted to a lower
portion of the housing 12 with hinge pins 22 extending outwardly on each side
of the bottom of
the cover 20 and into openings 24 on the bottom front of right and left side
panels 16, 18. The
front cover 20 is movable between a secured closed position and an open
position as illustrated
by arrow 26. The cover 20 is securable to an upper portion of the housing 12
by a latch 28 or
other fastening device to maintain the front cover 20 in a closed position.
The front cover 20 is
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typically opened for servicing, collecting data, and loading roll paper into
the
dispenser 10. The roll consists of a continuous web of paper wound upon a
hollow
cylindrical core (not shown) that is installed in the dispenser. A discharge
opening 30
for feeding a length of roll paper out of the dispenser 10 is located at the
bottom of the
housing 12 below the front cover 20. The housing 12 and front cover 20 are
preferably
made of plastic or any other type of lightweight material.
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a cover interlock assembly. The cover interlock is
essentially a safety interlock which monitors the position of the front cover
20. The
components of the cover interlock assembly are installed in a drive control
assembly
32 mounted on the right side of the housing 12. The components include a cover
lever
36 pivotally mounted to the drive control assembly 32 at a pivot point 44, the
cover
lever 36 having a tab 38 extending outwardly therefrom which contacts a bottom
edge
25 of the cover 20 when in a closed position. The tab 38 extends through and
is
movable in a slotted opening 34 extending through the drive control assembly
32. The
cover lever 36 further having a first end 40 for contacting a cover switch 52
on a
printed circuit board 50 installed in the drive control assembly 32, and a
second end 42
opposite the first end 40 connected to a first end of a helical spring 46. The
helical
spring 46 having a second end 49 connected to a rigid post 48 on the drive
control
assembly 32. The spring 46 biases the cover lever 36 such that the first end
40
depresses the cover switch 52 when the cover is in a closed position. When the
cover
20 moves from an open position to a 20 closed position, the bottom edge 25 of
the
cover 20 comes in contact with the tab 38 to close the switch 52.
Contacting the normally open switch 52 with the closed cover 20 provides an
electrical signal to a microcontroller U2 on the printed circuit board 50
representing
that the dispenser 10
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is in a normal operating mode. When the cover 20 is open and the first end 40
of the cover lever 36 is not contacting the switch 52, the dispenser 10 is in
a non-
operating service mode as described in more detail below.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a dispenser assembly 56 that is installed in
dispenser 10. The main components of the dispenser assembly 56 include the
drive
control assembly 32, a trigger assembly 58 (See Fig. 5) and a feed drive
assembly 60
(See Fig. 9). A battery holder 62 for holding four D-size alkaline batteries
is attached
to the frame 57 oft the dispenser assembly 56. The battery holder 62 is
electrically
connected to the drive control assembly 32 by wires 64 for powering a drive
motor 66
(See Figs. 8 and 9) and electrical components on the printed circuit board 50
(See
Figs. 8, 10 and 11), installed in drive control assembly 32. The four alkaline
batteries
provide a nominal six volt (6VDC) through wires to connector JP 1 on the
printed
circuit board 50. A pair of arms 68 are pivotally mounted to and extend from
the frame
57 of the dispenser assembly 56 for rotatably supporting a supply of roll
paper 70, Fig.
6, in the dispenser housing.
Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser assembly 56
illustrating
connection of the drive control assembly 32 to the right side of the dispenser
assembly
56, and the various components of the trigger assembly 58. The drive control
assembly
32 provides the electromechanical power to the dispenser through the drive
motor 66
(See Figs. 8 and 9) and the electronics on the printed circuit board 50 (See
Figs. 8, 10
and 11). The trigger assembly 58 provides an electrical signal to the
microcontroller
U2 (See Fig. 14A) representing event of a length of towel being torn from the
dispenser, the microcontroller then starts the drive motor after a pre-
programmed
delay to feed another length of roll paper out the discharge opening 30 of the
dispenser.
The trigger assembly 58 includes a rotatable trigger arm 72 pivotally mounted
to the frame 57 of the trigger assembly by right and left bearing blocks 78,
80 and
right and left trip
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brackets 74, 76. The trigger arm 72 is located behind a serrated cutting bar
88 (See
Fig. 6) for cutting a length of paper towel from the supply ro1170. The
cutting bar 88
extends from the end of a bracket 90 (See Fig. 6) fastened to the frame 57 of
the
dispenser assembly 56. The right side of the trigger arm 72 is connected to a
spring
biased trigger lever 84 through the right trip bracket 74. A return spring 82
is attached
to the left trip bracket 76 to provide a balanced pivoting motion on both
sides of the
trigger arm.
Figs. 10 and 11 show the change in motion of trigger lever 84 when the trigger
arm 72 is activated by a length of towel being tom from the dispenser, Fig.
11, and the
trigger arm 72 in its normal position, Fig. 10. When the trigger arm 72 is
activated,
Fig. 11, trigger lever 84 moves upwardly causing a flat spring 96 attached to
a first
side 94 of the lever 84 to depress a trigger switch 98 mounted on the printed
circuit
board 50. Once the length of towel is tom from the cutting bar 88, the trigger
arm 72
returns to its original position as shown in Fig. 10, releasing pressure from
the switch
98. Actuation of the switch 98 causes the microcontroller U2 (See Fig. 14A) to
initiate
the drive motor 66 to feed another length of towel through discharge opening
30. Fig.
11 shows the trigger lever 84 depressing the switch 98 on the printed circuit
board 50.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the components of the feed drive assembly 60. Fig. 6
is
a cross-sectional view through the dispenser assembly 56 before tearing a
length of
paper toweling from the supply roll. Fig. 7 depicts the feed drive assembly 60
after a
length of paper toweling has been tom off the supply rol170. As shown in Fig.
6, the
mll paper 71 is fed around a control bracket, in between the nip of a feeder
roller 102
and an idler roller 104, and behind trigger arm 72 and serrated cutting bar
88.
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the drive motor and gear assembly within the drive
control assembly 32. A plurality of drive reduction gears are driven by the
shaft output
of the dive
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motor. The gears transfer power from the drive motor 66 to a drive shaft
connected to the drive
gear. The drive motor is preferably a model RF-370-CA-261000 manufactured by
Mabuchi
Motor Company.
Fig. 12 illustrates the components of a digital data communication system of
the present
invention. The system includes an LED transmitter 120 mounted on the printed
circuit board 50
of the drive control assembly32. The LED 120, preferably a bi-colored LED, is
coupled to the
microcontroller 50. The LED transmits visible and infrared (IR) data to a hand
held receiver
122. The receiver 122 preferably includes an IR detector 124 and a display
screen 126 for
displaying data from the dispenser. As mentioned earlier, the data is
transmitted by both visible
light in the form of blinking green, yellow, or red colors from the LED and
through IR signal
transmission 128. The data is transmitted in packets, preferably in the form
of HP-SIR protocol
which is commonly used for IR data transfer between electronic devices. The
receiver 122 is
preferably a Palm IIIx organizer manufactured by 3Com Corporation, or another
type of hand
held device having an IR receiver.
Referring next to Fig. 13, a control panel 130 for the drive control assembly
is shown.
The control panel includes openings for the LED and the four pushbutton
membrane switches.
Three system parameters including towel length, dispense delay, and operating
mode
individually selectable by pressing the proper switch. Pressing one of the
pushbutton switches
will increment the value of the selected parameter. The factory default
setting for each
parameter are constant values programmed in memory. The last pushbutton is for
resetting the
system.
Except for the batteries and drive motor 66, all electrical components reside
on the
printed circuit board 50. Referring now to the schematic of electrical
components shown in Fig
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14, the connector JP 1 provides electrical connection to a power supply
through two wires 64.
The power supply preferably comprises four D-size alkaline batteries which
supply power to the
drive motor 66 and the printed circuit board 50. The nominal voltage of each
alkaline battery
ranges from one and one-half volts (1.5V) for a fresh battery, to an end of
service voltage of
approximately nine-tenths of a volt (0.9V). This provides a power supply
voltage ranging from
3.6V to 6.OV. The drive motor 66 interconnects to the printed circuit board at
connectors Wl and
W2. Wl connects to the supply voltage and W2 connects to a digital output
circuit from
microcontroller U2 labeled MOTOR, which provides gating voltage for transistor
Q3. A high
MOTOR output turns Q3 on, allowing current to flow from the power supply
through the drive
motor 66 to GND. A low MOTOR output turns Q3 off, blocking motor drive
current. The JP2
connector allows for serial programming of the microcontroller U2.
Moving now to the components mounted on the printed circuit board 50, the
primary
power supply bus VP branches to a voltage regulator circuitry comprising Ul
for supplying the
proper voltage to the control circuitry as VCC. This reduced and regulated
voltage improves the
efficiency and extends the life of the alkaline batteries. The supply voltage
VP is sampled by
circuitry comprising transistor Ql and a voltage divider formed by resistors
R3, R4 and capacitor
C4. With Ql conducting, a scaled representation of the supply voltage VP is
presented at the
junction of resistors R3 and R4.
The main component on the printed circuit board 50 is the microcontroller U2
which
includes RAM for storage of variable data, and is connected to a EEPROM U3 for
storage of
instructions and constant data. Peripheral circuitry supporting U2 include a
crystal oscillator
CRl and reset circuitry comprising R2, C3 and D2. The microcontroller U2 is
preferably a
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PIC 16C62x manufactured by Microchip, Inc. Following is a summary of the
microcontroller
control circuits.
The analog comparator input ANO is sourced by the voltage divider circuit of
Q1, R3 and
R4. When activated by control output Pmgr the voltage divider provides a
scaled representation
of the supply voltage VP at Vsamp.
Digital output RAl controls a power management circuit labeled Pmgr comprising
R6,
R7, R8 and Q2. This circuit is used to activate the higher power circuits on
an as needed basis.
The digital output circuit RA2, labeled RED, provides drive current to the red
diode in an
integrated bi-color LED. The digital output circuit RA3, labeled GREEN,
provides drive current
to the green diode in the bi-color LED. Circuit RA4 is a digital input labeled
TACH. The
TACH circuit provides a voltage proportional to the light transmitted between
the LED and
phototransistor of OP1. The apertures in the rotating encoder - of drive motor
66 alternately
pass or block the beam of IR light between the LED and the phototransistor in
OP1, switching
the voltage at RA4 from binary high to binary low.
Circuits RB 1, RB2, RB3, RB6 and RB7 are digital inputs from a matrix of
pushbutton
switches labeled Kl LENGTH, K2 DELAY, K3 MODE and K4 PRESET.
Circuit RB5 is a digital input labeled TRIGGER from trigger switch SWl. SWl is
a
normally open switch that closes when the trigger is activated. Circuit RB4 is
a digital input
labeled COVER from the cover switch SW2. SWl is a normally open switch that
closes when
the trigger is activated. SW2 is a normally open switch that closes when the
cover interlock is
activated.
Figs. 15-24 are flow diagrams illustrating operation of the dispenser in
accordance with
the present invention. Process control begins with the main loop flow chart of
Fig. 15.
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Following power-up and a system reset 150, the initial state 152 of the
dispenser is established.
Control then enters a polling loop. Here, the primary modes of system
operation are represented
as power manager 154, error monitor 156, service mode 158, and dispense
process 160. This
sequence loops indefinitely, or until a process request is detected. The loop
represents the
normal idling state of the system as it awaits some kind of outside
interaction or interrupt.
The power manager 154 extends battery life by putting the system into a sleep
mode after
a certain amount of time. The system wakes up from the sleep mode when it
receives an
interrupt. The next process in Fig. 15 is the error monitor 156 of Fig. 16.
In the error monitor process, the system is monitored for a system error 162.
If no error
is detected, then the system returns to the main loop. However, if an error is
detected and the
cover is closed 164, the error status is indicated as shown in Fig. 17 by the
LED transmitting the
error status data 168 and initiating a two second delay 170. The transmitted
data may be
received by a receiving device.
The next process in the main loop is the service mode. The dispenser cover
must be open
for the dispenser to be in service mode. The first process in service mode is
the status indicator
process of Fig. 19. In the status indicator process, the battery voltage is
checked. If the battery
voltage is less than 10% of full voltage 188, then the Red LED blinks on and
off and transmits
data that the batteries should be replaced 192. If the battery voltage is less
than 20% of full
voltage 190, then the Yellow LED blinks on and off and transmits data that the
batteries are low
and should be replaced soon 194. If the battery voltage is greater than 20% of
full voltage 190,
then the Green LED blinks on and off and transmits data that the batteries are
good and do not
need to be replaced 196.
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Returning to the service mode of Fig. 18, the next step in the process is to
scan
and decode the pushbutton keys 174 on the control panel to determine if any
have
been depressed 176. If any of the keys have been depressed, then the process
shifts to
the command processor 178 in Fig. 20. If the first key has been pressed 204,
then the
next towel length preset is selected 212 and the control variables are updated
in
memory 220. If the key is not released 222, review the color-coded selection
indicator
224. If the second key has been pressed 206, then the next dispense delay
preset is
selected 214 and the control variables are updated in memory 220. If the key
is not
released 222, review the color-coded selection indicator 224. If the third key
has been
pressed 208, then the next operating mode preset is selected 216 and the
control
variables are updated in memory 220. If the key is not released 222, review
the color-
coded selection indicator 224. If the fourth key has been pressed 210, then
the next
preset menu is selected 218 and the control variables are updated in memory
220. If
the key is not released 222, review the color-coded selection indicator 224.
Returning again to the service mode of Fig. 18, the system checks to see if
the
cover is closed 180 by checking at the cover interlock. If the cover is
closed, the error
status is updated 182 as shown in Fig. 18.
In the update error status process of Fig. 21, the trigger is checked to
determine
if it is inactive 226. If the trigger is inactive, then a trigger jam error is
cleared 228. If
the trigger is not inactive, then a trigger jam error is flagged 238. The next
step
involves checking the battery voltage 230. If the voltage is good, then a low
battery
error is cleared 232. If the voltage is not good, then a low battery error is
flagged 238.
The system may also clear a stall error 234 or an overload error.
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Returning again to the service mode process of Fig. 18, the system makes a
final check to
determine if an error was flagged 184. If not, a dispense is requested 186.
The next process is
the dispense process of Fig. 22.
In the dispense process, the system checks for a flagged error 242 and a
dispense request
244. If a dispense has been requested by an activated trigger, the system
checks to determine if
the trigger has been released 246. If not, the system checks for a trigger
timeout 25. If there has
been a trigger timeout, then a trigger jam error is flagged 254. If the
trigger was released, then
the system initiates a dispense delay 248 and a feed cycle 250.
The feed cycle shown in Fig 23 is started by initializing the feed system 256.
Next, test
parameters are activated 258. The test parameters process is shown in Fig. 24.
The system
checks to see if the cover is closed 270. If the cover is open, the process is
aborted 287 and
returns to the main loop, Fig. 15. If the cover is closed, then the system
checks for an inactive
trigger 272. If the trigger is not inactive, a dispense request is flagged
280. If the trigger is
inactive, then the system checks battery voltage 274. If the battery voltage
is low, then a low
battery error is flagged 282. If the voltage is good, the system checks for
tach pulses 276 from
the drive motor. If there are no tach pulses, then a stall error is flagged
284. If the tach pulses
are present, then the system checks for the correct RPM of the drive motor
278. If the RPM is
not in range, then an overload error is flagged 286. The process jumps back to
the feed cycle of
Fig. 23. If there was an abort flagged 260, then the feed system is shutdown
268 and the process
goes back to the main loop. If an abort was not flagged, then the RPM 262 and
angular
displacement 264 of the drive motor are monitored by the feed system to
determine feeding
speed and towel length, respectively. The data is recorded in memory 266. The
feed system is
shutdown and the process jumps to the main loop.
17
CA 02370790 2001-10-19
WO 00/63100 PCT/US00/10761
While the invention has been described with reference to preferred
embodiments, those
skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions, alterations,
and admissions may be
made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the
foregoing description
is meant to be exemplary only and should not limit the scope of the invention
set forth in the
following claims.
18
