Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PAPER PRODUCT DISPENSER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Serial No. 14/707,960 filed
May 8, 2015, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference
herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to paper product dispensers,
particularly automatic
touchless paper product dispensers.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Existing toilet paper dispensers manually dispense the toilet
paper. Users of these
dispensers have to hold the toilet paper roll to tear the toilet paper.
Harmful microorganisms, such
as germs, bacteria, or virus, from the users' hands are transferred to the
roll of toilet paper. Moisture
from the user's hands is also absorbed into the roll. The next person who uses
the roll of toilet paper
may receive the harmful microorganisms. Reducing the chances of the harmful
microorganisms
being transferred between users of the same toilet paper roll is desired.
[0004] Patent Number US 5,312,021 issued to Nelson on May 17, 1994, US
4,071,200
issued to Stone on Jan. 31, 1978, US 3,450,363 issued to J.L. Williams on June
17, 1969, US
3,317,150 issued to E.J. Summersby on May 2, 1967, US 3,297,269 issued to E.F.
McGrew on Jan
10, 1967 and US 3,167,267 issued to M. Rozlog et al on Jan. 26, 1965 all
disclose a single roll toilet
paper dispensers where a user presses a button to dispense toilet paper. One
disadvantage of the
dispensers disclosed in the above disclosures is that users have to press a
button, which can carry and
transmit harmful microorganisms to those who subsequently touch it.
[0005] Another problem with existing paper product dispensers is that
they are not
automatically monitored for maintenance. When they run out of paper or if they
breakdown, the
patrons have to wait for maintenance personnel to refill the paper or fix the
dispensers, which may
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involve a lengthy downtime. The restroom stall becomes unusable during the
downtime period.
Another problem is that they do not have a mechanism that limits the amount of
toilet paper being
dispensed. Some patrons can vandalize them or engage in horseplay by getting
unlimited amount of
toilet paper and scattering contaminated toilet paper all over the restroom.
The lack of mechanism to
limit toilet paper being dispensed can also lead to excess use of toilet
paper, clogged toilets, or the
toilet paper running out quickly thereby requiring additional resources.
Another problem is that they
only store one roll of toilet paper. When the roll of toilet paper runs out,
the person using the toilet
has no reserve toilet paper to use.
[0006] The above problems and other problems are addressed by this
disclosure as
summarized below.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present disclosure relates to a paper product dispenser that
includes a first motor
adapted to dispense a first paper product and a second motor adapted to
dispense a second paper
product. A first dual in-line package (DIP) switch is connected with the first
and the second motor.
The first DIP switch is adapted to adjust length of paper dispensed by the
first motor and the second
motor. A second DIP switch is also connected with the first and the second
motor. The second DIP
switch is adapted to adjust interval between activation of the first motor or
the second motor. The
paper product dispenser also includes a sensor configured to determine an
amount of paper
dispensed and transmit a stop signal when the amount of paper dispensed
reaches a predetermined
threshold. A controller in communication with the sensor is provided and is
adapted to receive the
stop signal. When the controller receives a stop signal relating to an amount
of first paper product
dispensed, the controller activates the second motor. When the controller
receives a stop signal
relating to an amount of second paper product dispensed, the controller
activates the first motor.
[0008] The paper product dispenser may include a communication device
adapted to connect
the paper product dispenser to a network. In other embodiments, a paper empty
sensor is provided
in communication with the controller and is adapted to detect presence and
absence of paper. When
the paper empty sensor detects absence of paper, the paper empty sensor sends
a signal to the
controller. The controller sends a service signal through the network that can
be received by a
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device that is connected to the network. A thermopile sensor may also be
provided in
communication with the controller. The thermopile sensor is adapted to detect
a human being
adjacent to the paper product dispenser. When the thermopile sensor detects a
human being, the
thermopile sensor sends a signal to the controller. The controller processes
the signal and compiles
the signal to generate occupancy data that is sent to the network.
[0009] The paper product dispenser further includes a front cover and a
main chassis that
encase the dispenser. A front cover sensor is provided and is adapted to
detect an open position of
the front cover. The front cover sensor is also in communication with the
controller. When the front
cover is in the open position, the front cover sensor sends a signal to the
controller. The controller
sends a service signal through the network that can be received by any device
that is connected to the
network. In certain embodiments, the paper product dispenser includes an LED
connected to the
controller and adapted to provide an indication of a status of the dispenser.
The LED may be
activated by the controller when the paper empty sensor detects absence of
paper, when the front
cover is in the open position, or when the battery meter senses a
predetermined threshold of battery
power.
[0010] The present disclosure also relates to a toilet paper dispenser
that includes a toilet
paper spindle adapted to hold and dispense a toilet paper roll. The toilet
paper dispenser has at least
one motor connected to the first and second paper spindle and a controller
connected to the motor.
An infrared sensor is connected to the controller and is adapted to detect
motion. Upon detection of
motion, the infrared sensor sends signal to the controller. The controller is
adapted to activate the
motor to dispense toilet paper from the toilet paper roll. A thermopile sensor
communicates with the
controller and detects a human being adjacent to the toilet paper dispenser.
When the thermopile
sensor detects a human being, the thermopile sensor sends a signal to the
controller. The toilet paper
dispenser further has a front cover and a main chassis. The front cover and
the main chassis form a
sealed enclosure encasing the first and second spindles, the motor, the
controller, and the infrared
sensor. The main chassis includes a paper cutter and a base portion that
defines a paper passage.
The toilet paper dispenser further includes a waterproof seal in between the
front cover and the main
chassis adapted to protect the toilet paper roll from contaminants. The front
cover includes an anti-
microbial agent, such as copper or known anti-microbial compounds. The toilet
paper dispenser
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may include a dual in-line package switch adapted to adjust length of toilet
paper dispensed by the
motor and a dual in-line package switch adapted to adjust interval between
activation of the motor.
[0011] The present disclosure further relates to a paper product
dispenser that includes a
motor adapted to dispense a paper product and a controller. A power roller is
connected to the
motor. An idle roller is face-to-face with the power roller, and the paper
product is adapted to pass in
between the power roller and the idle roller. A paper sensor positioned below
the power roller and
in communication with the controller, wherein when the paper product passes
through the paper
sensor, the paper sensor detects presence of the paper product. When the paper
product does not
pass through the paper sensor, the paper sensor detects absence of the paper
product and sends a
signal to the controller. A communication device is in communication with the
controller and is
adapted to connect the paper product dispenser to a network. In certain
embodiments, a revolution
sensor is connected to the motor and is configured to determine an amount of
paper dispensed and
transmit a paper out signal to the controller when the amount of paper
dispensed reaches a
predetermined threshold. When the controller receives the paper out signal
from the revolution
sensor, the controller sends a service signal through the network that can be
received by a device that
is connected to the network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of the
toilet paper
dispenser of the present disclosure.
[0013] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an exterior of a front cover.
[0014] Figure 2B is a perspective view of an interior of the front cover
of Figure 2A.
[0015] Figure 3 is an interior perspective view of the front cover and
the power module
attached together.
[0016] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a power module showing its side
with circuit board
and sensors.
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[0017] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the power module of Figure 4
showing its motor
side.
[0018] Figure 6 is a front view of the power module showing its motor
side.
[0019] Figure 7 is a side view of the power module showing its
transmission.
[0020] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the main chassis with its
underside being positioned
on top.
[0021] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the rear side of the main
chassis.
[0022] Figure 10 is a top plan view of the power module and the main
chassis attached
together.
[0023] Figure 11 is a front view of Figure 10.
[0024] Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of Figure 10.
[0025] Figure 13 is a right side view of Figure 10.
[0026] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken from line 14 of Figure
11.
[0027] Figure 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the toilet
paper dispenser with
the front cover, power module, and main chassis attached together.
[0028] Figure 16 is an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of the
dispenser.
[0029] Figure 17 is a front view of an embodiment of a remote status
display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are
disclosed herein;
however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely
exemplary of the
invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures
are not necessarily to
scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of
particular components.
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Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not
to be interpreted as
limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the
art to variously employ
the present invention.
[0031] The present disclosure relates to paper product dispensers. In one
embodiment, the
paper product dispenser is automatic, touchless, and can store and dispense
multiple rolls of toilet
paper. Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of paper
product dispenser 18.
The paper product dispenser 18 has a front cover 20, a power module 40, and a
main chassis 60 that
are connected to each other. The front cover 20 is a decorative cover that may
be made of non-
porous plastic or metal and that can be made to match a particular decor as
desired. The front cover
20 is preferably fabricated from a non-porous plastic material or metal
material that is resistive to
contamination. The front cover 20 is coated with an anti-microbial surface,
such as copper, which
may be combined with nickel and a final finish, such as stainless steel, to
reduce contamination. The
front cover 20 further includes seals to protect the internal mechanisms and
the paper products, such
as toilet paper rolls 71, 72, that are stored within the cover. The seals
provide protection from
contamination, toilet splash, or water that may get to the toilet paper rolls,
such as when a restroom
is washed down or when a restroom in a hospital or health care facility is
being decontaminated.
The front cover defines an opening 21 for a hand motion sensor 43 and a
notification light in the
form of a multi-colored light emitting diode ("LED") 44. In certain
embodiments, the opening 21 is
covered by a cover, such as the braille cover 22 shown in Figure 2A, to
protect the internal
mechanism and the paper product from contamination. In other embodiments, the
hand motion
sensor 43 and the LED 44 are encased in a housing 23 that serves as a cover
for the opening 21.
[0032] The middle component is the power module 40. The power module 40
is attached to
the front cover 20 by applying fasteners at mounting points 26. The
notification LED 44 and the
hand motion sensor 43 are attached to the power module 40 at a location where
it will align with the
opening 21 of the front cover 20. The notification LED 44 provides a light
display that provides
various signals, including an indication of the status of the dispenser, such
as the status of the
batteries, whether the front cover 20 is closed properly, and whether there is
toilet paper that is
dispensable through the dispenser. The hand motion sensor 43 detects motion of
a hand being waved
in front of it to request for toilet paper to be dispensed. When the hand
motion sensor 43 detects
hand motion, it activates a motor that causes the toilet paper to be
dispensed. The hand motion
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sensor 43 is preferably an infrared sensor. One of the drive gear box 54 is
visible on the side of the
power module 40. A locking latch 41 attaches the top portion of the power
module 40 to the main
chassis 60. The bottom portion of the power module 40 includes is a pair pivot
pin retainers 77
adapted to engage with their respective pivot pins 78 that are on the bottom
of the main chassis 60.
The pivot pin retainer 77 allows the power module 40 and the front cover 20 to
pivot relative to the
main chassis 60 to open and close the front cover 20. The power module 40
further includes a
circuit board 42 where a controller 100 and an occupant sensor 39 are
installed. The occupant sensor
39 is aimed at the opening 21 and detects the presence of a human being near
the dispenser by
detecting changes in the local temperature caused by the body of the human
being. When the
occupant sensor 39 detects a local temperature change that exceeds a
predefined threshold, the
occupant sensor 39 sends a signal to a controller 100. The controller 100 may
count the number of
signals it has received so that the number of occupants detected in a
predefined amount of time can
be determined. The occupant sensor 39 is preferably a thermopile sensor. The
sensitivity of the
thermopile sensor is adjustable. For instance, the size of the bathroom stall
can be taken into
account so that only the occupant in the stall would generate the appropriate
signal to the controller.
[0033] The rear component is the main chassis 60. In Figure 1, two toilet
paper rolls 71 and
72 are shown installed in the main chassis 60. Each roll of toilet paper 71
and 72 has a free end 73,
74 respectively that is driven over their respective idle rollers 69, 75 and
out of the dispenser. A
battery compartment 80 houses batteries, which serve as the power source that
operates the
dispenser. Various mounting holes 61a-b are provided to allow the dispenser to
be mounted onto a
wall or onto a side of a bathroom stall. The overall depth of the dispenser is
just slightly larger than
the roll of toilet paper 71, 72.
[0034] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the exterior of the front cover
20. Opening 21 may
be covered by a braille cover 22, which has several characters represented by
a pattern of raised dots
for the visually handicapped to feel when using the dispenser. The braille
cover 22 also serves as an
LED notification window 23 where the notification LED 44 displays various
signals to indicate the
status of the dispenser, such as whether there are any operating errors,
toilet paper jams, the status of
the batteries, whether the front cover 20 is closed properly, and whether any
of the toilet paper rolls
are empty. In alternative embodiments, braille cover 22 is replaced by a
transparent cover material,
such as plastic or glass, to cover the opening. A sign with braille characters
may be provided and
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attached to the front cover 20 at a location that is different from the
opening 21. The bottom of the
front cover 20 shows the paper cutting edges 24 and 25 for each roll of toilet
paper.
[0035] Referring to Figure 2B, the front cover 20 defines a pair of
mounting slots 14 and 16
on each side of its base. The power module 40 is installed inside the front
cover 20 by attaching a
fastener at mounting point 26. Referring to Figure 3, the power module 40 has
a pair of mounting
pins 27 and 28 that insert through their respective mounting slots 14 and 16
located on the front
cover 20 to further secure the power module 40 to the front cover 20.
Referring to Figure 4, a
locking latch 41 secures the power module 40 to the main chassis 60 when the
front cover 20 is in a
closed position. The power module 40 further includes a circuit board 42 where
a controller 100 is
installed. The circuit board 42 includes a communication device to allow the
dispenser to
communicate with a network, such as a network interface card or a Wi-Fi
antenna. In one
embodiment, the communication device is a network interface card 35 (Figure 5)
that can
communicate with a communications network, such as the internet, to provide
the status of the
dispenser. For instance, the network interface card 35 can report any
operating errors, such as toilet
paper jams, the status of the batteries, whether the front cover 20 is closed
properly, and whether any
of the toilet paper rolls are empty. In certain embodiments, each dispenser 18
has a unique
identifier, such as a serial number, that has a corresponding predefined
location saved in the
controller. The identifier allows a facilities manager to know exactly the
location and status of each
dispenser. The network interface card 35 can communicate with a server based
cloud application so
a user of a mobile computer or smartphone device can be notified by text or
email to service one or
more dispensers. The network interface card 35 can also communicate the
presence of someone in
the stall and number of times each stall has been used, as detected by the
occupant sensor 39. This
feature provides security benefits to the facilities where the dispensers are
installed. For instance,
when closing a facility, the dispensers can be used to ensure that no one is
in a bathroom stall, such
as those who are hiding or those who are unconscious. Next, the circuit board
42 also includes a tilt
sensor 33, such as a dual axis sensor, for detecting the position of the front
cover 20. Since the front
cover 20 and the power module 40 are attached to each other, the power module
40 assumes the
same position as the front cover 20. When the tilt sensor 33 senses that it is
lying on a horizontal
axis, the tilt sensor 33 sends an open door signal to the controller
indicating that the front cover 20 is
open and is separated from the main chassis 60. When the tilt sensor 33 senses
that it is lying on
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vertical axis, the tilt sensor 33 sends a close door signal to the controller
indicating that the front
cover 20 is closed and is secured to the main chassis 60. The controller
transmits the closed and
open door signal to the network interface card 35 and the notification LED 44.
[0036]
The notification LED 44 serves as a local indicator of the status of the
dispenser. For
instance, the LED 44 can display a flashing green light to indicate that a
hand is detected and toilet
paper is being dispensed, a yellow light flashing twice when there is no more
toilet paper on one of
the rolls, and a red light when both rolls are empty. The LED 44 also provides
information on the
status of the batteries. For instance, the LED 44 can display a green light to
indicate that the
batteries are charged, a yellow light flashing once when the batteries are low
(e.g. 80% left), and a
red light when the batteries need replacement (e.g. 90% left). The LED 44 can
also display a red
light when the front cover 20 is in the open position. A red LED light can
also indicate system fault.
The LED 44 may flash a green light so a user can know where to wave a hand to
request for toilet
paper. The flashing green light may also indicate a good dispenser condition
wherein the rolls have
toilet paper, the front cover is closed, the batteries are charged, there are
no jams, and toilet paper is
being fed through the cutting edges 24 and 25.
[0037]
Referring to Figure 5, dual in-line package (DIP) switches 45 and 46 are
found inside
the power module 40. The DIP switch 45 for the delay time setting and the DIP
switch 46for the
paper length setting work with the hand motion sensor 43 and the controller
100. DIP switch 46
adjusts the desired length of toilet paper to be dispensed each time the hand
motion sensor 43 senses
a hand motion.
DIP switch 45 adjusts the desired delay between sensing intervals. In one
embodiment, there are 4 delay settings, which set the amount of time between
the time the hand
motion sensor 43 senses a hand motion and the time the toilet paper is
dispensed. The 4 delay
settings are- no delay, short delay (e.g. 2 seconds), moderate delay (e.g. 4
seconds), and long delay
(e.g. 6 seconds). The DIP switch 46 for the paper length setting sets a
predefined maximum length of
toilet paper to dispense. For instance, it can be set to 8 inches, 16 inches,
24 inches or continuous
dispensing (no length limit) before the dispensed sheets are removed from the
dispenser. As an
example, if the dispenser is set to 24 inches, upon a hand wave, 24 inches are
expended from the
dispenser. To prevent paper from touching the floor and getting contaminated,
further hand waves
will not dispense any additional toilet paper until the toilet paper is
removed, or until the delay time
set on the DIP switch 45 for the delay time setting has lapsed. The DIP switch
45 for the delay time
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setting sets the amount of time the dispenser will wait between hand waves to
dispense the toilet
paper. The DIP switches 45 and 46 are connected to the controller 100. The
settings of the DIP
switches 45 and 46 are adjustable in the firmware.
[0038] Each side of the dispenser has a separate drive motor 50 and 51
that drives their
respective gear boxes 54 to turn their respective power rollers 52 and 55.
When the front cover 20 is
closed, the power rollers 52 and 55 are face-to-face with their respective
idle rollers 69 and 75
(Figure 14). The toilet paper ends 73 and 74 pass in between their respective
power rollers 52 and
55 and their respective idle rollers 69 and 75. The toilet paper ends 73 and
74 are pinched between
the power roller and the idle roller to prevent toilet paper being pulled off
of the roll after the length
of toilet paper that was set using the DIP switch has already been dispensed.
Paper empty sensors 59
are provided for each toilet paper roll and are positioned below their
respective power rollers 52 and
55. The paper empty sensors 59 are preferably in the form of optical sensors.
The paper empty
sensor 59 detects the presence of toilet paper in front of it. If a paper
empty sensor 59 does not
detect toilet paper in front of it, it sends a signal to a controller 100,
which can mean that the toilet
paper is out for the toilet paper roll that is directly above it or that the
toilet paper is jammed above
the paper empty sensor 59 such that it is not passing through the paper empty
sensor 59.
[0039] Below the power rollers 52 and 55 are paper cutoff bars 83 that
are pivotably attached
to the power module 40. The toilet paper ends 73 and 74 abut to their
respective paper cutoff bars
83, which are pulled by a user and torn by the respective cutting edges 24 and
25. As the toilet paper
ends 73 and 75 are pulled, the paper cutoff bars 83 pivot towards and press
their respective micro
switches 89 (Figure 14). The micro switches 89 send a reset signal to the
controller 100 to start a
new paper dispense cycle wherein a fresh toilet paper with the length
specified using the DIP switch
setting 46 will be dispensed when the hand motion sensor 43 senses a hand
motion.
[0040] Referring to Figure 6, motors 50 and 51 drive its respective
spindle that holds the
toilet paper roll. Each motor 50 and 51 is connected to its respective gear
box 51 and 54 that houses
a transmission 53. In Figure 7, each transmission 53 includes several gears
57, 58, and 64 that rotate
amongst each other to drive their respective motors 50 and 51. The
transmission 53 includes a motor
gear attached to the motor, one or more reduction gears to reduce the speed of
the power rollers, and
an output gear attached to the power roller to increase torque.
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[0041] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the front of the main
chassis 60 that is
positioned upside down to show a concealed release lever 79 located on the
underside of the main
chassis 60. The release lever 79 releases the front cover 20 from the main
chassis 60. Pivot pins 78
of the main chassis 60 engage with pivot pin retainers 77 of the power module
40 to allow the front
cover 20 and the power module 40 to pivot around the main chassis 60. The
location of the pivot
pins78 allows the front cover 20 to rotate open in a controlled manner without
slamming. A full roll
of toilet paper 71 is provided and shown on one side, and an empty spindle 76
is shown on the other
side. The dispenser can feed cored, compact, and coreless rolls of toilet
paper. The spindles 76 can
be provided with multiple sizes. For instance, there can be a spindle that can
accommodate a cored
roll of toilet paper, a coreless roll of toilet paper, or a compact roll of
toilet paper. When replacing
the roll of toilet paper, spindle 76 is removed from the spindle slot 47. The
spindle 76 is inserted
into a roll of cored or coreless toilet paper roll and then re-inserted into
the spindle slot 47. Figure 8
also shows a pair of discharge holes 81 defined by the base of the main
chassis 60. The discharge
holes 81 are optional and are designed to allow dust and unwanted paper pieces
coming from the
toilet paper rolls to come out of the dispenser and not accumulate within the
dispenser.
[0042] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the rear of the main
chassis 60. Main chassis
60 includes a rear wall 49 that defines mounting holes 61a-d for mounting the
dispenser to a wall or
other structure. The dispenser is configured to be mounted on a vertical wall
or surface by fastening
through the mounting holes 61a-d on the rear wall 49. Alternative mounting
holes 62 are provided
and are intended to be compatible with wall mounted manual toilet paper
dispensers that are
commonly used. When replacing the manual toilet paper dispensers with the
dispenser of the
present disclosure, fasteners may be inserted through the alternative mounting
holes 62 to mount the
dispenser of the present disclosure. A gasket 95 surrounds the rear wall 49 of
the main chassis 60 to
seal the interior of the dispenser from a restroom wash-down or other restroom
cleaning. A battery
compartment 80 is also shown and preferably houses four size D batteries.
These batteries provide
sufficient life for about one-year of operation.
[0043] Figures 10-13 are the top plan view, front view, bottom plan view,
and side views of
the main chassis 60 and the power module 40 attached together, respectively.
Two rolls of toilet
paper 71a and 71b are provided within the main chassis 60. Locking latch 41
detachably attaches
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the power module 40 to the main chassis 60. The hand motion sensor 43 and the
LED 44 are
positioned below the circuit board 42. When the main chassis 60 and the power
module 40 are
attached, toilet paper passages 87 are formed on each side of the dispenser
that is separated by the
release lever 79. The toilet paper passages 87 are formed in between the paper
cutoff bars 83 of the
power module 40 (Figure 6) and a main chassis wall 85 (Figure 8) that is
adjacent to the idle rollers
75. Toilet paper ends 73 and 74 go through a small slit in between the idle
rollers 75 and paper
cutoff bar 83 and then through their respective toilet paper passages 87. When
the front cover 20 is
closed, the front cover 20 and the main chassis 60 encase the internal
components, such as the
spindles, the motor, the controller, and the hand motion sensor, and the
toilet paper and protect them
from airborne contaminants that may land or fall on them. The front cover 20
and the main chassis
60 form a sealed enclosure that seals off the dispenser from all sides except
for the underside that
defines the toilet paper passages 87 and the discharge holes 81.
[0044] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view taken from line 14 that is
drawn on Figure 11.
The free end 73 of the toilet paper from the roll 71 is fed between the power
roller 52 and the idle
roller 75. The free end 73 gets pinched between the power roller 52 and the
idle roller 75 to prevent
the toilet paper being pulled off of the roll after the length of toilet paper
that was set using the DIP
switch has already been dispensed. The idle roller 75 is spring-loaded. The
free end 73 passes
through the paper empty sensor 59, which detects the presence of toilet paper
in front of it. If the
paper empty sensor 59 does not detect toilet paper in front of it, it sends a
signal to a controller 100.
The signal can mean that the toilet paper is out for the toilet paper roll 71
or that the toilet paper is
jammed above the paper empty sensor 59 such that it is not passing through the
paper empty sensor
59. The notification LED 44 and the hand motion sensor 43 are also shown. The
notification LED
44 flashes a yellow light when one of the paper empty sensors 59 does not
detect a toilet paper in
front of it, or it flashes a red light when two out of the two paper empty
sensors 59 do not detect
toilet paper in front of them. The free end 73 abuts to the paper cutoff bar
83. When the free end 73
is pulled at an angle, the cutting edges at the end of the paper cutoff bar
will cut the toilet paper and
the paper cutoff bar 83 pivots towards and presses the microswitch 89. The
microswitch 89 sends a
reset signal to the controller 100 to start a new paper dispense cycle wherein
a fresh toilet paper with
the length specified using the DIP switch setting 46 will be dispensed when
the hand motion sensor
43 senses a hand motion.
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[0045] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the toilet paper dispenser
with the front cover 20
in an open position. Toilet paper 71 is placed on a spindle, which inserted
into the spindle slot. The
free end 73 of the toilet paper is fed over the idle roller 69. Power rollers
52 drive the toilet paper 71
to be dispensed. A revolution sensor 56 is positioned in between the power
rollers 52 and 55. The
revolution sensor 56 detects the number of rotations of each power roller 52
or 55. The number of
rotations detected is used to calculate how much toilet paper has been
dispensed and how much toilet
paper is left on the toilet paper roll 71. For instance, if it is determined
that it takes x number of
power roller rotations to dispense an entire toilet paper roll, the number of
current power roller
rotations y can be compared with x. If x is greater than y, that means there
is still toilet paper on the
roll. If y is equal to or greater than x, there is no more toilet paper on the
roll. Release latch 48
allows the power module 40 to be partially detached from the main chassis 60
for replacement of
batteries, adjustment of the length and delay settings using the DIP switches,
and installing new rolls
of toilet paper 71. The number of rotations of each power roller that is
detected by the revolution
sensor 56 may also be used by the controller to dispense the length of toilet
paper that is set on the
DIP switch setting.
[0046] FIG. 16 shows an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of the
dispenser.
Batteries 93 provide power to the components of the dispenser and are
connected to a battery
management circuit 90 that is in communication with the controller 100. The
battery management
circuit 90 detects how much power is left with the batteries and communicates
the status of the
batteries to the controller. In certain embodiments, the battery management
circuit 90 is set to send a
signal to the controller when the batteries have 10 percent life left. The
hand motion sensor 43,
occupant sensor 39, tilt sensor 33, paper cutoff bar microswitch 89, and the
revolution sensor 56 are
all connected to the controller 100 and transmit signals to the controller
100. From the perspective
of the input of signals, the hand motion sensor 43 detects a hand motion and
sends a signal to the
controller 100. The occupant sensor 39 detects the presence of an occupant
near the dispenser and
sends a signal to the controller upon detection of an occupant. The tilt
sensor 33 detects the
orientation of the front cover 20 and sends a front cover open or front cover
closed signal to the
controller depending on its orientation. The paper cutoff bar microswitch 89
detects pressure
indicating that the paper has been pulled and cut using the cutting edges and
sends the pressure
signal to the controller. The revolution sensor 56 detects the number of
rotations of power roller 52
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and 55 and sends this information to the controller 100. The paper empty
sensors 59 detect paper
passing in front of it and sends this information to the controller 100.
[0047] On the output side, the controller 100 is connected to the motors
50 and 51 and
activates one motor at a time after it has processed the signals. For
instance, when the controller
receives a signal from the hand motion sensor 43, it checks the signal from
the paper empty sensors
59 to activate only the motor 50 or 51 that corresponds to the toilet paper
roll that is not empty or
that is not jammed. The controller 100 also checks the signals from the
revolution sensor 56 to
further ensure that the toilet paper roll corresponding to the motor it
activates is not empty. The
controller 100 also checks the signals from the paper cutoff bar microswitch
89 to ensure that
previously dispensed paper has been removed.
[0048] The controller 100 is also connected to the notification LED 44,
the network interface
card 35, and a remote status display 92, which is shown in Figure 17. The
controller 100 checks the
battery status using the signal from the battery management circuit 90. For
instance, depending on
the signal from the battery management circuit 90, the controller 100 can
cause the LED 44 to
display a green light to indicate that the batteries are charged, a yellow
light flashing once when the
batteries are low, and a red light when the batteries need replacement. The
controller 100 also
checks the status of the front cover using the tilt sensor 33. The controller
can cause the LED 44 to
display a red light when the front cover 20 is in the open position. The
controller 100 may also
check on the paper empty sensors 59 and cause the LED 44 to display a yellow
light flashing twice
when there is no more toilet paper on one of the rolls, and a red light when
both rolls are empty.
[0049] A network interface card 35 is connected with the controller 100
so data pertaining to
the dispenser can be accessed by computers and mobile devices 94 that are
connected to a network,
such as the internet. The computers and mobile devices may include a software
or mobile
application that provides a user interface. The user interface may be able to
show the different
dispensers being monitored, whether there are any current occupants at or near
each dispenser, how
many occupants have been detected at or near each dispenser, and the status of
each component of
each dispenser. The status may include how much charge is in the battery of
each dispenser, the
position of the front cover of each dispenser, and whether paper is passing
through the paper empty
sensors. The software may be programmed to summon for service or send service
alert when
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WO 2016/183599 PCT/US2016/041472
batteries or toilet paper rolls need to be replenished, when the front cover
needs to be closed, when
paper is not passing through a paper empty sensor, or when the toilet paper
jam needs to be fixed.
The software may further include a feature where the service alerts are sent
through social media,
such as Twitter. The service alerts may further be sent through various
electronic outlets, such as e-
mail or text message.
[0050] Figure 17 shows a remote status display 92 that can be mounted to
a visible location
within a restroom, such as a board over the sinks at an entry into a restroom.
The remote status
display 92 identifies the stalls 96 in which each dispenser is installed. Each
stall 96 has an available
light 98 and an out of service light 99. The available light 98 indicates
whether there is an occupant
in the stall. It flashes a green light if it is vacant. It flashes a red light
if it is occupied. The out of
service light 99 indicates that at least one of the following situations
exists: front cover is open, at
least one of the toilet paper rolls is empty, the batteries are not adequately
charged, or the paper is
not passing through the paper empty sensor. The remote status display 92 may
be wired with the
controller 100. Alternatively, it may connect wirelessly to the controller 100
through the network
interface card 35. The remote status display 92 provides a practical tool to
patrons and maintenance
personnel to ensure that the paper product dispenser in the stall is working
properly. It also
identifies available stalls for the patrons.
[0051] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not
intended that these
embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words
used in the
specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is
understood that various
changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. Additionally, the
features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further
embodiments of
the invention.
