Dispenser for sheet products and operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051664-B2
Application number	US-201716474177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2017
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A dispenser for sheet products includes a housing having a space inside for accommodating a stack of sheet products, wherein the housing includes a dispensing opening for dispensing a sheet product from the front of the stack, an electronic controller configured to receive a pull-out signal indicating the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and, upon receiving said pull-out signal, to send out a drive signal to transfer a number of sheet products from the front of the stack into a presentation position, and a pull-out detector for detecting the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and for providing the pull-out signal to the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for sheet products, comprising:
a housing having a space inside for accommodating a stack of sheet products, wherein the housing includes a dispensing opening for dispensing a sheet product from a front of the stack;
an electronic controller, the controller being configured to receive a pull-out signal indicating a removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and, upon receiving said pull-out signal, to send out a drive signal to transfer a number of sheet products from the front of the stack into a presentation position, and
a pull-out detector for detecting the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and for providing the pull-out signal to the controller,
wherein the pull-out detector is configured to contact a product from the front of the stack.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive and store data indicating the number of sheet products transferred into the presentation position.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pull-out detector includes a detection element which is supported in the dispenser housing so as to be movable and in contact with a front-most product in the stack, so as to be set in motion upon the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the detection element is a rotary wheel.

5. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the detection element is biased so as to be in elastic contact with the front-most product in the stack.

6. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein a contact surface of the detection element, which is in contact with the front-most product in the stack, is configured so as to provide friction relative to the product in the stack.

7. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the pull-out detector further includes a sensor for translating the motion of the detection element into electrical signals.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 , in which the controller is configured to:
receive the electrical signals from the sensor; and
determine if the electrical signals correspond to a pull-out signal.

9. The dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the detection element is provided with at least one magnetic element, and the sensor is a magnetic sensor sensing the motion of the at least one magnetic element and thereby of the detection element and translating the motion into electrical signals.

10. The dispenser of claim 7 , further comprising a stack retainer for retaining a second portion of a sheet product within the dispenser in the presentation position of the sheet product.

11. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the detection element is supported by the stack retainer.

12. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is located on or in the stack retainer.

13. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the housing is configured so as to accommodate the products in a state in which the products are stacked in a direction from a front towards a back of the stack, and the stack retainer is supported in the housing so as to be movable in the stacking direction.

14. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the housing is configured so as to accommodate the products in a state in which they are stacked in a direction from a front towards a back of the stack, and the stack retainer is supported in the housing so as to be restricted against movement in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

15. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the stack retainer is provided adjacent the dispensing opening.

16. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a transfer device for transferring one or more products from the front of the stack into the presentation position by advancing at least a first portion of the respective product through the dispensing opening.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 , further comprising an actuator for activating the transfer device, wherein the electronic controller is configured to send out, upon receiving said pull-out signal, a drive signal to the actuator so as to activate the transfer device to transfer a number of sheet products from the front of the stack into the presentation position.

18. The dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the transfer device is provided above the dispensing opening so as to advance an upper portion of the respective product through the dispensing opening, and a retaining structure is provided below the dispensing opening for retaining a lower portion of a sheet product within the dispenser in the presentation position of the sheet product.

19. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser further comprises a user interface which is connected to the controller for pre-selecting the number of sheet products to be transferred into the presentation position in response to said pull-out signal.

20. The dispenser of claim 19 , further comprising a user operable command element configured to send a product request signal to the controller upon operation by a user, the controller being configured to send out, upon receiving said product request signal, a drive signal to transfer a second number of sheet products from the front of the stack into the presentation position.

21. The dispenser of claim 20 , further comprising a second user interface which is connected to the controller for pre-selecting the second number of sheet products to be transferred into the presentation position.

22. The dispenser of claim 21 , wherein the second user interface is integrated with the first user interface.

23. The dispenser of claim 21 , wherein the second number of sheet products is selectable independent from the first number of sheet products.

24. The dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor and a transmission mechanism for coupling an output shaft of the electric motor with the transfer device.

25. The dispenser of claim 24 , wherein the dispenser housing comprises a main body and a cover which can be opened so as to provide access to the interior of the housing.

26. The dispenser of claim 25 , wherein the motor and/or the transmission mechanism are accommodated in the cover.

27. The dispenser of claim 25 , wherein the cover is a hinged door pivotably coupled with the main body of the housing.

28. The dispenser of claim 25 , further comprising a stack retainer for retaining a second portion of a sheet product within the dispenser in the presentation position of the sheet product, wherein the stack retainer is supported to the cover of the housing.

29. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor connected with the controller and configured to detect a presence of a sheet product being transferred into the presentation position.

30. The dispenser of claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensor for each sheet product being transferred into the presentation position, thereby obtaining data indicating the number of transferred sheet products.

31. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to compare the number of transferred sheet products with a pre-selected number of sheet products.

32. The dispenser of claim 29 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

33. The dispenser of claim 32 , wherein the

Assignees

• Essity Hygiene & Health Ab

Inventors

• Billman Craig
• Elfstrom Boris Allan
• Zerweck Jason
• Zhang Rui
• Murphy Kevin

Classifications

• B65H1/12

  comprising spring {(B65H1/022 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A47K10/44

  with mechanical dispensing means {for prehension of the next sheet to be dispensed} · CPC title

• A47K10/3625 Primary

  with electronic control means · CPC title

• G07B3/04

  from a stack · CPC title

• G07B7/00

  Holders providing direct manual access to the tickets · CPC title