Various types of sheet product dispensers are known in the art, including dispensers configured to dispense individual sheets from a roll of sheet product disposed therein. Such dispensers may be mechanical in nature, requiring a user to manually impart a driving force to either the dispenser or the sheet product in order to carry out a dispense cycle. Alternatively, such dispensers may be automated in nature, including electronic dispensing mechanisms and control systems configured to carry out a dispense cycle without requiring a user to impart any driving force to the dispenser or the sheet product.
Certain dispensers, which may be mechanical or automated, may be referred to as “hands-free” dispensers, meaning that a user may obtain an individual sheet of sheet product from the dispenser without having to touch the dispenser itself. Such hands-free dispensers may be configured to dispense individual sheets from a roll of non-perforated sheet product. Alternatively, such hands-free dispensers may be configured to dispense individual sheets from a roll of perforated sheet product.
According to one configuration, a mechanical hands-free dispenser may be configured to present a “tail” portion (i.e., an exposed end portion) of a roll of non-perforated sheet product disposed within a housing of the dispenser. Specifically, the dispenser may be configured to present the tail portion extending from a dispenser outlet defined in the housing. The dispenser may include a mechanical cutting mechanism, such as a spring-loaded drum and a cutting knife, disposed within the housing and configured to perforate the sheet product during a dispense cycle. In use of the dispenser, a user may grasp and pull the tail portion to impart a driving force sufficient to advance the sheet product further out of the dispenser outlet and to actuate the mechanical cutting mechanism to perforate the sheet product, thereby defining an individual sheet to be separated by the user along a perforation line. In this manner, a length of the individual sheet obtained may be equal to a sum of a length of the tail portion (a “tail length”) and a length over which the user pulls the tail portion (a “pull length”). Upon separation of the individual sheet, a new tail portion remains extending from the dispenser outlet for use in a subsequent dispense cycle. Although this configuration may provide adequate dispensing of sheet product in many applications, the dispenser may present certain drawbacks in other applications, including: a high pull force required to advance the sheet product and to actuate the mechanical cutting mechanism, a high paper strength required to withstand the required pull force, a large housing required to accommodate the mechanical cutting mechanism disposed therein, a limited range of variation of a ratio of the tail length to the pull length, a limited amount of energy that may be generated by the driving force imparted by the user during a dispense cycle, and challenges in reliably perforating the sheet product and presenting a tail portion, particularly in view of the limited amount of energy generated.
According to another configuration, an automated hands-free dispenser may be configured to present a tail portion of a roll of non-perforated sheet product disposed within a housing of the dispenser. Specifically, the dispenser may be configured to present the tail portion extending from a dispenser outlet defined in the housing, and the dispenser may include a tear bar positioned about the dispenser outlet. The dispenser also may include an electronic dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing and configured to guide the sheet product from the roll to the dispenser outlet during a dispense cycle. In use of the dispenser, a user may grasp and pull the tail portion against the tear bar to separate an individual sheet of sheet product from the roll. In this manner, a length of the individual sheet obtained may be equal to a length of the tail portion (a “tail length”). Upon separation of the individual sheet, the electronic dispensing mechanism may be activated to carry out a dispense cycle to advance the roll of sheet product and present a new tail portion extending from the dispenser outlet. Although this configuration may provide adequate dispensing of sheet product in many applications, the dispenser may present certain drawbacks in other applications, including: a high paper strength required to withstand the required dispensing forces generated by the electronic dispensing mechanism, a large housing required to accommodate the electronic dispensing mechanism disposed therein, a complexity of the electronic dispensing mechanism and associated control system, and challenges in reliably separating an individual sheet via the tear bar and presenting a tail portion.
According to another configuration, a mechanical hands-free dispenser may be configured to present a tail portion of a roll of perforated sheet product disposed within a housing of the dispenser. Specifically, the dispenser may be configured to present the tail portion extending from a dispenser outlet defined in the housing such that a leading perforation line (i.e., a perforation line closest to the tail portion and defining a leading individual sheet) is disposed within the housing. The dispenser may include a mechanical dispensing mechanism, such as one or more rollers, disposed within the housing and configured to guide the sheet product from the roll to the dispenser outlet during a dispense cycle. In use of the dispenser, a user may grasp and pull the tail portion to impart a driving force sufficient to advance the sheet product through the mechanical dispensing mechanism and further out of the dispenser outlet. The user continues to pull the tail portion until the leading perforation line is disposed outside of the housing, at which point tension applied along the perforation line, due to friction between a next individual sheet and the mechanical dispensing mechanism, is sufficient to separate the leading individual sheet. In this manner, a length of the individual sheet obtained may be equal to a sum of a length of the tail portion (a “tail length”) and a length over which the user pulls the tail portion (a “pull length”). Upon separation of the leading individual sheet, a new tail portion remains extending from the dispenser outlet for use in a subsequent dispense cycle. Although this configuration may provide adequate dispensing of sheet product in many applications, the dispenser may present certain drawbacks in other applications, including: a high pull force required to advance the sheet product through the mechanical dispensing mechanism, a high paper strength required to withstand the required pull force, a limited range of variation of a ratio of the tail length to the pull length, a limited amount of energy that may be generated by the driving force imparted by the user during a dispense cycle, and challenges in reliably separating the leading individual sheet with the leading perforation line disposed outside of the housing and presenting a tail portion, particularly in view of the limited amount of energy generated.
Various types of flowable material dispensers are known in the art, including dispensers configured to dispense flowable material from a container having a reservoir and a pump. Such dispensers may be automated in nature, including electronic dispensing mechanisms and control systems configured to carry out a dispense cycle without requiring a user to impart any driving force to the dispenser. According to certain configurations, an automated flowable material dispenser may have an electronic dispensing mechanism that includes an actuator for engaging and actuating a pump of a container during a dispense cycle. The actuator may be moved by a drive assembly that is driven by a motor of the dispenser. In certain configurations, a required torque exerted by the motor to drive the drive assembly may vary widely during the dispense cycle, and a peak required torque may be relatively high compared to an average required torque over the dispense cycle. As a result, the dispenser may require a relatively large motor in order to produce the peak required torque, which may affect the size and cost of the dispenser. Further, operating the motor may draw a relatively high peak current, which may affect wear on batteries used to power the motor and limit the usefulness of the batteries at lower voltages.
There is thus a desire for improved hands-free sheet product dispensers and related methods for dispensing individual sheets from a roll of sheet product, as well as improved hands-free flowable material dispensers for dispensing flowable material from a container having a pump, to address one or more of the potential drawbacks discussed above.