Automated toilet paper dispenser

Abstract

A toilet paper dispenser is provided that is operable in an automatic dispensing mode and a manual dispensing mode. The dispenser comprises a housing for containing a toilet paper roll; a drive roller engagable with the roll; a motor; and a one-way coupling that couples the motor to the drive roller in a first direction to automatically dispense paper from the dispenser and decouples same in an opposite second direction, thereby enabling toilet paper to be manually dispensed in the first direction.

1 . A toilet paper dispenser comprising 
 (a) a housing for containing a toilet paper roll;    (b) a drive roller engagable with the roll;    (c) a motor; and    (c) a one-way coupling that couples the motor to the drive roller in a first direction to automatically dispense paper from the dispenser and decouples same in an opposite second direction, thereby enabling toilet paper to be manually dispensed in the first direction.    
   
   
       2 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a manual dispensing means rotationally coupled to the toilet paper roll and operable by a user to rotate the roll in the first direction to manually dispense paper from the dispenser.  
   
   
       3 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the dispenser further comprises a roll support rotatably coupled to the housing and for receiving a core of the roll, and wherein the manual dispensing means is a knob coupled to the roll support and operable to rotate the roll support thereby rotating the roll.  
   
   
       4 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a sensor mounted on the housing and a controller communicative with the sensor and the motor, the controller programmed to operate the motor when the sensor is activated.  
   
   
       5 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 4  further comprising a power supply electrically coupled to the motor.  
   
   
       6 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed  claim 5  wherein the power supply is a battery.  
   
   
       7 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the drive roller is positioned in the housing to engage a leading edge of the roll.  
   
   
       8 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the drive roller is positioned in the housing to engage the surface of the roll.  
   
   
       9 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the drive roller is movably connected to the housing thereby being movable to maintain contact with rolls of different diameters or a roll with varying diameter.  
   
   
       10 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the drive roller is movably connected to the housing by a track in the housing in which the roller is slidable therealong.  
   
   
       11 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising biasing means that bias the roller against the roll.  
   
   
       12 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the motor is suspended from the roller thereby serving as the biasing means.  
   
   
       13 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the drive roller is a roll support that receives a core of the roll.  
   
   
       14 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 13  further comprising a sensor for measuring a length of paper dispensed from the roll, the sensor being communicative with the controller.  
   
   
       15 . A toilet paper dispenser as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the controller is programmed to delay activating the motor until after a selected period of time has elapsed since the last time the motor was activated.