Electronic Dispenser for Flexible Rolled Sheet Material

Abstract

The present disclosure is in one aspect directed to a dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material. The dispenser can include a dispenser housing containing a support mechanism configured to hold at least one supply roll of sheet material, and a control circuit to control dispensing of sheet material from the dispenser housing. The dispenser housing also can include a dispensing mechanism to drive the sheet material along a discharge path from the dispenser housing through the discharge upon receiving a signal from the control circuit, and a tear bar mounted within the dispenser housing for severance of the sheet material by a user. In addition, the dispenser can include a static charge dissipation system with an antenna to dissipate static charge generated upon operation of the dispenser. Other aspects also are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:
 a dispenser housing in which at least one roll of sheet material is received, the dispenser housing including a discharge through which the sheet material is dispensed from the dispenser housing;   at least one roller mounted within the dispenser housing in a position to engage and pull the sheet material from the roll of sheet material and through the discharge;   a control circuit controlling operation of the at least one roller for dispensing a length of sheet material;   a paper detection sensor adjacent the discharge and activated by the control circuit to verify that sheet material has been removed from the dispenser; and   a static charge dissipation system positioned at least partially within the dispenser housing, the static charge dissipation system comprising:
 an antenna arranged along the dispenser housing, with at least a portion of the antenna being exposed to an exterior of the dispenser housing; and 
 one or more conductive elements in electrical conductive communication with the antenna and configured to transmit at least a portion of a static charge generated by operation of the dispenser to the antenna, the antenna being electrically isolated and disposed so as to dissipate the portion of the static charge via a corona discharge to a non-conductive material external to the dispenser housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna is located in a rear section of the dispenser housing, and wherein the antenna discharges the portion of the static charge to air in a space surrounding the antenna. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the antenna is disposed within a recess defined in a back wall of the dispenser housing, and wherein the recess hides or isolates the antenna from users of the dispenser. 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the static charge dissipation system further comprises one or more conductive plates that extend along and are in conductive contact with the at least one roller, and a conductive structure that includes one or more arms that conductively connect the one or more conductive plates to the antenna. 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the antenna has a multipoint array configuration that includes a conductive base, and a plurality of antenna points welded to the conductive base 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the antenna has a multipoint array configuration that includes a strip of sheet metal that is bent such that a plurality of teeth is defined along an edge thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tear bar mounted along the dispenser housing for severance of sheet material by a user, wherein the tear bar is in electrically conductive communication with the antenna.   
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a pivotally mounted pawl member positioned along tear bar such that movement of sheet material into the tear bar for severance thereof pivots the pawl member from a first position to a second position; and   a signal means cooperative with the pawl member and located such that movement of the pawl member to the second position causes the signal means to send a signal to notify the control circuit that sheet material has been removed.   
     
     
         9 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the static charge dissipation system further comprises a collection plate that is disposed along a conveying path of the sheet material at a location that ensures that the sheet material engages the collection plate, the collection plate being in conductive communication with the antenna to dissipate a static charge from the sheet material. 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a proximity sensor mounted in a bottom section of the dispenser housing forward of the discharge facing downward and slightly rearward toward an outermost edge of the discharge, and wherein the dispenser is operative to be responsive to a signal from the proximity sensor to dispense a length of the sheet material. 
     
     
         11 . A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:
 a dispenser housing having a support configured to hold at least one roll of sheet material, the dispenser housing including a discharge through which the sheet material is dispensed;   a control circuit to control dispensing of the sheet material;   a dispensing mechanism including at least one roller configured to drive the sheet material along a discharge path through the dispenser housing and to the discharge upon receiving a signal from the control circuit;   a tear bar adjacent the discharge in a position for severance of the sheet material;   a paper detection sensor located along the discharge path of the sheet material in a position to detect the presence or absence of the sheet material in the discharge, the dispensing mechanism being operative to dispense a next length of the sheet material in response to a signal from the paper detection sensor verifying that the absence of the dispensed length of the sheet material in the dispenser; and   a static charge dissipation system comprising an antenna arranged along the dispenser housing, the antenna being electrically isolated and disposed in conductive communication with the dispensing mechanism and/or the tear bar to receive and dissipate at least a portion of a static charge generated upon operation of the dispenser via a corona discharge.   
     
     
         12 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a pivotally mounted pawl member located proximate the tear bar such that movement of the sheet material into the tear bar for severance pivots the pawl member from a first position to a second position;   a signal means cooperative with the pawl member and located such that movement of the pawl member to the second position causes the signal means to send a signal to notify the control circuit that the sheet material may have been removed.   
     
     
         13 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the paper detection sensor is focused across at least a portion of the discharge path extending through the discharge, and wherein the paper detection sensor includes an emitter and a detector, the emitter being mounted adjacent to an end portion of the discharge chute and positioned to emit a signal through an opening in a bottom portion of the dispenser housing toward the detector. 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the tear bar is in electrically conductive communication with the antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a conductive element that is susceptible to generation and accumulation of a static charge upon operation of the dispenser, the conductive element being in electrical conductive communication with the antenna such that the antenna receives at least a portion of the static charge generated by operation of the dispenser for dissipation of the portion of the static charge.   
     
     
         16 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the antenna is located in a rear section of the dispenser housing, and wherein the antenna discharges the portion of the static charge to air in a space surrounding the antenna. 
     
     
         17 . The dispenser of  claim 16 , wherein the antenna is disposed within a recess defined in a back wall of the dispenser housing, and wherein the recess hides and isolates the antenna from users. 
     
     
         18 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the a static charge dissipation system further comprises one or more metal plates that extend along and are in conductive contact with the at least one roller; and a metal structure including one or more arms that conductively connect the one or more metal plates to the antenna. 
     
     
         19 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the antenna has a multipoint array configuration that includes a conductive base, and a plurality of antenna points disposed along the conductive base. 
     
     
         20 . A dispenser for flexible rolled sheet material, comprising:
 a housing including a discharge chute through which the sheet material is discharged;   a dispensing mechanism mounted within the housing and operable to drive the sheet material along a path extending through the discharge housing and to the discharge;   a control circuit in communication with the discharging mechanism to control dispensing of the sheet material from the dispenser housing;   a substantially stationary tear bar mounted within the dispenser housing for severance of a portion of the sheet material by a user;   a pivotally mounted pawl member located proximate the tear bar such that movement of the sheet material into the tear bar for severance pivots the pawl member from a first position to a second position whereupon a signal is sent to the control circuit to notify the control circuit that the portion of the sheet material has been removed;   a paper detection sensor including an emitter and a detector focused across at least a portion of the path extending through the discharge chute, wherein the paper detection sensor is activated by the control circuit to verify that the portion of the sheet material has been removed from the discharge chute, and wherein the dispensing mechanism is operative to dispense a next portion of the sheet material in response to a signal from the paper detection sensor verifying that the portion of the sheet material has been removed from the dispenser; and   an antenna arranged along the housing and configured to receive and dissipate at least a portion of a static charge generated by the dispensing of the sheet material to an exterior of the dispenser housing.