Automatic toilet seat cover dispensers and methods of using the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, an automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, and methods of using the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser. In certain embodiments, the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser includes: a dispenser sensing system for detecting a user's demand of a toilet seat cover sheet, a dispenser control system for moving one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from a continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, and a toilet seat cover dispensing system for delivering the toilet seat cover sheet to the user. When the user is in need of a toilet seat cover sheet, the user activates the dispenser sensing system, the dispenser control system moves one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, and the toilet seat cover dispensing system delivers the toilet seat cover sheet to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, comprising:
 a plurality of toilet seat cover sheets wherein each of the plurality of toilet seat cover sheets comprises:
 a seat cover portion, wherein the seat cover portion includes a sheet separation marking line between two adjacent toilet seat cover sheets, wherein the sheet separation marking line is printed over a perforated line to indicate where the toilet seat cover sheet is separated from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, and 
 a splash prevention portion, wherein the splash prevention portion comprises a splash prevention tongue having a retention end and a bowl end, a detached line having three attached segments along an outer edge of the splash prevention tongue between the seat cover portion and the splash prevention portion to allow the user to separate partially the splash prevention tongue from the seat cover portion, having only the retention end of the splash prevention tongue attached to the splash prevention portion for use on a toilet, 
   wherein the toilet seat cover sheet is separated along the sheet separation marking line from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel and is dispensed through an automatic toilet seat cover dispenser and the retention end of the splash prevention tongue is located at a leading edge of each toilet seat cover sheet and exits the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser first along a vertical dispensing direction.   
     
     
         2 . The continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel comprises a predetermined number of toilet seat cover sheets and each toilet seat cover sheet has a predetermined length L. 
     
     
         3 . The continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel of  claim 1 , wherein the retention end of the splash prevention tongue comprises two vertical splash prevention perforated tear lines for the user to partially separate the splash prevention tongue from the seat cover portion, wherein the retention end of the splash prevention tongue remains attached to the seat cover portion. 
     
     
         4 . The continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel of  claim 3 , wherein each of the vertical splash prevention perforated tear lines comprises the plurality of attached segments and the plurality of detached segments for easy separation. 
     
     
         5 . The continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel of  claim 1 , wherein each toilet seat cover sheet comprises a counting indicator, wherein the counting indicator comprises: an opto-electrical counting hole punctured in a predetermined location of the toilet seat cover sheet, or a counting marking printed in a predetermined location of the toilet seat cover sheet. 
     
     
         6 . An automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, comprising:
 a dispenser sensing system, wherein the dispenser sensing system senses a user's demand of a toilet seat cover sheet, wherein the dispenser sensing system comprises a toilet seat cover dispensing control device having: a push button switch, and a motion sensor for the user to request the toilet seat cover sheet, and wherein the toilet seat cover sheet comprises: a seat cover portion and a splash prevention portion, wherein the seat cover portion comprises a sheet separation marking line between two adjacent toilet seat cover sheets, wherein the sheet separation marking line is printed over a perforated line to indicate where the toilet seat cover sheet is separated from a continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, and the splash prevention portion comprises a splash prevention tongue having a retention end, and a bowl end, a detached line having three attached segments along an outer edge of the splash prevention tongue between the seat cover portion and the splash prevention portion to allow the user to separate partially the splash prevention tongue from the seat cover portion;   a dispenser control system, wherein the dispenser control system controls the movement of the toilet seat cover sheet and moves one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel along a vertical dispensing direction and the retention end of the splash prevention tongue exits the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser first; and   a toilet seat cover dispensing system, wherein the toilet seat cover dispensing system cuts or the user tears the toilet seat cover sheet moved out of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser along the sheet separation marking line, and   a dispenser alert system, wherein the dispenser alert system alerts a management staff when the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets, and the dispenser alert system comprises: a dispenser alert indicator, wherein the dispenser alert indicator is lit when the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets, and a wireless alert system, wherein the wireless alert system notifies the management staff that the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets,   wherein when the user is in need of a toilet seat cover sheet, the user activates the dispenser sensing system, and the dispenser control system moves one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel with the retention end of the splash prevention tongue leading in the vertical dispensing direction, and the toilet seat cover dispensing system cuts or the user tears the toilet seat cover sheet moved out of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser along the sheet separation marking line, the user manually separating the seat cover portion from the splash prevention tongue partially, having only the retention end of the splash prevention tongue of the splash prevention portion attached to the seat cover portion, and the user places the partially separated toilet seat cover sheet on a toilet.   
     
     
         7 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is installed on a bathroom wall, or a wall of bathroom stall. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the dispenser control system comprises a toilet seat cover sheet counting mechanism for detecting an opto-electrical counting hole embedded on the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel to move one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel; or for detecting a counting marking printed on the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel to move one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel. 
     
     
         9 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the toilet seat cover dispensing system comprises:
 a lower edge of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, wherein the user tears the toilet seat cover sheet from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel using the lower edge of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser along the sheet separation marking line; and   a sawtooth shaped lower edge of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, wherein the user tears the toilet seat cover sheet from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel using the sawtooth shaped lower edge of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser along the sheet separation marking line.   
     
     
         10 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the toilet seat cover dispensing system further comprises:
 a manual sliding cutter, wherein the user cuts the toilet seat cover sheet from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel using the manual sliding cutter along the sheet separation marking line; and   an automatic sliding cutter, wherein the automatic sliding cutter cuts the toilet seat cover sheet from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel along the sheet separation marking line.   
     
     
         11 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, comprises:
 a plurality of toilet seat cover sheets, wherein each of the plurality of toilet seat cover sheets comprises:
 the seat cover portion, wherein each seat cover portion includes a sheet separation marking line between two adjacent toilet seat cover sheets, wherein the sheet separation marking line is printed over a perforated line to indicate where the toilet seat cover sheet is separated from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel along the sheet separation marking line, and 
 the splash prevention portion, wherein the splash prevention portion comprises the splash prevention tongue, and a plurality of attached segments and a plurality of detached segments along an outer edge of the splash prevention tongue between the seat cover portion and the splash prevention portion to allow the user to partially separate the seat cover portion from the splash prevention tongue having the retention end of the splash prevention tongue attached to the seat cover portion for use on a toilet, and the retention end of the splash prevention tongue is located at a leading edge of each toilet seat cover sheet and exits the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser first along a vertical dispensing direction. 
   
     
     
         12 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel comprises a predetermined number of toilet seat cover sheets and each toilet seat cover sheet has a predetermined length L. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the retention end of the splash prevention tongue comprises two vertical splash prevention perforated tear lines for the user to partially separate the splash prevention portion from the seat cover portion, wherein the retention end of the splash prevention tongue remains attached to the seat cover portion. 
     
     
         14 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 13 , wherein each of the vertical splash prevention perforated tear lines comprises the plurality of attached segments and the plurality of detached segments for easy separation. 
     
     
         15 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 14 , wherein each toilet seat cover sheet comprises a counting indicator, wherein the counting indicator comprises: an opto-electrical counting hole punctured in a predetermined location of the toilet seat cover sheet, or a counting marking printed in a predetermined location of the toilet seat cover sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The automatic toilet seat cover dispenser of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an electrical power system, wherein the electrical power system comprises:
 one or more batteries; or 
 one or more rechargeable batteries; or 
 an electrical power supply electrically connected to a wall outlet. 
   
     
     
         17 . A method of using an automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, comprising:
 installing, by a management staff, a continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel into the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser installed in a bathroom, wherein the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel comprises a plurality of toilet seat cover sheets, and each of the plurality of toilet seat cover sheets comprises: a seat cover portion and a splash prevention portion, wherein the splash prevention portion comprises a splash prevention tongue having a retention end and a bow end, a detached line having three attached segments along an outer edge of the splash prevention tongue between the seat cover portion and the splash prevention portion to allow the user to separate partially the splash prevention tongue from the seat cover portion, wherein the seat cover portion comprises a sheet separation marking line printed between two adjacent toilet seat cover sheets to indicate where the toilet seat cover sheet is separated from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel;   activating, by a user, a dispenser sensing system of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser to retrieve a toilet seat cover sheet when the user is in need of the toilet seat cover sheet, wherein the dispenser sensing system comprises a toilet seat cover dispensing control device having: a push button switch; and a motion sensor for the user to request the toilet seat cover sheet;   moving, by a dispenser control system of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, one toilet seat cover sheet out at a time from the continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel, wherein the retention end of the splash prevention tongue is located at a leading edge of each toilet seat cover sheet and exits the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser first along a vertical dispensing direction;   separating and retrieving, by the user via a toilet seat cover dispensing system of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser, the toilet seat cover sheet, wherein separating comprises: cutting by an automatic sliding cutter of the toilet seat cover dispensing system, cutting by the user using a manual sliding cutter of the toilet seat cover dispensing system, or tearing by the user along the sheet separation marking line;   separating partially, by the user manually, the seat cover portion and the splash prevention portion, wherein a retention end of the splash prevention tongue of the splash prevention portion remains attached to the seat cover portion and placing the partially separated toilet seat cover sheet on a toilet; and   replenishing, by the management staff, another continuous toilet seat cover sheet reel into the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser when a dispenser alert system of the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser indicates that the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets, wherein the dispenser alert system comprises: a dispenser alert indicator, and a wireless alert system, when the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets, the dispenser alert indicator is lit, and the wireless alert system notifies the management staff that the automatic toilet seat cover dispenser is out of toilet seat cover sheets.