AUTOMATIC TOWEL DISPENSER THAT ACCOMMODATES RETRACTION OF EXCESS TOWELING BACK INTO HOUSING

1 . A towel dispenser, comprising:

(a) a housing for receiving toweling, comprising

(i) a main body,

(ii) a loading door that is configured to rotate relative to the main body between,

(A) a closed position, in which the housing is configured to dispense towels there from, and

(B) an open position, in which the housing is configured to receive toweling therein,

(iii) a guide system that is configured to guide the toweling within the housing while towels are dispensed from the housing, and

(iv) a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from the housing and to cause the toweling to be retracted into the housing after the leading edge has been extended;

(b) wherein a back side of the housing includes an opening configured to permit excess toweling to fall there through during retraction of the toweling back into the housing by the motor assembly.

2 . The towel dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly, and

(a) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing;

(b) wherein the guide system comprises a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface;

(c) wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding;

(d) wherein at least one end of the first roller moves such that an axis of rotation of the first roller moves relative to the main body of the housing;

(e) wherein the first roller is spring biased toward engagement with the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position; and

(f) wherein the toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position.

3 . The towel dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the motor assembly is configured to cause the toweling to be advanced a predetermined unit length.

4 . The towel dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the motor assembly is further configured such that the predetermined unit length is set in a length learn sequence that comprises the steps of,

(a) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor,

(b) advancing the toweling a preset extended length, the preset extended length being greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling,

(c) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted, and

(d) determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length, the difference being the predetermined unit length.

5 . The towel dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly, and

(a) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing;

(b) wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding; and

(c) wherein the housing further comprises extension walls located proximate opposite exterior sides of the housing that extends above a top side of the housing, each extension wall comprising a weakened line extending parallel to a weakened line of the other extension walls, whereby the extent above the top side at which each extension walls extends may be changed, the extent representing a distance from the underside of a fixture below which the top side of the housing is mounted when the towel dispenser is installed under the fixture.

6 . The towel dispenser of claim 1 ,

(a) wherein the guide system comprises a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface;

(b) wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding;

(c) wherein at least one end of the first roller moves such that an axis of rotation of the first roller moves relative to the main body of the housing;

(d) wherein the first roller is spring biased toward engagement with the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position;

(e) wherein the toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position; and

(f) wherein the housing further comprises extension walls located proximate opposite exterior sides of the housing that extends above a top side of the housing, each extension wall comprising a weakened line extending parallel to a weakened line of the other extension walls, whereby the extent above the top side at which each extension walls extends may be changed, the extent representing a distance from the underside of a fixture below which the top side of the housing is mounted when the towel dispenser is installed under the fixture.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each extension wall is integral with the main body of the housing.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each extension wall is integrally formed with the main body of the housing.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each extension wall extends opposite side walls of the housing beyond the top side of the housing.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each extension wall is configured to be broken off by hand upon bending along a weakened line of the extension wall.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each extension wall includes a plurality of weakened lines.

12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each weakened line of an extension wall extends in parallel to, and at the same height from the top side of the housing, as a corresponding weakened line of the other extension wall.

13 . The towel dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly, and

(a) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing;

(a) wherein the guide system comprises a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface;

(b) wherein at least one end of the first roller moves such that an axis of rotation of the first roller moves relative to the main body of the housing;

(c) wherein the first roller is spring biased toward engagement with the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position;

(d) wherein the toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position; and

(e) wherein the housing further comprises extension walls located proximate opposite exterior sides of the housing that extends above a top side of the housing, each extension wall comprising a weakened line extending parallel to a weakened line of the other extension walls, whereby the extent above the top side at which each extension walls extends may be changed, the extent representing a distance from the underside of a fixture below which the top side of the housing is mounted when the towel dispenser is installed under the fixture.

14 . The towel dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing a leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling by the motor assembly, and

(a) wherein the sensor is configured to cause the motor assembly to cease retracting the toweling into the housing as a function of the sensing of the leading edge of the toweling during retraction of the toweling into the housing;

(b) wherein the guide system comprises a first roller attached to the main body and having a first toothed surface, and a second roller attached to the loading door and having a second toothed surface that is configured to mesh with the first toothed surface;

(c) wherein the loading door comprises a towel carrier having a curved surface defining a cavity configured to receive the roll of paper towels in floating engagement therewith such that the roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface during unwinding;

(d) wherein at least one end of the first roller moves such that an axis of rotation of the first roller moves relative to the main body of the housing,

(e) wherein the first roller is spring biased toward engagement with the second roller when the loading door is in the closed position;

(f) wherein the toothed surfaces of the first roller and the second roller mesh together when the loading door moves into the closed position from the open position and do not preclude the loading door from moving into the closed position from the open position; and

(g) wherein the housing further comprises extension walls located proximate opposite exterior sides of the housing that extends above a top side of the housing, each extension wall comprising a weakened line extending parallel to a weakened line of the other extension walls, whereby the extent above the top side at which each extension walls extends may be changed, the extent representing a distance from the underside of a fixture below which the top side of the housing is mounted when the towel dispenser is installed under the fixture.

15 . The towel dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the motor assembly is configured to wait a predetermined period of time after the toweling is extended exterior of the housing for grasping by a user before causing the toweling to retract into the housing and, while waiting, to retract the toweling in order to compensate for additional extension of the toweling resulting from the grasping of the toweling by the user.

16 . The towel dispenser of claim 15 , wherein the motor assembly is configured, while waiting, to continuously perform the steps of (a) attempting retraction of the toweling in response to detected further extension of the toweling resulting from grasping of the toweling by the user; and (b) ceasing retraction of the toweling in response to detected retraction of the further extension of the toweling resulting from grasping of the toweling by the user.

17 . The towel dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the second roller is the only roller of the guide system affixed to the loading door.

18 . The towel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the second roller comprises a lower drive roller of the guide system, and the first roller comprises an upper drive roller of the guide system, the lower drive roller engaging the upper drive roller with toweling extending there between when the loading door is moved into the closed position with toweling draped over the loading door.

19 . The towel dispenser of claim 18 , wherein the motor assembly is configured to cause the toweling to be advanced a predetermined unit length.

20 . The towel dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the motor assembly is further configured such that the predetermined unit length is set in a length learn sequence that comprises the steps of,

(a) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor,

(b) advancing the toweling a preset extended length, the preset extended length being greater than at least a distance between immediately adjacent lines of perforations in the toweling,

(c) retracting the toweling until a leading edge of the toweling is sensed by the sensor while measuring a length by which the toweling is retracted, and

(d) determining the difference between the preset extended length and the measured retracted length, the difference being the predetermined unit length.