Continuous roll towel apparatus and material

Abstract

Apparatus for dispensing cloth, paper, and microfiber continuous roll toweling material interchangeably is shown along with apparatus for dispensing continuous flat weave split microfiber roll toweling. Microfiber continuous roll toweling material suitable for use in dispensing apparatus is described.

1 . A continuous roll towel dispensing apparatus having a loop of roll towel material extending downwardly from a front dispensing slot to a return slot and in which a subsequent user obtains unused roll towel material by pulling downwardly on said material to dispense fresh unused towel material comprising:
 a back housing portion adaptable for mounting of said dispenser apparatus on a mounting surface;   a front housing portion adapted to be connected to said back housing portion to form a compartment for containing at least a roll of dean unused towel material and a take up roll for used towel material;   said front housing portion further defining with said back housing portion a dean towel dispensing slot and a used towel return slot;   a used towel material take up roll operatively mounted within said housing portions;   a roll of clean continuous microfiber towel material disposed in said housing;   said dean microfiber towel material extending out of said clean towel dispensing slot forming a depending loop of towel material and then into said used towel return slot; and   operating means operatively mounted within said housings to cause said roll of clean towel material to dispense a loop of dean toweling and said used towel take up roll to retrieve the used towel material when actuated by pulling down on said depending loop of towel material.   
   
   
       2 . The invention as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said operating means includes:
 first roll and gear means engaging said dean microfiber towel material;   second roll and gear means engaging said take up roll; and   drive means engaging said first and second roll and gear means;   whereby actuation of said first roll and gear means will actuate said second roll and gear means.   
   
   
       3 . The invention as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the surface of at least one of said first and second roll means is at least partially covered with frictionally enhanced non abrasive material to ensure smooth feeding of microfiber material. 
   
   
       4 . The invention as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said microfiber towel material comprises a split microfiber. 
   
   
       5 . The invention as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said microfiber towel material comprises a flat weave microfiber. 
   
   
       6 . The invention as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said split microfiber filaments are less than two denier. 
   
   
       7 . The invention as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the fibers in said split microfiber are less than 50% polyamide fibers with the balance being polyester fibers. 
   
   
       8 . The invention as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said dean roll of microfiber is less than eight inches in diameter and contains at least thirty five yards of material. 
   
   
       9 . The invention as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said dean roll of microfiber material is less than eight inches in diameter and contains at least twenty yards. 
   
   
       10 . A roll of continuous toweling for use in a towel dispensing apparatus wherein a length of dean towel is presented for use and then retracted there into after use comprising:
 a length of microfiber material having a preselected width and a length greater than twenty yards;   said material being formed from a flat weave split microfiber made from synthetic filament yarns of less than two denier; and   said material having a thickness such that when rolled up into a roll of continuous material the resulting roll diameter is less than eight inches.   
   
   
       11 . The invention as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said length of microfiber material has a length greater than thirty five yards. 
   
   
       12 . A continuous roll towel dispensing mechanism for selectively providing loop of towel material from a first slot in a housing to a second slot therein for performing a wiping//drying operation which comprises:
 a back housing portion adaptable for mounting of said dispenser on a mounting surface;   a front housing portion adapted to be connected to said back housing portion to form a compartment containing;
 a roll of dean toweling material; 
 a first means for feeding clean toweling material from said roll of clean toweling material to outside said housing; 
 first motor power means for operating said first means for feeding; 
 used roll towel material take up means mounted within said compartment; 
 second motor power means for actuating said used towel material take up means; 
 sensing means for determining when clean toweling is to be dispensed; 
 sensing means for determining when used toweling needs to be retracted; 
 control circuit means for operating said sensing means and said motor power means; 
   power supply means for operating said control means, said sensing means, and said power means.   
   
   
       13 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein;
 said first means for feeding has at least one roll positioned to feed clean roll towel material from said roll of dean toweling material to the outside of said compartment;   said first motor power means includes a first stepping motor operatively connected to said at least one roll;   said used towel take up means includes a take up roll mounted within said compartment;   said second motor power means includes a second stepping motor operatively connected to said used towel take up roll; and   said sensing means comprise an infrared emitter and infrared receiver mounted adjacent the bottom front of said compartment.   
   
   
       14 . The invention as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said first means for feeding at least one roll has a frictionally enhanced surface suitable for feeding paper, cloth and microfiber towel material interchangeably. 
   
   
       15 . The invention as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said frictionally enhanced surface is a non abrasive resilient material applied to at least a portion of said at least one roll surface. 
   
   
       16 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said control circuit means for said motor power means causes:
 first, said first motor power means to feed a first length of dean towel for wiping/drying and then before start of the retraction cycle a second smaller length of dean towel material; and   second, said second motor power means to retract a length of toweling equal to said first length of clean towel fed by said first motor power means.   
   
   
       17 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said controll circuit means includes:
 means for causing said first motor power means to feed a length of dean toweling to form a loop of clean towel for wiping/drying;   means for causing said second motor power means to retract said loop of dean towel upon completion of a wiping/drying operation; and   means for turning off said second motor power means after a predetermined interval of time;   whereby a dangling tail of towel material will be completely retracted within the dispensing mechanism before shutting down to rest condition.   
   
   
       18 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said dean toweling material comprises:
 a length of flat weave split microfiber material having a preselected width and a length greater than twenty five yards;   said material being formed from a flat weave split microfiber made from synthetic filament yarns of less than two denier; and   said material having a thickness such that when rolled up into a roll of continuous toweling material the resulting roll diameter is less than eight inches.   
   
   
       19 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said roll of clean toweling material may be made from paper, cloth, microfiber, split microfiber or flat weave microfiber interchangeably without causing said dispensing mechanism to malfunction. 
   
   
       20 . The invention as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said roll of dean toweling material is positioned in the upper one half of said compartment and said used towel material take up roll is positioned in the lower one half of said compartment.