Wet or dry paper towel dispenser

Abstract

A wet or dry paper towel dispenser includes a paper towel roll in a housing; drive rollers operably driven by an electric motor; driven rollers disposed oppositely of the drive rollers; a controller including a first sensor for detecting dispensation of dry paper towel sheet and a second sensor for detecting dispensation of wet paper towel sheet; a paper dispensing opening under the controller; a cutter disposed between the paper dispensing opening and the driven rollers, the cutter being configured to cut a portion of sheet product of the paper towel roll; a reservoir disposed rearward of the paper dispensing opening; a pump electrically connected to the controller; and nozzles. A leading edge of the paper towel roll is pinched by the drive rollers and the driven rollers to dispose in front of the nozzles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wet or dry paper towel dispenser, comprising:
 a housing;   a paper towel roll disposed in the housing;   a plurality of drive rollers disposed under the paper towel roll and operably driven by an electric motor;   a plurality of driven rollers disposed oppositely of the drive rollers;   a controller electrically connected to the electric motor and disposed in front of the driven rollers, the controller including a first sensor for detecting dispensation of dry paper towel sheet and a second sensor for detecting dispensation of wet paper towel sheet;   a battery compartment disposed rearward of the drive rollers;   a paper dispensing opening disposed under the controller;   a cutter disposed above the paper dispensing opening and under the driven rollers, the cutter being configured to cut a portion of sheet product of the paper towel roll;   a reservoir disposed rearward of the paper dispensing opening;   a pump electrically connected to the controller and disposed on the reservoir; and   a nozzle assembly disposed on the reservoir and including a plurality of nozzles;   wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the pump;   wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the nozzles;   wherein a leading edge of the paper towel roll is pinched by the drive rollers and the driven rollers to dispose in front of the nozzles;   wherein in a first operation, the first sensor detects a user's hand proximate the first sensor, the controller activates the electric motor to rotate the drive rollers upon detection of the user's hand proximate the first sensor, and the portion of the sheet product of the paper towel roll advances to pass through the paper dispensing opening; and   wherein in a second operation, the second sensor detects the user's hand proximate the second sensor, the controller activates the electric motor to rotate the drive rollers upon detection of the user's hand proximate the second sensor, the portion of the sheet product of the paper towel roll advances and the controller activates the pump to draw water out of the reservoir, the pump delivers pressurized water to the nozzles which direct the pressurized water to the portion of the sheet product of the paper towel roll, thereby wetting the portion of the sheet product of the paper towel roll, and the wet portion of the sheet product of the paper towel roll passes through the paper dispensing opening.