Paper Product Dispenser with Improved Dispensing

Abstract

A dispenser and methods for dispensing web material, the dispenser comprising a dispensing mechanism comprising a pressure roller and a drive roller defining a nip therebetween, wherein the dispensing mechanism is configured to dispense the web material from the roll of web material in response to a user request, and wherein during the dispense a leading edge of the web material being dispensed first passes through the nip and then passes the tear bar and then out of the housing such that the leading edge is external to the housing; a jam sensor configured to detect a jam condition during or after the dispense of the web material; and wherein, in response to a jam condition, the dispensing mechanism is configured to (i) retract the web material to place the leading edge between the nip and the tear bar and (ii) then advance the leading edge past the tear bar.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A dispenser for dispensing web material from a roll of web material, the dispenser comprising:
 a housing comprising a back panel and a front cover and having an internal volume to house the roll of web material;   a tear bar at least partially in the housing;   a dispensing mechanism, at least partially in the housing, configured to dispense the web material, a dispense length, from the roll of web material, and wherein during the dispense the web material being dispensed unwinds from the roll and then passes the tear bar and then out of the housing such that a leading edge of the web material being dispensed is external to the housing;   a jam sensor configured to detect a jam condition during or after the dispense of the web material; and   wherein, in response to the jam condition, the dispensing mechanism is configured to (i) retract the web material to a position before the tear bar and (ii) then dispense the web material to place the web material past the tear bar.   
     
     
         22 . The dispenser of  claim 21 , wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a motor engaged to a drive roller and configured to rotate the drive roller in a first direction and to rotate the drive roller in a second direction, different from the first direction, to retract the web material. 
     
     
         23 . The dispenser of  claim 22  comprising an encoder configured to count a number of revolutions of one of the motor and the drive roller to dispense the web material the dispense length. 
     
     
         24 . The dispenser of  claim 23 , wherein retract the web material comprises rotate the drive roller in the second direction based on the number of revolutions counted to dispense the dispense length. 
     
     
         25 . The dispenser of  claim 22 , wherein the jam sensor comprises an infrared sensor. 
     
     
         26 . The dispenser of  claim 21 , wherein dispense the web material to place the web material past the tear bar comprises dispense the web material the dispense length. 
     
     
         27 . The dispenser of  claim 21 , wherein the roll of web material is a roll of paper towels. 
     
     
         28 . A method for clearing a jam from a dispenser, the method comprising:
 in response to detecting a jam condition, driving a motor to rotate a drive roller a second direction to retract a leading edge of a web material to a position before a tear bar; and   after the retracting, driving the motor to rotate the drive roller a first direction, different from the second direction, to advance the leading edge past the tear bar.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein detecting the jam condition comprises monitoring for a presence of web material in a throat of the dispenser. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein detecting the jam condition comprises determining that the web material is not in the throat. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein driving a motor to rotate a drive roller a second direction comprises counting at least one of a number of motor revolutions and drive roller revolutions. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein driving the motor to rotate the drive roller a second direction comprises retracting the leading edge for a specified distance. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein driving a motor to rotate a drive roller a second direction and driving the motor to rotate the drive roller a first direction repeats multiple times. 
     
     
         34 . A dispenser for dispensing web material from a roll of web material, the dispenser comprising:
 a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the web material from the roll of web material, and wherein during the dispense a leading edge of the web material being dispensed unwinds from the roll and then passes a tear bar and then out of a housing of the dispenser such that the leading edge is external to the housing;   a jam sensor configured to detect a jam condition during or after the dispense of the web material; and   wherein, in response to the jam condition, the dispensing mechanism is configured to (i) retract the web material to a position before the tear bar and (ii) then dispense the web material to place the web material past the tear bar.   
     
     
         35 . The dispenser of  claim 34 , wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a motor engaged to a drive roller and configured to rotate the drive roller in a first direction and to rotate the drive roller in a second direction, different from the first direction, to retract the web material. 
     
     
         36 . The dispenser of  claim 35  comprising an encoder configured to count a number of revolutions of one of the motor and the drive roller to dispense the web material. 
     
     
         37 . The dispenser of  claim 36 , wherein retract the web material comprises rotate the drive roller in the second direction based on the number of revolutions counted to dispense the web material. 
     
     
         38 . The dispenser of  claim 35 , wherein the jam sensor comprises an infrared sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The dispenser of  claim 34 , wherein the roll of web material is a roll of paper towels. 
     
     
         40 . The dispenser of  claim 34  comprising a user proximity sensor configured to actuate the dispensing mechanism in response to an object entering a field of sensing of the user proximity sensor.