The present application provides a napkin dispenser for dispensing a number of folded napkins from a sheet material to an end user. The napkin dispenser may include a loading station for loading the sheet material, a folding station for folding a napkin from the sheet material, and a presentation station for presenting one or more of the folded napkins to the end user.

A power management system for a dispenser that includes a passive infrared radiation sensor arranged along the dispenser and configured to detect infrared radiation emitted by one or more users within a prescribed detection range, area, or zone of the dispenser. When the passive infrared radiation sensor does not capture infrared radiation within the prescribed detection range, area, or zone, the dispenser is placed in a low power state with the passive infrared sensor remaining connected to a power source and a controller, a dispensing mechanism, and/or the proximity sensor being disconnected from the power source. Other aspects also are described.

A roll towel dispenser includes a frame configured to support a first roll of first paper towel and a second roll of second paper towel and a main roller coupled to the frame. During operation, the first paper towel and the second paper towel are positioned adjacent the main roller such that the first paper towel is positioned between the second paper towel and the main roller. The main roller is configured to engage the first paper towel such that rotation of the main roller moves the first paper towel from the first roll, at least partially around the main roller, and through an outlet of the roll towel dispenser. The first paper towel slips relative to the second paper towel while the main roller moves the first paper towel such that only the first paper towel is dispensed through the outlet.

A sheet dispensing apparatus to dispense sheets from a sheet material card having a plurality of sheets. The sheet dispensing apparatus includes a door, a door plate, a back plate, and a motor including a motor shaft, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the door plate, and a motor wheel is operatively connected to the motor shaft. The motor wheel is driven by the motor shaft to detach a sheet from the sheet material card. The apparatus further includes a first light pipe having a first end and a second end, wherein a signal transmitted at the first end of the first light pipe is received at the second end if the correct sheet material card is being used. A second light pipe receives a signal at the first end and receives the signal at the second end, if the sheet material card is not present or out of sheets.

A dispenser having a feed roller that at least partially engages sheet material to facilitate dispensing thereof, and a cutting mechanism disposed within a chamber defined by a body of the feed roller. The cutting mechanism including a cutting blade and at least one movable support connected thereto. The at least one support further is operatively connected to the body of the feed roller and is actuated with rotation thereof to move the cutting blade into and out from one or more openings defined along the body of the feed roller to at least partially cut or perforate a selected portion of the sheet material as the sheet material is dispensed.

The present disclosure is in one aspect to a dispenser for rolled sheet materials. The dispenser includes a feed roller that is rotatably mounted to a housing of the dispenser housing, and that is configured to feed a predetermined amount of sheet material from the supply of sheet material through a discharge provided along the housing of the dispenser. The dispenser also has a feed roller drive assembly with a drive motor, and a belt transmission assembly. The belt transmission assembly has a drive belt coupled to the drive motor and to the feed roller such that rotation of the feed roller is driven by operation of the drive motor.

A voice controlled device comprises a housing, a dock, a coupling mechanism, and a microphone. The dock is configured to connect the housing to a plurality of host appliances. The coupling mechanism is configured to receive an identification value indicative of docking between the voice controlled device and a currently connected host appliance of the plurality of host appliances. The microphone is configured to receive one or more voice inputs for the currently connected host appliance. A command is provided based on the one or more voice inputs and the identification value.

A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product storage area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism operatively coupled to the consumable product and configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of consumable product, and wherein the dispensing cycle creates a vibration event in at least a portion of the dispenser; a vibration sensing device configured to sense a vibrational characteristic of the vibration event, wherein a value of the vibrational characteristic changes as a function of an amount of consumable product remaining in the dispenser; and a data processing device configured to (i) store data describing the vibrational characteristic and (ii) communicate the data to a remote receiver separate from the dispenser.

To dispense a predetermined length of a sheet hygienically. In a sheet dispensing device, a sheet feeding mechanism feeds out a predetermined length for use of a sheet from a sheet dispensing port, and at this time, a part, of the sheet, located upstream of the sheet dispensing port in terms of a feeding direction of the sheet is held by a driving roller and a driven roller. The driven roller is biased by leaf springs to be pressed toward the driving roller. Consequently, the sheet is dispensed while hanging down from the sheet dispensing port. When a user pulls down the hanging sheet while holding it, the sheet is cut from the vicinity of a held part, so that the user can take the predetermined length for use of the sheet hygienically.

A dispenser for provision of portions of a tissue web, a retrofit kit for a dispenser, a method for provision of portions of a tissue web, and a method for upgrading a dispenser. The dispenser comprises a first transport arrangement for unused tissue and a second transport arrangement for used tissue, a housing with a dispensing opening through which a tissue portion located between the first transport arrangement and the second transport arrangement protrudes, a detection arrangement comprising at least one sensor unit, preferably comprising a first sensor and a second sensor, for detecting a user change, and a control unit adapted to activate the second transport arrangement when a user change is detected.