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 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.

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 dispensing portions of a continuous web of tissue from a tissue roll is disclosed. Further, the invention relates to a method for dispensing portions of a continuous web of tissue from a tissue roll. The dispenser comprises a first tissue roll position for receiving a tissue roll and a second tissue roll position for receiving a tissue roll; an output mechanism for supplying portions of tissue; a transfer mechanism for releasably holding and transferring an end of a tissue roll in the first tissue roll position to the output mechanism; wherein the transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer the end of the tissue roll in the first tissue roll position to the output mechanism when the second tissue roll position is empty.

In example, a sheet material dispenser can include a feed roller configured to engage and move the sheet material along a discharge path for dispensing thereof, and a manual dispensing assembly in communication with the feed roller. The manual dispensing assembly can include an engagement portion operatively coupled to the feed roller body for engagement by a user to rotate the feed roller to facilitate dispensing of the sheet material, and an integrated gear clutch configured to control movement of the engagement portion or the feed roller. Other examples also are described.

A separation unit for separating a web material along preformed lines of weakness. The separation unit includes a first roller, and a second roller having a rotational axis extending parallel with the rotational axis of the first roller. The rotational axis of the second roller is positioned at a distance from the rotational axis of said first roller. Each of the first and second rollers is provided with at least one protrusion element. Outer portions of the protrusion elements on the first roller are partially overlapping with outer portions of the protrusion elements on the second roller with a radial overlap length, thus forming an undulating passage for a web material between the rollers. The distance between the rotational axes of the first and the second rollers is adjustable, enabling the radial overlap length in the undulating passage to be variable. Also, a dispenser including the separation unit.

Sheet product dispensers and methods of dispensing sheet products are provided, including feeding a sheet material from a roll via a sheet feeding mechanism, separating one or more discrete sheet products from the roll via a separation mechanism, dispensing the one or more discrete sheet products to an end user at a presentation station via a sheet product conveying mechanism, and detecting a presence of the sheet material via a sensor downstream of the sheet feeding mechanism, wherein the sheet product conveying mechanism is driven in response to the sensor detecting the presence of the sheet material.

An example sheet product dispenser is configured to dispense from a sheet product roll that includes a plurality of predetermined portions that are designed for providing a toilet seat cover. A line of perforations separates consecutive portions. A motor operates to drive the drive roller to cause movement of the sheet product along a dispensing pathway to position a leading predetermined portion of the sheet product into a dispensing position such that the trailing edge of the leading predetermined portion is positioned within the housing and the leading edge of the leading predetermined portion is positioned outside of the dispensing chute to enable removal of the leading predetermined portion. Staged dispensing is utilized to help maintain hygiene, while still quickly providing the dispense. Perforation tear assist features are provided to aid in proper separation of the line of perforations, such as to help maintain integrity of the dispensed portion.

A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product holding area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism having a spindle configured to hold and rotate the consumable product to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of the consumable product; and a motor having piezoelectric elements configured to (i) frictionally couple to the spindle to rotate the spindle in a first direction during a first motor state and (ii) uncouple from the spindle during a second motor state to allow the spindle to freely spin.