Patent ID: 6988689
Filing Date: 2006-01-24
Classification: A47K

Abstract:
1. A hands-free towel dispenser comprising: a housing with a roll of towels inside an interior; a sensor for detecting the presence of an object and generating a signal; a motor driving a dispensing means for dispensing a desired length of towel; a control circuit for receiving the signal from the sensing means and controlling supply of power to the motor driving the dispensing mechanism; a power source supplying power to the motor and the control circuit; the control circuit adapted to sample back EMF generated by the motor while the dispensing means is dispensing the towel and to determine based on the sampled back EMF a calculated run time for the operation of the motor to dispense the desired length of towel, wherein the control circuit stops the supply of power to the motor momentarily and allows the motor to coast while the dispensing means is dispensing the towel and samples the back EMF during the coast period.