Patent ID: 7954405

Claim:
A hands-free paper towel dispenser, comprising: a pile ( 5 ) of a continuous length of accordion-like folded web of towels of tissue paper or nonwoven comprising bundles ( 6 ), said bundles ( 6 ) comprising means for connecting ( 7 ) between the bundles ( 6 ), a dispensing unit ( 1 ) having an outer front wall ( 2 ), two outer side walls ( 3 ), a top, and a housing ( 4 ) for holding the pile ( 5 ) of the web of towels, said outer front wall ( 2 ) comprising i) an access opening ( 8 ) to the pile ( 5 ) of the web of towels, through which access opening ( 8 ) the bundles ( 6 ) of a continuous accordion-like folded web of towels are inserted into said housing ( 4 ) and added to the bottom of the pile ( 5 ) of the web of towels and ii) a dispensing opening ( 9 ) for the web of towels; and a feeding mechanism ( 10 ) comprising i) a member for controlling, by sending signals, the dispensing ( 11 ) of the web of towels from the upper part of the pile ( 5 ) the member for controlling including a microprocessor and at least one sensor unit, ii) a drive unit ( 16 ) located at a first position of the web of towels, the drive unit ( 16 ) including two drive rollers ( 20 , 21 ), and iii) a braking arrangement ( 12 ) for the web of towels, the braking arrangement ( 12 ) located at a second position of the web, upstream of the first position of the web of towels, the feeding mechanism ( 10 ) being arranged to automatically position the web of towels in a starting mode ( 13 ) in the dispensing opening ( 9 ) the braking arrangement being configured so as not to allow the web of towels to go backward during normal operation, the braking arrangement including a nip for the paper web with a rubber covered roll ( 19 ) and a rod ( 24 ) to lock the web of towels against the rubber covered roll ( 19 ) when pulling backwards the rod being pivotable about an axis spaced from the rod, such that the rod presses against a downstream side of the rubber covered roll.