Patent ID: 7887005

Claim:
An automatic towel dispenser, comprising: (a) a housing for receiving toweling, the housing including, (i) a main body, (ii) a loading door pivotally attached to the main body such that the loading door is rotatable relative to the main body, the loading door being movable between an open position and a closed position, and being configured to allow toweling to be inserted into the housing when the loading door is in the open position, and (iii) a guide system configured to define a path P for the toweling, the guide system including a first set of one or more guiding members attached to the main body and a second set of one or more guiding members attached to the loading door such that, (A) the second set of guiding members guides the toweling along a portion of the path P when the loading door is in the closed position, (B) the second set of guiding members does not guide the toweling along a portion of the path P when the loading door is in the open position, and (C) each of the one or more guiding members of the second set includes an axis of rotation that is fixed relative to the loading door regardless of whether the loading door is in the closed position or the open position; (b) a motor for driving dispensing of toweling from the housing; and (c) a sensor electrically connected to the motor; (d) wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal and the motor is configured to deactivate dispensing of toweling from the housing as a function of the signal; and (e) wherein the dispenser is configured such that a perforation of toweling received within the housing is expanded when the perforation is in proximity to the sensor.