Patent ID: 7735770

Claim:
An electronic dispenser for dispensing measured perforated sheets from a roll of perforated web material, comprising: a housing, and a roll carrier disposed in said housing to rotationally support the roll of perforated web material, said housing further comprising a dispensing slot defined therein through which the sheets of the web material are dispensed; an electrically driven feed mechanism disposed in said housing to dispense the sheets of web material therefrom; said feed mechanism comprising rollers defining a drafting zone between upstream an downstream nip points having different respective conveying speeds through which the web material is conveyed, the web material being tensioned in said drafting zone to an extent necessary to at least partially separate the web material along a perforation line prior to the perforation line passing through said drafting zone; and wherein upon activation of said dispenser, a user is presented with a tail a measured sheet of the web material extending from said dispensing slot, the upstream end of the sheet being at least partially separated along the perforation line so that minimal force is exerted by the user to pull the sheet from said dispenser.