Sanitary Product Dispenser

Abstract

The dispenser (10) has a storage section (21), a delivery mechanism (30, 60), a weight member (40), and a remaining amount detection section (27). The storage section (21) stores a plurality of flat sanitary products (N) stacked vertically. The delivery mechanism (30, 60) delivers the plurality of sanitary products (N) in order, starting from the bottom one in the stacking direction. The weight member (40) has a substantially horizontal reflective surface (42a) and is placed on the top sanitary product (N) stored in the storage section (21) in the stacking direction. The remaining amount detection unit (27) has a light-emitting unit (27a) that irradiates light onto the reflective surface (42a) and a light-receiving unit (27b) that receives the reflected light, and detects the number of sanitary products (N) stored in the storage unit (21) based on the time from when the light-emitting unit (27a) emits light to when the light-receiving unit (27b) receives the reflected light.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sanitary product dispenser that is installed in, for example, a toilet and that dispenses sanitary products such as sanitary products and pocket tissues. [Background technology]

[0002] As women advance into society, their lifestyles have changed dramatically, and as a result, some problems have arisen. One of these problems is related to menstruation, a physical phenomenon unique to women.

[0003] During menstruation, women use sanitary products such as napkins and tampons to prevent menstrual blood from leaking, and therefore, women generally carry these sanitary products with them when their menstrual period approaches.

[0004] The amount of menstrual blood varies from day to day, but if blood-stained sanitary products are left on for a long time, it can cause bacteria to grow and can lead to stuffiness and odor. Therefore, during menstruation, sanitary products should usually be changed every 2 to 3 hours.

[0005] For example, some restaurants and hotels provide sanitary products in baskets next to the sink in the women's restrooms for female guests whose period comes earlier than expected and who do not have sanitary products with them. Customers who wish to use them can freely take sanitary products from the basket and use them.

[0006] This is ideal, but taking advantage of the fact that they can be taken out freely, even if they don't need them, they can take them home. In the extreme, someone who is not on their period could take them all away. This is an unfortunate act that ruins the kindness of the place that left them (for example, a restaurant or hotel), and it could have the ironic result that people who actually want to use them may not be able to use them.

[0007] In addition, some people hesitate to use sanitary products when they are simply placed in a basket, because anyone can touch them. For example, in a situation where a pathogenic virus is spreading, it is very unsettling to touch something that you don't know who has touched before.

[0008] On the other hand, as a means for providing sanitary products to women who need them while dispelling such anxieties, there is a dispenser that stores sanitary products, as described in Non-Patent Document 1.

[0009] In fact, some companies have installed such dispensers in private rooms in women's restrooms as part of their employee benefits, so that female employees who find their period comes earlier than expected and do not have any sanitary products with them can freely use them.

[0010] Sanitary products are usually stored inside the dispenser, and when they are taken out, they are dispensed one by one from inside, so the sanitary products are not touched by an unspecified number of people. Therefore, those who wish to use the sanitary products can use them with peace of mind without feeling uncomfortable. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0011] [Non-Patent Document 1] https: / / www.goauntflow.com / (Retrieved January 24, 2024) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] However, although this type of dispenser dispenses sanitary products one at a time when operated by a user, there is no limit to the number of sanitary products that can be dispensed, so by repeating the operation multiple times, any number of sanitary products can be dispensed.

[0013] Therefore, as mentioned above, this type of dispenser does not solve the problem mentioned above, as it allows even people who are not on their period to take out and take away an unlimited amount of sanitary products.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to prevent unauthorized removal of sanitary products and to reliably provide sanitary products to users who wish to use them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures.

[0016] That is, the sanitary product dispenser according to the first aspect of the present invention has a storage section, a delivery mechanism, a weight member, and a remaining amount detection section. The storage section stores a plurality of flat sanitary products stacked vertically. The delivery mechanism delivers the plurality of sanitary products from the storage section in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction. The weight member is a substantially horizontal White The remaining amount detection unit has a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the reflective surface and a light receiving unit that receives the reflected light, and detects the amount of the remaining amount of the sanitary product stored in the storage unit based on the time from when the light emitting unit emits light to when the light receiving unit receives the reflected light. Quantity in stock Detect.

[0017] A sanitary product dispenser according to a second aspect of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser according to the first aspect, wherein the weight member has a flat first lower surface extending substantially horizontally along the direction in which the sanitary product is sent out by the sending mechanism, which is parallel to the reflecting surface, and a flat second lower surface extending substantially horizontally along a width direction perpendicular to the sending direction and parallel to the reflecting surface. Face Place it on top of the top sanitary product while they are touching.

[0018] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a sanitary product dispenser according to the second aspect, in which the container has a bottom surface on which a push slider of the dispensing mechanism is movable along the dispensing direction, and a side surface standing upward from the periphery of the bottom surface and perpendicular to the bottom surface. At least one of the first and second lower surfaces of the weight member has an outer periphery that is adjacent to the side surface of the container when the weight member is placed on the upper end of the sanitary product.

[0019] A fourth aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the third aspect, wherein when the weight member has delivered all of the sanitary products from the storage section, the first underside contacts the bottom surface of the storage section at a position off the path of movement of the push slider, and the second underside moves away above the path of movement of the push slider and is out of contact with the push slider.

[0020] A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a sanitary product dispenser according to the first aspect, wherein the weight member has at least one mounting recess for mounting at least one weight to change the weight of the weight member. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention, unauthorized removal of sanitary products can be prevented, and sanitary products can be reliably provided to users who wish to use them. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a sanitary product dispenser according to one embodiment of the present invention installed in a toilet cubicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dispenser of FIG. 1 with its front cover open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the dispenser in FIG. 2 with the front cover open, as viewed from the right side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 5]5 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of a push slider in the container of the dispenser of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a push slider in the container of the dispenser in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the push slider in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the push slider in FIG. [Figure 9] 2. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a door of the door unit of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged front view showing a main part of the door unit in FIG. 2 with the door open. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the door opening / closing detection operation of the door unit of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of inventory sensors in the dispenser housing of FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing a weight member attached to the container of the dispenser of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a state in which all the sanitary products have been dispensed from the container of the dispenser of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a sanitary product dispenser 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as dispenser 10) has a housing 11 in the shape of a substantially rectangular box. Housing 11 has a rear case 12 and a front case 13. Dispenser 10 is attached to the wall 1 of each stall in a women's restroom, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. Below, the up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions are defined when viewing dispenser 10 from a direction perpendicular to wall 1. Note that the "stacking direction" described below is the up-down direction, and the "discharge direction" is the direction from rear to front.

[0024] The sanitary products handled by the dispenser 10 include feminine hygiene napkins, tampons, pocket tissues, etc. The dispenser 10 can also handle other sanitary products, such as paper pants or diapers that are folded small and wrapped in a package. The dispenser 10 may be designed to a size that matches the size of the sanitary products it handles. The dispenser 10 of this embodiment handles napkins N (FIG. 2) and is designed to a size that allows it to handle napkins of various sizes.

[0025] The rear case 12 integrally includes a rear wall 121, a top wall 122, a bottom wall 123, a left side wall 124, and a right side wall 125. The rear wall 121 is a generally rectangular plate and is disposed close to and parallel to the wall 1 of the toilet stall. The top wall 122 is a generally rectangular plate and extends from the upper end of the rear wall 121 toward the front perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The bottom wall 123 is a generally rectangular plate and extends from the lower end of the rear wall 121 toward the front perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The left side wall 124 is a generally rectangular plate and extends from the left end of the rear wall 121 toward the front perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The right side wall 125 is a generally rectangular plate and extends from the right end of the rear wall 121 toward the front perpendicular to the rear wall 121.

[0026] The front case 13 integrally includes a front wall 131, a top wall 132, a bottom wall 133, a left side wall 134, and a right side wall 135. The front wall 131 is a substantially rectangular plate having substantially the same shape as the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12, and is disposed parallel to the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. The top wall 132 is a substantially rectangular plate and extends from the upper end of the front wall 131 toward the rear, perpendicular to the front wall 131. The bottom wall 133 is a substantially rectangular plate and extends from the lower end of the front wall 131 toward the rear, perpendicular to the front wall 131. The left side wall 134 is a substantially rectangular plate and extends from the left end of the front wall 131 toward the rear, perpendicular to the front wall 131. The right side wall 135 is a substantially rectangular plate and extends from the right end of the front wall 131 toward the rear, perpendicular to the front wall 131.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 of the dispenser 10 includes a storage section 21 for storing flat napkins N stacked vertically. The napkins N are packaged in a resin exterior material. The rear case 12 has a substantially rectangular opening 12a on the front side for accessing the storage section 21. The opening 12a is a substantially rectangular opening surrounded by the front end of the top wall 122, the front end of the bottom wall 123, the front end of the left side wall 124, and the front end of the right side wall 125.

[0028] The front case 13 is rotatably connected to the rear case 12 via two hinges 14. The two hinges 14 connect the front end of the bottom wall 123 of the rear case 12, i.e., the lower edge of the opening 12a, to the rear end of the bottom wall 133 of the front case 13.

[0029] The front case 13 closes the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the closed position of Fig. 1, and opens the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the open position of Fig. 2. A top wall 122 of the rear case 12 and a top wall 132 of the front case 13 are provided with a locking portion 15 for locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 when the front case 13 is placed in the closed position as shown in Fig. 1. Locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 can prevent the napkins N stored in the storage portion 21 from being touched by someone or being taken out without restriction.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, when the front case 13 is in the open position, it is disposed at an acute angle (for example, about 80°) with respect to the rear case 12. Two wires 16 of the same length are stretched between the rear case 12 and the front case 13. The two wires 16 are flexible and linear, and are attached to the left and right sides of the housing 11. Fig. 3 shows only the right-side wire 16, and Fig. 2 omits the wire 16. Fasteners 16a are fixed to both ends of the wire 16.

[0031] Each wire 16 is attached between the rear case 12 and the front case 13 by engaging fastener 16a at one end with engaging portion 12b (FIG. 2) provided on the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 and engaging fastener 16a at the other end with engaging portion 13b (FIG. 2) provided on the front wall 131 of the front case 13. The length of the wire 16 is determined so that when the front case 13 is opened under its own weight and the wire 16 is stretched between the rear case 12 and the front case 13 as shown in FIG. 3, the front wall 131 of the front case 13 is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12.

[0032] The fastener 16a of the wire 16 is detachable from the engagement portion 12b of the rear case 12 and the engagement portion 13b of the front case 13. When the engagement of the fastener 16a of the wire 16 with the rear case 12 or the front case 13 is released, the front case 13 can be freely rotated to a desired angle with respect to the rear case 12. The wire 16 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be, for example, a resin wire.

[0033] When refilling napkins N in dispenser 10 attached to wall 1 or during maintenance, front case 13 can be opened with wire 16 stretched (as shown in FIG. 3) to hold front case 13 in the open position even when the working space in front of dispenser 10 is narrow. When front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in FIG. 1, wire 16 is in a slack state within housing 11.

[0034] By disposing the front case 13 at an acute angle to the rear case 12, the front case 13 can be held in the open position even in a situation where a sufficient working space cannot be secured in front of the dispenser 10, as compared with a case in which the front case 13 is opened at a right angle to the rear case 12. On the other hand, when assembling the dispenser 10, the front case 13 can be opened widely with the wire 16 detached, improving workability. The wire 16 can be attached after the dispenser 10 is installed on the wall 1.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 4, three vertical ribs 17C, 17L, 17R extending vertically, two horizontal ribs 18L, 18R extending horizontally, and six substantially oval bosses 19 (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as protruding parts 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, 19) are provided on the outer surface 121b side of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. The protruding parts 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, 19 are formed by pressing the rear wall 121 formed of sheet metal. Therefore, the inner surface 121a side of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has a plurality of recesses (not shown) having shapes following the shapes of the protruding parts 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, 19. The two horizontal ribs 18L, 18R are bulging parts for receiving the rear end 30R of the push slider 30 described later. The boss 19 has a hole through which a screw for fixing the rear case 12 of the dispenser 10 to the wall 1 is inserted.

[0036] The three vertical ribs 17C, 17L, 17R are provided parallel to each other at a distance from each other at the center and both sides of the left and right direction of the rear case 12. The central vertical rib 17C is wider than the left and right vertical ribs 17L and 17R. The horizontal rib 18L is disposed between the central vertical rib 17C and the left vertical rib 17L near their lower ends, and the horizontal rib 18R is disposed between the central vertical rib 17C and the right vertical rib 17R near their lower ends. There are gaps between the left end of the left horizontal rib 18L and the left vertical rib 17L, between the right end of the horizontal rib 18L and the central vertical rib 17C, between the right end of the right horizontal rib 18R and the right vertical rib 17R, and between the left end of the horizontal rib 18R and the central vertical rib 17C.

[0037] 1, when attaching dispenser 10 to wall 1 of a private room in a women's restroom, if the seam between panels constituting wall 1 protrudes slightly, protruding parts 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 function effectively. That is, in this case, by fixing rear case 12 to wall 1 by abutting protruding parts 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 protruding from the back surface of rear case 12 against wall 1 at positions away from the seam of wall 1, dispenser 10 can be fixed to wall 1 without rattling.

[0038] 2, the storage section 21 inside the housing 11 is divided into two storage sections 21L and 21R arranged side by side on the left and right sides inside the housing 11. Hereinafter, the left storage section will be denoted by reference numeral 21L and the right storage section will be denoted by reference numeral 21R when viewing the dispenser 10 from the front. Since the two storage sections 21L and 21R have substantially the same structure, the left storage section 21L will be mainly described here, and the right storage section 21R will be denoted by the same reference numeral and its description will be omitted.

[0039] The storage section 21L is surrounded by two partition plates 22L and 22R on the left and right, a bottom plate 24, and a rear plate 26. The upper end side and the front side of the storage section 21L are open. The bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L is provided so as to connect the lower ends of the two partition plates 22L and 22R to the lower end of the rear plate 26. The rear plate 26 is provided so as to connect the rear ends of the two partition plates 22L and 22R to the rear end of the bottom plate 24. The distance between the two partition plates 22L and 22R, i.e., the width in the left-right direction of the storage section 21L, is designed to be large enough to accommodate napkins of various sizes, but if the size of the napkin N to be handled deviates from the design value, the distance between the two partition plates 22L and 22R can be widened or narrowed.

[0040] The two partition plates 22L and 22R, the bottom plate 24, and the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L are fixed to the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. At this time, the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L contacts the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12, and the rear plate 26 and the rear wall 121 are arranged parallel to each other. The two partition plates 22L and 22R and the bottom plate 24 have a size that protrudes forward from the opening 12a of the rear case 12. In other words, the length of the two partition plates 22L and 22R and the bottom plate 24 in the front-rear direction is greater than the thickness of the rear case 12 in the front-rear direction (i.e., the protruding height of the top wall 122, the bottom wall 123, and the side walls 124 and 125 from the rear wall 121). 3 with the front case 13 open, the partition plates 22L, 22R (only the right side is shown in FIG. 3) of the storage section 21L and a part of the front of the bottom plate 24 protrude forward from the opening 12a of the rear case 12. From another perspective, the two storage sections 21L, 21R are provided across the internal space of the rear case 12 and the internal space of the front case 13, respectively.

[0041] The two partition plates 22L, 22R are provided at their front ends with locking pieces 23L, 23R for preventing the napkin N from falling forward. The locking pieces 23L, 23R are integral with the partition plates 22L, 22R, respectively, and have a structure in which the front ends of the partition plates 22L, 22R are partially bent at approximately right angles in a direction facing each other. The locking pieces 23L, 23R are disposed inside the front case 13 when the front case 13 is disposed in the closed position. The locking pieces 23L, 23R extend approximately parallel to the opening 12a of the rear case 12.

[0042] The vertical length of the locking pieces 23L, 23R is shorter than the vertical length of the partition plates 22L, 22R. Therefore, there is a portion between the lower ends of the locking pieces 23L, 23R and the bottom plate 24 where the locking pieces 23L, 23R are not present, and several napkins N near the lower end in the stacking direction can move forward via this portion. The discharge openings 13L, 13R of the front case 13 in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 are located below the lower ends of the locking pieces 23L, 23R.

[0043] The inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 is the bottom surface of the storage section 21L. The inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26, the inner surfaces 22a of the partition plates 22L and 22R, and the inner surfaces 23a of the locking pieces 23L and 23R are the side surfaces of the storage section 21L. The rear plate 26, the partition plates 22L and 22R, and the locking pieces 23L and 23R are respectively provided with their inner surfaces 26b, 22a, and 23a standing upward and perpendicular to the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24.

[0044] A push slider 30 is provided on the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L to eject the multiple napkins N stacked in the vertical direction in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction. The napkin N1 at the bottom in the stacking direction sits on and contacts the push slider 30. In the following description, the napkin at the bottom in the stacking direction that contacts the top surface 31 of the multiple napkins N stacked on the top surface 31 of the push slider 30 is referred to as napkin N1.

[0045] Each of the two storage sections 21L, 21R can store, for example, 20 to 30 napkins N in a stacked manner. In order to suppress upward bulging of the napkins N stacked in each storage section 21L, 21R, a weight member 40 is placed on each napkin N at the upper end in the stacking direction. In the following description, the napkin at the upper end in the stacking direction is referred to as napkin Nn.

[0046] 2 shows a state where no napkins N are stored in the left storage section 21L. Therefore, in FIG. 2, the push slider 30 is visible at the bottom of the left storage section 21L. On the other hand, the right storage section 21R shows a state where six napkins N are stored in a stack, with the weight member 40 placed on the topmost napkin Nn. Therefore, the push slider 30 at the bottom of the right storage section 21R is not visible. The weight member 40 has a weight equivalent to, for example, two or three napkins N.

[0047] Door units 50L, 50R are provided at positions facing the front of the bottom plate 24 of each of the storage sections 21L, 21R, respectively. When the front case 13 is closed, the left and right discharge openings 13L, 13R of the front case 13 face the front of each door unit 50L, 50R, respectively. When the front case 13 is closed, the discharge openings 13L, 13R are located at approximately the same height as the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage sections 21L, 21R.

[0048] That is, when the front case 13 is closed, each door unit 50L, 50R is disposed between the lower end of the storage section 21L, 21R and the discharge opening 13L, 13R of the front case 13. Each door unit 50L, 50R has a door 51 (FIG. 2) that is pushed open by the napkin N1. Since the left and right door units 50L, 50R have the same structure, the left door unit 50L will be described here as a representative, and a description of the right door unit 50R will be omitted.

[0049] The dispenser 10 having the above structure moves the push slider 30 forward in response to a valid provision request from a user, and discharges the lowest napkin N1 among the napkins N stored in the storage sections 21R, 21L through the door units 50L, 50R and from the discharge outlets 13L, 13R (Figure 1) of the front case 13.

[0050] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the push slider 30 provided at the bottom of the storage section 21L is a substantially rectangular plate. The push slider 30 has a vertical wall 32 protruding toward the upper surface 31 of the rear end 30R. The vertical wall 32 is provided across the entire width of the push slider 30 in the left-right direction. The vertical wall 32 has a flat pressing surface 32a extending in the up-down direction on its front surface. The pressing surface 32a is a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30. The height of the pressing surface 32a from the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 to the upper end of the vertical wall 32 is equal to or less than the thickness of one napkin N, and is preferably about 80% to 100% of the thickness of the napkin N. In addition, the vertical wall 32 has a curved surface 32b on its rear surface that bulges backward from the upper end of the pressing surface 32a.

[0051] The thickness of napkins N varies depending on the manufacturer. In the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the push slider 30 can be made replaceable so that multiple types of napkins N with different thicknesses can be handled. In other words, a push slider 30 having a vertical wall 32 with a protruding height according to the thickness of the napkin N can be selected and used. Alternatively, the vertical wall 32 may be made removable from the push slider 30, and a vertical wall 32 with a height according to the thickness of the napkin N may be selected and attached to the push slider 30.

[0052] The push slider 30 has a flat lower surface 33 that comes into surface contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the accommodation section 21L. The upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 is a cylindrical surface that is slightly inclined from its rear end side toward the tip 30F. The upper surface 31 and the lower surface 33 of the push slider 30 converge toward the tip 30F of the push slider 30 and are connected.

[0053] The push slider 30 has two racks 34L, 34R and a slide protrusion 35 on its lower surface 33. The push slider 30 includes a vertical wall 32, racks 34L, 34R, and slide protrusion 35, and can be integrally molded from resin. The racks 34L, 34R are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other on the left and right sides of the lower surface 33, and extend in the front-rear direction. The racks 34L, 34R have a plurality of teeth arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction. The length of the racks 34L, 34R in the front-rear direction is slightly shorter than the overall length of the push slider 30. The slide protrusion 35 is a protrusion having a substantially oval cylindrical shape, and is arranged between the two racks 34L, 34R and extends in the front-rear direction. The protruding height of the slide protrusion 35 from the lower surface 33 is slightly greater than the thickness of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L.

[0054] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a drive mechanism 60 for driving the push slider 30 back and forth is provided under the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L. The push slider 30 and the drive mechanism 60 are an example of a "sending mechanism" in the claims. The drive mechanism 60 has two pinions 62L, 62R (only the left pinion 62L is shown in Figs. 7 and 8) that are fixed coaxially and axially spaced from each other on a single rotating shaft 61 extending in the left-right direction, and a stepping motor 64 that rotates the rotating shaft 61 in both forward and reverse directions. As shown in Fig. 6, the pinions 62L, 62R are attached in a state where a part of them protrudes into the storage section 21L through slits 37L, 37R that are provided penetrating the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, respectively.

[0055] The bottom plate 24 of the accommodation section 21L to which the push slider 30 is attached has two slits 37L, 37R for partially receiving the pinions 62L, 62R of the drive mechanism 60 disposed below the bottom plate 24, and a slit 38 for receiving the slide protrusion 35 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The three slits 37L, 37R, 38 extend in the front-rear direction through the bottom plate 24. The slit 38 for receiving the slide protrusion 35 is provided between the slits 37L, 37R. The length of the slit 38 is sufficient so as not to impede the movement of the push slider 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0056] When attaching the push slider 30 to the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, the lower surface 33 of the push slider 30 is opposed to the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, and the slide protrusion 35 protruding from the lower surface 33 is inserted into the central slit 38 of the bottom plate 24. In this state, the lower surface 33 of the push slider 30 comes into contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L. Also, in this state, the pinions 62L, 62R of the drive mechanism 60 mesh with the two racks 34L, 34R protruding from the lower surface 33 of the push slider 30, respectively.

[0057] Thereafter, a plate 39 for preventing the push slider 30 from coming off is attached to the slide protrusion 35 of the push slider 30 from the outer surface 24b side of the bottom plate 24 of the accommodating section 21L. The width of the plate 39 in the left-right direction is greater than the width of the slit 38. Therefore, when the plate 39 is attached to the tip of the slide protrusion 35 in the protruding direction that protrudes toward the outer surface 24b side of the bottom plate 24 of the accommodating section 21L through the slit 38, the push slider 30 is prevented from coming off upward, and the push slider 30 is attached slidably to the bottom plate 24 of the accommodating section 21L.

[0058] The plate 39 has two pins 39a protruding from its upper surface. The plate 39 has an insertion hole 39b for inserting the screw 2 between the two pins 39a along the front-rear direction. The plate 39 also has two protrusions 39F, 39R protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from both ends in the front-rear direction. The protrusions 39F, 39R are detected by limit sensors 75F, 75R (FIG. 15) described later.

[0059] The slide protrusion 35 of the push slider 30 has two pin holes 35a that respectively receive two pins 39a of the plate 39. The slide protrusion 35 has two pin holes 35a along the front-rear direction, and has a screw hole 35b between these two pin holes 35a for screwing the screw 2.

[0060] When fixing the plate 39 to the slide protrusion 35, the two pins 39a of the plate 39 are inserted into the two pin holes 35a of the slide protrusion 35, respectively, and the plate 39 is aligned with the slide protrusion 35. Then, the screw 2 is inserted through the insertion hole 39b of the plate 39, which is coaxially overlapped with the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35, and screwed into the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35. As a result, the plate 39 is fastened and fixed to the slide protrusion 35.

[0061] In this state, when the stepping motor 64 is rotated to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R, the racks 34L, 34R meshed with the pinions 62L, 62R move back and forth, and the push slider 30 integrally equipped with the racks 34L, 34R moves back and forth. The movement of the push slider 30 in the back and forth direction is limited by the engagement of the slide protrusion 35 with the slit 38, and the push slider 30 can move between the standby position shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the ejection position shown in Figure 8. The limit sensor 75R detects that the push slider 30 is located at the standby position, and the limit sensor 75F detects that the push slider 30 is located at the ejection position.

[0062] For example, the push slider 30 disposed at the standby position shown in Fig. 7 moves forward (to the left in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L, 62R counterclockwise in Fig. 7. Then, when the limit sensor 75F detects the protrusion 39F at the tip of the slide protrusion 35 of the push slider 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L, 62R is stopped, and the push slider 30 is stopped at the ejection position shown in Fig. 8.

[0063] On the other hand, the push slider 30 disposed at the ejection position shown in Fig. 8 is moved backward (to the right in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L, 62R in the clockwise direction in Fig. 8. Then, when the limit sensor 75R detects the protrusion 39R at the rear end of the slide protrusion 35 of the push slider 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L, 62R is stopped, and the push slider 30 is stopped at the standby position shown in Fig. 7.

[0064] 6 and 7, the rear end 30R of the push slider 30 is inserted into the rectangular relief hole 26a provided in the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L. When the push slider 30 is placed in the standby position and the rear end 30R is inserted into the relief hole 26a, the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30 and the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L are arranged to be approximately flush with each other. In this way, by arranging the pressing surface 32a of the push slider 30 placed in the standby position to be flush with the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L, it is possible to prevent the napkin N stored in the storage section 21L from being caught on the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30.

[0065] The rear end 30R of the push slider 30 protruding rearward through the escape hole 26a of the rear plate 26 of the accommodation section 21L is disposed in a recess on the inner side of the lateral rib 18L provided on the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. In other words, the lateral ribs 18L, 18R of the rear case 12 are disposed at positions facing the escape holes 26a provided in the rear plate 26 of the accommodation sections 21L, 21R, respectively.

[0066] In addition, since the push slider 30 has a curved surface 32b on the rear side of the vertical wall 32, even if the vertical wall 32 comes into contact with the rear plate 26 when the push slider 30 moves rearward toward the rear standby position and the rear end 30R of the push slider 30 enters the escape hole 26a, the curved surface 32b slides against the edge of the escape hole 26a, thereby preventing the push slider 30 from getting caught in the escape hole 26a.

[0067] When the push slider 30 is moved forward from the standby position shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 to the discharge position shown in Fig. 8 while the napkins N are stored in the storage section 21L, the rear end of the napkin N1 at the bottom in the stacking direction, which is placed on the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30, is pushed forward by the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30. At this time, the second napkin N2 placed on the bottom napkin N1 is in a position above the moving path of the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32, and remains there without being moved forward. At this time, the leading end of the second napkin N2 abuts against the rear end of the case 52 of the door unit 50L, and its forward movement is restricted. Then, the front end of the napkin N1 pushes the door 51 of the door unit 50L to open the door 51, and in the state shown in FIG. 8 where the push slider 30 stops at the discharge position, the front end of the napkin N1 partially protrudes from the discharge opening 13L of the front case 13.

[0068] A user can pull out the napkin N1 from the storage section 21L by pinching and pulling the tip of the napkin N1 protruding from the discharge port 13L. At this time, the second napkin N2 overlapping the lowest napkin N1 pulled out by the user is supported from below by the upper end of the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30 and remains behind the door unit 50L. Therefore, even if a user holds the door 51 open using a tool or the like after pulling out the first napkin N1 and tries to illegally pull out the second napkin N2 through the discharge port 13L, the napkin N2 cannot be accessed.

[0069] After the user pulls out the napkin N1, the door 51 of the door unit 50L closes by its own weight. When the door 51 moves from the open position, the sensor output of the door sensor 55 (FIGS. 10 and 15) described later becomes bright, the pinions 62L and 62R rotate in the reverse direction, and the push slider 30 moves backward toward the standby position. When the push slider 30 returns to the standby position, the second napkin N2 supported from below by the vertical wall 32 falls by its own weight and rests on the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30. As a result, the rear end of the napkin N2 faces the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32. After that, by performing an operation similar to the discharge operation of the napkin N1 according to the user's request, the multiple napkins N stored in the storage section 21L can be provided one by one through the discharge port 13L.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 9, the door 51 of the door unit 50L is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The length of the door 51 is slightly larger than the left-right width of the napkin N, and the width of the door 51 in the short direction is slightly larger than the thickness of the napkin N. In this case, the thickness of the napkin N is assumed to be the thickness of the napkin N that is the thickest among commercially available napkins N. As shown in Fig. 2, the door unit 50L has a case 52 in the shape of a generally rectangular frame that is long in the left-right direction.

[0071] With the front case 13 in the closed position, the case 52 is in substantial contact with the inner surface 131a of the front wall 131 of the front case 13 so that the front opening 54F surrounds the outside of the discharge port 13L. The door 51 is attached at a position that opens and closes the rear opening 54R of the case 52, and fits with play inside the case 52. The case 52 is large enough to allow the napkin N to be inserted through the openings 54R and 54F.

[0072] Door 51 has a rotation shaft 53 extending in the longitudinal direction at a position offset toward one end side in the short side direction (the upper end side in the figure). Both ends of rotation shaft 53 protrude outward in the left-right direction slightly beyond the overall length of door 51. Case 52 rotatably holds rotation shaft 53 of door 51 near the upper end of rear opening 54R. Door 51 is freely rotatable about rotation shaft 53. In other words, door 51 is located in the closed position shown in FIG. 7 due to its own weight.

[0073] When the door 51 is placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 7, the rectangular opening 54R at the rear of the case 52 is mostly blocked. That is, in this state, the discharge port 13L of the front case 13 is blocked by the door 51. When the door 51 is pushed forward by the front end of the napkin N1 in the discharge direction and rotated to the open position shown in Fig. 8, the opening 54R of the case 52 is opened. That is, when the door 51 is pushed forward by the tip of the napkin N1 as shown in Fig. 8, it rotates around the rotation shaft 53 toward the open position, and after the napkin N1 is pulled out by the user, it rotates to the closed position shown in Fig. 7 by its own weight.

[0074] 10, a door sensor 55 for detecting that the door 51 has been rotated to the open position is provided on the case 52 of the door unit 50L. The door sensor 55 is fixed to a lower surface 58a of a substantially rectangular holding plate 58 that is disposed substantially horizontally and spaced apart above the case 52 by two support posts 57. In other words, the door sensor 55 is provided between the case 52 and the holding plate 58. The door sensor 55 has a light-emitting portion 55a, a light-receiving portion 55b, and a frame body 55c.

[0075] The door 51 that fits inside the case 52 has a protrusion 56 that is detected by the door sensor 55. The protrusion 56 protrudes substantially perpendicularly from the front surface 51a of the door 51. The case 52 has a slit-shaped insertion hole 52a through which the protrusion 56 passes when the door 51 is opened. The insertion hole 52a is located opposite to and between the light-emitting portion 55a and the light-receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55. As shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 56 of the door 51 that is inserted into the insertion hole 52a is disposed between the light-emitting portion 55a and the light-receiving portion 55b.

[0076] The frame 55c of the door sensor 55 has a substantially U-shaped cross section and holds the light emitting unit 55a and the light receiving unit 55b facing each other so that the light emitted from the light emitting unit 55a can be received by the light receiving unit 55b. The frame 55c holds the light emitting unit 55a and the light receiving unit 55b so that the optical axis of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 55a and received by the light receiving unit 55b is parallel to the left-right direction. The door sensor 55 is, for example, a photointerrupter. A limit switch (microswitch, contact type) can also be used as the door sensor 55.

[0077] 11, when the door 51 rotates from the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line to the open position indicated by the solid line, the protrusion 56 blocks the optical axis between the light-emitting portion 5a and the light-receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55. This causes the output of the door sensor 55 to become dark, and it is detected that the door 51 has been rotated to the open position. On the other hand, when the door 51 moves from the above-mentioned open position toward the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line, the protrusion 56 no longer blocks the optical axis of the door sensor 55, and the output of the door sensor 55 becomes bright, making it possible to detect that the door 51 has been rotated toward the closed position.

[0078] Since the frame 55c holding the light receiving portion 55b has a U-shaped cross section, is fixed to the lower surface 58a of the holding plate 58, and is disposed above the case 52, there is almost no undesired incidence of external light that may cause noise into the light receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55. To begin with, the door sensor 55 is disposed inside the housing 11 covered by the front case 13, and with the front case 13 closed relative to the rear case 12, there is an extremely low possibility that external light will be incident on the housing 11.

[0079] The only possibility is that external light may enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R of the front case 13, but since the case 52 of the door units 50L, 50R arranged behind the exhaust ports 13L, 13R is cylindrical with a length in the front-to-rear direction and the door 51 is provided at the opening 54R located rearward away from the exhaust ports 13L, 13R, the structure makes it difficult for external light to enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R even when the door 51 is rotated to the open position.

[0080] 1, for example, the dispenser 10 is attached above a toilet paper roll attached to the wall 1 of a toilet stall, and is disposed at eye level of a user sitting on the toilet seat. Therefore, even if the toilet door is open and external light enters the stall, it is unlikely that the external light will be directed diagonally upward through the outlets 13L and 13R, and it is extremely unlikely that the external light will enter the light receiving unit 55b of the door sensor 55.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 12, an inventory sensor 27 is attached to an inner surface 122a of a top wall 122 of the rear case 12 above the storage section 21L. The inventory sensor 27 is an example of a "remaining amount detection section" in the claims, and has a light-emitting section 27a that emits light substantially downward toward the uppermost napkin Nn in the stacking direction stored in the storage section 21L (or the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40), and a light-receiving section 27b that receives light reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 (or the napkin Nn). The inventory sensor 27 has the light-emitting section 27a and the light-receiving section 27b arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0082] The inventory sensor 27 detects the time from when light is emitted from the light-emitting unit 27a until it is reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 and received by the light-receiving unit 27b, and calculates the optical path length of the light based on this time to detect the height position of the weight member 40. This makes it possible to detect the inventory number of napkins N stored in the storage section 21L with high accuracy. Even if the weight member 40 is not present, the inventory number can also be detected by detecting the light reflected by the surface of the napkin Nn at the top end in the stacking direction.

[0083] 13, the weight member 40 has a reflector 42, a beam portion 44, and left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R. The weight member 40 can be formed, for example, by integral molding of resin. The weight member 40 itself has a weight equivalent to two or three napkins N, and the weight can be changed by attaching at least one weight plate (weight) (not shown).

[0084] The reflector 42 is a flat, substantially rectangular plate-like portion having a uniform thickness, and has a flat upper surface 42a that functions as a "substantially horizontal reflecting surface" in the claims. With the weight member 40 placed on the uppermost napkin Nn of the napkins N stacked on the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 at the bottom of the storage section 21L, the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 is disposed substantially horizontally. It is desirable that the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 is white in order to increase the reflectance of light.

[0085] The reflector 42 is a generally rectangular plate whose front-to-back length is slightly longer than its left-to-right width, and has four chamfered corners. The reflector 42 may have any shape or size, but it must have a shape and size that allows it to move up and down inside the storage section 21L with its top surface 42a positioned horizontally. Therefore, in this embodiment, the reflector 42 is made sufficiently smaller than the horizontal plane that crosses the internal space of the storage section 21L.

[0086] The beam portion 44 has a length exceeding the width of the reflector 42 in the left-right direction, and is integrally connected to the lower surface 42b side of the reflector 42. The length of the beam portion 44 is slightly shorter than the width of the storage section 21L in the left-right direction. The beam portion 44 is a portion extending in the width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the napkins N when the weight member 40 is attached to the storage section 21L (for example, the state shown in FIG. 14), and has a long, approximately rectangular prism shape extending in the left-right direction. The beam portion 44 is connected to the center of the reflector 42 in the front-rear direction. The upper surface 44a of the beam portion 44 is disposed flush with the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42. In other words, the upper surface 44a of the beam portion 44 is disposed on the same plane as the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42.

[0087] The beam portion 44 has two slit-shaped recesses 45L, 45R (mounting recesses) on the left and right for mounting a weight plate (not shown) in cooperation with recesses 48 of the fitting portions 46L, 46R described later. The recesses 45L, 45R are provided on the upper surface 44a side of the beam portion 44 on the left and right outer sides of the reflector 42. The outer ends of the two recesses 45L, 45R are each connected to the recess 48.

[0088] The two fitting portions 46L, 46R have a symmetrical structure with respect to the reflector 42. For example, the left fitting portion 46L has a bottom plate portion 461 having a uniform thickness arranged parallel to the reflector 42, a side plate portion 462 extending upward from the left end of the bottom plate portion 461, and a mounting portion 463 having two slit-shaped recesses 47 (mounting recesses) for mounting two weight plates. The right fitting portion 46R, which is symmetrical, is given the same reference numeral and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0089] The bottom plate portion 461 is a generally rectangular plate that is long in the front-rear direction and has a uniform thickness in the up-down direction, and the bottom surface 44b near the left end of the beam portion 44 is connected to its top surface 46a at the center in the front-rear direction. The thickness of the bottom plate portion 461 is at least thicker than the thickness between the top surface 31 and the bottom surface 33 of the push slider 30 described above. In other words, between the bottom surface 46b of the bottom plate portion 461 and the bottom surface 44b of the beam portion 44, there is a step of a thickness that can receive the push slider 30 in a non-contact state. The bottom surface 46b of the bottom plate portion 461 is an example of a "first bottom surface" in the claims, and the bottom surface 44b of the beam portion 44 is an example of a "second bottom surface" in the claims.

[0090] The side plate portion 462 is a substantially rectangular plate having a uniform thickness, has the same front-to-rear length as the bottom plate portion 461, and extends upward perpendicular to the upper surface 46a of the bottom plate portion 461. The front-to-rear length of the bottom plate portion 461 and the side plate portion 462 is slightly shorter than the front-to-rear width of the storage portion 21L, i.e., the distance between the rear plate 26 of the storage portion 21L and the locking pieces 23L, 23R. In addition, the left-to-right length between the left side surface 46c of the side plate portion 462 of the left fitting portion 46L and the right side surface 46d of the side plate portion 462 of the right fitting portion 46R, i.e., the left-to-right width of the weight member 40, is slightly shorter than the distance between the left and right partition plates 22L, 22R of the storage portion 21L.

[0091] 2, for example, with the weight member 40 placed on a plurality of napkins N stacked on the push slider 30, the left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R fit into the storage portion 21L with a small gap therebetween. More specifically, with the weight member 40 attached inside the storage portion 21L, the left side surface 46c of the side plate portion 462 of the left fitting portion 46L faces closely and parallel to the inner surface 22a of the left partition plate 22L of the storage portion 21L, and the right side surface 46d of the side plate portion 462 of the right fitting portion 46R faces closely and parallel to the inner surface 22a of the right partition plate 22R of the storage portion 21L.

[0092] In this state, the rear end of the bottom plate portion 461 and the rear end of the side plate portion 462 of the fitting portions 46L, 46R are adjacent to the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage portion 21L with a small gap therebetween, and the front end of the bottom plate portion 461 and the front end of the side plate portion 462 are adjacent to the inner surface 23a of the locking pieces 23L, 23R with a small gap therebetween. Therefore, the weight member 40 attached in the storage portion 21L is in a state in which it cannot move in the horizontal direction and cannot tilt, and the upper surface 42a of the reflecting plate 42 can be kept approximately horizontal when the weight member 40 moves in the vertical direction.

[0093] The mounting portion 463 is formed in a rectangular block shape by connecting the upper surface 46a of the bottom plate portion 461 and the right side surface 46e of the side plate portion 462. The length of the mounting portion 463 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the lengths of the bottom plate portion 461 and the side plate portion 462 in the front-rear direction. The two recesses 47 are provided on the upper surface 46f side of the mounting portion 463 in front and rear of the beam portion 44. That is, the two recesses 47 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0094] Furthermore, at the center of the mounting portion 463 in the front-rear direction, there is a recess 48 extending in the left-right direction that is connected to the recess 45L on the left side of the beam portion 44 described above. The recess 48 can receive one weight plate in cooperation with the recess 45L of the beam portion 44. Thus, the weight member 40 can mount up to six weight plates.

[0095] 14 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the bottom of the storage unit 21L immediately after the user pulls out the last napkin Nn stored in the storage unit 21L from the discharge opening 13L. After the user pulls out the last napkin Nn, there is no napkin N between the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 and the weight member 40, and the weight member 40 is in the closest position to the push slider 30. Immediately after the last napkin Nn is pulled out, the push slider 30 is located at the forwardmost discharge position indicated by the solid line in FIG.

[0096] Thereafter, the push slider 30 moves backward from the discharge position shown by the solid line in the figure to the standby position shown by the dashed line in the figure based on detection via the door sensor 55 that the door 50 has moved from the open position to the closed position. For this reason, the weight member 40 needs to have a shape that does not interfere with the push slider 30 while it moves downward toward the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 in the discharge position and backward toward the standby position after the last napkin Nn has been pulled out. Below, a structure for preventing the weight member 40 from interfering with the push slider 30 after the last napkin Nn has been pulled out will be described.

[0097] 14, the lower surfaces 46b of the bottom plate portions 461 of the left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R of the weight member 40 are in surface contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the accommodation portion 21L at positions outside in the left-right direction of the push slider 30 in the ejection position. In this state, there is a gap between the right end of the bottom plate portion 461 of the left fitting portion 46L and the left end of the push slider 30, and there is a gap between the left end of the bottom plate portion 461 of the right fitting portion 46R and the right end of the push slider 30, and the left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R and the push slider 30 are in a non-contact state.

[0098] In this state, the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 and the lower surface 44b of the beam portion 44 of the weight member 40 are not in contact with each other. As described above, there is a step between the lower surface 44b of the beam portion 44 of the weight member 40 and the lower surface 46b of the bottom plate portion 461 of the left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R, the step being larger than the thickness of the push slider 30. Therefore, when the lower surfaces 46b of the bottom plate portions 461 of the left and right fitting portions 46L, 46R are in contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the accommodation portion 21L, the lower surface 44b of the beam portion 44 is spaced apart and not in contact with the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30.

[0099] 14, the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30 and the weight member 40 are not in contact with each other. That is, in this state, the beam portion 44 of the weight member 40 is disposed in a positional relationship spaced forward from the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 14, the upper end of the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30 and the lower surface 42b of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 are spaced apart in the vertical direction and are not in contact with each other. There is also a step between the lower surface 42b of the reflector 42 and the lower surface 44b of the beam portion 44, and this step is larger than the protruding height of the vertical wall 32 from the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30.

[0100] Furthermore, by arranging the push slider 30 and the weight member 40 in a non-contact state in the ejection position as described above, the push slider 30 can be kept in a non-contact state with respect to the weight member 40 even when the push slider 30 moves to the standby position shown by the dashed line in the figure.

[0101] By attaching a reflective inventory sensor 27 above the storage section 21L, the number of napkins N in stock can be accurately detected. By using the reflective inventory sensor 27, the optical path length can be calculated from the time from emitting light to receiving reflected light, and half of this optical path length can be detected as the distance from the inventory sensor 27 to the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42. Therefore, the number of napkins taken out can be accurately detected from the difference in the optical path length changed by taking out the napkins N. Therefore, according to this embodiment, if the napkins N are taken out illegally without going through the normal procedure, it is possible to reliably detect such illegality, and the napkins N can be reliably provided to the users who wish to use them.

[0102] Furthermore, by attaching the inventory sensor 27 at this position, it is not necessary to place sensors adjacent to the storage section 21L in the front-rear and left-right directions, and the size of the dispenser 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions can be reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, in the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L has an escape hole 26a that receives the rear end 30R of the push slider 30, and the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has horizontal ribs 18L, 18R, so that the front-to-rear size of the housing 11 can be reduced while ensuring sufficient stroke of the push slider 30 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0104] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 of this embodiment has a space below the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L for arranging the drive mechanism 60 that drives the push slider 30, so that the dimensions of the housing 11 in the front-rear and left-right directions can be reduced.

[0105] In this way, by making the depth size of the housing 11 as thin as possible, it is possible to secure a sufficient space in the limited toilet, particularly between the user sitting on the toilet seat and the dispenser 10. As a result, the user does not feel particularly oppressed even when using the toilet in which the dispenser 10 is installed.

[0106] In addition, in the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the operating noise of the stepping motor 64 of the drive mechanism 60 is very small, so even when the stepping motor 64 is operating when the napkin N is discharged from the dispenser 10, the operating noise is barely audible, so that a person in an adjacent cubicle will not notice that the dispenser 10 is being used.

[0107] Next, the electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The dispenser 10 includes, as electronic circuits, a CPU 70 , a recording medium reading unit 72 , a communication unit 74 , a memory 76 , and a storage device 78 , all of which are connected to one another via a bus 71 .

[0108] The dispenser 10 includes a display 4, a human sensor 6, a user information reader 8, an inventory sensor 27, a door sensor 55, and limit sensors 75F and 75R, all of which are connected by a bus 71. There are two sets of the inventory sensor 27, the door sensor 55, and the limit sensors 75F and 75R, each corresponding to one of the two storage sections 21L and 21R, but only one set is shown here for the sake of simplicity.

[0109] The memory 76 stores a control program 76a and has a writable data area 76b.

[0110] The communication unit 74 can communicate with the management server 300, an advertisement server (not shown), and the like, via a communication network 100 such as the Internet.

[0111] The control program 76a is a program for controlling the overall operation of the dispenser 10, and may be stored in advance in the memory 76, or may be read from an external recording medium 73 such as a memory card via the recording medium reading unit 72 and stored in the memory 76. The control program 76a cannot be rewritten by a user. On the other hand, the writable data area 76b is an area for storing rewritable data.

[0112] The CPU 70 is a computer, and controls the operation of each part of the circuit according to a control program 76 a stored in a memory 76 .

[0113] The storage device 78 is, for example, a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD), and has a video data storage unit 79.

[0114] The video data storage unit 79 stores advertisements from sponsors, video data for explaining how to use the dispenser 10, and / or image data that is a still image.

[0115] The video data and image data are displayed via the display 4. The display time of the video data and image data is set to about two minutes each time the user enters the toilet cubicle, and is not displayed for longer than that. This prevents the user from becoming engrossed in gazing at the video data and image data displayed on the display 4 and staying in the toilet for too long. The display time of the video data and image data is not limited to two minutes, and may be set to be constantly displayed while the user is in the cubicle, for example.

[0116] For effective display within two minutes, the length of the video data or image data is set to, for example, about 15 seconds. Also, the types of video data or image data are set to, for example, about two types, such as advertisement and instructions on how to use the dispenser 10. That is, when video data or image data is displayed on the display 4, two types of video data or image data, each of which is about 15 seconds long, are displayed repeatedly within the two minutes.

[0117] When new video data or image data is to be registered in the video data storage unit 79, the external recording medium 73 on which the new video data or image data is recorded is read by the recording medium reading unit 72, and the data is written to the video data storage unit 79. Alternatively, the communication unit 74 may obtain video data or image data from the management server 300, an advertisement server (not shown), or the like, via a communication network 100 such as the Internet, and the obtained video data or image data may be written to the video data storage unit 79.

[0118] 1, the display 4, the human presence sensor 6, and the user information reading unit 8 are provided on the front wall 131 of the front case 13. The human presence sensor 6 and the user information reading unit 8 are provided integrally as a sensor unit .

[0119] The human presence sensor 6 is realized by, for example, an infrared sensor, which detects a user entering a toilet stall and outputs a detection signal A. The output detection signal A is sent to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0120] In response to the detection signal A being sent to the memory 76, the control program 76a starts displaying the video data and image data stored in the video data storage unit 79 on the display 4. In addition, the control program 76a may use the communication unit 74 to receive advertising video data and image data distributed from an advertising server (not shown) via the communication network 100, and start displaying the received advertising video data and image data on the display 4.

[0121] In this way, since the dispenser 10 can display advertisements on the display 4, a business providing napkins N through the dispenser 10 can implement a business model in which the business solicits advertising sponsors, earns advertising revenue by displaying advertisements on the display 4, purchases napkins N with a portion of the revenue, and continues to provide napkins N free of charge to users by repeating this cycle of refilling the dispenser 10. The display 4 can also display a status bar that displays the model number of the napkins N in addition to advertisements. The information such as the model number displayed in this status bar can be obtained from a database that stores data on the napkins N used in each facility where the dispenser 10 is installed. In addition, various notices can also be displayed in the status bar.

[0122] Next, an example of a method for a user to request the dispenser 10 to provide a napkin N will be described.

[0123] The method by which a user makes a request C for a napkin N to the dispenser 10 is not particularly limited in this specification, but for example, the user can make the request by inputting user information from the user information reading unit 8 (reading method), or by installing a dedicated app AP on a user device 151 such as a smartphone and using this dedicated app AP via the management server 300 (app method).

[0124] First, the method of requesting provision C of napkins N using the reading method will be described below.

[0125] When making a request C for napkins N by the reading method, the user can input user information from the user information reading unit 8 by either the contactless method or the contact method.

[0126] An example of contactless user information input is application of NFC technology. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is an NFC-compatible receiver, and the user holds an NFC-compatible card 150 (e.g., a transportation card, an identification card such as an employee ID or a student ID, a credit card, an IC card such as a cash card) or a user device 151 (e.g., a smartphone) over the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 reads information j (e.g., a card number, a device number, etc.) from the NFC-compatible card 150 or the user device 151. The user information reading unit 8 outputs the read information j as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71. In this way, when the NFC technology is applied, it can be used not only with the NFC-compatible card 150 but also with the user device 151 such as a smartphone.

[0127] Another example of a contactless method for inputting user information is the application of wireless technology such as a beacon or RFID. When a beacon is used, the user information reading unit 8 is a beacon receiver, and the user brings the beacon device 152, which transmits the beacon identification information ID, close to the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 receives the beacon identification information ID, and outputs the received beacon identification information ID to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0128] When RFID is used, the user information reading unit 8 is an RFID reader, and the user brings the RFID tag 153 close to the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 receives the RFID identification information id, and outputs the received RFID identification information id as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0129] Yet another example of the contactless method is the use of a QR code (registered trademark) 154. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a QR code reader, and the user causes the user information reading unit 8 to read the QR code 154 in which predetermined information is embedded. Then, the user information reading unit 8 acquires the predetermined information q from the QR code 154, and outputs this predetermined information q to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0130] Another example of the non-contact method is the use of biometric authentication. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a biometric authentication device. The biometric authentication device authenticates biometric information r of the user U and outputs the authenticated biometric information r to the memory 76 as user information uj. Examples of the biometric information r include fingerprints, palm shapes, retinas, irises, faces, and vein patterns. For example, when facial authentication information is used as the biometric information r, the user information reading unit 8 is a facial authentication device, and the user U turns his or her face toward the user information reading unit 8. Then, the user information reading unit 8 acquires facial feature information and outputs the facial feature information to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0131] On the other hand, an example of user information input using the contact method is the use of a magnetic card 155. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a magnetic reader, and the user causes the magnetic card 155 to be read by the user information reading unit 8. Then, the user information reading unit 8 obtains magnetic information p, such as a card number, from the magnetic card 155, and outputs this magnetic information p to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0132] Another example of the contact method is the use of fingerprint information. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a fingerprint reader, and the user U places his / her finger on the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 then reads fingerprint information v and outputs the fingerprint information v as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0133] Another example of the contact method is the use of an NFC-incompatible IC card. In the case of a NFC-incompatible IC card 156, since information cannot be read in a contactless manner, the user information reading unit 8 is an IC card reader, and the user causes the user information reading unit 8 to read card information w, such as a card number, stored in the IC card. The user information reading unit 8 outputs this card information w as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0134] When the user information uj is output to the memory 76, the control program 76a recognizes the user information uj as a provision request C.

[0135] Next, a method for making a request C for provision of napkins N by an application will be described below.

[0136] When making a request C for providing a napkin N using the application method, the user must first install a dedicated application AP on his / her user device 151 such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0137] There is no particular limitation on the method of installing the dedicated application AP, but for example, a business providing napkins N through the dispenser 10 notifies the user by attaching a sticker on which information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode) indicating a site (e.g., a management server 300) for downloading the dedicated application AP is printed to the housing 11, or by displaying information indicating this site on the display 4. Following this notification, the user accesses the site using his / her user device 151, downloads the dedicated application AP, and installs it.

[0138] After the dedicated application AP is installed, the user performs user registration by inputting user information uj from the user device 151 in accordance with the dedicated application AP, and can then request the provision of napkins N. In response to this request, a provision request C is generated in the management server 300 of the dedicated application based on the user information uj, and the generated provision request C is transmitted via the communication network 100, received by the communication unit 74, and output to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0139] The control program 76a judges the validity of the supply request C. To this end, the control program 76a first outputs the supply request C together with the dispenser identification information d assigned to the dispenser 10 from the communication unit 74 via the communication network 100 to the management server 300 and stores them.

[0140] The supply request C is output from all dispensers 10 to the management server 300 together with the dispenser identification information d in this manner. As described above, the supply request C includes the user information uj. Also, as will be described later, when the dispenser 10 correctly supplies the napkin N in response to the supply request C, the control program 76a transmits OK information indicating that the napkin has been supplied to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0141] On the other hand, if the control program 76a determines that the provision request C is invalid, or if the napkin N is not provided due to a malfunction of the dispenser 10, the control program 76a sends NG information indicating non-provision to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0142] Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the management server 300 can manage a history information table 310 that accumulates a record R consisting of the time t at which a supply request C was sent, user information uj corresponding to the supply request C, dispenser identification information d of the dispenser 10 that sent the request, and a status sa indicating whether the request has been provided or not.

[0143] The control program 76a accesses the management server 300 via the communication unit 74, and refers to the history information table 310 managed in the management server 300 to determine the validity of the provision request C.

[0144] The criteria for determining validity are not limited to, but may be, for example, if a predetermined time (e.g., 2 hours) or more has passed since the user who made the request C was last provided with a napkin N, the request is determined to be valid (first criterion), and / or, if the number of napkins N provided to this user within a predetermined period (e.g., the past month) has not reached a predetermined number, the request is determined to be valid (second criterion).

[0145] Regardless of which of these criteria is adopted, the control program 76a refers to the history information table 310 managed in the management server 300 to determine the validity of the supply request C. For example, the record R related to the user information uj related to the supply request C is extracted from the history information table 310, and further narrowed down to records R whose status sa is "OK". By referring to this narrowed down record R, the time when the napkin N was most recently provided to this user and the number of napkins N provided in the past month can be ascertained, so that the control program 76a can determine the validity of the supply request C.

[0146] A specific example in which the control program 76a determines whether the latest supply request C satisfies the first criterion will be described below with reference to Fig. 16. In this example, the predetermined time used as the first criterion is two hours.

[0147] 16, record R115 is the latest provision request C. Record R115 indicates that the user information uj is "B2346" and the time t at the time of the request is "20240104142341", that is, 14:23:41 on Jan. 4, 2024.

[0148] 16, the record in which the user information uj is "B2346" and the status is "OK" is record R107. Therefore, the time when the user who made the request in record R115 most recently received a napkin N from the dispenser 10 is the time t recorded in record R107.

[0149] The time t of record R107 is "20240104093529", that is, 9:35:29 AM on January 4, 2024.

[0150] The time t indicated by record R115 is 4 hours 48 seconds 12 seconds after the time t indicated by record R107, which is more than the predetermined time of 2 hours. Therefore, the control program 76a determines that the provision request C of record R115 satisfies the first criterion.

[0151] In addition, since it is believed that the above specific explanation will make it possible to understand how to determine whether or not the second judgment criterion is met, an explanation using specific examples for determining whether or not the second judgment criterion is met will be omitted.

[0152] If it is determined that the supply request C is valid, the control program 76a outputs a drive command to either the stepping motor 64 of the container 21L or the stepping motor 64 of the container 21R.

[0153] Normally, the control program 76a outputs drive commands alternately to the stepping motor 64 of the right system and the stepping motor 64 of the left system in order to alternately discharge napkins N from the discharge outlet 13R of the right system and the discharge outlet 13L of the left system. That is, if a drive command was output to the stepping motor 64 of the right storage unit 21R in response to the previous provision request C and napkins N were discharged from the discharge outlet 13R, the control program 76a outputs a drive command to the stepping motor 64 of the left storage unit 21L in response to the current provision request C in order to discharge napkins N from the discharge outlet 13L.

[0154] However, as described below, when a malfunction such as clogging occurs in any of the systems, the control program 76a outputs a drive command only to the stepping motor 64 of the system that is operating normally until the malfunction is resolved. This provides redundancy to the dispenser 10 in that, even if a malfunction occurs in one system, the dispenser 10 can continue to discharge napkins N from the other system that is not malfunctioning, thereby allowing the dispenser 10 to continue providing service.

[0155] For example, when a drive command is output to the stepping motor 64 of the left system, the control program 76a drives the left stepping motor 64 to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R of the left drive mechanism 60 in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7). As a result, the push slider 30 disposed in the standby position starts moving forward. When the push slider 30 moves from the standby position, the output of the limit sensor 75R changes from dark to light, and the control program 76a recognizes that the discharge of the napkin N1 has started.

[0156] After driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a continues to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the forward direction until the output of the limit sensor 75F becomes dark, and at the point in time when the output of the limit sensor 75F becomes dark, stops the stepping motor 64. The control program 76a recognizes that the discharge of the napkin N1 is completed based on the change in the output of the limit sensor 75F from light to dark.

[0157] In this state (the state shown in FIG. 8), the user receives the napkin N1 by pinching the tip of the napkin N1 protruding from the discharge outlet 13L and pulling out the napkin N1. When the napkin N1 is pulled out from the discharge outlet 13L, the door 51 rotates to the closed position by its own weight, and the output of the door sensor 55 changes from dark to light. Based on the change in the output of the door sensor 55 from dark to light, the control program 76a recognizes that the napkin N1 has been pulled out from the discharge outlet 13L by the user.

[0158] Thereafter, the control program 76a drives the left stepping motor 64 to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R of the left drive mechanism 60 in the reverse direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 8). After driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a continues to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the reverse direction until the output of the limit sensor 75R becomes dark, and stops the stepping motor 64 at the point in time when the output of the limit sensor 75R becomes dark.

[0159] The control program 76a recognizes that the dispensing of the napkin N1 has been completed successfully based on the output of the door sensor 55 changing from dark to light, and transmits the dispenser identification information d and OK information from the communication unit 74 to the management server 300 via the communication network 100.

[0160] The management server 300 receives the dispenser identification information d and the OK information, and writes "OK" in the status sa of the latest record R (that is, blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0161] If the napkin N1 is discharged correctly, the operation is as described above.

[0162] Next, a case where the napkin N1 is not discharged correctly will be described.

[0163] For example, if the door sensor 55 remains light while the limit sensor 75F becomes dark after the left stepping motor 64 is driven to rotate the pinions 62L and 62R in the forward direction, the control program 76a determines that a discharge abnormality has occurred due to a jam of the napkin N1 or the like.

[0164] Normally, immediately after driving the stepping motor 64, the leading edge of the napkin N1 pushes the door 51 to rotate to the open position, and the door sensor 55 goes dark. However, if the door sensor 55 remains lighted and the limit sensor 75F goes dark after driving the stepping motor 64, this means that the door 51 has not rotated to the open position even though the push slider 30 has moved to the discharge position.

[0165] In such a case, the control program 76a determines that an abnormality has occurred in the discharge of the napkin N1, stops driving the stepping motor 64, and instead discharges the napkin N1 from the other system, while notifying the maintenance worker that an abnormality has occurred in the discharge. In response to this, the maintenance worker goes to the target dispenser 10 and takes appropriate recovery measures.

[0166] Alternatively, if the limit sensor 75F becomes dark while the door sensor 55 remains light after driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a drives the stepping motor 64 in the reverse direction to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the reverse direction, and returns the push slider 30 to the standby position. Then, after the limit sensor 75R becomes dark, the control program 76a rotates the pinions 62L, 62R in the forward direction again to move the push slider 30 toward the discharge position, and retries discharging the napkin N1.

[0167] If the napkin N1 is normally discharged from the other system, or if the napkin N1 is normally discharged after a retry, the control program 76a sends the dispenser identification information d and OK information to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74, and in response, the management server 300 writes ``OK'' in the status sa of the latest record (i.e., blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0168] If the napkin N1 is not normally discharged from the other system, or if the napkin N1 is not normally discharged after a retry, that is, if the napkin N1 cannot be normally discharged from either of the two systems, the control program 76a transmits the dispenser identification information d and NG information to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0169] In response to this, the management server 300 writes "NG" in the status sa of the latest record (that is, blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0170] Next, inventory management of the napkins N in the storage sections 21L and 21R will be described.

[0171] When the napkins N are normally discharged from the storage units 21L, 21R, the inventory of the napkins N stored in the storage units 21L, 21R is decreased. The dispenser 10 is provided with an inventory sensor 27 for grasping the inventory of the napkins N in the storage units 21L, 21R. The inventory sensor 27 is provided in each of the storage units 21L, 21R.

[0172] The inventory sensor 27 has a light-emitting unit 27a and a light-receiving unit 27b. Light emitted from the light-emitting unit 27a is reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 and received by the light-receiving unit 27b. The inventory sensor 27 outputs a detection signal M based on the time from when the light is emitted from the light-emitting unit 27a to when the light is received by the light-receiving unit 27b.

[0173] For example, when one napkin N is discharged from storage section 21L and the inventory number decreases by one, weight member 40 moves down by the thickness of napkin N. In this case, the optical path length of the light emitted from light-emitting section 27a, reflected by upper surface 42a of reflecting plate 42 of weight member 40, and received by light-receiving section 27b becomes approximately twice the thickness of napkin N. Control program 76a calculates the change in the optical path length based on detection signal M, and can detect that one napkin N has been discharged.

[0174] The control program 76a can display the thus determined number of napkins N in stock for each of the storage sections 21L and 21R on the display 4. The control program 76a can also notify the management server 300 of the number of napkins N in stock for each of the storage sections 21L and 21R via the communication section 74.

[0175] In response to this, for example, when there is a dispenser 10 having storage units 21L, 21R with an inventory quantity falling below 2 or 3, the management server 300 can request the inventory replenishment worker to replenish the dispenser 10 with napkins N. Also, the control program 76a can request the inventory replenishment worker via the communication unit 74 to replenish the dispenser 10 with napkins N.

[0176] In response to this, an inventory replenishment worker goes to this dispenser 10, unlocks the lock 15, opens the front case 13, and replenishes the storage sections 21L and 21R with napkins N. Then, when replenishment is completed, the worker closes the front case 13 and locks the lock 15. This allows the supply service of napkins N to continue for users who want them.

[0177] As described above, the supplementary napkins N can be purchased using a portion of the advertising revenue obtained from the advertising sponsor in response to the advertisements displayed on the display 4.

[0178] As described above, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment can provide the user with the napkins N free of charge, which is very useful for users who do not have any napkins N, for example, when their period starts unexpectedly.

[0179] Moreover, the napkin N provided is stored in the housing 11 before being provided and is not touched by an unspecified number of people, so the user can use the provided napkin N with peace of mind.

[0180] In addition, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment does not provide an unlimited number of napkins N in response to a request from a user, but provides them only after confirming the validity of the request. Therefore, a large amount of napkins N is not taken away at once, and the stock is always managed to be sufficient, so that napkins N can be reliably provided to users who really need them.

[0181] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment has been devised in various ways from the viewpoint of hardware design as described below.

[0182] For example, the dispenser 10 uses a stepping motor 64 as a power source for dispensing the napkins N, thereby realizing quiet operation, so that the user can use the dispenser 10 without being noticed by people outside the toilet stall.

[0183] In addition, the dispenser 10 has a stepping motor 64 disposed below the storage sections 21L, 21R, an inventory sensor 27 disposed above the storage sections 21L, 21R, and the rear plate 26 of the storage sections 21L, 21R has an escape hole 26a for receiving the rear end 30R of the push slider 30, so that the dispenser 10 can be made thin, and a user can use the toilet and the dispenser 10 without feeling a sense of oppression even when entering a private room of a toilet in which the dispenser 10 is installed.

[0184] In addition, the dispenser 10 has two outlets 13L, 13R for discharging napkins N, and if it becomes impossible to remove the napkin N from one outlet, the napkin N can be discharged from the other outlet. This means that there is an extremely high probability that the user will be able to receive the napkin N, and the napkin N can be provided with high reliability.

[0185] In addition, the dispenser 10 discharges the napkin N1 by pushing the rear end of the napkin N1 in the discharge direction with the flat pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 at the rear end 30R of the push slider 30. Therefore, even if the accumulated posture of the napkins N in the storage sections 21L, 21R is distorted, the rear end of the napkin N1 can be aligned in a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction, the discharge posture of the napkin N1 can be stabilized, and clogging of the napkin N1, which may cause the napkin N1 to be unable to be discharged, can be suppressed.

[0186] In addition, since the dispenser 10 is equipped with a drive mechanism 60 that drives the push slider 30 using a rack and pinion mechanism, there is no need to apply frictional force to the napkin N to discharge it, as in a mechanism that discharges the napkin N by contacting a discharge roller with the napkin N, and stable discharge is possible regardless of the outer packaging material of the napkin N.

[0187] In addition, the dispenser 10 is equipped with door units 50L, 50R behind the discharge outlets 13L, 13R of the front case 13, and the door units 50L, 50R are equipped with doors 51 that open and close the rear opening 54R of the rectangular frame-shaped case 52. Therefore, even if someone tries to illegally remove napkins N through the discharge outlets 13L, 13R, the door 51 is difficult to see and open, which is expected to have the effect of preventing such illegal acts.

[0188] In addition, the dispenser 10 is designed so that when the user pulls out the napkin N1 discharged from the discharge outlets 13L, 13R and the door 51 closes under its own weight, the push slider 30 moves from the discharge position to the standby position. Therefore, if the user leaves the door 51 open in an attempt to illegally remove the next napkin N2 after pulling out the napkin N1, the push slider 30 will remain stopped at the discharge position, and the napkin N2 resting on the vertical wall 32 of the push slider 30 will not be able to be removed.

[0189] Further, the dispenser 10 includes a door sensor 55 for detecting the opening and closing of the door 51 above the door units 50L and 50R having the door 51 for opening and closing the outlets 13L and 13R, and therefore the light receiving unit 55b of the door sensor 55 is located above the outlets 13L and 13R. Therefore, even if the door of the toilet in which the dispenser 10 is installed is open and external light enters the housing 11 through the outlets 13L and 13R, it is possible to prevent a malfunction in which the external light enters the light receiving unit 55b and the door 51 is erroneously detected as being in the closed position.

[0190] If external light is incident on the light receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55 and the door 51 is erroneously detected as being in the closed position even though it is open, the door sensor 55 will erroneously determine that the napkin N discharged through the discharge openings 13L and 13R has been pulled out by the user, and will move the push slider 30 backward toward the standby position. In this case, the next napkin N will be placed on the upper surface 31 of the push slider 30 in the standby position, and the next napkin N will be accessible through the open door 51, allowing the napkin N to be taken out illegally. Therefore, it is effective from the viewpoint of preventing fraud to place the door sensor 55 above the discharge openings 13L and 13R as in this embodiment.

[0191] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 has a structure that prevents external light from entering the light receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55. That is, the door sensor 55 is attached to the outside of the case 52 of the door units 50L and 50R, and the case 52 is configured in a frame shape surrounding the outside of the discharge ports 13L and 13R, so that external light that may enter the door sensor 55 is blocked by the case 52. In addition, since the door sensor 55 is fixed to the lower surface 58a of the holding plate 58 that is horizontally arranged above the case 52 and spaced apart, even if there is external light that enters the housing 11 and is diffusely reflected, the external light can be blocked by the holding plate 58. Furthermore, the door sensor 55 has a frame body 55c that holds the light emitting portion 55a and the light receiving portion 55b in a state where they are opposed to each other, so that the frame body 55c can block external light that enters the light receiving portion 55b.

[0192] Therefore, according to the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the napkins N from being taken out unlimitedly, and it is possible to reliably provide the napkins N to users who wish to use them.

[0193] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. The embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiment includes various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from the multiple components disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the effect can be obtained even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, the configuration from which the components are deleted can be extracted as an invention. The invention as described in the claims of the original application is set forth below. [1] A storage section for storing a plurality of flat sanitary products stacked vertically; a delivery mechanism that delivers the plurality of sanitary products from the storage unit in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction; A weight member having a substantially horizontal reflecting surface and placed on the upper end of the sanitary product in the stacking direction stored in the storage section; a remaining amount detection unit that has a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the reflecting surface and a light receiving unit that receives the reflected light, and detects the remaining amount of the sanitary products stored in the storage unit based on the time from when the light emitting unit emits light to when the light receiving unit receives the reflected light; A hygiene product dispenser having a [2] The weight member has a flat first lower surface extending substantially horizontally along the direction in which the sanitary product is sent out by the sending mechanism, which is parallel to the reflecting surface, and a flat second lower surface extending substantially horizontally along a width direction perpendicular to the sending direction and parallel to the reflecting surface, and is placed on the sanitary product at the top end in the stacking direction contained in the storage section with the first lower surface and the second lower surface in contact with the top surface of the sanitary product at the top end in the stacking direction. 1. A hygiene product dispenser as described in [1]. [3] the accommodating section has a bottom surface on which a push slider of the feed mechanism is provided so as to be movable along the feed direction, and a side surface extending upward from a periphery of the bottom surface and perpendicular to the bottom surface, At least one of the first lower surface and the second lower surface of the weight member has an outer periphery adjacent to the side surface of the storage portion when the weight member is placed on the upper end of the sanitary product. [2] A hygiene product dispenser as described in the above. [4] When all of the sanitary products have been sent out of the storage section, the first lower surface of the weight member comes into surface contact with the bottom surface of the storage section at a position off the moving path of the push slider, and the second lower surface of the weight member moves away from the moving path of the push slider and is out of contact with the push slider. [3] A hygiene product dispenser as described in [3]. [5] The weight member has at least one mounting recess for mounting at least one weight to change its weight. 1. A hygiene product dispenser as described in [1]. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] 1...wall, 4...display, 6...motion sensor, 7...sensor unit, 8...user information reading section, 10...dispenser, 11...housing, 12...rear case, 12a...opening, 121...rear wall, 13...front case, 13L, 13R...discharge port, 131...front wall, 14...hinge, 15...lock section, 16...wire, 18L, 18R...horizontal rib, 21, 21L, 21R...storage section, 22L, 22R...partition plate, 22a...inner surface, 23L, 23R...locking piece, 23a...inner surface, 24...bottom plate, 24a...inner surface, 26...rear plate, 26a...escape hole, 26b...inner surface, 27...stock sensor, 27a...light emitting section, 27b...light receiving section,

[0033] 30...push slider, 30R...rear end, 31...upper surface, 32...vertical wall, 32a...pressing surface, 33...lower surface, 34L, 34R...rack, 35...slide protrusion, 37L, 37R, 38...slit, 39...plate, 40...weight member, 42...reflector, 42a...upper surface, 44...beam portion, 44a...upper surface, 44b...lower surface, 45L, 45R...recess, 46L, 46R...fitting portion, 461...bottom plate portion, 462...side plate portion, 463...mounting portion, 47...recess, 48...recess, 50L, 50R...door unit, 51...door, 52...case, 52a...insertion hole, 53...rotating shaft, 54R, 54F...opening, 55...door sensor, 55a...light-emitting unit, 55b...light-receiving unit, 55c...frame, 56...protrusion, 57...support, 58...holding plate, 58a...underside, 60...drive mechanism, 62L, 62R...pinion, 64...stepping motor, 70...CPU, 75R, 75F...limit sensor, 76...memory, 76a...control program, 100...communication network, 300...management server, N, N1, N2...Nn...napkin.

Claims

1. A storage section for storing a plurality of flat sanitary products stacked vertically; a delivery mechanism that delivers the plurality of sanitary products from the storage unit in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction; A weight member having a substantially horizontal white reflective surface and placed on the upper end of the sanitary product in the stacking direction stored in the storage section; a remaining quantity detection unit that has a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the reflecting surface and a light receiving unit that receives the reflected light, and detects the inventory quantity of the sanitary products stored in the storage unit based on the time from when the light emitting unit emits light to when the light receiving unit receives the reflected light; A hygiene product dispenser having a

2. The weight member has a flat first lower surface extending substantially horizontally along a direction in which the sanitary product is sent out by the sending mechanism, which is parallel to the reflecting surface, and a flat second lower surface extending substantially horizontally along a width direction perpendicular to the sending direction and parallel to the reflecting surface, and is placed on the sanitary product at the top end in the stacking direction stored in the storage section with the first lower surface in contact with the top surface of the sanitary product at the top end in the stacking direction. The hygiene product dispenser of claim 1.

3. the accommodating section has a bottom surface on which a push slider of the feed mechanism is provided so as to be movable along the feed direction, and a side surface extending upward from a periphery of the bottom surface and perpendicular to the bottom surface, At least one of the first lower surface and the second lower surface of the weight member has an outer periphery adjacent to the side surface of the storage portion when the weight member is placed on the upper end of the sanitary product.

3. The hygiene product dispenser of claim 2.

4. When all of the sanitary products have been sent out of the storage section, the first lower surface of the weight member comes into surface contact with the bottom surface of the storage section at a position off the moving path of the push slider, and the second lower surface of the weight member moves away from the moving path of the push slider and is out of contact with the push slider.

4. The hygiene product dispenser of claim 3.

5. The weight member has at least one mounting recess for mounting at least one weight to change its weight. The hygiene product dispenser of claim 1.