Sanitary product dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser (10) comprises an accommodation part (21), a discharge tray (30), a housing (11), and a drive mechanism (60). The accommodation part (21) accommodates a plurality of flat napkins (N) that are stacked vertically. The discharge tray (30) has an upper surface (31) on which the plurality of napkins (N) are loaded, is mounted to a bottom plate (24) of the accommodation part (21) so as to be movable in a discharge direction intersecting the stacking direction of the napkins (N), and has a vertical wall (32) protruding from the upper surface of a rear end on the upstream side in the discharge direction. The vertical wall (32) has a flat pressing surface (32a) extending substantially perpendicularly from the upper surface (31) to a protruding height equal to or less than the thickness of a single napkin (N). The housing (11) has discharge ports (13L, 13R) provided facing the downstream side in the discharge direction of a napkin (N1) at the lower end in the stacking direction that is in contact with the upper surface (31) of the discharge tray (30). The drive mechanism (60) moves the discharge tray (30) in the discharge direction in response to a provision request from a user.

Description

Sanitary product dispenser

[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.

[0002] As women advance into society, their lifestyles have changed dramatically, and this has resulted in some problems. 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 leaving sanitary products with menstrual blood on them for a long time can cause bacteria to grow, and can lead to stuffiness and odor. Therefore, during menstruation, sanitary products usually need to be changed every two to three hours.

[0005] For example, some restaurants and hotels have sanitary products in baskets next to the sinks in the women's restrooms for female customers whose period comes earlier than expected and who do not have any sanitary products with them. Those who wish to use the products can take them out of the basket and use them as they wish.

[0006] While this is ideal, people can take the free access to the items and take them home even if they don't need them. In the extreme, someone who isn't on their period could take them all away. This is an unfortunate act that ruins the kindness of the establishment (e.g., a restaurant or hotel) that left them there, and could have the ironic result that even if someone actually wants to use them, they might not be able to.

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

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

[0009] In fact, some companies have installed such dispensers in the stalls of women's restrooms as part of their employee benefits, so that female employees who have their period come 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 users take out the products, they are dispensed one by one, so the sanitary products are not touched by an unspecified number of people. Therefore, users can use the sanitary products with peace of mind, without feeling any discomfort.

[0011] https: / / www.goauntflow.com / (accessed August 1, 2023)

[0012] However, this type of dispenser dispenses sanitary products one by one when operated by a user, but there is no limit to the number of sanitary products that can be dispensed, so by repeatedly operating the dispenser, 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 as its object to reliably provide sanitary products to users who wish to use them.

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

[0016] That is, a sanitary product dispenser according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a storage unit, a discharge tray, a housing, and a drive mechanism. The storage unit stores a plurality of flat sanitary products stacked one above the other. The discharge tray has an upper surface for loading a plurality of sanitary products, is attached to the bottom plate of the storage unit so as to be movable in a discharge direction intersecting the stacking direction of the sanitary products, and has a vertical wall protruding from the upper surface of the rear end on the upstream side in the discharge direction. The vertical wall has a flat pressing surface extending approximately perpendicularly from the upper surface with a protruding height equal to or less than the thickness of a single sanitary product. The housing has a discharge opening provided opposite the downstream side in the discharge direction of a first sanitary product at the lower end in the stacking direction that is in contact with the upper surface of the discharge tray. The drive mechanism moves the discharge tray in the discharge direction in response to a provision request from a user.

[0017] A second aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, in which the storage section has a rear plate with an opening hole that receives the rear end together with the vertical wall when the discharge tray is positioned in a waiting position upstream in the discharge direction where multiple sanitary products can be stacked on top of it.

[0018] A third aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the second aspect, wherein the pressing surface is positioned flush with the inner surface of the rear plate of the storage section when the rear end of the discharge tray is inserted into the opening hole and the discharge tray is placed in the standby position.

[0019] A fourth aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the second aspect, wherein the housing has a rear wall parallel to the rear plate that fixes the rear plate of the storage section, and the rear wall has a bulging portion that bulges rearward to accommodate the rear end of the discharge tray that protrudes rearward through the opening hole.

[0020] A fifth aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, further comprising a lid member that is movable between a closed position that closes the discharge outlet and an open position that opens the discharge outlet when pushed by the leading edge of the first sanitary product in the discharge direction that is in contact with the upper surface of the discharge tray.

[0021] A sixth aspect of the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the fifth aspect, which further includes a control unit that controls the drive mechanism to move the discharge tray in the discharge direction in response to a user's request for provision, push the lid member in the discharge direction with the tip of the first sanitary product to move the lid member to the open position, and, after the user pulls the first sanitary product out of the discharge outlet, move the lid member to the closed position, and then move the discharge tray in the direction opposite to the discharge direction.

[0022] A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to the sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed below the bottom plate of the storage section.

[0023] The sanitary product dispenser of the eighth aspect of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the seventh aspect, wherein the drive mechanism has a pinion, part of which protrudes into the storage section through an opening that penetrates the bottom plate of the storage section, a rack that meshes with the pinion provided on the bottom plate side of the discharge tray, and a motor that rotates the pinion.

[0024] According to the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention, sanitary products can be reliably provided to users who wish to use them.

[0025] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a sanitary product dispenser according to one embodiment of the present invention installed in a toilet stall. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dispenser of FIG. 1 with the front cover open. FIG. 3 is a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 2 with the front cover open, viewed from the right side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of a discharge tray in the storage section of the dispenser of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged view of the discharge tray in the storage section of the dispenser of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the discharge tray of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the discharge tray of FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the door of the door unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged front view showing a partial enlargement of the main parts of the door of the door unit of FIG. 2 with the door open. FIG. 11 is a schematic view for explaining the door opening / closing detection operation of the door unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the layout of an inventory sensor in the storage section of the dispenser of FIG. 2. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a history information table.

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 , a sanitary product dispenser 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as dispenser 10) according to one embodiment of the present invention has a housing 11 in the shape of a substantially rectangular box. Housing 11 has a rear case 12 and a front case 13. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , dispenser 10 is attached to the wall 1 of each stall in a women's restroom. Hereinafter, the up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions are defined as viewed from a direction perpendicular to wall 1 when viewing dispenser 10. Note that in the claims, the "stacking direction" refers to the up-down direction, and the "dispensing direction" refers to the direction from rear to front.

[0027] 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 disposable underwear or disposable diapers that are folded up and wrapped in a package. The dispenser 10 may be designed to fit the size of the sanitary products it handles. The dispenser 10 of this embodiment handles napkins N (FIG. 2) and is designed to fit the size of the napkins N.

[0028] 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 adjacent to and parallel to the wall 1 of the toilet stall. The top wall 122 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the upper end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The bottom wall 123 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the lower end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The left side wall 124 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the left end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The right side wall 125 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the right end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121.

[0029] 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 generally 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 generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the upper end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The bottom wall 133 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the lower end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The left side wall 134 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the left end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The right side wall 135 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the right end of the front wall 131 toward the rear.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 of the dispenser 10 includes a storage section 21 for storing flat napkins N stacked one on top of the other. 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] The front case 13 closes the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, and opens the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the open position shown in Fig. 2. The top wall 122 of the rear case 12 and the top wall 132 of the front case 13 are provided with locks 15 for locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 when the front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 1. Locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 prevents the napkins N stored in the storage section 21 from being touched or taken out without restriction.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, when the front case 13 is in the open position, it is disposed at an acute angle (for example, approximately 80°) 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.

[0034] Each wire 16 is attached between the rear case 12 and the front case 13 by engaging a fastener 16a at one end with an engaging portion 12b (FIG. 2) provided on the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 and by engaging a fastener 16a at the other end with an 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 by 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 forms an acute angle with the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12.

[0035] The fasteners 16a of the wire 16 are detachable from the engaging portions 12b of the rear case 12 and the engaging portions 13b of the front case 13. When the fasteners 16a of the wire 16 are disengaged from the rear case 12 or the front case 13, the front case 13 can be freely rotated to a desired angle relative to the rear case 12. The wire 16 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of, for example, a resin wire.

[0036] When replenishing napkins N in dispenser 10 attached to wall 1 or during maintenance, front case 13 can be opened with wire 16 tensioned (as shown in FIG. 3 ), thereby keeping front case 13 in the open position even when the working space in front of dispenser 10 is narrow. Note that when front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 , wire 16 is in a slack state within housing 11.

[0037] Compared to when the front case 13 opens at a right angle to the rear case 12, 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 situations where there is insufficient working space in front of the dispenser 10. On the other hand, when assembling the dispenser 10, the front case 13 can be opened wide with the wire 16 detached, thereby improving workability. The wire 16 can be attached after the dispenser 10 is installed on the wall 1.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4 , three vertical ribs 17C, 17L, and 17R, two horizontal ribs 18L and 18R, and six substantially oval bosses 19 (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19) are provided on the outer surface 121b of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. The protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 are formed by pressing the rear wall 121, which is made of sheet metal. Therefore, the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has multiple recesses (not shown) shaped to match the shapes of the protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19. The two horizontal ribs 18L and 18R are bulging portions for receiving the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30, which will be 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.

[0039] Three longitudinal ribs 17C, 17L, and 17R are provided parallel to and spaced apart from each other at the center and both sides of the rear case 12 in the left-right direction. The central longitudinal 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.

[0040] 1, when attaching dispenser 10 to wall 1 of a women's restroom stall, if the seam between panels constituting wall 1 protrudes slightly, protruding portions 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 portions 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 rattle.

[0041] 2, the storage section 21 inside the housing 11 is divided into two storage sections 21L and 21R that are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the housing 11. Hereinafter, the left storage section will be denoted by the reference symbol 21L and the right storage section will be denoted by the reference symbol 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 symbol and its description will be omitted.

[0042] The storage section 21L is surrounded by two left and right partition plates 22L and 22R, a bottom plate 24, and a rear plate 26. The top and front sides of the storage section 21L are open. The bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L is provided 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 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 of the storage section 21L in the left-right direction, is slightly larger than the width of the napkins N stored in the storage section 21L. If the size of the napkins N to be handled changes, the spacing between the two partition plates 22L and 22R can be changed.

[0043] The two partition plates 22L and 22R, the bottom plate 24, and the rear plate 26 of the accommodation 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 accommodation 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 are sized to protrude forward from the opening 12a of the rear case 12. In other words, the front-to-rear length of the two partition plates 22L and 22R and the bottom plate 24 is greater than the front-to-rear thickness of the rear case 12 (i.e., the protruding height of the top wall 122, bottom wall 123, and side walls 124 and 125 from the rear wall 121). 3 with the front case 13 open, the partition plates 22L and 22R (only the right side is shown in FIG. 3 ) of the storage section 21L and a portion 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 and 21R are provided across the internal space of the rear case 12 and the internal space of the front case 13, respectively.

[0044] The two partition plates 22L, 22R each have a locking piece 23L, 23R at its front end to prevent 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 toward each other. The locking pieces 23L, 23R are disposed inside the front case 13 when the front case 13 is in the closed position. The locking pieces 23L, 23R extend approximately parallel to the opening 12a of the rear case 12.

[0045] 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. When the front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in Figure 1, the discharge openings 13L, 13R are located below the lower ends of the locking pieces 23L, 23R.

[0046] A discharge tray 30 is provided on the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L to discharge the multiple napkins N stacked vertically in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction. The napkin N1 at the bottom in the stacking direction rests on the discharge tray 30 in a state of contact with the top surface 31. Of the multiple napkins N stacked on the top surface 31 of the discharge tray 30, the napkin N1 at the bottom in the stacking direction that contacts the top surface 31 is an example of a "first sanitary product" in the claims.

[0047] Each of the two storage sections 21L, 21R can store, for example, 20 to 30 stacked napkins N. In order to prevent the napkins N stacked in each storage section 21L, 21R from bulging upward, a weight member 40 is placed on each napkin N at the top end in the stacking direction.

[0048] 2 shows a state in which no napkins N are stored in the left storage section 21L. Therefore, in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 30 is visible at the bottom of the left storage section 21L. On the other hand, the right storage section 21R shows a state in which six napkins N are stored in a stack, with a weight member 40 placed on the topmost napkin N. Therefore, the discharge tray 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.

[0049] Door units 50L, 50R are provided at positions facing the front of the bottom plate 24 of each storage section 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 21R, 21L.

[0050] That is, when the front case 13 is closed, each door unit 50L, 50R is disposed between the lower end of the storage compartment 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 a napkin N. The door 51 is an example of a "lid member" in the claims. Because 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.

[0051] The dispenser 10 having the above structure moves the discharge tray 30 forward in response to a valid provision request from the user, and discharges the lowest napkin N1 among the napkins N stored in the storage sections 21R and 21L through the door units 50L and 50R and from the discharge outlets 13L and 13R (Figure 1) of the front case 13.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the discharge tray 30 provided at the bottom of the storage section 21L is a substantially rectangular plate. The discharge tray 30 has a vertical wall 32 protruding toward the upper surface 31 of its rear end 30R. The vertical wall 32 is provided across the entire width of the discharge tray 30 in the left-right direction. The vertical wall 32 has a flat pressing surface 32a extending in the vertical direction on its front surface. The pressing surface 32a is a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30. The height of the pressing surface 32a from the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30 to the upper end of the vertical wall 32 is equal to or less than the thickness of one napkin N, and preferably is approximately 80% to 100% of the thickness of the napkin N. Furthermore, the vertical wall 32 has a curved surface 32b on its rear surface that bulges rearward from the upper end of the pressing surface 32a.

[0053] The thickness of napkins N varies depending on the manufacturer, etc. The dispenser 10 of this embodiment can make the discharge tray 30 replaceable so that it can handle multiple types of napkins N with different thicknesses. In other words, it is possible to select and use a discharge tray 30 having a vertical wall 32 with a protruding height corresponding to the thickness of the napkin N. Alternatively, the vertical wall 32 may be made removable from the discharge tray 30, and a vertical wall 32 with a height corresponding to the thickness of the napkin N may be selected and attached to the discharge tray 30.

[0054] The discharge tray 30 has a flat lower surface 33 that comes into surface contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L. The upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30 is a cylindrical surface that converges from its rear end toward the front end 30F. The upper surface 31 and the lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30 are connected and converge toward the front end 30F of the discharge tray 30.

[0055] The discharge tray 30 has two racks 34L, 34R and a slide protrusion 35 on its underside 33. The discharge tray 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 spaced apart and parallel to each other on the left and right sides of the underside 33, extending in the front-to-rear direction. The racks 34L, 34R have a plurality of teeth arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction. The length of the racks 34L, 34R in the front-to-rear direction is slightly shorter than the overall length of the discharge tray 30. The slide protrusion 35 is a generally oval cylindrical protrusion, located between the two racks 34L, 34R, and extending in the front-to-rear direction. The protrusion height of the slide protrusion 35 from the underside 33 is slightly greater than the thickness of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L.

[0056] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a drive mechanism 60 for driving the discharge tray 30 back and forth is located below the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L. The drive mechanism 60 has two pinions 62L, 62R (only the left pinion 62L is shown in Figures 7 and 8) coaxially fixed to a single rotating shaft 61 extending in the left-right direction and spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and a stepping motor 64 for rotating the rotating shaft 61 in both forward and reverse directions. As shown in Figure 6, the pinions 62L, 62R are attached so that portions thereof protrude into the storage unit 21L through slits 37L, 37R (openings), respectively, which are provided through the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L.

[0057] The bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, to which the discharge tray 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 that it can slide in the front-rear direction. The three slits 37L, 37R, 38 extend in the front-rear direction, penetrating the bottom plate 24. The slit 38 for receiving the slide protrusion 35 is located between the slits 37L, 37R. The length of the slit 38 is sufficient so as not to interfere with the movement of the discharge tray 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0058] When attaching the discharge tray 30 to the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L, the lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30 is opposed to the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 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 discharge tray 30 comes into contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 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 discharge tray 30, respectively.

[0059] Thereafter, a plate 39 for preventing the discharge tray 30 from slipping out is attached to the slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30 from the outer surface 24b side of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 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 storage unit 21L through the slit 38, the discharge tray 30 is prevented from slipping out upward, and the discharge tray 30 is slidably attached to the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L.

[0060] The plate 39 has two pins 39a protruding from its upper surface. The plate 39 has an insertion hole 39b between the two pins 39a along the front-rear direction for inserting the screw 2. 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. 13), which will be described later.

[0061] The slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 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 a screw hole 35b for threading the screw 2 between these two pin holes 35a.

[0062] 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 overlapping with the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35, and screwed into the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35. In this way, the plate 39 is fastened and fixed to the slide protrusion 35.

[0063] 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 discharge tray 30, which is integral with the racks 34L, 34R, moves back and forth. The movement of the discharge tray 30 in the back and forth direction is limited by the engagement of the slide protrusions 35 with the slits 38, and the discharge tray 30 can move between the standby position shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the discharge position shown in Figure 8. The limit sensor 75R detects that the discharge tray 30 is positioned at the standby position, and the limit sensor 75F detects that the discharge tray 30 is positioned at the discharge position.

[0064] For example, the discharge tray 30 placed in the standby position shown in Fig. 7 moves forward (to the left in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L and 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 discharge tray 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L and 62R is stopped, and the discharge tray 30 is stopped at the discharge position shown in Fig. 8.

[0065] On the other hand, the discharge tray 30 placed at the discharge position shown in Fig. 8 is moved backward (to the right in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L, 62R clockwise in Fig. 8. Then, when the limit sensor 75R detects the protrusion 39R at the rear end of the slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L, 62R is stopped, and the discharge tray 30 is stopped at the standby position shown in Fig. 7.

[0066] 6 and 7 , the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30 is inserted into a rectangular relief hole 26a provided in the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L. The relief hole 26a corresponds to the "opening hole" in the claims. When the discharge tray 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 discharge tray 30 and the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L are positioned approximately flush with each other. In this way, by positioning the pressing surface 32a of the discharge tray 30 placed in the standby position flush with the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L, it is possible to prevent napkins N stored in the storage unit 21L from getting caught on the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30.

[0067] The rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30, which protrudes rearward through the relief hole 26a in the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L, is disposed in a recess on the inner side of the horizontal rib 18L provided in the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. In other words, the horizontal ribs 18L, 18R of the rear case 12 are disposed in positions facing the relief holes 26a provided in the rear plates 26 of the storage sections 21L, 21R, respectively. The horizontal ribs 18L, 18R of the rear case 12 correspond to the "bulging portion" in the claims.

[0068] Furthermore, since the discharge tray 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 discharge tray 30 moves backward toward the rear standby position and the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30 enters the escape hole 26a, the curved surface 32b slides against the edge of the escape hole 26a, thereby preventing the discharge tray 30 from getting caught in the escape hole 26a.

[0069] When napkins N are stored in the storage section 21L and the discharge tray 30 is moved forward from the standby position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the discharge position shown in FIG. 8, the rear end of the lowest napkin N1 in the stacking direction, which is resting on the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30, is pushed forward by the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30. At this time, the second napkin N2 resting on the lowest napkin N1 is positioned above the path of movement of the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 and remains in place without being moved forward. At this time, the leading edge of the second napkin N2 abuts against the rear end of the case 52 of the door unit 50L, restricting its forward movement. Then, the front end of the napkin N1 pushes against the door 51 of the door unit 50L, opening it. When the discharge tray 30 stops at the discharge position as shown in FIG. 8, the front end of the napkin N1 partially protrudes from the discharge opening 13L of the front case 13.

[0070] A user can pull the napkin N1 from the storage section 21L by pinching and pulling the tip of the napkin N1 protruding from the discharge opening 13L. At this time, the second napkin N2 stacked on top of the lowest napkin N1 being pulled out by the user is supported from below by the upper end of the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 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 opening 13L, the napkin N2 cannot be accessed.

[0071] After the user pulls out the napkin N1, the door 51 of the door unit 50L closes under its own weight. When the door 51 moves from the open position, the sensor output of the door sensor 55 (FIGS. 10 and 13), which will be described later, becomes bright, the pinions 62L and 62R rotate in the reverse direction, and the discharge tray 30 moves backward toward the standby position. When the discharge tray 30 returns to the standby position, the second napkin N2, which had been supported from below by the vertical wall 32, falls under its own weight and rests on the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30. This causes the rear end of the napkin N2 to face the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32. Thereafter, by performing an operation similar to the operation for discharging the napkin N1 in response to a user's request, the multiple napkins N stored in the storage section 21L can be dispensed one by one through the discharge outlet 13L.

[0072] 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 greater than the left-right width of the napkin N, and the width of the door 51 in the short direction is slightly greater than the thickness of the napkin N. In this case, the thickness of the napkin N is assumed to be the thickness of the thickest napkin N commercially available. As shown in Fig. 2, the door unit 50L has a case 52 that is a generally rectangular frame shape that is long in the left-right direction.

[0073] When the front case 13 is 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 some play inside the case 52. The case 52 is sized to allow napkins N to be inserted through the openings 54R and 54F.

[0074] The door 51 has a pivot shaft 53 extending in the longitudinal direction at a position offset toward one end in the short side direction (the upper end side in the figure). Both ends of the pivot shaft 53 protrude outward in the left-right direction slightly beyond the entire length of the door 51. The case 52 pivotally holds the pivot shaft 53 of the door 51 near the upper end of the rear opening 54R. The door 51 can freely pivot about the pivot shaft 53. In other words, the door 51 is positioned in the closed position shown in FIG. 7 due to its own weight.

[0075] 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 largely blocked. That is, in this state, the discharge opening 13L of the front case 13 is blocked by the door 51. When the front end of the napkin N in the discharge direction pushes the door 51 forward and rotates the door 51 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 leading end of the napkin N1 as shown in Fig. 8 , the door 51 rotates around the rotation shaft 53 toward the open position, and after the napkin N1 is pulled out by the user, the door 51 rotates due to its own weight to the closed position shown in Fig. 7 .

[0076] 10, a door sensor 55 for detecting when the door 51 is rotated to the open position is provided on the case 52 of the door unit 50L. The door sensor 55 is fixed to the lower surface 58a of a substantially rectangular holding plate 58 that is spaced apart and disposed substantially horizontally 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 element 55a, a light-receiving element 55b, and a frame 55c.

[0077] The door 51, which 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 element 55a and the light-receiving element 55b of the door sensor 55. As shown in FIG. 10 , the protrusion 56 of the door 51 inserted into the insertion hole 52a is positioned between the light-emitting element 55a and the light-receiving element 55b.

[0078] The frame 55c of the door sensor 55 has a generally 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.

[0079] 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 element 55a and the light-receiving element 55b of the door sensor 55. This causes the output of the door sensor 55 to become dark, thereby detecting that the door 51 has been rotated to the open position. On the other hand, when the door 51 moves from the 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, causing the output of the door sensor 55 to become bright, thereby detecting that the door 51 has been rotated toward the closed position.

[0080] The frame 55c that holds the light receiving unit 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, so that external light that could cause noise is hardly undesirably incident on the light receiving unit 55b of the door sensor 55. To begin with, the door sensor 55 is disposed inside the housing 11 that is covered by the front case 13, and it is extremely unlikely that external light will be incident on the housing 11 when the front case 13 is closed relative to the rear case 12.

[0081] The only possibility is that external light may enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R of the front case 13, but the cases 52 of the door units 50L, 50R arranged behind the exhaust ports 13L, 13R are 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, so that even when the door 51 is rotated to the open position, it is difficult for external light to enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R.

[0082] 1, dispenser 10 is attached, for example, above a toilet paper roll attached to wall 1 of a toilet stall, and is positioned 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 outlets 13L and 13R, and the possibility of external light entering light receiving unit 55b of door sensor 55 is extremely low.

[0083] 12, an inventory sensor 27 is attached to the inner surface 122a of the top wall 122 of the rear case 12 above the storage section 21L. The inventory sensor 27 has a light-emitting unit 27a that emits light substantially downward toward the uppermost napkin N in the stacking direction stored in the storage section 21L (or toward the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40), and a light-receiving unit 27b that receives light reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 (or the napkin N). The inventory sensor 27 has the light-emitting unit 27a and the light-receiving unit 27b arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0084] 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 unit 21L with high accuracy. Even without the weight member 40, the inventory number can also be detected by detecting light reflected by the surface of the napkin N at the top end in the stacking direction.

[0085] By attaching such a reflective inventory sensor 27 above the storage section 21L, it is possible to accurately detect the number of napkins N in stock. Furthermore, by attaching the inventory sensor 27 in this position, it is not necessary to place sensors adjacent to the storage section 21L in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and the size of the dispenser 10 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions can be reduced.

[0086] 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 discharge tray 30, and the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has horizontal ribs 18L and 18R, so that the size of the housing 11 in the front-to-back direction can be reduced while ensuring sufficient stroke in the front-to-back direction of the discharge tray 30.

[0087] In addition, the dispenser 10 of this embodiment has space below the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L to place the drive mechanism 60 that drives the discharge tray 30, so the dimensions of the housing 11 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions can be reduced.

[0088] 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.

[0089] Furthermore, in the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the operating noise of the stepping motor 64 of the drive mechanism 60 is very low, so even when the stepping motor 64 is operating when napkins N are discharged from the dispenser 10, the operating noise is barely audible, so that people in adjacent cubicles will not notice that the dispenser 10 is being used.

[0090] Next, the electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The dispenser 10 includes, as an electronic circuit, a CPU 70, a recording medium reading unit 72, a communication unit 74, a memory 76, and a storage device 78, which are connected to each other by a bus 71.

[0091] The dispenser 10 includes a display 4, a human presence sensor 6, a user information reading unit 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 units 21L and 21R, but only one set is shown here for simplicity.

[0092] The memory 76 stores a control program 76a and also has a writable data area 76b.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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 user operation. On the other hand, the writable data area 76b is an area for storing rewritable data.

[0095] The CPU 70 is a computer that controls the operation of each circuit component in accordance with a control program 76a stored in the memory 76. The CPU 70 corresponds to the "controller" in the claims.

[0096] The storage device 78 is formed of, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and has an image data storage unit 79 .

[0097] The image data storage unit 79 stores image data such as advertisements from sponsors and video or still images for explaining how to use the dispenser 10 .

[0098] The image data is displayed via the display 4. The image data is displayed for approximately two minutes each time the user enters the toilet stall, and is not displayed for longer than that. This prevents the user from becoming engrossed in staring at the image data displayed on the display 4 and staying in the toilet for too long. The display time of the image data is not limited to two minutes, and may be set to be constantly displayed while the user is in the stall, for example.

[0099] For effective display within two minutes, the length of the image data is set to, for example, about 15 seconds. The types of image data are set to, for example, two types, such as an advertisement and an explanation of how to use the dispenser 10. That is, when image data is displayed on the display 4, two types of image data, each about 15 seconds long, are repeatedly displayed within two minutes.

[0100] When new image data is to be registered in the image data storage unit 79, the external recording medium 73 on which the new image data is recorded is read by the recording medium reading unit 72 and written to the image data storage unit 79. Alternatively, the communication unit 74 may acquire image data from the management server 300, an advertisement server (not shown), or the like via the communication network 100 such as the Internet, and the acquired image data may be written to the image data storage unit 79.

[0101] 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 7.

[0102] The human presence sensor 6 is realized by, for example, an infrared sensor, and 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.

[0103] In response to the detection signal A being sent to the memory 76, the control program 76a starts displaying the image data stored in the image data storage unit 79 on the display 4. In addition, the control program 76a may use the communication unit 74 to receive image data of an advertisement distributed from an advertisement server (not shown) via the communication network 100, and start displaying the received image data of the advertisement on the display 4.

[0104] 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 it continues to provide napkins N free of charge to users by recruiting advertising sponsors, earning advertising revenue by displaying advertisements on the display 4, and using a portion of that revenue to purchase napkins N and refilling the dispenser 10, repeating this cycle.

[0105] Next, an example of a method for a user to request the dispenser 10 to provide napkins N will be described.

[0106] The method by which a user makes a request C for napkins 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).

[0107] First, the method of requesting provision C of napkins N using the reading method will be described below.

[0108] When making a request C for napkins N using the reading method, the user can input user information from the user information reading unit 8 using either the contactless method or the contact method.

[0109] An example of contactless user information input is the 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 ID card such as an employee ID or 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 NFC technology is applied, it can be used not only with the NFC-compatible card 150 but also with user devices 151 such as smartphones.

[0110] Another example of a contactless method for inputting user information is the application of wireless technologies such as beacons and RFID. When a beacon is used, the user information reading unit 8 functions as a beacon receiver, and the user brings the beacon device 152, which transmits 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.

[0111] When RFID is used, the user information reading unit 8 is configured as 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.

[0112] 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. The user information reading unit 8 then obtains 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.

[0113] Another example of the contactless method is the use of biometric information 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 shape, retina, iris, face, 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. The user information reading unit 8 then acquires facial feature information and outputs this facial feature information to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0114] On the other hand, an example of contact-type user information input 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. The user information reading unit 8 then obtains magnetic information p, such as a card number, from the magnetic card 155 and outputs this magnetic information p as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0115] Another example of the contact method is the use of fingerprint information. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is used as 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 this fingerprint information v as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0116] Another example of the contact method is the use of a non-NFC compatible IC card. In the case of a non-NFC compatible IC card 156, information cannot be read contactlessly, so the user information reading unit 8 is an IC card reader, and the user has the user information reading unit 8 read card information w, such as a card number, stored on 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] Next, a method for issuing a request C for providing napkins N using an application will be described below.

[0119] When making a request C for provision of napkins 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.

[0120] The method for installing the dedicated app AP is not particularly limited, but for example, a business that provides napkins N using the dispenser 10 may notify the user by attaching a sticker on the housing 11 on which information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode) indicating a site (e.g., the management server 300) for downloading the dedicated app AP is printed, or by displaying information indicating this site on the display 4. Then, in accordance with this notification, the user accesses the site using their own user device 151, downloads the dedicated app AP, and installs it.

[0121] After installing the dedicated app AP, the user registers by inputting user information uj from the user device 151 in accordance with the dedicated app 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 app 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.

[0122] The control program 76a determines the validity of these supply requests C. To this end, the control program 76a first outputs the supply requests 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.

[0123] In this manner, the supply request C together with the dispenser identification information d is output from all the dispensers 10 to the management server 300. As described above, the supply request C includes the user information uj. Furthermore, 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.

[0124] 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.

[0125] Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 14, the management server 300 can manage a history information table 310 that stores records R consisting of the time t when the provision request C was sent, user information uj corresponding to the provision 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.

[0126] The control program 76a accesses the management server 300 via the communication unit 74, and determines the validity of the provision request C by referring to the history information table 310 managed by the management server 300.

[0127] The criteria for determining this validity are not limited to, but may be, for example, if a predetermined time (e.g., two hours) or more has passed since the user who made the provision request C was most recently provided with a napkin N, the request is determined to be valid (first determination 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 determination criterion).

[0128] Regardless of which of these criteria is adopted, the control program 76a refers to the history information table 310 managed by the management server 300 to determine the validity of the provision request C. For example, the record R related to the user information uj associated with the provision request C is extracted from the history information table 310, and the search is narrowed down to records R for which the status sa is "OK." By referring to these narrowed down records R, the control program 76a can determine the most recent time that sanitary napkins N were provided to this user and the number of sanitary napkins N provided over the past month. This allows the control program 76a to determine the validity of the provision request C.

[0129] 14, a specific example will be described in which the control program 76a determines whether the latest provision request C satisfies the first criterion. In this example, the predetermined time used as the first criterion is two hours.

[0130] 14, 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 "20230804142341," that is, Aug. 4, 2023, 14:23:41.

[0131] 14, 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 napkin N from the dispenser 10 is the time t recorded in record R107.

[0132] The time t of record R107 is "20230804093529", that is, 9:35:29 AM on Aug. 4, 2023.

[0133] The time t indicated by record R115 is 4 hours, 48 ​​seconds, and 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.

[0134] In addition, since it is believed that the above specific explanation will also 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.

[0135] 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 storage unit 21L or the stepping motor 64 of the storage unit 21R.

[0136] 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 discharge napkins N alternately 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.

[0137] However, as will be described later, if a malfunction such as a discharge blockage occurs in one 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, napkins N can be discharged from the other system that is not malfunctioning, allowing service to continue.

[0138] 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 in FIG. 7). As a result, the discharge tray 30, which has been placed in the standby position, starts moving forward. When the discharge tray 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 discharge of the napkin N1 has started.

[0139] 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 has been completed based on the change in the output of the limit sensor 75F from light to dark.

[0140] 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 it out. When the napkin N1 is pulled out from the discharge outlet 13L, the door 51 rotates to the closed position due to 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.

[0141] 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 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 that point.

[0142] The control program 76a recognizes that the discharge of the napkin N1 has been completed successfully based on the change in output of the limit sensor 75R from light to dark, 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.

[0143] The management server 300 receives the dispenser identification information d and the OK information, and writes "OK" in the status sa (i.e., blank) of the latest record R corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0144] If the napkin N1 is discharged correctly, the operation is as described above.

[0145] Next, a case where the napkin N1 is not discharged correctly will be described.

[0146] For example, if the left stepping motor 64 is driven to rotate the pinions 62L and 62R in the forward direction, and the door sensor 55 remains lit while the limit sensor 75F becomes dark, the control program 76a determines that an ejection abnormality has occurred due to a jam of napkin N1 or the like.

[0147] 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 turns dark. However, if the door sensor 55 remains lit and the limit sensor 75F turns dark after driving the stepping motor 64, this means that the door 51 has not rotated to the open position even though the discharge tray 30 has moved to the discharge position.

[0148] In such a case, the control program 76a determines that an abnormality in the discharge of the napkin N1 has occurred, stops the driving of the stepping motor 64, and instead discharges the napkin N1 from the other system, and notifies the maintenance worker that an abnormality in the discharge has occurred. In response, the maintenance worker goes to the relevant dispenser 10 and takes appropriate recovery measures.

[0149] Alternatively, if the limit sensor 75F turns 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 and 62R in the reverse direction and return the discharge tray 30 to the standby position. Then, after the limit sensor 75R turns dark, the control program 76a again rotates the pinions 62L and 62R in the forward direction to move the discharge tray 30 toward the discharge position and retry discharging the napkin N1.

[0150] 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.

[0151] If the napkin N1 is not discharged normally from the other system, or if the napkin N1 is not discharged normally after a retry, that is, if the napkin N1 cannot be discharged normally from either of the two systems, the control program 76a sends the dispenser identification information d and NG information to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0152] In response to this, the management server 300 writes "NG" in the status sa of the latest record (i.e., blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0153] Next, inventory management of napkins N in the storage sections 21L and 21R will be described.

[0154] When napkins N are normally discharged from the storage units 21L, 21R, the inventory number of napkins N stored in the storage units 21L, 21R is reduced. The dispenser 10 is equipped with an inventory sensor 27 for determining the inventory number of napkins N in the storage units 21L, 21R. The inventory sensor 27 is provided in each of the storage units 21L, 21R.

[0155] 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.

[0156] For example, when one napkin N is discharged from storage section 21L, reducing the inventory 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 reflector 42 of weight member 40, and received by light-receiving section 27b is 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.

[0157] The control program 76a can display the thus determined number of napkins N in stock for each storage section 21L, 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 storage section 21L, 21R via the communication unit 74.

[0158] In response to this, for example, when there is a dispenser 10 having storage sections 21L, 21R where the inventory number falls below two or three, the management server 300 can request the inventory replenishment worker to replenish this dispenser 10 with napkins N. Furthermore, the control program 76a can also request the inventory replenishment worker via the communication unit 74 to replenish this dispenser 10 with napkins N.

[0159] 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 complete, the worker closes the front case 13 and locks the lock 15. This allows the napkin N provision service to continue for users who want napkins N.

[0160] As mentioned above, the napkins N to be replenished can be purchased using a portion of the advertising revenue obtained from advertising sponsors in response to advertisements displayed on the display 4.

[0161] As described above, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment can provide napkins N to users free of charge, which is very useful for users who do not have napkins N on hand, for example, when their period comes unexpectedly.

[0162] Moreover, the napkins N provided are stored in the housing 11 before being provided and are not touched by an unspecified number of people, so the user can use the provided napkins N with peace of mind.

[0163] In addition, even when a user requests napkins N, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment does not provide an unlimited number of napkins N in response to the request, 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 a sufficient stock is always maintained, so that napkins N can be reliably provided to users who truly need them.

[0164] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment has been devised in various ways from the viewpoint of hardware design, as described below.

[0165] For example, the dispenser 10 uses a stepping motor 64 as a power source for dispensing napkins N, thereby achieving quiet operation, allowing the user to use the dispenser 10 without being noticed by people outside the toilet stall.

[0166] Furthermore, dispenser 10 has a stepping motor 64 disposed below storage sections 21L and 21R, an inventory sensor 27 disposed above storage sections 21L and 21R, and rear panels 26 of storage sections 21L and 21R having escape holes 26a for receiving rear ends 30R of discharge trays 30, thereby enabling dispenser 10 to be made thin, and users can use the toilet and dispenser 10 without feeling any sense of pressure even when entering a toilet stall in which dispenser 10 is installed.

[0167] In addition, the dispenser 10 has two outlets 13L and 13R for discharging napkins N, and if it becomes impossible to remove napkins N from one outlet, napkins 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 napkins N, and napkins N can be provided with high reliability.

[0168] In addition, the dispenser 10 discharges the napkin N1 by pressing 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 discharge tray 30.Therefore, even if the accumulated posture of the napkin N in the storage sections 21L and 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 prevented.

[0169] In addition, the dispenser 10 is equipped with a drive mechanism 60 that drives the discharge tray 30 using a rack and pinion mechanism, so 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.

[0170] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 is provided with door units 50L, 50R behind the discharge outlets 13L, 13R of the front case 13, and the door units 50L, 50R are provided with doors 51 that open and close the opening 54R at the rear 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 fraud.

[0171] Furthermore, 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 discharge tray 30 moves from the discharge position to the standby position. Therefore, if the user tries to fraudulently remove the next napkin N2 after pulling out the napkin N1 and leaves the door 51 open, the discharge tray 30 will remain stopped at the discharge position, and the napkin N2 resting on the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30 will not be able to be removed.

[0172] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 is provided with a door sensor 55 for detecting the opening and closing of the door 51 above the door units 50L, 50R having the door 51 for opening and closing the outlets 13L, 13R, and therefore the light receiving unit 55b of the door sensor 55 is located above the outlets 13L, 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, 13R, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the external light enters the light receiving unit 55b and the door 51 is erroneously detected as being in the closed position.

[0173] If external light were to enter the light-receiving portion 55b of the door sensor 55 and erroneously detect that the door 51 is in the closed position even though it is open, the sensor would mistakenly determine that the napkin N discharged through the discharge outlets 13L and 13R has been pulled out by a user, and would move the discharge tray 30 backward toward the standby position. In this case, the next napkin N would be placed on the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30 in the standby position, making it possible to access the next napkin N through the open door 51 and remove the napkin N fraudulently. Therefore, arranging the door sensor 55 above the discharge outlets 13L and 13R as in this embodiment is effective from the perspective of preventing fraud.

[0174] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 is structured to prevent external light from entering the light-receiving unit 55b of the door sensor 55. That is, the door sensor 55 is attached to the outside of the case 52 of the door unit 50L, 50R. The case 52 is configured as a frame surrounding the outside of the discharge ports 13L, 13R, so that external light that may enter the door sensor 55 is blocked by the case 52. Furthermore, the door sensor 55 is fixed to the underside 58a of the holding plate 58, which is disposed horizontally and spaced apart above the case 52. Therefore, even if external light enters the housing 11 and is diffusely reflected, the holding plate 58 can block this light. Furthermore, the door sensor 55 has a frame 55c that holds the light-emitting unit 55a and the light-receiving unit 55b in an opposing relationship. Therefore, the dispenser 10 of this embodiment can prevent unlimited dispensing of napkins N and reliably provide napkins N to users who wish to use them.

[0175] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0176] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 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 outlet, 131...front wall, 14...hinge, 15...lock section, 16...wire, 18L, 18R...horizontal ribs, 21, 21L, 21R...storage section, 22L, 22R...partition plate, 23L, 23R...locking piece, 24...bottom plate, 24a...inner surface, 26...rear plate, 26a...relief hole, 26b...inner surface, 27...inventory sensor, 27a...light emitting section, 27b...light receiving section, 30...discharge tray, 30R...rear end, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31...upper surface, 32...vertical wall, 32a...pressure surface, 33...lower surface, 34L, 34R...rack, 35...slide protrusion, 37L, 37R, 38...slit, 39...plate, 40...weight member, 42...reflector, 42a...upper surface, 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...post, 58...holding plate, 58a...lower surface, 60...driving mechanism, 62L, 62R...pinion, 64...stepping motor, 70...CPU, Limit sensors 75R, 75F, memory 76, control program 76a, communication network 100, management server 300, napkins N, N1, N2.

Claims

1. A sanitary product dispenser comprising: a storage section for storing a plurality of flat sanitary products stacked one on top of the other; a discharge tray having an upper surface for loading a plurality of the sanitary products and attached to the bottom plate of the storage section in a state capable of moving in a discharge direction intersecting the stacking direction of the sanitary products, the discharge tray having a vertical wall protruding from the upper surface at the rear end on the upstream side of the discharge direction, the vertical wall having a flat pressing surface extending approximately perpendicularly from the upper surface with a protruding height less than the thickness of one of the sanitary products; a housing having a discharge outlet provided facing the downstream side in the discharge direction of a first sanitary product at the lower end in the stacking direction that is in contact with the upper surface of the discharge tray; and a drive mechanism for moving the discharge tray in the discharge direction in response to a provision request from a user.

2. A sanitary product dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein the storage section has a rear plate with an opening hole that receives the rear end together with the vertical wall when the discharge tray is positioned at a waiting position upstream in the discharge direction where multiple sanitary products can be loaded onto the upper surface.

3. A sanitary product dispenser as described in claim 2, wherein the pressing surface is positioned flush with the inner surface of the rear plate of the storage section when the rear end of the discharge tray is inserted into the opening hole and the discharge tray is placed in the standby position.

4. A sanitary product dispenser as described in claim 2, wherein the housing has a rear wall parallel to the rear plate of the storage section to which the rear plate is fixed, and the rear wall has a bulging portion formed by a part of the rear wall bulging rearward to receive the rear end of the discharge tray protruding rearward through the opening hole.

5. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a lid member movable between a closed position that closes the discharge outlet and an open position that opens the discharge outlet when pushed by the leading edge of the first sanitary product in the discharge direction that is in contact with the upper surface of the discharge tray.

6. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 5, further comprising a control unit that controls the drive mechanism to move the discharge tray in the discharge direction in response to a user's request for provision, to push the lid member in the discharge direction with the tip of the first sanitary product to move the lid member to the open position, and to move the discharge tray in the direction opposite to the discharge direction based on the lid member moving to the closed position after the user pulls out the first sanitary product from the discharge outlet.

7. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed beneath the bottom plate of the container.

8. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a pinion, a portion of which protrudes into the storage section through an opening provided through the bottom plate of the storage section, a rack that meshes with the pinion provided on the bottom plate side of the discharge tray, and a motor that rotates the pinion.

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