| CPC A47K 10/3643 (2013.01) [B26D 5/02 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A sheet product dispenser for dispensing sheet product from a source of sheet product, the sheet product dispenser comprising:
a switch for indicating removal of a dispensed portion of the sheet product, wherein the switch comprises an actuated configuration and an unactuated configuration;
a dispensing chute;
a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense the sheet product to provide the dispensed portion of the sheet product for retrieval by a user, wherein at least a portion of the dispensed portion of the sheet product is within the dispensing chute;
a tear bar for separating the dispensed portion from a remainder of the sheet product, wherein the tear bar is movable between a first position and a second position; and
a shuttle with a first end and a second end, wherein the shuttle is positioned between the switch and the dispensed portion of the sheet product within the dispensing chute, wherein the shuttle is movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, wherein, when the shuttle is in the unactuated position, the switch is in the unactuated configuration,
wherein the shuttle is positioned between the tear bar and the switch within the sheet product dispenser such that as the user pulls on the dispensed portion a force from the sheet product on the tear bar causes the tear bar to move from the first position to the second position to cause the shuttle to move to the actuated position so that the second end of the shuttle applies a force on the switch sufficient enough to transition the switch to the actuated configuration to indicate removal of the dispensed portion.
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