Abstract: An automated, hands-free dental floss dispenser is provided herein. Particularly, the dispenser includes a housing and an activation sensor, such as an infrared, motion, or other sensor for detecting the presence of a hand or other object within a dental floss dispensing region and for activating the dispenser. The dispenser further includes a feeding assembly disposed at least partially within the housing, and a dispensing assembly for receiving an amount of dental floss from the feeding assembly. Specifically, the feeding assembly includes a removable and/or replaceable cartridge which at least temporarily retains the dental floss. The dispensing assembly includes a spindle and a spindle activation assembly, wherein the dental floss is fed from the feed assembly to the spindle for dispensing.

Abstract: Selected lengths of a strip of material are cut either continuously in an automatic mode or each selected length is cut in a manual mode by manual activation of a switch. When the thickness of the strip of the material being cut exceeds a predetermined thickness or is less than a predetermined thickness, this difference is sensed so that this portion of the strip of the material is cut as soon as it ceases to exceed the predetermined thickness or be less than the predetermined thickness. In the automatic mode, automatic cutting may be stopped after this portion of different thickness has been cut either every time or every other time, and manual activation is required to start another automatic cutting.