Device for dispensing soap-solution in a dispenser

• US 20030071058A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTS International Trading AG
• Original Assignee: HTS International Trading AG
• Inventors: Studer, Hans Jorg, Ehrensperger, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 6,758,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/88
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/12 for liquid or pasty soap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1209 with chamber in the form of a cylindrical tube

Abstract

With soap and cleansing foam dispensers, there is a risk that they may be equipped with supply containers of unsuitable liquid or that their intermediate containers may become contaminated. According to the invention, an adapter (8) that is mounted on an intermediate container (6) has a coded cylindrical jacket (10), into which coded parts (4,5) that are positioned on the neck of a suitable supply container (2) can be fitted. To prevent the contamination of the intermediate container (6), the latter has a spring-loaded internal sealing plug (50) which ensures the hygienic sealing of said container even prior to use and when the supply container is changed. To prevent interruptions in the operation, a reliable fill-level indicator (22) is provided. The device thus ensures improved, hygienic dispensing of soap-solution in dispensers (1).

Claims

1. Device for the reliable delivery of soap solution from an inverted supply container into an intermediate container of a dispenser, a bottle-neck-like outlet having a pierceable diaphragm being provided on the container and an adapter having a piercing sleeve being provided on the intermediate container, characterized in that at least one keying member (4, 5) projects from the bottle neck (3) and is positioned in the adapter (8) in an analogously keyed cylindrical surface (10), and in that there is provided, in the region below the piercing sleeve (9), a valve seat (51) on which a resiliently supported closing plug (50) is pushed through the bottle neck (3) into a through-flow position, the tip of the piercing sleeve (9) being supported lower down than the upper edge of the adapter.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottle neck (3) has a push-on member to which at least two keying members (4, 5) are fitted.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the keying members (4, 5) are ring segments.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the keyed cylindrical surface (10) has a raised edge.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the keyed cylindrical surface (10) has webs and recesses.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided on the bottle neck (3) and parallel therewith a projection (28) which extends peripherally relative to the piercing sleeve (9) through a closing cover (7) of the intermediate container (6) and presses on a notch (53) in the closing plug (50) and holds the plug in the through-flow position.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing cover (7) has edge gaps opposite the upper portion of the intermediate container (6), which gaps are in the form of labyrinthine air inlets to the air space (L) in the intermediate container.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a filling-level indicator having a float (22) is arranged in a projection .(19) in the intermediate container (6).

9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that an upright guide strip (47) on which the float (22) is guided is provided behind a projection (19) in the intermediate container (6).

10. Device according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the float (22) has lateral grooves (26) through which guide strips (47) extend.