Manual or pump assist fluid dispenser
First Claim
1. A vacuum relief device adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter a liquid containing reservoir to reduce vacuum developed in the reservoir, the device comprising:
- an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Liquid soap dispensers including a vacuum relief valve which comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The vacuum relief valve permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or valves. A chamber about an opening of an inverted container with an impeller within the chamber which, on rotation, dispenses fluid from the chamber.
52 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A vacuum relief device adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter a liquid containing reservoir to reduce vacuum developed in the reservoir,
the device comprising: -
an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber.
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2. In combination, an enclosed, liquid container reservoir and a vacuum relief device
the reservoir having a reservoir outlet from which liquid is to be dispensed and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet, the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir, the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the liquid open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber, the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with liquid in the reservoir, the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when pressure in the reservoir is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet increasing vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir.
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24. In combination, an enclosed liquid container reservoir, a pump and a vacuum relief device,
the reservoir having a dispensing outlet and a liquid outlet and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on drawing liquid from the reservoir via the dispensing outlet, the dispensing outlet connected with the pump which is operable to draw liquid from the reservoir via the dispensing outlet, the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir via the liquid outlet to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir, the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber, the air inlet in communication with the air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure. the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with the liquid outlet, the liquid inlet at a height below the height of liquid in the reservoir such that when there is atmospheric pressure in the reservoir under gravity the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein when operation of the pump dispenses liquid out the dispensing outlet and creates increasing vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir.
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25. In combination, an enclosed, liquid containing reservoir and a vacuum relief device and a pump,
the reservoir having a reservoir outlet and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on drawing liquid from the reservoir via the outlet, and the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir, the vacuum relied device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber, the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with the reservoir outlet, the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when there is atmospheric pressure in the reservoir under gravity, the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein with increased vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir, a liquid outlet from the chamber open to the chamber at a height below the height of the liquid inlet, a feed passageway connecting the liquid outlet with the pump, the pump being operable to draw liquid from the chamber via the liquid outlet and dispense it via a dispensing passageway to a dispensing outlet open to atmospheric pressure, the dispensing passageway in extending from the pump to the dispensing outlet rising to a height above the height of the liquid inlet such that liquid in the dispensing passageway will, when the pump is not operating, assume a height in the dispensing passageway which is the same as the height in the chamber and below the height of the dispensing outlet to prevent flow of liquid due to gravity from the chamber out of the dispensing outlet.
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28. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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a resilient, enclosed container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening, a cap having an end wall and a side wall extending from the end wall to a remote portion of the side wall, a cap outlet opening through the side wall, the cap received on the neck with the neck extending into the cap, the remote portion of the cap about the neck engaging the neck to form fluid impermeable seal therewith, a passageway defined between the neck and the side wall of the cap outwardly of the neck and inwardly of the side wall open to both the container outlet opening and the cap outlet opening, wherein when the container is in an inverted position with the neck located below the remainder of the container, the container outlet opening is at a height which is below a height of the cap outlet opening. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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an enclosed non-collapsible container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening, a dispensing plug received in the container outlet opening comprising a piston chamber forming element defining an outwardly opening cylindrical chamber with a piston member slidably received therein for reciprocal sliding to dispense liquid from the container and in dispensing liquid create a vacuum within the container, a vacuum relief device carried on the dispensing plug adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the container to reduce any vacuum developed in the container, the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber, the air inlet in communication through the dispensing plug with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with liquid in the container, the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the container such that when pressure in the container is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the container fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein on dispensing liquid from the container increases vacuum below atmospheric in the container, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the container to decrease vacuum in the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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a resilient, enclosed container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening, a cap having an end wall and a side wall of extending upwardly from the end wall to a remote portion of the side wall, a cap outlet opening through the side wall, the cap received on the neck with the neck extending into the cap, the remote portion of the cap about the neck engaging the neck to form fluid impermeable seal therewith, a passageway defined between the neck and the side wall of the cap outwardly of the neck and inwardly of the side wall open to both the container outlet opening and the cap outlet opening, wherein when the container is in an inverted position with the neck located below the remainder of the container, the container outlet opening is at a height which is below a height of the cap outlet opening, the side wall of the cap being disposed about an axis, the container outlet opening disposed coaxially within the side wall of the cap, an impeller disposed in the cap above the end wall of the cap and at least partially below the container outlet opening journalled for rotation about the axis, the impeller adapted on rotation to receive fluid above the impeller from the container outlet opening and to direct liquid radially outwardly into the passageway such that rotation of the impeller forces fluid into the passageway raising the level of fluid in the passageway to a height above the height of the cap outlet opening such that fluid flows out of the cap outlet opening, the impeller when not rotating not preventing air flow from the cap outlet opening to the container outlet opening. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55)
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54. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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an enclosed resilient container enclosed but for having at one lower end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening, the container outlet opening in sealed communication with a chamber forming element defining a chamber, the chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet, the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber, the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure, the liquid inlet connected via a liquid passageway with liquid in the container, the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the container such that when pressure in the container is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity, the liquid from the container fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein on dispensing liquid from the container increases vacuum below atmospheric in the container, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the container to decrease vacuum in the reservoir, an impeller rotatably received therein for rotation to draw liquid via the liquid passageway from the container and raise the height of liquid in the chamber above the height of the air inlet. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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a resilient, enclosed container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening, a cap having an end wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the end wall to a remote portion of the side wall, a cap outlet opening through the side wall, the cap received on the neck with the neck extending into the cap, the remote portion of the cap about the neck engaging the neck to form fluid impermeable seal therewith, a passageway defined between the neck and the side wall of the cap outwardly of the neck and inwardly of the side wall open to both the container outlet opening and the cap outlet opening, the side wall of the cap being disposed about an axis, the container outlet opening disposed coaxially within the side wall of the cap, an impeller disposed in the cap above the end wall of the cap and at least partially below the container outlet opening journalled for rotation about the axis, the impeller adapted on rotation to receive fluid above the impeller from the container outlet opening and to direct liquid radially outwardly into the passageway such that rotation of the impeller forces fluid into the passageway and out of the cap outlet opening. - View Dependent Claims (59)
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60. An automated fluid dispenser comprising:
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an electric motor, a battery, an electronic control circuit, and an electromagnetic radiation sensing and/or receiving device, wherein operation of the motor dispenses fluid from the fluid dispenser, the control device controlling the supply of power from the battery to the motor and controlling the operation of the sensing and/or receiving device;
the motor, battery, control board and the sensing and/or receiving device comprising an integral modular electric unit removable for replacement with an identical unit. - View Dependent Claims (61, 66, 67, 70, 71, 75)
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- 62. A dispenser as claimed in claim 62 wherein the modular electric unit maintains all electrical interconnections within in a sealed fluid impermeable containment barrier.
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68. A method of dispensing fluid from a container, the container having a base, side walls extending upwardly from the base and an exit opening at a height above the base,
the method comprising: -
providing fluid in the container at a height below the exit opening, providing an impeller in the container rotatable about an axis to discharge fluid impinging on the impeller so as to cause flow of the fluid in the container which raises fluid in the container to a height of the exit opening such that fluid above the exit opening exits the container via the exit opening. - View Dependent Claims (69, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification