Dispenser for a flowable product

• US 20040251271A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roger Basil Lawson Scheppers
• Original Assignee: Roger Basil Lawson Scheppers
• Inventors: Jackson, Simon Alexander, Lowitt, Deanna, Lewthwaite, John Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,374,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/63
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/26 operating automatically, e.g. periodically
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/384 comprising an aerosol container disposed in an outer shell or in an external container

Abstract

A dispenser for a flowable product such as liquid soap is arranged to receive a can containing the liquid soap as well as two different propellants. Gaseous nitrogen under pressure acts as a primary propellant, while propane and/or butane in a liquid phase acts to foam the soap when it is released from the can. An electronically controlled valve is actuated when a sensor detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hand adjacent an outlet, and a predetermined quantity of foamed soap is then dispensed.

Claims

1. A dispenser for a flowable product comprising:

a base adapted to support a reservoir containing a first, gaseous propellant, and a quantity of the product mixed with a second propellant in a liquid phase, so that the secondary propellant causes foaming of the product as it is expelled from the reservoir by the first propellant;

an electronically controllable valve with an associated dispensing outlet, the valve being responsive to a control signal to release a predetermined quantity of the product via the outlet;

a sensor arranged to detect the presence of a human hand or other receptacle and to generate a sensor output signal; and

a control circuit responsive to the sensor output signal to generate a control signal, thereby to cause the release of a predetermined quantity of the product.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the reservoir contains a soap.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the product is a liquid soap and the first propellant is nitrogen gas.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3 wherein the second propellant comprises propane and/or butane gas in a liquid phase.

5. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a light source and a light detector arranged so that the presence of a human hand or other receptacle for the product adjacent the outlet causes light from the source to be reflected to the detector, generating a sensor output signal.

6. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the control circuit is microprocessor based, permitting the duration of the control signal which operates the valve to be varied according to the type of product being dispensed and other operational requirements.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6 wherein the control circuit includes an adjustable switch arranged to vary the opening period of the valve between 0.1 and 0.6 ms.

8. A container for use with the dispenser claims 1 to 7 according to claim 1, the container containing a first, gaseous propellant, and a quantity of a flowable product mixed with at least one second propellant in a liquid phase, so that the secondary propellant causes foaming of the product as it is expelled from the reservoir by the first propellant.

9. A container according to claim 8 wherein the flowable product is a liquid soap.

10. A container according to claim 8 wherein the first propellant is nitrogen gas.

11. A container according to claim 8 wherein the second propellant comprises propane and/or butane gas in a liquid phase.