Counter mounted dispensing system
First Claim
1. A counter mounted dispensing system comprising:
- a product container having a collar key;
a bottle support having an open end for the insertion of said product container;
a container release mechanism in said bottle support including a release ring that is movable between a container support position and a container release position, said release ring biased to said container support position;
at least one protrusion having a ramped surface and a support surface on said collar key;
at least one protrusion having a ramped surface and a support surface on said release ring, wherein, upon insertion of said product container into said open end of said bottle support, said ramped surface of said at least one protrusion on said collar key contacts said ramped surface of said at least one protrusion on said release ring and the ramped surfaces interact to move said release ring against the bias toward said container support position until the ramped surfaces pass one another and said release ring is moved back to said container support position by the bias against said release ring and said support surface on said collar key rests on said support surface on said release ring such that said product container is held in said bottle support.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A counter mounted dispensing system includes a bottle support under a counter and a product container having a collar key. The product container is received by the bottle support and held thereby without the need for relative rotational movement between the product container and the bottle support. The product container thus may have a cross-sectional shape that prohibits the product container from being rotated at the location of receipt, typically due to contact between the container and a wall or the sink basin. An alignment skirt on the bottle support ensures that the product container is properly oriented for receipt, and a release ring in the bottle support engages the collar key on the product container to releasably hold the product container.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A counter mounted dispensing system comprising:
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a product container having a collar key;
a bottle support having an open end for the insertion of said product container;
a container release mechanism in said bottle support including a release ring that is movable between a container support position and a container release position, said release ring biased to said container support position;
at least one protrusion having a ramped surface and a support surface on said collar key;
at least one protrusion having a ramped surface and a support surface on said release ring, wherein, upon insertion of said product container into said open end of said bottle support, said ramped surface of said at least one protrusion on said collar key contacts said ramped surface of said at least one protrusion on said release ring and the ramped surfaces interact to move said release ring against the bias toward said container support position until the ramped surfaces pass one another and said release ring is moved back to said container support position by the bias against said release ring and said support surface on said collar key rests on said support surface on said release ring such that said product container is held in said bottle support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A counter mounted dispensing system comprising:
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a product container;
a bottle support having an alignment skirt defining an open end of said bottle support for the insertion of said product container, said alignment skirt providing a specific cross sectional shape, said product container including a body having a complimentary cross sectional shape such that said product container may only be inserted into said open end of said bottle support in a given orientation wherein the cross sectional shapes of said body and said bottle support are in the same orientation. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. In a counter mounted dispensing system that selectively receives product containers under the counter for dispensing the product above the counter, wherein a product container, when received under the counter is in close proximity to a wall, the improvement comprising:
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providing a container receptacle under the counter to define a position of receipt for the product container, and providing the product container with a shape such that, at the position of receipt, the product container cannot be rotated along its vertical axis because, upon such rotation, the product container comes into contact with the at least one wall in close proximity to the product container and, upon continued rotation, is thereby forced out of the position of receipt, wherein said product container is received in said container receptacle and held thereby without the need for rotating the product container. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification