ELECTRIC SOAP DISPENSER

• US 20080185398A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Sandor, Joseph, Cardenas, Orlando
• Granted Patent: US 8,109,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time

Abstract

An electric soap dispenser that includes sensors for detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can include various features for enhancing the performance thereof For example, the dispenser can include an additional button for manual operation of the pump. Additionally, the dispenser can detect the voltage of a power supply and compensate for a drop in voltage of the power supply so as to produce more uniform dispensations of the liquid product. Additionally, the dispenser can include a valve at its discharge end to prevent drips.

Claims

1. A battery-powered electric hand soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

at least one battery supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap, the reservoir having an outlet on a bottom surface thereof, the reservoir being supported by the housing;

a pump disposed in the housing and disposed below the reservoir, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the battery;

a soap outlet assembly connected to the pump with a soap conduit and disposed in an upper portion of the housing, the soap outlet assembly comprising a light guide member including a light source mounting portion configured to receive a light and a light discharge portion defining a portion of an outer surface of the housing, the light guide member configured to guide light from the light source to the light discharge portion, the soap outlet assembly further comprising a valve configured to open when the pump is operating and biased by a spring toward a closed position such that the valve closes when the pump is not operating to prevent liquid soap from dripping out of the soap outlet assembly when the pump is not operating, the spring being positioned such that it is not within a flow of liquid soap through the soup outlet assembly;

a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object;

an electronic control unit connected to the trigger sensor and to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor upon receiving a signal from the trigger sensor, until an amount of liquid soap has been ejected from the nozzle;

a button disposed on an upper portion of the housing, the button being connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit being configured to actuate the electric motor when the button is activated;

an indicator device configured to produce a blinking light, the electronic control unit being configured to cause the indicator to generate the blinking light for a first predetermined time period after liquid soap has been ejected from the nozzle;

a sensor configured to detect a state of the battery, the electronic control unit configured to apply less than the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is fully charged and to apply the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is less than fully charged;

wherein in the electronic control unit is configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap only after a second predetermined time period has elapsed from a previous ejection of liquid soap;

a gasket extending around the periphery of an opening in a bottom portion of the housing, the gasket extending downwardly from the lowermost portion of the housing so as to form a foot supporting the housing;

a battery compartment defined in the housing and including a battery compartment opening in a portion of the gasket;

a battery compartment cover engaged with the housing and covering the battery compartment opening, the battery compartment cover engaging with an aperture defined in the gasket so as to form a seal around the battery compartment opening;

the housing defining a motor and pump compartment, the motor and the pump being disposed within the motor and pump compartment, the gasket extending around a motor and pump compartment opening in a lower portion of the motor and pump compartment;

a motor and pump compartment cover engaged with the housing and forming a seal with the portion of the gasket extending around the motor and pump compartment opening;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to actuate the motor so as to drive the pump so as to dispense liquid soap in predetermined amounts;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate the trigger sensor at the end of each third predetermined time period for an amount of time that is less than the third predetermined time period;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cyclically operate the motor in forward and reverse directions in order to clear a clog in the nozzle when the button is depressed in accordance with a first predetermined pattern;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate or deactivate the indicator when the button has been depressed in accordance with a second predetermined pattern; and

a soap volume adjustment device configured to allow a user to select different amounts of soup to be discharged, the electronic control unit is configured to vary the amount of soap discharged based on a state of the soap volume adjustment device.

2. An electric soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a power supply supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap;

a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the power supply;

a soap outlet connected to the pump and disposed in an upper portion of the housing;

a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object;

an electronic control unit connected to the trigger sensor and to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor upon receiving a signal from the trigger sensor;

a valve; and

a biasing member configured to close the valve when the pump is not operating to reduce a flow of liquid soap from leaking out of the soap outlet when the pump is not operating, the biasing member being positioned outside the flow of soap through the outlet.

3. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising a soap outlet assembly comprising a soap inlet, the soap outlet, and the valve.

4. The soap dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the soap outlet assembly further comprises a light guide member and a light source configured to emit light into the light guide member, the light guide member comprising a light discharge portion defining a portion of an outer surface of the housing.

5. The soap dispenser according to claim 4, wherein a portion of the light guide member defines a portion of a liquid soap passage defined in the soap outlet assembly.

6. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the valve comprises a valve face and a valve seat, at least a portion of one of the valve face and valve seat comprising a hemispherical surface and the other of the valve face and valve seat comprising a conical surface.

7. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring.

8. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising a light guide member connected to the valve and including a recess configured to receive at least a portion of the biasing member.

9. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 wherein an inner surface of the soap outlet defines a valve seat, the valve further comprising a valve stem and a valve face, the valve face being configured to form a seal with the valve seat, the valve stem defining a first cross sectional dimension and a portion of the valve face configured to seal against the valve seat having a second cross sectional dimension that is smaller than the first cross sectional dimension.

10. An electric soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a power supply supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap;

a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the power supply;

an electronic control unit connected to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor; and

a soap outlet assembly connected to the pump, the soap outlet assembly comprising a soap outlet aperture, a light guide member and a light source, the light guide member being configured to guide light from the light source to an exterior of the housing.

11. The soap dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the soap outlet assembly comprises a liquid soap passage.

12. The soap dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the liquid soap passage is formed monolithically with the light guide member.

13. The soap dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the light guide member further comprises a light source receiving portion configured to receive the light source, the liquid soap passage being formed monolithically with the light source receiving portion.

14. The soap dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the soap outlet assembly is formed as an integral unit.

15. An electric soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a power supply supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap, the reservoir being supported by the housing;

a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the power supply;

a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object;

an electronic control unit connected to the trigger sensor and to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor upon receiving a signal from the trigger sensor; and

means for discharging liquid soap and light.