ELECTRONICALLY KEYED DISPENSING SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS UTILIZING NEAR FIELD FREQUENCY RESPONSE
First Claim
1. A refill container for receipt in a dispensing system, the container comprising:
- an enclosure for carrying dispensable material;
a pump mechanism coupled to said enclosure;
a nozzle operatively connected to said pump mechanism, wherein actuation of said pump mechanism dispenses a quantity of material through said nozzle;
a neck extending from said enclosure and carrying said pump mechanism and said nozzle; and
an identifier disposed around said neck and spaced apart a predetermined distance away from said enclosure, wherein said identifier has one of a selected number of electronic signatures.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dispensing system is disclosed which utilizes an electronically powered key device and/or identification code associated with a refill container to preclude the need for mechanical keys. The system utilizes a near field frequency response to determine whether a refill container is compatible with a dispensing system. In particular, the refill container is provided with a coil terminated by one of a number of capacitors. The container is received in a housing that provides a pair of coils that are in a spatial relationship with the installed refill container'"'"'s coil. By energizing one of the housing'"'"'s coils, the other coil detects a unique electronic signature generated by the container'"'"'s coil. If the signature is acceptable, the dispensing system is allowed to dispense a quantity of material. The system also provides a unique latching mechanism to retain the container and ensure positioning of all the coils.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A refill container for receipt in a dispensing system, the container comprising:
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an enclosure for carrying dispensable material; a pump mechanism coupled to said enclosure; a nozzle operatively connected to said pump mechanism, wherein actuation of said pump mechanism dispenses a quantity of material through said nozzle; a neck extending from said enclosure and carrying said pump mechanism and said nozzle; and an identifier disposed around said neck and spaced apart a predetermined distance away from said enclosure, wherein said identifier has one of a selected number of electronic signatures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification