SOAP DISPENSER

• US 20110114669A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Sandor, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/949,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114669A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/16 with mechanical drive food mixers A47J43/04

Abstract

A soap dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of foam soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can also include a gear-type pump that mixes air with liquid soap to create foamed pump. The dispenser can also include two pumps, one pump to feed liquid pump to a second pump that is configured to mix air with liquid soap to thereby create foamed soap. The dispenser can include a reservoir in its discharge passage to reduce unwanted dripping of foam soap or the liquid remains of foam soap, from a foam soap outlet.

Claims

1. A foamed soap dispenser, comprising:

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap;

a gear pump comprising pump chamber having a gear pump inlet and a gear pump outlet, a liquid soap inlet connected to the reservoir so as to guide liquid soap from the reservoir to the gear pump inlet of the pump chamber, an air inlet configured to allow air to flow into the gear pump inlet of the pump chamber, and a pair of pump gears meshed with each other and disposed in the pump chamber; and

a motor configured to drive the gear pump;

wherein liquid soap and air are mixed in the pump chamber by the meshed pump gears when the gear pump is driven by the motor.

2. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1 additionally comprising a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object;

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

3. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 2 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to dispense an amount of foam soap only after a predetermined time period has elapsed from a previous ejection of foam soap.

4. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1 additionally comprising a feed pump having a feed pump inlet and a feed pump outlet, the feed pump inlet being positioned to be in fluidic communication with liquid soap in the reservoir, the feed pump outlet being in fluidic communication with liquid soap inlet so as to guide liquid soap from the feed pump outlet into the liquid soap inlet.

5. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 4, wherein the motor drives both the gear pump and the feed pump.

6. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 4, wherein the feed pump comprises an auger.

7. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 4, wherein the motor is disposed at least partially above the gear and feed pumps and the gear and feed pumps are disposed at least partially above the reservoir.

8. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 4, wherein the feed pump comprises a screw and hollow sheath.

9. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the air inlet is connected to a conduit having an end disposed above a fill line of the reservoir.

10. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the air inlet is exposed to about ambient air pressure.

11. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the air inlet and the liquid soap inlet are sized to produce a volumetric air to liquid soap ratio of about 4 to 1 when the gear pump is driven by the motor.

12. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a collection reservoir for condensed foam, the collection reservoir being formed by a proximal end of an inner surface of the discharge nozzle that terminates at an elevation that is lower than a dispensing end of the inner surface of the discharge nozzle.

13. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to reverse the pump after a predetermined amount of foamed soap has been dispensed, thereby drawing foamed soap in the soap conduit backwards away from the nozzle to prevent dripping.

14. An electric foamed soap dispenser, comprising:

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap;

a first pump comprising a first pump outlet, a first liquid soap inlet, and a first air inlet configured to allow air to flow into the first pump, the first air inlet and the first liquid soap inlet being disposed above a maximum fill elevation for liquid soap in the reservoir;

a motor configured to drive the first pump; and

a second pump having a second liquid soap pump inlet disposed below the maximum fill elevation, and a second pump outlet in fluidic communication with the first liquid soap inlet of the first pump;

wherein liquid soap entering the first pump through the first liquid soap inlet is mixed with air entering the first pump from the first air inlet into foamed soap when the first pump is driven by the motor.

15. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first pump, the second pump, and the reservoir are configured such that at least some foamed soap condenses and is returned to the reservoir by gravity.

16. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 14, wherein the first air inlet and the first liquid soap inlet are disposed above a maximum fill elevation of the reservoir.

17. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 14, wherein the motor is disposed at least partially above the first and second pumps and the first and second pumps are disposed at least partially above the reservoir.

18. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 14, wherein the second pump comprises an auger and a lumen.

19. The foamed soap dispenser of claim 14, wherein the motor drives a single drive shaft that drives both the first pump and the second pump.