Fluid Dispenser

• US 20110127291A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Richard Paul, Tramontina, Paul Francis
• Granted Patent: US 8,371,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2005/1218 Table mounted; Dispensers integrated with the mixing tap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1205 Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1001 Piston pumps B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1097 with means for sucking back the liquid or other fluent material in the nozzle after a dispensing stroke

Abstract

The present invention provides an easy to maintain dispenser which will dispense an appropriate amount of fluid to effectively clean a user'"'"'s hand, even if the dispenser is inactive for a period of time. Also disclosed is a method of dispensing a fluid from the dispenser.

Claims

1. A fluid dispenser comprising:

a. a reservoir for holding a fluid to be dispensed;

b. a pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the pump draws the fluid from the reservoir through the inlet and expels the fluid through the outlet;

c. a dispensing tube directly or indirectly connected to the outlet of the pump;

d. a nozzle which is adapted to receive the dispensing tube and to dispense the fluid to a user;

e. a motor;

f. an attenuator in communication with the motor, wherein the attenuator activates the pump to dispense the fluid from the dispenser when the motor is activated;

g. a processor in communication with the motor, the processor configured to determine a time interval between dispensing cycles and to activate the motor for one or more cycles, based on the time interval between dispensing cycles;

h. a sensor to detect the presence of a user, the sensor in communication with the processor;

wherein when the sensor detects the presence of a user, the sensor provides an input to the processor, the processor determines the time period between dispensing cycles and provides an input to the motor to activate.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein processor activates the motor for a single cycle if the time interval between dispensing cycles is less than a pre-set time period or for multiple cycles if the time interval between dispensing cycles is greater than a pre-set time period.

3. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a suck back mechanism located between the outlet of the pump and the dispensing tube.

4. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid soap, a liquid sanitizer, a gel soap, a foam soap precursor or a foaming sanitizer precursor.

5. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a foam soap precursor and the pump is a foaming pump, wherein the foaming pump draws the foam precursor from the reservoir through the inlet and combines a gas with the foam precursor to form a foam.

6. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the processor compares the time interval between dispensing cycles to a pre-set time period.

7. The dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the preset time period is between about 10 minutes and about 6 hours.

8. The dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the processor compares the time interval between dispensing cycles to a pre-set time period, the pre-set time period is correlated to a liquefaction time of the foam soap.

9. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the pre-set time between about 10 minutes and about 1 hour.

10. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is mounted above the counter via a mounting means which extends through the counter.

11. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply connected to the processor, sensor and motor.

12. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is an in-counter dispenser with the nozzle and sensor located above the counter.

13. A method of dispensing a fluid to a user from a dispenser, said method comprising

a. providing a dispenser assembly having sensor, a motor and a pump;

b. detecting the presence of a current user requesting the fluid from the dispenser assembly;

c. determining a lapsed time between a previous request for fluid and the current request for the fluid;

d. comparing the lapsed time to a pre-set time period;

e. activating a motor for a single cycle if the lapsed time is less than the pre-set time period or for multiple cycles if the time lapse is greater than the set time period.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the multiple cycles is two or three cycles.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the wherein the fluid comprises a liquid soap, a liquid sanitizer, a gel soap, a foam soap precursor or a foaming sanitizer precursor.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-set time period is between about 10 minutes and about 6 hours.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the fluid is a foam soap precursor.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the pre-set time between about 10 minutes and about 1 hour.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the volume of fluid is between about 0.45 ml and about 2.0 ml.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the volume of the fluid is between about 0.55 ml and 0.65 ml.