AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR HAND-SANITIZER LOTION
First Claim
1. In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluid, such as hand-sanitary liquid, hand-antiseptic lotion, and the like, which dispensing apparatus comprises a main housing having a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a pivotal front cover pivotal to an open position to allow access to the interior of the main frame, said main housing mounting in the interior thereof an automatic dispensing station having a pump assembly and a bottom dispensing nozzle for dispensing measured amounts of fluid, a rechargeable battery-pack assembly, and a flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag operatively connected to said pump assembly and said nozzle, and at least one solar panel operatively connected to said battery-pack assembly, the contents of said bag being dispensed through said nozzle, the improvement comprising:
- a lower, pivotal tray comprising a first generally vertical section, and a generally horizontal section, said second section having a substantially depressed upper surface for collecting unused and spilled dispensed fluid;
said first vertical section having a pair of mounting elements projecting therefrom;
each of said first and second side walls of said main housing having a lower portion having a groove formed therein for receiving a respective said mounting element, each said groove having a front entrance-opening by which a respective said mounting element pin is received, a generally elongated straight section extending rearwardly from said entrance opening, and a rear downwardly-extending section extending from the rear of said generally elongated straight section;
said tray further comprising a rearwardly-extending protuberance for contact against a wall to which is mounted said rear wall of said main housing for orienting said tray in a pivoted state such that the forward edge surface of said second generally horizontal section of said tray is positioned forwardly of said dispensing nozzle so that the tray captures excess fluid dispensed by said nozzle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing hand-sanitizer lotion, which is powered using a rechargeable battery pack rechargeable via solar cells, which battery pack is pivotally mounted in the upper interior section of the main frame of the dispenser, above the liquid-storage bag, whereby as the liquid storage bag is depleted after continual use, the weight of the battery pack serves to compress the storage bag to thereby increase the pressure therein, so that the delay of the dispensing of the liquid does not increase over time as the bag becomes depleted. Also provided is a lower, pivotal tray located below the dispensing nozzle of the dispensing apparatus by which drippings and excess dispensed amounts are caught by the tray and do not fall upon the floor therebelow. A front cover is rotatable to an upper position such that it does not rotate back down by itself in order to allow unencumbered access to the interior of the apparatus for changing storage bags and batteries. The apparatus also contains an aerosol spray canister for spraying a sanitizing mist into the ambient surroundings after the apparatus has dispensed sanitizing fluid onto the hands.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluid, such as hand-sanitary liquid, hand-antiseptic lotion, and the like, which dispensing apparatus comprises a main housing having a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a pivotal front cover pivotal to an open position to allow access to the interior of the main frame, said main housing mounting in the interior thereof an automatic dispensing station having a pump assembly and a bottom dispensing nozzle for dispensing measured amounts of fluid, a rechargeable battery-pack assembly, and a flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag operatively connected to said pump assembly and said nozzle, and at least one solar panel operatively connected to said battery-pack assembly, the contents of said bag being dispensed through said nozzle, the improvement comprising:
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a lower, pivotal tray comprising a first generally vertical section, and a generally horizontal section, said second section having a substantially depressed upper surface for collecting unused and spilled dispensed fluid;
said first vertical section having a pair of mounting elements projecting therefrom;each of said first and second side walls of said main housing having a lower portion having a groove formed therein for receiving a respective said mounting element, each said groove having a front entrance-opening by which a respective said mounting element pin is received, a generally elongated straight section extending rearwardly from said entrance opening, and a rear downwardly-extending section extending from the rear of said generally elongated straight section; said tray further comprising a rearwardly-extending protuberance for contact against a wall to which is mounted said rear wall of said main housing for orienting said tray in a pivoted state such that the forward edge surface of said second generally horizontal section of said tray is positioned forwardly of said dispensing nozzle so that the tray captures excess fluid dispensed by said nozzle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluid, such as hand sanitary liquid, hand antiseptic lotion, and the like, which dispensing apparatus comprises a main housing having a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a pivotal front cover pivotal to an open position to allow access to the interior of the main frame, said main housing mounting in the interior thereof an automatic dispensing station having a pump assembly and a bottom dispensing nozzle for dispensing measured amounts of fluid, a rechargeable battery-pack assembly, and a flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag operatively connected to said pump assembly and said nozzle, and at least one solar panel operatively connected to said battery-pack assembly, the contents of said bag being dispensed through said nozzle, the improvement comprising:
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said battery-pack assembly comprising a frame, and at least one rechargeable battery mounted by said frame, said frame comprising a pair of side plates, each said side plate having a rear end and front end, and a first pivot element extending from a respective said rear end; each of said pair of said side walls of said main housing comprising an upper portion having a second pivot element, each said second pivot element pivotally mounting a respective said first pivot element, whereby said frame of said battery-pack assembly is pivotally mounted in the upper interior of the said main housing; said flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag being removably mounted in the interior of said main housing below said battery-pack assembly, and defining an upper bag-portion surface upon which rests said battery-pack assembly, said battery-pack assembly being continually pivoted downwardly by gravity as the contents of said flexible fluid-storage bag are dispensed over time, the weight of said battery-pack assembly compressing the thus-depleted storage bag in order to maintain fluid pressure therein, whereby the time delay of the dispensing of the fluid does not increase over continued use. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluid, such as hand sanitary liquid, hand antiseptic lotion, and the like, which dispensing apparatus comprises a main housing having a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a pivotal front cover pivotal to an open position to allow access to the interior of the main frame, said main housing mounting in the interior thereof an automatic dispensing station having a pump assembly and a dispensing nozzle for dispensing measured amounts of fluid, a rechargeable battery-pack assembly, and a flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag operatively connected to said pump assembly and said nozzle, the contents of said bag being dispensed through said nozzle, a method of minimizing the time-delay of dispensing the fluid comprising:
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(a) pivotally mounting said battery-pack assembly in the interior of said main housing for pivotal motion in a vertical direction; (b) providing a removable, flexible, dispensing fluid-storage bag in the interior of said main housing directly below and in close proximity to said battery-pack assembly; (c) initially resting said battery-pack assembly on an upper surface portion of a newly-provided fluid-storage bag; (d) inherently intermittently pivoting said battery-pack assembly downwardly as the contents of said flexible fluid-storage bag are dispensed over time; (e) said step (d) comprising having said battery-pack assembly intermittently pivot downwardly via gravity and compressing the thus-depleted storage bag in order to maintain fluid pressure therein, whereby the time delay of the dispensing of the fluid does not increase over continued use. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification