LIQUID DISPENSING UNITS
First Claim
1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
- a housing;
a reservoir configured to store a liquid;
a fluid passage disposed in the housing, the fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet;
a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an opening disposed in a pump body, the opening in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pump configured to allow air disposed therein to pass through the opening;
a motor disposed in the housing, the motor configured to drive the pump, the pump configured to encourage a flow of soap from the reservoir into the inlet and out of the outlet of the fluid passage; and
a first sensor configured to generate a signal based on a distance between an object and the first sensor; and
an electronic processor configured to receive the signal from the first sensor and to determine a dispensation volume of the liquid, the dispensation volume varying as a function of the distance between the object and the first sensor, the processor further configured to control the motor to dispense approximately the dispensation volume of the liquid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A soap dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. Certain embodiments of the dispenser include a housing, reservoir, pump, motor, sensor, electronic processor, and nozzle. In certain embodiments, the sensor can be configured to generate a signal based on a distance between an object and the sensor. In certain embodiments, the electronic processor can be configured to receive the signal from the sensor and to determine a dispensation volume of the liquid. The dispensation volume can vary as a function of the distance between the object and the sensor. The processor can be configured to control the motor to dispense approximately the dispensation volume of the liquid.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
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a housing; a reservoir configured to store a liquid; a fluid passage disposed in the housing, the fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet; a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an opening disposed in a pump body, the opening in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pump configured to allow air disposed therein to pass through the opening; a motor disposed in the housing, the motor configured to drive the pump, the pump configured to encourage a flow of soap from the reservoir into the inlet and out of the outlet of the fluid passage; and a first sensor configured to generate a signal based on a distance between an object and the first sensor; and an electronic processor configured to receive the signal from the first sensor and to determine a dispensation volume of the liquid, the dispensation volume varying as a function of the distance between the object and the first sensor, the processor further configured to control the motor to dispense approximately the dispensation volume of the liquid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of manufacturing a soap dispenser, the method comprising:
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forming the soap dispenser, the soap dispenser including a pump, a motor, a first sensor, and an electronic processor; configuring the first sensor to generate a signal representing a distance between an object and the first sensor; configuring the electronic processor to check for signals generated by the first sensor; and configuring the electronic processor to generate a signal to the motor to dispense a volume of soap that varies depending on the distance between the object and the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A soap dispenser comprising:
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a housing; a fluid passage disposed in the housing, the fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet; a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an opening disposed in a pump body, the opening in fluid communication with a removable cartridge, the removable cartridge configured to be separated from the housing and to contain a volume of soap and a power source in a single disposable unit; and a motor disposed in the housing, the motor configured to a drive the pump to encourage a flow of soap from the removable cartridge into the inlet and out of the outlet of the fluid passage. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A disposable cartridge for an electric soap dispenser, the cartridge comprising:
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a cartridge housing comprising attachment members configured to removably attach to a soap pump housing; a reservoir within or attached to the cartridge housing, the reservoir configured to contain a volume of soap, the volume of soap configured to be about exhausted after a set number of dispensation cycles during normal use of the soap dispenser; a battery within or attached to the cartridge housing, the battery configured to provide sufficient electrical energy to power a motor of the soap dispenser for at least the set number of dispensation cycles. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A fluid cartridge for an electrical fluid dispenser, the cartridge comprising:
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a disposable housing configured to attach to a pump unit; a fluid reservoir; an engagement mechanism configured to removably attach the housing to a pump unit; and an indicator configured to indicate at least one characteristic of the cartridge to the pump unit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification