Soap dispenser

• US 4,079,867 A
• Filed: 08/16/1976
• Issued: 03/21/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marlin T. Tannehill
• Original Assignee: Marlin T. Tannehill
• Inventors: Tannehill, Marlin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Application Number:
  US05/714,898
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 222/368, 222/43, 222/44, 222/185, 141/383, 141/386
• US Class Current: 222/368
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/10 for powdered soap
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/76 for discharging metered quantities
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/026 the powder or tablets being added directly, e.g. without the need of a flushing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/24 for fluent solid material

Abstract

A dispenser for soap or the like comprising a hopper having a lower discharge outlet and a rotatable metering device within the outlet including a plurality of circumferentially arranged chambers which sequentially communicate with the hopper and the discharge opening as they are rotated. The metering device includes a manually operated knob including a spring loaded detent extending rearwardly therefrom and cooperating with a plurality of recesses on the front panel of the hopper. A holder for a cup or the like is provided beneath the discharge outlet of the hopper so that the dispensed soap may be transferred to the washing machine.

Claims

1. A dispenser for soap or the like, comprising:

a rectangular container having front, rear, side and bottom walls;

a partition in the lower portion of said container;

a discharge outlet beneath said partition, said discharge outlet having an upper opening in said partition;

said partition having at least two opposite surfaces inclined downwardly from said container side walls down to said upper opening of said discharge outlet;

said discharge outlet including a generally cylindrical chamber in communication with said upper opening and having a lower opening located in said container bottom wall beneath said upper opening;

a cylindrical metering drum rotatably mounted in said chamber and including a central shaft and a plurality of chambers circumferentially spaced about said shaft and arranged to sequentially communicate said plurality of chambers with said upper opening and to sequentially communicate said plurality of chambers with said lower opening as said drum rotates, said plurality of chambers including a plurality of vanes extending radially from said shaft, said shaft and said vanes being integrally formed;

said shaft having a portion extending through said container front wall;

a knob on said portion of said shaft extending through said container front wall, said knob having a back adjacent said container front wall with indexing means situated on said back of said knob and on said container front wall adjacent said knob for providing audible and tactile indication of the position of said drum;

said container rear, side and bottom walls, said partition and said discharge outlet being integral;

said container rear, side and bottom walls, said partition and said discharge outlet defining chambers on either side of said discharge outlet; and

means on said container bottom wall adjacent said lower opening for supporting a receptacle beneath said lower opening, said supporting means having tracks adapted to engage the rim of the receptacle.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said tracks are substantially parallel at their forward ends and curved toward each other at their rearward ends and said curved rearward ends having stop means for the receptacle.