Liquid soap dispenser

• US 4,573,612 A
• Filed: 11/28/1983
• Issued: 03/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Limited (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Maddison, David, Dawson, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/555,536
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 222/94, 222/156, 222/158, 222/136, 222/145, 222/181, 222/207, 222/212, 222/214, 222/95, 222/386.5, 222/105, 222/107, 222/92, 222/380, 222/377, 222/209, 222/213, 222/215 , 222/541, 222/548
• US Class Current: 222/105
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1209 with chamber in the form of a cylindrical tube

Abstract

A liquid dispenser has a reservoir to which a refill container may be connected via a fitment in order to determine the level of soap in the dispenser through a window of the reservoir. The refill container further has a dispensing tube through which a predetermined amount of soap is dispensed on actuation of the lever.

The tube and fitment are both mounted to a mounting component to which the bag is fixed, a duct being provided between the tube and fitment for liquid communication thereto.

Claims

1. A refill container for a liquid dispenser, and comprising:

a dispensing tube through which said liquid is dispensed from said dispenser;

container means for furnishing a primary supply of liquid to said dispensing tube during use and to a reservoir providing an auxiliary supply of liquid for said dispensing tube; and

a fitment means for providing liquid communication between said container means and said reservoir in order to supply said reservoir from said container means and for providing for said auxillary supply of liquid to said dispensing tube upon substantial depletion of said primary supply.

2. A refill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tube has an inner valve and an outer valve operable in concert to dispense a predetermined amount of soap.

3. A refill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tube and said fitment are both mounted to a mounting component to which said container means in the form of a bag is fixed.

4. A refill container as claimed in claim 3 wherein said mounting component is provided with a duct between said fitment and said tube, which duct is partially formed in use by said bag collapsing onto the component.

5. A refill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tube and said fitment form a part of a mounting component to which said container means in the form of a bag is fixed.

6. A refill container as claimed in claim 5 wherein said mounting component is provided with a duct between said fitment and said tube, which duct is partially formed in use by said bag collapsing onto the component.

7. A refill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fitment is provided with a cover having a tear-away portion covering said opening and said cover being rotatable to align the opening with a corresponding reservoir opening.

8. A refill container as claimed in claim 7 including a lock means for maintaining the refill container in engagement with the reservoir.

9. A refill container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said lock means comprises a means for locking said cover to said reservoir as said cover is rotated to open the refill container to the reservoir.

10. A liquid dispenser comprising:

a housing

a reservoir mounted within said housing; and

a refill container mounted within said housing, and comprising;

a dispensing tube through which said liquid is dispensed from said dispenser;

container means for furnishing a primary supply of liquid to said dispensing tube during use and to said reservoir providing an auxiliary supply of liquid for said dispensing tube; and

a fitment means for providing liquid communication between said container means and said reservoir in order to supply said reservoir from said container means and for providing for said auxillary supply of liquid to said dispensing tube upon substantial depletion of said primary supply.

11. A dispenser as in claim 10, and further comprising:

a closure of said fitment means operable to stop said liquid communication between said container means and said reservoir and

said reservoir being removeable from said dispenser;

whereby said dispenser is operable to dispense said liquid without use of said reservoir upon closing said closure.

12. A dispenser as in claim 10, and further comprising:

means for checking a level of said liquid in said reservoir.

13. A dispenser as in claim 12, wherein said liquid level checking means comprises at least a translucent portion of said reservoir through which said liquid level may be detected visually.

14. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 13 wherein said reservoir is in communication with atmospheric pressure in order to equalize pressures in said dispenser and provide a visible liquid level.