Liquid soap dispenser

• US 4,886,192 A
• Filed: 05/27/1987
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steiner Co., Inc. (Alsco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Steiner Co., Inc. (Alsco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cassia, Antonio M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US07/056,352
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 222/180, 222/181, 222/185, 222/207, 222/209, 222/212, 222/213, 222/214, 222/215, 222/80, 222/81, 222/82, 222/83.5, 222/88, 222/90
• US Class Current: 222/181.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1209 with chamber in the form of a cylindrical tube

Abstract

An improved liquid soap dispenser is described which essentially comprises a L-shaped wall bracket provided with a lever and piston device to actuate a dispensing nozzle, connected to a tank with a cover mounted on the bracket. The dispensing nozzle is directly fastened to the tank by means of a ring which is preferably formed to incorporate a valve element of the nozzle. The tank may have an upstanding portion for mounting and opening a disposable soap cartridge. As an alternative the liquid soap can also be contained directly in the tank, by pouring the same in bulk into the tank.

Claims

1. A liquid soap dispenser comprising a L-shaped bracket having a vertical rear plate adapted to be mounted on a wall and having a horizontal base having a bottom wall, two side walls and a front wall;

a tank shaped to be supported on said bottom wall and housed within a space defined by said rear plate and said side walls and front wall, said tank having a hollow downwardly projecting portion of generally cylindrical shape having a substantially flat bottom with a central hole therein of reduced diameter compared to said bottom, a flexible slitted flat diaphragm which in use abuts said flat bottom with said central hole being in registry with the slit in said flat diaphragm to form a back check valve integral with said tank, a pump mechanism including a deformable nozzle in fluid communication with said tank for dispensing soap from said tank in discrete doses and a cover removably mounted on said tank, the pump mechanism is slid into the L-shaped bracket and combined with the tank so that the back check valve is integral with the tank.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said side walls and front wall extend downwardly past said bottom wall to form a compartment for housing at least a part of said pump mechanism.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said tank has mounting means projecting to a predetermined height from the tank bottom wall to support a refill cartridge placed thereon at said predetermined height;

said mounting means having a piercing means to open the cartridge at a level from the tank bottom higher than said predetermined height, said mounting means providing communication between the opening cartridge and the pump mechanism, and reinforcing means for said mounting means to position a refill cartridge with respect to said piercing means.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said mounting means is C-shaped in horizontal cross-section, with the open portion of said C facing toward said pump mechanism.

5. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said reinforcing means comprises upwardly projecting ribs from the bottom of said tank, said ribs having a portion thereof inclined toward said piercing means and having the top surfaces thereof at a level from the bottom of the tank higher than said predetermined level.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said tank has a longitudinal slit in at least one lateral wall, said slit extending from the tank top to a level slightly higher than the predetermined height.

7. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said tank has at least one rib for positioning a correspondingly shaped cartridge at the inside thereof.

8. The dispenser of claim 3 and further comprising a cartridge for feeding liquid soap into said dispenser, said cartridge being housed in said tank having an outlet neck and a sealing cap suitable to be opened by said piercing means to allow the liquid to flow to said predetermined height from the bottom of the tank.

9. The dispenser of claim 8 wherein said cartridge is generally parallelepiped in shape having at least a side wall formed with a groove therein complimentary in shape to said ribs.

10. A dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling ring for connecting together an upper portion of the nozzle and said cylindrical projecting portion of said tank.

11. A dispenser according to claim 10, wherein said coupling ring is an internally threaded ring and said cylindrical portion has a corresponding external thread.

12. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said pump mechanism includes an actuating member and a piston having one end to effect a pushing action onto a lateral wall of the nozzle and an opposite end shaped to be fitted into a corresponding aperture in said actuating member, and spring means between said piston and said bracket.

13. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said tank has a hook-shaped portion on a wall and a recess on the opposite wall to cooperate respectively with a recess and an inwardly extended rib on said cover to maintain said cover on the tank.