Liquid dispenser with collapsible reservoir holder

• US 5,248,066 A
• Filed: 03/27/1992
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Weller, Stanley R., Burns, Gerald L., Olson, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US07/858,611
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 222/105, 222/154, 222/156, 222/181, 222/183, 222/185, 222/325, 222/214, 222/207
• US Class Current: 222/105
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1215 applied by a peristaltic action

Abstract

A dispenser (10) for use particularly with viscous liquids which has a housing (11) having positioned therein a reservoir holder (31) demountably attached to the housing (11), a collapsible reservoir (26) disposed in the holder (31), a dispensing tube (27) extending from the reservoir (26), and a front push bar member (35) which when pushed, causes a block member (22) inside of the housing (11) to contact the dispensing tube (27) and thereby dispense a predetermined controlled amount of liquid.

Claims

1. A reservoir holder for supporting a flexible, collapsible reservoir within a dispenser for discharging liquid materials, said holder comprising:

(a) a front wall section;

(b) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(c) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein;

(d) means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser; and

(e) a connecting strap which is fixedly attached to said opposing side walls;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder, said front and side wall sections defining an upwardly disposed access port through which the reservoir can be removed for disposal when empty and replaced with a full reservoir.

2. The holder of claim 1, wherein said front wall section has an opening formed therein contiguous with said bottom wall aperture.

3. The holder of claim 1, wherein said holder is made of a plastic polymeric material.

4. The holder of claim 3, wherein said plastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene, or a acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene terpolymer.

5. The holder of claim 1, wherein said holder is molded in one unitary piece.

6. A liquid dispensing system, comprising:

(a) a dispenser for discharging a liquid material, cover attached to the back portion, and a flexible reservoir for containing the liquid, said reservoir removably disposed in a storage portion of the dispenser; and

(b) a holder demountably attached to the dispenser in the storage portion for supporting the reservoir, said holding comprising;

(i) a front wall section;

(ii) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(iii) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein;

(iv) means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser; and

(v) a connecting strap on said holder which is fixedly attached to said opposing side walls, said strap releasably connected to said back portion of said dispenser;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder, said front and side wall sections defining an upwardly disposed access port through which the reservoir can be removed for disposal when empty and replaced with a full reservoir.

7. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said front wall section of said holder has an opening formed therein contiguous with said bottom wall aperture.

8. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said holder is made of a plastic polymeric material.

9. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said plastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene, or an acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene terpolymer.

10. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said holder is molded in one unitary piece.

11. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said reservoir in a collapsible, disposable plastic bag.

12. The dispensing system of claim 6, wherein said reservoir further comprises a flexible tube having a nozzle at one end thereof.

13. The dispensing system of claim 7, wherein said cover has a window therein for viewing the reservoir within the dispenser.

20. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein said locking means comprises an elongated latch movable in a channel on the back portion, said latch having a push member at a lower end thereof and receiving means at an upper end thereof.

21. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein one or more hooks are attached to the interior of the cover and engage said receiving means when the dispenser is in a closed position.

14. A dispenser for discharging liquid materials comprising:

(a) a back portion;

(b) a cover hingedly connected to said back portion, said cover comprising a front wall having a cut-out section, and a bottom wall having an opening therein;

(c) a flexible reservoir for containing the liquid, said reservoir removably disposed in a storage portion of the dispenser;

(d) a holder demountably attached to the dispenser in the storage portion for supporting the reservoir, said holder comprising;

(i) a front wall section having an opening formed therein;

(ii) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(iii) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein contiguous with said front wall opening;

(iv) means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser; and

(v) a connecting strap on said holder which is fixedly attached to said opposing side wall sections of said holder, said strap releasably connected to said back portion of said dispenser;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder;

(e) a flexible tube connected at its upstream end to the reservoir and containing a nozzle at its downstream end projecting through the opening in said bottom wall of said cover;

(f) support means for supporting the holder and for retaining the flexible tube; and

(g) a push bar projecting through the cut-out section of the front wall of said cover, said push bar comprising an internally disposed block member;

whereby actuation of the push bar progressively urges the block member into contact with the flexible tube in order to discharge liquid through the nozzle.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said reservoir is a collapsible, disposable plastic bag.

16. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the flexible tube has a flange positioned on the nozzle and wherein the support means has a lower slot means, said flange being inserted into said lower slot means to appropriately position the flexible tube for discharge of the liquid material.

17. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said block member has an angled surface and is positioned on an interior surface of the front wall of said cover adjacent to the cut-out section.

18. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the block member is in slightly pinched engagement with the flexible tube when in a non-actuated position.

19. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the back portion contains locking means to engage the cover and maintain the dispenser in a closed position.

22. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said holder is made of a plastic polymeric material.

23. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein said plastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene, or a acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene terpolymer.

24. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said holder is molded in one unitary piece.

25. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said cover has a window therein for viewing the reservoir with the dispenser.

26. A reservoir holder for supporting a flexible, collapsible reservoir within a dispenser for discharging liquid materials, said holder comprising:

(a) a front wall section;

(b) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(c) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein; and

(d) a means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser, said attaching means comprising a latch protruding from said bottom wall section which can be releasably connected to said dispenser;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder, said front and side wall sections defining an upwardly disposed access port through which the reservoir can be removed for disposal when empty and replaced with a full reservoir.

27. A liquid dispensing system, comprising:

(a) a dispenser for discharging a liquid material, comprising a housing including a back portion and a cover attached to the back portion, and a flexible reservoir for containing the liquid, said reservoir removably disposed in a storage portion of the dispenser; and

(b) a holder demountably attached to the dispenser in the storage portion for supporting the reservoir, said holder comprising;

(i) a front wall section;

(ii) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(iii) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein; and

(iv) a means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser;

wherein said attaching means on said holder comprises a latch protruding from said bottom wall section which is releasably connected to said dispensers;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder, said front and side wall sections defining an upwardly disposed access port through which the reservoir can be removed for disposal when empty and replaced with a full reservoir.

28. A dispenser for discharging liquid materials comprising:

(a) a back portion;

(b) a cover hingedly connected to said back portion, said cover comprising a front wall having a cut-out section, and a bottom wall having an opening therein;

(c) a flexible reservoir for containing the liquid, said reservoir removably disposed in a storage portion of the dispenser;

(d) a holder demountably attached to the dispenser in the storage portion for supporting the reservoir, said holder comprising;

(i) a front wall section having an opening formed therein;

(ii) a pair of opposing spaced side wall sections positioned proximate to said front wall section;

(iii) a bottom wall section positioned proximate to said front wall and side wall sections, said bottom wall section having an aperture formed therein contiguous with said front wall opening;

(iv) a means for demountably attaching said holder to said dispenser, wherein said attaching means on said holder comprises a latch protruding from said bottom wall section which is releasably connected to said support means of said dispenser;

wherein said front wall, side wall and bottom wall sections are operatively connected to form said holder;

(e) a flexible tube connected at its upstream end to the reservoir and containing a nozzle at its downstream end projecting through the opening in said bottom wall of said cover;

(f) support means for supporting the holder and for retaining the flexible tube; and

(g) a push bar projecting through the cut-out section of the front wall of said cover, said push bar comprising an internally disposed block member;

whereby actuation of the push bar progressively urges the block member into contact with the flexible tube in order to discharge liquid through the nozzle.

29. The dispenser of claim 28, wherein said latch has a hook member which protrudes through an upper opening in said support means to engage said support means, thereby releasably attaching said holder to said dispenser.