Automatic soap dispenser
First Claim
1. An automatic soap dispenser comprising:
- a horizontally disposed chamber having an open front end, a rear wall, sidewalls, and an upper wall with an opening therein;
a sensor on the rear wall of said chamber;
a container of liquid soap including a resilient tubular member having an outlet valve on an end portion thereof and connected at its other end to the interior of the container, said outlet valve positioned adjacent the opening in the upper wall of the chamber;
motor means for rotating a crank having a free end;
squeezer means pivotally mounted in front of the tubular member so as to have a free end;
connecting lever means for pivotally connecting the free end of the squeezer means to the free end of said crank; and
circuit means responsive to said sensor when a hand is placed in said chamber to energize said motor means to rotate said crank and thereby move said connecting lever means to cause said squeezer means to move from a rest position of press said tubular member to expel a quantity of liquid soap through the outlet valve into the palm of the hand of the user, said connecting lever means upon returning said squeezer means to its rest position providing a signal to deenergize said motor means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatically operated soap dispenser for use in washing the hands of a user is provided in a housing. Enclosed in an intermediate portion of the housing is a horizontally disposed transparent cylindrical chamber having an open front end and an opening in the upper wall thereof. Residing in the upper portion of the housing is a disposable liquid soap container having extending from the bottom thereof a resilient elongated tubular member with a self-sealing nipple valve on the lower end thereof which is positioned in the opening on the upper wall of the cylindrical chamber. A cyclically operated actuating means located in the housing above the cylindrical chamber is controlled to automatically squeeze the tubular member and supply a single quantity of liquid soap through the nipple valve in response to an upturned palm of a hand of the user being inserted into the open front of the cylindrical chamber.
129 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An automatic soap dispenser comprising:
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a horizontally disposed chamber having an open front end, a rear wall, sidewalls, and an upper wall with an opening therein; a sensor on the rear wall of said chamber; a container of liquid soap including a resilient tubular member having an outlet valve on an end portion thereof and connected at its other end to the interior of the container, said outlet valve positioned adjacent the opening in the upper wall of the chamber; motor means for rotating a crank having a free end; squeezer means pivotally mounted in front of the tubular member so as to have a free end; connecting lever means for pivotally connecting the free end of the squeezer means to the free end of said crank; and circuit means responsive to said sensor when a hand is placed in said chamber to energize said motor means to rotate said crank and thereby move said connecting lever means to cause said squeezer means to move from a rest position of press said tubular member to expel a quantity of liquid soap through the outlet valve into the palm of the hand of the user, said connecting lever means upon returning said squeezer means to its rest position providing a signal to deenergize said motor means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11)
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9. In a housing for an automatic soap dispenser,
a container for liquid soap; -
a resilient tube having a self-sealing resilient nipple valve on an end portion thereof and having its other end connected to the interior of said container; a back-up wall located in the housing behind the tube; a squeezer means having its upper end pivotally connected to the housing so as to have a free bottom end; a motor means having an output shaft; a crank having its inner end keyed on the end of said output shaft so as to have a free outer end; connecting lever means pivotally connected between the bottom free end of said squeezer means and the free outer end of said crank; and a horizontally disposed chamber in said housing having an open front end and a top wall with an opening therein aligned with the nipple valve; whereby when said motor means is energized to rotate the crank it causes the squeezer means to move from a rest position to press said resilient tube against the back-up wall to expel a quantity of liquid soap from within the tube through the nipple valve onto the palm of the hand of a user placed in the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification