Secured disposable liquid soap dispenser

• US 5,350,087 A
• Filed: 03/12/1993
• Issued: 09/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scott Paper Co. (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Richard P., Frazier, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pomrening, Anthoula
• Application Number:
  US08/031,116
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 222/153, 222/180, 222/181, 222/325, 222/463, 222/321, 222/383, 222/384, 222/385, 292/164, 292/174, 292/302, 292/163, 70/345, 70/387, 248/553, 248/551, 248/500, 221/152, 221/154
• US Class Current: 222/153.09
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2005/1218 Table mounted; Dispensers integrated with the mixing tap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1205 Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0866 Multiple head

Abstract

Disclosed is a theft deterring countertop mounted fluid dispensing system for dispensing liquid soap or other ruscous fluid using a liquid soap dispenser which can be disposable. The system includes a base unit or module which is to be permanently affixed to a countertop. The base unit includes a locking mechanism and at least one lug orifice. The base unit is used in conjunction with the fluid dispensing unit or module which includes a bottle for storing the liquid soap and a lug extending from the bottle. The lug is adapted to be received in the lug orifice of the base unit and releasably engaged by the locking mechanism therein. A key or series of movements which are not readily obvious to a casual user of the product are required in order to remove the fluid dispensing unit from the base unit.

Claims

1. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system comprising:

(a) a base unit adapted to be affixed to a supporting surface, said base unit including at least one lug orifice in a wall thereof;

(b) a fluid dispenser including a bottle and a lug extending from said bottle, said lug adapted to be received in said at least one orifice;

(c) a sled slidably mounted within said base unit, said sled having a port and a slot therethrough, said sled being movable from a locked position wherein said slot lies beneath said at least one lug orifice to an unlocked position wherein said port lies beneath said at least one lug orifice, said sled being movable from said locked position to said unlocked position in response to the insertion of a key means into said base unit; and

(d) biasing means automatically moving said sled back to said locked position when said key means is removed from said base unit.

2. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a pair of arcuate walls projecting substantially vertically upward from said sled at the periphery of said port, said arcuate walls limiting the amount of rotational movement which can be imparted to said fluid dispenser when said lug is inserted into said at least one lug orifice with said sled in said unlocked position;

(b) a locking wall projecting vertically up from said sled along one side of said slot, at least one of said slot and said locking wall preventing rotational movement of said dispenser when said sled is in said locked position.

3. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said at least one lug orifice is substantially circular with a primary gib slot and a secondary gib slot extending substantially radially therefrom.

4. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said primary gib slot is larger than said secondary gib slot.

5. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

a primary gib and a secondary gib, each extending from said lug.

6. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein:

said primary gib is larger than said secondary gib so that said lug can be inserted into said at least one lug orifice with a single orientation.

7. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a keyway into said base unit through which said key means can be inserted to overcome said biasing means thereby moving said sled to said unlocked position.

8. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one gib extending from said lug, said lug being alignable with said slot such that said lug can enter said port and said slot when said sled is in said unlocked position, said slot having a width which prevents said lug with said at least one gib to pass therethrough when said sled is in said locked position.

9. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

travel limit means within said base unit for limiting the amount of rotational movement which can be imparted to said fluid dispenser when said sled is in said unlocked position.

10. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

travel stop means within said base unit for preventing rotational movement of said fluid dispenser when said sled is in said locked position.

11. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said biasing means is a spring.

12. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system comprising:

(a) a base unit adapted to be affixed to a supporting surface, said base unit including a lug orifice in a wall thereof;

(b) a fluid dispenser including a bottle and a lug extending from said bottle, said lug adapted to be received in said orifice;

(c) a sled slidably residing within said base unit for locking said lug to said base unit, said sled being movable from a locked position to an unlocked position in response to the insertion of a key means into said base unit; and

(d) biasing means within said base unit for normally maintaining said sled in said locked position;

(e) a port through said sled;

(f) a slot extending from said port, said port residing beneath said lug orifice when said sled is in said unlocked position, said slot residing beneath said lug orifice when said sled is said locked position, said lug and said bottle being nonrotatable in said lug orifice when said sled is in said locked position.

13. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 12 wherein:

said biasing means is a spring.

14. A countertop mounted fluid dispensing system as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

a locking wall projecting vertically upward from said sled along at least one side of said slot, said bottle being rotatable while said lug resides in said lug orifice only when said sled is in said unlocked position thereby allowing said bottle to rotated such that said lug aligns with said slot, said bottle not being rotatable while said lug resides in said lug orifice when said sled is in said locked position, at least one of said slot and said locking wall preventing rotational movement of said lug when said sled is in said locked position.