Interactive dispenser for personal use chemical or personal care chemical that provides a message prompted by user proximity

• US 5,810,201 A
• Filed: 07/22/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Klos, Terry J., Besse, Michael E., Tarara, James J., Lokkesmoe, Keith D., Rolando, John J., Heinzen, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US08/681,264
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 222/39, 222/78, 222/95, 222/214, 222/52, 222/325
• US Class Current: 222/39
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

An interactive dispenser, used to provide a powdered, liquid or personal use or care chemical, can provide a message prompted by the proximity of a user to a sensor. Personal care liquids can include hand cleaners, hand and body lotion, sun blocks, sun screens, poison ivy treatment materials, burn ointments, body powders, solid hand soap bars, etc. A variety of messages can be provided to the user including a reminder to use the materials provided by the dispenser, instructional information, safety information, use directions for the chemical, use directions for the dispenser, or any other message. The message can be provided in a visual message such as an electronic scroll, an aural message derived from an electronic voice synthesizer. Such a message can be combined with a musical program, other light displays, etc. The sensor can be mounted on the dispenser in the form of a push button, an actuator triggered by the installation of new chemical, can be a motion sensor detecting the presence of a user, can be a remote sensor sensing the presence of a user at a remote site from the dispenser, involving the use of equipment used in conjunction with the dispenser such as a urinal, toilet, bathroom sink, etc. The overall purpose of coupling a user proximity generated prompt to generating a message is the improved efficacy of use of the dispenser or its chemical contents.

Claims

1. An interactive communicating dispenser for a personal use chemical or a personal care chemical, the dispenser configured to provide a message to an individual user, the dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing configured in the shape of an individual capable of providing a aural message, the housing comprising a shell containing a transducer that can provide the message and a detection means to detect the presence of an individual user within sufficient proximity to the dispenser for effective communication, said proximity causing a proximity signal;

(b) means, coupled to the detection means, to provide a message signal to the transducer when the proximity signal is received;

(c) a source of the personal care liquid; and

(d) means for dispensing the personal care liquid in response to the proximity signal.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the personal care liquid comprises a liquid soap or a sanitizing liquid soap.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the personal care liquid is a foaming material.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the detection means is a motion detector.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the detection means is an infrared heat detector.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the detection means is a sound detector.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the detection means is an ultrasonic detector.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the means to dispense the personal care liquid is a mechanical pump.

9. The dispenser of claim 8 wherein the means to dispense the personal care liquid is an electrical motor driven pump.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the message is in an electronic voice.

11. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein the message is in an recorded human voice.

12. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the recorded human voice is digitized.

13. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein the message also includes a visual message.

14. The dispenser of claim 13 wherein the visual message is a video image or an electronic scroll.

15. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the transducer is placed in the housing in a location corresponding to the source of the aural message.

16. An interactive communicating dispenser for a personal care liquid that can suggest a use of the dispenser to dispense the liquid to an individual, the dispenser comprising:

(a) a housing configured in the shape of an individual capable of providing an aural message, the housing comprising a shell containing a transducer that can provide the message and a detection means to detect the presence of an individual at a distance less than 10 centimeters from the dispenser, said proximity causing a proximity signal;

(b) means, coupled to the detection means, to provide a message signal when the proximity signal is received, suggesting that the individual uses a personal care liquid;

(c) a source of the personal care liquid; and

(d) means for dispensing the personal care liquid in response to the proximity signal.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the personal care liquid comprises a liquid hand soap or a sanitizing liquid hand soap.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the personal care liquid comprises a hand lotion.

19. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the detection means is a motion detector.

20. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the detection means is an infrared heat detector.

21. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the detection means is an sound detector.

22. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the detection means is an ultrasonic detector.

23. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the means to dispense the personal care liquid is a mechanical pump.

24. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the means to dispense the personal care liquid is an electrical motor driven pump.

25. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the message is in an artificial electronic voice.

26. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the message is in an recorded human voice.

27. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the recorded human voice is digitized.

28. The dispenser of claim 25 wherein the message also includes a visual message.

29. The dispenser of claim 28 wherein the visual message is a video image or an electronic scroll.