Fingerprint activated soap dispenser

• US 5,960,991 A
• Filed: 03/19/1999
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heiner Ophardt
• Original Assignee: Heiner Ophardt
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US09/272,372
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/30, 222/52, 222/638-641, 235/380-382, 340/825.34, 380/23, 382/124
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

A dispenser to dispense material onto a person'"'"'s hand, comprising: a dispensing device to dispense material from an outlet when the dispensing device is activated, a fingerprint reader adapted to read a fingerprint of a user'"'"'s finger when located proximate thereon, a control system to activate the dispensing device to dispense material from the outlet when a user'"'"'s finger is proximate the reader, the outlet and the reader positioned relative each other such that when a user'"'"'s finger is located proximate the reader material dispensed from the outlet engages a user'"'"'s hand.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing material onto a person'"'"'s hand, comprising:

placing a user'"'"'s hand such that a fingertip of a finger to be read is on or proximate a fingerprint reader,

reading a fingerprint of the user'"'"'s finger placed on or proximate the fingerprint reader,

after reading the fingerprint maintaining the user'"'"'s hand within a control space proximate the reader for a period of time,

during said period of time, dispensing material into the control space in a manner that the material engages the user'"'"'s hand within the control space.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including removing the finger from being on or proximate the reader and after removing the finger dispensing material onto the reader to clean the reader.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material is dispensed to engage the hand within the control space and simultaneously onto the reader to clean the reader.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 including recording a fingerprint read.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 including recording a fingerprint read and whether a user'"'"'s hand was maintained within the control space for a desired period of time while material was dispensed.

6. A dispenser to dispense material on to a person'"'"'s hand, comprising:

dispensing means to dispense material from an outlet when the dispensing means is activated,

a fingerprint reader adapted to read a fingerprint of a user'"'"'s finger when located proximate thereon,

control means to activate the dispensing means to dispense material from the outlet when a user'"'"'s finger is proximate the reader,

the outlet and the reader positioned relative each other such that when a user'"'"'s finger is located proximate the reader material dispensed from the outlet engages a user'"'"'s hand.

7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6 wherein the control means activates the dispensing means to dispense material after the reader has read a fingerprint.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6 including recording means to maintain a record of a fingerprint read by the reader.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6 wherein the reader is adapted to read a fingerprint of a user located within a desired first proximity to the reader;

the dispenser including sensing means to sense over time whether a finger is within said first desired proximity to the reader.

10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 9 wherein the control means activates the dispensing means to initiate dispensing of material after the sensing means has sensed the location of a finger within said first desired proximity for a first period of time.

11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 wherein the material dispensed from the outlet engages a hand of the user when the user'"'"'s hand is within a second desired proximity to the reader;

a sensing mechanism sensing whether a user'"'"'s hand is within the second desired proximity to the reader during the entirety of a second period of time when the dispensing means is activated.

12. A dispenser as claimed in claim 11 including recording means to maintain a record of the fingerprint read and whether a hand was located within said second desired proximity to the reader during the second period of time when the dispensing means was activated.

13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 including read signal means to signal to a user that a fingerprint has been read.

14. A dispenser as claimed in claim 9 including read location signal means to signal to the user that the user'"'"'s hand is within the first desired proximity to the reader.

15. A dispenser as claimed in claim 11 including dispensing location signal means to signal to the user that a user'"'"'s hand is within the second desired proximity to the reader.

16. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6 including finger location signal means to signal to the user that the user'"'"'s finger is proximate the reader to permit a fingerprint to be read or for material dispensed to engage the user'"'"'s hand.

17. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6 including recording means to maintain a record of a fingerprint recorded and whether a finger whose fingerprint was read was maintained while material was dispensed proximate the reader such that material dispensed would have engaged the user'"'"'s hand.

18. A dispenser to dispense material onto a person'"'"'s hand, comprising:

dispensing device to dispense material from an outlet when the dispensing means is activated,

a fingerprint reader having a finger bed, the reader adapted to read a fingerprint of a user when located on the bed,

a sensing mechanism to sense the location of a finger on the bed,

a control system to activate the dispensing device to dispense material after the sensing mechanism has sensed the location of the finger on the bed,

wherein the sensing mechanism senses whether the finger is on the bed while the dispensing device dispenses the material,

a recording system to maintain a record of a fingerprint read and whether its respective finger was on the bed while the dispensing device dispensed material.

19. A dispenser as claimed in claim 18 including a bed cleaner to dispense material onto said finger bed when activated.

20. A dispenser as claimed in claim 18 wherein said control system activates said bed cleaner after the sensing mechanism senses a finger has been removed from the bed.