Dropping control mechanism for soap feeding device

• US 6,293,428 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chen, Yi-Chen
• Original Assignee: Chen, Yi-Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Yi-Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US09/599,859
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 222/52, 222/55, 222/63, 222/420, 222/422
• US Class Current: 222/55
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1208 by means of a flexible dispensing chamber
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

A soap feeding device mounted in a housing comprises an upper housing having a soap reservoir and a lower housing having a control assembly consisting of a power source, a sensor means including a circuit board, a transmission means including a drive means, a reduction gear set, and a crankshaft, and a feeding means. A setting switch on circuit board is extended through hole in the bottom of lower housing being enclosed by a waterproof silicone switch such that user may press the silicone switch to set the dropping of the device. The power source is activated once the sensor senses the stretching out of ones hand. Then reduction gear set is driven to rotate. The rotation of the gear causes the crankshaft to reciprocally move between a pair of clips. Thus the actuated bellow-like extruder compresses air into a barrel which is in cooperation with valve and poppet to extrude soap.

Claims

1. A soap feeding device mounted in a housing comprising an upper housing having a soap reservoir and a lower housing having an outlet in the bottom and a control assembly consisting of a power source, a sensor means including a circuit board with a setting switch extended through the bottom of the lower housing, a transmission means including a drive means, a reduction gear set with a large gear, and a crankshaft, and a feeding means including a bellow-like extruder, wherein the soap dropping of the device is set by the pressing of the setting switch.

2. The soap feeding device of claim 1, further comprising a waterproof silicone switch for enclosing the setting switch.

3. The soap feeding device of claim 1, further comprising a barrel having a top opening in fluid communication with the soap reservoir, a side opening in fluid communication with the bellow-like extruder, and a bottom hole and a pair of clip raised on the bottom of the lower housing wherein the power source is activated when the sensor means senses, the reduction gear set is driven to rotate, the rotation of the large gear of the reduction gear set causes one end of the crankshaft to rotate and the other end of the crankshaft to move between the pair of clips, and the other end the crankshaft is further attached to one end of the bellow-like extruder such that extruder reciprocally compresses air into the barrel for extruding soap.

4. The soap feeding device of claim 3, further comprising a plate-shaped valve slidable in the barrel comprising a plurality of through holes, an annular membrane adhered to the wall of the barrel, a spindle extended down from the valve, a spring anchored on top of the valve, a cap on the top of the spring, the periphery of the cap engaged with the top of the barrel, a plurality of apertures on the cap for permitting soap to flow through into the barrel, and a poppet member having a center hole put on the spindle, a poppet, and a seat biased against the bottom hole of the barrel, wherein the seat is biased against the bottom hole of the barrel for blocking soap from passing through the bottom hole of the barrel when the soap feeding device is not activated, and when the extruder is compressed, the valve is moved up due to the upward movement of the poppet actuated by the extruder which in turn causes the bottom hole of the barrel to open to permit soap to pass for extruding through the outlet of the lower housing.

5. The soap feeding device of claim 4, further comprising a pivot member in the lower housing, a push-button switch on the circuit board, and a projection on the eccentric position of the large gear, wherein the projection engages with one end of the pivot member when the extruder is compressed by the rotation of the large gear such that the other end of the pivot member presses the push-button switch once in each extrusion of soap, the extrusion is repeated until the set times of the soap dropping of the device has been reached, and the drive means is deactivated by the circuit board accordingly.