Dispenser with thumbprint reader

• US 7,451,894 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, STEPHANIE ELAINE
• Application Number:
  US11/085,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 222/180, 222/181.1, 222/181.2, 222/181.3, 222/333, 222/63, 222/52, 462/3, 462/8, 250/338.1, 250/455.11, 422/22, 422/24, 235/380, 235/382, 382/124
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/12 for liquid or pasty soap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

A fingerprint reader for a thumb disposed above an outlet for fluid and adapted to be engaged by an inside surface of a user'"'"'s thumb extending upwardly relative to the palm of a user'"'"'s hand while the user'"'"'s hand extends generally horizontally forwardly from the thumb directed upwardly to receive fluid dispensed downwardly thereon to from a fluid dispensing outlet while the thumb engages the fingerprint reader.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising:

an outlet disposed to dispense fluid downwardly onto an upwardly directed palm of a user'"'"'s hand,

a fingerprint reader located relative to the outlet at a position permitting easy engagement of the fingerprint reader by a thumb of the hand extending upwardly relative its upwardly directed palm,

the fingerprint reader located at a height above the height of which the outlet is located,

the dispenser having an outer housing with a forward surface extending upwardly from a lower edge and a lower surface extending downwardly and rearwardly from the lower edge,

the fingerprint reader provided on the forward surface, the outlet directing fluid downwardly relative the lower surface.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the forward surface extends upwardly and rearwardly from the lower edge.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fingerprint reader is mounted on the forward surface spaced from the lower edge.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a palm sensor to sense whether the palm of a user'"'"'s hand is underneath the outlet within a desired proximity of the outlet.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a dispensing mechanism to dispense material from the outlet when the dispensing mechanism is activated,

a control mechanism to activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense material from the outlet,

a palm sensing mechanism to sense whether a user'"'"'s palm is underneath the outlet within a desired proximity to the outlet,

the control mechanism activating the dispensing mechanism to initiate dispensing of material after the palm sensing mechanism has sensed the location of a user'"'"'s palm within the desired proximity of the outlet.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5 wherein the control mechanism requires as a prerequisite to activate dispensing both the palm sensing mechanism sensing the location of a user'"'"'s palm within the desired proximity of the outlet and the fingerprint reader sensing that a user'"'"'s thumb is proximate the fingerprint reader.

7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a dispensing mechanism to dispense material from the outlet when the dispensing mechanism is activated,

the fingerprint reader having a finger bed, the reader adapted to read a fingerprint of a user'"'"'s thumb when located on or proximate to the bed,

a thumb sensing mechanism to sense the location of a thumb on or relative to the bed,

a control system to activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense fluid after the thumb sensing mechanism has sensed the location of a thumb on or proximate the bed.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 including a palm sensor to sense whether the palm of a user'"'"'s hand is within a desired proximity to the outlet.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8 wherein the control means activates the dispensing mechanism to initiate dispensing of fluid after the palm sensor has sensed the location of a user'"'"'s palm within the desired proximity to the outlet simultaneously with the thumb sensing mechanism sensing a thumb on or proximate to the bed.

10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fingerprint reader having a finger bed is directed forwardly, upwardly and toward one side.

11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a pair of fingerprint readers,

a right side fingerprint reader disposed in a right side of the outlet to receive a thumb of a right hand of a user and a left hand fingerprint reader disposed on a left side of the outlet to receive a thumb of a left hand of the fingerprint reader.

12. A dispenser as claimed in claim 11 including a single outlet located intermediate the right fingerprint reader and the left fingerprint reader.

13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein with the upwardly directed palm of a user'"'"'s hand located under the outlet with the fingers of the hand extending generally horizontally towards their distal ends in a rearward direction, the outlet is adapted to dispense fluid generally downwardly on to the upwardly directed palm and the fingerprint reader is located relative to the outlet at a position facilitating engagement of the fingerprint reader by an insider surface of the thumb extending upwardly from the palm.

14. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fingerprint reader and the outlet are capable of both been seen simultaneously by a user in front of the dispenser.

15. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a recording mechanism to maintain a record of the fingerprint read.

16. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a signal mechanism to signal visually or audibly to a user that a fingerprint from the user'"'"'s thumb has been read.

17. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4 including a palm location signal mechanism to signal to the user that a user'"'"'s palm is sensed by the palm sensor as being underneath the outlet within a desired proximity of the outlet.

18. A method dispensing material onto a person'"'"'s hand comprising:

placing a user'"'"'s hand such that an upwardly directed palm of the user'"'"'s hand is disposed under a fluid outlet from which fluid is to be dispensed,

placing a thumb of the user'"'"'s hand to extend upwardly from the palm such that an inside surface of the thumb to be read is on or proximate a first sensor located relative the outlet at a height above a height at which the outlet is located,

sensing with the first sensor that the thumb of the user is placed on or proximate the first sensor,

sensing with a second sensor that the palm of the user'"'"'s hand is underneath the outlet,

after sensing with the first sensor that the thumb is proximate the first sensor and sensing with the second sensor that the palm of the hand is underneath the outlet, dispensing material from the outlet for a period of time in a manner that the material engages the palm of the user'"'"'s hand underneath the outlet.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the first sensor comprises a fingerprint reader and the method of includes reading a fingerprint of the user'"'"'s thumb placed on or proximate the fingerprint reader.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 including recording the fingerprint read by the thumb reader.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 including determining whether a user'"'"'s hand remains underneath the outlet as sensed by the second sensor for a period of time during which that the material was dispensed.

22. A dispenser having an outer housing with a forward surface extending upwardly from a leading lower edge and a lower surface extending downwardly and rearwardly from the leading lower edge,

an outlet on the lower surface disposed to direct fluid downwardly onto an upwardly directed palm of a user'"'"'s hand placed below the lower surface;

a first sensor located on the forward surface relative the outlet at a position permitting sensing of a thumb of the user'"'"'s hand extending upwardly from the palm,

a dispensing mechanism to dispense material from the outlet when the dispensing mechanism is activated,

a control mechanism to activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense fluid when the first sensor senses the thumb.

23. A dispenser as claimed in claim 22 including a second sensor on the lower surface to sense whether a user'"'"'s palm is underneath the outlet,

the control mechanism activating the dispensing mechanism to dispense fluid when the first sensor senses a thumb of the user and the second sensor senses a user'"'"'s palm underneath the outlet.