Keyed dispensing cartridge system

• US 8,020,733 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UltraClenz LLC (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Snodgrass, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, DONNELL ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/803,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 222/325, 222/105, 222/181.3, 222/183, 222/153.03, 222/153.01, 222/153.02, 222/153.04, 222/153.09
• US Class Current: 222/325
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/13 of invertible type A47K5/1201 takes precedence

Abstract

A dispensing system for dispensing cleaning product for hand washing at a faucet comprises a cartridge having an internal reservoir for containing hand wash cleaning product, a nozzle configured in one of a plurality of key shapes, and a dispenser having a receptacle opening adapted to receive and engage the nozzle of the cartridge when the receptacle opening is configured in one of a plurality of key shapes corresponding to the key shape of the nozzle, the dispenser having a fluid communication passage for dispensing fluid for hand washing, whereby only cartridges and dispensers which have matched key shapes will engage each other for operative discharge of the hand wash cleaning product.

Claims

1. A dispensing system for dispensing cleaning product for hand washing at a faucet, comprising

a cartridge having an internal reservoir for containing hand wash cleaning product, and a pump assembly, including a nozzle having a tip through which product exits and configured in one of a plurality of any key shapes, said key shape on said tip comprising at least two different longitudinal keys positioned at different radial locations around a circumference of the nozzle, wherein one longitudinal key extends further along the axial length of the nozzle than the other keys, and starts at said tip to thereby engage the cartridge rotationally with a dispenser before the other keys when the cartridge is axially aligned with a receptacle opening, and wherein the other longitudinal keys start inwardly of said tip;

and

a dispenser having a block with a receptacle opening adapted to axially receive and engage the nozzle of the cartridge when the receptacle opening is configured in one of a plurality of key shapes corresponding to the key shape of the nozzle, the dispenser having a fluid communication passage for dispensing fluid for hand washing, whereby only cartridges and dispensers which have matched key shapes will engage each other for operative discharge of the hand wash cleaning product.

2. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the cartridge comprises a bottle.

3. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the cartridge comprises a flexible bag.

4. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the cartridge comprises a flexible bag in a box.

5. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least one raised fin located on the exterior of the nozzle.

6. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the key shape of the dispenser comprises at least one slot defined in the dispenser.

7. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least two raised fins, including at least one index key and one major key different in configuration from the index key.

8. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein

the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least three raised fins, including at least one index key, one major key and one minor key, each of said keys being different in configuration from each other.

9. The dispensing system according to claim 7, wherein

the index key extends further along a surface of the nozzle than any other keys, to engage a corresponding slot in the dispenser before any other keys in the cartridge, to thereby align the cartridge rotationally with the dispenser.

10. A cartridge for use in a dispensing system for fluid product, comprising

an internal reservoir for containing fluid product, and a pump assembly, including a nozzle having a tip through which product exits and configured in one of a plurality of key shapes, said key shape on said tip comprising at least two different different longitudinal keys positioned at different radial locations around a circumference of the nozzle wherein one longitudinal key extends further along the axial length of the nozzle than the other keys, and starts at said tip to thereby engage the cartridge rotationally with a dispenser before the other keys, which start inwardly of said tip, when the cartridge is axially aligned with a receptacle opening, said nozzle adapted to be axially received by and engage a receptacle opening in a dispenser when the receptacle opening is configured in one of a plurality of key shapes corresponding to the key shape of the nozzle.

11. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the cartridge comprises a bottle.

12. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the cartridge comprises a flexible bag.

13. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the cartridge comprises a flexible bag in a box.

14. The cartridge according to claim 10, which the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least one raised fin located on the exterior of the nozzle.

15. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein

the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least two raised fins, including at least one index key and one major key different in configuration from the index key.

16. The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein

the key shape of the cartridge comprises at least three raised fins, including at least one index key, one major key and one minor key, each of said keys being different in configuration from each other.

17. The cartridge according to claim 16, wherein

the index key extends further along a surface of the nozzle than any other keys, to engage a corresponding slot in the dispenser block before any other keys in the cartridge, to thereby align the cartridge rotationally with the dispenser.

18. A cartridge for use in a dispensing system for fluid product, comprising

an internal reservoir for containing fluid product, and a pump assembly, including a nozzle having a tip through which product exits and having at least two different longitudinal keys on said tip positioned at different radial locations around a circumference of the nozzle having different configurations wherein one longitudinal key extends further along the axial length of the nozzle than the other keys, and starts at said tip to thereby engage a cartridge rotationally with the dispenser before the other keys, which start inwardly of said tip, when the cartridge is axially aligned with a receptacle opening, said nozzle being adapted to be axially received by and engage a receptacle opening in a dispenser when the receptacle opening is configured to have radial slots corresponding in shape to the longitudinal keys.

19. The cartridge according to claim 18, wherein at least three longitudinal keys are provided having different configurations.

20. A dispensing system for dispensing cleaning product for hand washing at a faucet, comprising

a cartridge having an internal reservoir for containing hand wash cleaning product, and a pump assembly, including a nozzle having a tip through which product exits and configured in one of a plurality of any key shapes, said key shape on said tip comprising at least two different different longitudinal keys positioned at different radial locations around a circumference of the nozzle wherein one longitudinal key extends further along the axial length of the nozzle than the other keys, and starts at said tip to thereby engage a cartridge rotationally with the dispenser before the other keys, which start inwardly of said tip, when the cartridge is axially aligned with a receptacle opening;

and

a dispenser having a block with a receptacle opening adapted to axially receive and engage the nozzle of the cartridge when the receptacle opening is configured in one of a plurality of key shapes corresponding to the key shape of the nozzle, the dispenser having a fluid communication passage for dispensing fluid for hand washing, whereby only cartridges and dispensers which have matched key shapes will engage each other for operative discharge of the hand wash cleaning product.

21. A cartridge for use in a dispensing system for fluid product, comprising

an internal reservoir for containing fluid product, and a pump assembly, including a nozzle having a tip through which product exits and configured in one of a plurality of key shapes, said key shape on said tip comprising at least two different different longitudinal keys positioned at different radial locations around a circumference of the nozzle wherein one longitudinal key extends further along the axial length of the nozzle than the other keys, and starts at said tip to thereby engage the cartridge rotationally with a dispenser before the other keys, which start inwardly of said tip, when the cartridge is axially aligned with a receptacle opening, said nozzle adapted to be axially received by and engage a receptacle opening in a dispenser when the receptacle opening is configured in one of a plurality of key shapes corresponding to the key shape of the nozzle.