Electric soap dispenser

• US 8,087,543 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Sandor, Joseph, Cardenas, Orlando
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, DONNELL ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/670,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 222/52, 222/251, 222/63, 222/333, 222/638, 222/23, 222/644, 222/642, 222/639
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Abstract

An electric soap dispenser that includes sensors for detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. The dispenser can include various features for enhancing the performance thereof. For example, the dispenser can include an additional button for manual operation of the pump. Additionally, the dispenser can detect the voltage of a power supply and compensate for a drop in voltage of the power supply so as to produce more uniform dispensations of the liquid product.

Claims

1. A battery-powered electric hand soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

at least one battery supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap, the reservoir having an outlet on a bottom surface thereof, the reservoir being supported by the housing;

a pump disposed in the housing and disposed below the reservoir, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the battery;

a soap discharge nozzle connected to the pump with a soap conduit and disposed in the housing, the nozzle directed downwardly;

a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object;

an electronic control unit connected to the trigger sensor and to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor upon receiving a signal from the trigger sensor, until an amount of liquid soap has been ejected from the nozzle;

an indicator device configured to produce a blinking light, the electronic control unit being configured to cause the indicator to generate the blinking light for a first predetermined time period after liquid soap has been ejected from the nozzle;

a sensor configured to detect a state of the battery, the electronic control unit configured to apply less than the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is fully charged and to apply the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is less than fully charged;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to dispense a single quantity of liquid soap each time the trigger sensor detects the presence of an object, and wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to dispense liquid soap only after a second predetermined time period has elapsed from each previous ejection of liquid soap regardless if the trigger sensor detects the presence of an object before the second period of time has elapsed;

a gasket extending around the periphery of an opening in a bottom portion of the housing, the gasket extending downwardly from the lowermost portion of the housing so as to form a foot supporting the housing;

a battery compartment defined in the housing and including a battery compartment opening in a portion of the gasket;

a battery compartment cover engaged with the housing and covering the battery compartment opening, the battery compartment cover engaging with an aperture defined in the gasket so as to form a seal around the battery compartment opening;

the housing defining a motor and pump compartment, the motor and the pump being disposed within the motor and pump compartment, the gasket extending around a motor and pump compartment opening in a lower portion of the motor and pump compartment;

a motor and pump compartment cover engaged with the housing and forming a seal with the portion of the gasket extending around the motor and pump compartment opening;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to actuate the motor so as to drive the pump so as to dispense liquid soap in predetermined amounts;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate the trigger sensor at the end of each third predetermined time period for an amount of time that is less than the third predetermined time period;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cyclically operate the motor in forward and reverse directions in order to clear a clog in the nozzle; and

a soap volume adjustment device configured to allow a user to select different amounts of soup to be discharged, the electronic control unit is configured to vary the amount of soap discharged based on a state of the soap volume adjustment device.

2. An electric soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a power supply supported by the housing;

a reservoir configured to store liquid soap, the reservoir being supported by the housing;

a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reservoir;

an electric motor supported by the housing and driving the pump, the electric motor being powered by the power supply;

a soap discharge nozzle connected to the pump with a soap conduit and disposed in the housing;

a trigger sensor configured to detect the presence of an object; and

an electronic control unit connected to the trigger sensor and to the electric motor, the electronic control unit configured to actuate the electric motor upon receiving a signal from the trigger sensor, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to dispense a single quantity of liquid soap each time the trigger sensor detects the presence of an object, and wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to dispense liquid soap only after a predetermined time period has elapsed from each previous ejection of liquid soap regardless if the electronic control unit has received a signal from the trigger sensor before the predetermined time period has elapsed.

3. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the power supply comprises at least one battery.

4. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, the reservoir having an outlet on a bottom surface thereof.

5. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, the pump being disposed below the reservoir.

6. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising an indicator light configured to blink for a first predetermined time period of about twenty seconds after an amount of liquid soap has been ejected from the nozzle.

7. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising a sensor configured to detect a state of the battery, the electronic control unit configured to apply less than the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is fully charged and to apply the total amount of power available from the battery when the battery is less than fully charged.

8. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising a gasket extending around the periphery of an opening in a bottom portion of the housing, the gasket extending downwardly from the lowermost portion of the housing so as to form a foot supporting the housing, the housing defining a motor and pump compartment, the motor and the pump being disposed within the motor and pump compartment, the gasket extending around a motor and pump compartment opening in a lower portion of the motor and pump compartment, a motor and pump compartment cover engaged with the housing and forming a seal with the portion of the gasket extending around the motor and pump compartment opening, a battery compartment defined in the housing and including a battery compartment opening in a portion of the gasket, a battery compartment cover engaged with the housing and covering the battery compartment opening, the battery compartment cover engaging with an aperture defined in the gasket so as to form a seal around the battery compartment opening.

9. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to actuate the motor so as to drive the pump so as to dispense liquid soap in predetermined amounts.

10. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate the trigger sensor at a predetermined activation time frequency for a predetermined duration time that is less than the predetermined activation time frequency.

11. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cyclically operate the motor in forward and reverse directions in order to clear a clog in the nozzle.

12. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to adjust the actuation of the electric motor to compensate for a viscosity of the liquid soap in the reservoir.

13. The soap dispenser according to claim 2 additionally comprising a soap volume adjustment device configured to allow a user to select different amounts of soup to be discharged, the electronic control unit is configured to vary the amount of soap discharged based on a state of the soap volume adjustment device.

14. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time period is 2 seconds.

15. The soap dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to reverse the pump after the predetermined amount of liquid soap has been dispensed, thereby drawing liquid soap in the soap conduit backwards away from the discharge nozzle to prevent dripping.