Touch-free pressurized can dispenser

• US 8,342,365 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• 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): WEISS, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/480,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 222/52, 222/63, 222/402.21, 222/504, 222645-649, 222/1
• US Class Current: 222/63
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/262 by clockwork, motor, electric or magnetic means operating without repeated human input

Abstract

An automatic touch-free dispenser provides dose dispensing of a product from a pressurized can by sensing or detecting the presence of a user'"'"'s hands, and an actuator assembly which tilts the nozzle on the can in response to such detection, to thereby dispense product from the can. The can may hold a healthcare product, such as a sanitizer, food product, or any other fluid product pressurized in a can. The actuator assembly includes a DC motor which drives a cam, which in turn pushes an actuator lever into the nozzle for a certain dispensing time. The number of doses, detection range, and motor speed, can be adjusted.

Claims

1. A dispenser for automatically dispensing an amount of product from a pressurized can having a nozzle which dispenses product when the nozzle is tilted from its normal vertical straight up position relative to the can, comprising:

a dispenser housing for holding a pressurized dispenser can in an upside-down position;

a sensor which senses the presence of a user'"'"'s hands beneath the dispenser housing;

an actuator assembly which tilts the nozzle on the can in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a motor and an actuator lever, and wherein the actuator assembly includes an eccentrically arranged actuator knob which rotates eccentrically when the motor is energized, and wherein the actuator lever has an elongated circular profile opening which receives the eccentrically arranged actuator knob, and moves the actuator lever to tilt the can nozzle, wherein the actuator lever is mounted at a pivot point at one end to the dispenser housing and wherein the actuator lever has an actuator surface at the other end of the actuator lever which contacts the can nozzle when the actuator lever pivots between a first pivot dispensing position to thereby actuate the can nozzle, and a second pivot non-dispensing position wherein the actuator surface does not actuate the can nozzle, whereby an amount of product from the can is dispensed in a touch-free manner.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an infrared sensor.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, comprising a time selection switch having selectable positions which control the amount of time the nozzle is tilted to thereby dispense a selectable volume of product, in response to a single detection of a user'"'"'s hands.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the selection switch position determines the amount of time the nozzle is tilted in a single dispensing position.

5. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the selection switch position determines the number of repeated times the nozzle is tilted to dispense a single dosage of product.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor connected to the sensor and connected to control the actuator assembly.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a user-settable switch to adjust the sensing range of the sensor.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the motor comprises a stepper motor.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, further including a display which displays status information from the group consisting of dosages dispensed, dosages remaining, identity of user, number of dispensing for a particular user, expected time for can to empty.

10. The dispenser of claim 6, including an expansion port connected to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor has associated memory to store usage information, and communicates the information to the expansion port for use by a monitoring unit.

11. A method of dispensing an amount of product from a pressurized can having a dispensing nozzle, comprising:

providing a dispenser housing which holds a can of pressurized product in an upside-down position with the dispensing nozzle faced downward;

sensing the presence of a user'"'"'s hands near the nozzle;

activating an actuating mechanism which rotates an eccentrically arranged actuator knob within an elongated circular profile opening in an actuator lever which tilts the nozzle on the can in response to sensing a user'"'"'s hands, wherein the actuator lever is mounted at a pivot point at one end to the dispenser housing and wherein the actuator lever has an actuator surface at the other end of the actuator lever which contacts the can nozzle when the actuator lever pivots between a first pivot dispensing position to thereby actuate the can nozzle, and a second pivot non-dispensing position wherein the actuator surface does not actuate the can nozzle, to thereby dispense product from the can.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of activating comprises tilting the nozzle a plurality of times in response to a single sensing of a user'"'"'s hands.

13. The method of claim 11, further including displaying information on a display on the dispenser relating to the dispensing operations, identity of user, frequency of dosing to user, and expected time for can to empty.

14. A dispenser for automatically dispensing an amount of product from a pressurized can having a nozzle which dispenses product when the nozzle is tilted from its normal vertical straight up position relative to the can, comprising:

a dispenser housing for holding a pressurized dispenser can in an upside-down position;

a sensor which senses the presence of a user'"'"'s hands beneath the dispenser housing;

an actuator assembly which tilts the nozzle on the can in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands, the actuator assembly including an actuator lever;

and wherein the actuator assembly includes an eccentrically arranged actuator knob which rotates eccentrically, and wherein the actuator lever has an elongated circular profile opening which receives the eccentrically arranged actuator knob, wherein the actuator lever is mounted at a pivot point at one end to the dispenser housing and wherein the actuator lever has an actuator surface at the other end of the actuator lever which contacts the can nozzle when the actuator lever pivots between a first pivot dispensing position to thereby actuate the can nozzle, and a second pivot non-dispensing position wherein the actuator surface does not actuate the can nozzle whereby an amount of product from the can is dispensed in a touch-free manner.