Automated cleansing sprayer

• US 8,550,378 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Mazooji, Amber N., Kovara, Terry M., Neumann, Peter M., Allen, Michael W., Beverley, Stephen D., Blankenship, Paul M., Romandy, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US12/905,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20110024466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 2392631-265, 239329-333, 239/345, 239/347, 239/379, 222/82, 222/83, 222/83.5, 222/88, 222/333, 2221811-1813, 222/325, 222/189.11, 222/526
• US Class Current: 239/333
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0861 the motor being electric

Abstract

An automated sprayer for spraying the walls of a shower enclosure with a liquid cleanser dispenses the cleanser using a pumping system and rotatable spray head. The sprayer has a showerhead mountable housing with an adjustable hanger. There is a portion of the housing for supporting a bottle of cleanser in an inverted fashion. The bottle is vented through a piercing post. A single motor both drives the pump and rotates the spray head.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing a liquid, comprising:

a bottle containing the liquid;

a reservoir tray having an upwardly extending well for supporting the bottle in an inverted orientation, the well having a piercing post extending vertically and having an air vent passage through the piercing post;

a cap closing a top end of the bottle, the cap having a thinned central region suitable to be pierced by the piercing post; and

an automated pump in fluid communication with the bottle;

wherein the well has a spring-loaded outlet valve positioned inside a valve recess of the well so as to be positioned radially outside of the air vent passage, the outlet valve permitting outflow from the well when a portion of the cap drives the outlet valve from a closed position to an open position, the air vent passage housing air that has been supplied through a check valve, the air vent passage being configured to supply air into the bottle interior to the liquid when negative pressure develops in the bottle as liquid is dispensed from the bottle interior, the check valve being positioned and configured to inhibit liquid flow out through the piercing post;

wherein the cap has a radially extending web flange that forms a seal against a side of the well, the seal preventing liquid from flowing past the seal along the well side outside the cap; and

wherein the well has a shoulder above a bottom wall of the well and the web flange forms said seal against a side of the well above and directly over that shoulder.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is an automated sprayer for dispensing a liquid cleaner.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, further comprising a hanger attached to the sprayer.