Fluid reservoir docking station

• US 8,622,246 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehus, Richard Jondall, Falbaum, David, Schirmer, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, LIEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/372,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 222/105, 222 92- 94, 222/66, 2221811-1816, 222/333, 222/173, 222/626, 222/153.01, 22215309-15312
• US Class Current: 222/105
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/12 for liquid or pasty soap
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0079 having their own dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0006 responsive to coded information provided on the neck or spout of the storage container, e.g. bar-code, magnets or transponder

Abstract

A fluid dispensing system may include a fluid outlet connected to a flexible fluid reservoir and a docking station configured to receive the fluid outlet and align the fluid outlet. In some examples, a fluid pump that defines a driveshaft aperture that is connected to the fluid outlet. In some additional examples, a drive motor is attached to the docking station that includes a driveshaft for driving the fluid pump. The docking station may align the fluid outlet so that the driveshaft aperture defined by the fluid pump is co-axially aligned with the driveshaft. This may allow an operator to efficiently take an empty reservoir out of service and replace it with a new reservoir full of fluid.

Claims

1. A fluid dispensing system comprising:

a flexible fluid reservoir;

a fluid outlet connected to the flexible fluid reservoir, the fluid outlet defining a fluid dispensing aperture and a flange extending about at least a portion of the fluid dispensing aperture;

a fluid pump connected to the fluid outlet, the fluid pump defining a driveshaft aperture configured to receive a driveshaft for driving the fluid pump;

a drive motor that includes the driveshaft for driving the fluid pump;

a docking station connected to the drive motor and configured to receive the fluid outlet and align the fluid outlet so that the driveshaft aperture defined by the fluid pump is co-axially aligned with the driveshaft, wherein the docking station defines a receiving surface configured to receive the flange, a mating surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface and configured to mate with the drive motor, and an outlet surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface and substantially orthogonally from the mating surface, the outlet surface being configured to support the fluid outlet; and

a locking member that defines an inlet nozzle and outlet nozzle, wherein the inlet nozzle is configured to be inserted into the fluid outlet and the locking member is configured to releasably lock to the outlet surface so as to mechanically affix the fluid outlet to the outlet surface.

2. The fluid dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the drive motor is attached to the mating surface and the driveshaft extends through an aperture in the mating surface such that, when the docking station receives the fluid outlet, the driveshaft is inserted into the driveshaft aperture of the fluid pump with the fluid pump positioned on one side of the mating surface and the drive motor positioned on an opposite side of the mating surface.

3. The fluid dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface defines a guide channel that is configured to receive at least a portion of the flange and align the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the flexible fluid reservoir.

4. The fluid dispensing system of claim 3, wherein the flange defines a first flange and further comprising a second flange arranged parallel to and spaced from the first flange so as to define a channel between the first flange and the second flange, and wherein the guide channel of the receiving surface defines a rib adjacent the guide channel such that, when the docking station receives the fluid outlet, the second flange is positioned within the guide channel and the rib is positioned in the channel defined between the first flange and the second flange.

5. The fluid dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface of the docking station comprises a first receiving surface and further comprising a second receiving surface positioned parallel to and spaced apart from the first receiving surface such that, when the docking station receives the fluid outlet, the flange is received between the first receiving surface and the second receiving surface.

6. The fluid dispensing system of claim 3, wherein the flange defines a guide surface configured to be inserted into the guide channel of the docking station, and the guide surface is configured to rotationally align the flange about an axis extending through a center of the fluid dispensing aperture.

7. The fluid dispensing system of claim 6, wherein the flange is substantially circular and the guide surface is a chamfered edge of the substantially circular flange.

8. The fluid dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the flexible fluid reservoir comprises a bag positioned within a box, and the fluid outlet extends from an exterior surface of the box.

9. A docking station comprising:

a receiving surface configured to receive a flange extending about at least a portion of a fluid dispensing aperture defined by a fluid outlet connected to a flexible fluid reservoir;

a mating surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface, the mating surface being configured to mate with a drive motor that includes a driveshaft for driving a fluid pump connected to the fluid outlet;

an outlet surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface and substantially orthogonally from the mating surface, the outlet surface being configured to support the fluid outlet; and

a locking member that defines an inlet nozzle and outlet nozzle, wherein the inlet nozzle is configured to be inserted into the fluid outlet and the locking member is configured to releasably lock to the outlet surface so as to mechanically affix the fluid outlet to the outlet surface.

10. The docking station of claim 9, wherein the mating surface is configured to mate with the drive motor such that, when the receiving surface receives the flange extending about at least a portion of the fluid dispensing aperture, the driveshaft is inserted into a driveshaft aperture defined by the fluid pump with the fluid pump positioned on one side of the mating surface and the drive motor positioned on an opposite side of the mating surface.

11. The docking station of claim 9, wherein the receiving surface defines a guide channel that is configured to receive at least a portion of the flange and align the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the flexible fluid reservoir.

12. The docking station of claim 11, wherein the flange defines a first flange and further comprising a second flange arranged parallel to and spaced from the first flange so as to define a channel between the first flange and the second flange, and wherein the guide channel of the receiving surface defines a rib adjacent the guide channel such that, when the receiving surface receives the flange, the second flange is positioned within the guide channel and the rib is positioned in the channel defined between the first flange and the second flange.

13. The docking station of claim 9, wherein the receiving surface of the docking station comprises a first receiving surface and further comprising a second receiving surface positioned parallel to and spaced apart from the first receiving surface such that, when the receiving surface receives the flange, the flange is received between the first receiving surface and the second receiving surface.

14. The docking station of claim 9, wherein the receiving surface is configured to receive a substantially circular flange that defines a guide surface, and the guide surface is a chamfered edge of the substantially circular flange.

15. A fluid dispensing system comprising:

means for storing fluid;

a fluid outlet connected to the means for storing fluid, the fluid outlet defining a fluid dispensing aperture and a flange extending about at least a portion of the fluid dispensing aperture;

means for mechanically conveying fluid out of the means for storing fluid, the means for mechanically conveying fluid being connected to the fluid outlet;

means for driving the means for mechanically conveying fluid;

means for receiving the fluid outlet and aligning the fluid outlet so that the means for mechanically conveying fluid are aligned with the means for driving, wherein the means for receiving the fluid outlet comprises a receiving surface configured to receive the flange, a mating surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface and configured to mate with the drive motor, and an outlet surface extending substantially orthogonally from the receiving surface and substantially orthogonally from the mating surface, the outlet surface being configured to support the fluid outlet; and

means for releasably locking the fluid outlet to the means for receiving the fluid outlet and aligning the fluid outlet, the means for releasably locking the fluid outlet comprising an inlet nozzle configured to be inserted into the fluid outlet and an outlet nozzle.

16. The fluid dispensing system of claim 15, wherein the means for mechanically conveying fluid define a driveshaft aperture, the means for driving include a driveshaft, and the means for receiving the fluid outlet and aligning the fluid outlet comprise means for receiving the fluid outlet and aligning the fluid outlet so the driveshaft aperture is coaxially aligned with the driveshaft.