Refill container labeling

• US 9,120,106 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Wegelin, Jackson William, Curtis, Chip
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAINBRIDGE, ANDREW PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US13/770,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20140231448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 222/23, 222/25, 222 27- 28, 222/147, 22215301-15302, 222/153.13, 222/504, 222/105, 222/129, 222325-327, 222/333, 222/386.5, 222/384, 250/555, 250/566, 235454-455, 235/462.01, 235/900, 235/494, 235/381, 235/383, 700/23, 406/25, 40628-629, 406/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

Among other things, one or more systems and/or techniques for labeling a refill contain and/or for enabling operation of the refill container by a dispensing system based upon one or more indicia of the label satisfying a dispensing key are provided. In an example, a label may be applied to a refill container. The label may comprise a first region having a first indicia that may correspond to a shape, color, and/or texture (e.g., a yellow star indicia). A dispensing system may enable operation of the refill container (e.g., installation and/or dispensing of material from the refill container) based upon the first indicia satisfying a dispensing key (e.g., a yellow key component and/or a star shape component). Otherwise, the dispensing system does not enable operation of the refill container (e.g., the refill container is not genuine or is not an appropriate refill container type).

Claims

1. A dispensing system for controlling operation of a refill container, comprising:

a dispenser configured to dispense a material of the refill container;

a first illuminator configured to emit light substantially towards a first region of a label located on a first surface of the refill container;

a first visual detector configured to detect a first indicia of the first region based upon interaction of the emitted light with the first region;

a second illuminator configured to emit light substantially towards a second region of the label located on a second surface of the refill container, the second surface not in parallel with the first surface;

a second visual detector configured to detect a second indicia of the second region based upon interaction of the emitted light with the second region; and

a validator configured to;

compare the first indicia and the second indicia with a dispensing key; and

responsive to the first indicia and the second indicia satisfying the dispensing key, enable operation of the refill container such that the dispenser at least one of dispenses the material of the refill container or accepts installation of the refill container, otherwise not enabling operation of the refill container.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1, comprising:

a gasket configured to block ambient light during operation of at least one of the first illuminator or the second illuminator.

3. The dispensing system of claim 1, the first illuminator comprising a white light emitting diode (LED), the first visual detector comprising an RGB LED.

4. The dispensing system of claim 1, the label comprising a 3D shape, the first region located on a first side of the 3D shape and the second region located on a second side of the 3D shape.

5. The dispensing system of claim 3, the validator configured to:

detect conductivity associated with the RGB LED; and

convert the conductivity to one or more detected color values.

6. The dispensing system of claim 1, the second surface orthogonal to the first surface.

7. A label for use on a refill container for a dispensing system, comprising:

a first region having first optical reflecting indicia, the first optical reflecting indicia having a first texture and configured to reflect a first reflected light pattern upon being exposed to light; and

a second region having second optical reflecting indicia, the second optical reflecting indicia having a second texture and configured to reflect a second reflected light pattern upon being exposed to light, the second region orthogonal to the first region,

wherein;

the first reflected light pattern is merged with the second reflected light pattern to yield a merged light pattern and the dispensing system is configured to enable operation of the refill container when, upon detecting the merged light pattern, the dispensing system determines that the merged light pattern substantially matches a dispensing key light pattern.

8. The label of claim 7, the label integral with the refill container.

9. The label of claim 7, the first optical reflecting indicia having a first color and the second optical reflecting indicia having a second color.

10. The label of claim 9, the first color different than the second color.

11. A label for use on a refill container for a dispensing system, comprising:

a three-dimensional (3D) shape having a first surface and a second surface orthogonal to the first surface, the first surface having first indicia detectable by the dispensing system and the second surface having second indicia detectable by the dispensing system, the dispensing system enabling operation of the refill container when the first indicia and the second indicia satisfy a dispensing key of the dispensing system.

12. The label of claim 11, the first indicia having a first color and the second indicia having a second color.

13. The label of claim 12, the first color different than the second color.

14. The label of claim 11, the first indicia having a first texture and the second indicia having a second texture.

15. The label of claim 11, the first indicia configured to reflect a first reflected light pattern upon being exposed to light and the second indicia configured to reflect a second reflected light pattern upon being exposed to light, the first reflected light pattern detectable by the dispensing system to detect the first indicia and the second reflected light pattern detectable by the dispensing system to detect the second indicia.

16. A label for use on a refill container for a dispensing system, comprising:

a first region having first indicia detectable by the dispensing system, the first region located on a first surface of the refill container and detectable by a first visual detector of the dispensing system; and

a second region having second indicia detectable by the dispensing system, the second region located on a second surface of the refill container and detectable by a second visual detector of the dispensing system, the second surface orthogonal to the first surface.

17. The label of claim 16, the second surface not co-planar with the first surface.

18. The label of claim 16, the first indicia differing from the second indicia in at least one of color, shape, size, or texture.