Liquid dispensing units

• US 9,763,546 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Wolbert, David, Sandor, Joseph, Cardenas, Orlando
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLS II, ROBERT K
• Application Number:
  US14/661,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20150238053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 222325, 222401, 2223831, 2223217, 222626, 222 63, 222173, 222 23, 206216
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1211 using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston A47K5/1201 takes precedence; by squeezing A47K5/122
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1043 Sealing or attachment arrangements between pump and container sealing arrangements around pump actuating stem B05B11/105
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/122 responsive to presence or shape of target B05B12/124 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/00 Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A soap dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. Certain embodiments of the dispenser include a housing, reservoir, pump, motor, sensor, electronic processor, and nozzle. In certain embodiments, the sensor can be configured to generate a signal based on a distance between an object and the sensor. In certain embodiments, the electronic processor can be configured to receive the signal from the sensor and to determine a dispensation volume of the liquid. The dispensation volume can vary as a function of the distance between the object and the sensor. The processor can be configured to control the motor to dispense approximately the dispensation volume of the liquid.

Claims

1. A soap dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a fluid passage disposed in the housing, the fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet;

a pump disposed in the housing, the pump having an opening disposed in a pump body, the opening configured to be in fluid communication with a removable cartridge, the removable cartridge configured to be separated from the housing, the removable cartridge containing a volume of soap and a power source in a single disposable unit, the removable cartridge also having an indicator configured to indicate at least one characteristic of the removable cartridge to the pump; and

a motor disposed in the housing, the motor configured to a drive the pump to encourage a flow of soap from the removable cartridge into the inlet and out of the outlet of the fluid passage.

2. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

3. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge engages a bottom portion of the housing.

4. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the pump further comprises at least two gears.

5. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the pump is positioned near an upper portion of the soap dispenser.

6. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the motor is disposed between the pump and a top surface of the housing.

7. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the pump is configured to discharge soap from a pump outlet in a generally vertical pathway.

8. The soap dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a user input device configured to manually dispense soap.

9. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the cartridge is selected from the group consisting of a brand of the soap, a viscosity of the soap, a moisture content of the soap, a volume of the soap, and a battery capacity.

10. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein at least one output characteristic of the pump can be adjusted based on the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

11. The soap dispenser of claim 10, wherein the at least one output characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a dispensation volume, a dispensation period, a motor duty cycle, a pumping pressure, and an operational voltage.

12. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises an array of one or more structures, the arrangement of the array relative to the housing indicating the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

13. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises electronic circuitry configured to produce an electronic signal, the electronic signal indicating the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

14. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge is configured to be attached to the housing, and wherein a portion of the removable cartridge is punctured during such attachment.

15. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge further comprises an engagement mechanism configured to removably attach to the housing, the engagement mechanism comprising one or more protrusions configured to be received in one or more corresponding openings of the pump.

16. The soap dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an engagement indication element configured to indicate that the fluid cartridge is properly engaged with the pump.

17. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein:

the volume of soap is configured to be nearly exhausted after a set number of dispensation cycles during normal use of the soap dispenser; and

the power source comprises a battery that is configured to provide sufficient electrical energy to power the motor of the soap dispenser for at least the set number of dispensation cycles.

18. The soap dispenser of claim 17, wherein the battery is configured to be exhausted at about the same time as the volume of soap is exhausted.

19. The soap dispenser of claim 1, wherein the indicator is configured to indicate the at least one characteristic of the cartridge to the pump by at least engaging with a sensing element of the dispenser, the sensing element being configured to transmit a signal indicative of the at least one characteristic, the dispenser being configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the pump based at least in part on the signal.

20. The soap dispenser of claim 19, wherein the dispenser comprises a controller configured to receive the signal and to control the pump.