FLUID DISPENSERS WITH INCREASED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE

• US 20140231459A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelkey, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,991,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/181.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1207 Dispensing from the bottom of the dispenser with a vertical piston
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1056 comprising rotatable or articulated levers B05B11/1053 takes precedence; lever actuated piston pumps B05B11/1009; lever actuated pumps with deformable chamber B05B11/1029

Abstract

A fluid dispenser includes a dispense mechanism that provides for increased mechanical advantage. The dispense mechanism includes a lever member and an actuator. The lever member includes a first lever section that receives application of an input force and a second lever section that applies an output force to the actuator. The lever member and/or the actuator are configured to provide at least two contact points between the actuator and the second lever section during the course of a dispensing stroke such that the mechanical advantage provided at a first one of the at least two contact points is greater than the mechanical advantage provided at a second one of the at least two contact points.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a reservoir positioned in the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed;

a dispense mechanism configured to dispense a discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir, the dispense mechanism comprising;

a lever member having a first lever section accessible on an exterior side of the housing, a second lever section, and a fulcrum connected between the first lever section and the second lever section, the fulcrum pivotally supported within the housing so that the lever member is moveable between a rest position and a dispense position upon application of an input force to the first lever section; and

an actuator configured to provide at least two contact points with the second lever section as the lever member is moved from the rest position to the dispense position such that the mechanical advantage provided at a first one of the at least two contact points is greater than the mechanical advantage provided at a second one of the at least two contact points, such that an output force applied to the actuator at the first contact point is greater than an output force applied to the actuator at the second contact point.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the lever member comprises one of a push bar, a push button, or a handle.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the lever member is manually moveable by a user between the rest position and the dispense position.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein a drive length of the first one of the at least two contact points is relatively shorter than a drive length provided by the second one of the at least two contact points.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first lever section has a length a, the second lever section has a length b, the first contact point has a drive length c which is relatively less than the length b of the second lever section, and the mechanical advantage, MA_short, provided by the first contact point is:

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first lever section has a length a, the second lever section has a length b, the second contact point has a drive length substantially equal to the length b of the second lever section, and the mechanical advantage, MA_long, provided by the second contact point is:

7. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the input force is no greater than 5 pounds of force (lbf).

8. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the actuator further includes a first contact surface configured to receive application of an output force from the second lever section at the first contact point during a first portion of a dispensing stroke and a second contact surface configured to receive application of an output force from the second lever section at the second contact point during a second portion of a dispensing stroke.

9. The dispenser of claim 1 further including a pump, and wherein the actuator, in response to application of the output force, mechanically activates the pump resulting in dispensation of the discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the fluid product comprises one of a liquid, a gel, or a foam.

11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to provide a curved contact surface that provides a continuously varying point of contact with the second lever section as the lever member is moved from the rest position to the dispense position.

12. A dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a reservoir positioned in the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed; and

a dispense mechanism configured to dispense a discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir, the dispense mechanism comprising;

a lever member having a first lever section accessible on an exterior side of the housing, a second lever section, and a fulcrum connected between the first lever section and the second lever section, the fulcrum pivotally supported within the housing such that the lever member is moveable between a rest position and a dispense position upon application of an input force to the first lever section, wherein movement of the lever member between the rest position and the dispense position results in application of an output force by the second lever section; and

an actuator configured to receive application of the output force from the second lever section;

a pump configured to receive the output force from the actuator and apply a corresponding dispensing force to the reservoir to dispense the discrete quantity of fluid from the reservoir,

the second lever section configured to provide at least two contacts points with the actuator as the lever member is moved from the rest position to the dispense position such that the mechanical advantage provided at a first one of the at least two contact points is greater than the mechanical advantage provided at a second one of the at least two contact points, such that an output force applied to the actuator at the first contact point is greater than an output force applied to the actuator at the second contact point.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein a drive length of the first one of the at least two contact points is relatively shorter than a drive length provided by the second one of the at least two contact points.

14. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein the second lever section further includes a first contact surface configured to apply the output force to the actuator during a first portion of a dispensing stroke and a second contact surface configured to apply the output force to the actuator during a second portion of the dispensing stroke.

15. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein the fluid product comprises one of a liquid, a gel, or a foam.

16. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein the lever member comprises one of a push bar, a push button, or a handle.

17. A dispenser comprising

a housing;

a reservoir positioned in the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed;

a dispense mechanism configured to dispense a discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir, the dispense mechanism comprising;

a lever member having a first lever section accessible on an exterior side of the housing, a second lever section, and a fulcrum connected between the first lever section and the second lever section, the fulcrum pivotally supported within the housing such that the lever member is moveable between a rest position and a dispense position upon application of an input force to the first lever section, and such that movement of the lever member between the rest position and the dispense position results in application of a corresponding output force by the second lever section; and

an actuator configured to receive application of the output force from the second lever section resulting in dispensation of the discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir,

the lever member and the actuator operable to provide at least two contact surfaces between the actuator and the second lever section as the lever member is moved from the rest position to the dispense position such that the mechanical advantage provided at a first one of the at least two contact surfaces is greater than the mechanical advantage provided at a second one of the at least two contact surfaces, and such that the output force corresponding to the first contact surface is greater than the output force corresponding to the second contact surface.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein a drive length of the first one of the at least two contact surfaces is relatively shorter than a drive length provided by the second one of the at least two contact points.

19. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the fluid product comprises one of a liquid, a gel, or a foam.

20. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the lever member comprises one of a push bar, a push button, or a handle.