LIQUID DISPENSING UNITS

• US 20150238053A1
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,763,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. 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 in fluid communication with a removable cartridge, the removable cartridge configured to be separated from the housing and to contain a volume of soap and a power source in a single disposable unit; 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.

16. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

17. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the removable cartridge engages a bottom portion of the housing.

18. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the pump further comprises at least two gears.

19. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the pump is positioned near an upper portion of the soap dispenser.

20. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the motor is disposed between the pump and a top surface of the housing.

21. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the pump is configured to discharge soap from a pump outlet in a generally vertical pathway.

22. The soap dispenser of claim 15, further comprising a user input device configured to manually dispense soap.

23. The soap dispenser of claim 15, wherein the removable cartridge further comprises an indicator configured to indicate at least one characteristic of the cartridge to the pump.

24. The soap dispenser of claim 23, 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.

25. The soap dispenser of claim 23, wherein at least one output characteristic of the pump can be adjusted based on the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

26. The soap dispenser of claim 23, 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.

27. A disposable cartridge for an electric soap dispenser, the cartridge comprising:

a cartridge housing comprising attachment members configured to removably attach to a soap pump housing;

a reservoir within or attached to the cartridge housing, the reservoir configured to contain a volume of soap, the volume of soap configured to be about exhausted after a set number of dispensation cycles during normal use of the soap dispenser;

a battery within or attached to the cartridge housing, the battery configured to provide sufficient electrical energy to power a motor of the soap dispenser for at least the set number of dispensation cycles.

28. The disposable cartridge of claim 27, further comprising soap in the reservoir.

29. The disposable cartridge of claim 28, wherein the battery is configured to be exhausted at about the same time as the volume of soap is exhausted.

30. The disposable cartridge of claim 27, further comprising a one-way valve.

31. The disposable cartridge of claim 27, further comprising a seal configured to be punctured about when the cartridge housing attaches to the soap pump housing.

32. A fluid cartridge for an electrical fluid dispenser, the cartridge comprising:

a disposable housing configured to attach to a pump unit;

a fluid reservoir;

an engagement mechanism configured to removably attach the housing to a pump unit; and

an indicator configured to indicate at least one characteristic of the cartridge to the pump unit.

33. The fluid cartridge of claim 32, further comprising a battery attached to the disposable housing.

34. The fluid cartridge of claim 33, further comprising an engagement indication element configured to indicate that the fluid cartridge is properly engaged with the pump unit.

35. The fluid cartridge of claim 34, wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a brand of a fluid in the reservoir, a viscosity of the fluid, a moisture content of the fluid, a volume of the fluid, and a battery capacity.

36. The fluid cartridge of claim 35, wherein the indicator comprises an array of one or more structures, the arrangement of the array representing the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

37. The fluid cartridge of claim 35, wherein the indicator comprises electronic circuitry configured to produce an electronic signal, the electronic signal representing the at least one characteristic of the cartridge.

38. The fluid cartridge of claim 32, wherein the engagement mechanism comprises one or more protrusions configured to be received in one or more corresponding openings of the pump unit.