DISPENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20170135530A1
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laura Salinas Manas, William Macleod
• Original Assignee: Laura Salinas Manas, William Macleod
• Inventors: Macleod, William, Manas, Laura Salinas
• Granted Patent: US 10,238,242 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: 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: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1009 actuated by a lever
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/263 by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a dispenser for dispensing a liquid (LQ). The dispenser has a housing for receiving a removable container containing the liquid (LQ). Dispensing means are provided for dispensing the liquid (LQ) from the container. The dispenser includes a capacitive sensor having a sensing element for positioning proximal to an exterior of the container. A processor is provided for receiving a capacitance signal (SIG1) from the capacitive sensor. The processor is configured to estimate a quantity of liquid (LQ) in the container in dependence on said capacitance signal (SIG1). The present disclosure also relates to a method of estimating a quantity of liquid (LQ) in a container.

Claims

1. A dispenser, comprising:

a housing for receiving a removable container containing a liquid;

dispensing means for dispensing the liquid from the container;

a capacitive sensor comprising a sensing element for positioning proximal to an exterior of the container; and

a processor for receiving a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor, the processor being configured to estimate a quantity of liquid in the container in dependence on said capacitance signal.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to estimate the quantity of liquid in the container in proportion to the received capacitance signal.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to estimate the quantity of liquid in the container in proportion to the received capacitance signal above a lower signal threshold and/or below an upper signal threshold.

4. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the lower signal threshold corresponds to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the container and/or the upper signal threshold corresponds to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the container.

5. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the lower signal threshold is predefined and/or the upper signal threshold is predefined.

6. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the lower signal threshold corresponds to a base signal.

7. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of capacitance bands are predefined, each capacitance band corresponding to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the container.

8. The dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to identify one of said predefined capacitance bands in dependence on the received capacitance signal.

9. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the sensing element is adapted to be positioned proximate to a lower portion of the container.

10. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the sensing element is adapted to be positioned proximate to a bottom wall of the container.

11. The dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the sensing element is adapted to be positioned proximate to an underside of the bottom wall.

12. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the sensing element is spring biased against the exterior of the container.

13. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output an estimated quantity signal.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the processor is coupled to a transmitter for transmitting the estimated quantity signal.

15. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is configured for dispensing a liquid soap from the container.

16. Apparatus for estimating a quantity of liquid in a container, the apparatus comprising:

a capacitive sensor comprising a sensing element for positioning proximal to an exterior of the container; and

a processor for receiving a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor, the processor being configured to estimate a quantity of liquid in the container in dependence on said capacitance signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to estimate the quantity of liquid in the container in proportion to the received capacitance signal.

18. A method of estimating a quantity of liquid in a container, the method comprising the step(s) of:

using a capacitive sensor to generate a capacitance signal and estimating a quantity of liquid in the container in dependence on said capacitance signal,

wherein the quantity of liquid in the container is estimated in proportion to the received capacitance signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the quantity of liquid in container is estimated with reference to a plurality of predefined capacitance bands, each capacitance band corresponding to a predetermined quantity of liquid in the container.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising the step of identifying one of said predefined capacitance bands in dependence on the received capacitance signal.