Dispenser

• US 5,975,352 A
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Boche, Daniel K., Tolliver-Rogers, Loleta T., Howes, Ronald Bruce, Hoerning, Douglas Sherwin, Spriggs, John Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US09/146,707
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 116/202, 116/208, 116/227, 73/293, 222/64, 222/23, 221/6, 221/155
• US Class Current: 222/23
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4418 in the form of liquids A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A dispenser 100 for dispensing a chemical product that is dissolved by diluent. The dispenser includes a package 170 having a diaphragm, or fingered collar 180 attached to its opening. The diaphragm 180 has a plurality of flexible members or flexible fingers 185. The dispenser may utilize an injection manifold 109 that is sized and configured to be positioned on a washing machine top proximate the gap between the washing machine'"'"'s top and lid. Still further, the invention includes a low level chemical product indicator. The indicator includes a focused light source 98a and 98a. The focused light source is a high intensity light emitting diode having a viewing angle of less than 6° and an intensity of above 10,000 mcd. The dispenser also includes an apparatus and method in which a dispensing time of a dispenser is dynamically varied in response to diluent temperature during operation of the dispenser.

Claims

1. A dispenser having a chemical product level indicator, comprising:

(a) a housing having an inner cavity for storing chemical product to be dispensed;

(b) a focused light source positioned on a wall of said housing at a location commensurate with a level of the chemical product to be detected;

(c) a view port located on an opposite wall of said housing, in general alignment with said focused light source, wherein said focused light is aimed at said view port and when chemical product level is above a line between the view port and the light source, the light is blocked from the view port and when the chemical product level is lowered, the focused light source shines on the view port and can easily be seen by an operator.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said focused light source is a high intensity light emitting diode.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the light emitting diode has a viewing angle of less than 6°

.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the light emitting diode has an intensity of above 10,000 mcd.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, further comprising a diffuser connected to said view port so as to allow an operator to see the focused light thru the view port at a greater angle.