Abstract:
A free-standing or wall-mounted dispenser and system for automatically dispensing liquid, includes a base, which may be shaped so that the dispenser remains free of dispensed liquid, and may include a removable tray to catch accidentally or residually dispensed liquid. The dispenser generates an infrared signal in the proximity of the dispenser&#39;s spigot. A user&#39;s hand, or other object, intersects the infrared signal and causes the unit to dispense liquid. The dispenser accepts a DC power source, and includes an on-off switch, which can be switched off for refilling, moving or cleaning the dispenser, and prolonging battery life. A disposable liquid cartridge in the form of a bag or bottle with a valve can be incorporated into the system, together with a master switch disabling the dispenser until an acceptable keyed cartridge is properly inserted.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/470,786, filed May 15, 2003. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to devices for dispensing liquid soap and other viscous materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that automatically dispense a quantity of liquid soap or other liquid upon sensing the presence of a user&#39;s hand or other object.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Devices for dispensing fluids are well known, and have been used to dispense liquid soaps, lotions, and cleaning fluids for many years. While capable of dispensing any viscous fluid, the present invention is primarily concerned with dispensing liquid soap, hand or body lotions or other liquids.  
           [0004]    Most dispensers for liquid soap are manually operated, meaning that a user must press a button or lever. The handling of the dispenser can serve as a vehicle for transmission of bacterial or other contamination to the user. Since it is unsanitary to handle the dispenser, it would be desirable to obtain soap without touching the dispenser. Also, the dispenser may often become unsightly and difficult to clean because liquid drips on the exterior housing or adjoining surfaces.  
           [0005]    Automatic wall-mounted dispensers are widely used in public facilities, but are disadvantageous for private household use. Such dispensers are unsightly, large, permanently installed fixtures with a commercial AC power source. As wall-mounted dispensers are not easily adapted to home use, a need exists for an economical, compact, transportable, automatic dispenser that efficiently operates from battery power.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention provides a system for dispensing liquid soap or other liquids. The dispenser includes a molded base and cover comprising a housing which contains: a reservoir to hold liquid, at least one discharge opening in the reservoir, a pump, a motor for driving the pump, a switch for actuating the motor, a DC power source, and detection circuitry which precludes the need for the user to touch the dispenser. The dispenser preferably will have an on-off switch that can be used when refilling or moving the dispenser, cleaning it, or when the dispenser is not used for extended periods of time. The on-off switch can assist in extending the battery life.  
           [0007]    A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a compact housing with a shaped base that accepts a removable tray for catching and retaining accidentally or residually dispensed liquid. The dispenser can be placed on a countertop or wall mounted. The dispenser is battery powered, energy efficient, and can operate many times before replacing the battery. The dispenser operates by generating an infrared signal in the proximity of the dispenser&#39;s spigot. A user&#39;s hand or other object reflects the infrared signal back to the housing where it is received and causes the unit to turn on and dispense liquid. The dispenser may include one or more signals that will indicate low battery, when the dispenser is in use, or time to refill.  
           [0008]    Additional embodiments of the invention include a disposable liquid soap cartridge. The disposable soap cartridge can be in the form of a bag, bottle, or other container with a resealable valve. The cartridge includes an integrated key which can be incorporated into the cap, neck, or reservoir of the cartridge. The dispenser has a switch that disables the dispenser until an acceptable keyed cartridge is properly inserted. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be noted that the invention as disclosed in the accompanying figures is illustrated by way of example only.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a front view of an automatic liquid dispenser.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing the interior arrangement of functional elements in dotted lines.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing the interior arrangement of functional elements in dotted lines.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a back view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing the interior arrangement of functional elements in dotted lines.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a second embodiment of an automatic liquid dispenser that accepts a disposable drop-in liquid cartridge.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a view of the underside of the top lid of the embodiment of FIG. 5, showing cartridge retaining features.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a view of the disposable drop-in liquid cartridge of the embodiment of FIG. 5.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a third embodiment of an automatic liquid dispenser that accepts a disposable liquid bottle.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a side view of the disposable liquid bottle of the embodiment of FIG. 8.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is an end view of the disposable liquid bottle of the embodiment of FIG. 8, showing the cap.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a section view of a disposable liquid bottle and dispenser housing of the embodiment of FIG. 8, showing activation of the dispenser by a bottle projection.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a section view of a disposable liquid bottle and dispenser housing of the embodiment of FIG. 8, showing activation of the dispenser by a bottle recess. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, and especially FIG. 1, an automatic liquid dispenser  10  is shown. A molded or formed housing  100 , preferably of plastic, has an upper portion  20  with a hinged top  12  that provides access to a reservoir  28  (e.g., FIG. 2) for refilling purposes. The hinged top  12  has a locking tab  18  to prevent accidental opening and spillage of the reservoir&#39;s liquid contents. The hinged top  12  or reservoir  28  may also have a transparent window  16  for visual identification of the dispenser&#39;s contents and quantity thereof.  
         [0023]    As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion  20  of the housing  100  also contains the motor  30 , pump  32 , and detection sensor  48 . The upper portion  20  of the housing  100  is elevated above a base  24  by a back section  22 . The back section  22  of the housing  100  contains the batteries  42 , and electronic circuitry  40 . The batteries  42  are located in a battery chamber  56   
         [0024]    As shown in FIG. 4, access to the battery chamber  56  is achieved by removal of a battery access panel  50  on the back section  22 . The battery access panel  50  is removably attached to the housing  100  by a screw or locking tab to prevent accidental opening. To facilitate mounting the dispenser  10  on a wall, cut-outs  52  are provided on the back section  22  to receive a mounting bracket or mounting screws.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 further illustrates the arrangement and operation of the dispenser  10 . Fluid present in the reservoir  28  is fed to the pump  32  via the reservoir discharge opening  34 . The pump  32  includes a pump housing with an inlet coincident to the reservoir discharge opening  34 , an outlet coupled to a dispensing spigot  38 , a piston  37  movable between a first position and a second position in which a fluid is expelled, and a valve  36  with a naturally closed position for preventing unwanted dripping of the fluid. The motor  30  is mechanically coupled to the pump  32  to drive the piston and actuate the valve  36 .  
         [0026]    The discharge opening  34  is a hole in the bottom of reservoir  28  and is surrounded with a rubber o-ring  11 . Ball bearing  35  engages the o-ring  11  to seal the reservoir  28  when piston  37  is in its resting state as shown in FIG. 2. Upon activating the dispenser  10 , the piston  37  slides backward in pump  32  (toward the motor  30 ), and allows ball bearing  35  to drop away from o-ring  11  thereby allowing liquid present in reservoir  28  to flow into the pump  32  via the discharge opening  34 . Since the ball bearing  35  is preferably smaller than the pump inlet to allow the liquid to flow into the pump, a ball bearing retaining member (not shown) in the pump inlet prevents ball bearing  35  from dropping into the pump  32  when the piston  37  slides away from the ball bearing  35 .  
         [0027]    A sensor  48  located in the upper portion of the housing  20  is positioned adjacent to the dispensing spigot  38 . The sensor  48  is an infrared (IR) transceiver that transmits an IR signal  54  in the area where a user&#39;s hand or other object would be placed to receive the dispensed product. The hand or other object causes the IR signal  54  to be reflected and received at the sensor  48 . The transceiver being electrically connected by a wiring harness  46  to the integrated circuit (IC) circuit board  40  initiates a state change of an IC switch, thereby actuating the motor  30  and dispensing the liquid. In alternative embodiments the sensor  48  can be sound, voice, or light activated. Additionally, a user control, such as a switch or dial, to determine the motor run time may be incorporated for the user to select the amount of liquid to be dispensed. Alternatively, the user control may cause the dispenser to operate continuously as long as an object is sensed. Additional embodiments may also include a heating element with a user control so that warm liquid may be dispensed, or a user control that converts the dispenser to a state of manual operation whereby a user would need to press a button to dispense the liquid.  
         [0028]    As shown in FIG. 3, the base  24  is shaped to prevent any dispensed liquid from dripping on the housing  100  or adjacent surface, and to allow easy access to the sensor  48  and the dispensing spigot  38 . The shape of the legs also helps in making the product more compact by providing additional space for the user&#39;s hands or other object. The shape also makes the unit more intuitive to use. A tray  26 , shown in FIG. 1, can be slidably inserted and removed in the base  24  to catch and contain any accidental or residual drippings for easy cleaning. The tray can also be removably hinged to the housing, removably plugged or snapped into the housing or otherwise removably mounted or inserted therein. The base  24  can also be adapted to accept feet, levelers, or suction cups to provide a semi-permanent installation.  
         [0029]    As shown in FIGS. 2-4, operational power is supplied to the dispenser  10  by a battery  42  or string of batteries. The battery  42  may be disposable or rechargeable. The battery  42  is wired in series to a master on-off switch  43  that can be switched off to prevent unwanted operation of the dispenser while transporting or cleaning the unit. Operational power may also be supplied by an AC to DC adapter which is plugged into the dispenser  10  and a power outlet. Alternatively, the dispenser  10  may be hard-wired to an electrical source. If the dispenser  10  is hard-wired, a battery  42  or string of batteries may also be included as described above so the dispenser  10  will operate even if the hard-wired electrical source experiences an outage or momentary disruption.  
         [0030]    Additionally a “try me” setting can be integrated into the master switch  43 . The try me switch setting would allow for a potential purchaser to test the product at the point of sale. When the invention is set to the try me setting a potential purchaser can simulate operation of the device by activation of a light, sound, operation of internal components, or combination thereof through the detection circuitry. The try me setting is disabled by switching the unit on or off. Alternatively, a second switch may be provided that simulates momentary operation of the dispenser.  
         [0031]    As shown in FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the automatic soap dispenser  10  has a lid  68 , which is removably attached to the housing  100 . The reservoir  28  of this embodiment is sealed, having a roof  58  and lid  68  defining a chamber for holding a disposable liquid cartridge, bottle, bag or other suitable container. The underside of lid  68  includes retaining elements  70  that further support and retain a disposable liquid cartridge. The disposable liquid cartridge as shown in FIG. 7 is a bag and includes a reservoir  74  and cap  76 . The reservoir  74  has a predetermined volume of liquid contents and is preferably made of flexible translucent or clear plastic film. Cap  76  is also preferably formed of plastic and is fused to the reservoir  74 . The cap  76  includes a liquid valve  78  which allows for the egress of the liquid contents of the reservoir  74 . The valve  78  remains closed until the disposable liquid cartridge  72  is inserted into the dispenser  10 . Upon removing the inserted disposable liquid cartridge  72  from the dispenser  10 , the liquid valve  78  may remain open, or may be a resealable valve commonly understood by those knowledgeable in the art. The liquid cartridge cap  76  includes an air inlet  80 . As liquid contents of the cartridge  72  are dispensed via the liquid valve  78 , the flexible reservoir  74  collapses and contracts due to an internal vacuum. The air inlet  80  allows for air to enter the flexible reservoir  74  and replace the volume of dispensed liquid contents, thereby preventing the flexible reservoir from collapsing and blocking the valve  78 .  
         [0032]    Also as shown in FIG. 5, since the reservoir  28  is sealed by roof  58 , a transparent or translucent window  16  is provided in the housing  100  for a user to visually identify the contents of the reservoir  28  and level thereof. The reservoir roof  58  has a generally concave shape and includes a detent area  60  for engaging and retaining the liquid cartridge lid  76 . The detent area  60  includes a liquid inlet  62  for receiving the liquid cartridge valve  78  and allows liquid contents of the reservoir  74  of the cartridge to flow freely into the dispenser reservoir  28 . An aspirator nub  64  engages the air inlet  80  of the liquid cartridge  72  and facilitates volume replacement in the reservoir  74  of the cartridge.  
         [0033]    Switch  66  is a master on/off switch for the dispenser  10  and may be in a normally off state. An additional feature of the liquid cartridge cap  76  is finger  82 . By inserting the disposable liquid cartridge  72 , the cartridge cap finger  82  engages switch  66  and actuates it thereby activating the dispenser  10 . Alternatively, switch  66  may be in a normally on position and the dispenser may be activated when finger  82  contacts switch  66  and internal circuitry (not shown) detects the switch state change. Therefore, the dispenser embodiment shown in FIG. 5 only accepts and is activated by liquid cartridges such as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0034]    A third embodiment of an automatic liquid dispenser is shown in FIG. 8. As with the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the dispenser  10 , as shown, has a sealed reservoir  28 . The reservoir  28  has a roof  58  with a generally concave shape. The roof  58  and detent area  60  support a bottle  86 , as shown in FIG. 9, with a reservoir  88  filled with liquid contents. The bottle  86 , as shown in FIG. 9, also includes a shaped neck  90  and cap  92 . As shown in FIG. 10, cap  92  also includes a valve  94  and a keyed area  96 .  
         [0035]    The third embodiment of the automatic liquid dispenser  10 , as shown in FIG. 8, will accept and retain bottles with a unique shape, such as what is shown in FIG. 9. Bottle  86  is inserted into the dispenser  10  and engages detent area  60  and shaped recess  84 . The floor of shaped recess  84  includes a switch  66  and a liquid inlet (not shown). When installed, the neck  90  of the bottle  86  nests in the shaped recess  84  and engages switch  66 . The valve  94  of bottle  86  is normally closed and opens when it contacts the floor of shaped recess  84  and the liquid inlet. The liquid inlet of the dispenser may include a mechanism, such as a protrusion, positioned to meet the valve and move, flex, or break through to allow liquid contents in the reservoir  88  of the bottle  86  to exit. Air may enter through the valve  94  to replace dispensed liquid contents and prevent deformation of the bottle  86 . Alternatively, an air inlet may be provided in the cap  92  of the bottle  86  that engages an aspirator nub, similar to that shown in FIG. 5, on the floor of shaped recess  84  to allow for a free-flowing amount of liquid to exit. As shown in FIG. 10, keyed area  96  may include a recess or projection that actuates switch  66  of the dispenser when bottle  86  is properly installed and retained. Alternative bottle identifying systems, such as bar codes or Radio Frequency Identification transponders, may be incorporated into keyed area  96  to function with corresponding readers in the dispenser  10  in order to activate the device.  
         [0036]    As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, bottle  86  may incorporate a shaped area that actuates a switch  102  integrated into the housing  100  of the dispenser. Switch  102  may be mounted in the reservoir roof area  58  or detent area  60 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8. As shown in FIG. 11, switch  102  is normally open and bottle projection  98  contacts the switch and depresses it, thereby activating the dispenser  10 . In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, switch  102  projects into the bottle retaining area of the housing  100 . Bottle  86  has a recessed area  104  that allows switch  102  to freely project into the bottle retaining area. As long as switch  102  is not depressed or actuated, the dispenser  10  will operate. If a similar shaped bottle without a recess area  104  is inserted into the dispenser  10 , switch  102  will be depressed, thereby deactivating the dispenser  10 . The bottle or container can be used in any suitable orientation, such as horizontal, vertical or otherwise.  
         [0037]    Alternative embodiments may include the ability to dispense multiple fluids. A fluid switching means may be combined with a segmented housing and a dispensing system as described above, or alternatively, two or more independent dispensing systems as described above may be combined in a single housing. Additional embodiments may also include an indicating means to notify a user of a low liquid or low power condition or that the unit is in its operating mode. The indicating means can be a light, sound, or combination thereof. Alternatively, a display screen can be provided as the indicating means and can additionally display user selected settings.  
         [0038]    While only a few, preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these embodiments may be modified and altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preferred embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.