Patent Publication Number: US-2023134012-A1

Title: Hand Sanitizer Dispenser Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     
         
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     
         
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     
         
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     
         
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     
         
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to dispenser devices and more particularly pertains to a new dispenser device for dispensing a measured amount of a fluid. The device includes a bottle for containing a fluid and a bulb that is in fluid communication with the bottle. The bulb includes an intake valve and an exhaust valve. The bulb releases the fluid through the exhaust valve when the bulb is squeezed for dispensing a measuring amount of the fluid. Conversely, the bulb fills with the fluid when the bulb is released after being squeezed. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. 
     The prior art relates to dispenser devices including a fluid dispenser that includes a bulb for pressurizing a bottle and a dispensing hose for releasing a fluid in the bottle. The prior art discloses a fluid dispenser that includes a bottle, a bulb that is compressed to release fluid contained in the bottle and a valve that is manually operated to open and close the bulb. The prior art discloses a variety of sprayer heads that are attachable to a bottle and a bulb that is integrated into the sprayer head for pressurizing the bottle. The prior art discloses a fluid sprayer that includes a bottle, a hose that is strapped to a user&#39;s arm and a bulb that is strapped to the user&#39;s hand for spraying a fluid from the bulb when the bulb is compressed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a bottle that contains a fluid. A cap is attachable to the bottle and a dispensing tube is fluidly attachable to the cap to receive the fluid. A hose is fluidly attachable to the cap to receive the viscous liquid from the dispensing tube. A bulb is removably attachable to the hose to receive the fluid from the hose. The bulb normally operates in a first condition when the bulb is not compressed to draw the fluid into an interior of the bulb. Conversely, the bulb operates in a second condition when the bulb is compressed to release the fluid from the bulb. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a hand sanitizer dispenser assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG.  1    of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG.  1    of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  6    thereof, a new dispenser device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  6   , the hand sanitizer dispenser assembly  10  generally comprises a bottle  12  that contains a fluid  14 , such as hand sanitizer or other product that would commonly be applied to a person&#39;s hands or skin. The bottle  12  has a spout  16  that is integrated into the bottle  12  to access an interior of the bottle  12 . A cap  22  is provided that is attachable to the bottle  12 . The cap  22  has a first portion  24  that has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of a second portion  26 , and the first portion  24  is open. The cap  22  has a third portion  28  which has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the second portion  26 , and the third portion  28  is open. The first portion  24  has an inside surface  30 , the inside surface  30  is threaded and the inside surface  30  threadably engages the spout  16  for removably attaching the cap  22  to the spout  16 . The second portion  26  has an outer surface  32  and the outer surface  32  is threaded. 
     A dispensing tube  18  is fluidly attachable to the bottle  12  such that the dispensing tube  18  is in fluid communication with the fluid  14 . The dispensing tube  18  has an upper end  20  and the upper end  20  of the dispensing tube  18  extends into the second portion  26  of the cap  22  such that the third portion  28  of the cap  22  is in fluid communication with the dispensing tube  18 . A hose  34  is fluidly attachable to the cap  22  such that the hose  34  is in fluid communication with the dispensing tube  18  to receive the fluid  14  from the dispensing tube  18 . The hose  34  has a first end  36  and a second end  38 , and the first end  36  insertably receives the third portion  28  of the cap  22 . A compression fitting  40  is threadable onto the second portion  26  of the cap  22  to compress the hose  34  onto the third portion  28  of the cap  22 . The compression fitting  40  threadably engages the outer surface  32  of the second portion  26  such that the third portion  28  extends into the compression fitting  40  and the hose  34  extends outwardly from the compression fitting  40 . 
     A bulb  42  is removably attachable to the hose  34  such that the bulb  42  can receive the fluid  14  from the hose  34 . The bulb  42  is comprised of a resiliently compressible material, such as rubber or the like, thereby facilitating the bulb  42  to be squeezed. The bulb  42  has a dispensing element  44  and a receiving element  46 , and the receiving element  46  is in fluid communication with the hose  34 . The bulb  42  normally operates in a first condition when the bulb  42  is not compressed having the dispensing element  44  of the bulb  42  being closed and having the receiving element  46  being open. In this way the bulb  42  can draw the fluid  14  into an interior of the bulb  42 . 
     The bulb  42  operates in a second condition when the bulb  42  is compressed having the dispensing element  44  being open and having the receiving element  46  being closed. In this way the dispensing element  44  can release the fluid  14  from the bulb  42 . The bulb  42  has a coupled end  48  and a free end  50 , and each of the coupled end  48  and the free end  50  is open. An intake valve  52  is integrated into the coupled end  48  of the bulb  42  such that the intake valve  52  defines the receiving element  46 . The intake valve  52  is in a normally open condition to pass the fluid  14  into the bulb  42 . Conversely, the intake valve  52  is urged into a closed condition when the bulb  42  is compressed to inhibit the fluid  14  from flowing back into the hose  34 . The intake valve  52  may comprise a normally open check valve or other type of fluid valve with a single direction of flow. As is most clearly shown in  FIG.  5   , the intake valve  52  may include a compression fitting  53  that engages the hose  34   
     An exhaust valve  54  is provided and the exhaust valve  54  is integrated into the free end  50  of the bulb  42  such that the exhaust valve  54  defines the dispensing element  44 . The exhaust valve  54  is in a normally closed condition to inhibit the fluid  14  from escaping through the free end  50  of the bulb  42 . The exhaust valve  54  is urged into an open condition when the bulb  42  is compressed. In this way the exhaust valve  54  releases the fluid  14  outwardly through the free end  50  of the bulb  42 . The exhaust valve  54  may comprise a normally closed check valve or other type of fluid valve with a single direction of flow. 
     In use, the bottle  12  is filled with the fluid  14  and the cap  22  is attached to the spout  16 . The hose  34  is attached to the cap  22  and the compression fitting  40  is attached to the cap  22 . The bulb  42  is compressed enough times to draw the fluid  14  into the bulb  42 . In this way the fluid  14  will be dispensed outwardly through the exhaust valve  54  each time the bulb  42  is compressed. Additionally, the bulb  42  will refill each time the bulb  42  is released after being compressed. In this way the fluid  14  can be repeatedly released from the bulb  42 . The bottle  12  can be carried in a purse, for example, and the hose  34  can be routed out of the purse. In this way the fluid  14  can be dispensed without requiring a user to reach into the purse, thereby reducing the likelihood of contaminating an interior of the purse. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.