Patent Publication Number: US-2023158527-A1

Title: Refillable dispenser having reservoirs and refill containers configured for fluid and air transfer therebetween

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/623,150, filed Dec. 16, 2019, which is the U.S. national stage entry of PCT/US2018/041053, filed Jul. 6, 2018, which claims priority to and the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/529,812, filed on Jul. 7, 2017, all of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to dispensing systems and more particularly to dispensers having a reservoir and a non-collapsing refill container that is selectively installable in a fluid dispenser such that fluid and air are transferred between the reservoir and the refill container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional cartridge based soap and sanitizers dispensers use disposable refill cartridges. The disposable refill cartridges typically include a container and a pump. These disposable refill cartridges are single-use type and thus incapable of being refilled. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary dispensing system includes a housing, a pump, an outlet nozzle, a reservoir, a liquid passage, an air passage, and a refill container. The pump and reservoir are attached to the housing, and both the outlet nozzle and the reservoir are in fluid communication with the pump. The reservoir has at least one engagement member, and the liquid passage and the air passage are located in the engagement member. The refill container has at least one sealing member, and the refill container is configured to be releasably attached to the reservoir such that the refill container is in fluid communication with the reservoir. When the refill container is attached to the reservoir, the engagement member engages the sealing member to cause the liquid passage and the air passage to be in fluid communication with the refill container. 
     Another exemplary dispensing system includes a housing, a reservoir, an air passage, a liquid passage, at least one engagement member, a pump, an outlet nozzle, and a refill container. The reservoir is secured to the housing and includes a cavity located in its upper portion, in which the cavity is configured so that air in the reservoir migrates to the cavity. The air passage extends upward from the cavity, and the liquid passage extends upward from the reservoir. A bottom of the liquid passage is located below a bottom of the air passage. The engagement member is configured to mate with a refill container. The pump has a pump chamber that is in fluid communication with the reservoir and the outlet nozzle. The refill container is configured to releasably attach to the reservoir such that the refill container is in fluid communication with the reservoir through the at least one engagement member. The refill container also has at least one sealing member. 
     Another exemplary dispensing system includes a housing, a reservoir, a pump having a pump chamber, an outlet nozzle, a liquid passage, an air passage, a refill container, and a vent valve. The reservoir is attached to the housing and includes at least one engagement member. Both the reservoir and the outlet nozzle are in fluid communication with the pump chamber. The liquid passage as a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and the air passage has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet is disposed above the liquid outlet when the dispensing system is in use. The refill container has a sealing member and is configured to be attached to the reservoir such that the refill container is in fluid communication with the reservoir. The vent valve allows air into at least one of the reservoir and the refill container. When the refill container is attached to the reservoir, the engagement member engages the sealing member to cause the liquid passage and the air passage to be in fluid communication with the refill container. Operation of the pump causes liquid to move from the refill container to the reservoir through the liquid passage, and causes air to move from the reservoir to the refill container through the air passage if there is air in the reservoir. 
     Another exemplary dispenser includes a semi-permanent reservoir that is releasably secured to the dispenser. A pump is connected to the semi-permanent reservoir. A vent valve located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir and a reservoir connector is located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir. The exemplary dispenser includes a refill unit. The refill unit has a refill connector. The refill connector connects to the reservoir connector to transfer fluid between the refill unit and the semi-permanent reservoir. 
     Another exemplary dispenser includes a semi-permanent reservoir. A pump is in fluid communication with the semi-permanent reservoir. A vent valve located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir and a reservoir connector is located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir. The reservoir connector is configured to mate with a refill connector when a refill unit is placed in the dispenser. 
     Exemplary embodiments of inserts for dispensers are disclosed herein. an exemplary insert includes a semi-permanent reservoir and a pump in fluid communication with the semi-permanent reservoir. A vent valve is located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir. A reservoir connector is located on a top surface of the semi-permanent reservoir. The reservoir connector is configured to mate with a refill connector when a refill unit is placed in the dispenser. 
     Another exemplary insert for a dispenser includes a refill unit. The refill unit has a refill connector. The refill connector connects to a reservoir connector to transfer fluid between the refill unit and the semi-permanent reservoir. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a fluid dispenser having a reservoir and a refill container; 
         FIG.  2    is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid dispenser having a reservoir/pump and a refill container, in which the refill container is not attached to the reservoir and the reservoir is not installed in a dispenser; 
         FIG.  3    is a partial cross-sectional view of the exemplary fluid dispenser of  FIG.  2   , in which the refill container is attached to the reservoir; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the exemplary reservoir of the fluid dispenser of  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a partial cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a fluid dispenser having a reservoir and a refill container, in which the refill container is not attached to the reservoir; 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary fluid dispenser of  FIG.  5   , in which the refill container is attached to the reservoir; 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of the exemplary reservoir of the fluid dispenser of  FIG.  5   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a cross-sectional view of yet another exemplary embodiment of a fluid dispenser having a reservoir and a refill container, in which the refill container is not attached to the reservoir; 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary fluid dispenser having a reservoir and refill container of  FIG.  8   , in which the refill container is attached to the reservoir; 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of the exemplary reservoir of the fluid dispenser of  FIG.  8   ; 
         FIG.  11    is prospective view of another exemplary dispenser; 
         FIG.  12    is a front view of the exemplary dispenser with the cover removed; 
         FIG.  13    is a front view of the exemplary dispenser with the refill unit being removed leaving the semi-permanent reservoir and pump connected to the dispenser; 
         FIG.  14    is an exemplary embodiment of the refill unit and semi-permanent reservoir and pump removed from the dispenser; 
         FIG.  15    is an exemplary embodiment of the refill unit separated from the semi-permanent reservoir and pump; 
         FIG.  16    is a cross-section of an exemplary vent valve for the semi-permanent reservoir; 
         FIG.  16 A  is an exploded view of the exemplary vent valve of  FIG.  6   ; and 
         FIG.  17    is an exemplary dispenser that is configured to accept either a refill unit or a semi-permanent reservoir, pump and novel refill unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The Detailed Description describes exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning. Features and components of one exemplary embodiment may be incorporated into the other exemplary embodiments. Inventions within the scope of this application may include additional features, or may have less features, than those shown in the exemplary embodiments. 
     Fluid dispensers often include inverted containers that hold a liquid (e.g., soap, sanitizer, lotion, etc.) and have pumps attached thereto. The fluid is pumped out through a nozzle and into the hands of a user. Fluid dispensers may be disposed in various locations, such as, for example, hospitals, patient rooms, restrooms, schools, restaurants, or any other suitable location. As people use the fluid dispensers, the inverted containers run out of fluid and need to be replaced. As the inverted containers are running low on fluid, the maintenance staff at these locations needs to decide when to replace the near empty containers with new containers so that the dispensers are always in condition to be used by a user. If refill containers are not replaced until completely empty, there is a risk that a user will attempt to use the fluid dispenser without being able to obtain any fluid. On the other hand, if the maintenance staff replaces a refill container when the container is not completely empty, the remaining fluid in the container is wasted. 
     The exemplary fluid dispensers disclosed herein are configured to transfer fluid from a non-collapsing refill container to a reservoir of the fluid dispenser such that the non-collapsing refill container can be removed and replaced when empty while still maintaining a quantity of fluid in the reservoir. This allows a refill container to be removed while there is still fluid in the fluid dispensing system, which prevents the risk that a user will attempt to use the fluid dispenser without being able to obtain any fluid, such as, for example, soap, sanitizer or lotion. This also allows refill containers to be removed when they are completely empty, which prevents the waste of fluid that remains in the refill container. 
     In some exemplary embodiments, the reservoir and pump attached thereto are removeable and replaceable. The reservoir and pump may be removed and replaced according to selected time intervals, selected throughput of fluid, and/or when the reservoir or pump fails, such as, for example, if the pump clogs or wears out. 
     The exemplary fluid dispensers are also configured to transfer air from the reservoir to the refill container during use. The transfer of air from the reservoir to the refill container allows a chamber of the dispenser&#39;s pump to prime more easily. In addition, the transfer of air from the reservoir to the refill container ensures that the pump will draw in liquid after each pump and not air. In addition, the movement of the air from the reservoir to the refill container prevents the refill container from collapsing as fluid moves from the refill container to the reservoir. Exemplary embodiments of the fluid dispenser can also be configured such that the reservoir does not become air locked, i.e. air is permitted to move from the reservoir to the refill container. 
       FIGS.  1 - 10    illustrate various embodiments of a fluid dispenser  100  for dispensing a fluid (soap, sanitizer, lotion, etc.) to a user. The fluid dispenser includes a housing  102  (see  FIG.  1   ), an inverted refill container  104 , a reservoir  106 , a pump  108 , and an outlet nozzle  110 . In certain embodiments, the reservoir  106 , the pump  108 , and the outlet nozzle  110  are fixed to the housing  102 . In other embodiments, any of the reservoir  106 , the pump  108 , and the outlet nozzle  110  can be removeable from the housing  102  and replaceable. In some embodiments, the reservoir  104  has a volume between about 25 milliliters and about 300 millimeters. In some embodiments, the reservoir  104  has a volume between about 50 milliliters and about 250 millimeters. In some embodiments, the reservoir  104  has a volume between about 60 milliliters and about 150 millimeters. In some embodiments, the reservoir  104  has a volume of less than about 300 milliliters, including about 250 milliliters, including about 2000 milliliters, including about 150 milliliters, including about 100 milliliters, including about 50 milliliters. The term “about” as used herein means +/−10%, 
     The inverted refill container  104  is configured to be removably connected to the reservoir  106  such that the interiors of the containers are in fluid communication with each other when they are connected together. The inverted refill container  104  is non-collapsible container. The refill container  104  includes at least one sealing member  114  that is configured to seal the interior of the refill container  104  until the refill container  104  is connected to the reservoir  106 . The sealing member  114  can be, for example, a poppet, a silicon seal, a slit valve, combinations thereof, or the like. The reservoir  106  includes at least one engagement member  112  that is configured to engage the at least one sealing member  114  of the refill container  104  to connect the refill container to the reservoir  106  and open the at least one sealing member  114  such that the interiors of the refill container  104  and the reservoir  106  are in fluid communication with each other. The engagement member  112  can be, for example, a post, a puncture needle. In addition, the engagement member  112  and/or the reservoir  106  has a liquid passage  116  and an air passage  118 , and both the liquid passage  116  and air passage  118  are in fluid communication with the interior of the refill container  104  when the engagement member  112  engages the sealing member  114 . In certain embodiments, the liquid passage  116  and the air passage  118  are disposed within the engagement member  112 . 
     The reservoir  106  is in fluid communication with the pump  108  such that the pump can pump liquid from the reservoir  106  through the nozzle  110 . The pump  108  can be, for example, a displacement pump, such as, a piston pump, a diaphragm pump, a rotary pump, or the like. In certain embodiments, the pump  108  may be a sequentially activated multi-diaphragm pump. Exemplary embodiments of sequentially activated multi-diaphragm pumps are shown and disclosed in: U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/429,389 filed on Feb. 10, 2017 and titled HIGH QUALITY NON-AEROSOL HAND SANITIZING FOAM; U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/369,007 filed on Dec. 5, 2016 and titled SEQUENTIALLY ACTIVATED MULTI-DIAPHRAGM FOAM PUMPS, REFILL UNITS AND DISPENSER SYSTEMS; U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/355,112 filed on Nov. 18, 2016 and titled SEQUENTIALLY ACTIVATED MULTI-DIAPHRAGM FOAM PUMPS, REFILL UNITS AND DISPENSER SYSTEMS; U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/350,190 filed on Nov. 14, 2016 and titled IMPROVED FOAMING CARTRIDGE; U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/356,795 filed on Nov. 21, 2016 and titled FOAM DISPENSING SYSTEMS, PUMPS AND REFILL UNITS HAVING HIGH AIR TO LIQUID RATIOS; and U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/480,711 filed on Apr. 6, 2017 and titled FOAM DISPENSING SYSTEMS, PUMPS AND REFILL UNITS HAVING HIGH AIR TO LIQUID RATIOS; each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     In certain embodiments, the pump  108  may be a foam pump, and the fluid dispenser may include a foam cartridge (not shown). In certain of these exemplary embodiments, the foam pump may create a liquid-air mixture that travels through the foam cartridge to create a rich foam. Exemplary embodiments of foam pumps are shown and described in, U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,099 titled Stepped Pump Foam Dispenser; U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,150 titled Split Engagement Flange for Soap Piston; U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,739 titled Engagement Flange for Fluid Dispenser Pump Piston; U.S. Pat. No. 8,113,388 titled Engagement Flange for Removable Dispenser Cartridge; U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,539, Angled Slot Foam Dispenser; U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,540 titled Split Engagement Flange for Soap Dispenser Pump Piston; U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,912 titled Split Engagement Flange for Soap Dispenser Pump Piston; U.S. Pat. No. 8,360,286 titled Draw Back Push Pump; U.S. Provisional Pat. Ser. No. 62/293,931 titled High Quality Non-Aerosol Hand Sanitizing Foam; U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Ser. No. 62/257,008 titled Sequentially Activated Multi-Diaphragm Foam Pumps, Refill Units and Dispenser Systems; U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,555 titled Diaphragm Foam Pump; U.S. 2008/0,277,421 titled Gear Pump and Foam Dispenser, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. These exemplary foam pumps may be converted to liquid pumps by removing the air components. 
     The foam pumps typically include foaming media or foaming cartridges. Exemplary foaming media include, screens, porous material, sponge, and the like and may be in the form of foaming cartridges. Exemplary embodiments of foaming cartridges  134  are shown and described in U.S. Publication No. 2014/0367419, titled Foam Cartridges, Pump, Refill Units and Foam Dispensers Utilizing The Same, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     In various embodiments, the dispenser  100  is a “touch free” dispenser and includes an actuator  124  that activates the pump  108  to pump liquid from the reservoir  106  and out of the outlet nozzle  110 . In some embodiments, the incorporated dispensers need certain modifications to receive the reservoir  106 /pump  108  and refill container  104 . Exemplary touch-fee dispensers are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,837,066 titled Electronically Keyed Dispensing System And Related Methods Utilizing Near Field Response; U.S. Pat. No. 9,172,266 title Power Systems For Touch Free Dispensers and Refill Units Containing a Power Source; U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,209 titled Apparatus for Hands-Free Dispensing of a Measured Quantity of Material; U.S. Pat. No. 7,611,030 titled Apparatus for Hands-Free Dispensing of a Measured Quantity of Material; U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,426 titled Electronically Keyed Dispensing Systems and Related Methods Utilizing Near Field Response; and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 8,960,498 titled Touch-Free Dispenser with Single Cell Operation and Battery Banking; all which are incorporated herein by reference. In embodiments that include a touch-free feature, the dispenser  100  may include a power source (not shown), a sensor (not shown) for detecting the presence of a hand, a controller (not shown), and a motor (not shown), which are all known in the art. The power source is in electrical communication with and provides power to the sensor, controller, and motor. The power source may be an internal power source, such as, for example, one or more batteries or an external power source, such as, for example, solar cells, or a conventional 120 VAC power supply, or combinations thereof. 
     In various embodiments, the dispenser is a manual dispenser. In such embodiments, the actuator  124  may require manual activation, such as, for example, a user engages a push bar, a user engages a foot pedal, a pushbutton, or the like. In some embodiments that require manual activation, the actuator  124  is a push bar that is mechanically coupled to the pump  108  and, when a user engages the push bar, the pump  108  causes liquid from the reservoir  106  to exit the outlet nozzle  110  of the dispenser  100 . 
     Referring to the illustrated embodiments, the pump  108  has a pump chamber  120  that is in fluid communication with the reservoir  106 . In these embodiments, activation of the pump  108  causes fluid to flow from the pump chamber  120  and through the outlet nozzle  110 . Subsequently, on the return stroke the pump  108  is primed, which causes liquid to flow from the reservoir  106  and into the pump chamber  120 . When the refill container  104  is attached to the reservoir  106 , the priming of the pump  108  also causes liquid to flow from the refill container  104  and into the reservoir  106  through the liquid passage  116 . 
     As liquid flows through the liquid passage  116  and into the reservoir  106 , air may be transferred from the reservoir  106  and into the refill container  104  through the air passage  118 . This movement of air from the reservoir  106  and into the refill container  104  is facilitated by a negative pressure that is created in the refill container  104  due to the transfer of liquid from the refill container  104  and into the reservoir  106 . Movement of air from the reservoir  106  and into the refill container  104  prevents collapsing of the refill container due to this negative pressure. In addition, this movement of air into the refill container  104  eliminates the vacuum pressure required to collapse the container and thus allows liquid to more easily flow from the reservoir  106  and into the pump chamber  120 . 
     Air may enter the reservoirs disclosed herein by several means. First, prior to the first use, the entire reservoir will be filled with air. In some embodiments, when the refill container is empty, air that is in refill container is sucked into reservoir prior to refill container being removed from the dispenser. In some embodiments, air enters reservoir through the liquid passage or air passage when the refill container is removed and the dispenser is used, or due to vacuum pressure in reservoir that draws in air when the refill container is removed. In some embodiments, air will flow into the reservoir through use of a container venting pumps. Exemplary embodiments of container venting pumps are shown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,936,840 titled Vented Refill Units and Dispensers Having Vented Refill Units, which issued on Apr. 10, 2018; U.S. Pat. No. 9,038,862 titled Pumps with Container Vents, which issued on May 26, 2015; U.S. Pat. No. 9,949,599 titled Vent Valves and Refill Units with Vent Valves For Use With Inverted Non-Collapsing Containers which issued on Apr. 24, 2018; U.S. Pat. No. 9,648,992 titled Pumps with Vents to Vent Inverted Containers and Refill Units Having Non-Collapsing Containers, which issued on May 16, 2017; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,648,990 titled Venting System for Dispenser Reservoir, which issued on May 16, 2017. All of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition to providing air to the reservoir, or leu of providing air to the reservoir, the venting techniques and components shown and described in the first four of these patents may be incorporated into the reservoir  106  (or other reservoirs disclosed herein) to allow air directly into the non-collapsing container. In such embodiments, there may be two methods of venting the non-collapsing container, one transferring air from the reservoir to the refill container and one transferring atmospheric air directly into the refill container. In some embodiments, the vent valve that allows air directly into the refill container may be selected to ensure that substantially all of the air in the reservoir is transferred to the refill container before allowing atmospheric air into the reservoir. 
     Referring back to  FIG.  1   , the liquid passage  116  has a liquid outlet  134  that is in fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir  106  and a liquid inlet  135  in fluid communication with the interior of the refill container  104 . The air passage  118  has an air inlet  136  that is in fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir  106  and an air outlet  137  in fluid communication with the interior of the refill container  104 . In some embodiments, the air outlet  137  is located above the liquid inlet  135 , which prevents air exiting air outlet  137  from being sucked into the liquid inlet  135 . In certain embodiments, the air inlet  136  is disposed above the liquid outlet  134 . 
     This exemplary embodiment is advantageous because it prevents air lock of the liquid passage  116 . That is, priming of the pump  108  will cause a pressure differential between reservoir  106  and the refill container  104 . This pressure differential will cause air to move from the reservoir  106  and into the refill container  104 . By placing the air inlet  136  of the air passage  118  above the liquid outlet  134  of the liquid passage  116 , the air will move towards the air passage  118  in order to move into the refill container  104 . If the air inlet  136  were not disposed above the liquid inlet  134 , the air may try to enter the refill container  104  through the liquid passage  116 , which would prevent liquid from entering the reservoir  106  through the liquid passage  116 . The air inlet  134  and the liquid outlet  136  can, however, be disposed in any suitable manner relative to each other that allows liquid to enter the reservoir  106  through the liquid passage  116  and air to enter the refill container  104  through the air passage  118 . 
     Transfer of liquid from the reservoir  106  and into the pump chamber  120  can also create a negative pressure in the reservoir  106 . In order to prevent the reservoir  106  from collapsing, in various embodiments, the reservoir  106  is vented to allow air into the reservoir  106  during priming of the pump  108 . In some embodiments, the pump  108  is a vented pump that includes a vent  122  for allowing air into the reservoir  106 . Exemplary embodiments of vented pumps are identified in the patents incorporated herein. In certain embodiments, a vent (not shown) is disposed on a wall of the reservoir  106  that allows air to enter the reservoir  106  during priming of the pump  108 . The vent can take any suitable form, such as, for example, any form, such as, for example, the form of the components described in the patents incorporated herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2 - 4   , a fluid dispenser  200  including a refill container  204  and a reservoir  206  with a pump  108  are illustrated. Reservoir  206  and pump  208  are semi-permanently secured in a dispenser (not shown). The reservoir  206  and pump  208  are “semi-permanently” secured, is meant to mean that the reservoir  206  and pump  208  may be easily removed from the dispenser (not shown) by a quick release mechanism (not shown), however, the reservoir  206  and pump  208  are retained in the dispenser and are only periodically removed and replaced. During normal operation reservoir  206  and pump  208  stay with the dispenser when refill units  204  are removed and replaced. 
     In some exemplary embodiments, the refill container  204  includes a neck portion  226  that is configured to connect to a receiving portion  228  of the reservoir  206 . The neck portion  226  of the refill container  204  includes an attachment element  230  that is configured to engage an groove portion  332  ( FIGS.  3  and  4   ) of the receiving portion  228  of the reservoir  206  to secure the refill container  204  to the reservoir  206 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, receiving portion  228  includes a rotatable locking member  400  ( FIG.  4   ). Rotatable locking member includes a release tab  402 . Release tab  402  is biased in its resting position shown in  FIG.  4    by a biasing member  406 . Release tab  402  may be rotated in direction R which moves retention members  333 , which include groove portions  332 , in direction R out of the way and allows refill container  204  to be removed from the dispenser (not shown) by moving the refill container  204  upward. The refill container  204  may be installed by rotating the release tab  402  in direction R and lowering the refill container  206  downward so that engagement member  212  engages sealing member  214 . Sealing member  214  seals refill container  204  when refill container  204  is not installed in the dispenser (not shown) and in fluid communication with reservoir  206 . Sealing member may be, for example, a valve, such as, for example, a shuttle valve that is moved by engagement member  212 , or such as, for example, a slit valve, or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , the neck portion  226  of the refill container  204  includes an inner wall  240  and a sealing member  214  that are configured to seal the interior of the refill container  204  until the refill container is connected to the reservoir  206 . In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing member  214  is a silicone seal. However, the sealing member  214  can take any suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. The receiving portion  228  of the reservoir  206  includes an engagement member  212 , a liquid passage  216 , and an air passage  218 . In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement member  212  is a post, and the liquid passage  216  and the air passage  218  are disposed within the post. However, the engagement member  212  can take any suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. The engagement member  212  is configured to engage the sealing member  214  such that the sealing member  214  opens to allow the refill container  204  to be in fluid communication with the reservoir  206  as shown in  FIG.  3   . 
     In addition, in some embodiments, refill container  204  includes a vent valve  250 . Vent valve  250  may be any type of valve configured to allow air to enter refill container  204  and prevents fluid from flowing out of refill container  204 . In some exemplary embodiments, vent valve  204  may be a mushroom valve, a flapper valve, a wiper valve, a ball and spring valve, a slit valve or the like. In some embodiments, the vent valve  250  is configured to allow air to flow into refill container  204  only after a selected vacuum pressure is achieved in the refill container  204 . In some embodiments, vent valve  250  engages vent member  253  and only after engaging vent member  253  is vent valve  250  permitted to open and allow air to flow into the refill container  204 . Preferably, vent valve  250  is configured to require a minimum vacuum pressure inside of refill container  204  before allowing air from the atmosphere to flow into the container. Vent member  253  has an opening  254  in its top and includes a vent passage  256  that extends to the atmosphere. 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , connection of the refill container  104  to the reservoir  106  causes the engagement member  112  to engage and open the sealing member  114  such that the engagement member  112  extends into the refill container  104 . When the engagement member  112  extends into the refill container  104 , the liquid passage  116  and the air passage  118  of the reservoir  106  both extend into the refill container  104  such that the refill container is in fluid communication with the reservoir  106 . Sealing member  214  seals around engagement member  212  and prevents leaking of fluid. When refill container  206  is removed, sealing member  214  disengages with engagement member  212  and seals, which prevents residual fluid in refill container  204  from leaking out. 
     The reservoir  206  is in fluid communication with a pump  208  that includes a pump chamber  220 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pump  208  is a piston pump, but, in other embodiments, the pump can take any other suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. A one-way liquid inlet valve  242  is disposed between the reservoir  206  and prevents liquid in the pump chamber  220  from moving back into the reservoir  206 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , during operation, activation of the pump  208  causes liquid in the pump chamber  220  to be pumped out through the outlet nozzle  210 . Subsequently, on the return stroke, the pump  208  is primed, which causes liquid in the reservoir  206  to flow past the one-way liquid inlet valve  242  and into the pump chamber  220 . This movement of liquid from the reservoir  206  and into the pump chamber  220  causes liquid to flow from the refill container  204  and into the reservoir  206  through the liquid passage  216 . The movement of liquid from the refill container  204  creates a negative pressure in the refill container  204 , which causes any air in the reservoir  206  to flow from the reservoir  206  and into the refill container  204 . Air that is in reservoir  206  flows to the highest point, which is in cavity  235 . The inlet end  236  of air passage  218  is located at the top of cavity  235  which is above the outlet end  234  of liquid passage  216 . This helps insure that air is transferred up into refill container  206  as opposed to liquid. 
     This movement of air into the refill container  204  ensures that air is not drawn in to liquid pump chamber  220  during subsequent operation of pump  208  and helps to prevent collapsing of the refill container due to this negative pressure. In addition, this movement of air into the refill container  204  will allow liquid to more easily flow from the reservoir  206  and into the pump chamber  220 . 
     If there is no air in the liquid reservoir  206 , or the vacuum pressure in refill container  204  is greater than a selected cracking pressure of vent valve  254 , vent valve  254  opens and allows air from the atmosphere to flow into refill container  206 . Once the vacuum pressure in refill container  226  drops below the cracking pressure of vent valve  254 , vent valve  254  closes. 
     The air inlet  236  of the air passage  218  is disposed above the liquid outlet  234  of the liquid passage when the fluid dispenser  200  is in use, which prevents air lock from occurring. That is, as discussed above, priming or charging of the pump  208  causes liquid to flow from the refill container  204  and into the reservoir  206  through the liquid passage  216 , and causes air to move from the reservoir  206  and into the refill container  204  through the air passage  218 . In some situations, if the air inlet  236  is not located above the liquid outlet  234 , air may attempt to move from the reservoir  106  and into the refill container  204  through the liquid passage  216 , which may prevent liquid from flowing into the reservoir  206  through the liquid passage  216 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5 - 7   , in certain embodiments, a fluid dispenser  500  having a refill container  504  is disclosed. The refill container  504  includes a neck portion  526  that is configured to connect to a receiving portion  528  of the reservoir  506 . The neck portion  526  of the refill container  504  includes an attachment element  530  that is configured to engage an attachment element  532  of the receiving portion  528  of the reservoir  506  to secure the refill container  54  to the reservoir  506 . In the illustrated embodiment, the refill container  504  is secured to and released from in the same manner as described above with respect to  FIG.  2 - 4   . 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , the neck portion  526  of the refill container  504  includes an inner wall  540 , a first sealing member  514   a,  and a second sealing member  514   b  that are configured to seal the interior of the refill container  504  when the refill container  504  is not connected to the reservoir  106 . In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing members  514   a,b  are a silicone seals. However, the sealing members  514   a,b  can take any suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. The receiving portion  528  of the reservoir  506  includes a first engagement member  512   a,  a second engagement member  512   b,  a liquid passage  516 , and an air passage  518 . In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement members  512   a,b  are posts, and the liquid passage  516  is disposed within the first engagement member  512   a  and the air passage  518  is disposed within the second engagement member  512   b.  However, the engagement members  512   a,b  can take any suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. The first engagement member  512   a  is configured to engage the first sealing member  514   a  such that the first sealing member opens to allow the air passage  518  of the reservoir  506  to be in fluid communication with the refill container  504 . The second engagement member  512   b  is configured to engage the second sealing member  512   b  such that the second sealing member opens to allow the liquid passage  516  of the reservoir  506  to be in fluid communication with the refill container  504 . Pump  508  is a venting pump and includes a vent valve  570  that allows air to flow into the reservoir  506  when there is a sufficient vacuum pressure created in the refill container  504  and reservoir  506 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  6   , connection of the refill container  504  to the reservoir  506  causes the engagement members  512   a,b  to engage and open the sealing members  514   a,b  such that the engagement members  512   a,b  extend into the refill container  504 . Sealing members  514   a,b  seal around engagement members  512   a,b  to prevent leaking. When the engagement members  512   a,b  extend into the refill container  504 , the liquid passage  516  and the air passage  518  of the reservoir  506  both extend into the refill container  504  such that the refill container is in fluid communication with the reservoir  506 . 
     The first sealing member  514   a  is disposed above the second sealing member  514   b  on the refill container  504 , and a top portion  544  of the first engagement member  512   a  is disposed above a top portion  546  of the second engagement member  512   b  on the reservoir  506 . In this embodiment, the engagement members  512   a,b  and the sealing members  514   a,b  can act as a key for the fluid dispenser  100 . That is, a refill container that does not have the above-mentioned configuration (i.e., the configuration of refill container  504  in  FIGS.  5 - 6   ) may not be able to attach to the reservoir  506 , which prevents user&#39;s from replacing the refill container  504  with a refill container that does not have the above-mentioned configuration. In other embodiments, sealing members  514   a,b  can be disposed at the same height, or the second sealing member  514   b  can be disposed above the first sealing member  514   a.  The top portions  544 ,  546  of the engagement members  512   a,    512   b  can also be disposed at the same height, or preferably, the top portion  546  of the second engagement member  512   b  can be disposed below the top portion  544  of the first engagement member  512   a.  In addition, reservoir  506  includes a cavity  535  that creates a space for air to accumulate at the top of the reservoir  506 . The inlet  536  to air passage  518  is located at the top of cavity  535 . Location of the air inlet  536  of air passage  518  helps to ensure air flows through air passage  518  into refill container  504  rather than liquid. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5  and  6   , the reservoir  506  is in fluid communication with a pump  508  that includes a pump chamber  520 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pump  508  is a piston pump, but, in other embodiments, the pump can take any other suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in and incorporated into the specification by reference. A one-way liquid inlet valve  542  is disposed between the reservoir  506  and the pump chamber  520  that allows liquid in the reservoir  506  to enter the pump chamber  520  and prevents liquid in the pump chamber  520  from moving back into the reservoir  506 . 
     During operation, activation of the pump  508  causes liquid in the pump chamber  520  to move through the outlet nozzle  510 . Subsequently, the pump  508  is charged, which causes liquid in the reservoir  506  to flow past one-way liquid inlet valve  542  and into the pump chamber  520 . This movement of liquid from the reservoir  506  and into the pump chamber  520  causes liquid to move from the refill container  504  and into the reservoir  506  through the liquid passage  516 . The movement of liquid from the refill container  504  creates a negative pressure in the refill container  504 , which causes air to move from the reservoir  506  and into the refill container  504 , and also causes air to flow past vent valve  570  and into the liquid reservoir  506 . This movement of air into the refill container  504  prevents collapsing of the refill container due to this negative pressure. In addition, this movement of air into the refill container  504  will allow liquid to more easily move from the reservoir  506  and into the pump chamber  520 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG.  6   , the air inlet  536  of the air passage  518  is disposed above the liquid outlet  534  of the liquid passage when the fluid dispenser  500  is in use, which prevents air lock from occurring. That is, as discussed above, priming of, or charging, the pump  508  causes liquid to move from the refill container  504  and into the reservoir  506  through the liquid passage  516 , and causes air to move from the reservoir  506  and into the refill container  504  through the air passage  518 . In some situations, if the air inlet  536  is not located above the liquid outlet  534 , air may attempt to move from the reservoir  506  and into the refill container  504  through the liquid passage  516 , which may prevent liquid from moving into the reservoir  506  through the liquid passage  516 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  8 - 10   , a dispenser  800  is illustrated. As with dispensers  100 ,  200  and  500 , dispenser  800  is illustrated generically and may be, for example, any of the dispensers incorporated herein (some may require minor modifications). In certain embodiments, the refill container  804  includes a neck portion  826  that is configured to connect to a receiving portion  828  of the reservoir  806 . The neck portion  826  of the refill container  804  includes an attachment element  830  that is configured to engage an attachment element  832  of the receiving portion  828  of the reservoir  806  to secure the refill container  804  to the reservoir  806 . Like reservoirs and pumps  106 ,  108 ,  206 ,  208  and  506 ,  508 , reservoir  806  and pump  808  are preferably removably secured to dispenser  800  and normally remain in dispenser  800  when refill containers are removed and replaced. However, they may be removed and replaced periodically, such as, for example, upon selected time periods, upon selected throughput, and/or upon failure by one of the components. In the illustrated embodiment, refill container  804  releasably connects to reservoir  806  in the same manner as that described above. 
     Referring to  FIG.  8   , the neck portion  826  of the refill container  804  includes an inner wall  840  that defines a passageway  848  and a sealing member  814  disposed in the passageway  848  that seals the interior of the refill container  804  until the refill container  804  is connected to the reservoir  106 . In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing member  814  is a poppet seal that is movable between an open position (that allows liquid in the refill container  804  to flow out of the refill container  804 , and air in the reservoir  806  to flow into the refill container  804 ) and a closed position (that prevents liquid from flowing out of the refill container  804 , and allows air to flow into the refill container  804  from the reservoir  806 ). 
     The receiving portion  828  of the reservoir  806  includes an engagement member  812 , a liquid passage  816 , and an air passage  818 . In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement member  812  is a post, and the liquid passage  816  and the air passage  818  are disposed within the post. More specifically, the liquid passage  816  extends through a center of the engagement member  812 , and the air passage  818  extends around the liquid passage  816 . The liquid passage  816  and air passage  818  may, however, be disposed within the engagement member  812  in many suitable manners that allows liquid to flow from the refill container  804  and into the reservoir  106 , and allows air to flow from the reservoir  806  and into the refill container  804 . In other embodiments, the engagement member  812  can take other suitable forms, such as, for example, other forms described in the present application. 
     The engagement member  812  is configured to engage the poppet seal  814  such that the poppet seal moves from the closed position (as shown in  FIG.  8   ) to the open position (as shown in  FIG.  9   ) in the direction D. In certain embodiments, engagement between the engagement member  812  and the poppet seal  814  causes the engagement member  812  to connect to the poppet seal  814 . In the illustrate embodiment, the poppet seal  814  includes a receiving connection member  850 , and the engagement member  812  includes a protruding connection member  852 . The protruding connection member  852  of the engagement member  812  is configured to snap into the receiving connection member of the poppet seal  814  to secure the engagement member  812  to the poppet seal  814  immediately prior to moving the poppet seal  814 . The engagement member  812  and the poppet seal  814  can, however, be connected in other suitable manners and in some embodiments a cage (not shown) at least partially surrounds the poppet valve  814  to ensure the poppet valve  814  does not travel very far up into the refill container  804  so that in the event the poppet seal  814  comes loose from the engagement member  812  prematurely, the poppet valve  814  reseats itself and seals the refill container  814  upon removal of the refill container  804 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , when the engagement member  912  is connected to the poppet seal  814  such that the poppet seal is in the open position, the engagement member  812  extends through the passageway  848  and into the refill container  804 . When the engagement member  812  extends into the refill container  804 , both the liquid passage  816  and the air passage  818  are in fluid communication with the refill container  804 . Liquid will enter the liquid passage  816  and move into the reservoir  806  in the direction Z. That is, liquid will enter a liquid inlet  854  of the liquid passage and exit the liquid outlet  834  into the reservoir  806 . Air will enter the air passage  818  and move into the refill container  804  in the direction X. That is, air will enter the air inlet  836  of the air passage and exit an air outlet  856  into the refill container  804 . In addition, due to the vacuum pressure created in the reservoir  806  and refill container  804 , air flows past vent valve  870  and up into reservoir  806  in direction A. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  8  and  9   , the reservoir  806  is in fluid communication with a pump  808  that includes a pump chamber  820 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pump  808  is a piston pump, but, in other embodiments, the pump can take any other suitable form, such as, for example, any form described in the present application. A one-way liquid inlet valve  242  is disposed between the reservoir  806  and the pump chamber  820  and allows liquid to flow from the reservoir  806  into the pump chamber  820  and prevents liquid in the pump chamber  820  from moving back into the reservoir  806 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , during operation, activation of the pump  808  causes liquid in the pump chamber  820  to move through the outlet nozzle  810 . Subsequently, the pump  808  is primed or charged, which causes liquid in the reservoir  806  to move past one-way liquid inlet valve  842  and into the pump chamber  820 . This transfer of liquid from the reservoir  806  and into the pump chamber  820  causes liquid to flow from the refill container  804  and into the reservoir  806  through the liquid passage  816  in the direction Z. The movement of liquid from the refill container  804  creates a negative pressure in the refill container  804 , which causes air to flow from the reservoir  806  and into the refill container  804  in the direction X and movement of air past vent valve  870  into reservoir  806 . This movement of air into the refill container  804  prevents collapsing of the refill container  804  due to this negative pressure. In addition, this movement of air into the refill container  804  nay allow liquid to more easily move from the reservoir  806  and into the pump chamber  820 . 
     Still referring to  FIG.  9   , the air inlet  836  of the air passage  818  is disposed above the liquid outlet  834  of the liquid passage when the fluid dispenser  800  is in use, which prevents air lock from occurring. That is, as discussed above, charging of the pump  808  causes liquid to move from the refill container  804  and into the reservoir  806  through the liquid passage  816 , and causes air to move from the reservoir  806  and into the refill container  804  through the air passage  818 . In some situations, if the air inlet  836  is not located above the liquid outlet  834 , air may attempt to move from the reservoir  806  and into the refill container  804  through the liquid passage  816 , which may prevent liquid from moving into the reservoir  806  through the liquid passage  816 . 
     In some embodiments, refill containers disclosed herein are collapsible. In such embodiments, a vent valve may not be required to vent the container. Any air that is in the reservoir, however, is still able to transfer up into the refill container. Transferring air up into the refill container may prevent air in the reservoir from causing malfunctions, causing inconsistent dosing, causing air lock or the like. 
     The various embodiments described herein are advantageous because they allow a user to remove a refill container from a fluid dispenser when the refill container is empty, but still allow a user to obtain soap, sanitizer, lotion, etc. from the fluid dispenser because of the liquid that remains in the reservoir. With traditional systems, a maintenance staff may choose to replace a refill container while some liquid remains in the refill container to prevent a situation in which the container is empty and a user attempts to use the fluid dispenser and does not obtain any fluid product. These situations lead to waste of the liquid that remains in the replaced refill container. The embodiments described herein prevents this waste because of the liquid that remains in the reservoir. 
       FIG.  11    is an exemplary dispenser  1100 . Dispenser  1100  includes a housing  1102  having a front cover  1103 . Front cover  1103  is hingedly connected to back place  1204  ( FIG.  12   ) by hinge pins  1206 . Front cover  1103  is held in a closed position by catch  1208  when the dispenser  1100  is ready for use. Catch  1208  may be released allowing front cover  1103  to rotate about hinge pins  1206  to provide access to refill unit  1120  and semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . As discussed above, semi-permanent reservoir  1150  typically remains with dispenser when the refill unit  1120  is removed and replaced, but may itself be replaced periodically, or when a component of the reservoir or pump fails. In some embodiments, reservoir  1150  and pump  1402  are secured to the dispenser  1100  by a quick release mechanism, such as, for example, the rotatable quick release mechanism described above. 
     In addition, dispenser  1100  includes a window  1106  in front cover  1103 . In some embodiments, window  1106  is configured so that a user can see at least a portion of the refill unit  1120  and at least a portion of semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . Dispenser  1100  is manual dispenser and as a push-bar  1104 . In some exemplary embodiments, dispenser  1100  is a touch free dispenser. In such an embodiment, dispenser  1100  would include a sensor (not shown) for sensing a user&#39;s hand, and an actuator powered by a battery or some other power source that actuates pump  1402  to dispense the product. 
       FIG.  13    is a perspective view of dispenser  1100  with the cover  1103  removed and showing the refill unit  1120  being separated from the semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . Refill unit  1120  includes a container connector  1222 , which is a female connector, and it connects to connector  1302 , which is a male connector on semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . An exemplary connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,045, titled “Connector Assembly For A Fluid Connection” was filed on Jan. 11, 2000 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the refill unit  1120  includes container  1220  and connector  1222 . In most cases, refill unit  1120  can be completely drained of fluid prior to removal from the dispenser  1100  because semi-permanent reservoir  1150  contains enough fluid that there is little to no danger of the dispenser  1100  being emptied prior to the refill unit  1120  being replaced. 
     To separate refill unit  1120  from semi-permanent reservoir  1150 , the user simply lifts refill unit  1120  upward. To connect refill unit  1122  to semi-permanent reservoir  1150 , the user merely aligns connector  1222  with male connector  1302  and lowers refill  1120  in place. In some embodiments, dispenser  1100  includes a socket or bracket (not shown) for receiving and holding refill unit  1120  in place. 
     In some embodiments, the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  has less than about ⅛th of the volume of the refill unit container  1120 . In some embodiments, the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  has less than about ¼th of the volume of the refill unit container  1120 . In some embodiments, the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  has less than about ⅓rd of the volume of the refill unit container  1120 . 
       FIG.  14    illustrates the refill unit  1120  and semi-permanent reservoir  1120  (and pump  1402 ) removed from dispenser  1100 . This can be accomplished by pressing a release mechanism (not shown) that releases semi-permanent reservoir  1150  in pump  1402  from the dispenser  1100 . Located around pump  1402  is keyed collar  1404 . Keyed collar  1404  may be used to insure the proper refill is installed in dispenser  1100 . In this exemplary embodiment, pump  1402  is a foam pump and has an outlet  1406 . 
       FIG.  15    illustrates the refill unit  1120  and semi-permanent reservoir  1150  being separated, as described above, after removal of both the refill unit  1120  and the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  from dispenser  1100 . The ability to remove the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  from dispenser  1100  allows a user to readily replace the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and pump  1402  in the event that the pump  1402  clogs, fails, or otherwise becomes inoperable. It also allows the ability for the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  to be periodically replaced. 
     The ability to reuse pump  1402  multiple times provides additional sustainability for dispenser  1100  in that only the refill unit  1120  needs to be replaced when the refill unit  1120  is empty. In some embodiments, container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from recyclable material. In some embodiments, the recyclable material for the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having the same recycling number. In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 1, polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”). In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 2, high density polyethylene (“HDPE”). In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 3, polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”). In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 4, low-density polyethylene (“LDPE”). In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 5, polypropylene (“PP”). In some embodiments, the container  1220  and container connector  1222  are made from material having recycling number 6, polystyrene (“PS”). 
     As can be seen in  FIG.  15   , semi-permanent reservoir  1150  includes a vent  1502  located in a top surface  1607  of the semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . Vent  1502  allows air that has entered semi-permanent reservoir  1150  when semi-permanent reservoir  1150  is depleted to escape to the atmosphere when refill unit  1120  is connected to semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment refill unit  1120  has a collapsible container  1220 . Accordingly, as fluid is pumped out of refill unit  1120  vacuum pressure created inside of refill unit  1120  causes container  1220  to collapse. In some embodiments, refill unit  1120  has a non-collapsible container. In such an embodiment, refill unit  1120  may have a vent to allow atmospheric air to enter container  1220  as fluid as being pump out of refill unit  120 . In some embodiments, refill unit  1120  has a non-collapsible container and vents through a vent, such as vent  1520 , in the semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . In some embodiments, refill unit  1120  has a non-collapsible container and vents through a vent in any of the manners as shown, described or incorporated above. 
       FIGS.  16  and  16 A  are an exemplary embodiment of a vent valve  1120 . In this exemplary embodiment, vent  1502  is a floating vent. Vent  1502  allows filtered air to enter semi-permanent reservoir  1150  when liquid is pumped out of semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and the refill unit  1120  is empty. In addition, vent  1502  allows air to flow out of semi-permanent reservoir  1150  when the semi-permanent reservoir  1150  is filling with fluid, but prevents fluid and air from flowing out of semi-permanent reservoir  1150  when semi-permanent reservoir  1150  is full of liquid because the rise in the level of fluid causes the valve  1606  to float upward and seal off the passage out of the semi-permanent reservoir  150 . 
     Vent  1502  includes a reservoir float guide  1602 , a reservoir float  1604 , a pull-in float valve  1606 , a filter  1608  and a filter cap  1610 . Vent  1502  is configured to allow air to flow out of semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and prevent contamination from entering semi-permanent reservoir  1150 . 
     Filter  1608  has a porosity that is sufficient to prevent bacteria from passing through the filter. In some embodiments, filter  1608  has a porosity of about 0.045 μm. In an exemplary embodiment, filter  1608  is a nylon syringe filter having a porosity of 0.45 μm and has a diameter of about 25 mm. Thus, any air flowing into semi-permanent reservoir  1150  is free from contaminants and/or bacteria. 
       FIG.  17    illustrates dispenser  1100  with refill unit  1120 , semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and pump  1402  and a refill unit  1702  being inserted therein. Refill unit  11702  includes a container and a pump (not shown). In some embodiments, the refill unit  120 , semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and pump  1402  are sized to have the same footprint as a refill unit  1702 . Accordingly, a refill unit  1702  can be easily retrofitted to accept a refill unit  1120 , semi-permanent reservoir  1150  and pump  1402 . In some embodiments, no modification to the dispenser is necessary. 
     In addition, in some embodiments, the product to be dispensed is a soap formulation that resists bacterial growth. Such a formulation is beneficial when reusing a portion of the system that has come into contact with fluid. Exemplary formulations may be found in Applicant&#39;s co-pending applications, including U.S. Provisional Patent Application titled “Alcohol Containing Topical Cleansing Composition” Ser. No. 62/492,622, which was filed on May 1, 2017; U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/967,815 titled “Alcohol Containing Low-Water Cleansing Composition, filed on May 1, 2018; and U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/968,082 titled “Alcohol Containing Non-Antimicrobial Cleansing Composition filed on May 1, 2018, and which are all incorporated herein by reference herein in their entirety. In exemplary embodiments, the formulation contained in the bulk refill containers and dispensers is a soap containing alcohol. In some embodiments, the volume of alcohol is less than about 40%. In some embodiments, the volume of alcohol is less than about 35%. In some embodiments, the volume of alcohol is less than about 30%. In some embodiments, the volume of alcohol is less than about 25%. In some embodiments, the volume of alcohol is less than about 20%. The alcohol prevents, or helps prevent bacterial from growing. 
     While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination with exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein, all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. 
     Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.