Patent Publication Number: US-11027909-B2

Title: Automated flowable material dispensers and related methods for dispensing flowable material

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/998,424, filed on Aug. 15, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to product dispensers and more particularly to automated flowable material dispensers and related methods for dispensing flowable material from a dispenser. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various types of product dispensers are known in the art, including mechanical and automated dispensers configured to dispense a product from a supply of product supported by the dispenser. For example, flowable material dispensers may be configured to allow a user to obtain a particular type of flowable material, such as a cleansing liquid, gel, or foam; a sanitizer liquid, gel, or foam; an antimicrobial liquid, gel, or foam; a liquid, gel, or foam lotion; a liquid, gel, or foam soap; or a liquid, gel, or foam detergent, from a supply of flowable material supported by the dispenser. The supply of flowable material may be provided in a container for storing the flowable material prior to dispensing from the dispenser. The container may be refilled upon depletion of the supply of flowable material, or the container may be replaced with a new prefilled container upon depletion of the supply of flowable material in the original container. Flowable material dispensers generally may be configured to dispense flowable material in a downward direction onto a user&#39;s hand or onto a substrate, such as a sheet product, held by the user&#39;s hand. 
     Automated flowable material dispensers generally may be configured to automatically dispense flowable material for a user upon user actuation of the dispenser or upon the dispenser sensing the presence of a user. Automated flowable material dispensers may include an automated dispensing mechanism configured to move a portion of the flowable material from the container to a dispensing nozzle during each dispense cycle. According to various configurations, the automated dispensing mechanism may include a motor, a drivetrain, a pump, a tube, and/or other components configured to move the flowable material from the container to the dispensing nozzle. 
     Although existing automated flowable material dispensers may be suitable for dispensing certain flowable materials in some applications, such dispensers may present one or more problems in other applications. First, certain automated flowable material dispensers may be relatively large and challenging to place in a convenient location for use, such as adjacent a supply of sheet product to which the flowable material is to be applied. Second, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may be relatively complex and may include numerous components for moving the flowable material from the container to the dispensing nozzle, and such components, particularly pumps, may be prone to wear, degradation, or failure over time. Third, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may not be able to ensure that a relatively consistent amount of the flowable material is dispensed during each dispense cycle, which may negatively affect user experience as well as user perception of the dispenser. Fourth, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may not be able to dispense the entire supply of flowable material from the container, which may result in waste of the remaining flowable material when the container is replaced with a new prefilled container. Fifth, certain automated dispensing mechanisms may be configured such that a user must actuate the dispenser multiple times (i.e., carry out multiple dispense cycles) in order to obtain a desired amount of the flowable material, for example, to sufficiently moisten a substrate, such as a sheet product. Sixth, the dispensing nozzle of certain dispensers may not adequately control the dispensing pattern of the flowable material, which may be frustrating for a user who desires to have the flowable material evenly applied to a substrate, such as a sheet product. Seventh, in instances in which the flowable material is intended to be applied to a substrate, such as a sheet product, the dispenser, the flowable material, and/or the substrate may not be configured to ensure that the flowable material is absorbed by the substrate while maintaining a desired strength and durability of the substrate for use. Eighth, with certain dispensers, the process of replacing a depleted container with a new prefilled container may be cumbersome and time-consuming, and an improperly installed container may inhibit operation of the automated dispensing mechanism. Finally, certain automated flowable material dispensers may not provide a user with any indication regarding the operating status of the dispenser, which may result in user frustration. 
     There is thus a desire for improved automated flowable material dispensers and related methods for dispensing flowable material therewith. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, an automated flowable material dispenser for dispensing flowable material from a flowable material container is provided. According to one embodiment, the automated flowable material dispenser may include a dispenser housing, a solenoid valve assembly, and a biasing member. The dispenser housing may be configured to receive the flowable material container therein, and the dispenser housing may define a dispensing opening along a bottom end of the dispenser housing. The dispenser housing may be configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The solenoid valve assembly may be positioned within the dispenser housing above the dispensing opening and configured to control dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser. The biasing member may be configured to bias the flowable material container toward the solenoid valve assembly and to move the flowable material container from an unactuated configuration to an actuated configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the biasing member may be attached to the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to bias the flowable material container toward the solenoid valve assembly when the dispenser housing is in the closed configuration. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to move the flowable material container from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration when the dispenser housing is moved from the open configuration to the closed configuration. In some embodiments, the biasing member may include a compressible member. In some embodiments, the dispenser housing may include a top cover configured to pivot about a hinge to move the dispenser housing between the open configuration and the closed configuration, and the biasing member may be attached to the top cover. In some embodiments, the dispenser also may include a button releasably engaging the top cover, and the button may be configured to move from an extended position to a depressed position for allowing the top cover to pivot about the hinge. In some embodiments, the button may be positioned above the hinge. 
     In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing configured to receive a portion of the flowable material container therein, a seal positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to engage the portion of the flowable material container, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to bias the portion of the flowable material container against the seal. In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing, an inlet stem extending from the solenoid housing and configured to be received within a portion of the flowable material container, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to bias the portion of the flowable material container against the inlet stem. 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser also may include a dispensing nozzle attached to an outlet end of the solenoid valve assembly and positioned at least partially within the dispensing opening, and the dispensing nozzle may be configured to receive the flowable material from the solenoid valve assembly and direct the flowable material out of the dispenser. In some embodiments, the dispenser housing may be configured to receive the flowable material container in an inverted orientation such that an outlet end of the flowable material container faces toward the solenoid valve assembly. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In another aspect, an automated flowable material dispensing system for dispensing flowable material is provided. According to one embodiment, the dispensing system may include an automated flowable material dispenser and a flowable material container. The dispenser may include a dispenser housing, a solenoid valve assembly, and a biasing member. The dispenser housing may define a dispensing opening along a bottom end of the dispenser housing and be configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The solenoid valve assembly may be positioned within the dispenser housing above the dispensing opening. The flowable material container may be removably positioned within the dispenser housing and contain the flowable material therein. The biasing member may be configured to bias the flowable material container toward the solenoid valve assembly and to move the flowable material container from an unactuated configuration to an actuated configuration. 
     In some embodiments, the biasing member may be attached to the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to bias the flowable material container toward the solenoid valve assembly when the dispenser housing is in the closed configuration. In some embodiments, the biasing member may be configured to move the flowable material container from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration when the dispenser housing is moved from the open configuration to the closed configuration. In some embodiments, the biasing member may include a compressible member. In some embodiments, the dispenser housing may include a top cover configured to pivot about a hinge to move the dispenser housing between the open configuration and the closed configuration, and the biasing member may be attached to the top cover. In some embodiments, the dispenser also may include a button releasably engaging the top cover, and the button may be configured to move from an extended position to a depressed position for allowing the top cover to pivot about the hinge. In some embodiments, the button may be positioned above the hinge. 
     In some embodiments, the flowable material container may be positioned within the dispenser housing in an inverted orientation such that an outlet end of the flowable material container faces toward the solenoid valve assembly. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may be a pressurized container. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In still another aspect, a method of dispensing flowable material from a flowable material container using an automated flowable material dispenser is provided. According to one embodiment, the method may include receiving the flowable material container within a dispenser housing of the dispenser. The flowable material container may contain the flowable material therein, and the dispenser housing may define a dispensing opening along a bottom end of the dispenser housing. The method also may include moving the dispenser housing from an open configuration to a closed configuration. The method further may include biasing, via a biasing member of the dispenser, the flowable material container toward a solenoid valve assembly positioned within the dispenser housing above the dispensing opening. The method further may include moving, via the biasing member, the flowable material container from an unactuated configuration to an actuated configuration. The method further may include controlling dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser via the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the biasing member may be attached to the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, moving the dispenser housing from the open configuration to the closed configuration may cause the biasing member to bias the flowable material container toward the solenoid valve assembly and to move the flowable material container from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration. In some embodiments, the biasing member may include a compressible member. In some embodiments, moving the dispenser housing from the open configuration to the closed configuration may include pivoting a top cover of the dispenser housing, and the biasing member may be attached to the top cover. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may be positioned within the dispenser housing in an inverted orientation such that an outlet end of the flowable material container faces toward the solenoid valve assembly. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may be a pressurized container. In some embodiments, the flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In another aspect, an automated flowable material dispenser for dispensing flowable material from a pressurized flowable material container is provided. According to one embodiment, the dispenser may include a dispenser housing, a solenoid valve assembly, and an electronic controller. The dispenser housing may be configured to receive the pressurized flowable material container therein. The solenoid valve assembly may be positioned within the dispenser housing and configured to control dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser, and the solenoid valve assembly may be configured to move between a deactivated configuration and an activated configuration during a dispense cycle. The electronic controller may be positioned within the dispenser housing and in operable communication with the solenoid valve assembly. The electronic controller may be operable to vary an on time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the activated configuration such that a volume of the flowable material dispensed from the dispenser during each dispense cycle is substantially constant throughout a life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser also may include a capacitive sensor positioned within the dispenser housing and configured to detect a presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor may be configured to send a signal indicating the presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing to the electronic controller. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to start a counter of a number of dispense cycles carried out using the pressurized flowable material container upon receiving the signal. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to access a lookup table to determine the on time for each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to vary an off time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the deactivated configuration. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to vary the off time such that a sum of the on time and the off time for each dispense cycle is constant throughout the life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing configured to receive a portion of the pressurized flowable material container therein, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position, and the electronic controller may be further operable to cause the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, an inlet stem extending from the solenoid housing and configured to be received within a portion of the flowable material container, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position, and the electronic controller may be further operable to cause the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the pressurized flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In still another aspect, an automated flowable material dispensing system for dispensing flowable material is provided. According to one embodiment, the dispensing system may include an automated flowable material dispenser and a pressurized flowable material container. The dispenser may include a dispenser housing, a solenoid valve assembly, and an electronic controller. The solenoid valve assembly may be positioned within the dispenser housing and configured to control dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser, and the solenoid valve assembly may be configured to move between a deactivated configuration and an activated configuration during a dispense cycle. The electronic controller may be positioned within the dispenser housing and in operable communication with the solenoid valve assembly. The pressurized flowable material container may be removably positioned within the dispenser housing and contain the flowable material therein. The electronic controller may be operable to vary an on time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the activated configuration such that a volume of the flowable material dispensed from the dispenser during each dispense cycle is substantially constant throughout a life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser also may include a capacitive sensor positioned within the dispenser housing. In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor may be configured to detect a presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing and to send a signal indicating the presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing to the electronic controller. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to start a counter of a number of dispense cycles carried out using the pressurized flowable material container upon receiving the signal. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to vary an off time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the deactivated configuration such that a sum of the on time and the off time for each dispense cycle is constant throughout the life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing configured to receive a portion of the pressurized flowable material container therein, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to cause the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, an inlet stem extending from the solenoid housing and configured to be received within a portion of the flowable material container, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further operable to cause the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the pressurized flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In another aspect, a method of dispensing flowable material from a pressurized flowable material container using an automated flowable material dispenser is provided. According to one embodiment, the method may include receiving the pressurized flowable material container within a dispenser housing of the dispenser. The flowable material container may contain the flowable material therein. The method also may include controlling dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser via a solenoid valve assembly positioned within the dispenser housing. The solenoid valve assembly may be configured to move between a deactivated configuration and an activated configuration during a dispense cycle. The method further may include varying, via an electronic controller positioned within the dispenser housing and in operable communication with the solenoid valve assembly, an on time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the activated configuration such that a volume of the flowable material dispensed from the dispenser during each dispense cycle is substantially constant throughout a life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the method further may include detecting, via a capacitive sensor positioned within the dispenser housing, a presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing, sending, via the capacitive sensor, a signal indicating the presence of the pressurized flowable material container within the dispenser housing to the electronic controller, and starting, via the electronic controller, a counter of a number of dispense cycles carried out using the pressurized flowable material container upon receiving the signal. In some embodiments, the method further may include varying, via the electronic controller, an off time during which the solenoid valve assembly is in the deactivated configuration such that a sum of the on time and the off time for each dispense cycle is constant throughout the life of the pressurized flowable material container. 
     In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing configured to receive a portion of the pressurized flowable material container therein, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the method further may include causing, via the electronic controller, the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly may include a solenoid housing, a winding positioned around the solenoid housing, an inlet stem extending from the solenoid housing and configured to be received within a portion of the flowable material container, and a piston positioned within the solenoid housing and configured to translate between a deactivated position and an activated position. In some embodiments, the method further may include causing, via the electronic controller, the winding to be energized by electric current during the on time of each dispense cycle. In some embodiments, the pressurized flowable material container may include a container body, a container reservoir positioned within the container body and containing the flowable material therein, a pressurized gas contained within the container body outside of the container reservoir, and a container valve assembly in fluid communication with the container reservoir and configured to engage the solenoid valve assembly. 
     In still another aspect, a dispensing system is provided. According to one embodiment, the dispensing system may include a roll of sheet product, a sheet product holder, a pressurized flowable material container, and an automated flowable material dispenser. The sheet product holder may include a spindle configured to support the roll of sheet product thereon. The pressurized flowable material container may include a flowable material contained therein. The automated flowable material dispenser may include a dispenser housing and a solenoid valve assembly. The dispenser housing may be configured to receive the pressurized flowable material container therein, and the dispenser housing may define a dispensing opening along a bottom end of the dispenser housing. The solenoid valve assembly may be positioned within the dispenser housing above the dispensing opening and configured to control dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser. 
     In some embodiments, the flowable material may be a liquid cleanser, and the sheet product may be a bath tissue configured to absorb and retain the flowable material. In some embodiments, the sheet product may have an absorbency between 350 gm/m 2  and 550 gm/m 2 . In some embodiments, the sheet product may have an absorbency between 400 gm/m 2  and 500 gm/m 2 . 
     These and other aspects and improvements of the present disclosure will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating examples of the disclosure, in which use of the same reference numerals indicates similar or identical items. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include elements, components, and/or configurations other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some of the elements, components, and/or configurations illustrated in the drawings may not be present in certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of an automated flowable material dispenser in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, showing a housing of the dispenser. 
         FIG. 1B  is a back perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1C  is a front view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1D  is a side view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1E  is a cross-sectional side view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A , taken along line  1 E- 1 E of  FIG. 1C . 
         FIG. 1F  is a top view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1G  is a bottom view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1H  is an exploded front perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1I  is an exploded back perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1J  is a front perspective view of a first housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1K  is a back perspective view of the first housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1L  is a front perspective view of a second housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1M  is a back perspective view of the second housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1N  is a top perspective view of a third housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1O  is a bottom perspective view of the third housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1P  is a top perspective view of a fourth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1Q  is a bottom perspective view of the fourth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1R  is a front perspective view of a fifth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1S  is a back perspective view of the fifth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1T  is a front perspective view of a sixth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1U  is a back perspective view of the sixth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1V  is a front perspective view of a portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A , showing the second housing portion, a biasing member, a solenoid valve assembly, a dispensing nozzle, an electronics module, and a sensor module of the dispenser. 
         FIG. 1W  is a front perspective view of the electronics module and the sensor module of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1X  is a front perspective view of the solenoid valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1Y  is a cross-sectional side view of the solenoid valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A , taken along line  1 Y- 1 Y of  FIG. 1X , showing the solenoid valve assembly in a deactivated configuration. 
         FIG. 1Z  is a cross-sectional side view of the solenoid valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the dispenser of  FIG. 1A , taken along line  1 Y- 1 Y of  FIG. 1X , showing the solenoid valve assembly in an activated configuration. 
         FIG. 2A  is a front view of a flowable material container in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, showing a container body, a container cap, and a valve assembly of the container. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional side view of the flowable material container of  FIG. 2A , taken along line  2 B- 2 B of  FIG. 2A , showing the container body, the container cap, the valve assembly, and a container reservoir of the container. 
         FIG. 3A  is a front perspective view of an automated flowable material dispenser system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the system including the automated flowable material dispenser of  FIG. 1A  and the flowable material container of  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the system of  FIG. 3A , showing the housing of the dispenser in an open configuration and the flowable material container in an unactuated configuration within the housing. 
         FIG. 3C  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the system of  FIG. 3A , showing the housing of the dispenser in a closed configuration and the flowable material container in an actuated configuration within the housing. 
         FIG. 3D  is a front view of the system of  FIG. 3A  mounted to a wall adjacent a sheet product holder with a roll of sheet product loaded thereon. 
         FIG. 4A  is a front perspective view of an automated flowable material dispenser in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, showing a housing of the dispenser. 
         FIG. 4B  is a back perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  is a front perspective view of a sixth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4D  is a back perspective view of the sixth housing portion of the dispenser of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4E  is a front perspective view of the dispenser of  FIG. 4A  mounted to a stand adjacent a sheet product holder with a roll of sheet product loaded thereon. 
         FIG. 5A  is a front perspective view of a solenoid valve assembly as may be used with the automated flowable material dispenser of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional side view of the solenoid valve assembly of  FIG. 5A , taken along line  5 B- 5 B of  FIG. 5A , showing the solenoid valve assembly in a deactivated configuration and the dispensing nozzle mounted thereto. 
         FIG. 5C  is a cross-sectional side view of the solenoid valve assembly of  FIG. 5A , taken along line  5 B- 5 B of  FIG. 5A , showing the solenoid valve assembly in an activated configuration and the dispensing nozzle mounted thereto. 
         FIG. 5D  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an automated flowable material dispenser system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the system including the automated flowable material dispenser of  FIG. 1A  having the solenoid valve assembly of  FIG. 5A  and the flowable material container of  FIG. 2A  having a female valve configuration, showing the housing of the dispenser in an open configuration and the flowable material container in an unactuated configuration within the housing. 
         FIG. 5E  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the system of  FIG. 5D , showing the housing of the dispenser in a closed configuration and the flowable material container in an actuated configuration within the housing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The automated flowable material dispensers and related methods provided herein advantageously utilize an automated dispensing mechanism having a robust and relatively simple configuration that includes a limited number of components for dispensing flowable material from a replaceable flowable material container. As described in detail below, the flowable material container may be a pressurized container that includes a body for containing a pressurized gas therein, a cap for closing the body, a reservoir for containing the flowable material therein, and a valve assembly for controlling release of the flowable material from the container. The automated flowable material dispensers may include a housing for receiving the flowable material container therein, a biasing member for moving the container between an unactuated configuration and an actuated configuration, and a solenoid valve assembly for controlling dispensing of the flowable material from the container and out of the dispenser. As described below, the flowable material container may be received within the housing in an inverted orientation, and the biasing member may move the container from its unactuated configuration to its actuated configuration when the housing is moved from an open configuration to a closed configuration. When the flowable material container is in its actuated configuration, the flowable material may flow freely from the container into the solenoid valve assembly, and the solenoid valve assembly may control dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser. During a dispense cycle, the solenoid valve assembly may move from a deactivated configuration to an activated configuration, allowing a portion of the flowable material to flow through a dispensing nozzle and out of the dispenser. As described below, the automated flowable material dispensers may be configured to allow a user to dispense the flowable material onto a substrate, such as a sheet product, for personal cleansing or other purposes. 
     The automated flowable material dispensers and related methods described herein may address one or more of the above-described problems associated with existing technology for dispensing flowable material. For example, the automated flowable material dispensers may have a compact configuration that allows the dispensers to be placed in a convenient location for use, such as adjacent a supply of sheet product to which the flowable material is to be applied. The automated flowable material dispensers and the flowable material container used therewith advantageously may ensure that a substantially consistent amount of the flowable material is dispensed during each dispense cycle and may be able to dispense the entire, or substantially the entire, supply of flowable material from the container. The automated flowable material dispensers and the flowable material container also may control the dispensing pattern of the flowable material such that a desired amount of the flowable material may be evenly applied to a substrate, such as a sheet product. As described below, the automated flowable material dispensers may be associated with a sheet product dispenser, such that a user may dispense a portion of sheet product and then dispense an amount of the flowable material onto the sheet product for subsequent use. In such instances, the dispensers and the flowable material may be configured for use with the particular sheet product, such that the flowable material may be absorbed by the sheet product while maintaining a desired strength and durability of the wetted sheet product for use. Additionally, the automated flowable material dispensers and the flowable material container may allow a depleted container to be quickly and easily replaced with a new prefilled container and may ensure that the container is properly installed to allow desired operation of the automated dispensing mechanism. Furthermore, the automated flowable material dispensers may provide a visual indication to inform a user of the operating status of the dispenser. 
     The present disclosure includes non-limiting embodiments of automated flowable material dispensers, flowable material containers, and related methods for dispensing flowable material. The embodiments are described in detail herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the automated flowable material dispensers, flowable material containers, and related methods, although it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Reference is made herein to the accompanying drawings illustrating some embodiments of the disclosure, in which use of the same reference numerals indicates similar or identical items. Throughout the disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably. 
     As used herein, the term “flowable material” refers to any material, such as a liquid, gel, or foam material, that is able to move or be moved along in a flow. Examples of flowable materials include, but are not limited to, soap, sanitizer, cleanser, air freshener, shampoo, body wash, lotion, or other skincare or personal hygiene products, condiments or other foodservice products, or cleaning products, whether in the form of a liquid, gel, foam, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the flowable material may be stored in one form, such as a liquid, and dispensed in the same form. In some embodiments, the flowable material may be stored in one form, such as a liquid, and dispensed in another form, such as a foam. 
     As used herein, the term “sheet product” refers to a product that is relatively thin in comparison to its length and width and exhibits a relatively flat, planar configuration, yet is flexible or bendable to permit folding, rolling, stacking, or the like. Example sheet products include towel, bath tissue, facial tissue, napkin, wipe, or other sheet-like products. Sheet products may be made from paper, cloth, non-woven, metallic, polymer or other materials, and in some cases may include multiple layers or plies. In some embodiments, the sheet product may be a continuous sheet that is severable or separable into individual sheets using, for example, a tear bar or cutting blade, while in other cases the sheet product may include predefined areas of weakness, such as lines of perforations, that extend along the width of the sheet product to define individual sheets and facilitate separation or tearing. 
     As used herein, the term “substantially rigid,” as used with respect to a component or an assembly, means that the component or the assembly does not deform during its normal intended use as described herein. 
     As used herein in reference to a dispensed volume of flowable material, the term “substantially constant” means that the volume varies by no more than ten percent (10%) from a mean value. 
     The meanings of other terms used herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art or will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims. 
       FIGS. 1A-1Z  illustrate an automated flowable material dispenser  100  (which also may be referred to as a “flowable material dispenser,” an “automated dispenser,” or a “dispenser”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The automated flowable material dispenser  100  is configured to dispense flowable material from a supply of flowable material supported thereby. For example, the dispenser  100  may be configured to dispense flowable material from a flowable material container  200 , as described below with respect to  FIGS. 2A-3D . In certain applications, the dispenser  100  may be associated with a sheet product dispenser in a particular operating environment, such as a bathroom, a wash station, or other environment used for personal hygiene or cleaning purposes. The dispenser  100  may be mounted to, positioned adjacent to, or positioned near the sheet product dispenser, such that a user may dispense a portion of sheet product from the sheet product dispenser and then dispense an amount of flowable material from the dispenser  100  onto the sheet product for subsequent use. In this manner, the dispenser  100  may allow the user to moisten the sheet product with the flowable material for improved personal hygiene or cleaning use. As described below, the dispenser  100  may include an automated dispensing mechanism having a robust and relatively simple configuration that includes a limited number of components for dispensing the flowable material from the replaceable flowable material container  200 , may ensure that a substantially consistent amount of the flowable material is dispensed during each dispense cycle, may be able to dispense the entire, or substantially the entire, supply of flowable material from the container  200 , may control the dispensing pattern of the flowable material such that the flowable material may be evenly applied to the sheet product or other substrate, may allow the depleted container  200  to be quickly and easily replaced with a new prefilled container  200 , and/or may ensure that the container  200  is properly installed to allow desired operation of the automated dispensing mechanism. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate a flowable material container  200  (which also may be referred to as a “refill container,” a “refill,” a “pressurized container,” or a “container”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The flowable material container  200  is configured to contain a flowable material and to allow the flowable material to be dispensed therefrom. In particular, the container  200  may be used with the automated flowable material dispenser  100  to dispense the flowable material therefrom, as described below. The container  200  may be a pressurized container. For example, the container  200  may be a bag-on-valve container or an aerosol container. As shown, the container  200  may include a body  202  (which also may be referred to as a “container body” or a “can”), a cap  204  (which also may be referred to as an “container cap” or a “cover”), a reservoir  206  (which also may be referred to as a “container reservoir” or a “bag”), a valve assembly  208  (which also may be referred to as a “container valve assembly”), a pressurized gas  210 , and a flowable material  212 . The container  200  may have an elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis A C  extending between a first end  214  (which also may be referred to as an “outlet end”) and a second end  216  (which also may be referred to as a “base end”) of the container  200 . 
     As shown, the body  202  may be formed as an elongated, hollow member having a substantially cylindrical shape, with an open end  218  and a closed end  220 . In this manner, the body  202  may define an interior space for containing other components of the container  200 . In certain embodiments, the body  202  may be rigid or substantially rigid. In certain embodiments, the body  202  may be formed of a metal. As shown, the pressurized gas  210  may be contained within the body  202  outside of the reservoir  206 . In other words, the pressurized gas  210  may surround the reservoir  206 . As described below, the pressurized gas  210  may facilitate release of the flowable material  212  from the container  200 . In certain embodiments, the pressurized gas  210  may be air, although other types of gases may be used. 
     The cap  204  may be positioned over the open end  218  of the body  202  to substantially enclose the interior space of the body  202  and other components positioned therein. As shown, the cap  204  may be formed as a contoured, substantially disc-shaped member. The cap  204  may be attached, either fixedly or removably, to the body  202 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the cap  204  may be fixedly crimped onto the open end  218  of the body  202 . In certain embodiments, the cap  204  may be rigid or substantially rigid. In certain embodiments, the cap  204  may be formed of a metal. 
     The reservoir  206  may be positioned within the body  202 , and the flowable material  212  may be contained within the reservoir  206 . As shown, the reservoir  206  may be formed as an elongated, hollow member having an open end  222  and a closed end  224 . In this manner, the reservoir  206  may define an interior space for containing the flowable material  212  therein. In certain embodiments, the reservoir  206  may be flexible. In this manner, the shape of the reservoir  206  may change depending on a volume of the flowable material  212  contained therein. For example, the reservoir  206  may be formed as a flexible bag. In certain embodiments, the reservoir  206  may be formed of a plastic. In certain embodiments, the reservoir  206  may be impermeable to the pressurized gas  210  and the flowable material  212 . In this manner, the reservoir  206  may provide a barrier between the pressurized gas  210  and the flowable material  212 . In certain embodiments, the flowable material  212  may be a liquid, such as a cleansing liquid, although other types of flowable materials may be used. In certain embodiments, a volume of the flowable material  212  contained within the reservoir  206  (prior to use of the container  200 ) may be approximately 3.0 ounces, although other volumes of the flowable material  212  may be used. 
     In certain embodiments, as shown, the valve assembly  208  may be positioned at least partially within the body  202  and at least partially outside of the body  202 . As shown, the valve assembly  208  may be formed as an elongated structure having an inlet end  226  and an outlet end  228 , with the inlet end  226  being positioned within the body  202  and the outlet end  228  being positioned outside of the body  202 . In other embodiments, the valve assembly  208  may be positioned entirely within the body  202 , with the inlet end  226  and the outlet end  228  both being positioned within the body  202 . The valve assembly  208  may be in fluid communication with the reservoir  206  and configured to receive the flowable material  212  therefrom. For example, the valve assembly  208  may be attached to the open end  222  of the reservoir  206 , with the inlet end  226  of the valve assembly  208  being positioned within the reservoir  206 . The valve assembly  208  may be configured to control release of the flowable material  212  from the container  200 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the valve assembly  208  may have a male configuration. As shown, the valve assembly  208  may include a valve body  230  (which also may be referred to as a “valve housing”), a female valve stem  232  (which also may be referred to as a “first valve stem”), a male valve stem  234  (which also may be referred to as a “second valve stem”), and a biasing member  236  (which also may be referred to as a “spring”). The female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  may be configured to translate relative to the valve body  230  between an extended position, as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , and a retracted position in which the female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  are depressed relative to the cap  204  and positioned closer to the reservoir  206 . Movement of the female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  from the extended position to the retracted position may result in actuation of the valve assembly  208  (i.e., release of the flowable material  212  from the reservoir  206  and through the valve assembly  208 ). In this manner, the container  200  may be moved from an unactuated configuration (which also may be referred to as a “closed configuration”) to an actuated configuration (which also may be referred to as an “open configuration”) by moving the female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  relative to the valve body  230 . In certain embodiments, the biasing member  234 , which may be formed as a spring, may be configured to engage the female valve stem  232  and to bias the female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  toward the extended position. In this manner, the container  200  may assume the unactuated configuration absent external forces moving the female valve stem  232  and the male valve stem  234  toward the retracted position. When the container  200  is moved from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration, the pressurized gas  210  may apply pressure to the reservoir  206 , which may drive the flowable material  212  out of the reservoir  206  and through the valve assembly  208 . In certain embodiments, the valve assembly  208  may have a female configuration in which the male valve stem  234  is omitted. In such embodiments, the valve assembly  208  may be actuated by movement of the female valve stem  232  from the extended position to the retracted position. 
     Other features and attributes of the flowable material container  200  and its components will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the container provided herein. Further, it will be appreciated that the flowable material container  200  described above and depicted in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  is merely one example of a container suitable for use with the automated flowable material dispenser  100 , and that other types of pressurized containers may be used with the dispenser  100 . For example, although the illustrated flowable material container  200  is formed as a bag-on-valve container, the flowable material container  200  alternatively may be formed as an aerosol container. 
     Returning to  FIGS. 1A-1Z , the automated flowable material dispenser  100  may have an elongated shape, with a front side  101 , a back side  102 , a top end  103 , and a bottom end  104 . The dispenser  100  may include a housing  110  configured to contain the flowable material container  200  and various components of the dispenser  100  therein. As shown, the housing  100  may include a first housing portion  111  (“which also may be referred to as a “front interior housing portion”), a second housing portion  112  (“which also may be referred to as a “back interior housing portion”), a third housing portion  113  (“which also may be referred to as a “top exterior housing portion” or a “top cover”), a fourth housing portion  114  (“which also may be referred to as a “bottom exterior housing portion” or a “bottom cover”), a fifth housing portion  115  (“which also may be referred to as a “front exterior housing portion” or a “front cover”), and a sixth housing portion  116  (“which also may be referred to as a “back exterior housing portion” or a “back cover”). The housing portions  111 ,  112 ,  113 ,  114 ,  115 ,  116  may be rigid or substantially rigid and may be formed of a plastic material, although other suitable materials may be used. As shown, the housing portions  111 ,  112 ,  113 ,  114 ,  115 ,  116  may be separately formed and attached to one another, as described below. 
     The first housing portion  111 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1J and 1K , may be formed as an elongated member including various features for supporting the flowable material container  200  and engaging other portions of the housing  110 . The first housing portion  111  may include a front wall  121 , a back wall  122 , a bottom wall  123 , and a pair of side walls  124 . As shown, the first housing portion  111  may include a container receptacle  125  defined along the interior side thereof and configured to receive a portion of the flowable material container  200  therein. In certain embodiments, as shown, a plurality of support ribs  126  may extend along the container receptacle  125  and be configured to support the flowable material container  200 , such as the body  202  thereof, in a vertical orientation. The support ribs  126  may have a curved shape for accommodating the curvature of the container  200 . The first housing portion  111  also may include a solenoid receptacle  127  defined along the interior side thereof and configured to receive a portion of a solenoid valve assembly of the dispenser  100  and a nozzle receptacle  128  defined along the interior side thereof and configured to receive a portion of a dispensing nozzle of the dispenser  100 , as described further below. 
     As shown, the first housing portion  111  may be attached to the second housing portion  112 , the third housing portion  113 , the fourth housing portion  114 , and the fifth housing portion  115 . The first housing portion  111  may include a plurality of first tabs  129  extending from the side walls  124  and configured to engage mating protrusions of the second housing portion  112 . As shown, each of the first tabs  129  may include a recess  130  defined therein and configured to receive a portion of the mating protrusion. The first housing portion  111  may include an aperture  131  extending through the front wall  121  at or near the top end thereof and configured to receive a mating arm of the third housing portion  113 , as described below. The first housing portion  111  also may include a plurality of protrusions  132  extending from the interior sides of the side walls  124  near the bottom ends thereof and configured to engage mating tabs of the fourth housing portion  114 . As shown, the protrusions  132  may have a ramped shape to facilitate a snap-fit connection. The first housing portion  111  may further include one or more second tabs  133  positioned along the front wall  121  and configured to engage a mating protrusion of the fifth housing portion  115 , and a plurality of slots  134  defined in the side walls  124  and configured to engage mating tabs of the fifth housing portion  115 . The second tab  133  may be a spring tab, as shown, to facilitate a snap-fit connection. In this manner, the first housing portion  111  may be removably attached to the second housing portion  112 , the third housing portion  113 , the fourth housing portion  114 , and the fifth housing portion  115 , as shown. Other features and attributes of the first housing portion  111  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the first housing portion  111  provided herein. 
     The second housing portion  112 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1L and 1M , may be formed as an elongated member including various features for supporting the flowable material container  200  as well as the solenoid valve assembly and electronic components of the dispenser  100  and engaging other portions of the housing  110 . The second housing portion  112  may include a back wall  135  and a pair of side walls  136 . As shown, the second housing portion  112  may include a container receptacle  137  defined along the interior side thereof and configured to receive a portion of the flowable material container  200  therein. In certain embodiments, as shown, a plurality of support ribs  138  may extend along the container receptacle  137  and be configured to support the flowable material container  200 , such as the body  202  thereof, in a vertical orientation. The support ribs  138  may have a curved shape for accommodating the curvature of the container  200 . The second housing portion  112  also may include an electronics receptacle  139  defined along the interior side thereof and configured to receive an electronics module of the dispenser  100 , as described further below. The second housing portion  112  further may include a battery receptacle  140  defined along the exterior side of the back wall  135  and configured to receive a plurality of batteries therein for powering the dispenser  100 . In certain embodiments, the battery receptacle  140  may be configured to receive four (4) AA cell Alkaline batteries therein for powering the dispenser  100 . 
     As shown, the second housing portion  112  may be attached to the first housing portion  111 , the third housing portion  113 , the fourth housing portion  114 , and the sixth housing portion  116 . The second housing portion  112  may include a plurality of first protrusions  141  extending from the side walls  136  and configured to engage the first tabs  129  of the first housing portion  111  and be received within the respective recesses  130  of the first tabs  129 . As shown, the first protrusions  141  may have a ramped shape to facilitate a snap-fit connection. The second housing portion  112  may include one or more second protrusions  142  extending from the interior side of the back wall  135  near the top end thereof and configured to engage a mating tab of the third housing portion  113 . The second housing portion  112  also may include one or more third protrusions  143  extending from the interior side of the back wall  135  near the bottom end thereof and configured to engage a mating tab of the fourth housing portion  114 . The second housing portion  112  further may include a plurality of openings  144  defined in the back wall  135  and configured to engage mating tabs of the sixth housing portion  116 . As shown, one of the openings  144  may be positioned near the top end of the back wall  135  and one of the openings  144  may be positioned near the bottom end of the back wall  135 . In this manner, the second housing portion  112  may be removably attached to the first housing portion  111 , the third housing portion  113 , the fourth housing portion  114 , and the sixth housing portion  116 , as shown. Other features and attributes of the second housing portion  112  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the second housing portion  112  provided herein. 
     The third housing portion  113 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1N and 1O , may be formed as a generally circular member including various features for engaging other portions of the housing  110 . The third housing portion  113  may include a top wall  145 . As shown, the third housing portion  113  may be attached to the first housing portion  111  and the second housing portion  112 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the third housing portion  113  may be pivotably attached to the first housing portion  111 . For example, the third housing portion  113  may include a pivot arm  146  that extends from the interior side of the top wall  145  and is received within the aperture  131  of the first housing portion  111 . The pivot arm  146  may be coupled to the first housing portion  111  via a pin, thereby forming a hinge, such that the third housing portion  113  may be moved between a closed position and an open position. In this manner, the housing  110  may be moved between a closed configuration (i.e., when the third housing portion  113  is in the closed position) for use of the dispenser  100  and an open configuration (i.e., when the third housing portion  113  is in the open position) for loading the flowable material container  200  into the housing  110 . 
     The third housing portion  113  also may include a tab  147  extending from the interior side of the top wall  145  and configured to engage the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 . As shown, the tab  147  may be a deflectable spring tab to facilitate a snap-fit connection. In certain embodiments, as shown, the tab  147  may engage the second protrusion  142  when the third housing portion  113  is in the closed position. In this manner, the engagement between the tab  147  and the second protrusion  142  may maintain the third housing portion  113  in the closed position. In certain embodiments, as shown, the dispenser  100  may include a release button  148  configured to disengage the tab  147  from the second protrusion  142 . The release button  148  may be configured to move between an extended position, as shown in  FIG. 1E , and a depressed position in which the button  148  is moved further into the housing  100 . When the release button  148  is moved from the extended position to the depressed position, the button  148  may move the tab  147  out of engagement with the second protrusion  142 , thereby allowing the third housing portion  113  to move from the closed position to the open position. In certain embodiments, as shown, the release button  148  may be positioned above the hinge formed between the pivot arm  146  and the first housing portion  111 . The third housing portion  113  further may include a plurality of posts  149  extending from the interior side of the top wall  145  and configured for attaching a biasing member of the dispenser  100  to the third housing portion  113 , as described below. Other features and attributes of the third housing portion  113  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the third housing portion  113  provided herein. 
     The fourth housing portion  114 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1P and 1Q , may be formed as a generally circular member including various features for facilitating dispensing of the flowable material from the dispenser  100  and engaging other portions of the housing  110 . The fourth housing portion  114  may include a bottom wall  150 , a front wall  151 , and a back wall  152 . As shown, the fourth housing portion  114  may include a dispensing opening  153  extending through the bottom wall  150  and configured to allow the flowable material to be dispensed therethrough from the container  200 . A dispensing guide  154  may extend around the dispensing opening  153  and be configured to control the dispensing pattern of the flowable material passing therethrough. As shown, the dispensing guide  154  may have a frustoconical shape to facilitate a conical spray pattern of the flowable material. The fourth housing portion  114  also may include a sensor opening  155  extending through the bottom wall  150  and configured to allow a sensor module positioned within the housing  110  to detect the presence of a user&#39;s hand, or a substrate such as a sheet product held by a user&#39;s hand, positioned below the dispenser  100 . A sensor support  156  may extend around the sensor opening  155  and be configured to support the sensor module thereon. 
     As shown, the fourth housing portion  114  may be attached to the first housing portion  111  and the second housing portion  112 . The fourth housing portion  114  may include a plurality of first tabs  157  extending from interior surface of the bottom wall  150  and configured to engage the protrusions  132  of the first housing portion  111 . As shown, the first tabs  157  may be deflectable spring tabs to facilitate a snap-fit connection. The fourth housing portion  114  also may include one or more second tabs  158  extending from the interior surface of the bottom wall  150  and configured to engage the third protrusion  143  of the second housing portion  112 . As shown, the second tab  158  may be a deflectable spring tab to facilitate a snap-fit connection. In this manner, the fourth housing portion  114  may be removably attached to the first housing portion  111  and the second housing portion  112 , as shown. When attached, the front wall  151  and the back wall  152  may be positioned between the first housing portion  111  and the second housing portion  112 , and the bottom wall  150  may abut the bottom ends of the first housing portion  111  and the second housing portion  112 , as shown. Other features and attributes of the fourth housing portion  114  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the fourth housing portion  114  provided herein. 
     The fifth housing portion  115 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1R and 1S , may be formed as an elongated member including various features for engaging other portions of the housing  110 . The fifth housing portion  115  may include a front wall  159  and a pair of side walls  160 . As shown, the fifth housing portion  115  may be attached to the first housing portion  111 . The fifth housing portion  115  may include a plurality of tabs  161  extending from the interior surfaces of the side walls  160  and configured to engage and be received within the respective slots  134  of the first housing portion  111 . The fifth housing portion  115  also may include one or more protrusions  162  extending from the interior surface of the front wall  159  and configured to engage the second tab  133  of the first housing portion  111 . In this manner, the fifth housing portion  115  may be removably attached to the first housing portion  111 , as shown. Other features and attributes of the fifth housing portion  115  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the fifth housing portion  115  provided herein. 
     The sixth housing portion  116 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 1T and 1U , may be formed as an elongated member including various features for cooperating with the batteries, engaging other portions of the housing  110 , and mounting the dispenser  100  to a support structure. The sixth housing portion  116  may include a front wall  164 , a back wall  165 , a top wall  166 , a bottom wall  167 , and a pair of side walls  168 . As shown, the sixth housing portion  116  may include a plurality of support ribs  169  extending vertically along the interior surface of the back wall  165  and configured to engage and support the batteries positioned within the battery receptacle  140  of the second housing portion  112 . In this manner, the support ribs  169  may ensure that the batteries remain properly positioned within the dispenser  100 . The sixth housing portion  116  also may include a plurality of openings  170  extending through the back wall  165  and configured to facilitate attachment of the sixth housing portion  116  to a support structure, such as a vertical wall of a building. The openings  170  each may be configured to allow a fastener, such as a screw, to extend therethrough and engage the support structure for securely mounting the dispenser  100  thereto. 
     As shown, the sixth housing portion  116  may be attached to the second housing portion  112 . The sixth housing portion  116  may include a first tab  171  extending from the top end of the front wall  164 , and a second tab  172  extending from the interior surface of the front wall  164  near the bottom end thereof. The first tab  171  may be configured to engage and be received within the top opening  144  of the second housing portion  112 , and the second tab  172  may be configured to engage and be received within the bottom opening  144  of the second housing portion  112 . As shown, the second tab  172  may be a deflectable spring tab to facilitate a snap-fit connection. In this manner, the sixth housing portion  116  may be removably attached to the second housing portion  112 , as shown. Other features and attributes of the sixth housing portion  116  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the sixth housing portion  116  provided herein. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1E, 1H, 1I, 1V, and 1X-1Z , the dispenser  100  may include a solenoid valve assembly  174  configured to engage the flowable material container  200  and facilitate dispensing of the flowable material  212  therefrom. As described below, the solenoid valve assembly  174  may be configured to move between a deactivated configuration and an activated configuration in order to dispense the flowable material  212  from the dispenser  100  during a dispense cycle. As shown, the solenoid valve assembly  174  may have an elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis A S  extending between a first end  174   a  (which also may be referred to as an “inlet end”) and a second end  174   b  (which also may be referred to as an “outlet end”). The solenoid valve assembly  174  may include a solenoid housing  175 , an inlet seal  176 , a piston  177 , a piston seal  178 , a biasing member  179 , a winding  180 , and an outlet stem  181 . 
     As shown, the solenoid housing  175  may include a first portion  175   a  and a second portion  175   b  attached to one another and configured to contain other components of the solenoid valve assembly  174  therein. The first portion  175   a  may be positioned about the first end  174   a  of the solenoid valve assembly  174  and configured to receive a portion of the flowable material container  200  therein. In particular, the first portion  175   a  may be configured to receive an end portion of the male valve stem  234  therein. The inlet seal  176  may be positioned within the solenoid housing  175  and retained between the first portion  175   a  and the second portion  175   b . In certain embodiments, the inlet seal  176  may be a ring-shaped gasket formed of an elastomeric material. The inlet seal  176  may be configured to engage the end of the male valve stem  234  and form a face seal therewith. When the flowable material container  200  is in the actuated configuration, the flowable material  212  may flow from the male valve stem  234 , through the inlet seal  176 , and into an inlet passage  175   c  of the solenoid housing  175 . 
     The piston  177  may be formed as a cylindrical member positioned within a bore  175   d  of the solenoid housing  175 . As shown, the piston  177  may be configured to translate within the bore  175   d  between a deactivated position (which also may be referred to as a “closed position”), as shown in  FIG. 1Y , and an activated position (which also may be referred to as an “open position”), as shown in  FIG. 1Z . The piston seal  178  may be a disc-shaped member formed of an elastomeric material. As shown, the piston seal  178  may be attached to the piston  177  and configured to close fluid communication between the inlet passage  175   c  and the bore  175   d  when the piston  177  is in the deactivated position. In particular, when the piston  177  is in the deactivated position, the piston seal  178  may engage a portion of the solenoid housing  175  surrounding the inlet passage  175   c  and form a face seal therewith. When the piston  177  is in the activated position, the piston seal  178  may be spaced apart from the inlet passage  175   c , such that the flowable material  212  may flow from the inlet passage  175   c , into the bore  175   d , and around the piston  177 . The biasing member  179  may be positioned within the bore  175   d  and retained between the piston  177  and the outlet stem  181 . As shown, the biasing member  179  may be configured to bias the piston  177  toward the deactivated position. In certain embodiments, the biasing member  179  may be formed as a helical compression spring. The winding  180  may be wrapped around the solenoid housing  175  and configured to be energized by electrical current provided by the batteries of the dispenser  100 . When electrical current is applied to the winding  180 , magnetic induction may cause the piston  177  to overcome the biasing force provided by the biasing member  179  and move from the deactivated position to the activated position. 
     The outlet stem  181  may be formed as an elongated tubular member having a first portion  181   a  positioned within the bore  175   d  of the solenoid housing  175  and a second portion  181   b  positioned outside of the solenoid housing  175 . As shown, the outlet stem  181  may include an outlet passage  181   c  extending therethrough. When the piston  177  is in the activated position, the flowable material  212  may flow from the bore  175   d  and through the outlet passage  181   c . In certain embodiments, when the piston  177  is in the activated position, the bottom end of the piston  177  may engage the top end of the outlet stem  181 , as shown in  FIG. 1Z . In such embodiments, the outlet stem  181  may include a channel  181   d  extending along the top end of the outlet stem  181  and in fluid communication with the outlet passage  181   c . In this manner, if the piston  177  is maintained in the activated position for an extended period of time, the flowable material  212  still may flow continuously from the bore  175   c  and through the outlet passage  181   c . In other embodiments, the biasing member  179  may be configured such that the bottom end of the piston  177  may be spaced apart from the top end of the outlet stem  181  when the piston  177  is in the activated position. In this manner, if the piston  177  is maintained in the activated position for an extended period of time, the flowable material  212  still may flow continuously from the bore  175   c  and through the outlet passage  181   c.    
     As shown in  FIGS. 1E, 1G-1I, 1V, and 1X-1Z , the dispenser  100  also may include a dispensing nozzle  182  configured to dispense the flowable material  212  in a desired spray pattern. The dispensing nozzle  182  may be attached to the second end  174   b  of the solenoid valve assembly  174 . As shown, the dispensing nozzle  182  may include a nozzle body  183  and a nozzle insert  184  attached to the nozzle body  183 . The nozzle body  183  may include an inlet passage  183   a  defined therein, and the second portion  181   b  of the outlet stem  181  may be positioned at least partially within the inlet passage  183   a . In this manner, the flowable material  212  may flow from the outlet passage  181   c  of the outlet stem  181  and into the inlet passage  183   a  of the nozzle body  183 . The nozzle body  183  also may include an outlet passage  183   b  in communication with the inlet passage  183   a , and the nozzle insert  184  may be positioned adjacent the outlet passage  183   b . In this manner, the flowable material  212  may flow through the outlet passage  183   b  to the nozzle insert  184 . The nozzle insert  184  may include a plurality of apertures defined therethrough and configured to emit the flowable material  212  in a desired spray pattern. In certain embodiments, each aperture of the nozzle insert  184  may have a diameter of approximately 0.3 mm, although other sizes of the apertures may be used. In certain embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  may be configured to produce a circular spray pattern of the flowable material  212  onto a substrate held by a user&#39;s hand underneath the dispensing opening  153  of the dispenser  100 . In certain embodiments, the circular spray pattern may have a diameter of between approximately 2.5 inches and approximately 3.5 inches, or approximately 3.0 inches, when the substrate is positioned 4 inches below the dispensing opening  153 . 
     Positioning of the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  within the housing  110  may be facilitated by the first housing portion  111  and a solenoid support  185 . As described above, the first housing portion  111  may include the solenoid receptacle  127  for receiving a portion of the solenoid valve assembly  174  therein and the nozzle receptacle  128  for receiving a portion of the dispensing nozzle  182  therein. In particular, a portion of the solenoid housing  175  may be securely received within the solenoid receptacle  127  between adjacent horizontal ribs thereof, and a portion of the nozzle body  183  may be securely received within the nozzle receptacle  128  between adjacent horizontal ribs thereof. In this manner, the solenoid receptacle  127  and the nozzle receptacle  128  may inhibit vertical movement of the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  relative to the housing  110 . As shown in  FIG. 1V , the solenoid support  185  may be positioned behind the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  opposite the first housing portion  111 . The solenoid support  185  may include a mating receptacle  186  for receiving respective portions of the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  therein. As shown, the solenoid support  185  may be fixedly attached to the first housing portion  111 , for example, by one or more fasteners. In this manner, the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  may be captured between the first housing portion  111  and the solenoid support  185  to inhibit horizontal movement of the solenoid valve assembly  174  and the dispensing nozzle  182  relative to the housing  110 , as shown in  FIG. 1E . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1E, 1H, 1I, and 1V , the dispenser  100  may include a biasing member  187  (which also may be referred to as a “container biasing member,” a “container actuator member,” or an “actuator member”) that is configured to engage the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is positioned within the housing  110 . The biasing member  187  may be attached to the housing  110 . In some embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be indirectly attached to the housing  110  by an intermediate component. For example, the biasing member  187  may be attached to the third housing portion  113  by a biasing member support  188 , as shown. The biasing member  187  may be fixedly attached to the support  188 , for example, by welding or by one or more fasteners, and may extend downwardly therefrom. The biasing member support  188  may include a plurality of apertures  188   a  configured to receive the respective posts  149  of the third housing portion  113 , and the free ends of the posts  149  may be deformed, as shown in  FIG. 1O , such that the support  188  is fixedly attached to the third housing portion  113  by the posts  149 . In this manner, the biasing member  187  may move along with third housing portion  113  when the housing  110  is moved between the closed configuration and the open configuration. In other embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be directly attached to the housing  110 , such as the third housing portion  113 , for example, by welding or by one or more fasteners. In some embodiments, for example, the biasing member  187  may be attached to a portion of the housing  110  other than the third housing portion  113 . 
     In certain embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be a compressible member that is configured to be compressed and store energy when an external force is applied to the compressible member. For example, the biasing member  187  may be a helical compression spring, such as a conical compression spring, as shown. As another example, the biasing member  187  may be an elastomeric member or a foam member that is configured to be compressed or resiliently deformed from a natural state to a compressed or deformed state. In other embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be a spring arm that is configured to be deflected and store energy when an external force is applied to the spring arm to move the spring arm from a natural state to a deflected state. In still other embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be a lever that is configured to be moved from a first position to a second position when an external force is applied to the lever. Various other configurations of the biasing member  187  or other types of members for biasing the flowable material container  200  toward the solenoid valve assembly  174  and moving the flowable material container  200  from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration may be used. 
     As explained further below with respect to  FIGS. 3B and 3C , the biasing member  187  may be configured to engage the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is positioned within the housing  110 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the biasing member  187  may be configured to engage the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is positioned within the housing  110  and the housing  110  is in the closed configuration. In particular, the biasing member  187  may be configured to bias the flowable material container  200  toward the solenoid valve assembly  174  when the housing  110  is in the closed configuration. In this manner, the biasing force provided by the biasing member  187  may cause the flowable material container  200  to move from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration when the housing  110  is moved from the open configuration to the closed configuration. In other embodiments, the biasing member  187  may be configured to engage the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is positioned within the housing  110 , regardless of whether the housing  110  is in the open configuration or the closed configuration. For example, the biasing member  187  may be configured to bias the flowable material container  200  toward the solenoid valve assembly  174  when container  200  is positioned within the housing  110  and the biasing member  187  engages the container. In this manner, the biasing force provided by the biasing member  187  may cause the flowable material container  200  to move from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration when container  200  is positioned within the housing  110  and the biasing member  187  engages the container. In some embodiments, as shown, the biasing member  187  also may be configured to facilitate movement of the housing  110  from the closed configuration to the open configuration when the flowable material container  200  is positioned within the housing  110 . In particular, when the release button  148  is moved to the depressed position such that the tab  147  of the third housing portion  113  disengages the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 , energy stored by the biasing member  187  (i.e., energy stored due to compression, deflection, or movement of the biasing member  187 ) may cause the third housing portion  113  to automatically move from its closed position to its open position. The resulting disengagement of the biasing member  187  from the flowable material container  200  also may cause the container  200  to move from its actuated configuration to its unactuated configuration. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1H, 1I, 1V, and 1W , the dispenser  100  also may include an electronics module  190  positioned within the housing  110 . In certain embodiments, the electronics module  190  may be attached to the second housing portion  112 , for example, by one or more fasteners. As shown in detail in  FIG. 1W , the electronics module  190  may include a printed circuit board (PCB)  190   a  having a number of electronic components mounted thereon and in operable communication with one another via the PCB  190   a . For example, an electronic controller  190   b  may be mounted to the PCB  190   a  and operable to control operation of the dispenser  100  and the electronic components thereof. The PCB  190   a  may include at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions for carrying out the various functions and operations of the electronics module  190  described herein. The electronic controller  190   b  may include at least one processor that is configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to carry out the various functions and operations of the electronics module  190  described herein. A switch  190   c  (which also may be referred to as an “on-off switch”) also may be mounted to the PCB  190   a  and operable to control an operating state (i.e., between an “on state” and an “off state”) of the dispenser  100 . Power may be supplied from the batteries to components of the electronics module  190  when the switch  190   c  is in an on position, and power from the batteries to the components of the electronics module  190  may be discontinued when the switch  190   c  is moved from the on position to an off position. A power button  190   d  may be coupled to the switch  190   c  and configured to move the switch  190   c  between the on position and the off position. As shown in  FIG. 1V , the power button  190   d  may extend at least partially through a mating opening defined in the housing  110  and be accessible for actuation by a user. In certain embodiments, the power button  190   d  may provide a visual indication corresponding to the operating state of the dispenser  100 . For example, the power button  190   d  may include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a translucent cover positioned over the LED. The LED may emit a first color of light, such as blue light, when the dispenser  100  is in the on state, and the LED may emit a second color of light, such as red light, when the dispenser  100  is in the off state. In certain embodiments, upon a user depressing the power button  190   d , the LED may flash the first color of light a first number of times, such as three times, when the dispenser  100  is in the on state, and the LED may flash the second color of light a second number of times, such as two times, when the dispenser  100  is in the off state. In other embodiments, the LED may periodically flash the color of light corresponding to the respective state of the dispenser  100 , without any interaction between a user and the power button  190   d.    
     As shown in  FIG. 1W , a plurality of battery contacts  190   e  also may be mounted to the PCB  190   a  and configured to supply power from the batteries to the components of the electronics module  190 . Respective portions of the battery contacts  190   e  may extend from the PCB  190   a  to the battery receptacle  140  of the second housing portion  112  for engaging the batteries therein. As shown, the electronics module  190  also may include a capacitive sensor  190   f  configured to detect the presence of the flowable material container  200  within the housing  110 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the capacitive sensor  190   f  may be a capacitive antenna extending from the PCB  190   a  to a location adjacent the container receptacle  137  of the second housing portion. The capacitive sensor  190   f  may detect the presence of a newly-loaded flowable material container  200  and send a signal indicating the presence of the newly-loaded container  200  to the electronic controller  190   b . As described further below, upon receiving the signal, the electronic controller  190   b  may control operation of the solenoid valve assembly  174  to ensure that a substantially constant volume of the flowable material  212  is dispensed during each dispense cycle of the dispenser  100 . Although the illustrated embodiment includes the capacitive sensor  190   f  for detecting the presence of the flowable material container  200 , in other embodiments, alternative types of sensors or other means for detecting the presence of the flowable material container  200  within the housing  110  may be used as a part of the electronics module  190 . In some embodiments, a tactile or mechanical switch may be positioned within the housing  110  and configured to engage the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is loaded within the housing  110  or when the container  200  is loaded within the housing  110  and the housing  110  is in the closed configuration. For example, the flowable material container  200  may engage the switch when the container  200  is positioned within the housing  110  or when the container  200  has been moved from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration by the biasing member  187 . Upon engaging the container  200 , the switch may detect the presence of a newly-loaded flowable material container  200  and send a signal indicating the presence of the newly-loaded container  200  to the electronic controller  190   b . Still other types of sensors, switches, or other mechanisms may be used to detect the presence of the flowable material container  200  within the housing  110 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1W , the electronics module  190  further may include an infrared (IR) sensor  190   g  mounted to the PCB  190   a . The IR sensor  190   g  may be configured to detect the presence of a user&#39;s hand, or a substrate such as a sheet product held by a user&#39;s hand, positioned below the dispenser  100 . In certain embodiments, as shown, the IR sensor  190   g  may be an active infrared sensor. As shown, the IR sensor  190   g  may include an IR emitter  190   h  and an IR receiver  190   i . The IR emitter  190   h  may be configured to pulse so as to determine if the feedback from the IR receiver  190   i  is being washed out by ambient light. The IR sensor  190   g  may be positioned above the sensor opening  155  of the fourth housing portion  114  and may rest on the sensor support  156 . In certain embodiments, the IR sensor  190   g  may have a detectable range of between approximately 1.5 inches and approximately 5.0 inches. In certain embodiments, the IR sensor  190   g  may be configured to avoid “ghosting” or becoming non-responsive when exposed to external interference, such as direct sunlight, sound infrared beacons, or electromagnetic interference. 
     When the dispenser  100  is in the on state and the IR sensor  190   g  detects the presence of a user&#39;s hand or a substrate held by a user&#39;s hand, the electronic controller  190   b  may be operable to direct the solenoid valve assembly  174  to carry out one or more dispense cycles. In certain embodiments, the electronic controller  190   b  may be operable to direct the solenoid valve assembly  174  to carry out multiple dispense cycles, one after another, until the IR sensor  190   g  no longer detects the user&#39;s hand or the substrate held by the user&#39;s hand or until a predetermined maximum number of consecutive dispense cycles has been reached. In this manner, the user may continuously dispense the flowable material  212  to obtain a desired amount. In certain embodiments, the predetermined maximum number of consecutive dispense cycles may be five (5), although other numbers may be used. If the predetermined maximum number of consecutive dispense cycles is met, the electronic controller  190   b  may cause the solenoid valve assembly  174  to remain in the deactivated configuration until the IR sensor  190   g  is cleared. If the user desires to obtain additional flowable material  212 , the user&#39;s hand or the substrate held by the user&#39;s hand must be removed from the detectable range of the IR sensor  190   g  and reinserted within the detectable range, thereby causing the dispenser  100  to resume dispensing of the flowable material  212 . 
     Each dispense cycle of the dispenser  100  may include an on time (which also may be referred to as an “open time,” an “activated time,” or a “dispense time”), during which the solenoid valve assembly  174  is in the activated configuration, and an off time (which also may be referred to as a “closed time,” a “deactivated time,” or a “dwell time”), during which the solenoid valve assembly  174  is in the deactivated configuration. In this manner, the flowable material  212  may be dispensed from the dispenser  100  during the on-time portion of the dispense cycle, and dispensing of the flowable material  212  may be discontinued for the off-time portion of the dispense cycle. The electronic controller  190   b  may be operable to control the dispense cycles such that each dispense cycle has a common duration, although respective durations of the on-time portion and the off-time portion of the dispense cycle may be varied by the controller  190   b , as described below. In certain embodiments, the duration of each dispense cycle may be one (1) second, although other durations may be used. Other features and attributes of the electronics module  190  and the components thereof will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of these components provided herein. 
     It will be appreciated that the volume of flowable material  212  dispensed from the dispenser  100  during a particular dispense cycle may depend on the duration of the on time as well as the pressure within the flowable material container  200  (i.e., the pressure of the pressurized gas  210  contained within the body  202 ). Throughout a life of the flowable material container  200 , the pressure within the container  200  may decrease in a linear manner with respect to the number of dispense cycles completed. In particular, as the volume of the body  202  occupied by the flowable material  212  decreases due to dispensing of the material  212 , the pressure of the pressurized gas  210  may decrease as the volume of the body  202  occupied by the gas  210  increases. Accordingly, if the duration of the on time was kept constant for all dispense cycles, the volume of the flowable material  212  dispensed would continuously decrease, from one dispense cycle to a subsequent dispense cycle, throughout the life of the flowable material container  200 . Such variability of the dispensed volume may result in user frustration as one dispense cycle early in the life of the container  200  may provide the user with a desired amount of the flowable material  212 , while another dispense cycle later in the life of the container  200  may provide less than the desired amount. 
     The dispenser  100  advantageously may dispense a substantially constant volume of the flowable material  212  during each dispense cycle throughout the life, or at least a majority of the life, of a particular flowable material container  200 . In particular, the electronic controller  190   b  may be operable to automatically adjust the duration of the on time for dispense cycles throughout the life of a particular flowable material container  200 . The electronic controller  190   b  also may be operable to automatically adjust the duration of the off time for dispense cycles throughout the life of the flowable material container  200 , such that the overall duration of each dispense cycle remains constant throughout the life of the container  200 . In this manner, the electronic controller  190   b  may accommodate the decrease in pressure within the flowable material container  200  and dispense a substantially constant volume of the flowable material  212  during each dispense cycle throughout the life of the container. In certain embodiments, the pressure within the container  200  may range from approximately 100 psi at the beginning of the life of the container  200  (i.e., prior to dispensing any of the flowable material  212  therefrom) to approximately 30 psi at the end of the life of the container  200  (i.e., after all or substantially all of the flowable material  212  has been dispensed therefrom). In certain embodiments, the volume of the flowable material  212  dispensed from the dispenser  100  per dispense cycle may range from approximately 0.30 ml to approximately 0.35 ml throughout the life of the container  200 . 
     As described above, the capacitive sensor  190   f  may be configured to detect the presence of a new flowable material container  200  loaded into the dispenser  100 . In particular, upon insertion of the flowable material container  200  into the housing  110 , the capacitive sensor  190   f  may detect the container  200  and send a signal indicating the presence of the container  200  to the electronic controller  190   b . Upon receiving the signal from the capacitive sensor  190   f , the electronic controller  190   b  may start a counter of a number of dispense cycles carried out using the flowable material container  200 . In other words, after each dispense cycle completed with the flowable material container  200 , the electronic controller  190   b  may increase the counter by an increment of one (1) such that the counter corresponds to the number of completed dispense cycles for the container  200 . 
     The electronic controller  190   b  may access a lookup table stored at the at least one memory of the PCB  190   a  or at a data storage otherwise accessible to the electronic controller  190   b . The lookup table may include a plurality of entries, with each entry including a dispense cycle value, an on-time value, and an off-time value. The dispense cycle value may be a numerical integer value corresponding to a particular dispense cycle during the life of the container  200 . The on-time value may be a numerical value corresponding to an on time for the respective dispense cycle value. The off-time value may be a numerical value corresponding to an off time for the respective dispense cycle value. For example, a first entry of the lookup table may include a dispense cycle value of one (1), an on-time value of 0.248 seconds, and an off-time value of 0.752 seconds. As another example, a final entry of the lookup table may include a dispense cycle value of two-hundred and fifty-two (252), an on-time value of 0.457 seconds, and an off-time value of 0.543 seconds. In certain embodiments, one or more groups of successive entries of the lookup table may have the same on-time values and the same off-time values. For example, each entry of a first group of entries may have an on-time value of 0.248 seconds and an off-time value of 0.752 seconds, and each entry of a subsequent second group of entries may have an on-time value of 0.249 seconds, and an off-time value of 0.751 seconds. In other embodiments, each entry of the lookup table may have a different on-time value and a different off-time value as compared to the values of the other entries. 
     For each dispense cycle carried out with the flowable material container  200 , the electronic controller  190   b  may access the lookup table to determine the on time and the off time for the dispense cycle. For example, for the first dispense cycle, the electronic controller  190   b  may use the first entry of the lookup table to determine the on time of 0.248 seconds and the off time of 0.752 seconds. The electronic controller  190   b  then may cause the solenoid valve assembly  174  to move to the activated configuration and remain in the activated configuration for 0.248 seconds to dispense a volume of the flowable material  212  from the dispenser  100  for the first dispense cycle. In particular, the electronic controller  190   b  may cause the winding  180  of the solenoid valve assembly  174  to be energized by current provided from the batteries such that the piston  177  moves from the deactivated position to the activated position for dispensing. In certain embodiments, the dispensed volume of the flowable material  212  may be between approximately 0.30 ml and approximately 0.35 ml. After the on time has elapsed, the electronic controller  190   b  may cause the solenoid valve assembly  174  to move to the deactivated configuration and remain in the deactivated configuration for 0.752 seconds for the first dispense cycle. In particular, the electronic controller  190   b  may cause the current provided to the winding  180  to be discontinued such that the piston  177  moves from the activated position to the deactivated position via the biasing force provided by the biasing member  179 . During the off time of the dispense cycle, the solenoid valve assembly  174  may remain in the deactivated position even if the user&#39;s hand or a substrate held by the user&#39;s hand remains within the detectable range of the IR sensor  190   g . After the off time has elapsed, a second dispense cycle may be carried out if the user&#39;s hand or a substrate held by the user&#39;s hand remains within the detectable range of the IR sensor  190   g . The electronic controller  190   b  may control the second dispense cycle, and subsequent dispense cycles, in a manner similar to that described above by using the lookup table to determine respective on times and off times to ensure that a substantially constant volume of the flowable material  212  is dispensed during each dispense cycle throughout the life of the container  200 . 
     At the end of the life of the flowable material container  200 , the container  200  may be removed from the dispenser  100 , and a new flowable material container  200  may be loaded therein. As described above, the capacitive sensor  190   f  may detect the new container  200  and send a signal indicating the presence of the container  200  to the electronic controller  190   b . Upon receiving the signal from the capacitive sensor  190   f , the electronic controller  190   b  may reset the dispense cycle counter and control subsequent dispense cycles for the new container  200  using the lookup table. In certain instances, if the capacitive sensor  190   f  does not detect the new container  200  and/or the dispense cycle counter is not reset, the electronic controller  190   b  may revert to default parameters, including a default on time and a default off time, for subsequent dispense cycles. For example, if the dispense cycle counter reaches a predetermined maximum value, the electronic controller  190   b  may control subsequent dispense cycles using the default on time and the default off time. In certain embodiments, the predetermined maximum value may be three hundred and fifty (350), although other values may be used. In certain embodiments, the default on time may be 0.350 seconds, and the default off time may be 0.650 seconds, although other values may be used. 
       FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate an automated flowable material dispenser system  300  (which also may be referred to as a “dispenser system” or a “system”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As shown, the automated flowable material dispenser system  300  may include the automated flowable material dispenser  100  and the flowable material container  200  described above. The container  200  may be prefilled with the flowable material  212 , such as a liquid cleanser or an air freshener, although other types of flowable materials may be used. The container  200  may be loaded into the dispenser  100  by moving the housing  110  from the closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 3A , to the open configuration, as shown in  FIG. 3B , and inserting the container  200  into the housing  110 . As described above, the housing  110  may be moved from the closed configuration to the open configuration by moving the release button  148  from the extended position to the depressed position such that the tab  147  of the third housing portion  113  disengages the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 . If an existing container  200  is present in the housing  110 , energy stored by the compressed biasing member  187  may cause the third housing portion  113  to automatically move from its closed position to its open position. The existing container  200  may be removed from the housing  110 , and the new container  200  may be inserted into the housing  110  in an inverted orientation, as shown in  FIG. 3B . Proper positioning of the container  200  within the housing  110  may be facilitated by the container receptacles  125 ,  137  of the first and second housing portions  111 ,  112  and the support ribs  126 ,  138  thereof. As shown, an end portion of the male valve stem  234  of the container  200  may be received within the solenoid housing  175 , and the end of the male valve stem  234  may engage the inlet seal  176  of the solenoid valve assembly  174 . However, the container  200  may remain in the unactuated configuration upon insertion of the container  200  into the housing  110 , while the housing  110  remains in the open configuration. The housing  110  then may be moved from the open configuration to the closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 3C . As the housing  110  is moved to the closed configuration, the biasing member  187  may engage the second end  216  of the container  200  and bias the container  200  toward the solenoid valve assembly  174 . The biasing force provided by the biasing member  187  may move the container  200  from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration, as shown. In particular, while the male valve stem  234  remains positioned against the inlet seal  176  and the female valve stem  232  rests against the male valve stem  234 , the remainder of the container  200  may move downward toward the solenoid valve assembly  174 . As a result, the valve assembly  208  may be actuated and the flowable material  212  may flow out of the container  200  and into the solenoid valve assembly  174 . The movement of the housing  110  to the closed configuration also may cause the tab  147  of the third housing portion  113  to engage the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 , such that the housing  110  is maintained in the closed configuration. 
     During operation of the dispenser  100 , the solenoid valve assembly  174  may move between the deactivated configuration and the activated configuration to carry out a dispense cycle. When the solenoid valve assembly  174  is in the activated configuration, a portion of the flowable material  212 , under pressure by the pressurized gas  210  within the container, may flow through the solenoid valve assembly  174  and into the dispensing nozzle  182 , as described above. The dispensing nozzle  182  may direct the portion of the flowable material  212  downward through the dispensing opening  153  of the housing  110  and out of the dispenser  100 . As described above, the electronic controller  190   b  may initiate a dispense cycle upon receiving a signal from the IR sensor  190   g  indicating the presence of a user&#39;s hand or a substrate held by the user&#39;s hand within the detectable range of the IR sensor  190   g . In this manner, the container  200  may remain in the actuated configuration while loaded within the housing  110 , and the solenoid valve assembly  174  may control release of the flowable material  212  from the dispenser  100 . Other aspects of operation of the system  300 , the dispenser  100 , and the container  200  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description provided herein. 
       FIG. 3D  illustrates a flowable material and sheet product dispensing system  310  (which also may be referred to as a “dispensing system” or a “system”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As shown, the flowable material and sheet product dispensing system  310  may include the automated flowable material dispenser  100  and the flowable material container  200  described above. The dispensing system  310  also may include a sheet product holder  320  and a roll of sheet product  330 . As shown, the dispenser  100  and the sheet product holder  320  may be mounted to a support structure  340 , such as a vertical wall, adjacent one another. In this manner, a user may dispense a portion of the sheet product  330  from the holder  320  and then dispense a portion of the flowable material  212  onto the sheet product  330  using the dispenser  100 . 
     As shown, the sheet product holder  320  may include a spindle  322  for insertion through a central aperture of the roll of sheet product  330  and one or more support arms  324  for mounting the holder  320  to the support structure  340 . As described above, the dispenser  100  may be mounted to the support structure  340  via the sixth housing portion  116  and one or more fasteners. 
     The flowable material  212  of the container  200  and the sheet product  330  may be specifically configured for use with one another. In certain embodiments, the flowable material  212  may be a liquid cleanser, and the sheet product  330  may be a bath tissue configured to absorb and retain the flowable material  212  for personal cleansing. In certain embodiments, the flowable material  212  may have a pH that is similar to the pH of human skin to reduce irritation to a user during personal cleansing. 
     The sheet product  330  may be configured to absorb the dispensed volume of the flowable material  212  and remain durable upon absorbing the flowable material. In certain embodiments, the sheet product  330  may have an absorbency of between approximately 350 gm/m 2  (grams of water absorbed per square meter) and approximately 550 gm/m 2 , between approximately 400 gm/m 2  and approximately 500 gm/m 2 , or approximately 450 gm/m 2 . The sheet product  330  may be relatively strong when wetted with the flowable material  212 , while remaining dispersible for disposal of the sheet product  330  after use. 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  illustrate an automated flowable material dispenser  400  (which also may be referred to as a “flowable material dispenser,” an “automated dispenser,” or a “dispenser”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The automated flowable material dispenser  400  is configured to dispense flowable material from a supply of flowable material supported thereby. In particular, the dispenser  400  may be configured to dispense flowable material from the flowable material container  200 . It will be appreciated that the dispenser  400  is substantially similar to the dispenser  100  described above, with similar components and features identified by the same reference numbers. Notably, the dispenser  400  includes a sixth housing portion  416  instead of the sixth housing portion  116  described above. 
     The sixth housing portion  416 , as shown in detail in  FIGS. 4C and 4D , may be formed as an elongated member including various features for cooperating with the batteries, engaging the second housing portion  112 , and mounting the dispenser  400  to a support structure. As shown in  FIG. 4E , the dispenser  400  may be mounted to a stand  440  instead of a wall. The sixth housing portion  416  may include a front wall  464 , a back wall  465 , a top wall  466 , and a pair of side walls  467 . As shown, the sixth housing portion  416  also may include an intermediate wall  468  configured to engage and support the batteries positioned within the battery receptacle  140  of the second housing portion  112 . The sixth housing portion  416  further may include a support ring  469  for receiving a portion of the stand  440 , and a recess  470  for receiving a portion of a sheet product holder  420 . As shown, the sixth housing portion  416  may be attached to the second housing portion  112 . The sixth housing portion  416  may include a first tab  471  extending from the top end of the front wall  464 , and a second tab  472  extending from the interior surface of the front wall  464  near the bottom end thereof. The first tab  471  may be configured to engage and be received within the top opening  144  of the second housing portion  112 , and the second tab  472  may be configured to engage and be received within the bottom opening  144  of the second housing portion  112 . Other features and attributes of the sixth housing portion  416  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description of the sixth housing portion  416  provided herein. 
       FIG. 4E  illustrates a flowable material and sheet product dispensing system  410  (which also may be referred to as a “dispensing system” or a “system”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As shown, the flowable material and sheet product dispensing system  410  may include the automated flowable material dispenser  400  and the flowable material container  200  described above. The dispensing system  410  also may include the stand  440 , the sheet product holder  420 , and a roll of sheet product  430 . As shown, the dispenser  400  and the sheet product holder  420  may be mounted to the stand  440  adjacent one another. In this manner, a user may dispense a portion of the sheet product  430  from the holder  420  and then dispense a portion of the flowable material  212  onto the sheet product  430  using the dispenser  400 . 
     As shown, the stand  440  may include a base  442  and a pole  444  extending upwardly from the base  442 . The pole  444  may extend through the support ring  469  of the sixth housing portion  416 , and a top end of the pole  444  may be positioned within the sixth housing portion  416 , such that the dispenser  400  is securely mounted to the stand  440 . As shown, the sheet product holder  420  may include a spindle  422  for insertion through a central aperture of the roll of sheet product  430 . The sheet product holder  420  also may include a support ring for positioning over the pole  444  and within the recess  470  of the sixth housing portion  416 . In certain embodiments, the dispenser  400  and/or the sheet product holder  420  may be configured to pivot about the pole  444  to adjust a relative position of the dispenser  400  and the sheet product holder  420  for convenient use. Other features and attributes of the dispenser  400  and the stand  440  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description provided herein. 
       FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate a solenoid valve assembly  574  according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the solenoid valve assembly  574  may be used as a part of the automated flowable material dispenser  100  or the automated flowable material dispenser  400  instead of the solenoid valve assembly  174 . In particular, the solenoid valve assembly  574  may be used as a part of the dispenser  100  or the dispenser  400  when the flowable material container  200  has a female valve configuration. The solenoid valve assembly  574  may be configured to engage the flowable material container  200  and facilitate dispensing of the flowable material  212  therefrom. As described below, the solenoid valve assembly  574  may be configured to move between a deactivated configuration and an activated configuration in order to dispense the flowable material  212  from the dispenser  100  during a dispense cycle. As shown, the solenoid valve assembly  574  may have an elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis A S  extending between a first end  574   a  (which also may be referred to as an “inlet end”) and a second end  574   b  (which also may be referred to as an “outlet end”). The solenoid valve assembly  574  may include a solenoid housing  575 , an inlet seal  576 , a piston  577 , a piston seal  578 , a biasing member  579 , a winding  580 , an outlet stem  581 , and an inlet stem  582 . 
     As shown, the solenoid housing  575  may include a first portion  575   a  and a second portion  575   b  attached to one another and configured to contain other components of the solenoid valve assembly  574  therein. The first portion  575   a  may be positioned about the first end  574   a  of the solenoid valve assembly  574 , and a portion of the inlet stem  582  may be positioned within the first portion  575   a . The inlet stem  582  may be formed as an elongated tubular member having a first portion  582   a  positioned outside of the solenoid housing  575  and a second portion  582   b  positioned within the solenoid housing  575 , in particular the first portion  575   a  thereof. As shown, the inlet stem  582  may include an inlet passage  582   c  extending therethrough. The second portion  582   b  of the inlet stem  582  may include a flange  582   d  configured to facilitate retention of the inlet stem  582  with respect to the solenoid housing  575 . The first portion  582   a  of the inlet stem  582  may be configured to engage the valve assembly  208  of the flowable material container  200  when the container  200  is loaded in the dispenser  100 . In particular, the first portion  582   a  may be configured to engage the female valve stem  232  to facilitate actuation of the valve assembly  208 , as described in detail below. The inlet seal  576  may be positioned within the solenoid housing  575  and retained between the first portion  575   a  and the second portion  575   b . In certain embodiments, the inlet seal  576  may be a ring-shaped gasket formed of an elastomeric material. As shown, the inlet seal  576  may engage the end of the second portion  582   b  of the inlet stem  582  and form a face seal therewith. When the flowable material container  200  is in the actuated configuration, the flowable material  212  may flow from the valve assembly  208 , through the inlet passage  582   c  of the inlet stem  582 , through the inlet seal  576 , and into an inlet passage  575   c  of the solenoid housing  575 . 
     The piston  577  may be formed as a cylindrical member positioned within a bore  575   d  of the solenoid housing  575 . As shown, the piston  577  may be configured to translate within the bore  575   d  between a deactivated position (which also may be referred to as a “closed position”), as shown in  FIG. 5B , and an activated position (which also may be referred to as an “open position”), as shown in  FIG. 5C . The piston seal  578  may be a disc-shaped member formed of an elastomeric material. As shown, the piston seal  578  may be attached to the piston  577  and configured to close fluid communication between the inlet passage  575   c  and the bore  575   d  when the piston  577  is in the deactivated position. In particular, when the piston  577  is in the deactivated position, the piston seal  578  may engage a portion of the solenoid housing  575  surrounding the inlet passage  575   c  and form a face seal therewith. When the piston  577  is in the activated position, the piston seal  578  may be spaced apart from the inlet passage  575   c , such that the flowable material  212  may flow from the inlet passage  575   c , into the bore  575   d , and around the piston  577 . The biasing member  579  may be positioned within the bore  575   d  and retained between the piston  577  and the outlet stem  581 . As shown, the biasing member  579  may be configured to bias the piston  577  toward the deactivated position. In certain embodiments, the biasing member  579  may be formed as a helical compression spring. The winding  580  may be wrapped around the solenoid housing  575  and configured to be energized by electrical current provided by the batteries of the dispenser  100 . When electrical current is applied to the winding  580 , magnetic induction may cause the piston  577  to overcome the biasing force provided by the biasing member  579  and move from the deactivated position to the activated position. 
     The outlet stem  581  may be formed as an elongated tubular member having a first portion  581   a  positioned within the bore  575   d  of the solenoid housing  575  and a second portion  581   b  positioned outside of the solenoid housing  575 . As shown, the outlet stem  581  may include an outlet passage  581   c  extending therethrough. When the piston  577  is in the activated position, the flowable material  212  may flow from the bore  575   d  and through the outlet passage  581   c . In certain embodiments, when the piston  577  is in the activated position, the bottom end of the piston  577  may engage the top end of the outlet stem  581 , as shown in  FIG. 5C . In such embodiments, the outlet stem  581  may include a channel  581   d  extending along the top end of the outlet stem  581  and in fluid communication with the outlet passage  581   c . In this manner, if the piston  577  is maintained in the activated position for an extended period of time, the flowable material  212  still may flow continuously from the bore  575   c  and through the outlet passage  581   c . In other embodiments, the biasing member  579  may be configured such that the bottom end of the piston  577  may be spaced apart from the top end of the outlet stem  581  when the piston  577  is in the activated position. In this manner, if the piston  577  is maintained in the activated position for an extended period of time, the flowable material  212  still may flow continuously from the bore  575   c  and through the outlet passage  581   c . As shown in  FIGS. 5B and 5C , the dispensing nozzle  182  may be mounted to the outlet stem  581  in the same manner as that described above. 
       FIGS. 5D and 5E  illustrate an automated flowable material dispenser system  500  (which also may be referred to as a “dispenser system” or a “system”) according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As shown, the automated flowable material dispenser system  500  may include the automated flowable material dispenser  100  having the solenoid valve assembly  574  and the flowable material container  200  having the female valve configuration described above. The container  200  may be prefilled with the flowable material  212 , such as a liquid cleanser or an air freshener, although other types of flowable materials may be used. The container  200  may be loaded into the dispenser  100  by moving the housing  110  from the closed configuration to the open configuration, as shown in  FIG. 5D , and inserting the container  200  into the housing  110 . As described above, the housing  110  may be moved from the closed configuration to the open configuration by moving the release button  148  from the extended position to the depressed position such that the tab  147  of the third housing portion  113  disengages the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 . If an existing container  200  is present in the housing  110 , energy stored by the compressed biasing member  187  may cause the third housing portion  113  to automatically move from its closed position to its open position. The existing container  200  may be removed from the housing  110 , and the new container  200  may be inserted into the housing  110  in an inverted orientation, as shown in  FIG. 5D . Proper positioning of the container  200  within the housing  110  may be facilitated by the container receptacles  125 ,  137  of the first and second housing portions  111 ,  112  and the support ribs  126 ,  138  thereof. As shown, an end portion of the inlet stem  582  of the solenoid valve assembly  574  may be received within the valve assembly  208  of the container  200 , and the end of the inlet stem  582  may engage the female valve stem  232  of the valve assembly  208 . However, the container  200  may remain in the unactuated configuration upon insertion of the container  200  into the housing  110 , while the housing  110  remains in the open configuration. The housing  110  then may be moved from the open configuration to the closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 5E . As the housing  110  is moved to the closed configuration, the biasing member  187  may engage the second end  216  of the container  200  and bias the container  200  toward the solenoid valve assembly  574 . The biasing force provided by the biasing member  187  may move the container  200  from the unactuated configuration to the actuated configuration, as shown. In particular, while the inlet stem  582  remains positioned against the female valve stem  232 , the remainder of the container  200  may move downward toward the solenoid valve assembly  574 . As a result, the valve assembly  208  may be actuated and the flowable material  212  may flow out of the container  200  and into the solenoid valve assembly  574 . The movement of the housing  110  to the closed configuration also may cause the tab  147  of the third housing portion  113  to engage the second protrusion  142  of the second housing portion  112 , such that the housing  110  is maintained in the closed configuration. 
     During operation of the dispenser  100 , the solenoid valve assembly  574  may move between the deactivated configuration and the activated configuration to carry out a dispense cycle. When the solenoid valve assembly  574  is in the activated configuration, a portion of the flowable material  212 , under pressure by the pressurized gas  210  within the container, may flow through the solenoid valve assembly  574  and into the dispensing nozzle  182 , as described above. The dispensing nozzle  182  may direct the portion of the flowable material  212  downward through the dispensing opening  153  of the housing  110  and out of the dispenser  100 . As described above, the electronic controller  190   b  may initiate a dispense cycle upon receiving a signal from the IR sensor  190   g  indicating the presence of a user&#39;s hand or a substrate held by the user&#39;s hand within the detectable range of the IR sensor  190   g . In this manner, the container  200  may remain in the actuated configuration while loaded within the housing  110 , and the solenoid valve assembly  574  may control release of the flowable material  212  from the dispenser  100 . Other aspects of operation of the system  500 , the dispenser  100 , and the container  200  will be appreciated from the corresponding drawings and the functional description provided herein. 
     Although certain embodiments of the disclosure are described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although certain embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with respect to specific automated product dispenser configurations, it will be appreciated that numerous other automated product dispenser configurations are within the scope of the disclosure. Conditional language used herein, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, generally is intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, or functional capabilities. Thus, such conditional language generally is not intended to imply that certain features, elements, or functional capabilities are in any way required for all embodiments.