Liquid dispensing units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11064846-B2
Application number	US-201715707806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2012
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A soap dispenser can be configured to dispense an amount of liquid soap, for example, upon detecting the presence of an object. Certain embodiments of the dispenser include a housing, reservoir, pump, motor, sensor, electronic processor, and nozzle. In certain embodiments, the sensor can be configured to generate a signal based on a distance between an object and the sensor. In certain embodiments, the electronic processor can be configured to receive the signal from the sensor and to determine a dispensation volume of the liquid. The dispensation volume can vary as a function of the distance between the object and the sensor. The processor can be configured to control the motor to dispense approximately the dispensation volume of the liquid.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A fluid dispenser comprising:
a housing;
a reservoir configured to store a fluid;
a fluid passage disposed in the housing, the fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet;
a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a distance to an object that is located under the sensor and under the outlet;
a pump unit disposed in the housing; and
an electronic processor configured to:
calculate a dispensation amount, wherein the dispensation amount increases as the distance to the object increases, wherein the object is the same object; and
energize the pump unit to dispense the dispensation amount.

2. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the fluid dispenser comprises a soap dispenser.

3. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to drive the pump unit to dispense the dispensation amount in a single dispensation.

4. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the distance is a vertical distance.

5. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor configured to generate a signal in response to the object being within a sensing region of the second sensor.

6. The fluid dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive the signal from the second sensor and, in response, to control the pump unit to dispense approximately an upper dispensation amount of fluid, the upper dispensation amount being greater than the dispensation amount.

7. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a port configured to connect the fluid dispenser to a computer.

8. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a user input device configured to transmit, to the processor, a signal to dispense a volume of the liquid.

9. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprises liquid soap.

10. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pump unit is configured to dispense a first volume of the fluid when the object is within a first distance from the sensor and dispense a second volume of the fluid when the object is within a second distance from the sensor, the first volume being less than the second volume and the first distance being less than the second distance.

11. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pump unit comprises an opening in fluid communication with the reservoir, and wherein the pump unit is configured to allow air disposed in the reservoir to pass through the opening.

12. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises a removable cartridge.

13. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pump unit comprises a gearpump with at least two gears.

14. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pump unit is configured to discharge fluid generally vertically from a pump outlet.

15. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the object is a user's hand or other body part.

16. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured such that the dispensation amount increases as the distance to the object increases while the object is maintained in a detection zone of the sensor.

17. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned lower on the dispenser than the outlet.

18. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion.

19. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor or a reflective type sensor.

20. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a cantilevered portion having a lower surface, the outlet and the sensor being located on the lower surface of the cantilevered portion.

21. A method of operating a fluid dispenser, the method comprising:
sensing, with a sensor of the fluid dispenser, a distance to an object that is located under the sensor and under an outlet of the fluid dispenser;
generating a signal indicative of the distance to the object;
determining, with an electronic processor, a dispensation amount based on the distance to the object, wherein the dispensation amount decreases as the distance to the object decreases, and wherein the object is the same object;
energizing a pump unit disposed in a housing of the fluid dispenser; and
dispensing a volume of fluid based on the dispensation amount.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the fluid dispenser comprises a soap dispenser.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein dispensing the volume of fluid comprises dispensing the volume of fluid in a single dispensation.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distance to the object is a vertical distance.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising drawing fluid from a reservoir that comprises a removable cartridge.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the dispensation amount increases as the distance to the object increases.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein determining the dispensation amount based on the distance to the object further comprises:
identifying which one of a plurality of sensing regions the object is positioned in; and
determining the dispensation amount based on the identified sensing region.

28. A fluid dispenser configured to dispense soap in response to detecting an object, the fluid dispenser comprising:
a housing;
a reservoir configured to store soap;
a liquid passage disposed in the housing, the liquid passage having an inlet and an outlet;
a nozzle connected with the outlet;
a sensor that is configured to detect a distance to the object when the object is below the outlet, wherein the sensor is the fluid dispenser's one and only sensor that is configured to detect the distance to the object;
a pump unit disposed in the housing; and
an electronic processor configured to:
calculate a dispensation amount of soap based at least partially on the distance to the object, wherein the dispensation amount of soap varies as the distance to the object varies, and wherein the object is the same object; and
energize the pump unit to dispense the dispensation amount of soap.

29. The fluid dispenser of claim 28 , wherein the nozzle is configured to dispense the soap in a dispensation direction, and wherein the sensor is configured to detect the distance to the object in a direction that is substantially parallel to the dispensation direction.

30. The fluid dispenser of claim 29 , wherein the dispensation direction is generally vertically downward.

31. The fluid dispenser of claim 28 , further comprising a cantilevered portion, the nozzle and the sensor being located on a lower surface of the cantilevered portion.

32. A method of operating a soap dispenser comprising a sensor, a pump, and an electronic processor, the method comprising:
detecting a user's hand a first distance below the sensor;
determining, with the electronic processor, a first dispensation amount of soap based on the first distance;
dispensing, using the pump, the first dispensation amount of soap onto the user's hand;
detecting the user's same hand a second distance from the sensor, the second distance being greater than the first distance;
determining, with the electronic processor, a second dispensation amount of soap based on the second distance, the second dispensation amount of soap being greater than the first dispensation

Assignees

• Simplehuman Llc

Inventors

• Yang Frank
• Wolbert David
• Sandor Joseph
• Cardenas Orlando
• Cohen Guy

Classifications

• B05B11/1043

  Sealing or attachment arrangements between pump and container (sealing arrangements around pump actuating stem B05B11/105) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• B05B12/122

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47K5/1217

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• A47K5/1211 Primary

  using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston (A47K5/1201 takes precedence; using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/122) · CPC title