Fluid pump with whistle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11954997-B2
Application number	US-202218059828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Apr 4, 2018
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A fluid dispenser with a fluid pump for dispensing fluid on movement of an actuator, and an air pump for delivering a stream of air through at least one sound generator on movement of the actuator. The sound generator produces at least two sounds as the actuator is moved from a first position to a second position, with each sound produced in a different time period during a cycle of operation, or differing from the other sound in respect of one or more detectable sound characteristics, such as duration, frequency, temporal alignment, amplitude, and/or timbre. The time period of each sound is a function of the relative location of the actuator between the first and second positions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fluid dispenser comprising:
a fluid pump for dispensing fluid on movement of an actuator activated by a user;
a first sound generator which generates a first sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by the user, the first sound generator being configured to produce the first sound from a first stream of air passing through the first sound generator;
a second sound generator which generates a second sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by the user, the second sound generator being configured to produce the second sound from a second stream of air passing through the second sound generator; and
at least one air pump for passing the first stream of air through the first sound generator and the second stream of air through the second sound generator on movement of the actuator;
wherein in a cycle of operation to dispense a dose of the fluid, the actuator is moved between a first position and a second position;
wherein the first sound generator produces the first sound as the actuator is moved from the first position to the second position, and the second sound generator produces the second sound as the actuator is moved from the first position to the second position; and
wherein the first sound differs from the second sound in respect of at least one detectable sound characteristic.

2. The fluid dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one detectable sound characteristic comprises at least one of: duration, frequency, temporal alignment, amplitude, and timbre.

3. A fluid dispenser comprising:
a fluid pump for dispensing fluid on movement of an actuator activated by a user;
a first sound generator which generates a first sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by the user, the first sound generator being configured to produce the first sound from a first stream of air passing through the first sound generator;
a second sound generator which generates a second sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by the user, the second sound generator being configured to produce the second sound from a second stream of air passing through the second sound generator; and
at least one air pump for passing the first stream of air through the first sound generator and the second stream of air through the second sound generator on movement of the actuator;
wherein in a cycle of operation to dispense a dose of the fluid, the actuator is moved between a first position and a second position;
wherein the first sound generator produces the first sound as the actuator is moved from the first position to the second position, and the second sound generator produces the second sound as the actuator is moved from the first position to the second position;

wherein the first sound generator produces the first sound during a first time period and the second sound generator produces the second sound during a second time period, the first time period being different than the second time period, the time period of each sound in the cycle of operation being a function of the relative location of the actuator between the first position and the second position;
wherein the at least one air pump delivers the first stream of air through the first sound generator during the first time period when the actuator moves from a first sound start position to a first sound end position; and
wherein the at least one air pump delivers the second stream of air through the second sound generator during the second time period when the actuator moves from a second sound start position to a second sound end position.

4. The fluid dispenser according to claim 3 , wherein the first sound start position is the first position, and the first sound end position is the second position; and
wherein the second sound start position is between the first position and the second position, and the second sound end position is the second position.

5. The fluid dispenser according claim 3 , wherein the at least one air pump comprises:
a first air chamber forming body in fluid communication with the first sound generator;
a second air chamber forming body in fluid communication with the second sound generator;
an air passage for discharging air from the second air chamber forming body; and
a sealing body configured to seal the air passage during the second time period.

6. The fluid dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the sealing body is configured to unseal the air passage during an intermediate time period in which the actuator moves from the first sound start position to the second sound start position;
wherein the actuator is configured to reduce a volume of air contained within the first air chamber forming body during movement from the first position to the second position, forcing at least some of the air to discharge from the first air chamber forming body through the first sound generator as the first stream of air;
wherein the actuator is also configured to reduce a volume of air contained within the second air chamber forming body during movement from the first position to the second position, forcing at least some of the air to discharge from the second air chamber forming body;
wherein during the second time period the air is discharged from the second air chamber forming body through the second sound generator as the second air stream;
wherein during the intermediate time period at least some of the air is discharged from the second air chamber forming body through the air passage, thereby reducing or eliminating air flow through the second sound generator and causing the second sound generator to produce little or no sound during the intermediate time period;
wherein the actuator comprises a piston body; and
wherein movement of the actuator from the first position to the second position comprises an instroke movement of the piston body within the first air chamber forming body and the second air chamber forming body, thereby pressurizing the air contained within the first air chamber forming body and the second air chamber forming body and forcing at least some of the air to discharge from the first air chamber forming body and the second air chamber forming body.

7. The fluid dispenser according to claim 6 , wherein the air passage is defined between the piston body and the second air chamber forming body;
wherein the second air chamber forming body comprises a sealing zone and an unsealing zone;
wherein the piston body is configured to sealingly engage with the second air chamber forming body when positioned within the sealing zone, thereby sealing the air passage;
wherein the piston body is configured to at least partially disengage from the second air chamber forming body when positioned within the unsealing zone, thereby unsealing the air passage;
wherein the second air chamber forming body comprises a cylindrical outer wall, the outer wall having a first diameter in the sealing zone and a second diameter in the unsealing zone, the second diameter being larger than the first diameter;
wherein the piston body comprises an outer edge that is configured to sealingly engage with the second air chamber forming body when positioned within the sealing zone, and to at least partially disengage from the second air chamber forming body when positioned within the unsealing zone; and
wherein the outer edge of the piston body is positioned within the unsealing zone when the piston body is between the first position and the second sound start position, and is positioned within the sealing zone when between the second sound start position and the second position.

8. The fluid dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one air pump comprises an air chamber forming body in fluid communication with the first sound generator and

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Jones Andrew

Classifications

• G08B3/06 Primary

  using hydraulic transmission; using pneumatic transmission · CPC title

• A47K5/1207

  Dispensing from the bottom of the dispenser with a vertical piston · CPC title

• A47K5/1217 Primary

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title

• B05B1/002

  designed to reduce the generation or the transmission of noise or to produce a particular sound; associated with noise monitoring means · CPC title