Fluid dispenser with sensor for determining the volume of fluid in a collapsible container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12239265-B2
Application number	US-202217728251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	Aug 1, 2019
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A method of determining the volume of fluid contained in a collapsible bottle, the collapsible bottle containing a fluid to be dispensed from a fluid dispenser. The fluid dispenser has a distance measuring sensor, and the collapsible bottle is coupled to the fluid dispenser so that a preselected surface of the collapsible bottle is positioned in a measurement path of the sensor. The fluid dispenser is activated to dispense an allotment of the fluid from the collapsible bottle, the collapsible bottle collapsing in a predictable manner as the fluid is dispensed from the collapsible bottle. The sensor is used to measure a distance between the sensor and the preselected surface of the collapsible bottle, the distance changing predictably as the collapsible bottle collapses. The volume of the fluid contained in the collapsible bottle is determined based on the distance between the sensor and the preselected surface of the collapsible bottle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
providing a fluid dispenser, the fluid dispenser having a distance measuring sensor;
providing a collapsible bottle, the collapsible bottle containing a fluid to be dispensed from the fluid dispenser;
coupling the collapsible bottle to the fluid dispenser so that a preselected surface of the collapsible bottle is positioned in a measurement path of the sensor;
activating the fluid dispenser to dispense an allotment of the fluid from the collapsible bottle, the collapsible bottle collapsing as the fluid is dispensed from the collapsible bottle;
using the sensor to measure a distance between the sensor and the preselected surface of the collapsible bottle, the distance changing as the collapsible bottle collapses; and
determining a volume of the fluid contained in the collapsible bottle based on the distance between the sensor and the preselected surface of the collapsible bottle;
wherein the collapsible bottle has a first exterior wall and a second exterior wall:
wherein the preselected surface is an outer surface of the first exterior wall:
wherein, as the collapsible bottle collapses, the first exterior wall moves towards the second exterior wall;
wherein the first exterior wall is thinner than the second exterior wall;
wherein the collapsible bottle defines a variable volume internal compartment for containing the fluid;
wherein the internal compartment contains an initial volume of the fluid when the collapsible bottle is in an initial configuration;
wherein, as the fluid is dispensed from the collapsible bottle, the collapsible bottle deforms from the initial configuration towards a collapsed configuration, the internal compartment containing a smaller volume of the fluid when in the collapsed configuration than when in the initial configuration;
wherein the collapsible bottle has a third exterior wall and a neck that extends along an axis away from the third exterior wall, the neck having an opening in fluid communication with the internal compartment;
wherein the first exterior wall is further from the axis than the second exterior wall is from the axis when the collapsible bottle is in the initial configuration;
wherein the neck remains stationary relative to the sensor as the collapsible bottle deforms from the initial configuration towards the collapsed configuration; and
wherein the first exterior wall moves towards the axis as the collapsible bottle deforms from the initial configuration towards the collapsed configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preselected surface is an outwardly facing surface of the collapsible bottle that moves away from the sensor as the collapsible bottle collapses.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a time of flight sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
displaying a visual indication of the volume of the fluid contained in the collapsible bottle;
notifying maintenance staff when the volume of the fluid contained in the collapsible bottle falls below a preselected threshold; and
storing or transmitting data representing the volume of the fluid contained in the collapsible bottle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the collapsible bottle has been correctly coupled to the fluid dispenser based on detection data from the sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the collapsible bottle comprises forming the collapsible bottle by a blow molding process;
wherein the blow molding process comprises:
forming a cylindrical preform having a preform wall that extends concentrically about the axis; and
inflating the preform so that the preform wall expands to form at least the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall;
wherein a thickness of the preform wall decreases as the preform wall expands radially outwardly from the axis, so that a thickness of the first exterior wall is dependent on a distance of the first exterior wall from the axis, and a thickness of the second exterior wall is dependent on a distance of the second exterior wall from the axis; and
wherein the first exterior wall is thinner than the second exterior wall because the distance of the first exterior wall from the axis is greater than the distance of the second exterior wall from the axis.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are each intersected by a first plane that contains the axis;
wherein the collapsible bottle has a fourth exterior wall and a fifth exterior wall that are each intersected by a second plane that contains the axis, the second plane being perpendicular to the first plane;
wherein the collapsible bottle bas a sixth exterior wall that is intersected by the axis; and
wherein the fourth exterior wall, the fifth exterior wall, and the sixth exterior wall have a reinforcement structure that resists deformation of the fourth exterior wall, the fifth exterior wall, and the sixth exterior wall as the collapsible bottle deforms from the initial configuration towards the collapsed configuration.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement structure comprises a groove.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement structure comprises a groove that at least partially extends across the fourth exterior wall, the fifth exterior wall, and the sixth exterior wall; and
wherein the groove is located where a third plane intersects the fourth exterior wall, the fifth exterior wall, and the sixth exterior wall, the third plane being parallel to the second plane.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the collapsible bottle has a first connecting wall that extends between the fourth exterior wall and the first exterior wall; and a second connecting wall that extends between the fifth exterior wall and the first exterior wall;
wherein the collapsible bottle has a first edge portion where the first connecting wall meets the fourth exterior wall; a second edge portion where the first connecting wall meets the first exterior wall; a third edge portion where the fifth exterior wall meets the second connecting wall; a fourth edge portion where the second connecting wall meets the first exterior wall; a fifth edge portion where the first exterior wall meets the third exterior wall; and a sixth edge portion where the first exterior wall meets the sixth exterior wall;
wherein the collapsible bottle has a first corner portion where the second edge portion meets the first edge portion and the fifth edge portion; a second corner portion where the second edge portion meets the first edge portion and the sixth edge portion; a third corner portion where the fourth edge portion meets the third edge portion and the fifth edge portion; and a fourth corner portion where the fourth edge portion meets the third edge portion and the sixth edge portion;
wherein the second edge portion has a first intermediate portion that is spaced from the first edge portion and is located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion;
wherein, when the collapsible bottle is in the initial configuration, the first intermediate portion is closer to the first plane than the first corner portion is to the first plane, and the first intermediate portion is further from the second plane than the first corner portion is from the second plane;
wherein the fourth edge portion has a second intermediate portion that is spaced from the third edge portion and is located between the third corner portion and the fourth corner portion; and
wherein, when the collapsible bottle is in the initial configuration, the secon

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Tezcan Cuneyt
• Stan Dusan

Classifications

• A47K5/1217

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• B05B11/027

  inverted during outflow of content · CPC title

• B05B11/0059

  allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position · 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

• A47K5/1207 Primary

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