Solar powered dispenser system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756989-B2
Application number	US-201514702086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2015
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for dispensing hand cleaning fluid material including a dispenser with a rechargeable battery powered by a solar generator, a remote electrically powered light source spaced from the dispenser directing light onto the solar panel of the dispenser and a control mechanism controlling the operation of the light source in relation to the status and operation of the dispenser.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for providing for an electrically powered dispenser of hand cleaning fluid within a building,
the method comprising:
providing a solar element commonly mounted with the dispenser supported by the building,
providing a light source wired to receive power from a building electrical power source such that light emitted from the light source is received by the solar element,
generating electrical power with the solar element from the light emitted by the light source received by the solar element and providing the electrical power generated by the solar element to the dispenser;
controlling the electrical power generated by the solar element by the control of the operation of the light source by wireless communication from the dispenser to the light source,
the light source includes a light emitter of light, a light controller, and a wireless light communicator,
controlling the operation of the light emitter with the light controller by control of the delivery of electrical power from the building electrical power source to the light emitter,
the solar element and the dispenser are coupled together proximate each other and spaced from the light emitter;
the dispenser comprising:
a reservoir for a fluid to be dispensed, a pump to dispense the fluid from the dispenser; a dispenser controller, and a wireless dispenser communicator;
controlling operation of the pump with the dispenser controller;
locating the solar element and the light emitter relatively juxtapositioned spaced from each other with the light emitted by the emitter directed toward and received by the solar element,
generating electrical power with the solar element from the light emitted by the light emitter received by the solar element and providing the electrical power generated to the dispenser,
controlling operation of the light emitter with the dispenser controller and the light controller together controlling operation of the light emitter in relation to the status or the operation of the dispenser by wireless communication between the dispenser controller and the light controller via the wireless dispenser communicator and the wireless light communicator,
the light emitter includes a mount by which the light emitter is mounted to the building, moving the light emitter to relative positions relative the mount to position the light emitter to direct the emitted light toward the solar element,
monitoring with the dispenser controller the power generated by the solar element and providing feedback to assist in moving the light emitter to one of the relative positions relative the mount to position the light emitter to direct a maximum amount of light energy on the solar element.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the dispenser is not wired to an AC or DC building electrical source, and
the dispenser is mounted to a ceiling or to a wall of the of the building at a height below the light source.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dispenser is a touchless dispenser which includes a hand sensor to sense the presence of a person's hand proximate an outlet for the pump,
operating the pump to dispense fluid onto the person's hand when the dispenser controller determines with the sensor the presence of a person's hand under the outlet.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the dispenser further includes a rechargeable power source, wherein said power generated by the one solar element charges the rechargeable power source,
monitoring with the dispenser controller the status of the rechargeable power source and controlling the operation of the emitter to maintain the status of the rechargeable power source within a certain range of being fully recharged.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein controlling the operation of the light emitter having regard to information selected from information regarding the status or the operation of the dispenser; information regarding the status and operation of the light emitter, and information regarding time.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dispenser further includes a rechargeable power source, wherein said power generated by the one solar element charges the rechargeable power source,
monitoring with the dispenser controller the status of the rechargeable power source and controlling the operation of the emitter to maintain the status of the rechargeable power source within a certain range of being fully recharged.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dispenser is mounted on a stand supported by a floor of the building remote from walls of the building, and the light source is mounted to a ceiling of the building above the dispenser.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 including:
directing with the light emitter a beam of light through atmospheric air away from the light emitter toward the solar element within a cone about an axis passing through the light emitter,
the cone defined within a divergence angle circumferentially about the axis, and a radius of the cone increasing with distance from the light emitter toward the solar element, and the divergence angle is less than 10 degrees.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 including:
dispensing with the pump the fluid from the dispenser downwardly out of a discharge outlet;
providing a drip tray with an upwardly directed tray catch surface located below the outlet,
providing a vertically extending hand space between the outlet and the drip tray above the drip tray within which a person's hands may be placed to receive fluid dispensed downwardly from the outlet,
catching fluid falling downwardly from the outlet or from the person's hand located in the hand space in the drip tray,
the tray catch surface permitting light incident thereon to pass through the tray catch surface, and
passing the light through the tray catch surface to the solar element below the tray catch surface.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source is mounted to a ceiling of the building above the dispenser.

11. A method for providing an electrically powered dispenser of hand cleaning fluid within a building,
the method comprising:
providing a solar element commonly mounted with the dispenser supported by the building,
providing a light source wired to receive power from a building electrical power source such that light emitted from the light source is received by the solar element,
generating electrical power with the solar element from the light emitted by the light source received by the solar element and providing the electrical power generated by the solar element to the dispenser;
controlling the electrical power generated by the solar element by the control of the operation of the light source by wireless communication from the dispenser to the light source the light source includes a light emitter of light, a light controller, and a wireless light communicator;
controlling the operation of the light emitter with the light controller by control of the delivery of electrical power from the building power source to the light emitter;
the solar element and the dispenser are coupled together proximate each other and spaced from the light emitter;
the dispenser comprising:
a reservoir for a fluid to be dispensed, a pump to dispense the fluid from the dispenser; a dispenser controller, and a wireless dispenser communicator;
controlling operation of the pump with the dispenser controller;
locating the solar element and the light emitter relatively juxtapositioned spaced from each other with the light emitted by the emitter directed toward and received by the solar element,
generating electrical power with the solar element from the light em

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Jones Andrew

Classifications

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• A47K5/1217 Primary

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• B05B14/00

  Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material (arrangements integral with nozzles B05B1/28) · CPC title