Mass based low product indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764937-B2
Application number	US-201313895100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2013
Priority date	May 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A dispenser dispenses a consumable product from a container. The container is supported within a housing by a container holder. The container holder is vertically moveable within a movement range in the housing. A biasing structure biases the container holder upwardly. A sign is connected to move up and down with the container holder. An indicator associated with the sign is vertically fixed relative to the housing. When an amount of product remaining in the container reaches a low level, the biasing force of the biasing structure will lift the container holder, causing the indicator to be aligned with a portion of the sign that gives a visual cue to a user that the amount of product remaining is at a low level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser that dispenses a product, the dispenser comprising:
a housing including a product holding area within the housing and a product dispensing area within the housing, said product holding area being at least partially enclosed and said dispensing area being open to an exterior of the housing to aid dispensing of a diluted mixture of a concentrated product;
a product container containing a product positioned within the product holding area of the housing, the product having a product level within the product container that ranges between full and empty, the product level having a low level wherein the product level is near empty;
a dispensing apparatus associated with the product container to withdraw and dispense product from the product container at an outlet, said dispensing apparatus associated with the dispensing area of the housing and said dispensing apparatus comprising an outlet tube extending generally downwardly from a portion of the dispensing apparatus a bucket fill assembly selectively attachable to the outlet tube for selectively dispensing from either or both of the tube or bucket fill assembly via the dispensing area;
a container holder supporting the product container, the container holder being vertically moveable within a movement range;
a biasing element supporting the container holder within the housing that urges the container holder upwardly such that a position of the product container in the movement range is dependent upon the product level in the product container;
a level indicator vertically fixed relative to the housing; and
a sign connected to the container holder such that the sign is vertically fixed relative to the container holder and such that the sign moves in a substantially vertical direction and substantially in sync with the container holder as the amount of product changes, the sign including a low level marking at an upper portion of the sign to indicate when the product level is at the low level or lower; and
said sign being enclosed within the housing such that it is visible via the level indicator through or outside the housing regardless of the position of the sign in relation to the level;
wherein when the product level is at the low level or lower, the level indicator is aligned with a portion of the low level marking.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein when the product level is full, the container holder is at a bottom of the movement range, and further wherein the when the product level is between full and the low level, the container holder remains at the bottom of the movement range.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element comprises a pair of extension springs.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 , further comprising:
a U-shaped bracket, the U-shaped bracket having a base fixed to the housing and a pair of legs extending from the base, each leg including a spring attachment structure; and
a pair of spring attachment hooks at an upper portion of the container holder; and
wherein the pair of extension springs are connected between the spring attachment structures and the spring attachment hooks.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the level indicator is an opening through the housing.

6. The dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the housing includes a product container holder compartment and a door that selectively opens and closes the product container holder compartment, and further wherein the opening is a window in the door.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein:
the container holder includes a pair of tabs that extending laterally from the container holder;
the housing includes a pair of container holder guides to retain the container holder in the housing, each of the container holder guides including a generally vertically oriented channel; and
the tabs each are received within a corresponding one of the channels.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the biasing element comprises a pair of compression springs extending between the container holder guides and the tabs.

9. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element comprises a compression spring between the housing and a lower portion of the container holder.

10. A dispenser that dispenses a product and diluent mixture, the dispenser comprising:
a housing including a product holding area within the housing and a product dispensing area within the housing, said product holding area being at least partially enclosed and said dispensing area being open to an exterior of the housing to aid dispensing of a diluted mixture of a concentrated product;
an outlet in the dispensing area for dispensing the mixture, the outlet being in fluid communication with a diluent source and a product container, said outlet comprising an outlet tube extending generally downwardly from a portion of the dispensing apparatus and a bucket fill assembly selectively attachable to the outlet tube for selectively dispensing from either or both of the tube or bucket fill assembly via the dispensing area;
a product container holder that supports the product container within the product holding area, the product container holder being vertically movable within a movement range between an upper limit and a lower limit;
a level indicator vertically fixed relative to the housing;
a sign attached to the container holder and positioned a fixed vertical distance such that vertical movement of the container holder within the movement range causes corresponding movement of the sign relative to the level indicator, the sign including a low level marking to indicate a low level of product remaining within the product container;
a biasing device between the housing and the container holder that biases the container holder towards the upper limit of the movement range; and
said sign being enclosed within the housing such that it is visible via the level indicator through or outside the housing regardless of the position of the sign in relation to the level;
wherein, when the product container contains a low level of product, the biasing device moves the container holder to an intermediate position above the lower limit of the movement range thereby moving the sign to a low level position wherein the level indicator is aligned with the low level marking on the sign.

11. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein when the product container contains more than a low level of product, the container holder remains at the lower limit of the movement range.

12. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the biasing element comprises a pair of extension springs.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 , further comprising:
a U-shaped bracket, the U-shaped bracket having a base fixed to the housing and a pair of legs extending from the base, each leg including a spring attachment structure; and
a pair of spring attachment hooks at an upper portion of the container holder; and
wherein the pair of extension springs are connected between the spring attachment structures and the spring attachment hooks.

14. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the level indicator is an opening through the housing.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a door that selectively opens and closes the storage area, and further wherein the opening is in the door.

16. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein:
the container holder includes a pair of tabs that extending laterally from the container holder;
the housing includes a pair of container holder guides in the storage area to retain the container holder in the housing, each of the container holder guides including a generally vertically oriented

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Freudenberg Jared R
• Urban Ryan
• Drake Ryan Joseph
• Chernik Ryan A
• Anderson Troy A

Classifications

• G01F23/20

  by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas · CPC title

• B67D7/84

  Casings, cabinets or frameworks; Trolleys or like movable supports · CPC title

• B67D7/3209 Primary

  relating to spillage or leakage, e.g. spill containments, leak detection (leak detectors for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/2892) · CPC title

• B67D7/741

  mechanically operated · CPC title

• B67D2210/0012

  related to concentrate handling · CPC title