Patent Application
20240358202
The present invention is in the field of soap dispenser systems.
A variety of different dispenser systems have been designed for dispensing soap such as a foam soap or disinfectant alcohol in bathrooms.
A dispenser system includes a container. The container has a container opening. A dispenser body has a dispenser socket. The dispenser body has a dispensing mode and a waiting mode. An air inlet port and a fluid outlet port are formed on the dispenser socket. An inlet valve and an outlet valve are mounted to an interface assembly. The interface assembly is mounted to the container opening. The inlet valve connects to the air inlet port and the outlet valve connects to the fluid outlet port. The container is mounted to the dispenser socket. An air pump is mounted in the dispenser body. The air pump pumps air to the air inlet port during a dispensing mode.
The dispenser body is connected to the dispenser wall mount frame. The dispenser wall mount frame has a key opening. The key passes through the key opening to depress a plunger. The plunger depresses a connector yoke. The connector yoke is connected to a right spring arm and a left spring arm. The right spring arm is connected to a right retainer latch. The left spring arm is connected to a left retainer latch. The right retainer latch and the left retainer latch retain the container to the dispenser body.
The connector yoke is connected to a right spring foot and a left spring foot. The right spring foot and the left spring foot biases against the right spring arm and the left spring arm. The right spring arm and the left spring arm are connected to the right retainer latch and the left retainer latch. The dispenser connects to the container. The container has a first slot retainer and a second slot retainer. The first slot retainer connects to a right retainer rail, and a second slot retainer connects to a left retainer rail.
The inlet valve is mounted to an inlet valve retainer formed in an inlet valve opening. The inlet valve opening is formed on the container interface. The outlet valve is mounted to an outlet valve retainer formed in an outlet valve opening. The outlet valve opening is formed on the container interface. The inlet valve and the outlet valve are both formed as elastomeric members that are pressfit to the inlet valve retainer and the outlet valve retainer.
The air pump is configured to pump air to the inlet valve so that the inlet valve provides a makeup air for exiting liquid and exiting liquid exits from the container. An optional liquid pump can extract liquid through a passage tube. A dispenser wall mounted frame is connected to the dispenser body.
The following call out list of elements can be useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings.
As seen in
The container latches to the dispenser wall mounting frame 25. The dispenser wall mounting frame 25 has a right retainer rail 26 and a left retainer rail 27. The right retainer rail retains a right portion of the container and the left retainer rail 27 retains a left portion of the container. The right retainer rail controls a right retainer latch 41 and controls a left retainer latch 42. The right retainer latch 41 latches to a right portion of the container and the left retainer latch 42 latches to a left portion of the container. The dispenser body 20 further includes a retainer basin 30. The retainer basin 30 has a retainer basin hollow 31. The retainer basin 30 is below the dispenser body 20 and catches any overflow soap and bubbles. The dispenser body 20 is mounted to the dispenser wall mounting frame 25 and the dispenser wall mounting frame 25 is mounted to a wall in a vertical orientation. The dispenser wall mounted frame has a key opening 28 for receiving a key. The key presses down on a plunger 29 which then interacts with a mechanism that releases the right retainer latch 41 on the right retainer rail 26 and also releases the left retainer latch 42 on the left retainer rail 27.
As seen in the
The right spring foot 51 and the left spring foot 52 bias against the dispenser frame and provide an upward bias to the right spring arm 54 and the left spring arm 55. The right spring arm 54 and the left spring arm 55 connect outwardly to the right latch 56 and the left latch 57 upwardly from the connector yoke 53. When the plunger 29 presses down on the connector yoke 53, the connector yoke 53 pulls down the right spring arm 54 and the left spring arm 55 which in turn pulls down the right retainer latch 41 and the left retainer latch 42 which disengages the right latch 56 and the left latch 57 from the container at the right latch point 58 and the left latch point 59.
As seen in the
As seen in
As seen in
For example, the inlet valve 76 may have an outlet valve mount 77 formed as an annular protrusion around the inlet valve 76. The inlet valve opening 78 may allow air to enter the container while not allowing liquid to exit. For example, the inlet valve opening 78 can be formed as a rubber slot to allow air to leak in order to be pumped in which displaces the liquid within and forces the liquid to be purged through the outlet valve such as the outlet flow valve 73. The outlet flow valve 73 has an outlet valve protrusion mount 75 which is mounted to the outlet valve retainers 81. The outlet valve protrusion mount 75 can be formed as an annular protrusion around the outlet flow valve 73. When the liquid exits the outlet flow valve 73, the liquid can exit at the outlet valve check edge 74. The outlet valve check edge 74 forms a watertight seal when not under internal pressure. Internal pressure can be increased such as when air is pumped through the inlet valve opening 78.
The container interface adapter 80 has a seal ring 85 which seals the container interface adapter 82 the container edge 87. The container edge 87 is formed at the container opening 86. The container opening 86 may further include one or more neck ring 88 near the container body wall 89. During transportation, a cover 71 with a cover tab 72 may cover the container interface adapter 80.
As seen in
The adapter retainer edge 91 is formed on the adapter outside wall 93. The adapter outside wall 93 and the adapter inside wall 94 sandwich the container edge 87 and the container opening 86. The adapter inside wall continues to form an adapter rim 92 which connects the adapter outside wall 93 to the adapter inside wall 94. The outlet valve opening funnel 96 is parallel to the adapter inside wall 94, which in turn is parallel to the adapter outside wall 93. The outlet valve opening funnel 96 is preferably lower than a level of the adapter ring 92. The neck interface 95 can be formed to the container body wall 89. The container opening 86 thus has flow regulation.
As seen in
As seen in
The dispenser socket 21 receives fluid from a fluid container and passes the fluid to and inlet tube. The inlet tube has a makeup air branch 120. The makeup air branch 120 has a connection to the makeup air tube 121. The makeup air tube 121 is a makeup air member 110. The makeup air tube inlet valve 122 admits a small amount of air through a small constriction at the makeup air member inlet opening 123. The makeup air passes through the makeup air tube 121 and into the makeup air branch 120. The makeup air branch 120 then passes air into the dispenser tube 127. The makeup air passes from the dispenser tube 127 through the dispenser socket 21 and into the container so that the container pressure is equalized.
As soap liquid exits from the dispenser tube 127, it passes the makeup air tube 121 at the makeup air branch 120. The makeup air branch 120 is also connected to the second pump inlet tube section 118. The second pump inlet tube section 118 has a second pump inlet tube retainer spring 117. The retainer spring prevents crimping of the tube when the tube has a bend. Retainer springs are helical and inserted into the tube lengthwise such that liquid is passing through the helical spring.
The electronic controller 111 controls the foam pump which draws soap liquid from the first foam pump inlet tube section 113 and outputs foam to the foam pump outlet tube 114. The first foam pump inlet tube section 113 has a first foam pump inlet tube retainer spring 115. Similarly, the foam pump outlet tube 114 has a pump outlet tube retainer spring 116. The foam pump outlet tube 114 has a downward bend and the first foam pump inlet tube section 113 also has a downward bend. Both of these downward bends are not crimped due to the tube retainer springs inserted coaxially within the tubes. The tubes can be soft elastomeric members. The first foam pump inlet tube section 113 connects to a one-way valve 119 and the one-way valve 119 connects to the second pump inlet tube section 118. The second pump inlet tube section 118 has a second pump inlet tube retainer spring 117 inserted because the second pump inlet tube section 118 has an upward bend. The one-way valve 119 allows passage of soap liquid from the second pump inlet tube 118 to the first foam pump inlet tube section 113.
The battery mount 112 can be mounted parallel to the makeup air member 110. The makeup air branch 120 has a dispenser tube connector 126 that connects to the dispenser tube 127, and has a makeup air tube connector 124 that connects to the makeup air tube 121, and has a first foam pump inlet tube connector 125 that connects to the second pump inlet tube section 118. The first pump inlet tube section and the second pump inlet tube section together form the inlet tube. The inlet tube passes from the makeup air branch 122 the foam pump 130. The foam pump 130 pumps mostly liquid, and sometimes some air bubbles. The foam pump 130 passes liquid through the outlet nozzle 140. The outlet nozzle 140 is mounted on the outlet nozzle bracket 141. The outlet nozzle bracket 141 may have a foam generator such as screens, and the outlet nozzle bracket can be mounted on the outlet nozzle bracket frame extension 142. Thus, the foam pump 130 creates foam by pumping liquid and air through the outlet nozzle 140. The outlet nozzle 140 may have screens that mix the liquid and air to make foam.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18308515 | Apr 2023 | US |
| Child | 18762449 | US |
