Patent Application
20050133526
Various configurations and models of liquid dispensers, particularly liquid soap dispensers, are well known in the art. Some conventional dispensers typically employed in public restrooms and the like are wall mounted units that typically include a housing or structure that is not permanently affixed to a wall. This may be because it may be advantageous for maintenance personnel to fully replace an empty dispenser housing with a new housing that contains both the replacement liquid as well as a self-contained dispensing pump. However, these disposable dispensers can be susceptible to being stolen. Therefore, there is a need for a wall-mounted dispenser that is difficult to remove for unauthorized persons, but easily removed by maintenance personnel.
The present invention is an improvement over existing systems in that it provides a mounting bracket for a disposable self-contained dispenser that provides protection against removal by unauthorized persons, but allows easy removal by maintenance personnel.
Advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a mounting bracket for mounting a liquid dispenser housing to a wall is disclosed. The mounting bracket includes a plate member that includes a first substantially vertical side wall and a second substantially vertical side wall. Each substantially vertical side wall includes at least one angled surface for engaging against complementary angled surfaces on the liquid dispenser housing. The bracket further includes a two-position locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a locking member slidingly engaged within at least one opening defined within the plate member. The locking member is capable of sliding to a first position at which an end portion of the locking member extends beyond the first vertical side wall to interfere with removal of the liquid dispenser housing from the mounting bracket. Additionally, the locking member is capable of sliding to a second position at which the liquid dispenser housing may be removed from the mounting bracket. Optionally, the end portion of the locking member may include a chamfered surface. The chamfered surface is angled to allow the locking member to slide to the second position during installation of the dispenser.
In one aspect, the locking member may include a pin. The pin may include a first portion extending substantially parallel to the second vertical side wall. Further, the pin may include a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the second vertical side wall. Alternatively, the pin may include a second portion extending at an angle with respect to the second vertical side wall.
In a further aspect, the locking member may, for example, include a ferrous material or a magnet, or may be magnetically activated.
In an even further aspect, the mounting bracket may include a means for urging the locking member towards the first position. As one example, the means for urging may include a spring.
In another aspect, the mounting bracket may include a pinion rotatably attached to a surface of the plate member. The pinion includes a first end having a first set of circumferential angled threads engaged to at least one tooth on a surface of the locking member. Rotation of the pinion in a first direction slides the locking member toward the first position, while rotation of the pinion in a second direction slides the locking member toward the second position. The pinion may be rotatably supported within a bushing attached to a surface of the plate member.
Optionally, the mounting bracket may include a second locking member. The second locking member may include at least one tooth engaged to a second set of circumferential angled threads upon a second end of the pinion. Rotation of the pinion in the first direction slides the locking members away from one another to lock the dispenser housing to the mounting bracket. Rotation of the pinion in the second opposite direction slides the locking members towards each other to unlock the dispenser housing from the mounting bracket.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a self contained viscous liquid dispenser is disclosed that includes a housing, an internal liquid reservoir defined by the housing, a dispensing pump mechanism disposed at least partially within the reservoir and having a delivery end extending out of the reservoir, and a mounting mechanism configured as an integral component of the housing. The mounting mechanism includes angled surfaces detachably connectable with a complementary mounting structure on a wall surface. The complementary mounting structure includes a plate member and a two-position locking mechanism including a locking member slidingly engaged within at least one opening defined within the plate member. The plate member includes a first substantially vertical side wall and a second substantially vertical side wall. Each substantially vertical side wall includes at least one angled surface for engaging against the complementary angled surfaces on the liquid dispenser housing. The locking member is capable of sliding to a first position at which an end portion of the locking member extends beyond the first vertical side wall to interfere with removal of the liquid dispenser housing from the mounting structure. Additionally, the locking member is capable of sliding to a second position at which the liquid dispenser housing may be removed from the mounting structure.
In one aspect, the housing is slidable in a generally vertical direction onto the mounting structure. The angled surfaces slide into engagement with the complementary angled surfaces on the mounting structure such that the housing cannot be pulled away from the mounting structure.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a disposable viscous liquid dispenser is disclosed that includes a housing defining an internal integral liquid reservoir, a dispensing pump mechanism disposed at least partially within the reservoir and including an operable delivery end for dispensing the viscous liquid from the housing, and a back side configured for placement against a supporting wall surface. The back side includes a mounting mechanism formed integral therewith. The mounting mechanism includes engagement surfaces configured to releasably interlock with complementary structure of a wall mounting member provided on a supporting wall so that the housing cannot be pulled away from the supporting wall. The wall mounting member includes a locking member slidingly positioned within at least one track defined within the wall mounting member, a means for resiliently biasing the sliding locking member towards a locking position at which the locking member substantially prevents removal of the housing from the wall mounting member, and a means for moving the sliding locking member towards a position at which the sliding locking member will not prevent the removal or installation of the housing.
In accordance with an even further embodiment of the present invention a disposable liquid soap dispenser is disclosed that includes a housing defining an internal integral liquid soap reservoir and a back side configured for placement against a supporting wall surface, a dispensing pump mechanism disposed at least partially within the reservoir and comprising an operable delivery end for dispensing liquid soap from the housing, and a mounting mechanism formed integral with the back side. The mounting mechanism includes engagement surfaces configured to releasably interlock with complementary structure of a wall mounting member provided on a supporting wall so that the housing cannot be pulled away from the supporting wall. The mounting mechanism further includes a recess defined in the back side. The recess includes at least two vertical side walls having at least one angled surface disposed on each of the vertical side walls. The housing is slidable in a generally vertical direction onto the wall mounting member, the angled surfaces sliding into engagement with complementary angled surfaces on the wall mounting member.
The dispenser further includes a mounting bracket locking mechanism that includes a locking member slidingly engaged by the mounting structure. The locking member is capable of sliding to a locking position at which a portion of the locking member is positioned so as to interfere with removal of the housing from the mounting structure. Additionally, the locking member is capable of sliding to an unlocked position to enable removal of the housing from the mounting structure. In a further aspect, the dispenser may include a protrusion disposed on the back side of the housing. The protrusion is engageable in a complementary divot defined in the wall mounting structure.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of attaching a liquid dispenser to a wall mounting structure is disclosed. The method includes the steps of placing a magnet adjacent a locking mechanism attached to the wall mounting structure to slide a locking member to a central location within the wall mounting structure, engaging the dispenser to the wall mounting structure, and removing the magnet to allow the locking member to slide to a locking location where the locking member restricts removal of the dispenser from the wall mounting structure.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention a method of removing a liquid dispenser from a wall mounting structure is disclosed. The method includes the steps of placing a magnet adjacent a locking mechanism inside the wall mounting structure to deactivate the locking mechanism, and disengaging the dispenser from the wall mounting structure.
The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to particular embodiments illustrated in the figures.
a is a partial perspective and cut-away view of the pump mechanism particularly illustrating the locking feature thereof;
b is a partial perspective and cut-away view of the pump mechanism particularly illustrating the locking feature thereof;
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, may be used with another embodiment, to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.
The present invention relates to a locking mounting bracket or wall structure having a two-position locking mechanism for use with any manner of liquid dispenser. The locking mounting bracket is particularly well suited for use with any manner of viscous liquid dispenser, for example soap dispensers, lotion dispensers, and the like. The present invention also encompasses a dispenser utilizing the locking mounting bracket according to the invention. Examples of dispensers that may benefit from the mounting bracket of the present invention are described in WO 02/49490 A1 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,976 to Lewis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,145 to Lewis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,651 to Lewis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,334 to Lewis et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,335 to Lewis et al., and U.S. patent application publications 2002/0074354A1 and 2002/0074355A1, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A viscous liquid dispenser 10 according to the invention is illustrated generally in the figures. The dispenser 10 is illustrated and described herein as a liquid soap dispenser, which is a particularly useful embodiment of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a dispenser for liquid soap, but has application in any environment wherein it is desired to dispense a metered amount of a viscous liquid from a dispensing unit.
Referring to
It may be desired to provide means for a maintenance technician to determine the level of viscous liquid within the dispenser. In this regard, a portion of the housing 14 may be formed from a translucent or clear material. The entire back component 22 may be formed from a translucent or clear material so that the service or maintenance technician can view the remaining liquid level from the side of the dispenser. In an alternative embodiment, a window (not shown) of clear or translucent material may be provide anywhere in the housing 14, desirably near the bottom portion of the housing, to provide the maintenance technician with the capability of viewing inside the reservoir to determine the remaining amount of liquid therein.
The housing 14 defines an internal liquid reservoir 68 (
The back component 22 of the housing 14 is desirably more rigid than the front component 24. One way of achieving this feature is to simply mold the back component 22 with a thickness greater than that of the front component 24. As will be explained in greater detail below, the dispenser 10 is mounted onto a supporting wall surface by means of an internal mounting mechanism configured on the back side 18 of the housing 14. A more rigid back component 22 aids in mounting the dispenser 10. It has also been found that, if the front and back components are molded from a resilient plastic material, once the dispenser is empty, the back component 22 has enough “give” to enable the dispenser 10 to be easily removed from the supporting wall structure.
Referring to
Referring to
The cylinder 92 sealingly engages against the chamber walls 72 by any conventional means. For example, a flange or piston 101 may be disposed at the rear end of the cylinder 92 for sealing engagement against chamber wall 72. In an alternative embodiment, O-rings 116 (
The pump cylinder 92 is biased within the chamber 70 by way of, for example, a spring 98. Other resilient devices, including a leaf spring, spring washer, and the like, may be utilized for this purpose. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring 92 is seated within a recess 102 defined by a flared flange 100, as particularly illustrated in
Structure is also provided to ensure that the cylinder 92 cannot be pulled from the front end of the chamber 70. In the illustrated embodiment, this structure corresponds to a flange portion of the front wall 86 of the chamber 70. As illustrated in
A check valve device 104 is configured with the pump mechanism 88 to ensure that the viscous liquid within the pump chamber 70 is not pushed out of the chamber 70 upon movement of the cylinder 92 within the chamber 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the check valve device 104 is a shuttle type check valve having radially extending arms 106. The shuttle valve is slidably disposed within an opening defined through the end cap 74. The space between the radial arms 106 is open to the reservoir 68 so that the liquid can flow from the reservoir 68 into the pump chamber 70 upon movement of the cylinder to the forward end of the pump chamber 70, as illustrated in
Operation of the pump mechanism 88 is particularly illustrated in
So as not to draw a vacuum within the reservoir 68, the reservoir is vented. This venting may be accomplished by various means. For example, the reservoir 68 could be vented directly through or around the cylinder 92. However, this may not be a desired embodiment since fluid would tend to leak out from around the cylinder. One desirable venting method as illustrated in
a and 8b illustrate a locking characteristic of the pump cylinder 92 that is particularly useful during shipment of the dispensers 10. The pump cylinder 92 may include a longitudinal channel 118 defined in the top thereof. A tab portion 87 of the pump chamber front wall member 86 is disposed within the longitudinal channel 118. In this way, the pump cylinder 92 is prevented from rotating upon actuation and release thereof. A partial circumferential channel 120 is defined in the pump cylinder 92, as particularly illustrated in
Referring to
The wall mounting structure 58 may comprise any manner of suitable attaching structure. In the illustrated embodiment, the wall mounting structure 58 is defined by a plate member 64 that is attached to the wall surface 12, for example by screws, adhesives, or the like. The wall mounting structure 58 serves simply to provide an interlocking engagement device for the dispenser 10. It should be appreciated that any manner of interlocking engaging configurations may be provided for detachably connecting the dispenser 10 to complementary wall structure provided on a supporting wall. A desirable feature of the invention is that the entire dispenser 10 is disposable and, thus, relatively simple yet reliable engagement devices are preferred. It has been found that the double angled surface configuration as illustrated and described herein is particularly useful in this regard.
Once the dispenser 10 has been properly located on the wall mounting structure 58, it is desirable to include a positioning device to indicate to the technician that the dispenser 10 has been properly positioned. The positioning device may comprise a protrusion 126 extending from the back side 18 of the housing within the recess 50. The protrusion 126 slides up a ramp surface 129 defined in the mounting structure 58 and snaps into a correspondingly sized divot 128 disposed adjacent to the ramp surface 129.
It should be appreciated that dispensers according to the invention are not limited in their size so long as the mounting mechanism between the housing and wall mounting structure is structurally sufficient to support the weight of the filled housing.
Referring to
During installation of the dispenser housing 14, i.e., as the dispenser housing is lowered toward the final installed position, the chamfered surface 148 of the pin 142 may contact a chamfered surface 152 below a protrusion 154. Contact between the two chamfered surfaces 148,152 causes the pin 142 to slide upwardly within the openings 144 towards the “open” position where the pin does not impede the installation of the dispenser housing 14 onto the wall mounting structure 58. When the dispenser housing 14 reaches the final installed position, the pin 142 slides downwardly within the openings 144 to the “locked” position depicted in
To remove the dispenser housing 14 from the wall mounting structure 58, a magnet 156 is placed adjacent a side wall 150 of the dispenser housing 14 near a second end 158 of the pin 142. The magnetic attraction between the magnet 156 and the pin 142 causes the pin to slide away from the protrusion 154 and towards the “open” position. The pin 142 has a bend 160 that prevents the pin from sliding out of the openings 144. To increase the magnetic attraction between the magnet 156 and the pin 142, a segment 162 of the pin is provided adjacent the bend 160, the segment extending adjacent the wall mounting structure 58. The size of the magnet 156 required to generate enough magnetic force necessary to move the pin is readily determined by one skilled in the art.
Desirably, the pin 142 further comprises a projection 145. The projection 145 serves to prevent the pin 142 from being pulled too far by the magnet 158 in the direction opposite the first end 146, and thus remain securely within the openings 144. Additionally, the magnet may be used to slide the pin towards the “open” position during the installation of the dispenser housing. Thus is provided a simple apparatus and easy method for locking the dispenser housing 14 to the wall mounting structure 58 while providing maintenance personnel simple and easy removal of the dispenser housing.
A surface 450 of the slidable gear rack 442 comprises one or more gear teeth 452. Desirably, the surface 450 of the slidable gear rack 442 comprises at least three gear teeth 452. The spacing of the gear teeth 452 complements the spacing of threads 454 on a pinion 456 having first and second ends 457. The pinion 456 is rotatably mounted to a surface 458 on the wall mounting structure 58. As one example, the pinion 456 may be mounted to a partial bushing 460 attached to the surface 458 on the wall mounting structure 58. If only one slidable gear rack 442 is used, then only the first end 457 of the pinion need be threaded. If two slidable gear racks 442 are used, then both the first end and second ends 457 are threaded, however, the thread handedness or direction at the first end is reversed compared to the handedness at the second end such that the slidable gear racks 442 will travel in opposite directions when the pinion 456 is rotated. For example, when the pinion 456 is rotated in one direction, both slidable gear racks 442 will slide away from each other and towards the “locked” position. When the pinion 456 is rotated in the other direction, both slidable gear racks 442 will slide towards each other and towards the “unlocked” position. Desirably, the pitch of the threads 454 is such that an about one quarter turn of the pinion 456 results in the slidable gear racks 442 moving from the “locked” position to the “unlocked” position and vice versa.
One end 457 of the pinion 456 defines an opening 459 for engagement with a tool (not shown) that can be used to rotate the pinion. The opening 459 may have one of many different shapes depending upon the type of tool used. For example, the opening 459 may be shaped to accept a screwdriver, a hexagonal wrench, and so forth. Access to the end 457 is provided through an opening 462 defined within the wall mounting structure 58. A corresponding opening (not shown) may be defined within the dispenser housing 14 to allow access of the tool to the shaped end 457 of the pinion 456.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modification or variations can be made in the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is intended that the invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
