HK1053695B - System and method for dispensing soap - Google Patents

Description

System and method for extruding soap

Technical Field

This patent claims priority from previously filed co-pending provisional applications having provisional application numbers 60/154,101 and 60/156,981.

The present invention relates generally to automatically operated devices that repeatedly express fluid material from a replaceable reservoir, and more particularly to a fluid expression apparatus and method that automatically expresses fluid material with the perception of the presence of a user.

Background

Modern public toilet facilities increasingly desire that each toilet fixture be operated automatically without the user having to touch it by hand. Such devices are important in view of the increasing awareness of users of the spread of microorganisms and bacteria in the public washroom environment. Today it is not uncommon for public toilets to have automatic, hands-free operated toilets as well as urinals, hand washing faucets, soap squeezers, hand dryers and door openers. This automation allows the user to avoid touching any fixtures, thereby reducing the possibility of microbial and bacterial transmission of disease caused by hand contact with fixtures in public washrooms.

There is also a need in the public washroom for a washstand-mounted soap dispenser that includes a soap reservoir that is easily replaced after use and is economical to manufacture and maintain. It is therefore desirable that the soap reservoir comprises a container which is easily mounted with and quickly secured to the permanent components of the soap dispenser fixture and which is easily removed from the fixture when used up and cooperates with the operating components of the soap dispenser.

In addition, it is desirable that the soap reservoir include a soap delivery system to ensure that a uniform dose of soap is delivered to the user each time the fixture is automatically opened. The reservoir and pump assembly must operate as a single unit to deliver the same measure of soap from the reservoir to the user.

Several automatically operated toilet soap dispensers have been developed, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,967,935(Celest), 4,938,384 (Piolla), 4,921,150 (Lagradren), 4,722,372(Hoffman) and 4,645,094 (Acklin). However, these devices do not contain structural elements that desirably provide consistent operation, ease of installation and replacement, and low manufacturing costs.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention overcomes these problems with prior art devices for securing a soap dispenser to a washstand. The disclosed invention provides a soap dispenser assembly that delivers measured consistent doses of soap to a user's hand.

To this end, embodiments of the present invention include a system for delivering soap through an elongated delivery tube directly connected to a reservoir and pump assembly, the delivery tube moving axially within a rigid nozzle each time the soap dispenser is activated.

The soap delivery tube and pump assembly are centrally located on the top of the soap reservoir. Thus, when an empty soap reservoir assembly is replaced, a new delivery tube, pump assembly and soap reservoir can be provided with a full soap reservoir assembly. Furthermore, due to the intermediate placement of the elongated delivery tube and pump assembly on the reservoir, the delivery tube can easily extend axially through a curved, rigid wringing nozzle mounted on the vanity, so that during installation of a new, full reservoir and pump assembly, as the integral reservoir, pump assembly and delivery tube assembly rotates, the delivery tube can be rotated about its longitudinal axis to facilitate movement thereof in the wringing nozzle.

The pump assembly mounted on the soap reservoir of the present invention is also provided with a pump activation mechanism. The pump activation mechanism may include a laterally extending actuator portion of the pump assembly. The actuator portion may allow the pump assembly and the delivery tube to be mounted centrally with respect to the axis of the reservoir and the stationary part of the soap dispenser. The pump actuator mechanism is controlled using a battery or other power-activated drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is activated when the reflective proximity sensor detects that the user's hand is in a position proximate the wringing nozzle. This may be achieved by a reflective proximity sensor forming part of a soap dispenser fixedly mounted on the washstand.

The soap reservoir and pump assembly of the present invention provides several advantages over prior art soap dispensing systems. Due to the central location of the pump and the wringing tube relative to the soap container, a pump assembly that is manufactured in a standardized manner can be used for assembly of the reservoir module of the present invention. This allows the reservoir module to be filled using standard bottle filling equipment found in most shrink-bottle filler facilities. This use of standard equipment results in substantial savings in the cost of producing a refillable soap reservoir module according to the present invention.

The mid-mounting of the pump assembly and delivery tube in the soap reservoir module of the present invention also allows for quick mounting of the reservoir module to the housing of the extruder motor by simply rotating the soap reservoir and pump assembly to complete the bayonet connection with the stationary pump housing of the present invention. Furthermore, the construction of the reservoir and pump assembly enables reliable refill units to be mass produced.

The combination of a rigid wringing nozzle and a soap delivery tube that is movable within the nozzle allows for economy of construction, which was not possible with previous automatic soap dispensers. After a dose of soap has been expelled, a spring in the pump assembly mounted on the reservoir provides a spring force that returns the delivery tube to the starting position. The arrangement and construction of the nozzle enables the delivery tube to be easily moved within the nozzle with substantially little friction. The elongated delivery tube of the present invention is sufficiently rigid to withstand the hydraulic pressures generated during extrusion and is sufficiently flexible to move with little friction inside the wringing nozzle.

The motor housing of the present invention is mounted on a shaft extending through the washstand so that the housing can be easily rotated off the bottom side of the sink and also easily rotated off the pipe fixing member. This is a result of the centrally mounted operating members which project from the reservoir module, through the motor housing, to the inlet of the wringing nozzle.

The present invention also includes an indicator for notifying a maintenance operator when the reservoir module is empty of soap following the dispensing of an electronically metered predetermined dose of soap. Another indicator indicates when the battery is low.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the automatic soap dispenser of the present invention, illustrating the device mounted on a lavatory in a restroom;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the automatic soap dispenser of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2;

figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an enlarged part of the rigid nozzle and threaded shaft of the soap dispenser of figures 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the threaded shank portion of the present invention taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the rigid nozzle and support bar of the automatic soap dispenser of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the support rod and the motor housing and support assembly taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the key connection between the support rod and the motor housing and support assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a detailed top view of a clip for removably attaching the motor housing and support assembly to the support pole of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the clip taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detailed bottom view of the clip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the clip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a support shaft attached to the motor housing and support assembly of the present invention, showing the clip in an unlocked position, and showing the pump hammer actuator of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a detailed perspective view of the pump hammer of the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the support shaft connected to the motor housing and support assembly, taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 2, showing the locking clip in an unlocked position;

FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the support shaft connected to the motor housing and support assembly taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 2, showing the locking clip in a locked position;

FIG. 14 is a detailed front elevational view of the pump actuator of the present invention shown disposed within the pump housing;

FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C are schematic detail views showing the stages of the pump hammer relative to the pump actuator flange upon actuation of the pump hammer of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the pump actuator of the present invention taken along line 16-16 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional front elevational view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front cross-sectional view of the actuator of the present invention taken along line 16-18 of the drawing;

FIG. 19 is a front cross-sectional view of the actuator of the present invention taken along line 16-19 of the drawing;

FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of the pump mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a bottom detail view of the retaining clip which removably connects the reservoir and pump assembly of the present invention with the motor housing and support assembly;

FIG. 22 is a detailed top view of the retaining clip of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a detailed perspective view of the retaining clip of FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is an assembled elevational view of a reservoir module view and a pump assembly view of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the reservoir module and pump assembly of FIG. 24 taken along line 25-25 of FIG. 24, the pump assembly showing only the profile;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the connection between the motor housing and support assembly and the reservoir and pump assemblies of the present invention taken along line 26-26 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a front and top perspective view of the reservoir assembly and pump assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pump actuator mechanism and container neck of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic eye sensor mount of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a detailed front elevational view of the discharge port portion of the rigid nozzle of the present invention;

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram of the circuitry for implementing the present invention for controlling the operation of the automatic soap dispenser;

FIG. 32 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of extruding soap in accordance with the present invention; and

fig. 33 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the soap dispenser circuit of fig. 31.

Detailed description of the illustrated embodiments

Referring to fig. 1, an automatic soap dispensing system constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. The liquid extrusion system 10 may include three main components: a nozzle and stationary shaft assembly 12, a motor housing and support assembly 14, and a reservoir module and pump assembly 16. The liquid expression system 10 is shown mounted on a vanity 18 with a support shaft 20 extending through a through-hole 22, the through-hole 22 being disposed through the vanity 18. The washstand 18 may be a sink wash stand and the support shaft 20 may be hollow (hollow portion 84) and threaded (external threads 76).

The support shaft 20 is fixed to or is an integral part of the rigid nozzle. The rigid spout 24 may include a base 25 that interfaces with the vanity 18, an upwardly extending electronics eye housing portion 26, and a curved extrusion portion 28. The arrangement shown in figure 2 has a resilient washer 27 interposed between the base 25 of the nozzle and the upper surface 29 of the washstand 18. The outer end of the curved extrusion 28 includes a serrated outlet 30 (fig. 1), the outlet 30 having a nozzle opening 31 (fig. 2) which facilitates the extrusion of soap. The housing portion 26 includes an opening 32 over which a lens 34 is mounted and behind which an electronic eye sensor assembly 36 (fig. 2) is mounted in the housing 26, as will be explained below. An indicator light 37 (fig. 5) is also positioned behind the lens 34 to indicate a "low battery" and/or "empty" soap reservoir condition. The indicator light 37 may be a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

A manually rotatable internally threaded nut 38 engages the external threads of the support shaft 20 and mates with the internal threads 77 (fig. 3). When rotated upward, the nut 38 forces the base 25 of the rigid spout 24 downward and against the washer 27 to make intimate contact with the vanity 18. This securely mounts the spout and shaft assembly 12 to the vanity 18. A safety washer 40 may be inserted between the nut 38 and the bottom edge 33 of the vanity 18. This arrangement ensures that the spout and shaft assembly 12 is securely mounted to the vanity and movement of the spout is prevented.

The motor housing and support assembly 14 may include a pump housing 44 and a motor and actuator mechanism housing 46. The pump housing includes a cylindrical hollow interior 47 (fig. 2) through which soap may be delivered from the reservoir and pump assembly 16 to the opening 30 of the nozzle 24, as will be explained below. A reservoir assembly retaining clip 48 is located at the bottom of the pump housing 44 to removably attach the reservoir and pump assembly 16 to the pump housing 44 as will be explained. Additionally, when the fluid expression system 10 is fully assembled, the motor housing and support assembly 14 is removably coupled to the lower end of the support shaft 20 by a clip 42, which will be described with reference to fig. 8-12.

As shown in fig. 2, the motor and actuator mechanism housing 46 may include a motor 49, a reduction gear train 51, and a pump hammer 53. The operation of the pump hammer 53 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2 and 15A, B, C. The switch control circuit 521 of fig. 31 can control the operation of the motor 49. Connecting wires 50 (fig. 1 and 4) electrically connect the electronic eye assembly 36 in the housing portion 26 (fig. 1 and 29) to the switch control circuit 521 (fig. 31).

As shown in fig. 1, the fluid expression system 10 can also include a separate battery pack 52. The battery pack 52 is electrically connected to the motor and actuator mechanism housing 46 by wires 54 and 56. Connecting element 58 allows wires 54 to be removably connected to wires 56 during installation of automatic fluid expression system 10. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the battery pack 52 may be permanently or removably attached to the motor and actuator mechanism housing 46. The battery pack 52 in the illustrated embodiment supplies power to the drive motor 49 and actuates the electronics of the electronic eye assembly 36.

The bottom or bottom end 260 of the pump housing may include structure for releasably retaining the soap reservoir to the motor housing and support assembly 14. The container 60 includes a top closure 62 having an opening 63 through which a pump mechanism 65 extends (fig. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the container 60 is cylindrical with an axis 64 as a centerline. The opening 63 in the container 60 is also centered about the axis 64. The axis 64 may be considered a longitudinal axis. As explained below, the securing clip 48 releasably and securely secures the container 60 to the pump housing 44.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the automatic soap dispenser taken along line 2-2 of fig. 1. As shown, the rigid nozzle 24 may include a curved internal passage 66, the internal passage 66 extending from the base 25 through the nozzle 24 to connect to the nozzle opening 31. As shown in FIG. 2, when the reservoir and pump assembly 16 is connected to the motor housing and support assembly 14, one end 70 of the elongated extrusion tube 68 will reciprocate within the passage 66 under the urging of the pump mechanism 65. The serrated discharge port 30 may include a serrated portion 72, with the serrated portion 72 being blocked by a nozzle tip 74 of the nozzle 24. The serrated portion 72 may form a protective shield around the tube end 70 of the extruded tube 68. The serrated portion 72 may protect the tube end 70 from the user when the tube end 70 of the extruded tube 68 extends beyond the nozzle opening 31.

The housing part 26 of the electron eye in the nozzle 24 is positioned above the base 25. As shown in fig. 5, the tube end 70 may define an axis that is angled with respect to a line that is parallel to the axis 64 when the axis 64 passes through the support shaft 20. Further, the opening 32 of the housing portion 26 may define an axis that extends in a direction facing the axis of the nozzle opening 30 to form an angle. As will be explained later, a single sensor Infrared (IR) emitter 501 and IR detector 502 (FIG. 31) may be included as part of the electronic eye sensor 36 to detect the user's hand beneath the nozzle opening 31 and in response thereto activate a switch to initiate operation of the liquid expression system 10 as will be explained later.

The surface 75 of the internal passageway 66 is comprised of a smooth material to provide a substantially frictionless path for movement of the elongated extrusion tube 68 in the passageway 66 during installation or removal of the reservoir module and pump assembly 14 and the fluid extrusion system 10. In addition, the radius of curvature of the inner channel 66 is such that the elongated extruded tube 68 may move smoothly within the channel 66. For example, the radius of curvature of the interior channel 66 is about two inches in the illustrated embodiment. The extruded tube 68 is made of LDPE (low density polyethylene) and may be made of other suitable materials that are non-reactive with the soap chemistry and provide a smooth outer surface to accommodate the virtually frictionless movement of the tube 68 within the channel 66.

The passage 66 is centrally disposed in the nozzle 24 over the entire length of the passage 66 to define the axis 64. In fig. 2 it is seen that the axis 64 at the lower end of the passage 66 is at one end in line with the central axis 64 of the container 60. Thus, during installation of a full container 60, as the elongated tube 68 is rotated, the tube 68 rotates about the central axis 64 throughout the length of the channel 66. Because the tube 68 is centrally disposed about the shaft 64, and also centrally disposed within the channel 66, the container 60 can be rotated into position relative to the housing 44 during installation or removal of the container 60.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the support shaft 20 has external threads 76 and an internal passage 78 through which the elongated extruded tube 68 extends through the internal passage 18. The nut 38 includes mating internal threads that engage the external threads 76, allowing the nut 38 to rotate and move upward, engaging the underside of the vanity 18, and securing the support shaft 20 and spout 24 against movement relative to the vanity. The nut 38 is provided with an outwardly extending finger handle 80 to facilitate turning the nut 38 during installation of the fluid expression system 10.

Referring to fig. 3, 4, the passage 78 includes wall surfaces 82, 83 formed in a hollow portion in the support shaft 20. The wall surfaces 82, 83 are held at a position at a distance from the outer wall surface 86 of the support shaft 20 by the ribs 88. The external threads 76 are formed on the outer wall surface 86 and are distributed substantially along the length of the support shaft 20. The hollow portion 84 of the support shaft 20 also contains a channel 90 (fig. 4) that extends the length of the support shaft 20 as a route for wiring from the electronic eye sensor 36 to a clip (not shown) on the distal or lower end of the lead 50. The lower end of the wire 50 passes out of an opening 92 in a lower end portion 94 of the support shaft 20, below the external thread 76. The channel 78 is also formed by the ends 96 of the ribs 98. The ribs 98 extend the length of the shaft 20 between the walls 82 and 83. The ends 96 of the ribs 98 are adapted to engage the outer surface of the extruded tube 68 as the extruded tube 68 is inserted into or removed from the passage 78, or as it is rotated within the passage 78, and as the tube 68 is reciprocated within the passage 78 in response to actuation of the pump mechanism 65.

Referring to fig. 5, a cylindrical connecting rod 100 protrudes from the lower end portion 94 of the support shaft 20. The connecting rod 100 has a plurality of circumferentially distributed keys 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the keys 102 are arranged one every 30 degrees for reasons that will be explained later. The motor housing and support assembly of fig. 6 may include a plurality of grooves 104 circumferentially disposed on the support assembly 14 and the interior 106 of the motor housing. The keys 102 are adapted to mate with a plurality of recesses 104 to provide attachment of the motor housing and support assembly 14 to the support shaft 20. This arrangement allows the interior channel 78 of the support shaft 20 to be aligned with the interior center portion 106 of the motor housing and support assembly 14.

Including the unique mounting structure of the clip 42 allows the motor housing and support assembly 14 to be easily attached and detached from the support shaft 20. As shown in fig. 3 and 5, the lower end portion 94 of the support shaft 20 includes a rod-like groove 108. The rod-shaped recess 108 may be a circumferential saw-tooth shaped recess and comprises a bottom 109. The clip 42 (fig. 1, 2, and 8-11) is adapted to secure the motor housing and support assembly 14 to the support shaft 20.

Fig. 8-11 show top, side, bottom and isometric views of the clip 11. The clip 42 is generally U-shaped having an opening 110 and an arcuate closed end 112. As shown in fig. 9 and 11, the clip 42 has a channel 14, the channel 14 following an internal path around the length of the clip 42. . The resilient side walls 116 and 118, together with the resilient bottom surface 120, define the channel 114. As shown in fig. 8-11, the side walls 116 are generally taller than the side walls 118 along the length of the surrounding U-shaped clip 42, and the side walls 116, 118 each define a specific profile that enables the clip 42 to provide a removable snap-fit to engage and secure the motor housing and support assembly 14 to the support shaft 20.

Each inward portion of the sidewalls 116 includes a first arcuate inlet radius 121, a first generally flat portion 122, and a second generally flat portion 124 having a first end that intersects the first portion 122 at an angle. A second end of the second portion 124 is connected to a substantially circular portion 126. The rounded portion 126 extends over 180 degrees by an angle 125. In one embodiment, the angle 125 is 30 degrees such that the rounded portion 126 extends approximately 240 degrees to opposite sides of the clip 42. The circular portion 126 may be extended to connect to a generally flat third portion 128. The third portion 128 intersects a fourth, generally flat portion 130. At the end of the fourth planar segment 130 is a second arcuate entry radius 132.

Each inward portion of the side walls 118 of the clip 42 includes an inlet radius 134 that connects to a first arcuate portion 136 that terminates in a first nub 138. Nubs 138 are connected to a substantially circular portion 140, which portion 140 extends over 180 degrees to an angle 125. In one embodiment, the angle 125 is 30 degrees so as to be approximately 240 degrees to opposite sides of the clip 42. The circular portion 140 is connected to a second nub 142 that is connected to an arcuate portion 144 of the sidewall 118. At the outer end of the side wall 118 there is an inlet rounding.

As can be seen in fig. 8-11, in the illustrated embodiment, the inwardly facing surface forming the top of sidewall 116 is not the same size and composition as the inwardly facing surface forming the top of sidewall 118. By way of example only, and not limitation, in the illustrated embodiment, radius 147 of rounded portion 126 of sidewall 116 is approximately 0.327 inches and radius 149 of rounded portion 140 of sidewall 118 is approximately 0.502 inches. The clip 42 is composed of a rigid yet flexible material such that the clip 42 is strong enough to secure the motor housing and support assembly 14 with the support shaft, yet sufficiently flexible in the lateral direction to allow proper functioning in both snap action positions, as explained below.

With the nozzle 24 and support shaft 20 mounted to the washstand 18 (fig. 1, 2), the recess 106 (fig. 6 and 7) of the inner upper portion of the motor housing and support assembly 14 is moved upward to engage with the key 102 of the cylindrical connecting rod 100 of the support shaft 20 until the key 102 engages with the recess 104.

As shown in fig. 3, the pump housing recess 148 surrounds the outer and upper surfaces of the pump housing 44. The pump housing recess 148 can include a bottom 151 and is adapted to be received in the first position of fig. 12A, the arcuate portions 136 and 144 of the side walls 118 of the clip 42 (fig. 8) through the opening 110 of the clip 42. The pump housing recess 148 may also be adapted to be received in the circular portion 140 of the sidewall 118 in the second position of fig. 12B through the opening 110.

The clip 42 is partially manually installed on the assembly 14 by inserting the side wall 118 into the recess 148 to mate therewith before moving the motor housing and support assembly 14 into contact with the connecting rod 100. In the first position, the complementary inlet radiused portions 134 and 136 are urged around the bottom of the pump housing groove 148. This may cause the clip 42 to bend outwardly and then back inwardly. The arcuate portions 136 and 144 engage the bottom 151 of the pump housing recess when the clip 42 is flexed inwardly. The dimensions of the arcuate portions 136, 144 and the clip 42, as well as the inherent flexibility of the clip 42, allow the clip 42 to be mounted somewhat securely in a first position on the upper surface of the outer side of the pump housing 14. This retains the clip 42 against the pump housing groove 148 as shown in fig. 12A. With the clip 42 retained against the pump housing recess 148, the user is free to manually engage the motor housing and support assembly 14 with the connecting rod 100.

The circumferential distance between adjacent keys 102 and adjacent grooves 104 allows the motor housing and support assembly 14 to rotate in 30 degree increments as the motor housing and support assembly 14 is moved into engagement with the connecting rod 100 so that the motor housing and support assembly 14 is positioned to avoid interference with the underside of the sink and plumbing or structural components mounted under the vanity 18. This also allows the assembly 14 to be placed in an easily accessible location when servicing of the fluid expression system 10 is required.

After the motor housing and support assembly 14 is positioned and mounted on the connecting rod 100, the clips 42 are manually moved laterally inwardly from their first position (fig. 12A) to their second position (fig. 12B). To reach this second position, the side walls 116, 118 are slightly curved outwardly and inwardly to allow the rounded portion 140 of the clip 42 to engage the bottom 151 of the groove 148 over its entire length and to allow the rounded portion 126 of the clip 42 to engage the bottom 109 of the shaft groove 108 (fig. 5) of the support shaft 20. In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 8-11, circular portion 140 extends 240 degrees around the bottom 151 of pump housing recess 148 and circular portion 126 extends 240 degrees around the bottom 109 of shaft recess 108, circular portions 140 and 126 being secured to each other by clip 42 when clip 42 is removably positioned in its second position.

As best seen in fig. 3 and 7, the pump housing recess 148 in the motor housing and support assembly 14 is partially formed by a flange 150. The flange 150 may include an upwardly facing surface 152. As the clip 42 moves inwardly toward the axis 64, a surface 154 (fig. 9) of the clip 42 slides over a portion of the upper surface 152 of the flange 150. In addition, the surface 156 slides over a portion of the underside of the flange 150. This causes the flange 150 to be slidably engaged within the channel 114 of the clip 42 (fig. 9). As the clip 42 is pushed further inward toward the axis 64, the side wall 118 moves into the pump housing groove 148 and the side wall 116 moves into the adjacent shaft groove 108 of the support shaft 20 (fig. 12B) until the flat portions 124, 128 (fig. 12A) contact the bottom 109 of the shaft groove 108, as described above. The clip 42 then flexes outward and then inward to allow the rounded portion 126 of the sidewall 116 to engage the top of the shaft recess 108 (fig. 12B) about the shaft recess 108 over an arc distance of 180 degrees multiplied by twice the angle 123. In the illustrated embodiment, the circular portion 126 of the sidewall 116 extends about 240 degrees around the axial recess 108, however this dimension may vary. When the clip 42 is in the position shown in fig. 12B, the flange 150 is tightly engaged between the surfaces 154 and 156 of the side walls 116, 118, respectively. In addition, the rounded portion 126 of the side wall 116 engages tightly with the bottom 109 of the shaft recess 108 and the rounded portion 140 engages with the bottom 151 of the pump housing, all with a snap action. Thus, the motorized housing and support assembly 14 can removably and securely hold the shaft 20 until the clip 14 is manually moved outwardly to disengage from at least the shaft groove 108 and the clip 42.

As described above, the motor housing and support assembly 14 includes the pump housing 44 and the motor, as well as the actuator housing 46. When the motor housing and support assembly 14 is mounted on the support rod 20 as described above, the assembly 14 will provide the driving force for the operation of the pump mechanism 65. Referring to fig. 2, a motor 49 is housed in the housing 46 and is electrically connected to the electronic eye by a connecting lead 50 (fig. 1). The motor 49 may also be electrically connected to a power source contained in the battery pack 52 by wires 54, 56 and a connector 58. The electronic eye sensor acts as a switch to switch the motor 49 between on and off, or if desired, the sensor can trigger a separate switch (not shown) to activate the motor 49.

A reduction gear train 51 rotatably mounted in the housing 46 operatively couples the output of the motor 49 to a pump hammer 53. The pump hammer 53 is illustrated in detail in fig. 13. Referring to fig. 2 and 13, the pump hammer 53 includes an actuator gear portion 158 in meshing engagement with a spur gear 160, which is itself driven by the motor 49 through a reduction gear train. The pump hammer 53 is mounted on the pin 162 for rotation through a small arc relative to the housing 46. In the illustrated embodiment of fig. 13, at the end of the pump hammer may be a pair of actuator arms 164, 166 that rotate as the pump hammer 53 rotates through a small arc. The pump hammer 53 also includes a flat 168 for engaging a hammer kick stop 170 (fig. 15A). The hammer recoil stop 170 is rigidly but adjustably mounted within the housing 46 as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 15A-C. Optionally, a hammer recoil stop 170 is adjustably mounted on the housing 46. As shown in fig. 13, the space between the actuator arms 164, 166 defines an open space 172.

Reference will now be made to the internal cavity of the pump housing 44 (fig. 2 and 14). The pump actuator 174 is disposed in the interior cavity 47 of the pump housing 44. The pump actuator 174 may be considered a pump mechanism and may include an actuator flange 176 extending upwardly from the body of the actuator 174 about its periphery. As shown in FIG. 14, the pump actuator 174 cooperates with a hollow pump suction tube 178 attached to the pump mechanism 65 (FIG. 2) to move downward when the pump mechanism 65 is actuated, as will be described in greater detail below. As shown in FIG. 14, upward movement of the actuator 174 is limited by a stop surface of the actuator tip surface 180 relative to an inward limit surface 182 of the pump housing 44.

The elongated extrusion tube 68 securely overlaps the cylindrical opening of the actuator 174, whereby the extrusion tube 68 is movable in a reciprocating direction within the channel 78 as the actuator 174 moves. The actuator 174 also includes a downwardly extending portion 186 to allow soap to pass from the reservoir 60, through the actuator and into the extrusion tube 68, as will be described in greater detail below. As shown in fig. 14, the pump housing 44 is provided with an opening 188 in one side wall to allow selective contact between the pump hammer 53 and the flange 176 of the actuator 174.

Fig. 15A shows a state of the pump hammer 53 when the motor is not operated. At this point, the pump hammer is in the full recoil position. Actuator arms 164, 166 (not shown) ride on an upper portion 190 of actuator 174 such that upper portion 190 extends into open space 172 (fig. 13) when the hammer is rotated clockwise about pivot 162 under the influence of motor 20. In fig. 15A, actuators 164, 166 are positioned closely above the upper facing side of actuator flange 176.

Upon actuation of the motor 49, the reduction gear train 51 drives the spur gear 160, which spur gear 160 in turn drives the pump hammer 53 in a clockwise rotation, as viewed in FIG. 15B, until the outer ends of the actuator arms 164, 166 begin to rest on the opposite outer end surface positions on the actuator flange 176. At this point, the motor 49 continues to operate, continuing to rotate the pump hammer 53 clockwise, and advancing the pump actuator 174 downward into the pump mechanism 65, as shown in FIG. 15C.

The amount of downward movement of the pump actuator 174 determines the amount of soap that is squeezed out of the elongated tube 68 at the tube end 70 with each actuation of the automatic dispensing device 10. The downward travel distance of the pump actuator is controlled by the position of the hammer kick-back stop 170. The position of hammer kick-stop 170 may be defined by an angle 189, the angle 189 being measured from the center of pin 162 to the distal surface of stop 170. In one embodiment, angle 189 is 31 degrees. The angle 191 is referenced to the stored position of the actuator arms 164, 166 and may be measured from the center of the pin 162 to the local surface of the stop 170. In one embodiment, angle 191 is 13 degrees. To expel the desired dose of soap, a flat surface on the pump hammer 53 encounters the recoil stop so that the pump hammer 53 stops further clockwise rotation.

Referring to fig. 15A, B and C, when the flat surface 168 of the pump hammer hits the hammer kick stop 170, the motor stalls, the current through the motor 49 increases, the increase in current through the stalled motor is detected by the circuit (fig. 31), the drive of the motor 49 ceases, and torque to the pump hammer 53 by the motor is prevented. With the motor turned off, the spring 236 in the pump mechanism 65 (FIG. 20) causes the pump chamber 218 to expand, whereby the flange 176 of the pump actuator 174 moves upward to force the pump hammer 53 to rotate counterclockwise to its starting position. Inertia from the reduction gear train 51 brings the pump hammer rotating counterclockwise to the position shown in fig. 15A.

Fig. 16 and 17 are detailed views of pump actuator 174 showing a beveled shape of actuator flange 176, which operates as described above. The outer portion of the actuator 174 includes a single circumferential internal thread 258 (fig. 20) for mating with a corresponding thread on the neck of the container 60 to retain the actuator 174 and the suction tube 178 in an inoperable position during the packaging of the reservoir and pump assembly 16, as will be described hereinafter.

Actuator 174 has a hollow chamber 194 (fig. 17) therein, and a time control shaft 196 extends downwardly from portion 198, portion 198 defining bottom 188 of cylindrical opening 184 (fig. 14 and 17). The extruded tube 68 is connected to the actuator 174 by a cylindrical opening 184 (fig. 14). The time control shaft 196 includes four downwardly extending vanes 200, the upper portions of which are connected to the portion 198. The abutment vanes 200 may be part of a bracket member to define openings 202 between the vanes, with soap solution providing a passage up the time control shaft 196, through the openings 202 to the extrusion tube 68 when the pump mechanism 65 is actuated. The bottom of the time control shaft 196 includes a platform 204 for engaging a seal upstroke ball plunger 206 (fig. 20) when the pump mechanism 65 is actuated.

Figure 20 provides a schematic representation of the relationship between the pump actuator 174, the pump mechanism 65 and the soap container 60. For purposes of the present invention, the pump mechanism 65 is a standard self-priming pump well known in the art. It is contemplated that the present invention may utilize additional pump mechanisms having configurations and operations that may differ from those described below. The pump actuator 174 is located at the top of the cylindrical wall 208 of the suction tube 178. The pump actuator 174 is secured to the suction tube 178 at a pressure engagement point 210. The interior of the suction tube 178 includes a generally V-shaped restriction 212 having an opening 214 therethrough. The ball plunger 206 is adapted to stop in the V-shaped groove 216 to block the aperture 214 when in the stop position shown in fig. 20.

In the pump mechanism 65, below the restriction 212 is a cylindrical open outlet chamber 218 having a ridge 220 at its bottom; the chamber 218 is further defined by a wall 222 having an outer end 224, the wall 222 may be a resilient, outwardly extending circular wall, wherein the outer end 224 slidably engages a stationary housing 226. The stationary housing 226 forms an integral part of the pump mechanism 65. The bottom of the stationary housing 226 is defined by a circular plate 228 having a hole 230 defined centrally therein. The stationary housing 226 may include a pump ball plunger 232 that rests in a groove 234 that forms an upper portion of the bore 230. A stop 233 is located at the top of circular plate 228 and forms a mounting for the lower end of spring 236. The upper end of spring 236 abuts ridge 220.

As the motors rotate actuator arms 164, 166 to engage flange 176 to drive actuator 174 downward. The actuator in turn drives the suction tube 178 downward. As the actuator 174 drives the suction tube 178 downward, the spring 236 compresses and the container 60 pressurizes to cause soap to be pumped from the container 60. The spring 236 provides the force to return the actuator to its upper position as previously described.

The bottom end of the stationary housing 226 includes a cylindrical boss 238 having a hollow center portion 240 in which a hollow soap suction tube 242 is inserted. The tube 242 extends downwardly from the boss 238 almost to the bottom of the container, thereby leaving a space 244 to allow soap to pass from the container to the tube 242.

The stationary housing 226 is securely attached to the neck 246 of the container 60 by a ferrule 248. The ferrule 248 is crimped over an outwardly extending flange 250 of the stationary housing 226 and the neck 246. To prevent soap from leaking from the container 60 during the pressurizing operation of the pump mechanism 65 and during transport of the container 60, a pump seal 252 is securely fastened to the pump housing 226 at mating threads 254. The pump seal 252 is circular and has an internal chamber 256 containing internal threads 258. The internal threads 258 are adapted to mate with the single external thread 192 on the pump actuator 174. This engagement occurs when the suction tube 178 moves downward against the force of the spring 236 and rotates about one full revolution to engage the internal threads 258 with the actuator threads 192. This arrangement may maintain the pump mechanism 65 in an inoperable position during binning. To activate the pump 65 prior to use, the pump actuator 174 is reversed to disengage the threads 258 and 192, with the configuration that the suction tube 178 is moved upwardly under the force of the previously compressed spring 236.

The fluid expression system 10 further includes a removable fastener assembly including a retaining clip 48 (fig. 1) to enable the soap container 60 to be sequentially attached and detached from the motor housing and support assembly 14. Referring to fig. 2 and 21-23, a retaining clip 48 is fixedly attached to the lower end of the module 14. As shown in fig. 21, the retaining clip 48 includes a centrally disposed opening 262 (fig. 15A), which opening 262 is aligned with an opening 264 (fig. 15A) in the lower end of the assembly 14. A screw or other suitable fastener (not shown) is inserted through the aperture 266 (fig. 21-23) to secure the mounting clip 48 to the assembly 14.

As seen in FIG. 23, the retaining clip 48 may include a lower plate 268, a wall 270 extending downwardly from the plate 268, and an inwardly extending flange 272. In the illustrated embodiment, the securing clip 48 includes a flat rear wall 274, however, the rear wall 274 may be of other suitable shapes. Referring to fig. 21 and 23, the flange 272 includes a flat portion 276, a nub 278, and a rounded portion 280 extending approximately 180 degrees on each side of the opening 262. The space between flange 272 and lower plate 268 defines a channel 282. The channel 282 also extends 180 degrees around the opening 264, while two flat channel portions 284 extend to the rear wall 274. A stop member 285 is disposed in the passage 282 for a purpose that will be explained later.

Referring to fig. 21-23, the lower plate 268 of the fixed clip 48 includes a plurality of inward projections 286 distributed along the aperture 262 such that a space 288 is defined between the projections 286. The friction face 290 (fig. 21) terminating in the serrations 291 is provided with one or more upwardly facing protrusions 286 on its surface. Each friction surface 290 may present an angled thickness in the protrusion 286 that serves to wedge the protrusion 286 between the tab 292 and the upper surface 293 of the container 60 when the reservoir and pump assembly 16 is mounted to the soap dispenser 10. The complete installation includes the nubs 295 (fig. 27) located inside the serrations 291 (fig. 21).

Referring to fig. 24 and 25, the securing clip 48 is shown without the lower end 260 (fig. 2) of the motor housing and support assembly 14 (e.g., the lower end 260 not shown in fig. 24 and 25), but as shown in fig. 2, it will be understood that the securing clip 48 is attached to the assembly 14. As shown in fig. 27, the container 60 includes a neck 246 and a tab 292 extending outwardly from the neck. As shown in fig. 25, each tab 292 has a substantially flat upper and lower end surface sized to mate with the chamber 282 of the retaining clip 48. The embodiment of fig. 24-27 shows four equally spaced tabs 292 distributed around the neck of the container 60. However, the receptacle 60 may have a different tab configuration, for example, 3 or 2 tabs may be included if desired, and the number of projections 286 and spaces 288 in the securing clip 48 may vary accordingly (fig. 21, 22).

Fig. 29 is a view of the position of the sensor unit 36 in the electronic eye of the nozzle 24, and fig. 31 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the soap dispenser circuit of the fluid dispenser system 10 of the present invention. In fig. 31, the soap dispenser circuit 500 includes an infrared emitter 501, an infrared detector 502, a combination control circuit 503, a voltage regulator 504, a voltage source 505, a control diode 506, and a speaker 507. In this embodiment, the infrared emitter 501 is located in the electronic eye sensor unit 36 (fig. 29), and includes a second voltage source 508 to provide a voltage to the infrared emitter 501 to facilitate emission of a pulsed infrared signal from the fluid expression system 10. As is well known in the industry, the second voltage source 508 may be a source of electrical potential, such as a battery or other device, that generates electrical potential to induce current from the second power source 508. The illustrated embodiment provides a 6 volt potential to the infrared emitter 501, while in other embodiments the second power supply may be varied so long as it generates an infrared pulse signal from the infrared emitter 501. Similarly, a portion of the infrared emitter 501 is a standard diode 509, much like the control diode 506 that controls the direction of current flow from the second power supply 508. Again, an infrared transmitter 501 is used to provide a continuous infrared signal from the soap dispenser 10, which is controlled by a Transmit (TX) and Receive (RX) control circuit 510 as part of a device control circuit 503. Outside of the device control circuit 503 is an infrared detector 502 physically located in the electronic eye sensor unit 36 (fig. 29). The infrared detector 502 is a low current consuming device, also controlled by the TX and RX control circuit 510. The infrared detector 502 can detect an object, such as a hand, from which soap is squeezed, when it is located in a detection field (i.e., path) formed by the infrared signal emitted from the infrared emitter 501. An object located in the detection field may reflect an infrared ray signal emitted from the infrared ray emitter 501 toward the infrared ray detector 520, and the infrared ray detector 520 receives the reflected infrared ray signal and detects the infrared ray signal. Note that infrared signaling is well known in the art using standard infrared data transmission techniques. In this embodiment, the IR detector has a standard diode 511 to control the direction of current flow and an IR detector amplifier 512. Infrared detection amplifier 512 amplifies the pulse signal and transmits the signal to receiver circuit 513. When the receiver circuit 513 receives 3 consecutive pulses from the infrared detector 502, the receiver circuit 513 sends a signal to the motor driver 514 to start the motor 49 (fig. 31 and 2). It should be noted that the signal throughout the soap dispenser circuit 503 is transmitted along a standard conductive path comprised of a conductive material, as is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. It should also be noted that motor 49 is driven by motor driver 514 in conjunction with voltage source 505, and is also controlled by conventional transistor 516.

In the soap squeezing circuit 503 of fig. 31, the TX and RX control circuit 510 controls the emission of an infrared signal from the infrared emitter 501 and the reception of the reflected infrared signal by the infrared detector 502, which is sent to the receiver circuit 513. To control the transmission of control signals between the transmit and receive control circuitry 510 and the infrared detector 502, a standard transistor 517 is electrically connected to a voltage source 518 (e.g., 5 volts). Note that infrared detector 502 is electrically grounded 519 to accurately control the current to infrared detector 502. As previously described, in one embodiment, the motor 49 is activated (and thereby expels soap from the tube end 71 (FIG. 3)) when the receiver circuit 513 receives 3 (and in other arrangements more or less) consecutive pulse signals from the infrared detector 502. The 3 pulses allow the sensor to distinguish between an actual user or another object passing in front of the transmitter on occasion. When the motor is turned on, a signal is transmitted from the motor driver 514 to a memory counter 520, the memory counter 520 being a conventional counter known in the art.

In other words, the component control circuitry 503 may include Transmit (TX) and Receive (RX) control circuitry 510 that is electrically connected to the infrared detector 502, as shown in fig. 31. The component control circuitry 503 may include a motor drive 514 and a receive circuit 513, which may be electrically connected to the infrared detector 502 and the TX and RX control circuitry 510. The receiver circuit 513 may be electrically connected to the motor drive 514. As described below, TX and RX control circuitry 510 may generate a transmit signal that may cause infrared transmitter 501 to generate a pulsed infrared signal. TX and RX control circuitry 510 may also provide a bias signal for infrared detector 502 to close or allow infrared detector 502 to detect pulsed infrared signals. In addition, the TX and RX control circuitry 510 may provide a clock signal to the receive circuitry 513 to facilitate detection of groups of consecutive pulses prior to extruding soap in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the assembly control circuitry 503. In one embodiment of the assembly control circuit, only when successive receive pulse signals are received by the receive circuit 513 will the receive circuit 513 transmit a signal from the infrared detector 502 to the motor drive 514, which in turn operates the motor 49.

The memory counter 520 is electrically connected to a switch control circuit 521 which controls 3 switches, in this embodiment, including a test switch 522, a reset switch 523, and a counter switch 524. These switches 522, 523, 524 are conventional switches that open and close as needed for operation (e.g., testing, resetting or counting) to bleed current to the ground 519. By using the switch control circuit 521, in conjunction with the motor driver 514 and TX and RX control circuit 510, to store a memory of the number of cycles that the counter 520 retains (e.g., the number of soap squeezes out) and when a certain number of squeeze out cycles (e.g., 960 or 1200) have occurred, to transmit a signal to the audio driver 525 and Light Emitting Diode (LED) driver 529, such that an indicator light 37 (fig. 29) or alarm (such as using speaker 507) embedded in the electronic eye sensor unit 36 (visible through lens 34 in fig. 29) can signal that the components of the soap dispenser must be refilled. Note that after the indicator light 37 or alarm is activated, the fluid expression system 10 will continue to operate.

Also shown in fig. 31 is an oscillator circuit 526, a first frequency divider 527, a second frequency divider 528, and LED driver 529 and battery level selector 530, all within the assembly control circuit 503. These portions provide the desired signal frequency and time for the LED driver 529 and the audio driver 525 to generate the refill indicator and alarm signals. The oscillation circuit 526 may be electrically connected to the first frequency divider 527. The oscillator circuit 526 may generate a system frequency oscillating signal that is provided to the first frequency divider 527. Oscillator circuit 526 may include a known resistance-conductance-capacitance (LRC) circuit and a logic gate inverter to produce oscillation as is standard in the art. The first and second frequency dividers are in conductive communication with the TX and RX control circuitry 510 and the audio driver 525 in order to generate the required refill indicator and alarm signals. The audio driver 525 drives the speaker 507 to produce sound when the soap dispenser must be refilled. Similarly, the LED driver connected to the first frequency divider 527, the battery level selector 530, and the audio driver 525 drive the indicator light 37 to signal that the soap dispenser needs to be refilled. Also, the battery level selector 530 prompts the LED driver 529 when the battery of the device must be replaced. The battery level selector is connected to several resistors that are used to control the amount of voltage that reaches the battery level selector 530. Outside of circuit 503 is a voltage regulator 504. These voltage regulators are used to control the amount of voltage delivered to the circuit 503 and are connected to a standard capacitor and ground to properly regulate the voltage required by the circuit 503.

In use, the embodiment of the soap dispensing circuit 500 of fig. 31 continuously emits an infrared signal from an infrared emitter outside the soap dispensing assembly 10. When an object, such as a hand, enters a detection zone or path formed by the infrared signal emitted from the infrared emitter 501, the infrared detector 502 receives the pulse reflected by the object and sends a signal to the receiver circuit 513. In the illustrated embodiment, when the receiver circuit 513 receives 3 consecutive pulses, the receiver circuit sends a signal to the motor driver 514 which in turn activates the motor 49 to squeeze soap. The dose of soap dispensed is monitored by the storage counter 520 which, in conjunction with the audio driver, audibly indicates through the speaker 507 or indicator light 37 when the soap must be refilled as described above.

Figure 32 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of extruding soap according to the present invention. In fig. 32, there are two flow charts, flow chart a and flow chart B, depicting the soap extrusion method 600. Flow chart a depicts one embodiment of a method of replacing soap after it has been used up by the continuous cycle depicted in flow chart B. Flowchart a begins with step 540, which replaces vial container 60. The container 60 may include soap that is extruded through the fluid extrusion system of the present invention. It is not required that the container 60 be completely filled with soap as long as there is some soap in the container 60 to be extruded by the soap extrusion apparatus 10. The reset key 523 is then pressed at step 541 (fig. 31). A reset key 523 is pressed at step 541 to reset the store counter 520 to 0 in fig. 31. Recall that the memory counter keeps track of the number of cycles (i.e. soap squeeze-out) and when a certain number of cycles is reached (e.g. 960 or 1200), a signal is sent to the audio driver 525 to activate an indicator light or alarm (e.g. when using the speaker 507 of figure 31) to indicate that the soap dispenser must be refilled. In one embodiment, the counter is reset at step 542 because the container 60 has been replaced with a full bottle at step 540.

Still referring to flow chart a, at 543, several pump-activating actions (e.g., 4) are performed in order to lift the soap from the container 40 through the soap extrusion tube 68. There are several different embodiments that can accomplish the pump priming action. For example, in one embodiment, the self-energizing pump mechanism 65, as described above, may be operated 4 times to lift the soap from the container to the soap extrusion tube 68. In an alternative embodiment, the user may manually pump out the tube 68 to lift the soap into the tube 68. Alternatively, in other embodiments, several additional pumps may be added to achieve the pumping times required to lift the soap from the container or bottle to the soap extrusion tube 68. Next, at step 544, the LED driven by the LED driver 529 (fig. 31) indicating a low level of remaining in the bottle is turned off, since a new soap container 60 has been replaced at step 540.

Flow chart B in fig. 32 is a flow chart of an example of steps for a cycle that occurs each time soap is squeezed out (i.e., each time soap is squeezed out). At 545, infrared detector 502 (FIG. 31) detects the presence of the user's hand and begins soap squeezing at 546. For each soap squeeze at 545, a counter (such as the stored counter 520 in fig. 31) is incremented to track the amount of soap remaining in the container 60 or bottle. Recall that there are approximately 960 or 1200 cycles of each bottle or container 60 that can be metered and stored so that the indicator lights 37 or alarm can alert the user or owner of the device when the soap is used poorly or the container 60 is empty. Steps 545-547 repeat as long as the counter 520 counts less than 900 cycles, depicted in this example by step 548. Note that in alternative embodiments, the number of cycles counted may be more or less simply due to the requirement to store more or less soap in the reservoir of the soap dispenser 16. Thus, 900 cycles is merely one embodiment of the number of cycles counted, and in other alternative embodiments, the number may be more or less. Once the number of cycles reaches 900 or more, an LED indicator or alarm will be activated at 549 to alert the user or owner that soap needs to be added. Also part of the flow chart B is a 550 step battery sensor that checks if the battery level is below a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 4.85 volts). If so, then in step 551, the LED indicator 37 or alarm is activated to indicate that the battery voltage is low and that the battery needs to be recharged or replaced. If the battery voltage level is not below the predetermined voltage level, soap is squeezed out at step 546 without activating the LED indicator 37 or alarm. It is again noted that in alternative embodiments, the battery voltage level and the number of cycles that the activation of the LED indicator or 37 alarm may vary and still fall within the scope of the claims.

Accordingly, the soap extrusion circuit 500 includes an exemplary embodiment of the assembly control circuit 503. Fig. 33A-I constitute an exemplary schematic diagram 700 of the soap extrusion circuit 500 of fig. 31. As shown in fig. 33A, oscillation circuit 626 may include standard LRC circuitry and logic gate inverters to generate a system frequency (i.e., oscillation) signal as shown in the art. The system frequency signal may be provided to a first frequency divider 627.

As shown in fig. 33A-B, the first and second dividers 627 and 628 may generate outputs Q1-Q12 and Q13-Q24, respectively, using the system frequency signal. The outputs Q1-Q12 and Q13-Q24 provide the required waveforms and clock signals for the TX and RX control circuit 610 (see fig. 33C), the memory counter 620 (see fig. 33F), the motor start 614 (see fig. 33G), the LED driver 629 (see fig. 33H) and the audio driver 625 (see fig. 33I). The first and second frequency dividers 527, 528 can be any standard logic counter or programmable logic array.

In fig. 33C, an exemplary embodiment of the TX and RX control circuit 610 is shown. When appropriate logic is present, the TX and RX control circuit 610 utilizes standard logic gates IC3-IC7 and IC10 to provide a signal bias for the infrared detector 502 through a standard transistor 517. The standard transistor 517 may be electrically connected to a voltage source 518 (e.g., 5V) and the infrared detector 502, as shown in fig. 31. The standard transistor 517 behaves like a switch. Standard transistor 517 may be turned on or switched off when signal bias from the TX and RX control circuits is present, allowing voltage source 518 to cause infrared detector 502 to operate. It should be noted that the infrared detector 502 may be electrically connected to ground 519 to properly control the flow of charge of the infrared detector 502.

The TX and RX control circuit 610 also utilizes standard logic gates IC3-IC8, IC11, and IC13 to generate a generation signal from the first frequency divider 627 based on the waveform and clock output (i.e., Q2, Q4, Q6, and Q8), as shown in fig. 33A. In one embodiment, the reflected signal may be a three-pulse signal that causes the infrared emitter 501 to emit a corresponding pulsed infrared signal for each cycle of the system frequency signal. In addition, the TX and RX control circuit 610 utilizes standard logic gates IC3-IC9, IC11-IC12, and IC14-IC21 to generate a clock signal that synchronizes the detection of groups of consecutive pulses (e.g., three consecutive pulses) by the receive circuit 613 (see fig. 33D).

In fig. 33D, an exemplary embodiment of a receive circuit 613 is shown. The receive circuit 613 includes three D flip-flops 6131, 6132, and 6133 for latching successive pulses from the infrared detector 502. Other two state logic devices, such as SR flip-flops, JK flip-flops, or resettable bit storage devices may be used in alternative embodiments to latch the detected pulse. When the receiving circuit 613 receives three consecutive pulses (in other embodiments, there may be fewer or more consecutive pulses), the receiving circuit 613 generates a pulse detection signal, which may be provided to the motor drive 614 circuitry. The three pulses allow the soap expression circuit 50 to discern the actual user and other elements that were accidentally passing in front of the emitter. After receiving the pulse detection signal and waveform and the time signal Q16, the motor drive 614 circuit generates an "extrude soap" signal (i.e., the count signal in fig. 33E and 33F) that causes the motor to extrude soap for a predetermined time interval.

In fig. 33F, the memory counter 620 may receive an extruded soap signal from the motor drive 614 circuitry using an electrical connection through the switch control circuit 621. The memory counter 520 may be any standard logic counter or programmable logic array that increments an internal counter upon receiving an out-of-soap signal from the motor drive 614 circuitry. Thus, the memory counter 620 keeps track of the number of cycles (i.e., the time that soap is squeezed out). Depending on the cycle count selection (e.g., 960 or 1200 cycles), the storage counter 620 sends an end signal to the LED driver 625 (fig. 33H) and the audio driver 625 (fig. 33I) when the cycle count selection signals that the soap expression assembly must be refilled is reached. Upon receiving the end signal, the LED driver 625 sends an indicator light embedded in the electronic eye detector unit 36 and visible through the lens (fig. 39). Further, upon receiving the end signal, the audio driver 625 activates an alarm through the speaker 507. It should be noted that the extruder 10 will continue to operate after the indicator light or alarm is activated.

The switch control circuit 621 controls three switches in the present embodiment, including a test switch 521, a reset switch 522, and a counter switch 523. These switches are conventional switches that open and close according to a desired operation (e.g., test, reset, or technique) to provide a charge of current to ground. Using the switch control circuit 521, in combination with the motor drive 514 and TX and RX control circuits 510, the trace of the number of cycles maintained by the counter 520 (i.e., the time at which soap is squeezed out) is stored and when a certain number of cycles occurs (e.g., 960 or 1200 cycles), a signal is sent to the LED drive 525 and audio drive 525 so that an indicator light (fig. 29) or alarm embedded in the electronic eye detector unit 36 and visible through the lens (e.g., using the speaker 507) can be activated to signal that the soap squeezing assembly must be refilled. It should be noted that the expression device 10 will continue to operate after activation of the indicator light or alarm.

Fig. 24, 25, 27 and 28 show the aforementioned reservoir and pump assembly 16 for use in the automatic soap dispensing apparatus 10. The soap intake tube 242, the actuator 174 of the pump mechanism 65 and the extrusion tube 68 all form an integral assembly that can be removed when the container 60 is emptied of soap. Thus, with each installation of the displacement member 16 to the extrusion apparatus 10, a new pump mechanism 65 and tubes 68 and 242 may be assembled. In the present invention, as will be described later, to facilitate assembly of the component 16, the extrusion tube 68, the actuator 174, the pump mechanism 65 and the suction tube 242 are all aligned on a common centerline, as indicated by reference numeral 64 in fig. 2 and 24. Thus, when the assembly 16 is rotated as it is mounted to or removed from the motor housing and support assembly 14, all of the components comprising the assembly 16 rotate smoothly and with little friction within the respective housings and passages. This feature is important in view of the integrity of the elongated extruded tube 68, which tube 68 follows the path of the actuator within the channel 66 in the nozzle 24 (fig. 2). During installation or removal, rotation of the reservoir module 16 causes the elbow 68 to rotate about its own axis (shown at 67 in fig. 5). However, because tube 68 is rotatable about its axis, the entire axis is substantially free to rotate and no significant compressive or tensile stress is placed on the extruded tube.

Another point that results from the single centerline configuration of the reservoir assembly 16 is that the actuator 174 can be used with common commercially available pump mechanisms 65 without the need for specially constructed or designed pump assemblies. This significantly reduces the cost of the reservoir module 16. The pump mechanism 65 is a self-actuating pump that delivers a predetermined dose of soap from the end 70 of the extrusion tube 68 (fig. 3) on each actuation of the motor 49. It is also noted that with each operation of the actuator 174, the reciprocating movement of the extrusion tube 68 within the nozzle passage 66, in conjunction with the operation of the automatic extrusion apparatus 10, has a number of advantages as described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, installation of the fluid expression system 10 of the present invention begins by providing a suitably sized aperture 22 in the vanity at a location of the vanity adjacent to the rim of the sink (not shown). The support shaft 20 is attached to the spout and fixed shaft assembly 12 and inserted downwardly through the aperture 32 until the resilient washer 27 located below the base portion 25 of the spout 26 abuts the upper surface 29 of the vanity 18. The nut 38 and the safety washer 40 are then mounted on the lower end portion 94 of the support shaft 20 while the connecting wire 50 passes through the central holes of the nut 38 and the safety washer 40. The nut 38 and the safety washer 40 are brought into close contact with the lower edge 33 of the washstand 18, while the spout 24 is rotated in advance so that the spout opening 31 points towards the sink.

The motor housing and support assembly 14 is then attached to the support shaft 20 by placing the inner portion 106 (fig. 2, 7) of the assembly 14 over the connecting rod 100 such that the keys 102 and grooves 104 mate over their respective lengths. Prior to this step, the side wall 118 of the shaft clip 42 is partially inserted into the pump housing recess 148 of the assembly 14 and is retained in the position shown in FIG. 12A. When the assembly 14 is installed, the motor and actuator mechanism housing 46 may initially abut the underside of the sink or collide with the plumbing or other fixtures and wiring below the sink. If the problem occurs, the problem can be solved by the following method: the assembly 14 is removed from the connector 100, the assembly 14 is rotated until the motor housing 46 does not encounter any other components, and the inner portion 106 (fig. 2, 7) of the assembly 14 is reinserted onto the connector 100 until the key 102 and recess 104 are again engaged. In the illustrated embodiment, the assembly 14 may be rotated in 30 degree step increments. When the assembly 14 is properly positioned relative to the support rod 20, the shaft clip 42 is manually pushed inwardly so that the side wall 116 is fully inserted into the bottom of the shaft recess 108 of the connecting rod 100, with the rounded portion 126 (FIG. 11) engaging the bottom 109 of the shaft recess 108 and securely fixing the motor housing and support assembly to the support shaft 20. Should it be necessary to remove the assembly 14 from the shaft 20, the shaft clip is moved laterally out of the shaft groove 108 and the pump housing groove 148, reversing the above process, and removing the assembly 14 from the shaft 20.

As described above, after the motor housing and support assembly 14 is properly connected to the support shaft 20, the leads 50 (FIG. 1) are connected to a socket (not shown) in the motor housing 46 that connects the leads 50 to the motor 49 and the circuitry for operating the electronic eye sensor assembly 36 and the motor 49 of FIGS. 31 and 33. Furthermore, a battery pack 52 (fig. 2) including a suitable number of batteries is connected to a cabinet wall, equipment wall or other fixed component (not shown), and the wires 54 are connected to the wires 56 by removable connection members 58.

Installation of the soap reservoir and pump assembly into the fluid extrusion system 10 is initiated by aligning the tube end 70 of the extrusion tube 68 with a centrally disposed aperture 296 (fig. 14) formed inwardly of the neck of the assembly 14. The beveled edge 298 of the aperture 296 helps to guide the extruded tube 68 up through the aperture 296. After the extrusion tube 68, the actuator 174 and the pump mechanism 65 are connected, the container 60 is moved upwardly to plug the extrusion tube 68 into the passage 66 of the nozzle 24. The container 60 continues to move upwardly until the top surface 180 (fig. 14) of the actuator 174 contacts the restraining surface 182 of the assembly 14, preventing further upward movement of the container 60. At this point of connection, the extruded tube 68 is fully inserted into the passageway 66 of the nozzle 24 and the extruded tube end 70 projects slightly beyond the nozzle opening 31 (fig. 2) so that the tube end 70 of the extruded tube is not visible to the user, in part due to the toothed portion 72 of the arcuate extruded portion of the nozzle 20 (fig. 30).

As the reservoir module and pump assembly 16 are moved upwardly, the tabs 292 on the neck 246 enter the apertures 262 on the stationary clips 48, and each tab 292 moves through the space 288 formed between the protrusions 286 until each tab 292 engages the groove 282 in the clip 48. When the upward movement of the container 60 is stopped, the container 60 can be rotated in both directions, forcing the tab 292 to seat in the recess 282 adjacent the protrusion 286. The stop member 285 engages a tab 292 of one of the containers 60 to control the rotation of the container 60. Some or all of the upwardly facing friction surfaces of the protrusions 286 exert pressure on the tabs 292 to securely hold the container 60 and case 16, but are removable due to proper contact with the motor housing and support assembly 14. At this time, the bumps 295 (fig. 27) may be disposed in the serrations 291 (fig. 21).

To remove the empty reservoir assembly 16 from the assembly 14, the container is rotated in the opposite direction as described above until the tabs 292 are aligned with the spaces 288 in the retaining clips 48. Next, the container is lowered, the extruded tube 68 is removed from the passage 66 in the nozzle 24, and the actuator 174 and pump assembly 65 are removed from the motor housing and support assembly 16. The entire reservoir assembly is then installed as previously described. Multiple infusion pump actuations may occur automatically (fig. 32) to lift an initial amount of soap from the container 60 up the extrusion tube 68.

Once properly installed, fluid expression system 10 begins to activate when a user places a hand under serrated discharge port 30 of nozzle 24. As previously described, the electronic eye sensor 36 detects the presence of the hand and sends a signal to the actuator motor 49. The reduction gear train 51 drives the pump hammer 53 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in fig. 2) whereby the actuator arms 162, 164 begin to move toward the flange 176 on the actuator 174 (fig. 15A) and the upper edge portion 190 of the actuator enters the open space 172 between the actuator arms 164, 166 of the pump hammer 53. The actuator arms 164, 166 engage the actuator flange 176 (fig. 15B) and urge the actuator 174 downward (as viewed in fig. 15C). In the illustrated embodiment, by way of example only, the actuator 174 is moved downward 0.280 inches. Downward movement of actuator 174 causes elongated extruded tube 68 to retract the same distance into nozzle 24 and passageway 66. In the illustrated embodiment, in the removed position, the tube end 70 of the extruded tube 68 remains outside of the nozzle opening 31 of the nozzle 24.

When the actuator 174 is moved downwardly under the influence of the pump hammer, a measured amount of soap is squeezed from the tip 70 of the elongated squeeze tube 68 even if the tube 68 is being moved toward its retracted position. Referring to fig. 20, in the illustrated embodiment, the pump mechanism 65 is a self-actuating pump, and prior to actuation of the pump mechanism, the pump mechanism and the squeeze tube 242 are filled with soap. When the actuator 174 moves downwardly, the pump mechanism 65 forces the soap in the pump mechanism upwardly and compresses the spring 236. The ball plungers 206 and 232 move upward, causing additional soap to pass upward through the inlet tube 242, past the ball plunger 232 and into the chamber 218. The ball plunger 206 is raised and its upward movement is limited when the ball plunger 206 abuts the platform 204 of the time control shaft 196.

When the hammer 53 reaches its clockwise limit, the motor 49 stalls and the spring 236 (fig. 20) forces the pump mechanism 65, actuator 174 and extrusion tube 68 upward so that the soap fills the pump mechanism 65 and extrusion tube 68. The ball plunger 206 moves to a closed position over the aperture 214. The time it takes for the ball plunger 206 to move from the platform 204 to the V-shaped groove 216 determines the amount of soap that is squeezed out by the pump mechanism 65 in one stroke.

Referring to fig. 18, as the pump mechanism 65 squeezes out the soap, the soap passes through the aperture 202 and around the time control shaft 196 of the actuator 174.

Upon actuation of the pump mechanism 65, the soap solution is extruded from the end 70 of the tube 68 in a continuous flow as the tube 68 is retracted towards the nozzle 24. As described above, when the motor stalls, the spring 236 (fig. 20) which is compressed during soap delivery causes the pump chamber 218 to expand as the extruded tube is withdrawn back into the nozzle opening 31 in the nozzle 24. The combination of the expansion of the pump chamber 218 and the forward motion of the squeeze tube causes soap that has not yet exited the tube end 70 to be drawn back as the tube 68 is retracted. This retains a string of soap in the tube 68 which would otherwise drip down after the primary soap delivery function is completed. This mode of operation also prevents dripping and residue build up between use and cleaning of the soap dispenser.

The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. The description was chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention is not limited by the description but is defined by the claims set forth below.

Claims (5)

1. A reservoir module for insertion and removal as a unit from a liquid expression system, the reservoir module comprising:

a container for storing a liquid substance to be extruded by the extrusion system, the container defining a central axis and having a top portion;

an opening in a top portion of the container, the opening being disposed on a central axis of the container;

a liquid pump mechanism forming part of the top portion of the container and arranged to be aligned with the aperture; and

a delivery tube is connected to an upper portion of the liquid pump mechanism, the delivery tube being disposed in alignment with the central axis of the container.

2. The reservoir module of claim 1, wherein the delivery tube is elongated.

3. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the fluid pump mechanism includes an actuator having a flange, the actuator being disposed off-center relative to a central axis of the container.

4. The reservoir module of claim 1, wherein the liquid pump mechanism includes an actuator that, when actuated by the pump mechanism, forces liquid substance from the container, through the pump mechanism, and to the delivery tube.

5. A reservoir module for an extrusion system, the reservoir module comprising:

a container for storing a liquid substance to be extruded by the extrusion system, the container defining a central axis and having a top portion;

an opening in a top portion of the container, the opening being disposed relative to a central axis of the container;

a liquid pump mechanism mounted on the top end portion of the container and arranged to be aligned with the opening;

an elongated delivery tube connected to an upper portion of the liquid pump mechanism, the delivery tube being disposed in alignment with the central axis of the container; and

a time control shaft for allowing the liquid substance to be lifted by the pump mechanism through the central portion of the actuator to the centrally located delivery tube upon actuation of the actuator.