CA2770704A1

CA2770704A1 - Dispensers with sound generators

Info

Publication number: CA2770704A1
Application number: CA2770704A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Heiner Ophardt; Tony Kortleve-Snider
Original assignee: Gotohti com Inc
Current assignee: Gotohti com Inc
Priority date: 2012-03-06
Filing date: 2012-03-06
Publication date: 2013-09-06
Also published as: CA2790366C; CA2790366A1

Abstract

In combination a fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid and a sound sensing mechanism remote from the fluid dispenser, the fluid dispenser dispensing fluid when activated, the fluid dispenser including a sound generator which generates a sound when the fluid dispenser is activated, the sound sensing mechanism separate from and spaced from the fluid dispenser, the sound sensing mechanism including a sound sensor to sense the sound generated by the sound generator, the sound sensing mechanism including a communication system to transmit data representative of the sound sensed by the sound generator.

Description

Title DISPENSERS WITH SOUND GENERATORS
Scope of the Invention [0001] This invention relates to dispensers particularly hand cleaning fluid dispensers and particularly to apparatus and methods for compliance monitoring of the use of such dispensers.
Background of the Invention [0002] The present inventors have appreciated that proper compliance monitoring of hand washing requires monitoring of all hand cleaning fluid dispensers within any particular facility or environment to be monitored. The present inventors have also appreciated that for practical compliance monitoring, the delivery of data regarding the usage of individual dispensers preferably is automatically communicated to a central computer system.
Previously known dispensers which are useful for automatic compliance monitoring require a source of electric power to drive an electronic apparatus which can be used to generate signals and/or data regarding the operation of the dispenser and communicate the same such that the data may be received by a computer system.

[0003] The present inventors have appreciated the disadvantage that many previously known fluid dispensers in use do not have any electrical power source or electronic componentry which permits the dispensers to record or communicate usage data about that dispenser.

[0004] The present inventors have appreciated the disadvantage that most known hand washing compliance monitoring systems do not monitor all dispensers in a facility.
Summary of the Invention [0005] To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of previously known devices, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser with a sound generator which generates a sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by a user and, as well, the present invention provides in combination with such a fluid dispenser, a sound sensing mechanism separate from and spaced from the fluid dispenser which senses the sound generated by the sound generator with the sound sensing mechanism including a communications system for relay of data representing sound sensed by the sound generator.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid dispenser including a sound generator which generates a sound when the fluid dispenser is activated.

[0007] Another object is to provide a combination of a fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid which generates a sound when fluid is dispensed from the dispenser and a sound sensing mechanism remote from the fluid dispenser to sense a sound generated by the sound generator.

[0008] Another object is to provide an apparatus and method for compliance monitoring of fluid dispensers by sensing sound generated from fluid dispensers when fluid is dispensed.

[0009] According to one aspect, the present invention provides in combination a fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid and a sound sensing mechanism remote from the fluid dispenser, the fluid dispenser dispensing fluid when activated, the fluid dispenser including a sound generator which generates a sound when the fluid dispenser is activated, the sound sensing mechanism separate from and spaced from the fluid dispenser, the sound sensing mechanism including a sound sensor to sense the sound generated by the sound generator, the sound sensing mechanism including a communication system to transmit data representative of the sound sensed by the sound generator.

[0010] According to another aspect, the present invention provides a method of compliance monitoring of hand washing within a facility comprising producing a sound each time a dispenser is activate, remotely monitoring the sounds produced by one or more sound sensors positioned to receive sounds, ttransmitting data representative of the sounds sensed by the sound sensors to a central computer.

Brief Description of the Drawings [0011] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a compliance monitoring apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic pictorial view of a combination of the one exemplary sound generating fluid dispenser, the one exemplary sound sensing mechanism and the one exemplary router shown in Figure 1;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart showing one configuration of components of a compliance monitoring apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 1, however, including multiple sound generating fluid dispensers, sound sensing mechanisms and routers;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart showing a compliance monitoring apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5 is plan view of a health care facility having an array of dispensers in a compliance monitoring apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 6 is a collage showing pictorial views of seven different exemplary sound generating dispensers which may be used in accordance with the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first piston pump assembly for use with the dispenser shown in Figure 1 including a whistle;

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second piston pump assembly for use with one of the dispensers shown in Figure 3 including a whistle;

[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third piston pump assembly for one of the dispensers shown in Figure 3 including a whistle;

[0021] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth piston pump assembly for use with the dispenser shown in Figure 1 including a sound producing clicker mechanism, and [0022] Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view along section line A-A' in Figure 10.
Detailed Description of the Drawings [0023] Reference is made to Figure 1 which schematically illustrates a simplified version of a compliance monitoring apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention which includes one sound producing fluid dispenser 12 herein often referred to as a sounding dispenser 12, one sound sensing mechanism 14, and one wireless router 16. The wireless router 16 is shown as being connected to the Internet 18 and via the Internet 18 to a computing system 20.

[0024] As seen in the schematic flowchart in Figure 2, the sounding dispenser 12 includes a fluid reservoir 22, a pump mechanism 24 to dispense fluid from the reservoir 22, an activator 28 to activate the pump mechanism 24 and a sound generator 26 to generate sound 30 when the sounding dispenser 12 is activated or fluid is dispensed by the sounding dispenser 12.

[0025] The sound sensing mechanism 14 includes a sound sensor 32, an electrically powered controller 34 to control the operation of the sound sensing mechanism, an electrical power source 36 and a communications mechanism 38. The sound sensor 32 senses the sound 30 and provides input to the controller 34 which assesses the input and appropriately develops data or output which is communicated by the communication mechanism 38 as wireless signals 40 to the wireless router 16.

[0026] For ease of illustration in the assembly 10 of Figure 1 only one sounding dispenser 12, one sound sensing mechanism 14, and one wireless router 16 are shown however a plurality of each may preferably be provided. Figure 3 illustrates a simplified version of a compliance monitoring apparatus 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention which is the same as that of Figure 1 but which includes four sounding dispensers 12 indicated as 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, three sound sensing mechanisms 14 indicated as 14a, 14b and 14c, and two wireless routers 16 indicated as 16a and 16b. The number of each of the sounding dispensers 12, sound sensing mechanisms 14 and wireless routers 16 is not limited. Each of the sounding dispensers 12 is adapted to generate a sound 30 when the fluid dispenser 12 is activated to dispense fluid or fluid is dispensed. The sound 30 generated by each sounding dispenser 12 is schematically illustrated as moving from the respective sounding dispenser 12 to one or more of the sound sensing mechanisms 14. Each sound sensing mechanism 14 has the capability to sense the sound 30 and to communicate data representative of the sound 30 sensed as signals 40 to one or more of the wireless routers 16.
100271 Figure 3 shows the sound 30 from sounding dispenser 12b being received by both sound sensing mechanism 14a and sound sensing mechanism 14b. The apparatus 10 is provided with a mechanism for determining when sound 30 representative of a single activation of one sounding dispenser 12 may be sensed by multiple sound sensing mechanisms 14. Preferably, the controller 34 in each sound sensing mechanism 14 will have a real time clock which will permit the output 40 representative of each duplicated sound sensing to be identified at least by time such that the computing system 20 may recognize duplicate sensing of sound 30 from a single activation of one sounding dispenser 12 by multiple of the sound sensing mechanisms 14.
[0028] In accordance with the present invention, the compliance monitoring apparatus 10 preferably provides monitoring for each and every hand cleaning fluid dispenser within an a specified location or a facility, preferably with information about the operation about every fluid dispenser communicated to the computing system 20. The specified location or a facility may be, for example, a hospital or food preparation facility or any designated area within such a location or facility. Dispensers within the compliance monitoring apparatus 10 can include not only sounding dispensers 12 as, for example, shown in Figures 1 to 3, but also other non-sounding dispensers which do not produce sounds when fluid is dispensed and are connected to the computing system 20 by a different mechanism.
[0029] Reference is made to Figure 4 which shows a modification of the apparatus of Figure 3 to show a second embodiment of the apparatus 10 including one non-sounding dispenser 41. This non-sounding dispenser 41 shown in Figure 4 is provided with a capability to wirelessly transmit information about its operation via wireless signals 43 directly to one of the wireless routers 16b. Such a non-sounding dispenser 41 is known and preferably includes electronic componentry similar to that in the sound sensing mechanism 14, that is, analogous to the sound sensor 32, the non-sounding dispenser 41 has some form of sensor to sense activation of the pump or dispensing of fluid, a controller, a power source and a communicating mechanism. The non-sounding dispenser 41, for example, may be automatically operated touch free with dispensing on the presence of a user's hand being sensed and by an electrically controlled pump as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Patent 8,071,933 to Ophardt et al, issued December 6, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The non-sounding dispenser 41 could also be, for example, manually operated with manual power to operate the pump but with electronic componentry to transmit data wirelessly such as is disclosed in the U.S. Patent Publication US
2010/0288788 to Ophardt, published November 18, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. There is no limit as to the nature of the non-sounding dispenser 41 other than that suitable data about its operation is communicated to the computing system 20.
One or more non-sounding dispensers 41 can be incorporated into the compliance monitoring apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention, preferably with information about the operation of these non-sounding dispensers 41 communicated to the computing system 20 at some time and by some manner that information from all the monitored dispensers whether sounding dispensers 12 or non-sounding dispensers 41 can preferably be consolidated.
While Figure 4 shows an apparatus 10 with but one non-sounding dispenser 41, one or more of such non-sounding dispensers 41 may be included in the apparatus 10.
[0030] One or more of the sound sensing mechanisms 14 may carry out functions other than the sensing of the sound 30 and providing output signals 40. For example, as seen in the apparatus 10 of Figure 4, a hybrid sensor dispenser 45 is provided which is a combination of, and provides the capabilities of, both a sound sensing mechanism 14b and a non-sounding dispenser 41, such that the sound sensing mechanism 14b senses the sound 30 from sounding dispensers 12a and 12b and the hybrid sensor dispenser 45 transmits as its wireless signal 40 not only information about the operation of sounding dispensers 12a and 12b but also information about the operation of dispensing of fluid by a pump in the hybrid sensor dispenser 45.

100311 Reference is made to Figure 5 which shows a plan view of a compliance monitoring apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention installed in a health care facility 100. The facility 100 has a number of areas and rooms indicated as 101 to 108 with passage there between permitted by doors 109. Figure 5 shows a plurality of different sounding dispensers 12, sound sensing mechanisms 14, and wireless routers 16 located at different locations within the facility 100, as well as two non-sounding dispensers 41 and two hybrid sensor dispensers 45. These communicating dispensers whether sounding dispensers 12, non-sounding dispensers 41 or hybrid sensor dispensers 45, are located at various different locations including those near the entry or exit of most doors 109, and within the rooms. These communicating dispensers may be carried by personnel, mounted to the walls, on freestanding supports or supported on desktops, countertops, and movable carts, and the like without limitation. Multiple of these communicating dispensers may be in any room as, for example, in a washroom with multiple toilets or sinks or wash stations, not shown or in a room for a plurality of patients with at least one dispenser per patient. By example, each room is shown to have at least one sounding dispenser 12. By example, each room other than room 103 has either a sound sensing mechanism 14 or a hybrid sensor dispenser 45 to sense sound from the sounding dispensers 12 in the same room. The room 104, which acts as a hallway, has two sound sensing mechanisms 14, and two wireless routers 16. One sound sensing mechanism 14 is located in the hallway room 104 proximate to the doorway 109 into room 103 to sense sound from the sounding dispenser 12 in room 103. Another sound sensing mechanism 14 is in the hallway room 104 proximate to the doorway 109 at the upper end of the hallway room 104 to sense sound from the sounding dispenser 12 outside of the rooms near the doorway 109 at the upper end of the hallway room 104.
100321 The nature of the sound 30 produced by a particular dispenser 12, the sensitivity of any sound sensing mechanism 14 or hybrid sensor dispenser 45 to the sound 30, the location of walls, doors, curtains and other physical elements in a facility, the ability of the sound 30 to pass through air, as well as, for example, through walls, doors, curtains and other physical elements in a facility will have a bearing on where the sounding dispensers 12 and the sound sensing mechanism 14 or hybrid sensor dispenser 45 are placed in a facility to ensure that the sound 30 from every sounding dispensers 12 is sensed.
[0033] The particular nature of the sound generator 26 to be provided in each sounding dispenser 12 is not limited.
[0034] The sound generator 26 is to generate the sound 30 which is adapted to be sensed by one or more of the sound sensing mechanisms 14. The sound 30 is preferably transmitted through the air within the facility as within one or more air connected rooms in a facility, however, the sound 30 may also pass through curtains, walls, doors and other barriers within a facility as, for example, to be received by sound sensing mechanisms 14 in other rooms and other than by merely transmission through air in the facility.
[0035] The sound 30 may be of any frequency or magnitude. Preferably, the sound 30 may be of frequencies which are not heard by the human ear. The human ear typically may hear sound with frequencies in the range of about 20 Hz to about 20k Hz.
Preferably, the sound 30 is ultrasonic sound as with frequencies above 20k Hz, preferably, above 50k Hz, an approximate upper range for the hearing of dogs. A preferred range of ultrasonic frequencies is about 18k Hz to 100k Hz, more preferably about 18k Hz to 22k Hz or 50k Hz to 60k Hz. Infrasound frequencies may be utilized, being sounds with frequencies below 20 Hz, as can human audible sounds in the range of about 20 Hz to 20k Hz.
[0036] The particular nature of dispensers which are useful as sounding dispensers 12 is not limited provided they dispense fluid and generate the sound 30. Figure 6 shows a collage of known fluid dispensers which are modified to be sounding dispensers 12e to 12k in accordance with the present invention.
[0037] The sounding dispensers schematically illustrated as dispensers 12e and 12f in Figure 3 are upstanding manually operated bottle dispensers that can be moved and placed at different positions within a facility and can be manually moved and placed upon supports proximate to sinks and wash stations, on countertops, on wall mounted stands and supports, on wheeled trolleys which are moved about a facility and the like without limitation.
Sounding dispenser 12e illustrates a non-collapsible bottle 50 which carries in an upwardly opening neck 51 a piston pump mechanism 53 which dispenses fluid and includes a suitable sound generator. The sounding dispenser 12f illustrates a similar bottle dispenser, however, provided with a rigid shroud 813 which supports a collapsible bottle 50 therein in a manner as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication US 2009/0114679, published May 7, 2009 to Ophardt et al, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0038] The sounding dispenser 12g is a wall mounted manually operated dispenser similar to that disclosed in U.S. Patent 8,074,844 to Ophardt et al, issued December 11, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference but including a sound generator. In sounding dispenser 12g, a bottle 50 is mounted within a housing and adapted to dispense fluid from the top of the bottle with a pump mechanism 53 operated by a manual lever activator 28.
[0039] The sounding dispensers 12h and 12i are each a wall mounted dispenser with an inverted fluid containing reservoir 50 from which fluid is dispensed downwardly. Sounding dispenser 12h is manually operated to dispense fluid by a user moving lever actuator 28 as in a manner similar to that disclosed in U.S. Patent 7,367,477 to Ophardt et al, issued May 6, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference but including a sound generator. Sounding dispenser 12i is a touchless electrical dispenser similar to the dispenser disclosed in U.S. Patent 8,071,933 to Ophardt et al, issued December 6, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference but including a sound generator.
Sounding dispensers 12j and 12k is each a personal fluid dispenser which is adapted to be carried on the body of a user, for example, a doctor or a nurse within a hospital facility and which can be operated by the user for dispensing hand cleaning fluid. Sounding dispenser 12k is a manually operated dispenser which has no electrical power source and is merely operated manually. Dispenser 12k is preferably similar to the dispenser taught by U.S.
Patent 7,984,831 to Kanfer et al, issued July 26, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, but modified to include a sound generator. Sounding dispenser 12k is a dispenser with a battery powered electric pump to dispense fluid similar to that disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication US 2010/047836 to Momen et al, published May 13, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, but modified to include a sound generator.

[0040] Another sensing dispenser in accordance with the present invention which can be worn and carried by an individual is a dispenser as disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,927,548 to Villaveces, issued July 27, 1999 modified to include a sound generator.
[0041] The sounding dispensers 12 preferably comprise manually operated dispensers without any electronic componentry such as sounding dispensers 12e, 12f, 12g, 12h and 12k and without any need for electrical power for operation. However, sounding dispensers which have electrical power such as sounding dispensers 12i and 12j are also useful.
[0042] The particular nature of the sound generators 26 to be provided in the sounding dispensers 12 is not limited. Preferred sound generators 26 include air driven whistles, mechanical clickers, and electrically powered speakers of sound chips.
[0043] Reference is made to Figure 7 which schematically illustrates in a schematic partial side view portions of the sounding dispenser 12 in Figure 1 and 12e in Figure 3 in accordance with the present invention. The sounding dispenser 12e has a bottle 50 with an upwardly opening threaded neck 51 about an opening 52. A pump mechanism 53 is provided secured to the bottle 50 engaged about the neck 51 and providing a plunger 54 which, when manually moved downwardly against the bias of a spring 56, discharges fluid from the bottle 50 out of a discharge outlet 57. The sounding dispenser 12e is thus manually operated and is portable and mobile adapted to be supported by a bottom 58 of the bottle 50 being supported on a support surface in a similar manner to that shown with sounding dispenser 12f in Figure 5. The pump mechanism 53 includes a liquid pump 59 for dispensing the liquid and a sound generator comprising a combination of an air pump 60 and an air whistle 61.
Manual movement of the plunger 54 against the bias of the spring 56 compresses air within the air pump 60 and passes air outwardly through the air whistle 61 to generate the sound. Thus, simultaneously with dispensing fluid from the discharge outlet 57, sound is produced by the air whistle 61. The liquid pump 59 has a construction similar to that disclosed in the applicant's U.S. Patent 5,165,577 to Ophardt et al, issued May 20, 1991, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0044] The pump mechanism 53 is formed by a piston chamber-forming body 62 and a piston-forming element 63 coaxially slidable relative to the piston chamber-forming body in a cycle of operation. The piston chamber-forming body 62 is stepped forming an inner liquid chamber 64 having an inner end 65 and an outer end 66 which opens into an enlarged diameter air chamber 67. The liquid chamber 64 and air chamber 67 are formed concentrically within a stepped outer side wall 68. A radially outwardly extending flange 69 extends outwardly from the side wall 68 then axially downwardly as a cylindrical wall 70 which is threaded on its inside as for engagement with threads carried on the neck 51 of the bottle 50. An opening 71 through the annular flange 69 permits unrestricted air flow between the atmosphere and the inside of the bottle 50. The inner end 65 of the liquid chamber 64 has a dip tube 72 secured thereto which dip tube 72 extends downwardly to the bottom of the bottle 50 where the dip tube 72 opens into the bottle providing an inlet for liquid. A one-way valve 73 is provided across an inlet 74 to the liquid chamber 64 to permit fluid flow outwardly therepast but to prevent fluid flow inwardly.
[0045] The piston-forming element 63 includes a hollow stem 75 with a central liquid passageway 76 extending from a closed inner end 77 outwardly. Three discs are provided on the piston stem 75, an inner first disc 78, a second disc 79 and a third disc 80. The inner disc 78 extends radially outwardly to engage the inner wall 68 of the liquid chamber 64 and is resiliently deflectable so as to permit fluid flow outwardly therepast yet to prevent fluid flow inwardly therepast. The second disc 79 is located axially outwardly of the inner disc 78 and engages the side wall 68 of the fluid chamber 64 so as to prevent fluid flow either inwardly or outwardly therepast. In between the first disc 78 and the second disc 79 there are provided radially extending inlets 81 through the stem 75 providing fluid flow from between the first disc 78 and the second disc 79 into the liquid passageway 76. The axially outer end of the fluid passageway 76 is closed by a presser cap 82, however, a fluid discharge tube 83 extends radially into the piston-forming element 63 in communication with the liquid passageway 76.
With reciprocal movement of the piston-forming element 63 within the piston chamber-forming body 62, fluid from the bottle 50 is drawn up through the dip tube 72 past the one-way valve 73 and is discharged past the inner disc 78 into the liquid passageway 76 to be discharged out the liquid discharge tube 83 and hence out the discharge outlet 57.

10046] The piston-forming element 64 carries the third disc 80 which extends radially outward to engage the side wall 68 of the air chamber 67. Axially outwardly from the third disc 80, the stem 75 is provided with an outer tube 85 coaxially about the stem 75. Between the outer tube 85 and the stem 75, there is provided an annular air chamber 86 closed at an outer end by the presser cap 82. Communication is provided between the air chamber 67 and the annular air chamber 86 via an air portal 87 axially through the third disc 80. An air whistle 61 is provided extending radially from the piston-forming element 63 having an inlet end 87 opening into the annular air chamber 86. The air whistle 61 is shown to extend radially outwardly relative to the piston-forming element 63. The air whistle 61 has resonance tube 84 closed at an outer end 88 and with an axial passageway 89 therethrough opening into the annual air chamber 86. An air splitting triangular notch 90 is positioned on a side of the resonance tube 84 in communication with the passageway 89 so that the passageway 89 is open to the outside through the notch 90. The air pump 60 effectively comprises a stepped pump in which with inward movement of the piston-forming element 63, air is compressed within the air chamber 67 and discharged via the air portal 87 to the annular air chamber 86 and out to atmosphere through the air whistle 61 producing sound. In a return stroke, air enters the air chamber 67 through the air whistle 61 and the air portal 87.
100471 A lid 91 is shown as fixedly secured to the outer end of the piston chamber-forming body 62 at the inner end of the air chamber 67 to prevent the piston-forming element 63 from being withdrawn from the piston chamber-forming body 62. The coil spring 56 is shown disposed axially about the stem 75 between the piston chamber-forming body 62 and the third disc 80 so as to bias the piston-forming element 63 outwardly relative to the piston chamber-forming body 62. In a cycle of operation, with the piston-forming element 63 biased to an outward position as shown in Figure 7, a user applies axially directed pressure to the presser cap 82 and moves the piston-forming element 63 inwardly. In such movement, fluid from the bottle 50 is dispensed out the discharge outlet 57 onto a user's hand which may be disposed below the outlet 57. Simultaneously, air is discharged through the whistle 61 producing sound. In a return stroke on the piston-forming element 63 being moved from a retracted position to an extended position under the bias of the spring 92, liquid is drawn by the dip tube 72 up into the liquid chamber 64 while air is drawn into the air chamber 67 from atmosphere. A vacuum is not developed within the bottle 50 since air is free to flow via the opening 70 to prevent a vacuum from being produced in the bottle 50.
100481 The pump mechanism 53 illustrated in Figure 7 is thus adapted for use with bottles which are not to collapse during use. However, such a pump mechanism 53 without the opening 71 may be used with or without the dip tube 72 with collapsible bottles with a vacuum created within the bottle to collapse the bottle with dispensing of fluid. For example, in a sounding dispenser 12f shown in Figure 5, a collapsible bottle 50 may be supported standing in a shroud 813.
[0049] Reference is made to Figure 8 which schematically illustrates a pump mechanism 53 incorporating a liquid pump 59 and a whistle 61 adapted to be engaged to the neck 51 of an inverted bottle 50 for dispensing fluid downwardly as, for example, for use in a sounding dispenser 12h or 12i in Figure 6. The pump mechanism 53 in Figure 8 has a construction analogous in many respects to the construction of the pump in Figure 7 and similar reference numerals refer to similar elements. The pump mechanism 53 includes an inlet 74 for communication of fluid from inside the bottle 50 to a liquid chamber 64 with a one-way valve 73 permitting flow outwardly but preventing flow inwardly. The piston chamber-forming body 62 forms the liquid chamber 64 and an air chamber 67. The piston-forming element 63 has three discs being an inner first disc 78, a second disc 79 and a third disc 80 with an operation as in the embodiment of Figure 7 such that moving the piston-forming element 63 inwardly discharges fluid past the inner disc 78 via inlet 81 to a liquid passageway 76 and hence out the discharge outlet 57. In Figure 8, a whistle 61 is shown as secured to the third disc 80 in an opening 99 in the third disc 80 via which air compressed in the air chamber 67 may be passed outwardly through the whistle 61 to produce sound. The piston-forming element 63 is shown as carrying an engagement flange 100 as is known for coupling of the piston-forming element 63 as to an actuator, not shown.
100501 Each of the pump mechanisms illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 are adapted for, on one hand, dispensing liquid from a discharge outlet 57 and, on the other hand, dispensing air through an air whistle 61 to produce sound. Reference is made to Figure 9 which shows a pump mechanism 53 adapted to discharge foam from a discharge outlet 57 and air through the air whistle 61. The pump mechanism 53 shown in Figure 9 is similar to a pump illustrated in U.S. Patent 7,708,166 to Ophardt, issued May 4, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The pump mechanism 53 in Figure 9 dispenses liquid mixed with air from the discharge outlet 57 as taught by U.S. Patent 7,708,166 and has in addition an additional air chamber 67 and a third disc 80 provided for discharging air through an air whistle 61. In Figure 9, three chambers are provided shown as a first chamber 64, a second chamber 98 and a third air chamber 67. The piston-forming element 63 carries three discs, a first inner disc 78, a second disc 79 and a third disc 80. In a known manner as illustrated in Figure 18 of U.S. Patent 7,708,166, liquid from the bottle 50 and air from the atmosphere is mixed in the second chamber 98 and discharged via the inlet 81 to the stem passageway 76 passing through a foam generator 97 disposed within the stem passageway 76. The first disc 78 and second disc 79 effectively form a stepped pump for discharge of liquid mixed with air as foam. The third disc 80 is disposed in the air chamber 67 forming a stepped air pump which discharges air out the whistle 61 in the same manner illustrated in Figure 8.
[0051] Various pumps are known which are adapted to dispense foam and provide a liquid pump for dispensing liquid and an air pump for dispensing air with the liquid and air to be mixed and generate foam. In accordance with the present invention, such foaming pumps may be modified so as to provide pumps which produce sound by directing some or all of the air from the air pump through a sound producing generator. For example, the sounding dispenser 12h illustrated in Figure 5 may comprise a hand-held dispenser for personal use as disclosed in U.S. Patent 7,984,831 which includes both a liquid pump and an air pump and in which some or all of the air from the air pump can be directed through a sound producing mechanism such as a whistle.
[0052] As to the particular nature of the whistle 61, many different types of whistles may be used as known in the art. For example, ultrasonic whistles may be provided as taught in U.S. Patent 6,698,377 to Topman et al, issued March 2, 2004. Another example of an air whistle construction which could be modified for use in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,816,186 to Shepherd, issued October 6, 1998. The whistles 61 in the preferred embodiments have been shown as separate whistle inserts secured to components of the pump as, for example, to extend axially or radially. The nature of the air whistle is not limited and while whistles with resonating chambers have been shown, various other devices can be utilized which produce sound by the passage of air such as vibrating reeds. While the preferred embodiments show sound creation by passing air through a whistle with the air being air pressurized in an air pump that the passing air can also be provided by creating a vacuum in a pump and by drawing air in through a sound producing device such as a whistle.
[0053] Reference is made to Figures 10 and 11 which illustrate a pump mechanism which is similar to the pump illustrated in Figure 7 in having an essentially identical liquid pump 59 but in which the air chamber 60 and whistle 61 of Figure 7 are eliminated and a sound generator is provided in the form of a clicker mechanism analogous to the clicker mechanism disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,538,637 to Smith, issued November 10, 1970, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As seen in Figure 10, the presser cap 82 is adapted to be manually moved downwardly to dispense fluid from the bottle 50 out the discharge outlet 57. For ease of illustration, a spring to bias the piston-forming element 63 outwardly is not shown. Mounted to one side of the lid 91 as best seen in top view in Figure is a sound generator in the form of a clicker mechanism 102 which extends radially and includes a base 104, a flexible reed 106, a sound arm 108 and a stop member 109. The flexible reed 106 is fixedly secured at one end 110 to the base 104 and extends to a freely suspended distal end 111 which is in the shape of a cylinder. The presser cap 82 carries at its lower end a similar contact cam 112 also in the shape of a cylinder parallel to the cylinder on the distal end 111 of the reed 106. The stop member 109 is fixed to the base 104 and has a distal end in the shape of a cylinder parallel the cylinder of distal end 111.
On movement of the presser cap 82 downwardly, the contact cam 112 engages the distal end 111 of the reed 106 deflecting the reed 106 to move it downwardly with the reed 106 to become deflected and engaged about the stop member 109 and to be biased to a lower position illustrated in dashed lines in Figure 9 in which the contact cam 112 of the presser cap 82 may move downwardly past the reed 106 at which time the reed 106 due to its inherent resiliency will snap upwardly into engagement with the sound arm 108 snapping against the sound arm 108 to make a clicking noise. The clicker 102 may be configured such that on return of the contact cam 112 of the presser cap 82 upwardly past the reed 106, a second clicking noise is created although this is not necessary.
[0054] While the embodiment of Figures 9 and 10 illustrates one mechanism of producing a clicking sound with a mechanical clicker arrangement on movement of a piston pump axially in a cycle of operation, various other mechanical clicker devices may be used.
For example, clicker devices of the type illustrated in U.S. Patent 724,545 to Conklin, issued April 7, 1903 or the type illustrated in U.S. Patent 8,033,201 to Cutler, issued October 11, 2011 may be adapted or incorporated in various different configurations. For example, as the sounding dispenser 12k illustrated on Figure 5, a hand-held dispenser as disclosed in U.S.
Patent 7,984,831 could be incorporated so as to adopt a clicker mechanism as a sound generator providing a sound on manual movement of a pump actuator and maintain that dispenser as useful, for example, for dispensing fluid and air mixed as foam.
[0055] As another form of a sound generator for use in the present invention, the sound generator may comprise an electrically driven electronic sound producing element or a speaker. For example, in sounding dispensers illustrated as 12i and 12j in Figure 6 which have a source of electrical power, the electrical power may be used to generate sound when the dispenser is activated or fluid dispensed. The sound generator 26 thus could be a simple electrically powered speaker or digital sound chip such as a piezoelectric transducer. Thus, for example, in electrically powered dispensers, such a sounding dispenser as 12i or 12j shown in Figure 6, on activating the dispenser to dispense fluid, the electrically powered sound generator may be activated to produce sound.
[0056] The sound generator 26 and the sound sensor 32 as shown, for example, in Figure 2, are adapted to be compatible such that the sound sensor 32 will sense sound generated by the sound generator 26. Preferably, the sound produced by the sound generator 26 is at selected frequencies so as to be readily discernible and distinguishable from sound generated within the working environment. The sound generator may be selected to have a particular profile which can assist the sound sensor 32 in recognizing the sound as emanating from a sounding dispenser 12. For example, the sound 30 which is produced may have a variance in amplitude or frequency which can be characteristic of a signature for particular sounding dispensers. For example, an air whistle 61 may have a particular sound characteristic over time which can be recognized by the sound sensor 32 to distinguish the sound 30 from the whistle 61 from ambient sounds. Additionally, the whistle 61 may be adapted to produce sound in both an inward stroke and an outward stroke of movement of a piston which can be recognized by the sound sensor 32 and assist in distinguishing over sounds in the environment. Similarly, the sound 30 from a clicker mechanism such as shown in Figures 9 and 10 may click both on an instroke and an outstroke to assist in distinguishing a sound made from the clicker from sound in the environment. Similarly, insofar as sound is produced electronically in a sounding dispenser, the sound produced electronically may have a particular profile of frequency, or amplitude over time or emit a number of sounds.
[0057] In developing suitable air whistles along the lines of those disclosed in Figures 7 to 9, the timing and manner in which the air can be delivered to an air whistle can be selected so as to provide for advantageous operation of the air whistle. For example, insofar as pressurized air is desired to be delivered from an air chamber 67 to the whistle 61, a time delay valving arrangement may be provided between the air chamber 67 and the whistle 61 so as to not open until air within the air chamber 67 has reached a certain pressure and then on reaching that pressure, the air is then permitted to discharge through the air whistle resulting in a higher velocity discharge of air through the air whistle. The pressurizing of air and the ease of passage of air from atmosphere to flow back through the whistle into the air chamber can be accommodated by various valving mechanisms and, amongst other things, avoid a significant increase in the pressures required to move the piston-forming element 63.
[0058] Each of the illustrated pump mechanisms in Figures 7 to 10 show piston pump mechanisms, however, any manner of pump mechanisms may be used to dispense fluid and, if desired, to pass air through a whistle.
[0059] In the preferred embodiments illustrated, as seen in Figure 1, the sound sensing mechanism 14 is shown to communicate wirelessly with a wireless router 16 and the wireless router 16 is shown to communicate with the Internet 18 via which there is communication with the computing system 20. However, such communication from the sound sensing mechanism 14 need not be wireless. For example, while not believed to be preferred, the sound sensing mechanism 14 could be hardwired to a router or to the Internet or to the computing system 20. Similarly, wireless routers 16 are preferably wireless routers for communication as through a local area network or wide area network with the Internet 18, however, non-wireless routers could be substituted which such routers being hardwired as to the Internet 18 or to the computing system 20. Preferably, the sound sensing mechanism 14 for convenience and easy location of a plurality of sound sensing mechanisms 14 within a facility, communicates wirelessly to a router 16 or to the Internet 18 or to the computing system 20, however, while it is preferred that wireless routers 16 are used, the manner of receiving signals from the sound sensing mechanisms 14 and providing them to the computing system 20 is not limited to being through routers or the Internet or to being wired and may be hardwired. For example, in Figure 1, arrow 113 indicates that a sound mechanism 14 could communicate directly with the Internet or the computing system 20. The communication between the sound sensing mechanism 14 may be one way for transmission of data to the computing system 20 or could be two way as, for example, to run diagnostic checks on the sound sensing mechanism or to request and retrieve information from the sound sensing mechanism 14 or to confirm safe data receipt. The controller 34 of the sound sensing mechanism 14 may include data storage capabilities to store data for some time and deliver the data in packets to the computing system.
100601 The computing system 20 has been schematically illustrated in Figure 1 as but a single user at a single computer. However, the computing system 20 may, as is well known in the art, comprise various structures such as preferably a system with data producing modules which may comprise a web tier of servers that communicate with a data tier of servers. A web tier of servers could deliver information through web pages, receive user information to be processed, provide web service for multiplexer use and for reporting to facility managers, to generate alerts and notification. A data tier server can provide central data storage. The computing system may include a facility manager such as an individual person at a computer. The facility manager preferably is able to communicate with the data producing web tier and the data tier as by the Internet. The facility manager preferably has the capability of reviewing reports and managing all master data. Preferably, the computer has the capability of communicating with a facility database which may include various information from a facility such as, for example, in the case of a hospital, data regarding operations, occupancy, disease and infection incidence, and the like. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, data gathered regarding the usage of fluid dispensers at a facility or different areas within a facility can be correlated, as for example, to occupancy of the facility or different parts of a facility to measure the relative use of hand cleaning sounding dispensers within the facility.
[0061] The invention provides not only an apparatus for monitoring of dispensers but also a method of monitoring dispensers comprising a method of compliance monitoring of hand washing within a facility comprising producing a sound each time a dispenser is activate, remotely monitoring the sounds produced by one or more sound sensors positioned to receive sounds and transmitting data representative of the sounds sensed by the sound sensors to a central computer.
[0062] While the invention has been described with reference particularly to monitoring dispensers for hand cleaning fluids, the invention is not so limited and can be used to monitor usage of dispensers of almost any type of product.
[0063] While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, many modifications and variations will now occur to persons skilled in the art. For a definition of the invention, reference is made to the following claims.

Claims

1. In combination a fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid and a sound sensing mechanism remote from the fluid dispenser, the fluid dispenser dispensing fluid when activated by a user, the fluid dispenser including a sound generator which generates a sound when the fluid dispenser is activated by the user, the sound sensing mechanism separate from and spaced from the fluid dispenser, the sound sensing mechanism including a sound sensor to sense the sound generated by the sound generator, the sound sensing mechanism including a communication system to transmit data representative of the sound sensed by the sound generator.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid dispenser is a manually operated dispenser in which an actuator is moved by the user to dispense fluid.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fluid dispenser includes a fluid pump for dispensing fluid on movement of the actuator.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fluid dispenser includes an air pump for pressurizing air on movement of the actuator, the sound generator comprises a air driven device which produces sound on the air pressurized by the air pump being discharged therepast.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the sound generator comprises a resilient member which on movement of the actuator is deflected and then suddenly released and on the release of the resilient member the sound produced.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which the fluid pump is a piston pump in which a piston element is reciprocally movable relative to a piston chamber forming body in a cycle of operation including an instroke and an outstroke to alternatively in one of the instroke and outstroke draw fluid from a fluid reservoir into the fluid pump and in the other of the instroke and the outstroke discharge fluid from the fluid pump, the air pump formed between the piston element and the piston chamber forming body for drawing air into the air pump in a first of the instroke and the outstroke and to pressurize air in a second of the instroke and the outstroke.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in a compliance monitoring system including a plurality of such dispensers, a plurality of said sound sensors located to sense sound from the dispensers and a central computing capability for receiving data from the sound sensors.

8. A method of compliance monitoring of hand washing within a facility comprising producing a sound each time a dispenser is activate, remotely monitoring the sounds produced by one or more sound sensors positioned to receive sounds, transmitting data representative of the sounds sensed by the sound sensors to a central computer.