EP0103765A2 - Electrical dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Electrically operable dispenser with non-contact dispensing for liquid or pasty materials, such as disinfectants, cleaning agents, soaps and ointments, which consists essentially of a dispensing container for the materials to be dispensed, a pump (29) which is connected to the dispensing container (2) and is operated by means of an electromagnet (65) in the form of a solenoid, and an inlet valve and an outlet valve (22, 31) for the materials to be dispensed, characterized in that the pump (29) is a diaphragm pump and the solenoid has a driving force of from 1 to 100 N.

Description

The invention relates to an electrically actuated dispenser for liquid or pasty goods, such as disinfectants and cleaning agents, soap and ointments, which essentially consist of a dispenser for the goods to be dispensed, a pump connected to the dispenser and an inlet and an outlet valve for the dispenser Goods exists. Output devices of the aforementioned type are known, for example, from DE-OS 3o 36 523 and have also proven themselves in practice. With these units, however, manual operation is still required, ie the dispenser must be operated with a lever for dispensing, which is undesirable for areas where increased hygienic requirements are imposed. This applies in particular to soap dispensers that are used in dairies, butchers, etc., but to an even greater extent to soap dispensers and disinfectant dispensers in hospitals and medical practices. Here the absolute guarantee must be given that no germs are transferred to the user's hands. There is therefore a requirement that the donor work independently, that is to say dispense a metered quantity of its contents without touching the hand.

From DE-OS 26 44 151 a soap dispenser with proximity switch is known which fulfills this requirement, i.e. that when an object approaches, for example the hand to the dispenser, a motor is switched on which pumps out a predetermined amount of soap from the container. The motor is controlled by a switching device that reacts to rapid movement in an electrical or acoustic field, but not to slow movements. The switching device also contains timers with which the delivery quantity and the minimum pause length between the individual soap deliveries can be set.

This unit is, however, a very complex device that has to be operated via the mains due to the built-in motor. This is not without problems in damp rooms and when dispensing liquids. In many cases, an attempt will also be made to replace an existing hand-operated dispenser with an automatic dispenser and therefore a new electrical installation has to be installed in the intended place of the dispenser, which means additional effort. An economical operation of an electric motor by means of built-in batteries is not possible, since these are consumed too quickly due to the load, so that the dispenser often filled with soap, but equipped with batteries that are now empty, would not be operational.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating a dispenser which dispenses liquid or pasty goods in a contactless manner and has a minimal power consumption, so that it can be dispensed with The battery pack can work independently of the mains and the battery pack has a long service life.

This object is achieved by an electrically actuatable dispensing device for liquid or pasty goods, such as disinfectants and cleaning agents, soap and ointments, which essentially consist of a dispensing container for the goods to be dispensed, a pump connected to the dispensing container and an inlet and an outlet valve for the goods to be dispensed exist with the characteristic feature that the pump is actuated by means of an electromagnet. According to a preferred embodiment, the electromagnet is a lifting magnet.

Electromagnets only need a short current surge in order to be able to perform quite considerable work. With only a brief load on a battery, it is thus possible to use a lifting magnet to actuate a pump piston, the pump actuated in this way expediently being a short-stroke pump, ie the stroke of the pump is smaller than the piston diameter. Instead of a piston pump, a peristaltic pump can of course also be operated in this way, just as it is possible to use a bellows as a pump. However, the preferred embodiment is the connection between the electromagnet and the diaphragm pump. Diaphragm pumps have the characteristic that initially only a slight pressure on the diaphragm is required, which must increase with increasing depth of indentation. Electromagnets, in particular the solenoids in particular, have an analog characteristic, ie if the solenoid is switched on, it first exercises on the basis of large gap distance only a small force. This force becomes stronger as the gap decreases. The performance curves of the diaphragm pump and solenoid therefore correspond, that is, they form an ideal combination. The armature of the solenoid is expediently conical, so that a relatively large distance is available over which the magnetic field extends.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the lifting magnet has a tensile force of 1 to 100 N. The range is preferably between 15 and 45 N.

The range of 1 to 2o N is suitable for dispensing small quantities, i.e. for dispensing relatively highly concentrated goods such as disinfectants or perfume. The range from 15 to 45 N meets the requirements that are generally placed on a soap dispenser that dispenses liquid or cream-like soap, whereas the upper range, i.e. the range between 5o and 100 N, is more suitable for dispensing pasty goods, one higher. Have viscosity. Above 100 N, the current consumption rises despite the brief actuation of an electromagnet, so that the use of battery-operated electromagnets becomes uneconomical.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the stroke of the magnet armature is 1 to 10 mm. Below 1 mm, there is practically no longer any sufficient movement that a pump can operate; Above lo mm, the forces that are generated when the lifting movement begins are so low dass.es considerable magnet sizes are required in order to achieve an effective movement at all. On the other hand, this requires more electricity, which is contrary to the task of developing an energy-saving unit. In order to nevertheless increase the stroke, or to extend the movement of the pump piston or preferably the pump membrane, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the pump membrane is connected to the electromagnet via an actuating lever. This operating lever is designed as a two-armed lever, with the shorter of the two-armed levers normally being assigned to the solenoid and the longer one to the diaphragm. This allows the movement, i.e. the stroke on the pump, to be controlled within fairly wide limits.

The actuating lever is advantageously provided with a return spring. This return spring supports the endeavor of the pump membrane to return to its starting position by compensating for the armature weight of the magnet. This automatically extends the life and thus the service life of the pump membrane without the dispenser becoming more susceptible to malfunction.

A further very advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the energy supply and the electromagnet are arranged in a separate housing which can be separated from the output device, the separable housing advantageously being designed as a snap-in insert.

By combining the electrical units in a separate housing, these parts can go far are encapsulated so that they are largely protected from water even if the dispenser is not cleaned properly. Another important advantage is that the dispenser can remain installed on the wall while the plug-in unit with the electrical units is removed from it and these can be checked without having to disassemble the dispenser. It is very important that the insert is provided with a catch so that it can be firmly anchored in the dispenser housing. Since the electromagnet is installed in the drawer, the pump can only function if the drawer as such cannot move relative to the dispenser, i.e. is secured by a catch.

Electrically chemical elements are used as the current source. This includes both the commercially available batteries, several combined in one set, guaranteeing the dispenser a considerable dispensing time, as well as rechargeable batteries, which also emit a power source with a lower voltage and can therefore also be used safely in wet rooms.

• Fig. 1 zeigt einen handelsüblichen Ausgabebehälter im Schnitt;
• Fig. 2 diesen Ausgabebehälter als Explosionsschaubild, wobei die Einzelteile perspektivisch dargestellt sind;
• .Fig. 3 zeigt den erfindungsgemäßen Ausgabebehälter perspektivisch im Teilschnitt;
• Fig. 4 zeigt als Explosionsschaubild Einzelteile des Ausgabebehälters gemäß Fig. 3;
• Fig. 5 zeigt den Pumpenbereich:des Ausgabebehälters in perspektivischer Darstellung;
• Fig. 6 zeigt als Detail einen Schnitt des Ausgabe-behälters gemäß der Linie VV in Fig. 5;
• Fig. 7 zeigt das Elektronikgehäuse'in perspektivischer Darstellung von der Rückseite;
• Fig. 8 das gleiche Gehäuse von der Vorderseite;
• Fig. 9 zeigt den Einschub mit dem Batterieteil;
• Fig. lo zeigt die Innenansicht des Elektronikgehäuses mit Sensorplatte und Abschirmelektrode bei im Gehäuse angeordneten Elektromagneten;
• Fig. 11 den zugehörigen Einschub;
• Fig. 12 ein Elektronikgehäuse ohne Einbauten mit Rastenfenster;
• Fig. 13 den zugehörigen Einschub mit.Rasten, eingebauten Elektromagnet und Platine;

The invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

• Fig. 1 shows a commercially available dispenser in section;
• 2 shows this dispensing container as an exploded diagram, the individual parts being shown in perspective;
• .Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the dispensing container according to the invention in partial section;
• FIG. 4 shows an exploded diagram of individual parts of the dispensing container according to FIG. 3;
• Fig. 5 shows the pump area: of the dispensing container in a perspective view;
• Fig. 6 shows in detail a section of the output container along the line VV in Fig. 5;
• 7 shows a perspective view of the electronics housing from the rear;
• 8 shows the same housing from the front;
• Fig. 9 shows the insert with the battery part;
• Fig. Lo shows the inside view of the electronics housing with sensor plate and shielding electrode with electromagnets arranged in the housing;
• 11 shows the associated insert;
• 12 shows an electronics housing without internals with a latching window;
• 13 shows the associated slide-in module with detents, built-in electromagnet and circuit board;

The wall attachment 1 consists of a flat plate which forms the rear wall 7 and bores 8. which are used to screw the wall mounting 1 to a room wall. The holes 8 are countersunk so that countersunk screws can be used. The rear wall 7 is delimited on the right and left by side walls 59 which have a triangular shape and are angled in the lower region. Between the angled ends of the side walls 59 extends a channel-shaped bracket 6, which is attached directly to the rear wall 7 and the guide 3, the spring 4 and the hook-shaped. Approach 5 for receiving or fastening the dispensing container 2 is used.

The. Guide 3 is in the form of a tab which is offset inwards on the rear wall 7 by the wall thickness of the rear wall 7. In its upper region it is separated from the rear wall 7 by spaces 6o arranged on the right and left, so that the bridge 11, in which the guide groove 10 of the dispensing container 2 ends along its rear wall 9, surrounds the guide 3. The spring 4 carries at its upper end a hook-shaped extension 5 ′ and is an integral part of the guide 3. When the dispensing container 2 is inserted, it engages in the holding slot 12 located in the front part of the bridge 11, whereby the dispensing container 2 is locked in the wall fastening .

The dispensing container 2 has a U-shaped profile 14 on its base 13. The web 16 of the U-shaped profile 14 extends parallel to the container rear wall 9 and is received by the channel-shaped holder 6 of the wall fastening 1. The legs 15 of the _U- shaped profile 14 arranged on the right and left of the web 16 have a triangular profile, that is to say they taper from the rear wall 9 of the container to the front wall 61 of the container and each have a bearing bore 17 in the downward-pointing tip of the triangle an elongated hole 18 extends parallel to the floor 13.

Under the bottom 13 of the dispenser 2 is a Module 21 arranged, which partially penetrates the container bottom 13 and protrudes into the container interior 25. Below the inlet valve 22, the module 21 is designed as a ring extension and here forms the body of the pump 29, ie a tubular socket which is closed off by the pump membrane 56. The pump membrane 56 has a pot shape. Its central base piece is reinforced, the edge encompassing the cylindrical part of the pump 29 is connected to the module by a spring washer 55. : 21 connected.

A pump channel 3o extends from the pump 29 in the direction of the outlet valve 31. A relief channel 23 is connected to this pump channel 3o and opens into an opening 28 which is located in a mandrel 27 below the knife 26. In the operating state of the soap dispenser, the opening 28 is covered by the neck extension 50 of the storage container 49, so that when the pump 29 is actuated, the liquid soap is not pressed back into the container interior 25, but rather reaches the outlet valve 31 via the pump channel 3o.

The pressure occurring during the pumping process closes the inlet valve 22 and lifts it against the direction of action of the compression spring 62 by pressure on the pressure flange 36 of the valve body 32, whereby the valve body tip 33 releases the nozzle bore 35 in the valve cap 34 so that the soap emerges from the nozzle bore 35 can. In order to avoid that, for example due to temperature changes, the pressure in pump channel 3o increases and the valve leaks, a compensating bore 24 is provided.

The pump diaphragm 56 is actuated via an actuating lever 19. The actuating lever 19 consists of a handle 37 and a cover plate 38 which cover the entire bottom area of the soap dispenser. closes and thus prevents contamination of the pump 29 and the outlet valve 31 from the outside. A pressure pad 4o is arranged on the cover plate 38, which consists of a cylindrical attachment with a flattened spherical shoulder. This pressure pad 4o engages with the movement of the handle 37 on the pump diaphragm 56 and presses it into the module 21, as a result of which there located soap flows out through the outlet valve 31,

A stop screw 41 arranged in the front area of the cover plate 38 serves to limit the movement of the handle 37 and thus to regulate the depth of penetration of the pressure cushion 4o into the pump membrane 56. This regulation adjusts the amount of soap to be dispensed. The stop screw 41 is usually designed as a grub screw, which is arranged self-locking in the cover plate 38.

The handle 37 is mounted via articulated levers 39, which are resiliently connected to the handle 37. They carry at their ends outwardly directed stub axles 54 which engage in the bearing bores 17 of the U-shaped profile 14.

When using the soap dispenser in disinfected rooms. it is necessary for the operator, for example a surgeon, to work with sterile hands and not to touch the handle 37 of the soap dispenser with his hands. The operation of the soap dispenser this should be done with the arm, for which purpose the actuating lever 19 is extended by spacers 42 so that the spacers 42 connect the handle 37 to the cover plate 38 and the articulated lever 39. The cover 2o is provided in its lower region with two hinge arms 43, on which there are pivot pins 58. These pivot pins 58 engage in the elongated holes 18 ′ of the U-shaped profile 14, so that the cover 20 can be moved in the direction of the wall fastening 1, so that the nose. 46, which delimits the recess 45 in the cover 2o, engages behind the catch 47 of the dispensing container 2.

The recess 44 located in the bottom area of the cover 20 forms an opening for the outlet valve 31 through which the soap exits.

The viewing windows 48 are located in the hood side walls 63 of the cover 20 and are only delimited on one side by the hood side wall 63. The opposite limitation takes place through the wall mounting 1, i.e. the side walls 59.

The reservoir 49 has rectangular shape undbesitzt on one longitudinal side an outwardly projecting neck 5 _0, which is covered with a foil cap 51st The reservoir bottom 64 has two opposing depressions 52 which leave a web 53 in the middle. This web 53 is used for inserting the storage container 49 into the dispensing container 2, the depressions 52 allowing the web 53 to be gripped with the fingers.

The soap dispenser is opened by means of a lever 57, which consists of a flat material bent at one end in a crescent shape. The crescent-shaped piece of the lever 57 is inserted into the recess 45 and the lever 57 is then moved upwards. The lever 57 is supported on the electronics housing lol and lifts the nose 46 of the cover 2o out of the catch 47.des the dispensing container 2, so that the cover 2o in the elongated hole 18 through the pivot pin 58, moved towards the operator and to Release of the output container 2 can be folded down.

3 shows how the same dispenser can be converted into an electronically actuated dispenser by exchanging the actuating lever 19. The actuating lever 19 is designed in this case as a double lever, that is equipped with two arms, of which one arm, as before, carries the pressure cushion 4o, which acts on the pump diaphragm 56, whereas the second arm is acted upon by the magnet armature 7o of the electromagnet 65. In this embodiment, the electromagnet 65 is permanently installed in the rear area of the electronics housing lol, next to it is the circuit board lo4, which receives the electronics units for controlling the electromagnet 65.

The lever side of the actuating lever 19, which carries the pressure pad 4o, has an extension 1 ₀ 5, in the front area of which the return spring 66 is arranged. This return spring 66 essentially has the task of balancing the weight of the magnet armature 7o and thereby largely relieving the pressure on the pump diaphragm 56.

Since all electrical components should be completely separated from the wet part of the soap dispenser if possible, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, they are encapsulated. In the simplest form, this can be done in that the electronics housing lol is closed towards the front and has only one opening 106, above which the electromagnet 65 is located and into which the actuating lever 19 engages. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the electromagnet 65 is accessible from the rear side lo7 of the electronics housing lol, as is the circuit board lo4 and the connecting capacitor 98.

The sensor plate 71 is arranged on the bottom of the pocket lo8 of the electronics housing 101. Above it is the shielding electrode 69, which shields the sensor plate 71 from being influenced by the level of the soap in the storage container 49. Screws, not shown, are passed through the mounting holes lö9 and are used to attach the electronics housing lol to a house wall or the like.

The pocket lo8 is provided in its lower region with a conductive layer llo, which prevents the soap dispensing from the dispenser from being impaired by dirtying the underside of the pocket.

The insert 68 which is inserted vertically from above into the electronics housing ¹⁰¹ which contains power source, so the electrochemical elements 72. In Fig. 9, this electrochemical _'elements are shown as single cells, but can instead be rechargeable batteries are used. The insert 68 is inserted via the contact springs 111 electrically connected to the electronics ^{housing effectively} lol connected the same way as Fig.lo shows contact springs 111 up. points. There is a different voltage between the individual contact springs 111, since the electromagnet 65 must be operated at full voltage in order to provide the required power, but the proximity switch 67 as such can be operated at a lower voltage, as a result of which current. is saved. The proximity switch 67 is composed of the circuit board 104, the connection capacitor 98, and the sensor plate 71, which are accommodated in the electronics housing 101 according to FIG. 10.

An adjusting screw 112 made of insulating material enables the response distance to be adjusted by adjusting the height of the shielding electrode 69 in the pocket lo8. the distance at which the dispenser dispenses soap when the hand approaches the dispenser, ie in the area of the sensor plate 71.

Receiving holes 113 are used to screw the dispensing container 2 to the electronics housing lol. They are arranged in lugs 114, which are part of the rear side lo7 of the electronics housing ¹⁰¹ .

In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, as shown, the electrical parts were encapsulated in that they were enclosed by the electronics housing lol forward, that is to the soap dispenser side, so that they could only be reached from the wall side. Fig. Lo shows the alternative solution here, that is, all electrical parts are arranged on the back lo7 of the electronics housing lol and thus openly accessible from the front. The cover opposite the soap dispenser takes place through the insert 68, as shown in FIG. 11, and the front 115 thereof except for the opening 106, through which the actuating lever 19 engages the electromagnet 65 and the elongated holes 116 are completely closed.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a further pairing of electronics housing 10 and insert 68, here insert 68 accommodating all the electrical or electronic parts that require maintenance. These are, on the one hand, the electrochemical elements 72, which have to be recharged or replaced, on the other hand, the circuit board lo4, which may have to be checked, the electromagnet 65 and the connecting capacitor 98. Since the electromagnet 65 is always opposite the actuating lever 19, The insert 68 is locked in its position when it has to assume a fixed, not changing position, if an equal delivery quantity is to be achieved by the pump movement. The locking takes place in the right and left wing 117 of the electronics housing 101 by introducing catch windows lo3 and by resilient tabs 119 arranged on the insertion side walls 118, which spring outwards from the insertion side wall 118 and thus into the catch windows lo3 of the electronics housing lol intervene. When inserting the insert 68 into the electron housing lol, these resilient tabs 119 are pressed inward and only come out again at the latching window lo3, where they lock the insert 68 in the intended position. In this embodiment, shown in FIG. 12, the electronics housing lol only has parts in the area of the pocket lo8 which are connected to the proximity switch 67 via the shielding contact 12o and the sensor contact 121.

Claims (10)

1. Electrically actuated dispensing device for liquid or pasty goods, such as disinfectants and cleaning agents, soap and ointments, which essentially consists of a dispensing container for the dispensing goods, a pump connected to the dispensing container and an inlet and an outlet valve for the dispensing goods, characterized in that the pump (29) is actuated by means of an electromagnet (65). 2. Output device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (29) is a diaphragm pump. 3. Output device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electromagnet (65) is a lifting magnet. 4. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lifting magnet has a tensile force of 1 to 100 N. 5. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stroke of the magnet armature (70) is 1 to lo mm. 6. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized; that the pump diaphragm (56) is connected to the electromagnet (65) via an actuating lever (19). 7. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the actuating lever (19) is provided with a return spring (66). 8. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the energy supply and the electromagnet (65) are arranged in a separate, separable from the output device housing. 9. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the separable housing is a snap-in insert (68). 10. Output device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that electro-chemical elements (72) are used as the current source.

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