EP0455679B1 - Dispensing device for materials in liquid or paste form - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing device for disinfectants consists of a wall fixture (1), a covering cap (20), an insert (2) together with a reservoir (49) and a module (21) arranged in the floor (13) of the insert (2). The upper region of the module (21) has a tubular shoulder (22) which surrounds a support (27) for a blade (26) for cutting the film cap (51) which surrounds the neck (50) of the reservoir (49). The tubular shoulder (22) has annular steps (123) on the outside on which a bellows (23) with a sealing lip (124) rests. The sealing lip (124) projects into the interior (125) of the shoulder (122) and seals the reservoir (49) at the neck (50).

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing device for liquid or pasty goods, in particular disinfectants, which consists essentially of a wall mounting, a cover connected to the wall mounting and an insert for receiving a storage container for the goods to be dispensed, which is detachably connected to the wall mounting and on his Bottom within a U-shaped profile carries a module in which a pump with an inlet and an outlet valve and means for holding and opening the reservoir are integrated, the U-shaped profile on its legs in the region of the web bearing holes for receiving Has stub axles of an actuating lever which extends below the cover plate.

Output devices of the aforementioned type are known for example from DE-OS 30 36 523 or DE-OS 32 31 806 and have also proven themselves in practice. These units either require manual operation, ie the dispenser must be used to dispense a lever can be operated, which is undesirable for areas in which increased hygienic requirements are placed or in such a way that the dispenser works automatically, that is to say dispenses a metered amount of its contents without touching the hand.

A disadvantage of both known units that could be used as disinfectant dispensers is, however, that in any case the air has access to the medium to be dispensed, ie. H. on the one hand, evaporation can take place to a greater extent, on the other hand oxidation of the medium to be dispensed is possible. Thirdly, it cannot be ruled out that impurities may also get into the medium, which, after evaporation of the solvent or decomposition by oxidation, can lead to fungal growth or the formation of resistant viruses and bacterial strains.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating a dispenser in which the evaporation of the solvent or the access of air to the medium to be dispensed is reduced to a minimum.

This object is achieved in a dispensing device for liquid or pasty goods, in particular disinfectants, which essentially consists of a wall fastening, a cover hood connected to the wall fastening and a dispensing container for receiving a storage container with a neck attachment closed by a film cap for the goods to be dispensed, which is detachably connected to the wall mounting and carries a module on its bottom within a U-shaped profile, in which a pump with an inlet and an outlet valve and means for holding and opening the storage container are integrated, whereby the U-shaped profile on its legs in the area of the web has bearing bores for receiving stub axles of an actuating lever which extends below the cover plate, solved by the combination of the following features:
the upper area of the module is provided with a tubular extension,
the tubular extension surrounds a carrier for a knife for cutting open the film cap of the storage container so that the goods to be dispensed can get from the storage container into the interior of the tubular extension,
the tubular extension has a cylindrical cross-section,
it is provided with annular steps on the outside, a bellows with at least one sealing lip rests on the steps,
the sealing lip protrudes into the interior of the attachment and lies sealingly against the neck attachment of the storage container,
the bellows is held by a clamping plate, which is part of the bottom of the insert.

When inserting the storage container, which has the shape of a square plate with a laterally offset bottle neck, the bottle cap, which is usually called Form the film laminate and weld it onto the bottle. Almost at the same time, the bottle neck is enclosed by the sealing lip, which is pressed down and expanded by the neck extension into the interior of the extension. The sealing lip now surrounds the neck with a defined line pressure, thus closing the interior of the opened bottle from the atmosphere. This means that neither solvent, generally alcohol, can evaporate, nor does the air and therefore oxygen have unimpeded access to the contents of the bottle, so it cannot have an oxidizing effect. If the solvent is alcohol or a solvent that evaporates even at low temperatures, a slight overpressure even forms between the sealing lip and the bottle interior or interior of the attachment, which additionally presses the sealing lip against the neck attachment. Only after repeated pumping does the pressure fall below or normal pressure and a vacuum forms in the storage container, i.e. the bottle. Depending on the bottle wall thickness and the material used, this negative pressure is compensated for by pulling the bottle together, but this is only possible to a certain extent. Then air enters the interior of the attachment between the sealing lip - which is deformed downwards by the penetration of the bottle neck and forms a kind of check valve - but only as much air as the amount drawn. This air needs to be in the upper Area of the bottle, i.e. the actual bottle bottom, to pass through the medium in the bottle. In practical terms, this means that an air bubble rises through the disinfectant. This air bubble is already enriched with solvent and at the same time is made sterile. The oxidation effect is also very low with an air bubble as the amount of air.

Logically, with increasing emptying of the container, more air collects in its upper area. However, since only a single air bubble passes the disinfectant according to the amount withdrawn, and the area through which the bubble strives upwards - namely the area in and around the neck of the storage container - is first pumped out, the air space that forms is above of the disinfectant firstly saturated with solvent, secondly filled with disinfected air, thirdly only the maximum amount of air that can come into contact with the contents and thus have an oxidizing effect, which corresponds to the total content of the storage container, i.e. the bottle. This ensures that neither evaporation nor contamination, nor oxidation to a greater extent, that is to say to the extent of the empirical values previously known for donors, is possible.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the bellows made of nitrile rubber consists. At the same time, the part of the dispensing container which comes into contact or can come into contact with the disinfectant is expediently made of polypropylene or polyethylene. The latter two materials are resistant to practically all known disinfectants and the solvents used, are also inexpensive to injection mold and can also be colored in appealing colors. Nitrile rubber is also resistant to the media to be dispensed and also has the elasticity and elongation required for a seal.

The hardness of nitrile rubbers can be adjusted over a wide range. A hardness between 40 and 60 Shore has proven to be the preferred range. If the hardness becomes higher, the sealing lip no longer clings to the neck of the storage container in a fully sealing manner; if it becomes lower, greater wear and tear due to the insertion of the storage container is to be expected. Both cases lead to the leakage of the dispensing container, i. that is, air enters the reservoir and thus oxidation or evaporation.

The sealing lip of the bellows tapers in the direction of the neck of the storage container to a thickness between 0.1 and 1.0 mm. It is preferably between 0.6 and 0.7 mm. In connection with the hardness of the bellows and thus also the hardness of the sealing lip, this becomes an absolute Sealing achieved, which only allows air to pass between the lip and neck base when a vacuum is created in the storage container.

The sealing lip, i.e. the upper area of the bellows, forms a circular opening which surrounds the neck of the storage container. In order to achieve a seal, the invention provides for a line pressure between the sealing lip and neck extension in this area which is between 5 and 25 N. This line pressure is achieved in that the clear width of the circle formed by the sealing lip is 1 to 3 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the neck of the storage container. In connection with the Shore hardness of the bellows, this results in a deformation of the sealing lip when inserting the storage container, i. H. The sealing lip, which originally extends horizontally when the bellows is installed, is replaced by inserting the storage container inwards, ie. H. bent downwards, the sealing lip sealingly engaging the neck. At the same time, this bending of the sealing lip has created a valve which, when there is sufficient differential pressure, that is to say when negative pressure is generated in the reservoir, allows air to enter the interior of the attachment if a certain vacuum has been created by the pumping process.

The length of the sealing lip, which according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is between 2 and 6 mm, is also important in this context is. The length is also dependent on the hardness of the nitrile rubber used, ie with increasing hardness it is possible to work with shorter lengths, which reduces wear on the sealing lip, on the other hand the contact pressure must be higher, ie in the upper range of the specified line pressure lie in order to achieve a good seal.

Electrically actuated dispensing devices have the great advantage that once they have been set to a specific dispensing quantity, they cannot be changed without unwanted manipulation. In order to avoid the laying of electrical cables, they are usually equipped with their own power source, but must then be designed in such a way that they have minimal power consumption in order to be able to work independently of the network over a long period of time, i. that is, the batteries used should have a long life due to low power consumption.

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, the pump actuated in this way being a short-stroke pump. The preferred embodiment is the connection between the electromagnet and the diaphragm pump. Diaphragm pumps have the characteristic that initially only a light one Pressure on the membrane is required, which must increase with increasing depth of indentation. Electromagnets, in particular the lifting magnet, have an analog characteristic, ie if the lifting magnet is switched on, it initially exerts only a small force due to the relatively large gap distance. 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.

The lifting magnet has a pulling force of 1 - 100 N. The range is preferably between 15 and 45 N.

The range from 1 to 20 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 50 and 100 N, is more suitable for dispensing pasty goods, the 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.

The stroke length of the magnetic armature is approx. 2 to 8 mm. Above 10 mm, the forces that are generated when the stroke movement is started are so small that considerable magnet sizes are required to bring about 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. To increase the stroke anyway, i. H. To extend the movement of the pump membrane, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the pump membrane is connected to the electromagnet via an actuating lever. This actuating lever is designed as a two-armed lever, with the shorter of the two-armed lever normally being assigned to the lifting magnet 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 control of the electromagnet by a proximity switch enables the non-contact dispensing of materials from the dispensing container without it being necessary, e.g. B. to install a foot switch, which would also ensure the hygienic conditions, but its installation means an increased effort because it can not be integrated into the housing of the dispenser. Furthermore, the separate installation of a switch in washrooms and toilets generally disrupts floor cleaning.

The use of a capacitive switch is particularly recommended because, on the one hand, the risk of misuse and damage is lower than is the case, for example, with a switch consisting of a light barrier. Acoustic switches are often affected by unintentional influences, in which the source of the noise can be far outside the building, whereas the light barriers can be triggered by continuous soiling and the application of paper, for example. The capacitive switch responds only to the change in capacitance, i. that is, it is triggered by hand approaching the dispenser.

The proximity switch has a sensor circuit with two synchronously oscillating oscillators, one of which is designed as a fixed oscillator and the second can be influenced from the outside.

Such a circuit is designed so that both oscillators endeavor to always oscillate synchronously. The circuit is very stable, i. that is, relatively large capacity changes are required to trigger a miss pulse.

The sensor circuit as such contains four NAND-Schmitt triggers, two of which are connected as oscillators, one of which serves as a fixed oscillator and the other as a variable oscillator which can be influenced by the sensor plate. The The third NAND-Schmitt trigger is connected upstream of a fourth NAND-Schmitt trigger as a threshold switch, with a diode interposed as a rectifier for the AC voltage generated in the phase discriminator, a differentiating capacitor being arranged behind the threshold switch, followed by a switching amplifier.

The proximity switch has a sensor circuit consisting of a CMOS IC and a sensor plate, a diode being connected between the sensor circuit and the current source and a capacitor connected in parallel with the sensor circuit.

The sensor plate is arranged under the housing of the dispenser, so that the capacity changes when the hand comes closer under the dispenser. The current source, which consists of electrochemical elements, ie either contains a set of commercially available batteries, or one or more rechargeable batteries, is connected to the sensor circuit via a diode, to which a capacitor is connected in parallel. This circuit ensures that the capacitor is first charged to the terminal voltage of the current source, which in turn allows the use of the current source, that is to say the batteries, to the last, since the capacitor can also be charged relatively slowly. The capacitor itself emits its charge to the sensor circuit when the circuit is actuated, the diode ensuring that now none The voltage returns to the power source.

The sensor circuit advantageously has a trimmer for adjusting the circuit. This trimmer, which can be designed as a trimmer capacitor, serves to compensate for the tolerances that inevitably arise in the manufacture of the individual components of the circuit.

The response distance can be set by adjusting the sensor plate. However, it is also possible for a shielding electrode to be arranged in an adjustable manner. This makes it possible to detune the variable oscillator more or less.

When the output container is at rest, both the fixed oscillator and the variable oscillator, that is to say the two first NAND-Schmitt triggers, oscillate at essentially the same frequency. This frequency changes as soon as a user's hand approaches the output device of the sensor plate, that is to say that an oscillation difference then occurs between the fixed oscillator and the variable oscillator. This oscillation difference is evaluated by the third NAND-Schmitt trigger as a phase discriminator, that is to say that an AC voltage arises at its output. This alternating voltage is rectified by the diode and fed to the fourth NAND-Schmitt trigger as a threshold switch. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, a differentiating capacitor is applied to which a switching amplifier is connected downstream. Via this the impulse for the output reaches the electromagnet, which is excited and thereby actuates the pump membrane once, whereby the output of a metered portion of the material contained in the dispenser takes place.

If the sensitivity is to be changed, the variable oscillator can be detuned within a certain range by means of a shielding electrode that can be varied with respect to the sensor plate, so that a permanent, defined alternating voltage arises at the discriminator, which is converted by the rectifier into a direct voltage, but this direct voltage is below the threshold voltage of the threshold switch. As a result, the change in capacitance required to trigger the sensor circuit is significantly smaller, so that the response distance is increased.

A capacitor is connected in parallel with the current source. This advantageous arrangement also allows aging batteries to be used which have a higher internal resistance. The capacitor between the strokes is still charged and again reaches the terminal voltage of the battery, the electromotive force of which is practically constant when idling.

A change in capacity and thus the triggering of a circuit is not only achieved by approaching the hand, but also depends on many secondary circumstances. For example, see the moisture in the capacity the wall on which the dispenser was mounted, and the fill level of the dispenser is shown in the capacity. It would therefore be necessary to give the donor a different capacity depending on the location and also to adjust the capacity to the respective fill level. It was therefore previously thought that capacitive switches are absolutely unsuitable for such applications.

The output device can be provided with a sensor circuit which is equipped with at least one shielding electrode which is connected to the zero potential. At least one shielding electrode is advantageously U-shaped.

On the one hand, the use of shielding electrodes enables the dispenser to be installed in any room without changing the capacity, i.e. on both damp and dry walls. Furthermore, when the fill level changes in the output device, there is no longer a change in capacity. The design of a shielding electrode in a U-shaped design simplifies the construction of the entire unit, since the U-shaped design simultaneously shields three sides, so that only one connection to the zero potential is required for three sides. The shielding electrodes extend on the one hand along the fastening side of the dispenser, that is to say parallel to the wall to which the dispenser is to be fastened, they extend further below the dispensing container, with these two measures shielding against different wall moisture and different filling level.

At the same time, the side walls of the dispenser are expediently also shielded, if appropriate also the end wall, so that even if the dispenser is touched from the side, no dispensing takes place, which is particularly advantageous when cleaning the dispenser. In practice, the result is that a shielding electrode, which is made up of several parts, shields the entire lower area of the dispenser to the sides and upwards, so that a change in capacity can only be brought about by bringing the hand closer to the dispenser.

The response distance of the proximity switch is adjustable. The dispensers are typically located near the wash basins, generally even directly above the wash basins. In the latter case in particular, there may be the possibility that the distance between the wash basin and the proximity switch is too small due to special structural conditions, which already results in a change in capacity. The fact that it is now possible to make the capacitive switch less sensitive, that is to say that the hand has to be brought closer to the dispenser, makes it possible to also use electrically actuatable dispensing devices wherever there is very little space rule, the donor is very close to z. B. a sink must be brought up.

The sensor as such is usually operated with a lower voltage than the electromagnet. This means that electricity consumption is also lower. If, for example, the electromagnet is operated via 5 mono cells, the current is delivered to the sensor on the third cell, i. H. the voltage is 4.5 volts.

A diode is connected between this tap and the sensor, and a capacitor in parallel with the sensor. The capacitor is charged via the diode. When the voltage in the cells drops, i.e. when the magnet or relay is actuated, the voltage also drops towards the sensor. This is avoided by the diode since it switches off as soon as the capacitor voltage is higher than the battery voltage. The sensor is therefore fed directly from the capacitor. This capacitor could discharge back into the battery during actuation of the magnet if the diode were not interposed. Such a discharge would trigger a pumping motion, i.e. that is, the sensor would respond again and trigger the next circuit. The resulting cycle would continuously empty the soap dispenser. The interposition of the diode is therefore of considerable importance.

The electronic components, ie the energy supply and the electromagnet are in arranged in a separate housing that can be separated from the dispenser. This housing is expediently an insert which is provided with at least one catch.

By combining all electrical units in a separate housing, these parts can be largely encapsulated, so that they are protected from water even when the dispenser is inappropriately cleaned. A major advantage is also that the dispenser as such can remain installed on the wall while the insert with the electrical units is removed therefrom and these can be checked without the dispenser having to be disassembled.

Replacing and checking the power source is therefore very simple and can therefore also be carried out by the layperson.

When the electromagnet is actuated, the armature is moved in it. This movement must generally be transmitted to the pump diaphragm via an actuating arm. This requires that the electromagnet is fixed absolutely rigid in one position. It is therefore very important that the drawer, which houses all electrical or electronic units, is provided with a catch so that it can be firmly anchored in the dispenser housing.

Electrochemical elements are used as the current source. It means both commercially available batteries, for example mono cells, several of which can be combined to form a set, and also accumulators which can be recharged after exhaustion. Both power sources supply a low voltage and can therefore be used safely in wet rooms. Due to the low consumption, they guarantee a considerable dispensing time for the donor, which is about one year under normal use.

If the dispenser is used carelessly, the case may arise that e.g. B. Soap gets from below to the housing and the capacity is affected. This is only possible if the dispenser is touched from below, i.e. the soap is deliberately transported to a place where it is not wanted. In such a case, the dispenser would remain blocked after a single dispensing because of its switching, so that further dispensing is not possible.

This disadvantage can be eliminated by using the sensor plate as the lower end of the dispenser housing. The sensor plate can come into contact with soap without adversely affecting the dispenser and continues to guarantee perfect function of the dispenser, even if the soap has dried on the sensor plate.

However, another solution is preferred, in which the bottom formed of plastic Dispenser an additional, electrically conductive layer is applied, which does not require any further connection. This electrically conductive layer can be applied by electroplating or vapor deposition, a sheet of metal could also be used as an additional cover. However, the application of a conductive lacquer has proven to be particularly expedient, although all these materials must not be covered by a further dielectric.

Fig. 1

zeigt einen handelsüblichen handbetätigten Ausgabebehälter im Schnitt;

Fig. 2

diesen Ausgabebehälter als Explosionsschaubild, wobei die Einzelteile perspektivisch dargestellt sind;

Fig. 3

zeigt einen elektrisch betätigten Ausgabebehälter perspektivisch im Teilschnitt;

Fig. 4

zeigt als Explosionsschaubild Einzelteile des erfindungsgemäßen Ausgabebehälters;

Fig. 5

zeigt den Pumpenbereich des Ausgabebehälters in perspektivischer Darstellung;

Fig. 6

zeigt als Detail einen Schnitt des Ausgabebehälters 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 (102);

Fig. 10

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, eingebautem Elektromagnet und Platine.

Fig. 14

zeigt das Schaltbild der Platine.

The invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1

shows a commercially available hand-operated output container in section;

Fig. 2

this output container as an exploded diagram, the individual parts being shown in perspective;

Fig. 3

shows an electrically operated dispensing container in perspective in partial section;

Fig. 4

shows an exploded view of individual parts of the output container according to the invention;

Fig. 5

shows the pump area of the output container in a perspective view;

Fig. 6

shows in detail a section of the dispensing container along the line VV in FIG. 5

Fig. 7

shows the electronics housing in perspective from the back;

Fig. 8

the same case from the front;

Fig. 9

shows the insert with the battery part (102);

Fig. 10

shows the inside view of the electronics housing with sensor plate and shielding electrode with electromagnets arranged in the housing;

Fig. 11

the associated slot;

Fig. 12

an electronics housing without built-in components with notch window;

Fig. 13

the associated insert with notches, built-in electromagnet and circuit board.

Fig. 14

shows the circuit diagram of the board.

The wall mounting (1) consists of a flat plate that forms the rear wall (7) and receives bores (8) that 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 holder (6) which is attached directly to the rear wall (7) and the guide (3), the spring (4) and the hook-shaped extension (5) Receiving or fastening the output container (2) is used.

The guide (3) has the shape of a tab which is offset inwards on the rear wall (7) by the wall thickness of the rear wall (7). In its upper area it is through free spaces (60) from the rear wall arranged to the right and left (7) separately, so that the bridge (11), in which the guide groove (10) of the dispensing container (2) ends along its rear wall (9), engages around 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), as a result of which the dispensing container (2) is locked in the wall fastening.

The output 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 trough-shaped holder (6) of the wall fastening (1). The legs (15) of the U-shaped profile (14) which are arranged on the right and left of the web (16) have a triangular profile, i. H. they taper from the container rear wall (9) to the container front wall (61) and each have a bearing bore (17) in the downward-pointing tip of the triangle, while an elongated hole (18) extends parallel to the bottom (13).

A module (21) is arranged under the bottom (13) of the dispensing container (2), which partially penetrates the container bottom (13) and protrudes into the insert 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 by the pump membrane (56).

The pump membrane (56) has a pot shape. Its central base is reinforced, the edge encompassing the cylindrical part of the pump (29) is connected to the module (21) by a retaining spring ring (55).

A pump channel (30) extends from the pump (29) in the direction of the outlet valve (31). A carrier (27), which is located below the knife (26), is arranged in the interior (125) of the tubular extension (122). On the outside, the tubular extension (122) has steps (123) that receive the bellows (23). The clamping plate (126) placed over it, which is part of the bottom (13) of the insert (2), clamps the conical bellows (23) so that it is between the steps (123) of the extension (122) and the counter steps (28 ) of the chip board (126) is sealing. The sealing lip (124) protrudes into the interior (125) and lies sealingly against the neck extension (50) of the storage container (49).

The pressure occurring during the pumping process closes the inlet valve (22) and, by pressure on the pressure flange (36) of the valve body (32), raises it against the direction of action of the compression spring (62), as a result of which the valve body tip (33) and the nozzle bore (35) in the Valve cap (34) releases so that disinfectant can escape from the nozzle bore (35). To avoid z. B. due to temperature changes, the pressure in the pump channel (30) increases and the valve leaks, a compensating bore (24) is provided.

The pump membrane (56) is actuated via an actuating lever (19). The actuating lever (19) consists of a handle (37) and a cover plate (38) which closes the entire bottom area of the soap dispenser and thus prevents contamination of the pump (29) and the outlet valve (31) from the outside in the case of manually operated dispensing containers. A pressure pad (40) is arranged on the cover plate (38) and consists of a cylindrical attachment with a flattened spherical extension. This pressure cushion (40) engages with the movement of the handle (37) on the pump membrane (56) and presses it into the module (21), as a result of which the disinfectant located there flows out via 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 (40) into the pump membrane (56). This regulation sets the quantity 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 have at their ends outwardly directed stub axles (54) which engage in the bearing bores (17) of the U-shaped profile (14).

The dispenser can also be operated with the arm, for which purpose the operating 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 (20) is provided in its lower area 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 mounting (1), so that the nose (46), the limited the recess (45) in the cover (20), engages behind the catch (47) of the dispensing container (2).

The recess (44) in the base area of the cover (20) forms an opening for the outlet valve (31) through which the disinfectant emerges.

The viewing windows (48) are located in the hood side walls (63) of the cover hood (20) and are only delimited on one side by the hood side wall (63). The opposite limitation is made by the wall mounting (1), d. H. the side walls (59).

The storage container (49) has a cuboid shape and has an outwardly projecting neck extension (50) on one long side, which is covered with a film cap (51). The reservoir bottom (64) has two opposite recesses (52), which leave a web (53) in the middle. This web (53) is used to insert 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. For this purpose, 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 wall (in Fig. 3 on the electronics housing 101) and lifts the nose (46) of the cover (20) out of the catch (47) of the dispensing container (2) so that the cover (20) in the elongated hole (18) through the hinge pin (58), moved towards the operator and can be folded down to release the dispensing container (2). In the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 3-13, the mechanism of the cover hood is similar, but has not been shown in the drawings.

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 (40), which acts on the pump diaphragm (56), whereas the second arm through the Magnet armature (70) of the electromagnet (65) is applied. The electromagnet (65) is permanently installed in the: he embodiment in the rear area of the electronics housing (101), next to it the circuit board (104) is attached, which accommodates the electronic units for controlling the electromagnet (65).

The lever side of the actuating lever (19), which carries the pressure cushion (40), has an extension (105), 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 (70) and thereby largely relieving the pressure on the pump diaphragm (56).

Since all electrical components should, if possible, be completely separated from the wet part of the dispenser, they are encapsulated, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In the simplest form, this can be done in that the electronics housing (101) is closed towards the front and has only one opening (106) over 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 (107) of the electronics housing (101), as is the circuit board (104) and the connection capacitor (98).

The sensor plate (71) is arranged on the bottom of the pocket (108) of the electronics housing (101).

Above it is the shielding electrode (69), which shields the sensor plate (71) from being influenced by the fill level in the storage container (49). Screws, not shown, are passed through the mounting holes (109) and are used to attach the electronics housing (101) to a house wall or the like.

The lower part of the pocket (108) is provided with a conductive layer (110), which prevents the disinfectant 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), contains the power source, that is, the electrochemical elements (72). These electrochemical elements are shown as monocells in FIG. 9, but rechargeable batteries can also be used instead. Via the contact springs (111), the insert (68) is electrically connected to the electronics housing (101) which, as shown in FIG. 10, has contact springs (111). There is a different voltage between the individual contact springs (111) because 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, which saves electricity becomes. The proximity switch (67) consists of the circuit board (104), the connection capacitor (98) and the sensor plate (71) together, which are accommodated in FIG. 10 in the electronics housing (101).

An adjusting screw (112) made of insulating material enables adjustment of the response distance, i.e. adjusting the height of the shielding electrode (69) in the pocket (108). H. the distance at which the dispenser dispenses disinfectant when the hand approaches the dispenser, i.e. in the area of the sensor plate (71).

Mounting holes (113) are used to screw the dispensing container (2) to the electronics housing (101). They are arranged in lugs (114), which are part of the back (107) of the electronics housing (101).

In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, as shown, the electrical parts were encapsulated in that they were enclosed from the electronics housing (101) to the front, that is to the dispenser side, so that they could only be reached from the wall side. 10 shows the alternative solution here, ie all electrical parts are arranged on the back (107) of the electronics housing (101) and are thus openly accessible from the front. The dispenser is covered by the insert (68), as shown in FIG. 11, and its front side (115) except for the opening (106) through which the actuating lever (19) engages the electromagnet (65) and the elongated holes (116) is completely closed.

12 and 13 show a further pairing of electronics housing (101) and slide-in module (68), the slide-in module (68) here accommodating all the electrical and electronic parts which 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 (104) which may have to be checked, furthermore the electromagnet (65) and the connection capacitor (98). Since the electromagnet (65) always has to assume a fixed, not changing position relative to the actuating lever (19) if the same amount of output is to be achieved by the pump movement, the insert (68) is locked in its position. The locking takes place in the right and left wing (117) of the electronics housing (101) by introducing catch windows (103) and by resilient tabs (119) arranged on the insertion side walls (118), which spring outwards from the insertion side wall (118) and thus engage in the catch windows (103) of the electronics housing (101). When inserting the insert (68) into the electronics housing (101), these resilient tabs (119) are pressed inward and only come out again at the catch window (103), where they lock the insert (68) in the intended position. In this embodiment, shown in FIG. 12, the electronics housing (101) only has parts in the area of the pocket (108) which are connected to the proximity switch (67) via the shielding contact (120) and the sensor contact (121).

14 shows the circuit diagram of the proximity switch (67), that is to say essentially the wiring of the units which are arranged on the circuit board (104). The sensor plate (71) is connected to the variable oscillator (79) via a fixed capacitor (76), which is used to separate the DC voltage. This variable oscillator (79) is designed as a feedback NAND-Schmitt trigger. The resistor (78) serves as a feedback resistor and at the same time for setting the frequency. Furthermore, the frequency is set via the frequency adjustment capacitor (73). The frequency setting of the fixed oscillator (80) is carried out analogously by means of the fixed capacitor (76) and the trimmer capacitor (74). A resistor (77) is used to discharge the static charge on the sensor electrode.

Five mono cells, each with a voltage of 1.5 volts, are used as the electrochemical element (72), so that the entire electrochemical element (72) has an operating voltage of 7.5 volts. To power the IC, the voltage is branched off behind the third cell and fed via the feed diode (97) to the parallel IC capacitor (96), which is connected to the positive feed point (127) of the IC. The outputs of the two oscillators (79, 80) are connected to the two inputs of the third NAND-Schmitt trigger, which is connected as a phase discriminator (81). The resulting low-frequency voltage and the filter capacitor lead through the filter resistor (82) (83), to separate high-frequency residues, the isolating capacitor (84) is applied, behind which the short-circuit diode (86) for the negative half-wave and the rectifier diode (85) for the NAND-Schmitt trigger (88) are arranged. The NAND-Schmitt trigger (88) is connected to ground via the load resistor (89) and also has a connection to measuring point M, which is used to level the device. A charging capacitor (87) is connected in parallel to the short-circuit diode (86) and is arranged in front of the NANDSchmitt trigger (88), which is followed by the charging resistor (90) and the differentiating capacitor (91). The differentiating capacitor (91) is connected to the discharge resistor (92) and the feedback capacitor (93), which acts on the electromagnet (65) via the driver capacitor (99) and the power transistor (100). In parallel with this, the diode (95) for short-circuiting voltage peaks when switched off is connected. The connecting capacitor (98) is arranged parallel to the electrochemical element (72), so that the electromagnet (65) is always supplied with the full voltage when the power transistor (100) responds. The base of the power transistor (100) and the driver transistor (99) are connected to ground via an emitter resistor (94).

Claims (9)

1. A dispensing device for liquid or pasty material, especially disinfectants, consisting essentially of a wall fixture (1), a covering hood (20) connected to the wall fixture (1), and a dispensing container (2) which is to take up a reservoir (4) for the material to be dispensed and includes a neck portion (50) closed by a film cap (51) and is detachably connected to the wall fixture (1) and carries, at its bottom (13), inside a U-shaped sectional piece (14), a module (21) in which a pump (29) with an inlet valve (22) and outlet valve (31) as well as means for opening and retaining the reservoir (49) are integrated, the U-shaped sectional piece (14) having bearing bores (17) at its limbs (15) in the area of the web (16) to receive axle journals (54) of an actuating lever (39) which extends below a cover plate (38), characterized by the combination of the features below:
   the upper area of the module (21) is provided with a tubular projection (122),
   the tubular projection (122) surrounds a support (27) for a knife (26) to cut open the film cap (51) of the reservoir (49) so that the material to be dispensed may get from the reservoir (49) into the interior (125) of the tubular projection (122),
   the tubular projection (122) is cylindrical in cross section, it is provided at the outside with annular steps (123),
   a bellows (23) provided with at least one sealing lip (124) rests on the steps (123),
   the sealing lip (124) protrudes into the interior (125) of the projection (122) and is in sealing engagement with the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49),
   the bellows (23) is retained by a clamping plate (126) which forms part of the bottom (13) of the insert (2).
2. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bellows (23) is made of nitrile rubber.
3. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the bellows (23) has a Shore hardness of between 40 and 60.
4. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sealing lip (124) of the bellows (23) has a thickness between 0.1 and 1.0 mm in the area of the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49).
5. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sealing lip (124) of the bellows (23) has a thickness between 0.6 and 0.7 mm in the area of the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49).
6. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sealing lip (23) engages the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49) with a line pressure of between 5 and 25 N.
7. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the inner diameter of the bellows (23) at the sealing lip (124) is from 1.0 to 3.0 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49).
8. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sealing lip (23) has a length of between 2 and 6 mm.
9. The dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inner diameter of the projection (122) is from 4 to 10 mm greater than the outer diameter of the neck portion (50) of the reservoir (49).

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