EP2063746B1 - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid dispenser contains, in a closed housing, a liquid container with a filling opening, which is arranged on its upper face, for the liquid. In the housing, the liquid container is oriented opposite a pump. The pump, together with an operating element, is arranged on a slide which can be moved to a release position in which the pump is disengaged from the container. The slide can be moved into an engagement position in which the pump is arranged completely within the liquid container. The front wall of the housing can be folded open in the forward direction together with the upper face, in order to permit access to the liquid container.

Description

The invention relates to a liquid dispenser.

In workshops, maintenance rooms or other operating facilities, there is often the problem that liquids must be dispensed, for example, when a person wants to wash their hands. For this purpose, liquid dispensers are known, in particular soap dispensers. These liquid dispensers can also be useful for other liquids.

Frequently, in such liquid dispensers, the soap containers are placed on top of the device, with its opening facing down. This facilitates the replacement of the soap container, but it also makes it possible that unauthorized persons use a container with the wrong liquid.

The actuator that a user must operate to dispense the soap in more or less large portions is often located at the bottom of the device. This is a place that may facilitate the construction of the device, but does not make the handling user-friendly.

A liquid dispenser with all features of the preamble of claim 1 is already out FR-A-2 655 624 known.

The invention is based on the object to provide a liquid dispenser, which is particularly suitable for rough use in workshops, the insertion of false container difficult and is particularly easy to use.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a liquid dispenser with the features mentioned in claim 1. Further developments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

The arrangement of a receiving space within the housing, it is possible to accommodate the liquid container in the housing, which can then ensure that only authorized persons have the opportunity to use the container in the housing. The housing thus encloses the soap container or the liquid container in it, and yet the soap can be removed without opening the housing, since the actuating element can be actuated from outside the housing.

The pump, optionally together with the actuating element, is arranged on a slide. The slider may be moved between an engagement position in which the pump engages the container and a release position in which the pump is disengaged from the container. This release position can then also be the same position that allows the removal and insertion of a liquid container.

In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the actuating element for actuating the pump, namely to deliver a predetermined quantity of liquid, is arranged on the upper side of the housing and can be actuated from there. This makes the arrangement of the actuating element and therefore its operation much clearer than an arrangement on the underside of the housing. The actuator can be made large at this point, so that it can also be operated with the elbow if necessary.

In a further development of the invention, this proposes to arrange the dispensing nozzle on the actuating element. This makes a one-hand operation possible, since you can also handle the serving of soap with the hand with which you operate the actuator.

In a further development of the invention can be provided to arrange and form the pump so that it sucks the liquid from a filling opening of the container at the top. There are therefore no problems with the insertion of the liquid container, since they can be used upright with their filling opening directed upwards. So it is not necessary For example, to turn over the containers or in some other way to associate them with a special arrangement.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that the pump engages at least partially in the filling opening.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that in the mentioned engagement position, the pump is disposed completely in the container. It may therefore be a small-diameter, adapted to the filling opening of the container pump, which is then arranged completely in the container. This leads to the fact that the available space can be fully utilized.

The slide, on which the pump and optionally also the actuating element is mounted and with which they can be moved, may be performed, for example, on the rear wall of the housing.

In order to make the insertion of the liquid container particularly simple, so that the maintenance of the liquid dispenser according to the invention is very low, according to the invention, the housing may have a centering means for the container. This centering agent For example, it may be formed in the ground, which may be configured to conform to the shape of the underside of the container and to ensure that an inserted container always enters the correct position relative to the slider or the pump.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that the container in the engaged position of the slider can be fixed to this. This determination can be made, for example, by a fixing means acting on a neck surrounding the filling opening of the container. Usually, the filling openings are formed on containers on a short neck piece, which also serves to receive during transport a lid, in particular a screw cap. At this neck can therefore attack a fixing agent.

To open the housing can be provided that this has a hinged front wall, which can be opened, for example, about a horizontal axis of rotation. This axis of rotation is advantageously arranged in the lower region, so that when the front wall is opened, the entire front surface of the housing is free to insert or remove the liquid container there.

In particular, it can be provided in a development that an upper side of the housing is connected to the front wall, for example, by a one-piece production that this top can be opened with.

It has already been mentioned that the liquid dispenser according to the invention should be suitable for rough use in workshops. The invention now proposes in a development that the front wall to be opened is locked in the closed position of the housing can be used, and that to overcome the lock, a special tool must be used that can be designed in the manner of a key.

In order to be able to check the liquid level in the liquid container, which is not visible from the outside in principle, according to the invention a wall of the housing can have a viewing window which extends over part of the height of the housing, in particular in the middle and lower regions. It is particularly useful if this window is located in the front wall, as with several adjacent liquid dispensers, the front wall always remains free.

The actuator may, in order not to disturb the insertion of the liquid container, in particular be mounted in the region of the back of the assembly and cantilevered forward freely. This facilitates the touch and actuation of the actuating element. In particular, it can be provided in a development that the front end, which may for example also have the dispensing nozzle, is arranged in front of the front wall of the housing.

The actuating element may be displaceable, for example. In a cantilevered, mounted in the rear region of the housing actuator, it is particularly useful if this is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

The invention proposes to design the housing of the soap dispenser in such a way that it can be fastened to a wall by means of a rail, for example. It can then be removed laterally from this wall rail, for example. As a result, on the one hand given a fastening, on the other hand, it can still be relatively easy to lose weight.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Flüssigkeitsspenders nach der Erfindung;

Figur 2

den Flüssigkeitsspender in geöffnetem Zustand;

Figur 3

einen für den Flüssigkeitsspender der Figur 1 und 2 be- stimmten Flüssigkeitsbehälter;

Figur 4

die Stirnansicht eines Verriegelungsschiebers;

Figur 5

perspektivisch eine Sperreinrichtung;

Figur 6

einen Schnitt durch den Flüssigkeitsspender der Figuren 1 und 2.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the abstract, the wording of which is incorporated by reference into the content of the description, the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and with reference to the drawing. Hereby show:

FIG. 1

a perspective view of a liquid dispenser according to the invention;

FIG. 2

the liquid dispenser in the open state;

FIG. 3

one for the liquid dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2 certain liquid containers;

FIG. 4

the front view of a locking slide;

FIG. 5

in perspective a locking device;

FIG. 6

a section through the liquid dispenser of Figures 1 and 2 ,

The FIG. 1 shows the liquid dispenser proposed by the invention in fully functional condition, ie in the way in which it presents itself to a user. It is fastened to a wall by means of a wall rail 1. The attachment can also be on the back wall of a workbench or elsewhere. The liquid dispenser has a housing with a right side wall 2, a left side wall 3, a non-visible rear wall, a bottom, a front wall 4 and a top 5. From the top protrudes an actuator 6, which is pivotable about a horizontal axis, the through a circular badge 7 is indicated. The upper side 8 of the actuating element has grip ribs which are intended to prevent slippage. From its attachment in the rear region of the housing, the actuating element 6 protrudes forward, where it is slightly rounded. At the front edge, a dispensing nozzle 9 is fixed, from which the liquid contained in the housing is dispensed. One can already see here that the actuating element engages on its underside, but with a clear distance from the front edge, via a rod or a pipe 10 in the interior of the housing. To the right of the actuating element 6, a key 11 can be seen, the meaning of which will be explained later.

The front wall has a viewing window 12 that extends from top to bottom. The front wall may have panels 13 into which labels for the contents of the liquid container may be glued. The viewing window 12, which is filled with a transparent material, makes it possible to look into the interior of the housing.

The front wall 4 of the housing can be folded together with the top 5 forward about a horizontal axis formed in the lower region, as in FIG. 2 is shown. The front wall 4 is bent inwardly in its lower region and has there lateral wings 14, through which screws 15 engage, which form an axis of rotation. Also in the upper region, that is to say on the side of the upper side 5, the material forming the front wall 4 and the upper side 5 is laterally bent and forms regions 16 which run parallel to the side walls. On the right side to be seen in FIG. 2, two latching openings 17 are formed in the region 16, in accordance with which two small holes 18 are present in the upper side 5. These holes 18 serve to insert the two legs of the key 11, in FIG. 1 can be seen above.

The actuating element 6 is attached to a slide 19, which is displaceable upwardly out of the housing when the housing is open. This slider is guided on the rear wall 20. It contains at the top of the actuator 6 and at a distance to a horizontally projecting forward strut 21 to which the in FIG. 1 already mentioned tube 10 is attached. The tube 10 includes in its lower portion a pump with which the liquid contained in the container can be dispensed through the dispensing nozzle 9.

In the area between the two side walls 2, 3, a liquid container 22 is used, which has a rectangular rounded cross-section. In the area of the upper side, a neck 23 is formed, which surrounds a filling opening 24. In the illustrated position of the slide 19, the lower end of the tube 10, which contains the pump, is arranged above the filling opening 24. The liquid container 22 can be removed from the housing in this position. This position of the slider 19 is the release position.

At the projecting from the slider 19 forwardly strut 21 not only the tube 10 is fixed, but also a gate valve 25 slidably, which can cooperate with the neck 23 of the container 22.

While the FIG. 1 As soon as a container 22 is inserted here, the slide 19 can be pushed down again, so that the tube 10 with the pump contained therein into the filling opening 24th enters and enters the container. In the in FIG. 1 to see engagement position, the locking slide 25 can be moved backwards so that it with the thread or a bead on the outside of the neck 23 in Engages and performs a lock.

now to FIG. 3 showing the liquid container 22 in greater detail. The liquid dispenser can accommodate containers of different sizes. FIG. 3 shows a smaller container than the FIG. 2 , The container has the cross-sectional shape of a rectangle. On its underside, it is funnel-shaped, with this funnel-shaped part, inter alia, has the task when the liquid container is empty, there summarize the last remainder of liquid. At the neck 23, which surrounds the filling opening 24, an external thread is arranged. In the container 22, an insert 35 is inserted, which has a tube 26 below, a tube 27 in the central region and a hub 28 in the upper region, for wedging in the filling opening 24. This insert 35 is present in the filled container. During transport, the filling opening 24 is closed by a cover 29 which can be screwed onto the neck 23.

FIG. 4 shows the back of the locking slide 25. This locking slide 25 has an approximately rectangular cross section, on the narrow sides of two inwardly directed webs 31 are formed. The strut 21 on the slider 19 engages between the upper wall 32 of the locking slide 25 and the webs 31 a. With its two lower side flanges 33, the locking slide engages under the bead 34 formed on the outside of the neck 23.

In this way, the liquid container 22 is fixed in its upper region on the slider 19.

FIG. 5 shows a blocking element 36 which is attached to the inside of the right side wall 2. The blocking element has two tongues 37, of which on each tongue 37 a locking hook 38 is formed is. The size and the distance of the two pawls correspond to the size and the distance of the latching openings 17 at the lateral areas 16 of the top 5 of the housing, see FIG. 2 , When the key 11 is pressed with its two legs through the openings 18 in the upper side 5 of the housing, the ends of these legs rest on the inclined surfaces of the locking hooks 38 and can slide on insertion together with the tongues 37 to the rear Way to bring the locking hooks 38 out of engagement with the openings 17. As a result, the front wall can then be opened.

FIG. 6 now shows a vertical section through the soap dispenser according to the invention in the ready state, but without the liquid container.

In the rear wall 40 tabs are bent out, which form a guide for the slide 19 in this way. The slider 19 is shown in the engaged position. This means that the lower end of the tube engages in the container 22. In the lower part of the tube 10, a pump 41 is formed. This pump includes at the lower end of the tube 10, a suction valve 42, and with a certain distance above this suction valve 42, a valve piston 43 which can be moved by means of a dispensing tube 44 from the position shown down. This dispensing tube 44 passes via an angle element 45 in the dispensing nozzle 9. Between the dispensing nozzle 9 and the angle member 45, a hose 46 is inserted. In the actuating element 6, an engagement element 47 is formed, which rests on the upper side of the angle element 45. Between the piston 43 and the suction valve 42, a spring 48 is inserted, which acts on the piston 43 in the position shown.

After the first insertion of the lower end of the tube 10 in the filling opening 24 of the container 22 and into the tube 27 of the insert 35, the space between the suction valve 42 and the piston 43 is still filled with air. When a user presses on the actuating element 6, the piston 43 is moved downwards in the direction of the suction valve 42. As soon as the user lets go, the piston 43 is again moved upwards, in which case the piston is closed in the piston 43 and the lower valve is opened. As a result, liquid is sucked into the pump 41. The second press on the actuator, the lower valve is closed and the upper open, so that this portion of liquid now enters the dispensing tube 44. This is repeated until the liquid emerges from the dispensing nozzle 9.

On the right side wall 2 to be seen on the inside of the aforementioned locking element 36 is screwed.

On the rear wall two rail fixings 79 are fixed, each forming a projecting bar 50. These two strips 50 are aligned with each other and have a distance from the rear wall 40. They are intended to engage in an upper and lower groove of the wall rail 1. In this way, the housing can be moved in the direction of the wall rail.

The bottom 51 of the housing to be seen for the first time in this section contains a through opening 52, which corresponds to the funnel-shaped projection on the underside of the container 22. This opening 52 thus forms an alignment means for aligning the container 22 in the housing.

Claims (14)

1. A liquid dispenser comprising
   a housing,
   a receiving space embodied in the housing for a container (22), which contains the liquid,
   a pump (41) for sucking the liquid out of the container (22) and for dispensing the liquid by means of a dispensing nozzle (9),
   as well as comprising
   an operating element (6) for the pump (41), which can be operated from outside of the housing for dispensing a portion of the liquid, characterized in that, if applicable, the pump (41) is arranged together with the operating element (6) at a slide (19), which encompasses an engaged position, in which the pump (41) engages with the container (22), and a release position, in which the container (22) is free.
2. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, where the operating element (6) is arranged at the upper side of the housing and can be operated from there.
3. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, where the dispensing nozzle (9) is arranged at the operating element (6).
4. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the pump (41) is arranged and embodied in such a manner that it sucks the liquid out of a filler opening (24) of the container (22) at the upper side thereof.
5. The liquid dispenser according to claim 4, where the pump (41) engages at least partially with the filler opening (24) of the liquid container (22).
6. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where, in the engaged position, the pump (41) is completely arranged within the container (22).
7. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the slide (19) is guided at the rear wall (40) of the housing.
8. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the housing encompasses a centering means for the container (22).
9. The liquid dispenser according to one of claims 6 to 8, where the container (22) can be fixed on the slide (19) in the engagement position thereof.
10. The liquid dispenser according to claim 9, where the fixation of the container (22) on the slide (19) is carried out by gripping a neck (23), which surrounds the filler opening (24) of the container (22).
11. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the housing encompasses a folding front wall (4), which can preferably be pivoted about a horizontal axis of rotation in the area of the bottom edge thereof.
12. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the operating element (6) for the pump (41) is mounted in the rear area of the housing and projects forward freely.
13. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the front end of the operating element (6) is arranged in front of the front wall (4) of the housing, in particular also the dispensing nozzle (9).
14. The liquid dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, where the operating element (6) is embodied so as to be capable of being pivoted about a horizontal axis.

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