TW201433518A - Off-axis inverted foam dispensers and refill units - Google Patents

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of a dispensing system includes a dispenser housing and a replaceable refill unit. The replaceable refill unit has a container that has a neck portion and a horizontal foam pump. The pump has an inlet orientated along an inlet axis and an outlet orientated along an outlet axis. A fluid passage extends from the pump chamber to the outlet. The inlet axis is offset from the outlet axis and the outlet axis is located closer to the front of the dispenser. An actuator is also located within the housing. In addition, an air compressor and an air passage to direct air into the fluid passage to mix the air with the fluid are included. The actuator is configured to drive the horizontal pump toward the front of the dispenser to dispense a fluid in the form of a foam.

Description

Off-axis inverted foam dispenser and refill unit [Related application]

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/787,474, filed on March 6, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. Priority and interest in this application and the official patent application from: U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed on Aug. 23, 2012, entitled "Horizontal Pump, Refill Unit, and Foam Dispenser with Integrated Air Compressor" Clause No. 61/692,290; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/695,140, filed on August 30, 2012, entitled "Horizontal Pumps, Refill Units, and Foam Dispensers; US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/736,594, entitled "Foldable Container"; US Provisional Application, filed on October 31, 2012, entitled "Foam Pump with Invalid Motion and Adjustable Output Foam Pump" Patent Application No. 61/720,490; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/719,618, filed on Oct. 29, 2012, entitled,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/747,909, filed on Jan. 19, 2013, filed on February 19, 2013. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/770,360, which is incorporated herein by reference. All of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

This invention relates generally to dispensers and refill units for dispensers, particularly with respect to off-axis foam dispensers and refill units for off-axis foam dispensers.

The inverted foam dispenser is generally configured to provide a foam or sterilant in the form of a foam when the dispenser is actuated. Inverted foam dispensers typically convert a liquid material, such as a liquid soap or bactericide, into a foam by aerating it while it is being dispensed. Air is generally injected into the liquid material to form air bubbles in the liquid, causing foam formation. The inverted foam dispenser can include a replaceable refill container that is replaced after the liquid material therein is depleted by the user. Prior art inverted foam dispensers typically have a liquid inlet and a foam outlet along a common axis. Thus, in order to move the foam outlet to a position suitable for dispensing the foam onto the object, this prior art biases the neck of the container from the center of the container, which results in difficulties in making the container, and/or may be unsightly containers. .

Exemplary implementation of an inverted dispenser system and a refill unit Examples are disclosed herein. An exemplary embodiment of a self-contained inverted dispensing system includes a dispenser housing. The replaceable refill unit is at least partially placed in the housing. The replaceable refill unit has a container. The container has a neck. The horizontal foam pump is fixed to the neck. The pump has an inlet that is directed along the inlet axis. The pump has a liquid pump chamber and a stationary outlet directed along the exit axis. The fluid passage extends from the pump chamber to the outlet. The inlet axis is offset from the outlet axis and the outlet axis is positioned closer to the front of the dispenser than the inlet axis. The actuator is also positioned within the housing. In addition, an air compressor is also included in the system. The air compressor has an air passage to direct air into the fluid passage to mix the air and fluid. The actuator is configured to drive a horizontal pump to the front of the dispenser to dispense fluid and the pump moves toward the rear of the dispenser to reload the pump chamber within the pump.

Another exemplary embodiment of a touch-free inverted dispensing system A housing and a refill unit having a stationary outlet for dispensing a fluid. The refill unit is configured to be at least partially adapted within the housing. The outer casing has a rear side and a front side. The front side is positioned a first distance from the rear side of the outer casing. The stationary outlet of the refill unit is positioned a second distance from the rear side of the housing. In some embodiments, the second distance is between about 65% and 90% of the first distance. In some embodiments, the second distance is between about 70% and 80% of the first distance, and in some embodiments, the second distance is about 75% of the first distance.

An exemplary embodiment of a refill unit for an inverted dispenser includes a container having a neck. The horizontal foam pump is fixed to the neck. water The flat foam pump has a liquid inlet positioned to access the neck of the container. The liquid pump chamber is positioned downstream of the inlet. The outlet is positioned downstream of the liquid pumping chamber. The outlet is offset from the inlet along at least two axes. An air compressor having an air chamber is also included. The air passage places the air compressor in fluid communication with the fluid passage of the pump. At least a portion of the air passage is positioned at the bottom of the air chamber. A one-way air inlet valve is at least partially positioned within the air chamber to allow air to flow into the air chamber. The one-way air inlet valve has a sufficiently high starting pressure to draw at least a portion of the air flowing into the air chamber from the opening when the air chamber is reloaded.

100‧‧‧ dispenser system, dispensing system

102‧‧‧Material shell

104‧‧‧Drip Receiver

106‧‧‧Sensor

110‧‧‧Refill unit

112‧‧‧Non-folding container

120‧‧‧Matching area

130‧‧‧Foam pump

131‧‧‧Back surface

133‧‧‧ front surface

201‧‧‧ neck

202‧‧‧ pump housing

204‧‧ ‧ collar

206‧‧‧ board

207‧‧‧孔口

208‧‧‧ valve seat

210‧‧‧Inlet ball valve, inlet valve

213‧‧‧ cavity

214‧‧‧ sleeve

216‧‧‧Liquid pump room

218‧‧‧Liquid piston

219‧‧‧Liquid piston rod

220‧‧‧One-way liquid outlet valve

221‧‧‧Liquid inlet pipe, liquid passage

222‧‧‧Liquid channel

224‧‧‧ filter

225‧‧‧Inlay

226‧‧‧Open area

228‧‧‧Air passage

230‧‧‧Export nozzle

240‧‧ Air Chamber

242‧‧‧One-way air inlet valve

250‧‧‧Air chamber, air pump room

252‧‧ Air Piston

253‧‧‧Air piston sleeve

254‧‧‧Connecting parts

256‧‧‧One-way air inlet valve

258‧‧‧Air exit channel

259‧‧‧ Lower Department, Area

270‧‧‧ actuator

272‧‧‧Invalid sports joints, invalid motion mechanisms

276‧‧‧Motor

278‧‧‧Battery

280‧‧‧Battery

282‧‧‧Disposable battery

284‧‧‧ fasteners

300‧‧‧ dispenser system, dispensing system

302‧‧‧Material shell

304‧‧‧Drip Receiver

308‧‧‧Window

310‧‧‧Refill unit

312‧‧‧Foldable container

320‧‧‧Matching area

330‧‧‧Foam pump

331‧‧‧Back surface

333‧‧‧ front surface

401‧‧‧ neck

402‧‧‧ pump housing

404‧‧‧ collar

430‧‧‧Export and export nozzle

X‧‧‧ distance

Y‧‧‧ distance

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, in which: FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser system 100; FIG. 1B is a side of an exemplary dispenser system 100 1C is a front view of an exemplary dispenser housing 102 and an exemplary refill unit 110 with the refill unit 110 removed from the removed dispenser housing 102; FIG. 2 depicts an portion of the example dispenser system 100 Figure 3A is a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser system 300; Figure 3B is a side view of an exemplary dispenser system 300; Figure 3C is a front view of an exemplary dispenser system 300; Figure 3D is for a dispenser system Exemplary refill of 300 A rear view of unit 310; and FIG. 4 depicts a partial cross-sectional view of exemplary dispenser system 300.

1A and 1B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a dispenser system 100 that includes a housing 102 and a refill unit 110. The refill unit 110 includes a non-retractable container 112 and a pump 130. The dispenser housing 102 opens at the top. When the refill unit 110 needs to be replaced, the refill unit 110 is simply lifted up and removed, and a new refill unit 110 is placed into the top of the dispenser housing 102. The dispenser housing 102 includes a drip receptacle 104. The dispenser system 100 also includes a sensor 106 for sensing the presence of an object in the dispensing region 120. FIG. 1C illustrates the dispenser housing 102 and the refill unit 110 with the refill unit 110 removed from the dispenser housing 102.

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary dispenser system 100. As described above, the dispenser system 100 includes a refill unit 110 and a dispenser housing 102. The refill unit 110 also includes a container 112 and a foam pump 130. In this exemplary embodiment, the container 112 includes a foamable liquid such as, for example, soap, bactericide, emulsion or the like.

The container 112 has a central axis and is symmetrical. The neck 201 of the container 112 has a center that is located along the central axis of the container. The exemplary container 112 is a blow molded container. It is known that if the neck 201 of the container 112 is positioned in the center of the container 112, it is more It is easy to blow blow a container like the container 112. Positioning the neck 201 at the center of the container 112 results in a more uniform thickness of the container wall. In addition, the appearance of the container 112 is more aesthetically pleasing because the walls are more transparent and uniform and do not refract light in an irregular pattern due to uneven flow of the blow bottle. Flow marks formed in a container having a deflected neck result in an unattractive appearance. Prior art containers for inverted foam dispensers often have a neck of a misaligned container because prior art pumps have their inlets and outlets along a common vertical axis, and in order to dispense fluid in the dispensing area 120 The preferred location is that the neck of the prior art container is offset from the center of the container.

In an exemplary embodiment of the dispensing system 100, the container 112 It is revealed, and therefore, the appearance of the container 112 is very important. Moreover, because the container 112 is discarded when it is empty, the manufacturing cost is of concern when manufacturing the container 112. Blow molding of the container 112 is an inexpensive method of making the container 112, and in such a process, positioning the neck at the center of the container 112 provides the most likely aesthetically pleasing container.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pump housing 202 is It is fixed to the neck 201 of the container 112. The collar 204 is secured to the container 112 by a snap-fit connection; however, it can be connected by any means such as, for example, a threaded connection, a welded connection, a bonded connection, or the like. Plate 206 is positioned between pump housing 202 and container neck 201. The plate 206 includes an aperture 207 that is surrounded by a valve seat 208 that provides a seat for the inlet ball valve 210. The inlet ball valve 210 is a normally open type valve. Thus, liquid can flow through the inlet ball valve 210 into the liquid inlet conduit 221, through the sleeve 214, and into the liquid pump chamber 216. When the pump chamber 216 is pressurized As discussed in detail below, the inlet ball valve 210 seals the seat 208 to prevent liquid from flowing back into the vessel 112 from the pumping chamber 216. In some embodiments, the ball valve 210 can be a normally closed valve, and in this case, a biasing member (not shown) can be included to bias the closed ball valve 210. Further, while a one-way liquid inlet valve is a ball valve, other types of one-way inlet valves may be used, such as, for example, a poppet valve, an umbrella valve, a poppet valve, a flap valve, or the like.

The pump housing 202 includes a cavity 213. The sleeve 214 is positioned within the cavity 213. The liquid piston 218 moves back and forth within the sleeve 214 to increase and decrease the volume of the pump chamber 216. Similarly, the air piston sleeve 253 is positioned within the cavity 213. The air piston 252 moves back and forth within the air piston sleeve 253 to increase and decrease the volume of the air chamber 250.

The liquid piston 218 is coupled to the liquid piston rod 219. The liquid piston rod 219 is connected to the air piston 252. Therefore, the movement of the air piston 252 also moves the liquid piston 218. Air piston 252 also includes a connector 254. When the refill unit 110 is placed into the dispenser housing 102, the connector 254 mates with a lost motion connector 272.

The foam pump 130 includes an insert 225. For clarity of presentation, the components of the insert 225 are shown in Figure 2A. The insert 225 includes a one-way liquid outlet valve 220 that contacts the pump housing 202. The one-way liquid outlet valve 220 allows the pressurized fluid to escape the liquid pump chamber 216. The insert 225 includes liquid passages 221, 222 and an air passage 228. The liquid passage 222 and the air passage 228 cross each other at an angle of about 90 degrees. A bubbling chamber containing one or more screens 224 is positioned below the liquid passage 222 and the air passage 228 The screen helps to mix the liquid and air to form a foam. The screen 224 is separated by an open area 226. Other elements can be used in the foaming chamber, such as, for example, sponges, baffles or other types of porous materials.

The outlet nozzle 230 is coupled to the outer casing 202 and positioned Below the insert 225. The outlet nozzle 230 retains the insert 225 within the outer casing 202. In this exemplary embodiment, the outlet nozzle 230 is funnel shaped, and as the foam flows through the outlet nozzle 230, the velocity of the foam increases to help concentrate the foam.

Air outlet passage 258 is positioned in air compressor chamber 250 between. The air outlet passage 258 is long and is positioned at the bottom of the air chamber 250. In some embodiments, the air outlet passage 258 includes a lower step 259 where the air outlet passage 258 is coupled to the pump housing 202. When the air piston 252 is moved back to its filling position, the lower step collects and retains residual foam and liquid that is drawn back into the air chamber 250.

In some embodiments, the dispenser housings 102, 302 (figure 3A-3C) are configured such that when the refill units 110, 310 (Fig. 4) are installed in their individual dispensers, the refill units 110, 310 are tilted slightly forward or at an angle. Therefore, any residual fluid remains at the end of the air passage 258 away from the air piston seal 252. Ensuring that residual fluid remains at the distal end of the air passage 258 eliminates the possibility of leakage around the air piston 252 if the pump remains stationary for a prolonged period of time.

In some embodiments, the one-way air inlet valve 256 is positioned in the body of the air piston 253. In some embodiments, a one-way air inlet valve (not shown) is positioned in the wall of the air piston sleeve 253. unidirectional The air inlet valve 256 has an optional cracking pressure such that when the air piston 252 moves from a fully unloaded position to a fully filled or filled position (as depicted in Figure 2), air is drawn through the outlet nozzle 230. Into, and the residual foam and liquid are sucked up through the air passage 228. As the air piston 252 moves toward its fully filled position, the vacuum pressure of the air chamber 250 increases due to the resistance caused by the bubble filter and the air passage 224. Once the vacuum pressure is increased to the set point, the one-way air inlet valve 256 opens and allows air to flow into the air chamber 250. In some embodiments, an on-flow pressure of about 3 psi is selected. Thus, the foam pump 130 provides limited foam suckback and extends battery life because the one-way air inlet valve 256 allows the air piston 252 to move back without the increased resistance of the screen 224.

The container 112 is a non-retractable container and therefore needs to be replaced Gas to prevent vacuum pressure from causing pump 130 to operate properly. In this exemplary embodiment, a one-way air inlet valve 242 is provided to ventilate the vessel 112. Once the vacuum pressure in the vessel 112 exceeds the priming pressure of the one-way air inlet valve 242, the one-way air inlet valve 242 opens and allows air to flow from the air chamber 240 into the vessel 112. Air can enter the air chamber 240 through a conduit (not shown) in the collar 204. An additional detailed description of the structure for the ventilation method and for the additional ventilation method is provided in the US Official Patent Application No. 13 filed on January 23, 2013 and entitled "Pumps with Container Vents" /747,909, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In this exemplary embodiment, the dispenser housing 102 includes Invalid motion connector 272. The inactive kinematic link 272 is coupled to the actuator 270 and both are secured to the applicator housing 102, and when the refill unit 110 is removed, both remain in the applicator housing 102. Actuator 270 moves in a linear back and forth motion and is driven by motor 276 and associated gearing.

Invalid motion link 272 can be adjusted on site or at the factory . Additionally, the inactive kinematic link 272 can have a setting ranging from no inactive motion to maximum ineffective motion. In "No Invalid Exercise", the pump will be dispensed in full or maximum usage. If the invalid motion link 272 is set at its maximum ineffective motion setting, the pump will be dispensed at its minimum allowable amount. Additional viable ineffective exercise joints are more fully described in the US Provisional Patent Application No. 1 filed on October 31, 2012 and entitled "Infant Pump with Invalid Motion and Adjustable Output Foam Pump" 61/720,490, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the inactive motion connector 272 is not required and the actuator 270 is directly coupled to the connector 254.

During operation, a controller (not shown) detects that an object is present in the dispensing area 120 through the sensor 106 and causes the motor 276 to operate the actuator 270 and dispense a quantity of foam. The dispenser housing 202 includes batteries 278, 280. In some embodiments, the batteries 278, 280 have sufficient power to actuate the actuator 270. In such an embodiment, the battery can be replaceable.

In some embodiments, the dispenser housing 202 includes a rechargeable device (not shown) such as, for example, a row of capacitors (not shown), or a One or more rechargeable batteries (not shown), and the refill unit 110 includes a disposable battery 282 that is secured to the refill unit 110 by a fastener 284. The dispenser housing 202 includes a connector (not shown) for connecting a disposable battery. The connector may be, for example, a set of conductors of a conductor coupling set on a contact disposable battery 282 as is known in the art.

The housing 102 includes circuitry that allows the disposable battery 282 It is used to charge a rechargeable device to provide power to the actuator 270. An exemplary embodiment of a refill unit having a disposable battery and circuit for such an exemplary embodiment is shown and described in the application entitled "Hands-free Dispenser", filed on February 19, 2013 U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/770,360, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety. In such cases, one or both of the batteries 278, 280 can be permanent batteries that remain in the dispenser over the life of the dispenser housing 202. The exemplary dispenser system 100 includes a row of capacitors that are charged in parallel and placed in a sequence to operate the actuator 270, which is fully described in the above-referenced co-pending application.

Can be used in the exemplary dispensing system 100 (and 300, to Other eccentric foam pump systems having both an air chamber and a liquid chamber, including the US provisional patent application filed on August 30, 2012 and entitled "Horizontal Pump, Refill Unit, and Foam Dispenser" Foam pump shown and described in US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/719 . These two applications The application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Moreover, in some embodiments, the air compressor is permanently Ground to the dispenser housing 102. In such an embodiment, a liquid pump having an inlet for receiving air from an air compressor fixed to the dispenser housing 102 is used in the dispenser system disclosed herein. Exemplary pumps, refill units, and air compressors that can be used are shown and described in the August 23, 2012 application entitled "Horizontal Pump, Refill Unit, and Foam Dispenser with Integrated Air Compressor" U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/692,290, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety.

The design of the off-axis pump allows the container 112 to be positioned The neck 201 on the center of the 112 and allows the outlet 230 to be positioned a distance X from the rear surface 131 of the dispenser housing 102 to the center of the outlet nozzle 230. Thus, the user can place her hand in a position suitable for the foam to be properly dispensed from the outlet 230 on the hand. In one embodiment, the distance from the rear surface 131 to the center of the outlet nozzle is about 3 inches, and the distance from the rear surface to the front surface 133 is about 4 inches. In some embodiments, the distance X from the rear surface 131 to the center of the outlet nozzle 230 is between about 60% and 90% of the distance Y from the rear surface 131 to the front surface 133. In some embodiments, the distance X is between about 70% and 80% of the distance Y. In some embodiments, the distance X is about 75% of the distance Y.

In operation, the inverted foam dispenser housing 102 is secured Mounted to a wall (not shown), placed on a stand (not shown) or placed on a countertop (not shown). Users can adjust according to the location of the device and the needs of the user. Invalid motion mechanism 272 is used to dispense a full amount or to dispense a smaller amount. The refill unit 110 is lowered into the housing 102 such that the connector 254 is received by the inactive motion connector 272 and the dispenser system 100 is ready for operation.

When the object in the dispensing area 120 is detected by the sensor 106, a controller (not shown) causes the motor 276 and associated gearing to direct the air piston 252 and the liquid piston 218 to the front of the dispenser housing 102. Moving, thereby compressing the liquid pump chamber 216 and the air pump chamber 250. The liquid flows out of the liquid pumping chamber 216 surrounding the sleeve 214, through the one-way liquid outlet valve 220 of the insert 225, through the liquid passages 221, 222, where the liquid and flows from the air compressor chamber 250, the air passages 258, 228 The air mixes. As the air/liquid mixture enters zone 226, it passes through first screen 224 where it is vented and forms a foam. The foam mixture is then forced through the second screen 224 and flows through the outlet 230. The outlet 230 is reduced and, therefore, the velocity of the foam increases as the foam is dispensed.

Upon completion of the dispensing cycle, actuator 270 is moved rearward by motor 276 and associated gearing. Inactive motion link 272 engages connector 254 to move air piston 252 and liquid piston 218 back to their fully filled position. The inactive motion connector 272 can immediately engage the connector 254 (if it is set to "no invalid action"), or it can be actuated according to the inactive action connector 254 before engaging the connector 254 to move the pistons 252 and 218 rearward. The usage amount setting is used to move the predetermined distance.

As the air piston 252 moves rearward, air, foam, and residual liquid in the passage 228, region 226, and outlet 230 are Pumping into the air passage 258 prevents liquid from leaking out of the outlet nozzle 230 after the dispensing cycle. In some embodiments, residual fluid is retained in region 259 of air passage 258. Once sufficient vacuum pressure is generated in the air pump chamber 250 due to air flow through the resistance of the outlet nozzle 230, the screen 224, and the passage 228, the one-way air inlet valve 256 opens to allow air to flow into the air pump chamber 250. Once the actuator 270 reaches its rearmost position, the foam pump 130 is filled and ready for its next dispensing cycle.

3A, 3B and 3C illustrate the housing 302 and refilling An exemplary embodiment of the dispenser system 300 of unit 310. The refill unit 310 has a collapsible container 312 and a pump 330. The dispenser housing 302 has a window 308 through which the refill unit 310 can be seen. In an embodiment, the window 308 is pivoted outward to reveal the interior of the outer casing 302 such that the refill unit 310 can be placed into the dispenser housing 302 through the window 308. The dispenser housing 302 has a drip receptacle 304. The dispenser system 300 also includes a sensor 306 for sensing the presence of an object in the dispensing region 320. FIG. 3D illustrates an exemplary refill unit 310 removed from the dispenser housing 302. An exemplary embodiment of a collapsible container and a refill unit is shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/736,594, filed on Dec. It is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary dispenser system 300 . Many of the internal components of the dispenser system 300 are similar to the internal components of the dispenser system 100. Thus, with regard to dispenser system 300, many of these components have not been renumbered and are re-described herein. The significant difference lies in The 312 is a collapsible container, so a container vent is not required.

Further, the inlet valve 210 is depicted as a normally closed wiper valve. As noted above, the inlet valve 210 can be a normally open or normally closed inlet valve. The foam pump 330 is coupled to the neck 401 of the container 312 by a collar 404. In this embodiment, the collar 404 does not include a conduit for allowing air to enter the air chamber. The remaining components of pump 330 are substantially identical to the components of pump 130. Similarly, the internal components of the outer casing 302 are substantially identical to those described above with respect to the inner components of the outer casing 202. Moreover, the incorporated documents are equally applicable to this exemplary embodiment unless otherwise noted.

In an exemplary embodiment of the dispensing system 300, the container 312 is exposed through the window. Therefore, the appearance of the container 312 is important. In addition, because the container 312 is specifically designed for controlled shrinkage and is designed to be folded at a lower vacuum pressure than prior art collapsible containers, it is more contrasting with certain walls than other walls. In thick cases, it is highly desirable to have a uniform thickness for all walls. Moreover, because the container 312 is discarded when it is empty, the manufacturing cost is of concern when manufacturing the container 312. Blow molding of container 312 is an inexpensive method of making container 312, and in such a process, positioning the neck in the center of container 312 provides the most aesthetically pleasing and uniform container.

As described above, other offset foam pumping systems having both an air chamber and a liquid chamber that can be used in the exemplary dispensing system 300 include those filed on August 30, 2012 and entitled "Horizontal Pump, Refilling" U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/695,140, filed on October 29, 2012, and the name of the invention. The foam pump shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/719,618, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in .

In addition, the air compressor can be permanently fixed to the dispenser The outer casing 302. In such an embodiment, the liquid pump has an inlet for receiving air from an air compressor that is secured to the dispenser housing 302. An exemplary pump that can be used is shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/ filed on Aug. 23, 2012, entitled <RTI ID=0.0>> No. 692,290, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

As in the exemplary dispensing system 100, the off-axis pump The design allows the container 312 to have a neck 301 positioned at the center of the container 312 and allow the outlet 430 to be positioned at a distance X that is sufficiently far from the rear surface 331 of the dispenser housing 402 to the center of the outlet nozzle 430 for use. The person placed her hand in a position suitable for dispensing the foam from the outlet 430 to her hand.

In an embodiment, from the rear surface 331 to the outlet nozzle The center distance is approximately 3 inches and the distance from the rear surface to the front surface 333 is approximately 4 inches. In some embodiments, the distance X from the rear surface 331 to the center of the outlet nozzle 430 is between about 60% and 90% of the distance Y from the rear surface 331 to the front surface 333. In some embodiments, the distance X is between about 70% and 80% of the distance Y. In some embodiments, the distance X is about 75% of the distance Y.

Although the various inventive aspects, concepts, and features of the invention may be The various aspects, concepts, and characteristics of the present invention are described and illustrated in the various embodiments, whether individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. The applicant’s intention is not Limiting or limiting in any way the scope of the attached patent application to this Kind of detail. All such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. Still further, although various aspects, concepts, and features of the invention are present, such as additional materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software, hardware, control logic, formation, adaptation, and function. Various other embodiments may be selected and described herein, and such description is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of alternative embodiments, whether currently known or developed. A person skilled in the art can easily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts, or features in an additional embodiment and use within the scope of the invention, even if such embodiments are not explicitly disclosed herein. In addition, some of the features, concepts, or aspects of the invention may be disclosed herein as a preferred configuration or method, and such description is not intended to suggest that such features are required or necessary, unless explicitly stated. Further, the exemplified or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values or ranges do not constitute a limiting sense, and are merely intended to be a critical value. In addition, although the various aspects, features, and concepts may be explicitly identified as having inventive or invented portions, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but is not specifically identified or identified as a particular invention. In the case of a part, the invention may be completely described herein. Exemplary method or system The description of the process is not limited to all the steps required in all the examples, and the order presented in the steps is not limited to the requirements or necessary, unless explicitly stated as such.

210‧‧‧Inlet ball valve, inlet valve

312‧‧‧Foldable container

330‧‧‧Foam pump

401‧‧‧ neck

402‧‧‧ pump housing

404‧‧‧ collar

430‧‧‧Export and export nozzle

X‧‧‧ distance

Y‧‧‧ distance

Claims (21)

A foam dispensing system having an inverted container, comprising: a dispenser housing; a replaceable refill unit at least partially embedded in the housing; the replaceable refill unit having a container; the container having a neck of the bottom of the container; a horizontal foam pump secured to the neck; the pump having an inlet directed along the inlet axis; the pump having a liquid pump chamber; the pump having a stationary outlet directed along the exit axis The pump has a fluid passage extending from the pump chamber to the outlet; wherein the inlet axis is offset from the outlet axis; and the outlet axis is positioned closer to the front of the dispenser than the inlet axis; an actuator Positioned within the housing; and an air compressor having an air passage to direct air into the fluid passage; wherein the actuator is configured to drive a horizontal pump to the front of the dispenser for dispensing fluid. A foam application having an inverted container as claimed in claim 1 A dispensing system wherein the container has a central axis and the center of the neck is positioned along the central axis. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outlet nozzle is positioned 30% in front of the overall depth of the dispenser housing. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1 wherein the air compressor forms part of the replaceable refill unit. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1, further comprising a one-way air inlet valve having an optional starting pressure, such that when the air chamber is expanded, fluid is drawn through the outlet nozzle to A suction is provided before the one-way air inlet valve opens to allow air to flow into the air compressor chamber through the one-way air inlet valve. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a non-retractable container, and the pump comprises a container venting valve. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 6 wherein a portion of the container is exposed and not received within the outer casing. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container as claimed in claim 1 further comprises an invalid motion connector. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1, wherein the refill unit further comprises a battery fixed to the refill unit, and the battery unit is removable from the refill unit. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a collapsible container, and the outer casing includes a transparent window for viewing the collapsible container. A foam dispensing system having an inverted container according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is configured to hold the refill unit at an angle, and the top of the refill unit is inclined toward the front of the dispenser. A touch-free foam dispensing system comprising: an outer casing; a refill unit having a container; the container having a central axis; a neck positioned at a bottom of the container, the neck having a center along a central axis; a foam pump coupled to the neck; the foam pump having a stationary outlet for dispensing foam; the refill unit being configured to at least partially fit within the outer casing; the outer casing having a rear side and a front side; the front side being positioned a first distance from the rear side; the fixed outlet being positioned a second distance from the rear side of the outer casing; wherein the second distance is between about 65% and 90% of the first distance between. The contactless foam dispensing system of claim 12, wherein the second distance is between about 70% and 80% of the first distance. The contactless foam dispensing system of claim 12, wherein the second distance is about 75% of the first distance. The contactless foam dispensing system of claim 12, wherein the first distance is about 4 inches and the second distance is about 3 inches. The contactless foam dispensing system of claim 12, further comprising a drip receptacle positioned below the stationary outlet. A refill unit for a foam dispenser comprising: a container having a central axis; a neck positioned at a bottom of the container, the neck having a center point along the central axis; a horizontal foam pump, Secured to the neck; the horizontal foam pump has a liquid inlet positioned adjacent the neck of the container, a liquid pump chamber positioned downstream of the liquid inlet, and an outlet positioned at the liquid Downstream of the pump chamber; the outlet is offset from the liquid inlet along at least two axes; an air compressor having an air chamber; and an air passage in fluid communication with the fluid flowing through the foam pump; The air passage is at least partially positioned at a bottom of the air chamber; and a one-way air inlet valve is at least partially positioned within the air chamber to allow air to flow into the air chamber; wherein the one-way air The inlet valve has a sufficiently high opening pressure to draw at least a portion of the air flowing into the air chamber from the opening when the air chamber is refilled. The refill unit for a foam dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the refill unit comprises a refill battery, wherein the refill battery supplies power to the refill unit when the refill unit is installed in the dispenser An electronic device in the adapter housing to provide at least a portion of the power required to dispense fluid from the refill unit. A refill unit for a foam dispenser as claimed in claim 17 wherein the outlet is stationary. A refill unit for a foam dispenser as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly comprises an outlet valve, a liquid passage, an air passage, and one or more screens. A refill unit for a foam dispenser according to claim 17 wherein the outlet nozzle is positioned 30% in front of the overall depth of the refill unit.