Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K5/00—Holders or dispensers for soap, toothpaste or the like
  • A47K5/06—Dispensers for soap
  • A47K5/12—Dispensers for soap for liquid or pasty soap
  • A47K5/1217—Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Definitions

• the present invention relates to dispensers for hand soap, and more
• Maintaining clean hygiene is important because many contaminates that
• the system comprises a fluid dispenser
• a sensor is connected to the actuator.
• a processor in
• Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for
• the method utilizes an electronic fluid
• the method comprises entering a unique identification code; activating the fluid dispenser; sensing activation of the dispensing mechanism; incrementing a
• Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a soap dispenser embodying the
• FIG. 2 is a diagram of the electronics included in the soap dispenser shown
• FIGS 3-6 are flowcharts illustrating the functionality of one possible
• the present invention is directed to a dispenser that allows a
• the dispenser keeps a running total of the number of times the person uses the dispenser and periodically displays a reward that
• the dispenser acknowledges a person's use of the dispenser.
• the dispenser acknowledges a person's use of the dispenser.
• dispenser is a soap dispenser that is useful for maintaining clean hygiene in
• dispenser is brought to the attention of employers.
• the employer can then use the
• dispenser as part of an employee incentive program to encourage compliance with
• the present invention can also be used in
• the soap dispenser 100 has a rear mounting plate 102 and a cover 104.
• mounting plate 102 can be attached to a wall or other suitable surface with fasteners
• the cover 104 is attached to an upper portion of the mounting plate 102 at a pivot point 106 and can pivot open.
• cover 104 defines a reservoir cavity 108 in which a plastic reservoir bag 110 of soap
• reservoirs such as cartridges that are inserted into the reservoir
• reservoir cavity 108 which serves as a reservoir itself.
• the cover 104 has a lower portion 112, an upper portion 114, and a front
• the lower portion 112 defines a hole 118.
• the housing 120 has a front face 124.
• Electronics 126 which are describe in
• LCD liquid crystal display
• the LCD 128 and push-button interface 130 are mounted on the front portion 116 of
• the housing 120 for interaction with a user. If the electronics 126 are battery
• the housing 120 provides access (not shown) to its electronics cavity 122
• the housing 120 is sealed to protect the electronics 126 from
• a projection 131 is formed in a lower portion of the mounting plate 102 and
• the projection 130 forms a first vertical pressure
• a push plate 134 is pivotally mounted to the lower portion 112 of the
• the push plate 134 has front and back surfaces 136 and 138.
• the push plate 134, block 140 and second pressure surface 142 form an actuator for dispensing soap.
• the second pressure surface 142 opposes the first pressure surface 132.
• first and second pressure surfaces 132 and 142 are spaced to provide passage for a dispensing tube 144, which is described in more detail below.
• pressure surfaces 134 and 142 are positioned below and on opposite sides of the hole
• a sensor such as a microswitch 146 is mounted to the second pressure
• the microswitch 146 is in electrical communication
• the replaceable reservoir bag 110 which holds soap, is positioned in the
• the dispensing tube 144 has lower and upper ends 150 and
• the dispensing tube 144 is in fluid
• An upper one-way valve 156 is positioned in the lumen 154 and is adjacent
• the upper one-way valve 156 is
• valve 158 is positioned in the lumen 154 and is adjacent the lower end 150 of the
• the lower one-way valve 158 is positioned below the first and second pressure plates 132 and 142, and is oriented to permit soap flow out the
• the first and second pressure surfaces cooperate to squeeze the dispensing tube
• the electronics 126 include a microcontroller 200.
• microswitch 146, LCD 128, and push-button interface 130 are in electrical
• the push-button interface 130 has
• the electronics 126 are powered by a 9 Volt battery that is electrically
• the microcontroller 200 is loaded with a program that controls operation of
• the LCD 128 is 1x8 character display module
• the microcontroller 200 is a model 8051, which
• microcontroller 200 LCD 128, and push button interface 130 are integrated into a
• Microchip PIC series which is manufactured by Microchip Corporation. In other words,
• the microcontroller 200 can be replaced with a
• microcontroller configured with suitable memory, a microprocessor and suitable
• the code is
• memory within the microcontroller 200 stores an ID code for each worker that corresponds to a unique sequence of the push-button switches 202a-202d.
• Dispense Count Dispense Count
• Reward Count Random Number
• Mean Value Mean Value
• Dispense Count is the number of times that a particular worker has used the soap
• Dispense Count There are a plurality of values for Dispense Count, each value being
• Reward Count is the number of times that a
• Random Number is a randomly
• Mean Value is
• Means are assigned one of several predetermined values.
• Means are assigned one of several predetermined values.
• Mean Value is assigned either 34, 84, or 184. Mean is used to determine Mean Value.
• Reward Count is determined according to the equation:
• Reward Count Mean Value + Random Number
• this calculation provides that
• the Reward Count is within one of three predetermined ranges: 35-65, 85-115, or 185- 215. For each worker, the value for the Reward Count will fall within one of
• variable Mean Value or increase randomness by providing a greater range for the
• the program clears the display (Block 308) and enters a sleep mode (Block 310).
• the microcontroller 200 While in the sleep mode, the microcontroller 200 enters a state in which it conserves
• the microcontroller 200 wakes from the sleep mode upon receiving an
• the program determines whether only one or more of the push-button
• switches 202a-202d were pressed (Block 324). If two or more push-button switches
• switches 202a-202d match a predetermined code that is required to enter into a
• the code to enter the service mode might be set at one and four. If the user simultaneously presses the first and the fourth push-button switches 202a and 202d, the program will enter into the service
• the employer can perform functions such as
• microcontroller saves the first ID digit that corresponds to that push-button switch
• the second push-button switch 202b (Block 346) in a register.
• the second ID digit can be the same as the first ID digit.
• the program After the two digit ID code is entered, the program enters into a second eight- second time-out period (Block 352) to determine whether the microswitch 146 was
• microcontroller 200 enters the sleep mode (Block 310). If the microswitch 146 is not
• Block 370 the microcontroller 200 enters the sleep mode (Block 310).
• Dispense Count Reward Count (Block 372). If the two values are not
• the program then waits for the employer to press the first and second pushbutton switches 202a and 202b, or some other predetermined combination of
• Dispense Count (Block 386) and recalculates Random Number and Reward Count
• each individual worker has his/her own reward count and thus competes against themselves rather than each other.
• Block 424 the registers and transient variables are cleared (Block 426), and the microcontroller 200 enters the sleep mode (Block 310).
• the program indexes through displaying each
• Random Num Random Num- 1 , which decrements the current value for Random
• the reward mode is enabled (Block 512). If the reward program is enabled, the
• an employer enters the Enable Reward Mode
• the program is coded so
• the employer can manually enter a value for Reward
• the employer can manually set a range of possible values for

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=23820942

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (54)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1999
  • 1999-12-09 US US09/458,478 patent/US6542568B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2000
  • 2000-12-06 JP JP2001542792A patent/JP4523219B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-12-06 WO PCT/US2000/033095 patent/WO2001041612A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-12-06 AT AT00993303T patent/ATE305742T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-12-06 CA CA002389000A patent/CA2389000C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-12-06 AU AU54387/01A patent/AU775153B2/en not_active Expired
  • 2000-12-06 EP EP00993303A patent/EP1235506B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-12-06 DE DE60023027T patent/DE60023027T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (4)

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