Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~Q3883~
DUAL LIO~ID DISP~NSI~G SYSTEM
The present invention is concerned with a dispenser of
the kind for delivering aliquots of a liquid product
from a reservoir by means of a pump which is manually
operable. Such dispensers are often used in washrooms,
etc. for dispensing small amounts of a liquid soap
product for hand washing purposes.
Various dispensers of this kind have been described in
the literature. For example, the US-patent 4,256,242
(Christine) discloses a liquid soap dispenser comprising
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a housing, a collapsible bag for holding the liquid soap
; product and an operating lever or handle for actuating
controlled amounts of soap from the bag. The collapsible
bag is connected to an outlet by means of a flexible
conduit which comprises a pump.
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These known type of dispensers offer hygiene and ease of
~` handling for the user. However, one problem with this
kind of dispensers resides in the fact that only a small
amount of liquid soap may be dispensed at a time, due to
the limited capacity of the pump. The amount is usually
not more than 0.5 to 1 ml.
Another problem which is commonly encountered is the
fact that the dispenser may run out of soap unnoticed,
which causes annoyance and hygiene risks for the user.
Frequently checking by janitors will reduce the
likelihood of a soap dispenser being out of soap for a
long time, but this is not an economical solution.
- It has also been suggested in the European patent
application 110,686 (Kimberley-Clark) to provide the
soap dispenser with a window through which the reservoir
level may be seen. This offers only a partial solution
to the above mentioned problems, because it is not
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possible to determine when exactly the reservoir will run
~ out of soap. It may even lead to a waste of liquid soap
- 5 product if it becomes customary to replace the reservoirs
~ before they are completely emptied.
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It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a dispenser of the aforementioned kind, which does
not possess these or other disadvantages.
We have now found that these disadvantages can be addressed
by a dual dispensing system for delivering aliquots of a
liquid product, comprising a housing, two reservoirs for
the liquid product, each reservoir being connected to a
pump which can be manually operated via actuating means,
whereby there are provided means to automatically switch-
over from one pump to the other pump when the liquid
product in the first reservoir is exhausted, and vice
versa. The reservoirs are collapsible and the switch-over
means is actuated by the vacuum which is created in a
reservoir when it is fully collapsed.
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The dispensing system according to the invention preferably
-; 25 comprises indicating means to indicate that a switch-over
has occurred. It is especially preferred that these
indicating means are visual indicating means.
The pumps may be of any suitable kind, but bellow-type
pumps are preferred. They may have a capacity of from
about 0.1 to 10 ml, preferably from about 1 to 5 ml.
The invention will now be better explained by way of the
following preferred embodiment, and with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figures 1 A, B and C show schematic cross-sectional
views of a liquid soap dispenser according to the
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invention, as seen from the side, the front and from
below, respectively;
Figures 2 A,B and C show the same dispenser, upon
pressing the operating lever;
` 5 Figures 3 A,B and C show the same dispenser, upon
releasing the operating lever;
~ Figures 4 A,B and C show the same dispenser whereby
; the switch-over means switches from the first
collapsible reservoir to the second; and
Figures 5 A,B and C show the same dispenser after
i`~ the switch-over has occurred.
Figures 1 A,B and C show three schematic cross-sectional
views of the dual dispensing system of the invention.
The dual dispenser of the invention features a housing 1
surrounding two separate collapsible reservoirs 2,3 for
holding the liquid soap product. Although there are two
~- reservoirs, only one of them is operative at a time. In
the depicted situation this is reservoir 2. Each
reservoir is connected to its own pump 4,5 which is
preferably a bellow-type pump. The bellow-type pumps
are preferred because they are very compact and they can
be used for larger volumes of up to 10 ml and more.
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Each of the pumps is also provided with an outlet nozzle
11,12 through which the liquid soap is to be dispensed.
In Figures 2 A,B and C is shown what happens upon
- pressing the operating lever or press bar 13 which is
situated at the front of the dispenser, as indicated by
the arrow. The press bar is mounted on a hinge 14. The
action of the press bar 13 is transferred on to a push
rod 10 which is movable in a horizontal direction and
- acts against a spring. Attached to the push rod 10 there
are provided two switch bars 8,9 which can be pivoted
around two vertical axes 15,16 and which are kept apart
by a spring means 17. A notch in one of the switch bars
fits into either one of two holes in the other switch
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bar, thus constituting a bi-stable ensemble. The
ensemble of the switch bars is at all times preferably
in one of two possible states, corresponding to the
states in which either one of the reservoirs is engaged
for dispensing liquid soap.
It should be mentioned here that although reference is
made here to liquid soap, it is to be understood that
the dispenser is in fact suitable for any liquid, gel or
paste-like product, for cleaning or sanitizing purposes
or even for other products like food products, for
instance mayonnaise, all within the scope of the present
invention.
In each of the two above-mentioned states, on of the
switch bars 8,9 engages with one of the tilting tables
6,7 by means of a notch in the switch bar fitting into a
~ hole in the corresponding tilting table. The tilting
- 20 tables are connected to the two bellow pumps 4,5 in such
way that upon tilting the table, the pump i5 activated
and liquid soap is expelled from the outlet nozzle.
In Figures 3 A,B and C the press bar 13 is released. The
push rod 10 which acts against a spring, is then also
released and will move in the direction indicated by the
arrow. The switch bar 8 is engaged in the tilting table
6 and the horizontal movement of the push rod 10 is
thereby transformed into a vertical movement of the
bellow pump 4. Thereby new liquid soap is sucked into
the bellow pump from reservoir 2.
When the press bar 13 is pressed again, the process is
repeated and a new aliquot of liquid soap is dispensed
from the outlet 11. This may continue until the liquid
soap in reservoir 2 runs out.
In Figures 4 A,B and C the situation is shown wherein
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the press bar 13 is returning to its outward position,
after the last aliquot of liquid soap has been dispensed
from reservoir 2. The bellow pump 4 is now unable to
suck in new liquid soap from reservoir 2 and remains in
the compressed state. The tiling table 6 which is
connected to the bellow pump 4 is now retained in the
upward position.
Because the push rod 10 is acting against a spring it
will tend to return to the outward position. The notch
on the switch bar 8 is thereby pushed from the hole in
the tilting table 6 and is pushed towards switch bar 9.
The tilting table 6 is now uncoupled from switch bar 8.
; 15 As the push rod 10 is travelling further to its outward
; position, the notch on the switch bar 9 finds the hole
in the tilting table 7 and engages in therein. This is
shown in Figures 5 A,B and C. The bi-stable ensemble
formed by the switch bars 8,9 is now in its other state,
and the switch-over from reservoir 2 to reservoir 3 has
taken place. Bellow pump 5 and reservoir 3 are now
engaged, and upon pressing the press bar 13, liquid soap
is dispensed from reservoir 3 via outlet 12.
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This process may be repeated until the liquid soap
product in reservoir 3 has run out and a switch-over to
reservoir 2 occurs, analogous to the way described above
; for the switch-over from reservoir 2 to 3. If the empty
reservoir 2 has been replaced in the mean time by a new
reservoir, the supply of liquid soap from the dispenser
is never interrupted. Because the switch-over occurs
automatically, the user does not have to draw the
attention of an operator if the liquid soap in one of
the reservoirs runs out.
The dispenser of the invention has a much lower
;~ probability to be empty at a particular moment in time,
than the conventional liquid soap dispensers. In order
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to further reduce the probability, the dispenser may beequipped with indicating means to indicate that a
switch-over has occurred. The operator will then be able
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to determine whether one of the reservoirs has run out
of liquid soap without having to open the dispenser.
The indicating means preferably are visual indicating
means. The indicating means may comprise two arms, each
being connected to one of the tilting tables 6,7. As
shown above, a tilting table will remain in the upward
position when the corresponding reservoir is empty. The
: arms comprise a signalling part which is visible from
the outside when the tilting table is in its upward
position, and when one of the reservoirs is empty. When
the empty reservoir is replaced by a new one, the
;~ corresponding tilting table is moved into its downward
position and the signalling part will automatically
- disappear.
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It is emphasized that the dispenser shown in the Figures
illustrates a only preferred embodiment of the invention
and that various constructional alternatives will be
immediately evident to the man skilled in the art,
without departing from the scope of the present
` 25 invention
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