Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPENSER WITH OPTICAL KEYING SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.
61/510,355, filed
July 21, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is generally directed to dispensing systems. In
particular, the
present invention is directed to dispensers that are keyed to allow only
authorized refill
containers to be installed and used therein. More specifically, the present
invention is directed
to an optical keying system for a dispenser that uses an optical sensor to
read microscopic
indicia disposed on a refill container that is visually imperceptible to the
human eye in order to
authenticate the refill container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dispensers used to dispense various liquid materials, such as soap,
antibacterial
cleansers, powder, aerosols, disinfectants, lotions, and the like are used in
various contexts,
including restaurants, factories, hospitals, and bathrooms for example. In
general, such
dispensers are manually actuated when the user physically pushes or pulls a
lever to dispense a
quantity of material from a replaceable refill container carried therein.
Alternatively, "hands-
free" automatic dispensers are configured to dispense material therefrom when
the presence of
the user's hands is brought into the proximity of the detection sensor.
Furthermore, such dispensers are commonly mounted to a wall or other vertical
surface,
with the material being dispensed from an outlet or nozzle at the bottom of
the dispenser.
Alternatively, dispensers referred to as counter-mount dispensing systems may
be integrated
into a countertop near a sink basin, whereby certain components of the
dispensing system are
located beneath the countertop, while other components, including an outlet,
are located above
the countertop. Moreover, dispensers may also be provided in various other
configurations,
such as tabletop-style dispensers that rest on a horizontal surface, such as a
counter or tabletop,
or stand-mounted dispensing systems that attach to a mounting pole.
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While dispensers may directly hold a quantity of material, such as soap, in a
reservoir,
such dispensers have been found to be both messy and difficult to service,
while also presenting
contamination and health concerns. As a result, replaceable refill containers,
which hold a
quantity of material and provide a pump and nozzle mechanism to dispense the
material, have
become increasingly popular, as they are easily installed and replaced, while
being virtually
mess-free.
Dispenser manufacturers have found it desirable to control the particular
refill
containers that are permitted or authorized to be used with particular
dispensers. That is, in
some circumstances dispenser manufacturers may be concerned with ensuring that
the
appropriate refill container (type of product, concentration, material form,
etc.) is inserted in
the correct dispenser housing, as the use of the incorrect material may be
devastating to the
health of the user and those who come in contact with the user. For example,
it is imperative
for hospital personnel to have antibacterial soap dispensed in a pre-surgical
cleaning area,
rather than another fluid, such as moisturizing lotion. Therefore, dispenser
manufacturers often
key the dispensers for use with only specific refill containers, such that
only authorized refill
containers can be installed and used in the corresponding dispenser. Dispenser
manufacturers
and associated refill-container distributors also rely upon such keying
systems to ensure that the
dispensers can be refilled only with the refill containers that they supply
and not refill
containers supplied by third-party manufacturers that may be of poor or
inconsistent quality.
Although mechanical keying systems are currently used and are helpful to
ensure that
the proper refill container is installed into the correct dispenser, such
keying systems have a
number of disadvantages. For example, mechanical keys are often easily removed
or altered,
allowing unauthorized refill containers to be readily installed into a
dispenser, while also
causing the manufacturer/distributor to lose the ability to control the
quality of the material
used in the dispenser. Mechanical keying systems also require the manufacturer
to design keys
for multiple types of dispensers and refill containers, which requires
significant tooling costs
that are incurred by the manufacturer. In other words, each dispenser may be
keyed for a
particular refill container, a particular distributor, and a particular
location. This results in
significant inventory costs for maintaining refill containers with various
keys and also
generates lead times for manufacturing such refill containers, which may be
substantially long.
Finally, in the event that a particular keying device for a dispenser is lost
or damaged, it may
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create difficult circumstances to determine which type of keying configuration
is needed for the
refill containers.
Moreover, current keying systems are configured with non-recyclable refill
containers
that once used are thrown away, thus contributing to waste in landfills and
increased disposal
costs.
Therefore, there is a need for an optical keying system for a dispenser and
refill
container that is simple to implement. In addition, there is a need for an
optical keying system
that is low cost. Furthermore, there is a need for an optical keying system
that is durable and
not prone to operating errors. Still yet, there is a need for an optical
keying system that may be
used with recyclable refill containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the present invention to
provide a
dispenser with an optical keying system.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a dispenser with an
optical
keying system that can be recycled and used with recyclable refill containers.
It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a dispenser
with an optical
keying system, as above, that includes an optical sensor in a housing to
detect microscopic
indicia disposed on at least a portion of the refill container.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a dispensing
system, as
above, that prevents the actuation of the system unless a refill container
with an authorized
authentication code is installed.
In general, a dispenser provides a container to dispense material therefrom.
The
dispenser includes a housing configured to accept the refill container, an
actuator configured to
actuate a pump to dispense at least a portion of the material from the refill
container, and an
optical sensor configured to detect or read microscopic or visually-
imperceptible indicia
disposed on said refill container.
In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a dispenser
includes a
housing having an actuator, an optical sensor, and a refill container that
includes microscopic or
visually-imperceptible indicia detectable by the optical sensor to determine
if the refill
container is authorized for use with the dispenser.
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In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a method of
preventing
use of unauthorized refill containers in a dispenser includes providing a
dispenser housing
having an actuator and an optical sensor and providing a refill container
having microscopic or
visually-imperceptible indicia, wherein said indicia is detectable by said
optical sensor, and
wherein when said indicia is not authorized, said dispenser is disabled to
prevent dispensing of
said material.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a dispenser with an
optical keying
system comprising a replaceable refill container having microscopic indicia
disposed thereon; a
housing being configured to removably carry the refill container; a controller
carried by said
housing; a pump coupled to said controller and configured to be in fluid
communication with
the replaceable refill container; an actuator coupled to said controller, said
actuator configured
to actuate said pump to dispense the material from the replaceable refill
container; and an
optical sensor coupled to said controller, said optical sensor configured to
read the microscopic
indicia from the replaceable refill container to identify an authorization
code, wherein said
controller disables the dispenser if said authorization code is not
authorized, and said controller
enables the dispenser if said authorization code is authorized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become
better
understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and
accompanying
drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a dispenser having an optical keying
system in
accordance with the concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of the optical keying system
for use
with the dispenser in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a collar portion of the dispenser in
accordance with the
concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a side cross-section view of the portion of the dispenser shown in
Fig. 3 in
accordance with the concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 4A is a plan view of a label carrying microscopic or visually-
imperceptible indicia
thereon in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;
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Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the refill container of the dispenser
when received
within the dispenser in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a dispenser
having an
optical keying system in accordance with the concepts of the present
invention;
Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of another alternative embodiment of a
dispenser
having an optical keying system according to the concepts of the present
invention, the
dispenser being configured to be mounted underneath a mounting base in
accordance with the
concepts of the present invention; and
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the dispenser of Fig. 7 in accordance with the
concepts of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A dispenser having an optical keying system is generally referred to by the
numeral 10,
as shown in Figs. 1-5 of the drawings. The dispenser 10 includes a housing 12,
which includes
a back plate 14 adapted to be secured to a vertical surface, and a cover 16
that is pivotable
relative to the back plate 14. The cover 16 permits access to the internal
components of the
dispenser 10 and may include a window 18 so that the interior of the dispenser
10 can be
viewed. As such, the cover 16 may be removed to install or remove a refill
container 22 that
contains a label 24 having indicia 26 disposed thereon, which defines various
predetermined
reference codes used in part to determine if the refill container 22 is
authorized for use with the
dispenser 10. It should be appreciated that the term "indicia" as used herein
is defined as any
microscopic mark, indentation, or the like, such as one or more microscopic
printed dots, that
cannot be viewed by the human eye, but is capable of being read by any
suitable imaging
device, such as that to be discussed. Moreover, it should be appreciated that
the indicia 26 is
shown in the Figs. as a combination of dots for illustrative purposes only,
and during use, the
indicia is visually imperceptible for viewing by the human eye. It should also
be appreciated
that the indicia 26 may be applied to the label 24 using any suitable means,
including printing
or any other mechanical and/or electrical process.
The dispenser 10 also includes a control circuit 30 that is configured to
control the
operation of a pump 36 provided thereby. Specifically, the pump 36 is coupled
to a controller
38, shown in Fig. 2, which includes the necessary hardware and software to
carry out the
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functions to be discussed. The pump 36 is configured to dispense liquid
material from the refill
container 22 that is in fluid connection therewith. Moreover, the pump 36 may
comprise any
suitable pump capable of dispensing an amount of fluid from the refill
container 22, such as a
plunger or piston pump, a diaphragm pump, a bellows pump, a peristaltic pump,
or any other
suitable positive-displacement pump. The control circuit 30 also includes an
actuator 40 that is
coupled to the controller 38 and that is configured to initiate the operation
of the pump 36 when
engaged or actuated by the user. In one aspect, the actuator 40 may comprise a
button or
switch that is manually actuated by the user, or the actuator 40 may comprise
a proximity
sensor or other sensor, such as a biometric sensor, that is configured to
detect the presence of
the user's hands, so as to initiate the operation of the pump 36 in a hands-
free manner. An
indicator 46 is also coupled to the controller 38 and is configured to
illuminate in various
manners (colors/sequence) to identify various status conditions associated
with the operation of
the dispenser 10, including but not limited to: whether the dispenser 10 is ON
or OFF; whether
service is required for the dispenser 10; or whether the refill container 22
requires replacement.
The indicator 46 may comprise any suitable light source, such as a light
emitting diode (LED)
for example. To detect or otherwise image the indicia 26 disposed on the label
24, an optical
sensor 50, such as a camera, scanner, or any other suitable imaging device, is
coupled to the
controller 38. The components of the control circuit 30 are powered by a power
source 52,
which may comprise any suitable source of power, including batteries, A.C.
(alternating
current) mains power supplied from a standard electrical outlet, photovoltaic
cells, and the like.
In addition, the refill container 22 is configured to be removably retained in
the housing
12 of the dispenser 10. In one aspect, the refill container 22 includes a
reservoir 54, which may
contain any suitable material, including but not limited to: soap, hand
sanitizer, moisturizer,
gels, foams, lotions, or the like. In some embodiments, the refill container
22 may include a
collar 58 that may be positioned around the pump mechanism 36 that is carried
by the refill
container 22. The collar 58 is configured to be received in the housing 12 of
the dispenser 10
to secure the refill container 22 therein. In the embodiment shown in the
Figs., the collar 58 is
generally cylindrical in shape; however it may be configured in any suitable
shape and/or
dimension to be received within housing 12.
The label 24 carries indicia 26 thereon for optical detection by the optical
sensor 50 and
subsequent processing by the controller 38. In one aspect, the label 24 may be
configured with
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adhesive to facilitate its attachment to the refill container 22. The label 24
utilized by the
system 11 may be applied to the collar 58 or to the reservoir 54 associated
with each refill
container 22, as long as it is substantially aligned with the optical field of
view of the optical
sensor 50. For example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the optical sensor 50 may
be mounted to
the backplate 14 of the dispenser 10 so that it is suitably aligned to view or
image the indicia 26
disposed on the label 24 that is attached to the collar 58. However, as shown
together in Figs. 1
and 5, the optical sensor 50 may be mounted to the inside of the cover 16 of
the dispenser 10,
so as to be suitably aligned with the indicia 26 that is carried on the label
24 that is attached to
the reservoir 54 of the refill container 22. In one aspect, the optical sensor
50 and the system
for generating the microscopic indicia 26, which is visually imperceptible,
may comprise a
system offered for sale by Alpvision, S.A. for example.
The particular configuration of the indicia 26 defines the reference code,
which includes
various information or attributes, including but not limited to the type of
material (soap,
sanitizer, moisturizer) carried in the reservoir 54 of the refill container
22, the quantity of
material in the reservoir 54 of the refill container 22, the date of
manufacture of the refill
container 22, and the like. The reference code may also include a
predetermined authorization
code that is configured to be processed by the controller 38 to determine if
the refill container
22 is authorized for use with the dispenser 10. Thus, only predetermined
refill containers 22
with an acceptable authorization code enable the operation of the dispenser
10.
During operation of the dispenser 10, the refill container 22 is inserted into
the
dispenser 10, and the optical sensor 50 images the indicia 26 disposed on the
label 24. The
controller 38 then identifies the reference code and processes the information
contained in the
code. In one aspect, the controller 38 acquires the reference code and
determines whether the
authorization code associated with the refill container 22 is authorized for
use with the
particular dispenser 10. If the authorization code associated with the refill
container 22 is
authorized by the controller 38, then the controller 38 enables the operation
of the actuator 40
(or pump 36), so that material from the refill container 22 can be dispensed
therefrom.
Conversely, if the authorization code associated with the refill container 22
is not authorized or
is not detectable by the optical sensor 50, then the controller 38 disables
the actuator 40, thus
preventing material from being dispensed from the dispenser 10. For example,
the controller
38 may be preprogrammed so as to authorize one or more authorization codes
provided by the
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indicia 26 using various authorization techniques. As such, the manufacturer
of the dispenser
is able to maintain control over the particular refill container 22 that can
be used by specific
dispensers 10. It is also contemplated that different indicia 26 may be
provided in different
refill units to distinguish between various products and customers.
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Referring now to Fig. 6, an alternative dispenser is shown and is indicated
generally by
the numeral 60. The dispenser 60 is structurally and operationally equivalent
to the dispenser
10 and utilizes the control circuit 30 discussed above, with the exception
that pump 36 is
configured as a peristaltic pump, referred to by reference numeral 62, and the
refill container 22
is replaced by an alternative refill container 63. As such, the dispenser 60
includes the
10
peristaltic pump 62 that includes a plurality of rotating engagement members
64 that are carried
by a rotating drive plate 66 that is driven by a motor drive (not shown)
operatively coupled
thereto. The refill container 63 includes a flexible outlet tube 68 that is
fluidly coupled at one
end to a refill container 63 via an attachment adapter 72. In certain
embodiments, the other end
of the outlet tube 68 may be coupled to a foaming chip nozzle 74. The outlet
tube 68 is
compressively retained against the rotating engagement members 64 by a guide
76 that is
pivotably and removably attached to the dispenser 10. Thus, as the engagement
members 64
rotate and compress the outlet tube 68 against the guide 76, liquid material,
such as soap,
carried by the refill container 63 is drawn or otherwise pumped into the
outlet tube 68 and
forced under pressure into the foaming chip nozzle 74, where air is introduced
into the
pressurized liquid material, aerating it into a foam that is dispensed
therefrom.
The dispenser 60 includes a housing 80 and a pivoting door 82 attached thereto
that can
be moved between open and closed positions. A frame section 84 is disposed
within the
housing 70, which provides a retention bin 86 to house and support the refill
container 63
placed therein. The dispenser 60 utilizes the control circuit 30, as
previously discussed above,
whereby the housing 80 is configured to include the optical sensor 50, which
is configured to
image the indicia 26 that is disposed on the label 24 attached to the refill
container 63.
However, it is contemplated that the indicia 26 may be disposed on any portion
of the refill
container 57 and that the optical sensor 50 is positioned at a location on the
housing 80, such as
on the door 82, adjacent to the location of the indicia 26 to allow the
optical sensor 50 to image
the indicia 26.
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Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, a further alternative embodiment of a
dispenser is
generally referred to by the numeral 100. The dispenser 100 utilizes the
control circuit 30
previously discussed and is configured to be mounted to a mounting base 102.
For example,
the mounting base 102 may comprise a countertop surface, such as that used to
support a
lavatory sink used to wash one's hands in a restroom. The mounting base 102
includes an
upper surface 104 and opposed lower surface 106 and may comprise any structure
suitable for
mounting the dispenser 100 formed from any suitable material, such as wood,
plastic, or
ceramic for example.
The dispenser 100 includes a nozzle 110 that is in fluid communication with a
refill
container 112 via an outlet tube 114. Liquid material, such as liquid soap,
sanitizer,
moisturizer, or the like that is carried by the refill container 112 is pumped
therefrom via the
outlet tube 114 by a pump 116 that is in operative communication with the
outlet tube 114. In
the embodiment depicted, the pump 116 comprises a peristaltic pump and is
coupled to the
controller 30, but may comprise any suitable pump configuration. As the liquid
material passes
through the outlet tube 114, it may be converted from liquid to foam by a
foaming chip (not
shown) retained within the nozzle 110, which is in fluid communication with
the outlet tube
114. In addition, the peristaltic pump 116, the refill container 112, and
various other
components of the dispenser 100 are suspended off of the floor, such that they
are suspended
underneath the mounting base 102 by a support bracket 120 attached to the
lower surface 106
of the mounting base 102. As such, the components of the dispenser 100 are
able to be
concealed underneath the mounting base 102 and hidden from the view of the
user, without
taking up floor space beneath the mounting base. Specifically, the refill
container 112 is
supported by a carrier 121 that is removably attached to the support bracket
120.
The optical sensor 50 is carried on the inside of the carrier 121 to detect or
image the
indicia 26 disposed on the label 24 carried on the refill container 112 that
is inserted into he
carrier 121, as shown in Fig. 7. However, it is contemplated that the label 24
carrying the
indicia 26 may be provided on any portion of the refill container 112, while
the optical sensor
50 may be positioned at a location adjacent to the location of the indicia 26
containing portion
of the refill container 112. Alternatively, the optical sensor 50 may be
secured to the support
bracket 120 or carrier 121 of dispenser 100 when the label 24 is attached to a
collar 122
provided by the refill container 112, as shown in Fig. 8. As previously
discussed, the operation
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of the actuator 40 is prevented unless the controller 38 detects an authorized
authorization code
after processing the indicia 26 to indicate that the refill container 112 is
compatible for use with
the dispenser 100.
Therefore, one advantage of the present invention is that an optical keying
system is
low cost and easy to implement. Another advantage of the present invention is
that the optical
sensor of the optical keying system is durable and is not prone to errors.
Sill another advantage
of the optical keying system of the present invention is that microscopic
indicia that is visually-
imperceptible to a human is capable of being disposed on refill containers,
such as recyclable
refill containers. Yet another advantage of the preset invention is that the
microscopic,
visually-imperceptible indicia of the optical keying system requires only a
minimal amount of
space on the surface of the refill container, allowing the indicia to be
discretely placed thereon.
Thus, it can be seen that the objects of the present invention have been
satisfied by the
structure and its method for use presented above. While in accordance with the
Patent Statutes,
only the best mode and preferred embodiments have been presented and described
in detail, it
being understood that the invention is not limited thereto and thereby.
Accordingly, for an
appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention, reference should
be made to the
following claims.
