SYSTEME DE DISTRIBUTION DE LIQUIDE

A LIQUID DELIVERY SYSTEM

Abrégé français

Le systèmede de distribution de liquide selon l'invention comprend une unité de socle (2) comprenant une entrée de liquide dans une surface pointant vers le haut, un conduit de liquide reliant l'entrée à la sortie de liquide au-dessus de l'entrée de liquide ; une pompe pour assurer le pompage du liquide de l'entrée vers la sortie ; un moteur d'entraînement de la pompe ; et une enveloppe de protection s'étendant vers le haut de manière à entourer l'entrée. L'enveloppe de protection comprend un bord supérieur qui est muni d'un évidement (20) s'étendant vers le bas sur une partie de sa circonférence. Le système selon l'invention est caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend en outre un insert (21) dans l'évidement (20) qui forme un joint étanche aux liquides avec l'évidement (20) et forme, avec l'enveloppe de protection, une cavité à liquide en communication avec l'entrée de liquide dans le socle.

Abrégé anglais

A liquid delivery system comprising a base unit (2) comprising a liquid inlet in an upwardly facing surface, a liquid duct leading from the inlet to a liquid outlet above the liquid inlet; a pump for pumping the liquid from the inlet to the outlet; a motor to drive the pump; and a shroud extending upwardly in a manner which surrounds the inlet, the shroud having an upper edge which has a downwardly extending recess (20) for a part of its circumference; characterised by the system further comprising an insert (21) in the recess (20) which forms a liquid-tight seal with the recess (20) and defines, with the shroud, a liquid cavity in communication with the liquid inlet in the base.

Revendications

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CLAIMS:-
1. A liquid delivery system comprising a base unit
comprising a liquid inlet in an upwardly facing surface, a
liquid duct leading from the inlet to a liquid outlet above
the liquid inlet; a pump for pumping the liquid from the
inlet to the outlet; a motor to drive the pump; and a shroud
extending upwardly in a manner which surrounds the inlet,
the shroud having an upper edge which has a downwardly
extending recess for a part of its circumference;
characterised by the system further comprising an insert in
the recess which forms a liquid-tight seal with the recess
and defines, with the shroud, a liquid cavity in
communication with the liquid inlet in the base.
2. A system according to claim 2, wherein the shroud has
one or more additional recesses or openings, and the system
further comprises corresponding further inserts dimensioned
to fit in the additional recesses or openings.
3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, further
comprising a cover to cover the cavity.
4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the base unit further comprises a sensor to sense
the presence of an object in the vicinity of the outlet to
trigger a dispensing operation.
5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the base unit is a free standing unit.

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6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the base unit contains batteries to power the motor.

Description

CA 02797759 2012-10-29
WO 2011/135336 PCT/GB2011/050781
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A LIQUID DELIVERY SYSTEM
The present invention is directed to a liquid delivery
system.
In particular, it is directed to the base unit of the
liquid delivery system described in our earlier application
GB 0820981.9.
The fluid delivery system comprises a base unit into
which a refill unit containing the material to be dispensed
is fitted in an inverted configuration, namely with its
outlet at the lowermost end. The base unit contains a
liquid inlet in an upwardly facing surface, a liquid duct
leading from the inlet to a liquid outlet above the liquid
inlet; a pump for pumping the liquid from the inlet to the
outlet; a motor to drive the pump; and a shroud extending
upwardly in a manner which surrounds the inlet, the shroud
having an upper edge which has a downwardly extending recess
for a part of its circumference. Such a base unit is
referred to subsequently as being "of the kind described".
In use, the refill unit is provided with a valve at its
lowermost end. As the refill unit is fitted into the base,
an upwardly projecting spigot surrounding the fluid inlet
opens the valve in the refill unit to allow fluid to flow
from the refill unit into the base.
The present invention provides an alternative method
for refilling the base unit.

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According to the present invention, a liquid delivery
system comprising a base unit of the kind described and is
characterised by an insert in the recess which forms a
liquid-tight seal with the recess and defines, with the
shroud, a liquid cavity in communication with the liquid
inlet in the base.
The insert co-operates with the shroud to define a
cavity which is capable of containing liquid. This removes
the need for the separate refill unit.
Preferably, if the shroud has one or more additional
recesses or openings, the system includes corresponding
further inserts dimensioned to fit in the additional
recesses or openings.
The cavity may be left open to the atmosphere.
However, the system may also include a cover to cover the
cavity.
An example of a system in accordance with the present
invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a cross-section through a dispenser having a
refill according to GB 0820981.9 which is included for
background interest only;
Fig. 2 is a cut-away perspective view of the refill of
Fig. 1 being introduced into the dispenser but not yet being
engaged;
Fig. 3 is a rear perspective of a system according to
the present invention; and

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Fig. 4 is a front perspective of the dispenser of Fig.
3.
Before describing the present invention, the operation
of the dispenser with the refill of GB 0820981.9 will be
described for background interest.
The dispenser is a hands-free dispenser which is
generally suitable for domestic use. The dispenser is
primarily intended to dispense liquid soap, but may also be
used to dispense other liquid or semi-liquid products
(ideally with a viscosity greater than water), such as hand
cream, body lotion, moisturiser, face cream, shampoo, shower
gel, foaming hand wash, shaving cream, washing up liquid,
toothpaste, acne treatment cream, a surface cleaner or a
sanitising agent such as alcohol gel.
The dispenser comprises two main parts, namely a refill
1 (which is not a part of the present invention) and a base
unit 2. The refill 1 provides a reservoir of liquid to be
dispensed and is fitted to the base unit 2 as set out below.
The base has an interface 3 into which liquid is
dispensed from the refill unit. The interface 3 is in fluid
communication with a dispensing tube 4. A pump 5 is
selectively operable to pump a metered dose of the liquid
along dispensing tube 4 and out of dispensing head 6.
The base has an infrared transmitter 7A which transmits
an infrared beam through a window 8 to a receiver 7B to
sense the presence of a user's hands in the vicinity of the
dispenser. Control circuitry reacts to a signal from the

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proximity sensor to activate the pump. The illustrated
sensor is a break beam sensor, but may also be a reflective
sensor. Although an infrared sensor is shown, any known
proximity sensor such as a capacitive sensor may be used.
The device may be mains powered or battery powered.
The interface between the refill 1 and base unit 2 will
now be described in greater detail with reference to Figs. 2
to 10.
The base unit 2 comprises a cowling 10 which surrounds
a significant portion of the refill to protect and support
it. A spigot 11 projects at the base of the cowling 10 and
is sealed to the cowling 10 by an 0-ring seal 12. The
spigot has a plurality of castellations 13 in its top
surface. A second 0-ring seal 14 surrounds the spigot 11
beneath the castellations 13.
When the refill 1 is placed into the base unit 2, the
spigot 11 enters an annular outlet 15 in the base of the
refill 1 against which the 0-ring seal 14 seals. The spigot
then lifts outlet valve element 16 against the action of
resilient biasing member 17 to open a flow path into the
base.
Further operation of the refill 1 will not be described
here as the present invention is concerned with an
alternative to the refill 1.
As shown in Fig. 3, the cowling 10 has a deep recess
20. According to the present invention, this recess is
filled with an insert 21 which forms a fluid-tight seal with

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the recess 20. The insert 21 may have a resilient seal at
the part of its perimeter which interfaces with the recess
20. However, it may more simply be made of a one-piece
plastic structure which is a close-fit with the recess. The
5 insert can either be designed to slide into the recess from
above, or may be clipped into place in a lateral direction.
The presence of the insert 21 forms a cavity 22 into
which a product to be dispensed can be poured as indicated
by arrow 23. The depth of the cavity 22 is defined, in this
case, by the top of the insert 21. As such, the insert 21
should fill most, if not all, of the recess and may even
project above it.
As shown in Fig. 4, the base unit 2 is provided with an
aperture 24 which provides a visual indication of the level
of the liquid within the base. If such an aperture is
present, this also needs to be filled in order to create the
chamber 22. In this case, an insert 25 in the form of a
fluid-tight plug is inserted into this aperture and provides
a fluid-tight seal. Ideally, the insert 25 is transparent
to maintain the window onto the liquid level.
With the insert 21 and, if necessary, the plug 25 in
place, a user simply pours liquid into the chamber 22 and
uses the dispenser in the normal manner. A cover which
covers the top of the cowling 10 and insert 21 may also be
provided to prevent the drying out of the liquid to be
dispensed and the ingress of unwanted material.

Dessin représentatif