A pump for dispensing fluid includes a dome portion for storing the fluid received through a pump inlet. The dome portion is movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state. The pump includes a flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied and a second pliability when a second voltage is applied. The pump includes a first biasing device that applies a first force in a first direction to the flexible membrane. The flexible membrane moves the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state. The pump includes a second biasing device that applies a second force in a second direction to the dome portion to move the dome portion from the compressed state to the uncompressed state when the flexible membrane has the second pliability. Alternatively, the dome portion moves in the second direction in response to a gravitational force.
|
14. A pump for dispensing fluid from a fluid reservoir of a dispenser, the pump comprising:
a pump inlet through which the fluid is received from the fluid reservoir;
a dome portion for storing the fluid received through the pump inlet, the dome portion movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state;
a flexible membrane operatively associated with the dome portion, the flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied to the flexible membrane and having a second pliability when a second voltage is applied to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane having a first side, which faces the dome portion, and a second side;
a first biasing device positioned on the second side of the flexible membrane and configured to apply a first force in a first direction to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane configured to flex in the first direction in response to the first force when the flexible membrane has the first pliability, the first biasing device configured to move the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state when the flexible membrane has the first pliability; and
a pump outlet through which the fluid is dispensed when the dome portion is in the compressed state.
1. A pump for dispensing fluid from a fluid reservoir of a dispenser, the pump comprising:
a pump inlet through which the fluid is received from the fluid reservoir;
a dome portion for storing the fluid received through the pump inlet, the dome portion movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state and defining an internal chamber within which the fluid received through the pump inlet is stored;
a flexible membrane operatively associated with the dome portion, the flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied to the flexible membrane and having a second pliability when a second voltage is applied to the flexible membrane;
a first biasing device configured to apply a first force in a first direction to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane configured to flex in the first direction in response to the first force when the flexible membrane has the first pliability, the first biasing device configured to move the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state when the flexible membrane has the first pliability;
a second biasing device disposed within the internal chamber, the second biasing device configured to apply a second force in a second direction to the dome portion to move the dome portion from the compressed state to the uncompressed state when the flexible membrane has the second pliability; and
a pump outlet through which the fluid is dispensed when the dome portion is in the compressed state, the second biasing device encircling the pump outlet.
9. A pump for dispensing fluid from a fluid reservoir of a dispenser, the pump comprising:
a pump inlet through which the fluid is received from the fluid reservoir;
a dome portion for storing the fluid received through the pump inlet, the dome portion movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state;
a flexible membrane operatively associated with the dome portion, the flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied to the flexible membrane and having a second pliability when a second voltage is applied to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane having a first side, which faces the dome portion, and a second side;
a support structure positioned on the second side of the flexible membrane, the support structure having a first support side, that engages the second side of the flexible membrane, and a second support side;
a first biasing device that engages the second support side of the support structure such that the first biasing device is spaced apart from the flexible membrane, the first biasing device configured to apply a first force in a first direction to the support structure, the flexible membrane configured to flex in the first direction in response to the first force on the support structure when the flexible membrane has the first pliability, the first biasing device configured to move the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state when the flexible membrane has the first pliability; and
a pump outlet through which the fluid is dispensed when the dome portion is in the compressed state.
2. The pump of
4. The pump of
5. The pump of
6. The pump of
8. The pump of
10. The pump of
11. The pump of
12. The pump of
13. The pump of
15. The pump of
16. The pump of
17. The pump of
18. The pump of
19. The pump of
20. The pump of
21. The pump of
22. The pump of
23. The pump of
|
|||||||||||||||||||
This application is a While the examples of
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing at least some of the claims.
Various operations of embodiments are provided herein. The order in which some or all of the operations described should not be construed to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Alternative ordering will be appreciated having the benefit of this description. Further, it will be understood that not all operations are necessarily present in each embodiment provided herein. Also, it will be understood that not all operations are necessary in some embodiments.
Many modifications may be made to the instant disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the claimed subject matter. Unless specified otherwise, “first,” “second,” or the like are not intended to imply a temporal aspect, a spatial aspect, an ordering, etc. Rather, such terms are merely used as identifiers, names, etc. for features, elements, items, etc. For example, a first component and a second component correspond to component A and component B or two different or two identical components or the same component.
Moreover, “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, illustration, etc., and not necessarily as advantageous. As used in this application, “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. In addition, “a” and “an” as used in this application are to be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Also, at least one of A and B or the like means A or B or both A and B. Furthermore, to the extent that “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to “comprising”.
Also, although the disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art based upon a reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. The disclosure includes all such modifications and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (e.g., elements, resources, etc.), the terms used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure. In addition, while a particular feature of the disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
Ciavarella, Nick Ermanno, Proper, Scott Theodore, York, Alexander, Dunn, Jason Thomas
| Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
| Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
| 2884164, | |||
| 3162333, | |||
| 6619512, | Jul 16 2002 | Joseph S., Kanfer | Lock-out mechanism for dispenser |
| 7258533, | Dec 30 2004 | Par Technologies, LLC | Method and apparatus for scavenging energy during pump operation |
| 7484940, | Apr 28 2004 | T BANK, N A | Piezoelectric fluid pump |
| 7492076, | Dec 29 2006 | Parker-Hannifin | Electroactive polymer transducers biased for increased output |
| 7806301, | May 19 2004 | GOJO Industries, Inc | Dome pump |
| 7915790, | Dec 29 2006 | Parker-Hannifin | Electroactive polymer transducers biased for increased output |
| 7931173, | Aug 02 2006 | Liquid dispenser | |
| 8072121, | Dec 29 2006 | Parker-Hannifin | Electroactive polymer transducers biased for optimal output |
| 8360287, | May 28 2008 | GOJO Industries, Inc. | Air piston and dome foam pump |
| 8991648, | Jul 12 2011 | GOJO Industries, Inc. | Shut-off system for a dispenser |
| 9060655, | Jun 13 2012 | SwipeSense, Inc. | Dispenser for hand sanitizer |
| 9610600, | Sep 20 2013 | GOJO Industries, Inc. | Dispenser pump using electrically activated material |
| 20070114247, | |||
| 20080157631, | |||
| 20080237266, | |||
| 20090152995, | |||
| 20090294477, | |||
| 20100102677, | |||
| 20100221124, | |||
| 20110044829, | |||
| 20130015209, | |||
| 20130299518, | |||
| 20140028153, | |||
| 20150144659, | |||
| 20190022296, | |||
| DE10234584, | |||
| DE19950160, | |||
| WO2008083325, | |||
| WO2008383325, | |||
| WO2010143084, | |||
| WO2015042235, |
| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| Oct 29 2010 | GOJO Industries, Inc | PNC Bank, National Association | SECURITY INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 051228 | /0667 | |
| May 21 2018 | GOJO Industries, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
| Oct 26 2023 | GOJO Industries, Inc | SILVER POINT FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT | SECURITY INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 065382 | /0587 | |
| Oct 26 2023 | GOJO Industries, Inc | PNC Bank, National Association | SECURITY INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 065369 | /0253 |
| Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
| May 21 2018 | BIG: Entity status set to Undiscounted (note the period is included in the code). |
| Jun 15 2020 | M1551: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Year, Large Entity. |
| Jun 13 2024 | M1552: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 8th Year, Large Entity. |
| Date | Maintenance Schedule |
| May 26 2023 | 4 years fee payment window open |
| Nov 26 2023 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| May 26 2024 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
| May 26 2026 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
| May 26 2027 | 8 years fee payment window open |
| Nov 26 2027 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| May 26 2028 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
| May 26 2030 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
| May 26 2031 | 12 years fee payment window open |
| Nov 26 2031 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| May 26 2032 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
| May 26 2034 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |