Gojo Industries, Inc.

The Little Tikes Company

Rubbermaid, Inc.

Keith Allen Pelfrey

Jackson William Wegelin

Nick Emanno Ciavarella

Eugene William Ray

John James McNulty

Richard C Sayers

Mark Wesley Moore

Mark Adam Bullock

Robert L Houry

David Michael Stitchick

Michael M Potempa

Nick Ermanno Ciavarella

Anthony R Marchetta

Thomas E Fish

Frazer Costa

Radu Ghiorghie

Gina Rodi

Aaron M Conrow

Michael J Healy

William Krueger

A dispensing system includes an electronic device. The dispensing system includes a thermoelectric generation device coupled to the electronic device. The thermoelectric generation device includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The thermoelectric generation device includes an output coupled to the third portion that provides electrical power to the electronic device. The electrical power provided to the electronic device is a function of current induced within the third portion. The current induced within the third portion is a function of a temperature differential between the first portion and the second portion.

Energy harvesting for dispensing system

A collapsible liquid container for a fluid dispenser is provided and includes an upper wall, a collapsible sidewall, a bottom wall, fluid, and a dispensation mechanism. The upper wall, the collapsible sidewall, and the bottom wall cooperate to define a pressurized liquid reservoir. The fluid is contained within the liquid reservoir. A fluid dispenser includes a housing, a collapsing member, and a biasing member. The housing comprises an upper container portion and a support portion. The upper container portion at least partially defines an interior chamber for receiving the collapsible liquid container. The support portion extends downwardly from the upper container portion. The collapsing member is disposed within the interior chamber and is movably coupled with the upper container portion. The biasing member is coupled with the collapsing member and the housing and is configured to bias the collapsing member toward the dispensation zone.

Collapsible liquid container, fluid dispenser for collapsible liquid container, and method for making collapsible liquid container

Exemplary methods and systems for dispensing soap sanitizer or lotion as a function of hand size are disclosed herein. An exemplary dispenser for dispensing a soap, sanitizer or lotion includes a housing, a processor in the housing, a reservoir for holding fluid, a pump for pumping the fluid and a sensor for sensing a parameter that is indicative of the hand size. The exemplary dispenser also includes circuitry for determining a dose volume of fluid to be dispensed as a function of the sensed parameter that is indicative of a hand size and circuitry for causing the pump to dispense the dose volume.

Dispenser dosing based on hand size

A product dispenser may be customized by incorporating a backplane having multiple different electrical contacts points and multiple different connectors for receiving one or more dispenser plug-in circuit modules, where each plug-in circuit module has mating electrical contacts and connector members. Different dispenser plug-in circuit modules may be easily installed, i.e. plugged-in, during assembly and/or during installation of the product dispenser to change the operating features of a particular dispenser.

Customizable dispenser having plug-in circuit modules

An exemplary refill unit for a foam dispenser includes a container for holding foamable liquid and a liquid pump. The liquid pump includes a pump housing and an outlet nozzle with an elongated central axis. The pump housing has an arcuate shaped liquid pump chamber formed by a backing plate. The backing plate includes a liquid inlet and a flexible membrane. At least a portion of the elongated central axis of the nozzle extends through a central area defined, at least in part, by the arcuate shaped pump chamber.

Variable output pump for foam dispensing system

A dispensing system includes a housing including a cover portion attached to a base portion. The cover portion includes an opening. The dispensing system includes a dispensing assembly within which a material is contained and from which the material is dispensed. The dispensing assembly is supported within an interior of the base portion and in fluid communication with the opening. At least one of the cover portion is movable relative to the base portion or the base portion is moveable relative to the cover portion. A position of the cover portion relative to the base portion is adjusted between a first position, in which the cover portion does not engage the dispensing assembly such that the material is not dispensed through the opening, and a second position, in which the cover portion engages the dispensing assembly such that the material is dispensed through the opening.

Push pad dispenser

Wipe container

A system for selectively revealing indicia to an observer comprises a transitioning window having a receiving surface and a viewing surface. The receiving surface is positioned in optical communication with an indicia holder that is configured to removably retain indicia, such as information content. During operation, the transitioning window transitions from a substantially opaque state to a substantially transparent state so as to reveal or otherwise display the indicia to an observer via the viewing surface.

System for selectively revealing indicia

A dispensing system is provided including a housing that removably supports a container. A material is contained within the container. The material is dispensed from the container. The housing includes a wireless communication system that transmits a first set of information related to a user of the dispensing system. An example method of operating the dispensing system is also provided.

Interactive portable carrying case for hand sanitizer

An adjustable solar-power unit to power a dispenser includes a support housing maintaining a receiving aperture to rotatably retain a solar panel carrying holder therein. The adjustable solar-power unit is configured to be mounted remotely from the dispenser or may be configured to be integral with a housing that maintains the components of the dispenser. The holder may be rotated or pivoted so that the angle of incidence of the ambient light can be substantially perpendicular with that of the solar elements carried by the holder to generate an optimal amount of electrical power therefrom in order to power the dispenser.

Adjustable solar-power unit for a dispenser

A wipes dispenser includes a container having an interior holding a plurality of wipes. A grip orifice provides communication between the interior and the exterior of the container, and the grip orifice serves to prevent wipes from falling back into the interior. The dispenser also includes a rip fence, and a lead end of a lead wipe of the plurality of wet wipes within the container extends through the grip orifice and then through the rip fence such that pulling on the lead end to pull the lead wipe against the rip fence causes the remainder of the lead wipe to be removed from the container and become disassociated with the remaining wipes of the plurality of wipes. As the lead end is pulled against the rip fence, the following wipe of the plurality of wipes is pulled through the grip orifice to provide its lead end outside of the interior of the container, and the grip orifice prevents this lead end of the following wipe from falling back into the interior of the container.

Wipes dispenser with anti-roping and anti-fallback features

A collapsible container has a front face and a collapsible backing, wherein the container volume decreases as product is removed, and the collapsible backing collapses by vacuum as the container volume decreases. The front face may be flexible and thus susceptible to losing its original shape as the container volume decreases, but is nevertheless designed to retain its shape by having a frame around at least a portion of its perimeter. The front face may instead be adapted to retain its shape as the collapsible backing collapses upon a decrease in the container volume. The collapsible container is of particular beneficial use in a dispenser housing having a sight window in a front wall thereof, the sight window being aligned with the front face of the collapsible container.

Collapsible container and dispenser employing a collapsible container

Foam dispensers, refill units for foam dispensers, and liquid pumps for use in foam dispensers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an inverted foam pump includes a compression chamber having an inlet valve and an outlet valve. The compression chamber is in fluid communication with a flow restrictor, an atomizer, a mixing chamber, a foaming chip and an outlet. The inlet valve, outlet valve, flow restrictor, atomizer, mixing chamber, foaming chip and outlet extend along a common axis. An air inlet is included that extends into the mixing chamber; the air inlet is an opening to atmospheric pressure. During operation, the liquid pump is located below the liquid container and liquid flowing from the compression chamber is accelerated and atomized. The atomized liquid enters the mixing chamber at a velocity sufficient to draw in air from the air inlet to mix with the liquid to form a foam.

Growing community of inventors

Wadsworth, OH, United States of America

Keith Allen Pelfrey