S. C. Johnson Son, Inc.

Other

Thomas P Gasper

Chris A Kubicek

Paul E Furner

Nathan R Westphal

Brent Delbert Madsen

Kenneth W Michaels

Cory J Nelson

Michael E Short

M Scott Carpenter

Leon M Lemon

Gene Sipinski

Christopher S Hoppe

James R Crapser

Daniel Perez

Ki Bok Song

Bhaveshkumar Shah

Milan L Zdrubecky

Robert Coon

Stephen B Leonard

Padma Prabodh Varanasi

Joel E Adair

Bjorn James Gunderson

Dennis William Gruber

Jeffrey L Harwig

Sebastian D Hasik

Rene Maurice Beland

Dennis Jon Beaumont

Raymund J Alfaro

Erik J Moses

Ilya Basin

Daniel J Collins

Jeffrey S Zingsheim

James P Conigliaro

Mike O'Connor

Andrew N Niemiec

Scott E Coursin

C Scott Eagleton

Brent D Madsen

Scott Carpenter

A wax warmer assembly includes a housing having an outermost edge defining an opening and an annular ridge below the outermost edge. The wax warmer assembly further includes a dish with a peripheral edge, a heater affixed to the dish, and a power cord in electrical communication with the heater. The heater is operable to only draw 10 Watts of power or less from a power source. Further, the dish is disposed in the opening of the housing and the peripheral edge of the dish engages with the annular ridge of the housing.

Low wattage powered wax warmers

A wax warmer assembly includes a housing having an outermost edge defining an opening. The housing further includes an annular ridge below the outermost edge. The wax warmer assembly further includes a dish with a peripheral edge, a heater affixed to the dish, and a USB power cord in electrical communication with the heater. Further, the dish is disposed in the opening of the housing and the peripheral edge of the dish engages with the annular ridge of the housing.

Low wattage USB powered wax warmers

An automatic discharge device includes a housing having a recess for receipt of the body of a container and a groove configured to receive a portion of a valve stem of the container. The recess includes a tapered upper end configured to fit a neck of the container. Further, a first compartment for receipt of a first battery and a second compartment for receipt of a second battery are provided. An actuator is disposed proximate the groove, which defines lateral sidewalls and a rear sidewall and has an open forward end to receive the valve stem.

Compact spray device

A dispensing system includes a conduit having a volumetric capacity between an internal discharge orifice for receipt of a flow of pressurized fluid from a valving assembly and an external discharge orifice. The dispensing system further includes a volume of pressurized fluid and a sensor. The fluid has a volumetric flow rate of about 0.05 ml/ms to about 15 ml/ms when released into the conduit from the internal discharge orifice. The sensor detects a sound at the external discharge orifice.

Dispensing systems with wave sensors

A method of emitting two or more volatile materials from a diffuser includes the step of emitting a first volatile material using a first diffusion element for a first randomly determined period of time. The method further includes the step of emitting a second volatile material using a second diffusion element for a section randomly determined period of time.

Methods of emitting a volatile material from a diffuser

An automatic discharge device includes a housing having a recess for receipt of a container. Further, a first compartment for receipt of a first battery and a second compartment for receipt of a second battery are provided. An actuator is disposed above the recess and the first compartment and the second compartment are disposed on opposing sides of the recess.

A method of retaining only compatible refills by a volatile material dispenser includes the step of providing a dispenser having a housing and at least one movable latch disposed within the housing. The method further includes the steps of providing a compatible refill that includes a container for holding a volatile material and a wick extending from the container and inserting the refill into the housing so that the refill actuates the movable latch into engagement with a structure disposed on a neck of the refill to retain the refill within the housing. The incompatible refills are incapable of actuating the movable latch, and thus, the movable latch does not retain the incompatible refills within the housing.

Volatile material dispenser and method of retaining only compatible refills thereby

A spray dispenser includes a housing for placement in a space. The housing is adapted to receive at least one container having a material therein for emission into the space in response to at least one of a timer, manual actuation and sensory input. The spray dispenser further includes at least three sensors distributed around a perimeter of the housing for the detection of sensory input.

Spray dispenser

An automatic discharge device includes a housing retaining two containers therein. An actuator arm is attached to the housing and movable between first and second positions. A drive unit is provided for automatically moving the actuator arm into one of the first and second positions in response to a signal from at least one of a timer, a sensor, and a manual switch. The movement of the actuator arm actuates a valve stem of one of the two containers in one of the first and second positions. The actuator arm is adapted to spray fluid disposed in an interior of the two containers.

A method of operating a dispensing system includes the step of alternating between active and lockout modes within a first timing sequence, wherein during the active mode at least one sensor is active to detect sensory input, and whereupon detection of the sensory input results in product being released from a first container, and wherein during a lockout mode product is not released from the first container. The method further includes the step of alternating between active and lockout modes within a second timing sequence, wherein during the active period at least one sensor is active to detect sensory input, and whereupon detection of the sensory input results in fluid being released from a second container, and wherein during a lockout mode fluid is not released from the second container. The expiration of the first timing sequence, and the initiation of the second timing sequence, occurs from at least one of the lapsing of a time interval, sensory input, and manual input from a user.

A method of operating a dispensing device includes the step of entering a first active state, in which the detection of sensory input by a sensor initiates a first pattern activation sequence to energize a drive unit of the dispensing device for a first length of time and a second subsequent length of time to actuate a container. Upon completion of the first pattern activation sequence, the device enters a second active state. The detection of sensory input in the second active state initiates a second pattern activation sequence to energize the drive unit for a third length of time and a fourth subsequent length of time to actuate a container if the sensory input is detected before a time period P lapses. The dispensing device initiates the first pattern activation sequence if the sensory input is detected after the lapsing of the time period P.

Dispensers and functional operation and timing control improvements for dispensers

The present invention provides a heating device capable of dispensing heated personal care product while containers thereof are being heated. For example, there could be a base having multiple wells with a heating system associated with each well. There could be separate control of the heat in each well. The wells have an upper opening for permitting insertion of a container in them (in inverted fashion), and a side opening for permitting heated material in a container to be dispensed from the container while a portion of the container is being heated in the well. In another form, the invention provides a temperature sensor at the bottom of a heating well that projects into a heat conductive head of a container being warmed in the well. Methods for using such devices are also disclosed.

Dispensing device for heated flowable product

A method of operating a dispensing unit includes the step of providing a power source to a dispensing unit that includes a housing having at least two aerosol containers disposed therein and an actuator arm. The dispensing unit activates in response to a minimum threshold of light being sensed by a light sensor. The method also includes the step of selecting a sleep period interval between spray operations.

A solenoid valve assembly is adapted to control product flow through a dispensing system. The dispensing system includes a housing. A plunger is disposed within the housing and has a first axial surface. A stopper is also disposed within the housing and has a second axial surface facing the first axial surface. At least one flow pathway is provided on at least one of the first and second axial surfaces.

Solenoid valve assembly for a dispensing system

A method of operating a dispensing unit includes the step of entering a first active state, during which the detection of motion within a sensory path of a sensor of a dispensing unit initiates a first pattern activation sequence to release a volume A and a volume B of material from a fluid container. The method further includes the step of entering a second active state upon completion of the first pattern activation sequence, in which the detection of motion in the second active state initiates a second pattern activation sequence to release a volume C and a volume D of material from the container if motion is detected before the lapsing of a time period P and initiates the first pattern activation sequence if the motion is detected after the lapsing of the time period P.

Growing community of inventors

Germantown, WI, United States of America

Thomas P Gasper