# US 10,244,901 B2 · Levitation fluid dispenser

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- Number: US 10,244,901 B2
- Document ID: US10244901B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/360,379
- Filed: 2016-11-23
- Published: 2017-05-25
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-24
- Assignees: OP-Hygiene IP GmbH
- Applicants: OP-Hygiene IP GmbH
- Inventors: Heiner Ophardt; Albrecht Lang; Siegfried Steltenkamp; David Duncan; Valery Ten
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244901B2

## CPC

- A47K 5/1217: {Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism}
- A47K 5/1202: {dispensing dosed volume (A47K5/1201 takes precedence)}
- E03C 1/0404: {Constructional or functional features of the spout}
- A47K 5/1211: {using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston (A47K5/1201 takes precedence; using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/122)}
- A47K 2005/1218: {Table mounted; Dispensers integrated with the mixing tap}
- A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES
- E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS

## Abstract

A hand cleaner fluid dispenser, including a reservoir for containing hand cleaner fluid to be dispensed; a dispenser outlet for discharge of the hand cleaner fluid from the reservoir; and a discharge mechanism operable to discharge a drop of the hand cleaner fluid from the dispenser outlet when activated. A levitator device is incorporated into the hand cleaner fluid dispenser, and is operable to levitate the drop of hand cleaner fluid at a position where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of dispensing a fluid onto a user's hand characterized by:
levitating in air a first drop of the fluid where the drop is accessible to be taken by the user's hand; and
moving the user's hand to take the drop.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein while levitating the first drop, levitating a second drop of the fluid accessible to be taken by a user's hand proximate where the first drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including, after levitating the drop for a period of time, collecting the drop in a collection vessel by controlling levitation of the drop to cause the drop to descend downward towards the collection vessel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises a hand cleaning fluid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising aerodynamic levitating the drop with an upwardly directed flow of air.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 comprising levitating the drop with a levitating device for a period of time at a height above the levitator device within a range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand permits the drop to be grasped by the user's hand without the user's hand engaging anything other than the drop and air within which the drop is levitated.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 including:
monitoring whether or not the drop is at a height above the levitator device within a range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 including:
providing a reservoir for containing a fluid to be dispensed;
discharging an allotment of the fluid from the reservoir out a discharge outlet to form the drop;
discharging the drop into the upwardly directed flow of air with a velocity and at a direction that the drop is directed by a velocity profile of the upwardly directed flow of air to levitate the drop above a central portion of the velocity profile.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.

### Claim 13

A method of dispensing a fluid characterized by:
sensing when a user is proximate to a levitator device, and
on sensing a user to be proximate to the levitator device, aerodynamically levitating in air a first drop of the fluid with an upwardly directed flow of air for a period of time at a height above the levitator device within a range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand,
wherein the range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by the user's hand permits the drop to be grasped by the user's hand without the user's hand engaging anything other than the drop and the air within which the drop is levitated.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 including repeatedly levitating successive drops of the liquid while the user is sensed to be proximate to where the drop is to be levitated.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 including, after levitating in air, each successive drop of fluid where each successive drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand for a period of time, levitating in air a next successive drop of the fluid where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 including:
while a user is sensed to be proximate where the drop is to be levitated, (i) performing a series of steps of:
(a) conducting a first monitoring indicating that a first drop was at a height above the levitator device within a range of positions where a drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand, followed by (b) conducting a second monitoring indicating that a first drop is not at a height above the levitator device within a range of positions where the drop is accessible to be taken by a user's hand, and (c) promptly levitating a subsequent drop and
(ii) repeating the series of steps (i) and (ii) until the cumulative volume of fluid of the first drop and each successive drop represents a predetermined volume suitable for a predetermined use of the fluid.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

A method as claimed in claim 13 including:
moving the user's hand to take the drop.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the fluid includes one or more of a skin cleaner, a skin moisturizer, a skin disinfectant, a skin medication, an insect repellent and a skin perfume.