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US 10,278,550 B2Granted
Fluid dispenser with time of flight proximity sensor
AssigneeOP-Hygiene IP GmbH
InventorsHeiner Ophardt, Albrecht Lang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand cleaning fluid dispenser for dispensing fluid onto a user's hand includes a time of flight sensor to determine a distance of a hand of a user below an outlet of the dispenser from which the dispenser when activated dispenses the fluid and a controller to activate the dispenser to dispense the fluid from the outlet when the hand is sensed to be within a predetermined range of distances below the outlet.
Claims19
In combination a paper dispenser and a refuse bin,
- the refuse bin comprising an interior cavity bounded by a circumferentially extending side wall and a bottom wall, and
- an upwardly opening access opening via which refuse material may be inserted into the bin and form a pile of the refuse material within the cavity supported on the bottom wall and constrained within the side wall with the pile having an upwardly directed uppermost surface which varies in distance from the access opening above the refuse material as the refuse material is inserted into the bin,
- the paper dispenser carrying a first time of flight sensor to determine a distance of the uppermost surface of the pile from the time of first time of flight sensor,
- the paper dispenser mounted above the refuse bin located to provide a direct line of sight from the first time of flight sensor to the uppermost surface of the pile through the access opening and the cavity,
- the paper dispenser carrying a controller to estimate the extent to which the bin is full or empty based on the distance determined by the first time of flight sensor, and wherein:
- the paper dispenser carries a paper supply comprising a roll of paper sheet material or a stack of paper sheet material,
- the paper supply having a paper surface of the paper sheet material,
- the paper dispenser carrying a second time of flight sensor to determine a distance of the paper surface from the second time of flight sensor, and
- the controller estimating the extent to which the paper supply is full or empty based on the distance determined by the second time of flight sensor.
6 more elements
In combination a paper dispenser and a refuse bin,
- the refuse bin comprising an interior cavity bounded by a circumferentially extending side wall and a bottom wall, and
- an upwardly opening access opening via which refuse material may be inserted into the bin and form a pile of the refuse material within the cavity supported on the bottom wall and constrained within the side wall with the pile having an upwardly directed uppermost surface which varies in distance from the access opening above the refuse material as the refuse material is inserted into the bin,
- the paper dispenser carrying a first time of flight sensor to determine a distance of the uppermost surface of the pile from the first time of flight sensor,
- the paper dispenser mounted above the refuse bin located to provide a direct line of sight from the first time of flight sensor to the uppermost surface of the pile through the access opening and the cavity,
- the paper dispenser carries a paper supply comprising a roll of paper sheet material or a stack of paper sheet material,
- the paper supply having a paper surface of the paper sheet material,
- the paper dispenser carrying a second time of flight sensor to determine a distance of the paper surface from the second time of flight sensor.
4 more elements
A method of monitoring the extent to which a refuse bin is full of refuse material, comprising:
- providing a refuse bin having an interior cavity bounded by a circumferentially extending side wall and a bottom wall, and an upwardly opening access opening via which refuse material may be inserted into the bin and form a pile of the refuse material within the cavity supported on the bottom wall and constrained within the side wall with the pile having an upwardly directed uppermost surface which varies in distance from the access opening above the refuse material as the refuse material is inserted into the bin,
- providing a paper dispenser that carries a paper supply comprising a roll of paper sheet material or a stack of paper sheet material to be dispensed as well as a first time of flight sensor to determine a distance of the uppermost surface of the pile from the first time of flight sensor with the paper dispenser mounted above the refuse bin located to provide a direct line of sight from the first time of flight sensor to the uppermost surface of the pile through the access opening and the cavity,
- operating the first time of flight sensor to determine the distance of the uppermost surface of the pile from the first time of flight sensor,
- estimating the extent to which the bin is full or empty based on the distance determined by the first time of flight sensor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.