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US 12,006,927 B2Granted
Electrically actuated pump
AssigneeWorld Club Supply Corp.
InventorPhilip D. Lowance
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Automatic electric actuation of the pumping mechanism of a liquid dispenser apparatus is provided by configuring a hollow tube to cooperate with an electromagnetically driven actuator and further configuring the hollow tube to inter-fit with a stem of a liquid dispensing pump. Actuation of the actuator may, for example, drive the pump stem downwardly to cause a pumping action. Suitable actuators include, for example, solenoids, voice coil actuators and stepping motors.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a pump having a pump stem extending from a top surface thereof, the pump stem having a liquid dispensing opening and being normally biased in an upward position, the pump being constructed such that manual depression of the pump stem and subsequent release causes liquid to be dispensed from said liquid dispensing opening;
- a solenoid coil positioned outside of and above the pump and outside of and above the pump stem;
- a hollow liquid conducting plunger positioned within the solenoid coil and configured to interconnect with the pump stem so as to receive liquid to be dispensed from the liquid dispensing opening of the pump stem and having a ferromagnetic portion positioned thereon, the hollow liquid conducting plunger having a liquid dispensing opening located at a top end thereof;
- and
- the solenoid coil and the plunger being so configured that pulsing the solenoid coil with electrical current drives the plunger and pump stem down thereby causing liquid to be dispensed out of the liquid dispensing opening of the hollow liquid conducting plunger.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a pump having a pump stem, the pump stem having a liquid dispensing opening at a top end thereof, the pump and pump stem being configured such that manual depression of the pump stem creates a pumping action;
- first and second solenoid coils positioned outside of and above the pump and outside of and above the pump stem;
- a hollow liquid conducting plunger positioned within the first and second solenoid coils and above the pump and pump stem and configured to interconnect with the pump stem so as to receive liquid dispensed from the liquid dispensing opening of the pump stem and having an armature positioned to move up and down within the first and second solenoid coils, the hollow liquid conducting plunger having a liquid dispensing opening located at a top end thereof;
- and
- the first and second coils and hollow liquid conducting plunger being further configured such that the plunger and the pump stem move downwardly in response to an actuation current supplied to said first solenoid coil and upwardly in response to an actuation current supplied to said second solenoid coil to thereby cause liquid to be dispensed from the liquid dispensing opening of the hollow liquid conducting plunger.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a liquid dispenser comprising a canister closure having a pump top slidably mounted therein, the pump top being configured to move up and down with respect to the canister closure, the pump top having a liquid receiving opening therein and configured to conduct liquid from said liquid receiving opening to a liquid dispensing opening;
- a pump having a pump stem extending from a top surface thereof, the pump stem having a liquid dispensing opening;
- one or more solenoids positioned outside of and above the pump and outside and above the pump stem, the one or more solenoids being attached to the canister closure;
- a hollow liquid conducting plunger positioned within the one or more solenoid coils and configured to interconnect with the pump stem so as to receive liquid dispensed from the liquid dispensing opening of the pump stem;
- and
- the one or more solenoid coils and the hollow liquid conducting plunger being so configured that pulsing the one or more solenoid coils with electrical current causes liquid to be pumped out of the pump stem into the liquid dispensing plunger and then dispensed out of the liquid dispensing opening of the hollow liquid conducting plunger and into the liquid receiving opening of the pump top.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.