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US 8,038,034 B2Granted
Fluid dispenser for personal use
AssigneeGOJO Industries, Inc.
InventorKeith A. Pelfrey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Personal dispensers include a refill unit and a refill casing. The refill unit is a collapsible container that is associated with pump mechanisms for dispensing fluid from within the collapsible container. The refill casing retains and protects the refill unit, and includes a pump lock that is manipulated to selectively cover a pump opening in the refill casing. When the pump lock covers the pump opening, the pump mechanisms cannot be manipulated, and when the pump lock does not cover the pump opening, the pump mechanisms can be manipulated to dispense product.
Claims7
A portable personal dispenser comprising:
- (a) a personal dispenser refill unit including:
- a collapsible container having an interior volume holding a fluid,
- a collapsible dosing chamber communicating with said fluid in said container, and
- an outlet path fluidly communicating with said collapsible dosing chamber and communicating externally of said interior volume of said container, wherein operating said collapsible dosing chamber dispenses a dose of said fluid through said outlet path and out at an exit of said outlet path, whereby said interior volume of said collapsible container decreases by the volume of said dose;
- and
- (b) a handheld refill unit casing comprising:
- a housing defining an interior retaining said refill unit,
- an exit opening in said housing communicating with said outlet path such that fluid dispensed out said exit of said outlet path also exits said housing through said exit opening,
- a pump opening in said housing,
- a contour extending into said interior of said housing to urge said collapsible dosing chamber to be positioned in and aligned with said pump opening when said refill unit is retained in said container such that said collapsible dosing chamber is operated by being manipulated at said pump opening, whereby said contour maintains the positioning and alignment of said collapsible dosing chamber with said pump opening as said interior volume of said collapsible container decreases, and
- a pump lock having a lock position and an unlock position, wherein, when in said lock position, said collapsible dosing chamber cannot be manipulated through said pump opening, and, when in said unlock position, said collapsible dosing chamber can be manipulated through said pump opening to dispense said fluid in said container.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.