US 9,517,484 B2Granted

Dispenser pump using electrically activated material

AssigneeGOJO Industries, Inc.

InventorsNick Ermanno Ciavarella, Scott Theodore Proper, Alexander York, Jason Thomas Dunn

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Abstract

A pump for dispensing fluid includes a dome portion for storing the fluid received through a pump inlet. The dome portion is movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state. The pump includes a flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied and a second pliability when a second voltage is applied. The pump includes a first biasing device that applies a first force in a first direction to the flexible membrane. The flexible membrane moves the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state. The pump includes a second biasing device that applies a second force in a second direction to the dome portion to move the dome portion from the compressed state to the uncompressed state when the flexible membrane has the second pliability. Alternatively, the dome portion moves in the second direction in response to a gravitational force.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A pump for dispensing fluid from a fluid reservoir of a dispenser, the pump comprising:

a pump inlet through which the fluid is received from the fluid reservoir;
a dome portion for storing the fluid received through the pump inlet, the dome portion movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state and defining an internal chamber within which the fluid received through the pump inlet is stored;
a flexible membrane operatively associated with the dome portion, the flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied to the flexible membrane and having a second pliability when a second voltage is applied to the flexible membrane;
a first biasing device configured to apply a first force in a first direction to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane configured to flex in the first direction in response to the first force when the flexible membrane has the first pliability, the first biasing device configured to move the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state when the flexible membrane has the first pliability;
a second biasing device disposed within the internal chamber, the second biasing device configured to apply a second force in a second direction to the dome portion to move the dome portion from the compressed state to the uncompressed state when the flexible membrane has the second pliability;
and
a pump outlet through which the fluid is dispensed when the dome portion is in the compressed state, the second biasing device encircling the pump outlet.

4 more elements

A pump for dispensing fluid from a fluid reservoir of a dispenser, the pump comprising:

a pump inlet through which the fluid is received from the fluid reservoir;
a dome portion for storing the fluid received through the pump inlet, the dome portion movable between a compressed state and an uncompressed state;
a flexible membrane operatively associated with the dome portion, the flexible membrane having a first pliability when a first voltage is applied to the flexible membrane and having a second pliability when a second voltage is applied to the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane having a first side, which faces the dome portion, and a second side;
a support structure positioned on the second side of the flexible membrane, the support structure having a first support side, that engages the second side of the flexible membrane, and a second support side;
a first biasing device that engages the second support side of the support structure such that the first biasing device is spaced apart from the flexible membrane, the first biasing device configured to apply a first force in a first direction to the support structure, the flexible membrane configured to flex in the first direction in response to the first force on the support structure when the flexible membrane has the first pliability, the first biasing device configured to move the dome portion from the uncompressed state to the compressed state when the flexible membrane has the first pliability;
and
a pump outlet through which the fluid is dispensed when the dome portion is in the compressed state.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/662,539Filed 19 Mar 2015 · continuation
Priority: 20 Sep 2013
Published: US 2015/0083756 A19 Jul 2015
Granted: 13 Dec 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

F04B 43/04
Having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms: pumps having electric drive
A47K 5/1208
Dispensing dosed volume: by means of a flexible dispensing chamber
A47K 5/1211
For liquid or pasty soap: using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston
A47K 5/1217
For liquid or pasty soap: electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism

Family

Application61/880,270Us provisional application · filed 20 Sep 2013
Application14/489,850Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Sep 2014
US 2015/0190829 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Jul 2015
US 2015/0083756 A1Published application
US 9,610,600 B2Related patent
US 9,517,484 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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