Manual Fluid Dispenser with Adjustable Activation Force and Dosage

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001]This application claims priority to the 28 Oct. 2024 filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/712,727, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]This invention relates to hand cleaning fluid dispensers, and more particularly to manually operated hand cleaning fluid dispensers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003]It is known to provide hand cleaning fluid dispensers in a wide variety of environments, such as hospitals, schools, long term care facilities, hallways, and bathrooms. Depending on the environment in which a hand cleaning fluid dispenser is located, there may be a number of different requirements and/or preferred characteristics for the dispenser.

[0004]For example, in a hospital setting, there may be a preferred dosage of fluid that should be dispensed with each activation of the dispenser, to promote compliance with a hand hygiene protocol that is in place at the hospital. In other environments, such as a school, there may not be a need for a particular dosage, but instead a requirement for a lowered activation force to allow children to manually operate the dispenser. In still other environments, such as a hallway, the dispenser may need to have a compact structure that does not extend far from the wall, so as to allow individuals to walk past the dispenser unimpeded.

[0005]The applicant has appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a hand cleaning fluid dispenser that is suitable for use in a wide variety of different environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006]To at least partially overcome some of the disadvantages of previously known systems, devices and methods, in one aspect the present invention provides a fluid dispenser having a pump mechanism assembly that dispenses a dose of fluid when a movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly is moved relative to a reciprocal portion of the pump mechanism assembly between an extended position and a retracted position, and a lever member that is pivotable about a lever axis between a rest position and an activated position, the lever member having a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface, the first engagement surface being spaced from the second engagement surface. The movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly comprises an activation body that is moveable relative to the lever axis between a first position and a second position. When the activation body is at the first position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the first engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body, which moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position. When the activation body is at the second position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the second engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body, which moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position.

[0007]The applicant has appreciated that the aforementioned configuration can advantageously be used to adjust the magnitude of the force required to activate the dispenser and/or the dosage of fluid that is dispensed with each activation. For example, if the first engagement surface of the lever member is spaced further from the lever axis than the second engagement surface is from the lever axis, then the force required to pivot the lever member from the rest position to the activated position is reduced when the activation body is at the second position.

[0008]Furthermore, the first and second surfaces can be arranged so that, when the lever member is at the rest position, the first surface is spaced further from the reciprocal portion of the pump mechanism assembly than the second surface is from the reciprocal portion. As a result, when the activation body is at the first position, the movable portion extends further from the reciprocal portion than when the activation body is at the second position, resulting in a larger volume of fluid being dispensed with each activation.

[0009]In addition, the applicant has appreciated that the aforementioned configuration preferably allows the dispenser to be constructed in a compact manner that allows the dispenser to be installed in a wide variety of environments, including hallways.

[0010]Further aspects of the invention include:

[0011]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: a pump mechanism assembly that dispenses a dose of fluid when a movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly is moved relative to a reciprocal portion of the pump mechanism assembly between an extended position and a retracted position; a lever member that is pivotable about a lever axis between a rest position and an activated position, the lever member having a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface, the first engagement surface being spaced from the second engagement surface; wherein the movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly comprises an activation body that is moveable between a first position and a second position; wherein, when the activation body is at the first position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the first engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body, which moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position; and wherein, when the activation body is at the second position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the second engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body, which moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position.

[0012]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the first engagement surface is spaced a first distance from the lever axis and the second engagement surface is spaced a second distance from the lever axis, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

[0013]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein a force required to pivot the lever member from the rest position to the activated position is greater when the activation body is at the first position than when the activation body is at the second position.

[0014]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the extended position of the movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly is selectable from a high dose extended position and a low dose extended position by moving the activation body between the first position and the second position; wherein, when the activation body is at the first position, the extended position of the movable portion is the high dose extended position; wherein, when the activation body is at the second position, the extended position of the movable portion is the low dose extended position; and wherein, when the movable portion is at the high dose extended position, the movable portion extends further from the reciprocal portion than when the movable portion is at the low dose extended position.

[0015]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein a volume of the fluid that is dispensed from the pump mechanism assembly on movement of the movable portion between the extended position and the retracted position is greater when the activation body is at the first position than when the activation body is at the second position.

[0016]A method, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects; moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position; and pivoting the lever member from the rest position to the activated position to thereby activate the fluid dispenser to dispense the dose of the fluid.

[0017]A method of adjusting a force required to activate a fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects; and moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position.

[0018]A method of adjusting a volume of fluid dispensed on activation of a fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects; and moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position.

[0019]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: a pump mechanism assembly that dispenses a dose of fluid when a movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly is moved relative to a reciprocal portion of the pump mechanism assembly between an extended position and a retracted position; a lever member that is pivotable about a lever axis between a rest position and an activated position, the lever member having a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface, the first engagement surface being spaced from the second engagement surface; wherein the movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly comprises an activation body that is moveable between a first position and a second position; wherein, when the activation body is at the first position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the activation body engages with the first engagement surface of the lever member without engaging with the second engagement surface, and the lever member moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position; and wherein, when the activation body is at the second position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the activation body engages with the second engagement surface of the lever member without engaging with the first engagement surface, and the lever member moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position.

[0020]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the first engagement surface is spaced a first distance from the lever axis and the second engagement surface is spaced a second distance from the lever axis, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

[0021]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein a force required to pivot the lever member from the rest position to the activated position is greater when the activation body is at the first position than when the activation body is at the second position.

[0022]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the extended position of the movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly is selectable from a high dose extended position and a low dose extended position by moving the activation body between the first position and the second position; wherein, when the activation body is at the first position, the extended position of the movable portion is the high dose extended position; wherein, when the activation body is at the second position, the extended position of the movable portion is the low dose extended position; and wherein, when the movable portion is at the high dose extended position, the movable portion extends further from the reciprocal portion than when the movable portion is at the low dose extended position.

[0023]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein a volume of the fluid that is dispensed from the pump mechanism assembly on movement of the movable portion between the extended position and the retracted position is greater when the activation body is at the first position than when the activation body is at the second position.

[0024]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the first engagement surface is parallel to the second engagement surface.

[0025]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface are both horizontal when the lever member is at the rest position.

[0026]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein, when the lever member is at the rest position, the second engagement surface is positioned higher than the first engagement surface.

[0027]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein, when the lever member is at the activated position, the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface are at substantially a same height.

[0028]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, further comprising a back portion and a cover portion; wherein the back portion carries the pump mechanism assembly; wherein the cover portion is pivotally mounted to the back portion for pivoting relative to the back portion between an open position and a closed position; and wherein the lever member is pivotally mounted to the cover portion for pivoting relative to the cover portion between the rest position and the activated position.

[0029]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein, when the activation body is at the first position and the cover portion is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the first engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body; and wherein, when the activation body is at the second position and the cover portion is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the second engagement surface of the lever member engages with the activation body.

[0030]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the pump mechanism assembly comprises a fluid pump and an actuator assembly; wherein the fluid pump comprises a piston member and a piston chamber forming body; wherein the actuator assembly comprises the activation body and a pump actuator; wherein the pump actuator engages with the piston member; wherein the movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly comprises the piston member and the actuator assembly; and wherein the reciprocal portion of the pump mechanism assembly comprises the piston chamber forming body.

[0031]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the pump actuator defines a forwardly open lever engagement slot connected to a rearwardly open activation body receiving channel; wherein the activation body comprises a forwardly extending activation arm that extends into the rearwardly open activation body receiving channel; wherein, when the activation body is at the second position, the forwardly extending activation arm extends further forwardly into the rearwardly open activation body receiving channel than when the activation body is at the first position; wherein the lever member comprises a front presser wall and an actuator engagement body that extends rearwardly from the front presser wall; wherein the actuator engagement body comprises the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface; and wherein, when the cover portion is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the actuator engagement body enters the forwardly open lever engagement slot and engages with the forwardly extending activation arm.

[0032]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the forwardly open lever engagement slot is a first forwardly open lever engagement slot, the rearwardly open activation body receiving channel is a first rearwardly open activation body receiving channel, the forwardly extending activation arm is a first forwardly extending activation arm, and the actuator engagement body is a first actuator engagement body; wherein the pump actuator defines a second forwardly open lever engagement slot connected to a second rearwardly open activation body receiving channel; wherein the activation body comprises a second forwardly extending activation arm that extends into the second rearwardly open activation body receiving channel; wherein, when the activation body is at the second position, the second forwardly extending activation arm extends further forwardly into the second rearwardly open activation body receiving channel than when the activation body is at the first position; wherein the lever member comprises a second actuator engagement body that extends rearwardly from the front presser wall; and wherein, when the cover portion is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the second actuator engagement body enters the second forwardly open lever engagement slot and engages with the second forwardly extending activation arm.

[0033]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the activation body comprises a rear portion that extends between the first forwardly extending activation arm and the second forwardly extending activation arm; wherein a dose selection finger extends downwardly from the rear portion; wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a selector; wherein the selector defines an upwardly open diagonal slot that receives the dose selection finger; wherein the selector is manually moveable in a side-to-side direction; and wherein the upwardly open diagonal slot engages with the dose selection finger to move the activation body between the first position and the second position on movement of the selector in the side-to-side direction.

[0034]A fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein the lever member has a third engagement surface that is spaced from both the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface; wherein the activation body is moveable between the first position, the second position, and a third position; wherein, when the activation body is at the first position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the activation body engages with the first engagement surface of the lever member without engaging with the second engagement surface or the third engagement surface, and the lever member moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position; wherein, when the activation body is at the second position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the activation body engages with the second engagement surface of the lever member without engaging with the first engagement surface or the third engagement surface, and the lever member moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position; and wherein, when the activation body is at the third position and the lever member is pivoted from the rest position to the activated position, the activation body engages with the third engagement surface of the lever member without engaging with the first engagement surface or the second engagement surface, and the lever member moves the moveable portion of the pump mechanism assembly from the extended position to the retracted position.

[0035]A method, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the following and/or preceding aspects; moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position; and pivoting the lever member from the rest position to the activated position to thereby activate the fluid dispenser to dispense the dose of the fluid.

[0036]A method, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, wherein moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position, comprises moving the selector in the side-to-side direction.

[0037]A method of adjusting a force required to activate a fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the following and/or preceding aspects; and moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position.

[0038]A method of adjusting a volume of fluid dispensed on activation of a fluid dispenser, which optionally incorporates one or more features of any one or more of the preceding and/or following aspects, comprising: providing the fluid dispenser in accordance with any one or more of the following and/or preceding aspects; and moving the activation body from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039]Further aspects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a hand cleaning fluid dispenser in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a lever member of the dispenser in a rest position;

[0041]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the hand cleaning fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the lever member shown at an activated position;

[0042]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with a front cover of the dispenser shown in an open state;

[0043]FIG. 4 is a front view of a fluid pump of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with a piston member of the fluid pump shown in an extended position;

[0044]FIG. 5 is a front view of the fluid pump shown in FIG. 4, with the piston member shown in a retracted position;

[0045]FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a pump engagement portion of a housing of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0046]FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of a back portion of the housing of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0047]FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a pump actuator of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0048]FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the pump actuator shown in FIG. 8;

[0049]FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of an activation body of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0050]FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a selector of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0051]FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of an actuator assembly of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the activation body shown at a high dose position;

[0052]FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the actuator assembly shown in FIG. 12, with the activation body shown at a medium dose position;

[0053]FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the actuator assembly shown in FIG. 12, with the activation body shown at a low dose position;

[0054]FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of the front cover of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0055]FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of a cover portion of the front cover shown in FIG. 15;

[0056]FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the lever member of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

[0057]FIG. 18 is a rear perspective view of the lever member shown in FIG. 17;

[0058]FIG. 19 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the rest position and the activation body shown at a high dose extended position;

[0059]FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of a pump mechanism assembly of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with a movable portion of the pump mechanism assembly shown at the high dose extended position;

[0060]FIG. 21 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and the side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the activated position and the activation body shown at a high dose retracted position;

[0061]FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of the pump mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 20, with the movable portion shown at the high dose retracted position;

[0062]FIG. 23 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and the side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the rest position and the activation body shown at a medium dose extended position;

[0063]FIG. 24 is a front perspective view of the pump mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 20, with the movable portion shown at the medium dose extended position;

[0064]FIG. 25 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and the side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the activated position and the activation body shown at a medium dose retracted position;

[0065]FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of the pump mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 20, with the movable portion shown at the medium dose retracted position;

[0066]FIG. 27 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and the side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the rest position and the activation body shown at a low dose extended position;

[0067]FIG. 28 is a front perspective view of the pump mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 20, with the movable portion shown at the low dose extended position;

[0068]FIG. 29 is a detailed side view of the fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1, with the fluid pump, the cover portion and the side walls of the pump actuator omitted, and with the lever member shown at the activated position and the activation body shown at a low dose retracted position;

[0069]FIG. 30 is a front perspective view of the pump mechanism assembly shown in FIG. 20, with the movable portion shown at the low dose retracted position;

[0070]FIG. 31 is a schematic side view of a lever member, an actuator assembly, and a blocking body of a fluid dispenser in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0071]FIG. 32 is a schematic side view of a lever member and an actuator assembly of a fluid dispenser in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072]FIGS. 1 to 3 show a hand cleaning fluid dispenser 10 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The fluid dispenser 10 includes a fluid pump 12 and a dispenser housing 14. The fluid pump 12 is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 as having a piston member 16 and a piston chamber forming body 18. The piston member 16 is moveable along a piston axis 20 relative to the piston chamber forming body 18 between the extended position shown in FIG. 4 and the retracted position shown in FIG. 5.

[0073]The piston member 16 includes a catch member 22 and a fluid outlet 24. Although not shown in the drawings, the piston chamber forming body 18 is configured to attach to a fluid reservoir containing a supply of fluid. The fluid is dispensed out through the fluid outlet 24 on movement of the piston member 16 relative to the piston chamber forming body 18 between the extended and retracted positions, as is known in the art.

[0074]As can be seen in FIG. 3, the dispenser housing 14 includes a front cover 26, a back portion 28, and an actuator assembly 30. Referring to FIG. 1, the front cover 26 includes a cover portion 32 and a lever member 34.

[0075]As can be seen in FIG. 16, the cover portion 32 includes a front section 36, a top section 38, and two side sections 40. The top section 38 carries a locking mechanism 44, and the front section 36 optionally includes a transparent viewing window 42. At the bottom of the front section 36, adjacent to each side section 40, is a lever mounting body 50 that extends rearwardly (only one of which is visible in FIG. 16). Each lever mounting body 50 has a lever mounting hole 52 extending therethrough.

[0076]The side sections 40 extend downwardly past the bottom of the front section 36, and each carry at their bottom ends a rearwardly extending mounting arm 46. Each mounting arm 46 has a cover mounting hole 48 extending therethrough.

[0077]As can be seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, the lever member 34 includes two lever mounting fingers 56, a front presser wall 58, two stop arms 62, and two actuator engagement bodies 64.

[0078]The lever mounting fingers 56 extend along a lever axis 66, and are received within the lever mounting holes 52 of the cover portion 32, so as to permit the lever member 34 to pivot about the lever axis 66 relative to the cover portion 32 between the rest position shown in FIG. 1 and the activated position shown in FIG. 2.

[0079]The front presser wall 58 provides a forwardly facing presser surface 68 that is accessible from outside of the fluid dispenser 10 for manually pushing the lever member 34 from the rest position to the activated position.

[0080]The stop arms 62 extend rearwardly from the sides of the front presser wall 58, and each have a bottom stop surface 72. The bottom stop surfaces 72 are configured to engage with the mounting arms 46 of the cover portion 32 when the lever member 34 is at the rest position, so as to prevent further rotation of the lever member 34 past the rest position.

[0081]The actuator engagement bodies 64 extend rearwardly from the front presser wall 58, and are spaced laterally inwardly from the stop arms 62. Each actuator engagement body 64 has an upwardly facing high dose engagement surface 74, an upwardly facing medium dose engagement surface 76, and an upwardly facing low dose engagement surface 78. Of the three engagement surfaces 74, 76, 78, the low dose engagement surface 78 is positioned closest to the lever axis 66 and closest to the front presser wall 58, and the high dose engagement surface 74 is positioned furthest from the lever axis 66 and furthest from the front presser wall 58.

[0082]As can be seen in FIG. 27, when the lever member 34 is at the rest position, the high dose engagement surface 74, the medium dose engagement surface 76, and the low dose engagement surface 78 are each arranged approximately horizontally, with the low dose engagement surface 78 positioned higher than the medium dose engagement surface 76, and with the medium dose engagement surface 76 positioned higher than the low dose engagement surface 78. As can be seen in FIG. 29, when the lever member 34 is at the activated position, the high dose engagement surface 74, the medium dose engagement surface 76, and the low dose engagement surface 78 are each arranged diagonally, and are at approximately the same height.

[0083]The back portion 28 of the housing 14 is best shown in FIG. 7 as including a back plate 80, a pump receiving portion 82, and an actuator receiving portion 84. The back plate 80 is configured to be mounted to a vertical support surface, such as a wall or a post. The top of the back plate 80 includes locking apertures 86 which are configured to engage with the locking mechanism 44 on the front cover 26 to secure the front cover 26 in the closed position as shown in FIG. 1. The bottom of the back plate 80 includes two mounting slots 88 that each contain a cover mounting finger 90. The mounting slots 88 are configured to receive the mounting arms 45 of the front cover 26, and the cover mounting fingers 90 are configured to be received by the cover mounting holes 48, so as to allow the front cover 26 to pivot relative to the back plate 80 between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. 3.

[0084]The pump receiving portion 82 extends forwardly from the back plate 80, and defines a collar 92 that is configured to engage with the piston chamber forming body 18 of the fluid pump 12 so as to hold the piston chamber forming body 18 stationary relative to the back portion 28 of the housing 14. Two spring receiving bodies 98 extend downwardly from the pump receiving portion 82 on either side of the collar 92.

[0085]The actuator receiving portion 84 is positioned below the pump receiving portion 82, and includes a horizontal selector carrying wall 96 that is positioned below the collar 92, and two vertical guide walls 98 that extend downwardly from the left and right sides of the selector carrying wall 96. The selector carrying wall 96 has three dosage selection markers 100, 102, 104 representing a high dose 100, a medium dose 102, and a low dose 104.

[0086]As can be seen in FIG. 12, the actuator assembly 30 includes a pump actuator 106, an activation body 108, and a selector 110. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the pump actuator 106 includes a central portion 112 and two side walls 114. The central portion 112 includes a catch body 116 that is configured to engage with the catch member 22 of the piston member 16 of the fluid pump 12. Two spring-carrying bodies 188 are spaced laterally outwardly from either side of the catch body 116.

[0087]Each of the side walls 114 define a forwardly open lever engagement slot 120, which is connected to a rearwardly open activation body receiving channel 122. As can be seen in FIG. 8, each side wall 114 defines a pair of dose selection slotways 124 that extend through the sidewall 114 near the top of the lever engagement slot 120. Each slotway 124 has three dosage notches 126, 128, 130 corresponding to a high dose 126, a medium dose 128, and a low dose 130.

[0088]As can be seen in FIG. 10, the activation body 108 includes a rear portion 132 and two forwardly extending activation arms 134. Two dose selection fingers 136 extend downwardly from the rear portion 132. The activation arms 134 each have a downwardly facing lever engagement surface 138, and two dose locking bodies 140 that extend laterally from the left and right sides of the forwardmost end of each activation arm 134. Each dose locking body 140 has an upwardly extending dose locking projection 142.

[0089]As can be seen in FIG. 12, the activation arms 134 are configured to extend forwardly through the activation body receiving channels 122 of the pump actuator 106, with the dose locking bodies 140 extending laterally through the slotways 124. The activation body 108 is moveable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the pump actuator 106 between three different positions: the high dose position shown in FIG. 12, in which the dose locking projections 142 are aligned with the high dose notches 126; the medium dose position shown in FIG. 13, in which the dose locking projections 142 are aligned with the medium dose notches 128; and the low dose position shown in FIG. 14, in which the dose locking projections 142 are aligned with the low dose notches 130. The activation body 108 is positioned further forwardly relative to the pump actuator 106 when in the low dose position than when in the medium dose position, and is positioned further forwardly relative to the pump actuator 106 when in the medium dose position than when in the high dose position.

[0090]As can be seen in FIG. 11, the selector 110 has a selector body 144 with two upwardly open diagonal slots 146. The selector body 144 also has a forward face 148 with a forwardly extending dose selection protrusion 150.

[0091]As can be seen in FIG. 12, the activation body 108 is positioned above the selector 110, with the dose selection fingers 136 extending downwardly into the diagonal slots 146. When the selector 110 is at the position shown in FIG. 12, the dose selection fingers 136 are positioned near the back of the diagonal slots 146 and the activation body 108 is at the high dose position. When the selector 110 is moved to the left to the position as shown in FIG. 13, the engagement between the dose selection fingers 136 and the diagonal slots 146 moves the activation body 108 forwardly to the medium dose position. When the selector 110 is moved further to the left to the position as shown in FIG. 14, the engagement between the dose selection fingers 136 and the diagonal slots 146 moves the activation body 108 further forwardly to the low dose position. The dosage setting of the actuator assembly 30 can thus be selected by sliding the selector 110 sideways to the left and right.

[0092]As can be seen in FIG. 6, the actuator assembly 30 is configured to be received by the actuator receiving portion 84 of the back portion 28 of the housing 14, with the catch body 116 spaced below the collar 92, with the side walls 114 positioned adjacent to the guide walls 98, and with the selector 110 positioned on the selector carrying wall 96. The side walls 114 are slidably engaged with rails 164 on the guide walls 98 in a manner that allows the actuator assembly 30 to move vertically relative to the back portion 28 of the housing 14, within a range.

[0093]When there is no fluid pump 12 installed in the housing 14, as shown in FIG. 6, the dose selection protrusion 150 on the selector 110 is accessible from the front when the front cover 26 is open. By manipulating the dose selection protrusion 150, for example with a tool or a finger, the dosage setting of the actuator assembly 30 can be selected. For example, the actuator assembly 30 can be moved to the high dose setting by aligning the dose selection protrusion 150 with the high dose marker 100; the actuator assembly 30 can be moved to the medium dose setting by aligning the dose selection protrusion 150 with the medium dose marker 102; and the actuator assembly 30 can be moved to the low dose setting by aligning the dose selection protrusion 150 with the low dose marker 104.

[0094]Once the desired dose setting has been selected, the fluid pump 12 can then be installed as shown in FIG. 3, with the piston chamber forming body 18 engaged with the collar 92, and with the catch member 22 of the piston member 16 engaged with the catch body 116. The front cover 26 can then be closed by pivoting the front cover 26 upwardly to the closed position shown in FIG. 1. As the front cover 26 pivots upwardly, the actuator engagement bodies 64 of the lever member 34 each enter a respective one of the lever engagement slots 120 of the actuator assembly 30. The actuator engagement bodies 64 initially enter the slots 120 from below the activation body 108, and then move upwardly into engagement with the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation arms 134 as the front cover 26 pivots upwardly to the closed position shown in FIG. 1.

[0095]The lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation arms 134 engage with one of the dose engagement surfaces 74, 76, 78 of the lever member 34, depending on the selected dose setting of the actuator assembly 30. For example, if the activation body 108 is at the high dose position, the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation arms 134 engage with the high dose engagement surfaces 74 of the lever member 34, as shown in FIG. 19; if the activation body 108 is at the medium dose position, the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation arms 134 engage with the medium dose engagement surfaces 76 of the lever member 34, as shown in FIG. 23; and if the activation body 108 is at the low dose position, the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation arms 134 engage with the low dose engagement surfaces 78 of the lever member 34, as shown in FIG. 27.

[0096]As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 19, 23, and 27, when the lever member 34 is at the rest position, the height of the actuator assembly 30 is determined by the dose engagement surface 74, 76, 78 that the activation body 108 is engaged with. For example, when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the high dose engagement surface 74, as shown in FIG. 19, the actuator assembly 30 is lower than when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the medium dose engagement surface 76, as shown in FIG. 23. Furthermore, when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the medium dose engagement surface 76, as shown in FIG. 23, the actuator assembly 30 is lower than when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the low dose engagement surface 78, as shown in FIG. 27.

[0097]Due to the engagement between the catch member 22 of the piston member 16 and the catch body 116 of the actuator assembly 30, the height of the actuator assembly 30 relative to the piston chamber forming body 18 also determines the height of the piston member 16 relative to the piston chamber forming body 18. For example, when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the high dose engagement surface 74 as shown in FIG. 19, the piston member 16 is at the high dose extended position shown in FIG. 20; when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the medium dose engagement surface 76 as shown in FIG. 23, the piston member 16 is at the medium dose extended position shown in FIG. 24; and when the lever member 34 is at the rest position and the activation body 108 is engaged with the low dose engagement surface 78 as shown in FIG. 27, the piston member 16 is at the low dose extended position shown in FIG. 28. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 20, 24, and 28, the piston member 16 is extended further from the piston chamber forming body 18 when at the high dose extended position shown in FIG. 20 than when at the medium dose extended position shown in FIG. 24; and the piston member 16 is extended further from the piston chamber forming body 18 when at the medium dose extended position shown in FIG. 24 than when at the low dose extended position shown in FIG. 28.

[0098]When the actuator assembly 30 is at the high dose position and the lever member 34 is pivoted from the rest position shown in FIG. 19 to the activated position shown in FIG. 21, the engagement between the activation arms 134 and the high dose engagement surfaces 74 lifts the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 upwardly from the high dose extended position shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 to the high dose retracted position shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. Similarly, when the actuator assembly 30 is at the medium dose position and the lever member 34 is pivoted from the rest position shown in FIG. 23 to the activated position shown in FIG. 25, the engagement between the activation arms 134 and the medium dose engagement surfaces 76 lifts the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 upwardly from the medium dose extended position shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 to the medium dose retracted position shown in FIGS. 25 and 26. Furthermore, when the actuator assembly 30 is at the low dose position and the lever member 34 is pivoted from the rest position shown in FIG. 27 to the activated position shown in FIG. 29, the engagement between the activation arms 134 and the low dose engagement surfaces 78 lifts the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 upwardly from the low dose extended position shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 to the low dose retracted position shown in FIGS. 29 and 30.

[0099]As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 21, 25, and 29, in the preferred embodiment shown, the actuator assembly 30 is at approximately the same height when the lever member 34 is at the activated position, regardless of whether the actuator assembly 30 is at the high dose position, the medium dose position, or the low dose position. As a result, the piston member 16 is always moved to approximately the same retracted position when the lever member 34 is activated, regardless of the dosage setting. Preferably, the retracted position is selected so that the piston member 16 is fully retracted into the piston chamber forming body 18 when at the retracted position.

[0100]Although not shown in the drawings, the fluid dispenser 10 preferably includes two springs that extend between the spring receiving bodies 94 on the pump receiving portion 82 of the housing 14 and the spring carrying bodies 118 on the actuator assembly 30. The springs bias the actuator assembly 30 downwardly, away from the piston chamber forming body 18.

[0101]A method of operating the fluid dispenser 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 30. The dispenser housing 14 may be mounted in any suitable environment, such as a hospital, a school, a bathroom, or a hallway. After the housing 14 has been mounted, the dosage setting may be adjusted to suit the environment in which the housing 14 is located. For example, if the housing 14 is located in a hospital, there may be a hygiene protocol in place that makes it necessary and/or desirable for a relatively large volume of hand cleaning fluid to be dispensed with each activation of the dispenser 10. In this case, the activation body 108 may be moved to the high dose position by sliding the dose selection protrusion 150 into alignment with the high dose marker 100.

[0102]Once the dosage setting has been selected, a replaceable cartridge including a fluid reservoir attached to a fluid pump 12 may be installed in the housing 14, with the piston chamber forming body 18 engaged with the collar 92 and the catch member 22 engaged with the catch body 116.

[0103]Once the fluid pump 12 has been installed, the front cover 26 is pivoted upwardly from the open position shown in FIG. 3 to the closed position shown in FIG. 1. As the front cover 26 pivots upwardly, the high dose engagement surface 74 of the lever member 34 engages with the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation body 108, which positions the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 at the high dose extended position shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. The bias of the springs holds the actuator assembly 30 at the high dose extended position while the lever member 34 is at the rest position.

[0104]To dispense fluid from the dispenser 10, a user manually presses the front presser wall 58, which pivots the lever member 34 from the rest position shown in FIG. 19 to the activated position shown in FIG. 21. This in turn raises the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 from the high dose extended position shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 to the retracted position shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. The movement of the piston member 16 upwardly into the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be dispensed out through the fluid outlet 24, in a manner as is known in the art.

[0105]On release of the front presser wall 58, the bias of the springs returns the actuator assembly 30 to the high dose extended position, which likewise returns the piston member 16 to the high dose extended position and the lever member 34 to the rest position. The movement of the piston member 16 downwardly away from the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be drawn into the piston chamber forming body 18 from the fluid reservoir so as to recharge the fluid pump 12 in preparation for the next activation, in a manner as is known in the art.

[0106]With the activation body 108 at the high dose position, the piston member 16 moves a relatively large distance relative to the piston chamber forming body 18 when moving between the high dose extended position and the retracted position. This causes the fluid pump 12 to dispense a relatively large dose of fluid with each activation.

[0107]If the housing 14 is installed in a different location, such as a school, it may be desirable and/or required for the fluid dispenser 10 to have a relatively low operating force, so that children are able to manually operate the dispenser 10 without adult assistance. This can be achieved by moving the activation body 108 to the low dose position by sliding the dose selection protrusion 150 into alignment with the low dose marker 104.

[0108]With the activation body 108 at the low dose position, it is the low dose engagement surface 78 of the lever member 34 that engages with the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation body 108 when the front cover 26 is closed. This lifts the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 upwardly against the bias of the springs to the low dose extended position shown in FIGS. 27 and 28.

[0109]To dispense fluid from the dispenser 10 when at the low dose setting, a user again manually presses the front presser wall 58, which pivots the lever member 34 from the rest position shown in FIG. 27 to the activated position shown in FIG. 29. This in turn raises the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 from the low dose extended position shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 to the retracted position shown in FIGS. 29 and 30. The movement of the piston member 16 upwardly into the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be dispensed out through the fluid outlet 24.

[0110]On release of the front presser wall 58, the bias of the springs returns the actuator assembly 30 to the low dose extended position, which likewise returns the piston member 16 to the low dose extended position and the lever member 34 to the rest position. The movement of the piston member 16 downwardly away from the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be drawn into the piston chamber forming body 18 from the fluid reservoir so as to recharge the fluid pump 12 in preparation for the next activation.

[0111]With the activation body 108 at the low dose position, the piston member 16 moves a relatively small distance relative to the piston chamber forming body 18 when moving between the low dose extended position and the retracted position. This causes the fluid pump 12 to dispense a relatively small dose of fluid with each activation.

[0112]The small dose of fluid that is dispensed when the activation body 108 is at the low dose position is preferably suitable for cleaning the relatively smaller hands of children. Furthermore, when the activation body 108 is at the low dose position, the point of contact between the actuator assembly 30 and the lever member 34 is relatively closer to the lever axis 66. This produces a relatively large mechanical advantage, with the result that the force required to move the lever member 34 from the rest position to the activated position is reduced.

[0113]In other environments, it may be desirable for the dose of fluid that is dispensed to be greater than when at the low dose setting, and for the force required to operate the dispenser 10 to be lower than when at the high dose setting. In these circumstances, the activation body 108 may be moved to the medium dose position by sliding the dose selection protrusion 150 into alignment with the medium dose marker 102.

[0114]With the activation body 108 at the medium dose position, it is the medium dose engagement surface 76 of the lever member 34 that engages with the lever engagement surfaces 138 of the activation body 108 when the front cover 26 is closed. This lifts the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 upwardly against the bias of the springs to the medium dose extended position shown in FIGS. 23 and 24.

[0115]To dispense fluid from the dispenser 10 when at the medium dose setting, a user again manually presses the front presser wall 58, which pivots the lever member 34 from the rest position shown in FIG. 23 to the activated position shown in FIG. 25. This in turn raises the actuator assembly 30 and the piston member 16 from the medium dose extended position shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 to the retracted position shown in FIGS. 25 and 26. The movement of the piston member 16 upwardly into the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be dispensed out through the fluid outlet 24.

[0116]On release of the front presser wall 58, the bias of the springs returns the actuator assembly 30 to the medium dose extended position, which likewise returns the piston member 16 to the medium dose extended position and the lever member 34 to the rest position. The movement of the piston member 16 downwardly away from the piston chamber forming body 18 causes fluid to be drawn into the piston chamber forming body 18 from the fluid reservoir so as to recharge the fluid pump 12 in preparation for the next activation.

[0117]With the activation body 108 at the medium dose position, the fluid pump 12 dispenses a dose of fluid with each activation that is larger than the dose dispensed at the low dose setting and smaller than the dose dispensed at the high dose setting. The force required to move the lever member 34 from the rest position to the activated position is also smaller than the force required at the high dose setting and greater than the force required at the low dose setting.

[0118]In some embodiments of the invention, the force required to activate the dispenser 10 may, for example, be about 5 pounds when in the high dose setting, and about 2.5 pounds when in the low dose setting. In other words, moving from the high dose setting to the low dose setting preferably reduces the activation force by about half.

[0119]The force required to activate the dispenser 10 is dependent on a number of different factors, including the construction of the fluid pump 12 and the type of fluid that is being dispensed. For example, a fluid pump 12 that is configured to generate and dispense a foam will generally require a relatively larger activation force as compared to a fluid pump 12 that dispenses a liquid. The activation force will also generally be greater when more viscous fluids are being dispensed.

[0120]Preferably, the fluid dispenser 10 is able to receive a variety of different fluid cartridges, including cartridges that incorporate different fluid pump 12 constructions and/or fluid types. The ability to adjust the activation force of the dispenser 10 preferably expands the variety of fluid cartridges that can be used. For example, if a highly viscous fluid is to be dispensed, the dosage setting can be adjusted to the low dose setting, so as to reduce the activation force that will be required.

[0121]In certain environments there may be rules or regulations in place that mandate the maximum activation forces that are permissible, such as for example 5 pounds. Being able to adjust the activation force preferably allows the dispenser 10 to remain in compliance with these rules, even when more viscous fluids are being dispensed.

[0122]It will be understood that, although various features of the invention have been described with respect to one or another of the embodiments of the invention, the various features and embodiments of the invention may be combined or used in conjunction with other features and embodiments of the invention as described and illustrated herein.

[0123]The invention is not limited to the particular structures of the preferred embodiments that have been shown in the drawings. Rather, any functionally equivalent structures could be used.

[0124]For example, the invention could optionally incorporate one or more features from any one or more of: United States Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0091011 to Steltenkamp et al., published 24 Mar. 2022; United States Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0099704 to Ophardt et al., published 28 Mar. 2024; U.S. Pat. No. 8,245,877 to Ophardt, issued Aug. 21, 2012; U.S. Pat. No. 8,113,388 to Ophardt et al., issued Feb. 14, 2012; U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,739 to Ophardt et al., issued Jan. 10, 2012; U.S. Pat. No. 7,748,573 to Anhuf et al., issued Jul. 6, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 7,984,825 to Ophardt et al., issued Jul. 26, 2011; U.S. Pat. No. 8,684,236 to Ophardt, issued Apr. 1, 2014; U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,970 to Ophardt, issued Dec. 20, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,482 to Ophardt et al., issued Nov. 17, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 10,893,780 to Ophardt et al., issued 19 Jan. 2021; United States Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0176394 to Ophardt et al., published 9 Jun. 2022; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,682,390 to Ophardt et al., issued Jun. 20, 2017, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0125]Although the preferred embodiments have described the invention as being used for adjusting both the dosage and the activation force simultaneously, this is not strictly necessary. For example, in a less preferred alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 31, the dispenser 10 may be configured for adjusting the activation force without adjusting the dosage. In FIG. 31, like numerals are used to denote like components.

[0126]The dispenser 10 shown in FIG. 31 corresponds identically to the dispenser 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 30, with the exception that the back portion 28 of the housing 14 is provided with a stepped blocking body 152. The blocking body 152 is positioned above the activation body 108, and has a first block surface 154 and a second block surface 156. The first block surface 154 is positioned further downwardly and rearwardly relative to the second block surface 156.

[0127]When the activation body 108 is engaged with the lower most engagement surface 74 of the lever member 34, as shown in FIG. 31, the activation body 108 is positioned below the first block surface 154. This causes the activation body 108 to engage with the first block surface 154 when the lever member 34 is depressed, limiting the rotation of the lever member 34 about the lever axis 66 and limiting the upwards movement of the actuator assembly 30 and piston member 16. Similarly, when the activation body 108 is engaged with the middle engagement surface 76 of the lever member 34, the activation body 108 is positioned below the second block surface 156. This causes the activation body 108 to engage with the second block surface 156 when the lever member 34 is depressed, again limiting the rotation of the lever member 34 about the lever axis 66 and limiting the upwards movement of the actuator assembly 30 and piston member 16.

[0128]By limiting the upwards motion of the piston member 16, the blocking body 152 can be configured to cause the dosage of fluid dispensed on activation of the dispenser 10 to remain more or less the same, regardless of the position of the activation body 108. As a result, movement of the activation body 108 forwardly or rearwardly will adjust the activation force required to manually activate the dispenser 10, but will not adjust the dosage.

[0129]The dispenser 10 could also be configured for adjusting the dosage without adjusting the activation force, as in the less preferred alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 32. In FIG. 32, like numerals are used to denote like components.

[0130]The dispenser 10 shown in FIG. 32 corresponds identically to the dispenser 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 30, with the exception that the actuator engagement bodies 64 have only a high dose engagement surface 74 and a low dose engagement surface 78, which are arranged so that the point of contact between the activation body 108 and the engagement surfaces 74, 78 is the same distance from the lever axis 66, regardless of the dosage setting that is selected. As a result, the mechanical advantage is the same regardless of the dosage setting, and so the force required to activate the dispenser 10 does not change with the dosage setting. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32, the dosage setting is selected by moving the activation body 108 vertically up or down relative to the lever member 34 so that the activation body 108 engages with either the high dose engagement surface 74 or the low dose engagement surface 78, rather than moving the activation body 108 forwardly or rearwardly as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 30.

[0131]Although the embodiments shown in the drawings depict the dispenser 10 as having two or three dosage/force settings, this is not necessary. Any suitable smaller or greater number of dosage/force settings could be used instead.

[0132]The combination of the fluid pump 12 and the actuator assembly 30 when the catch member 22 is attached to the catch body 116 is referred to herein as the pump mechanism assembly 158. The combination of the piston member 16 and the actuator assembly 30 is referred to as the movable portion 160 of the pump mechanism assembly 158, and the piston chamber forming body 18 is referred to as the reciprocal portion 162 of the pump mechanism assembly 158.

[0133]The term “fluid” as used herein is intended to refer broadly to any flowable substance, including liquids, gels, foams, and emulsions. The hand cleaning fluid that is dispensed by the hand cleaning fluid dispenser may include, for example, soap, sanitizer, and/or disinfectant. In some embodiments of the invention, the dispenser 10 may be configured to dispense other types of fluids, such as shampoo, conditioner, or moisturizer.

[0134]Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to these particular embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are functional or mechanical equivalents of the specific embodiments and features that have been described and illustrated herein.