Dispenser Bottle Holding Assembly

Abstract

A dispenser bottle holding assembly, comprises a bottle holder comprising a base portion having walls and interior compartment adapted to receive and hold a dispenser bottle, said bottle holder having a top portion adapted to move vertically with respect to said base portion, and for contacting and operating a top of a dispenser bottle to dispense fluid, wherein the said base portion has a removable fitting ring having a defined size and shape for engaging the bottom of the dispenser bottle, and a clamping assembly removably attached to one of the bottle holder walls for enabling removable attachment of the dispenser bottle holding assembly to an object.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing sanitizer fluid such as hand sanitizer or soap, and more particularly to a dispenser assembly for receiving and accommodating a wide variety of different size and shape push pump soap bottles, and having mounts for mounting the assembly in a variety of different mounting locations and configurations, or for use as a stand-alone countertop unit.

[0002] Push pump soap bottles and sanitizer bottles are used in a variety of commercial and domestic locations, such as healthcare facilities, food establishments, factories, kitchens, bathrooms, etc., for cleansing and sanitizing users' hands and face.

[0003] There are a number of different push pump soap bottles and/or push pump sanitizer bottles available on the market today. Some distributors are Purell, Ecolab, Sterillium, Steris and Gojo, to name a few. The bottles are not uniform or standard in size, shape or capacity. Also, the bottles are merely dispenser bottles and do not have the capability to monitor dispensing events, or be located or mounted at locations other than on a table or countertop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides a dispenser bottle holding assembly for receiving and accommodating a variety of differently sized and shaped push pump soap and sanitizer bottles, and for mounting the assembly on a variety of different mounting locations and configurations, or for use as a stand-alone countertop unit, or to mount to a wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 shows a right front perspective view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0006] FIG. 2 shows the same view as FIG. 1, but with a cover removed and a clamping assembly attached to the rear;

[0007] FIG. 3 shows a left front perspective view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention, with the battery cover removed;

[0008] FIG. 4 shows a front elevational view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0009] FIG. 5 shows a side elevational view, in cross-section, of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0010] FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0011] FIG. 7 shows a right side elevational view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0012] FIG. 8 shows a left side elevational view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0013] FIG. 9 shows a rear perspective view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 10 shoes a bottom rear/back perspective view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention, with a clamping assembly attached to the rear; and

[0015] FIG. 11 shows a rear/back perspective view of a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention, with a clamping assembly attached to the bottom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] The present invention will be described with reference to a specific exemplary embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0017] As used herein, unless indicated otherwise, the terms "soap", "sanitizer" and the like are used interchangeably and refer to any substance in any phase or form, including without limitation any gel, foam, or any combination thereof, for hygienic cleansing or sanitizing a user's hands or face.

[0018] The FIGS. 1-11 show a dispenser bottle holding assembly according to the invention. The assembly comprises a bottle holder 1 having a printed circuit board (PCB) cover 2, and a battery cover 3. The bottle holder has a generally hollow interior for receiving a dispenser bottle. Inside the holder 1 is a reducing ring 4 which is removable using spring lugs 4a extending through holes in the floor of the bottle holder. The reducing ring 4 is inserted for smaller diameter bottles and can be removed for larger diameter bottles. A plurality of different sized and/or shaped reducing rings may be provided for receiving and holding different sized/shaped bottles. Specific reducing rings may be sized/shaped for different specific bottles for those of the various manufacturers.

[0019] The bottle holder 1 is adapted to be removably attached to a back plate 5 having a vertical back wall and a horizontal bottom base plate. The attachment may be made with screws or the like.

[0020] A switch pod cover 6 is removably attached to the top of a pair of switch pod sliders 7 which are adapted to slide in vertical channels or grooves in the interior of the bottle holder 1. After a bottle is inserted into the interior of the holder 1, the switch pod cover 6 with sliders 7 is slid down until it reaches the top of the actuator of the bottle (not shown), with the top of the bottle actuator nestled into the recess of switch pod activation plate 8 in the front. This switch pod cover assembly 6 can be seen in FIG. 5. In the interior are four posts 8a which extend upward from switch pod activation plate 8 and are encircled by respective conical springs 9. When the dispenser bottle is inserted and a user pushes down on the switch pod cover 6, the dispenser bottle will dispense a quantity of soap. That dispensing operation will also cause a switch 10a in monitoring switchboard assembling 10 to close, thereby detecting a dispense operation. The information from a dispense operation, especially combined with the identity of the user obtaining the soap, is useful in monitoring compliance with sanitization protocols.

[0021] Also shown in FIG. 5 is a clamping assembly attached to the back plate 5. The attachment can be made with four screws. The clamping assembly comprises a clamp base 11, a pair of opposed gripper pads 12, 18, a release button 13, a mount plate 14, a slide jaw 15, a knob 16 and a pressure plate 17. The opposed gripper pads 12, 18 are adapted to attach to a pole or side of a bed board, table or cart, by turning knob 16 which causes the pads to come toward each other and grip the pole or the like. The pole may be a part of any device used in healthcare facilities, food establishments or other facilities, on which the dispenser bottle holding assembly pole on which it is mounted, depression of the release button will cause the gripper pads to be able to spread apart, to disengage the dispenser bottle holding assembly from the pole.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows the mount plate 14 attached to the back plate 5 in one orientation so that the release button is near the bottom of the back plate. However, the mount plate 14 can be oriented in any one of four different orientations so that the release button is (1) near the bottom, (2) up, (3) on the right side or (4) on the left side. This enables the clamping assembly to be mounted on poles which are vertical as well as on horizontal rods or the like.

[0023] FIG. 11 shows the mount plate 5 of the clamping assembly mounted on the bottom of the bottle holder 1. In the position and orientation shown in FIG. 11, the bottle holder 1 can be mounted to a horizontal rod, such as the top horizontal rod of a bed or the like. The clamping assembly can be oriented in any one of four different orientations on the bottom of the bottle holder 1, in a similar manner to the four available orientations on the back plates.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the bottle holder 1 with the battery cover removed showing a battery bay with two batteries inside. The batteries provide power for the dispenser beacon assembly 19 shown in FIG. 2. The dispenser beacon assembly can wirelessly communicate with a badge or other item worn or carried by a user, in order to determine the identity of the badge wearer. The dispenser beacon assembly 19 can send a sanitary event signal back to the badge to tell the badge that the user has completed a sanitization event. The dispenser beacon assembly 19 can also store a sanitary event signal, date and time stamped. The records of the sanitization events and associated users who have obtained sanitization can be stored, transmitted wirelessly or otherwise to a monitoring station, or the badge. The badge may change states indicating level of sanitary compliance with the user, and the badge status may be visual (lights with colors, eg.) or audio (beeping, eg.) to inform others who are approached by the badge user.

[0025] Further details on how a dispenser and badge may be used may be found in U.S. Ser. No. 13/215,823 filed Aug. 23, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0026] The dispenser bottle holding assembly may also function on a countertop if no clamping assembly is mounted on the bottom, even if a clamping assembly is mounted on the rear. The dispenser bottle holding assembly may also be mounted to a vertical wall or the like without any clamping assembly on the rear, even if a clamping assembly is mounted on the bottom.

[0027] The dispenser bottle holding assembly thus provides a very versatile unit with a small number of parts.

[0028] While one embodiment has been described, the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and changes and modifications may be made as may occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is defined only by way of the dependent claims.

Claims

1. A dispenser bottle holding assembly, comprising: a bottle holder comprising a base portion having walls and interior compartment adapted to receive and hold a dispenser bottle, said bottle holder having a top portion adapted to move vertically with respect to said base portion, and for contacting and operating a top of a dispenser bottle to dispense fluid; said base portion having a removable fitting ring having a defined size and shape for engaging the bottom of the dispenser bottle.

2. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of differently sized removable fitting rings for different sized dispenser bottles.

3. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, including a removable clamping assembly on a back wall of the base portion.

4. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 3 wherein the back wall of the base portion has a mounting arrangement for enabling removable attachment of the clamping assembly in any one of a plurality of different orientations.

5. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1 including a removable clamping assembly on a bottom surface of the base portion.

6. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 5, wherein the bottom surface of the base portion has a mounting arrangement for enabling removable attachment of the clamping assembly in one of a plurality of different orientations.

7. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, further including a switch which senses contacting and operation of the top of a dispenser bottle to detect a dispensing of fluid.

8. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, further including a communication circuit for wirelessly detecting the identity of a user operating the dispenser bottle to dispense fluid.

9. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit stores information on the time of a dispensing event and the identity of the user.

10. A dispenser bottle holding assembly, comprising: a bottle holder comprising a base portion having walls and defining an interior compartment adapted to receive and hold a dispenser bottle, said bottle holder having a top portion, and for contacting and operating a top of a dispenser bottle to dispense fluid; and a clamping assembly removably attached to one of the bottle holder walls for enabling removable attachment of the dispenser bottle holding assembly to an object.

11. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 10, wherein the clamping assembly is removably attached to a back wall of the base portion.

12. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 11, wherein the back wall of the bottle holder has a mounting arrangement for enabling removable attachment of the clamping in any one of a plurality of different orientations.

13. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 10, wherein the clamping assembly is removably attached to a bottom wall of the base portion.

14. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 13, wherein the bottom wall of the bottle holder has a mounting arrangement for enabling removable attachment of the clamping assembly in any one of a plurality of different orientations.

15. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 10, further including a removable fitting ring in the base portion having a defined size and shape for engaging the bottom of a dispenser bottle.

16. The dispenser bottle holding assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of differently sized removable fitting rings for different sized dispenser bottles.

17. A dispenser bottle holding assembly, comprising: a bottle holder comprising a base portion having walls and interior compartment adapted to receive and hold a dispenser bottle, said bottle holder having a top portion adapted to move vertically with respect to said base portion, and for contacting and operating a top of a dispenser bottle to dispense fluid; said base portion having a removable fitting ring having a defined size and shape for engaging the bottom of the dispenser bottle; and a clamping assembly removably attached to one of the bottle holder walls for enabling removable attachment of the dispenser bottle holding assembly to an object.