A disinfectant and sanitizer canister system is disclosed. The system may include a pre-pressurized canister being pre-filled with one or more liquid cleaners and one or more propellants. The system may further include a valve sub-system including a dispensing valve and a valve control mechanism. The control mechanism may be configured to regulate the pressure of the pre-pressurized canister to cause the pre-pressurized canister to release the one or more liquid cleaners. The system may further include a dispensing sub-system configured to fluidically couple the pre-pressurized canister to the valve sub-system. The dispensing sub-system may include a dispensing member configured to dispense the one or more liquid cleaners contained within the pressurized canister. The system may further include a metering device, the metering device configured to provide a predetermined amount of pressure to dispense a predetermined metered dose of the one or more liquid cleaners.

Devices and methods for proximity detection based on sound are provided. According to an embodiment, an acoustic probe includes a sound generator and an acoustic sensor, and at least one of the sound generator or the acoustic sensor is disposed within the dispense chamber portion. According to an embodiment, the liquid dispenser includes a sound generator and an acoustic sensor, and further includes one or more side conduits, where at least one of the sound generator or the acoustic sensor is disposed within a cavity of a respective one of the one or more side conduits, wherein the cavity and a connector of each of the one or more side conduits are free from resonance within a frequency range of the sound sensed by the acoustic sensor.

An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a rotary actuator, a reservoir, containing a hydraulic fluid, a piston, movable inside the reservoir, a linear actuator, coupled to the piston, a gear train, coupling the rotary actuator with the linear actuator, and a flowable-material dispenser, hydraulically coupled with the reservoir.

A metering mechanism including a metering element that is translatably mounted in a jacket, the jacket being mounted in an adjusting sleeve that can cooperate with the jacket by way of a screwing movement, the screwing/unscrewing movement causing a translatory movement of the metering element; at one end, the metering element is provided with a check valve, and at the other end, same accommodates a plunger, the reciprocating translatory movement of which creates suction at the end of the element provided with the valve, followed by expulsion into a volume surrounding the other end of the metering element via a passage formed in at least one first sealing device and in a second sealing device. A proportioning pump including a metering mechanism of the type as well as to a method for using a pump of the type in at least two metering ranges.

A fluid delivery device comprises a housing having a fluid reservoir. A needle is in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir in an engaged position and out of fluid communication with the fluid reservoir in armed and storage positions. A proximal end of a biasing member is coupled to the housing and a distal end of the biasing member is configured to deliver a force to the fluid reservoir. A piston member extends through the biasing member and is coupled to the distal end of the biasing member. The piston member is fixed with respect to the housing in a locked position such that the biasing member does not deliver the force to the fluid reservoir and moveable with respect to the housing in a released position such that the biasing member delivers the force to the fluid reservoir. Transitioning the needle from the storage position to the armed position transitions the piston from the locked position to the released position.

An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a rotary actuator, a reservoir, containing a hydraulic fluid, a piston, movable inside the reservoir, a linear actuator, coupled to the piston, a gear train, coupling the rotary actuator with the linear actuator, and a flowable-material dispenser, hydraulically coupled with the reservoir.

A method for dispensing a flowable material is disclosed. The method comprises holding a hydraulic fluid in a reservoir at a negative pressure, inserting a cartridge tube, having an interior, into a cartridge housing, locking an over-center mechanism relative to the cartridge housing so that a hermetic seal is created between a plunger and an interior of the cartridge tube and between an end-cap and the interior of the cartridge tube, and turning a rotary actuator in a rotational direction so that a linear actuator advances a piston within the reservoir to transfer at least a portion of the hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to a flowable-material dispenser through the end-cap and into the interior of the cartridge tube, causing the plunger to advance within the cartridge tube in a forward plunger direction, away from the end-cap.

An apparatus (100) for dispensing a flowable material (308) is disclosed. The apparatus (100) comprises a rotary actuator (120), a reservoir (140), containing a hydraulic fluid (155), a piston (145), movable inside the reservoir (140), a linear actuator (130), coupled to the piston (145), a gear train (125), coupling the rotary actuator (120) with the linear actuator (130), and a flowable-material dispenser (160), hydraulically coupled with the reservoir (140).

A disinfectant and sanitizer canister system is disclosed. The system may include a pre-pressurized canister being pre-filled with one or more liquid cleaners and one or more propellants. The system may further include a valve sub-system including a dispensing valve and a valve control mechanism. The control mechanism may be configured to regulate the pressure of the pre-pressurized canister to cause the pre-pressurized canister to release the one or more liquid cleaners. The system may further include a dispensing sub-system configured to fluidically couple the pre-pressurized canister to the valve sub-system. The dispensing sub-system may include a dispensing member configured to dispense the one or more liquid cleaners contained within the pressurized canister. The system may further include a metering device, the metering device configured to provide a predetermined amount of pressure to dispense a predetermined metered dose of the one or more liquid cleaners.

A metering mechanism including a metering element that is translatably mounted in a jacket, the jacket being mounted in an adjusting sleeve that can cooperate with the jacket by way of a screwing movement, the screwing/unscrewing movement causing a translatory movement of the metering element; at one end, the metering element is provided with a check valve, and at the other end, same accommodates a plunger, the reciprocating translatory movement of which creates suction at the end of the element provided with the valve, followed by expulsion into a volume surrounding the other end of the metering element via a passage formed in at least one first sealing device and in a second sealing device. A proportioning pump including a metering mechanism of the type as well as to a method for using a pump of the type in at least two metering ranges.