LIQUID DISPENSER

Abstract

Dispenser, e.g., for tinting pastes, comprising at least one container with a lid. The lid comprises a compartment for holding a liquid, and an atomizer, such as an ultrasonic fogger, arranged to atomize the liquid from the compartment into a headspace of the container. The liquid can for example be an aqueous solution of a disinfectant.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing and mixing selected colorants or tinting pastes in accordance with a pre-defined formulation of a paint colour, the dispenser comprising a plurality of containers, a support carrying the containers, at least one pump connected to, or selectively connectable to, one of the containers, wherein the at least one pump is provided with a valve movable between a first position allowing withdrawal of liquid from a connected one of said containers, and a second position closing off the container and allowing dispensing of withdrawn liquid from the pump, the dispenser comprising a control unit to dispense selected amounts of tinting paste in accordance with said predefined paint formulation, each container comprising a lid and a dispense nozzle, the lid comprising: a compartment for holding a liquid and an atomizer, such as a sprayer or fogger, arranged to atomize said liquid from the compartment into a headspace of the container.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the atomizer comprises a fogger.

3. The dispenser according to claim 1, the liquid comprising an additive.

4. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the compartment comprises a refill opening.

5. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the compartment is a replaceable part of the lid.

6. The dispenser according to claim 1, one arranged to spray the liquid into the headspace at predefined intervals.

7. The dispenser according to claim 1 comprising a sensor to check if the lid is put on a container.

8. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises at least one battery powering the atomizer.

9. The dispenser according to claim 1, the atomizer comprising a user interface to provide information to an operator and/or an input section for changing settings.

10. (canceled)

11. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the fogger is an ultrasonic fogger.

12. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the additive is a disinfectant.

13. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the information includes liquid level or battery level.

14. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the settings include timing intervals for fogging.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The invention is further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings showing exemplary embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 1A: shows a dispenser in perspective view;

[0022] FIG. 1B: shows the dispenser of FIG. 1A without a cover lid;

[0023] FIG. 2: shows a container of the dispenser of FIG. 1 in exploded view;

[0024] FIG. 3A: shows a lid of the container of FIG. 2 in exploded view;

[0025] FIG. 3B: shows the lid of FIG. 3A from a lower view point;

[0026] FIG. 4: shows an alternative container of the dispenser of FIG. 1 in exploded view;

[0027] FIG. 5A: shows a lid of the container of FIG. 4 in exploded view;

[0028] FIG. 5B: shows the lid of FIG. 5A from a lower view point.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a dispenser 1 for mixing and dispensing paint products. The dispenser 1 has a dispenser housing 2 with a cover lid 3. FIG. 1B shows the dispenser 1 without the cover lid 3, in order to show the internals of the dispenser 1. The internals of the dispenser 1 encase containers or canisters 4 arranged in concentric circular arrays. Each container 4 holds a water borne tinting paste of a specific colour. The containers 4 are placed in an upright position on a turntable (not shown) which is coaxial with the circular arrays of containers 4. The dispenser 1 further comprises a platform 5 for positioning a paint can or similar receptacle (not shown).

[0030] The dispenser 1 comprises a control unit and a user interface 6, such as a touch screen, in communication with the control unit enabling an operator or user to input a desired paint colour. When a user inputs a desired paint colour, the control unit determines a paint formulation matching the selected paint colour, e.g., by selecting the paint formulation from a database. The determined paint formulation consists of a tinting paste or of a mixture of tinting pastes available in the respective containers 4 of the dispenser 1, and optionally a base paint. The control unit controls rotation of the turntable to sequentially position the containers 4 containing the required tinting pastes above the paint can on the platform 5 and control dispensing of the tinting pastes one by one in accordance with the paint formulation.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a container 4 in exploded view. The container 4 has a cylindrical body 7 with an open top end 8. Each container 4 has a lid 9 closing off the open top end 8. The container 4 further has an outlet port 10 near the bottom of the container 4. The outlet port 10 can be connected to a pump via a valve, to allow withdrawal of a metered amount of liquid from the container by means of the pump, e.g., a piston pump (not shown).

[0032] The container 4 encases a stirrer rotor 11 to prevent settling of the contained liquid.

[0033] FIGS. 3A and 3B show the lid 9 in exploded view in more detail from two different viewpoints. The lid 9 comprises a cylindrical base 12 with a bottom 13, a cylindrical wall 14 attached to the bottom 13 and an open top end 15. The bottom 13 has an outlet opening 17 and a central cylindrical recess 16 receiving a top end of the stirrer rotor 11. An ultrasonic transducer element 18 with a central nozzle opening 19 is received in the outlet opening 17 of the bottom 11.

[0034] The cylindrical base 12 forms a liquid reservoir closed by a cover 20 with a lower cover half 21 and an upper cover half 22. The upper and lower cover halves 21, 22 enclose an inner space with batteries 23 and circuitry 24 for driving the ultrasonic transducer element 18. The upper cover half 22 has a refill opening 25 with a releasable cap 26. The refill opening 25 communicates with the interior space of the cylindrical base 12 via a passage 27 in the lower cover half 21.

[0035] The interior space of the lid 9 can be filled with a liquid that can be nebulized, typically water, optionally with disinfectants and/or other additives. A control unit is configured to activate the ultrasonic transducer element 18 to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency causing the liquid to form aerosols which vaporize to form a dense fog, which leaves the lid 9 via the opening 17 to enter the headspace of the canister 4. The control unit communicates with the ultrasonic transducer element 18, via a wireless transmission, such as Blue Tooth. Alternatively, the lid 9 itself can be provided with a programmable control unit.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a lid 39 for a canister 4. FIGS. 5A and 5B show the lid 39 in exploded view in more detail. Like the lid 9 of FIG. 3, the lid 39 comprises a cylindrical base 32 with a bottom 33, a cylindrical wall 34 attached to the bottom 33 and an open top end 35. The bottom 33 has an outlet opening 37 and a central cylindrical recess 36 receiving a top end of the stirrer rotor 11. The outlet opening 37 is surrounded by a cylindrical wall 46. An ultrasonic transducer element 38 with a central nozzle opening 49 is received in the outlet opening 37 of the bottom 33.

[0037] The cylindrical base 32 is closed by a cover 40 with a lower cover half 41 and an upper cover half 42. The upper and lower cover halves 41, 42 enclose an inner space with batteries 43 and circuitry 44 for driving the ultrasonic transducer element 38. The upper cover half 42 has an opening 45 in line with a passage 47 in the lower cover half 21 and in line with the cylindrical wall 46 in the cylindrical base 32. The opening 45 in the upper cover half 42, the passage 47 in the lower cover half 41 and the cylindrical wall 46 define a cavity receiving an inserted replaceable cartridge or capsule 48 with a sliding fit. The cartridge 48 contains the liquid to be nebulized and can be replaced with a new cartridge 48 after the liquid has been completely used up. The cartridge 48 is pierced upon insertion, allowing the contained liquid to contact the ultrasonic transducer element 38.

[0038] The control unit can activate the ultrasonic transducer element 38 to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency causing the liquid in the cartridge 48 to form a dense fog, which leaves the lid 39 via the opening 37 to enter the headspace of the canister 4.