US 12,440,071 B2
Fluid dispenser with metered dose control features
Paul F. Tramontina, Harleysville, PA (US); Anita Neidert, Roswell, GA (US); and Charles A. Osborne, Jr., Cumming, GA (US)
Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
Appl. No. 18/579,547
Filed by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 12, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/045742
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 16, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/018414, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 16, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0315495 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. A47K 5/12 (2006.01)
CPC A47K 5/1217 (2013.01) [A47K 5/1202 (2013.01); A47K 2005/1218 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dispenser for dispensing a metered dose of foam or liquid from a reservoir comprising:
a nozzle;
a liquid reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle;
a pumping device for pumping metered doses of a liquid from the liquid reservoir and out through the nozzle;
a sensor for sensing at least one electrical parameter of the pumping device during pumping of metered doses, wherein the at least one electrical parameter comprises electric current; and
a processor in communication with the sensor for receiving information regarding the at least one electrical parameter, wherein, if a first average of the at least one electrical parameter varies by greater than 3% from a second average of the at least one electrical parameter, the processor is configured to create a signal indicating that the liquid reservoir contains a low level of liquid, wherein the first average of the at least one electrical parameter comprises an average of the at least one electrical parameter over a first number of metered doses and the second average of the at least one electrical parameter comprises an average of the at least one electrical parameter over a second number of metered doses, wherein the second number of metered doses comprises a number of doses greater than the first number of metered doses.