CONTROL FOR PRODUCT DISPENSER ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE

摘要

An energy storage device, like for example a supercapacitor, is used to provide power to activate a motor for dispensing a dosed amount of hand care product. The energy storage device or supercapacitor is recharged from an energy supply source, e.g. batteries, integrated into the replaceable refill reservoir and/or mounted into the dispenser housing. A controller directs energy discharged from the energy supply source(s) at one of a plurality of discharge energy rates for recharging the energy storage device. Depending on the number of dispense events that occur with a given time interval, the controller may vary the rate at which the energy is discharged from the energy supply source(s) to recharge the energy storage device.

主权项

1. A product dispenser, comprising:
a dispenser housing; a readily replaceable product reservoir for storing an associated product; a battery integrated into the readily replaceable product reservoir; a pump having an inlet fluidly connected to the readily replaceable product reservoir, the pump having an outlet for dispensing the associated product; an electrically powered, low-voltage motor operatively coupled to actuate the pump; an intermediate energy storage device operatively communicated to provide operating power to the motor, wherein the intermediate energy storage device is configured to store a predetermined level of energy that is sufficient to activate the motor through multiple activation cycles; and, a controller operatively communicated to selectively activate the motor, wherein the controller is operatively communicated to the battery and to the intermediate energy storage device, wherein the controller initiates discharging energy from the battery in response to the motor being activated for recharging the intermediate energy storage device to the predetermined level of energy, wherein the controller is operable to selectively initiate discharging energy from the battery at one of a plurality of substantially different discharge rates, and wherein when the motor is activated the controller changes the discharge rate of discharging energy from the battery if the intermediate energy storage device has not been substantially recharged to the predetermined level of energy.