Liquid dispenser

Abstract

A liquid dispenser includes a bottle, a cap, and a dispenser head. The bottle defines an interior configured for storing contents, and defines an opening to the interior from an exterior. The cap is configured for engaging the bottle such that the cap is positioned over the opening and is in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle. The dispenser head is configured for engaging the cap at a side of the cap opposite the bottle and dispensing the contents of the bottle through the cap, the dispenser head having an exterior surface extended between a top dispenser head portion and a bottom dispenser head portion. A cavity in the dispenser head is defined by the exterior surface of the dispenser head between the top dispenser head portion and the bottom dispenser head portion.

1 . A liquid dispenser, the dispenser comprising:
 a bottle with a bottle side wall defining an interior configured for storing contents, a bottle bottom wall, and a bottle top wall opposite the bottle bottom wall across the interior, the bottle top wall defining an opening to the interior from an exterior;   a cap with a cap side wall extended downward from a cap top wall when the dispenser is oriented in an upright position, and configured for engaging the bottle top wall such that the cap is positioned over the opening and is in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle;   a dispenser head configured for engaging the cap at a side of the cap opposite the bottle and dispensing the contents of the bottle through the cap, the dispenser head having an exterior surface extended between a top dispenser head portion and a bottom dispenser head portion, and a dispenser head bottom wall that faces the cap top wall when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap;   a cavity in the dispenser head defined by the exterior surface of the dispenser head between the top dispenser head portion and the bottom dispenser head portion, the cavity being sized for accommodating a hand of a user positioned in the cavity;   an overhang formed from the top dispenser head portion, the overhang being located above the cavity when the dispenser is oriented in an upright position;   an outlet located on the overhang, the outlet being configured for dispensing the contents of the bottle;   a ledge formed from the bottom dispenser head portion and spaced from the overhang across the cavity, the ledge being located below the cavity when the dispenser is oriented in the upright position; and   a platform formed from the ledge and positioned underneath the outlet, the platform being configured for catching and collecting contents dispensed from the outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet is located vertically above the platform when the dispenser is in the upright position such that contents which fall through the cavity from the outlet land directly on the platform. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the dispenser head defines the cavity in a shape of an arc taken from a side view of the dispenser. 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the exterior surface of the dispenser head defines the cavity in a shape of a C-shaped arc taken from the side view of the dispenser. 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a visible light source located in the top dispenser head portion, the visible light source configured to create visible light that is disposed from the cavity and illuminate the contents dispensed from the outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 5 , further comprising an infrared light source and an infrared light sensor located in the top dispenser head portion,
 wherein the infrared light source is configured to create infrared light that is disposed from the cavity and the infrared light sensor is configured to detect the infrared light such that the infrared light source and the infrared sensor are configured to cooperatively detect a hand of a user in the cavity.   
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 6 , further comprising two visible light sources and the infrared light source and the infrared light sensor are offset closer to a plane in which a dispenser head rotational axis and the outlet reside and that is normal to the supporting surface on which the bottle rests when the dispenser is in a use position as compared to each respective visible light source. 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a power button located on the top dispenser head portion, the power button at least partially defines a top surface of the dispenser head located vertically above the cavity when the dispenser is oriented in the upright position. 
     
     
         9 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a power button located on the top dispenser head portion, the power button at least partially defines a top surface of the dispenser head located vertically above the outlet when the dispenser is oriented in the upright position. 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a battery located in the dispenser head, the battery being accessible from a dispenser head bottom wall; and   a pump electrically connected with and powered by the battery for delivering contents from the bottle through the outlet,   wherein the dispenser head bottom wall faces a cap top wall when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap, such that the battery is hidden from external view of the dispenser and is not accessible when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap.   
     
     
         11 . A liquid dispenser, the dispenser comprising:
 a bottle defining an interior configured for storing contents, and defining an opening to the interior from an exterior;   a cap configured for engaging the bottle such that the cap is positioned over the opening and in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle;   a dispenser head configured for engaging the cap at a side of the cap opposite the bottle, rotating relative to the cap about a dispenser head rotational axis, and dispensing contents of the bottle through the opening and the cap, the dispenser head rotational axis being directed through the cap and the bottle when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap and the cap is engaged with the bottle;   a pin extended from one of the cap and the dispenser head and a slot defined in the other of the cap and the dispenser head, the slot being shaped as an arc along a rotational direction of the dispenser head with respect to the dispenser head rotational axis when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap, the slot having a first end and a second end oppositely disposed from each other along an arc length of the slot, the slot being configured for receiving the pin when the dispenser head engages the cap; and   a projection extended from one of the cap and the dispenser head, and a recess defined in the other of the cap and the dispenser head respectively corresponding with the projection, the recess being shaped as an arc along a rotational direction of the dispenser head with respect to the dispenser head rotational axis when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap, the recess having a first end and a second end oppositely disposed from each other along an arc length of the recess, the recess being configured for receiving the projection when the dispenser head engages the cap, and   wherein when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap and is rotated relative to the cap about the dispenser head rotational axis such that the pin travels in the slot from a first pin position that is closer to the first end of the slot as compared to the second end of the slot to a second pin position that is closer to the second end of the slot as compared to the first end of the slot, the projection respectively travels in the recess from a first projection position that is closer to the first end of the recess as compared to the second end of the recess to a second projection position that is closer to the second end of the recess as compared to the first end of the recess,   the cap defines the slot,   the projection extends from the cap towards the dispenser head,   the dispenser head defines the recess, and   the pin extends from the dispenser head towards the cap.   
     
     
         12 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising a thinned portion of the cap located radially inward of the slot with respect to the dispenser head rotational axis when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the projection is a plurality of projections disposed along a rotational direction around the dispenser head rotational axis when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap. 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a protrusion respectively disposed on one of the projection and the dispenser head, and a detent corresponding with the protrusion defined in the other of the projection and the dispenser head,   wherein the detent is configured to receive the protrusion when the projection is respectively rotated from the first projection position to the second projection position.   
     
     
         16 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the slot is defined in a top surface of the cap and the pin is extended from a bottom surface of the dispenser head towards the cap such that the slot and the pin are hidden from exterior view of the dispenser when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap.   
     
     
         17 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising a cutout defined in one of the cap and the dispenser head with the recess, the cutout extending in a longitudinal direction of the dispenser that is parallel with the dispenser head rotational axis when the dispenser head is engaged with the cap,
 wherein the cutout respectively connects with the recess at a position of the recess closer to the first end of the recess as compared to the second end of the recess such that when the dispenser head engages the cap the projection is guided to the first projection position by the cutout.   
     
     
         18 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser head is flush with the bottle such that an exterior surface of the dispenser is continuous between the exterior surface of the dispenser head and an exterior surface of the bottle at a location radially outward of an outermost periphery of the cap with respect to the dispenser head rotational axis. 
     
     
         19 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the cap is hidden in the dispenser from external view when the cap is engaged with the bottle and the dispenser head is engaged with the cap. 
     
     
         20 . The dispenser of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a rib extended from one of the bottle and the cap and a channel corresponding with the rib defined in the other of the bottle and the cap,   wherein the rib is configured for engaging the channel and preventing rotation between the cap and the bottle about the dispenser head rotational axis when the cap is engaged with the bottle.   
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the bottle bottom wall has a bottom surface defining a footprint on a substantially horizontal supporting surface when the dispenser is positioned on the supporting surface in the upright position, and the cap and the dispenser are encompassed by the footprint along the supporting surface when the dispenser is positioned on the supporting surface in the upright position. 
     
     
         26 . The dispenser of  claim 25 , wherein the platform is positioned inward of the footprint on the supporting surface when the dispenser is positioned on the supporting surface in the upright position. 
     
     
         27 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the platform is positioned vertically above the bottle when the dispenser is in the upright position. 
     
     
         28 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser head is flush with the bottle such that an exterior surface of the dispenser is continuous between the exterior surface of the dispenser head and an exterior surface of the bottle.