WO2020024029A1 - Product-dispensing equipment with usage control - Google Patents

Abstract

The present equipment (1) combines a dispenser (2) for cream products or the like with an electronic central unit (3) that controls an electromagnet (9) that is kept permanently energized to prevent unauthorized actuation of the actuating button, key or lever (6). The equipment (1) enables use of the substance stored in the refill recipient (7) thereof to be controlled, thereby preventing use of the substance to be dispensed by a company from being controlled by the employees thereof, preventing waste, and enabling the generation of usage reports for checks.

Description

 "PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH USE CONTROL”

 TECHNICAL FIELD

 [001] The present application for an Invention Patent deals with product dispensing equipment, notably substances physically presented as creams and the like, which can be used within mining companies, in the food industry, in industry in general (petrochemicals, steel and others), in the field of civil construction, transportation, power generation, the pharmaceutical industry, aviation, agribusiness, among other branches of activity in which the employees involved are required, by law, to be supplied with substances in the form of creams and the like.

 PREAMBLE

 [002] This patent application proposes a PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH USE CONTROL, which aims to establish a safe and efficient way to promote the control of the use of substances in the form of creams and the like that must be provided to employees during their activities. The equipment treated here presents, in general, an electronic central that acts as a control unit that connected to the dispensing equipment acts as a means for managing its functioning and also acting as a system for controlling the use of the substance stored in the dispensing equipment.

 TECHNICAL STATUS

[003] As is well known, currently all companies, by law, are obliged to supply cream of protection for its employees, creams also known as "chemical gloves".

 [004] Said creams, with regard to their specific functions, can be degreasers, antiseptics, sunscreen, insect repellents, bactericides or even simple soaps, among others.

 [005] The mentioned substances, due to their importance, are considered as an EPI (individual protection equipment) or even an EPC (collective protection equipment), being made available in specific sectors depending on the branch of activity of each company and its particularities.

PROBLEMS OF THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

 [006] In view of the mandatory supply by the companies of the substances described above, they find themselves in a complicated situation, since they are unable to control the use of the substances or not, as well as they cannot register whether the use is being made. correctly by employees who effectively need such substances, and are not even able to curb the waste or misuse of such products.

 [007] On the other hand, the effect of this impossibility of control has been reversed in another type of inconvenience for companies, since, often, in labor lawsuits filed against them by employees, they cannot prove that the substances were made available and that were effectively used by the claimants, thus incurring losses in lawsuits that result in expenses with damages, fines and others.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION [008] In view of the state of the art described above, the purpose of this Patent Application is to propose a PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE, which combines in a single product a cream product dispenser equipped with an electromagnetic locking device that controls the release and blocking of the button, key or actuation lever and an electronic control unit that acts as a control unit, operated autonomously by software that controls the release or not of the dispenser so that it supplies or not the substance contained therein.

 [009] It is also another objective of this patent application to propose a PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE that allows the effective use of the substance contained therein to be controlled in order to individualize the registration of the employee who used it, how many times daily use was made or even if a certain employee did not use the substance within the expected period.

 [010] Another objective of this patent application is to propose a DISPENSER EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTS WITH USE CONTROL

that provides companies with means of recording the use, by their employees, of substances determined by law, thus allowing that use to be, if necessary, presented in a report, in the form of a download of information that can be used for the purpose of proof whether or not to use the substances.

[01 1] It is also another objective of this patent application to provide a PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE that allows the elaboration of a register of collaborators who should effectively have access to it, recording, for each use, the individualized data of the collaborators and others of possible interest.

 [012] Finally, it is also an objective of this Patent Application to propose a PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE

that allows companies to control who has used the substance required by law or not, in addition to being able to detect whether a specific employee is using it in excess in order to avoid waste and excessive costs.

 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

 [013] THE PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE object of this patent application comprises a product dispenser of the conventional type, which can be fixed to a wall or other suitable screen.

 [014] The dispenser has a main structure in which a container (refill) or medium for filling creamy products is accommodated. Said dispenser also includes, in a conventional way, an actuation system based on a button, key or actuation lever that when handled, it promotes the release of a dosage of the substance, and the aforementioned dispenser innovates by incorporating an electromagnetic locking means that blocks or releases its button, key or actuation lever by means of a control panel that acts as a control unit that it is associated and wired to the dispenser.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [015] THE PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE object of this patent application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings listed below, in which:

 Figure 1 illustrates a general perspective view of the equipment now proposed, where the dispenser itself and the associated control unit can be seen;

 Figure 2 shows a bottom view of the dispenser, where the electromagnetic locking means that act on its button, key or operating lever can be seen;

 Figure 3 shows a front and general view of the main structure of the dispenser;

 Figure 4 shows a side and general view of the main structure of the dispenser;

 Figure 5 illustrates a side and general view of the main structure of the dispenser, where its actuation lever is incorporated, as well as the electromagnetic locking means acting on it, said view depicts said actuation lever in locking condition;

 Figure 6 illustrates a general side view of the main structure of the dispenser, where its actuation lever is incorporated, as well as the means of electromagnetic locking that act on it, said aim portrays said actuation lever in condition of release;

 Figure 7 shows a view of the electronic diagram of the control panel;

Figure 8 illustrates an electronic diagram view of the main power supply of the present equipment; Figure 8 shows a schematic view of the main board of the control panel, where its main blocks / components are marked;

 Figure 9 shows a schematic view of the electronic board in which the display and the card reader are incorporated;

 Figure 10 illustrates a simple flowchart showing the interaction of the software, the antenna of the control panel and the hardware represented by the control panel itself; and

 Figure 11 illustrates an operation flow chart between the control panel and the dispenser.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

 [016] In accordance with what the above figures illustrate, the PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH USE CONTROL now proposed is indicated, in general, by the numeric reference 1, which is formed by the dispenser 2 itself and the control panel 3 .

 [017] The dispenser 2 has a main structure 4, which can be directly attached to a wall or other suitable bulkhead, said main structure 4 incorporates, inferiorly, the set of actuation mechanism 5, which includes a button, key or lever. drive 6.

 [018] In the main structure 4 of the dispenser 2, a container (refill) or other filling medium 7 is mounted, indicated in dashed line and schematically in figure 1, which is loaded with a given volume of creamy substance to be released .

[019] The main structure 4 incorporates a metal plate 8 that is jointly mounted next to the button, key or actuation lever 6, the said structure also having an electromagnet 9 fed from the electronic control unit 3.

 [020] Still with regard to main structure 4, it also has a permanent magnet 10, assembled in a solidary and fixed way in relation to the mentioned main structure 4, said permanent magnet 10 acts as a positioning reference for a magnetic switch of the switch type 11.

 [021] The dispenser 2 is connected to the electronic control unit 3 using a data cable 12, which departs from the region of the base 13 of the main structure 4, which also comes from an electric power cable 14 provided at its end 15, of a plug 16 at its end.

 [022] The control panel 3 is defined as a small box 17, frontally taken by a large display 18 and superiorly equipped with an antenna 19.

 [023] The electronic diagram of the control panel can be seen through the observation of figure 7, where they are marked: the aforementioned display 18, the main processor 20, the relay 21 that unlocks the dispenser 2 allowing it to be operated, card reader 22, a radio communication block 23, to which antenna 19 is connected and which is used for registration and download communications, a memory block 24. Figure 8 illustrates, in general, the source of main power supply 25, which provides energy for the operation of electronic control unit 2 and electromagnet 9.

[024] The circuit boards that make up the control panel 2 can be seen in figures 8 and 9, with figure 8 showing the main circuit board of the control panel 2 and the figure 9 illustrates the circuit board in which the display and the card reader 22 are incorporated.

 [025] THE PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE 1 now treated operates based on a software, indicated as 26 in figure 10, and which is housed both in the main processor 20, as well as in the memory block 24.

 [026] This figure 10 depicts not only the software 26, but also the antenna block 27, which has the function of locating the nearby devices and creating communication between the software 26 and the hardware represented by the control panel 3.

 [027] Software 26 stores all the employee's information and sends the badge number and expiration date to each employee to the hardware.

 [028] Figure 1 1 illustrates the flowchart of operation between the hardware (control panel 2) and the dispenser 2, said view includes the representation of the power source 28, the block 29 representing the lock and release commands and the electromagnet 9 .

[029] The system for using the PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH USE CONTROL 1 herein, previously foresees that the employee is registered in the software 26, having completed this phase, the same, when approaching his personal identification badge with the electronic panel 3, in the region where the card reader 22 is positioned, receives the release for use by the dispenser 2, which means that the electronic panel 3 cuts off the energy of the electromagnet 9 (normally kept energized), thus making the even fail to attract the mounted metal plate 8 next to the button, key or lever 6, allowing the button, key or lever 6 to be pressed by the employee.

 [030] The movement of the button, key or operating lever 6 during the operation to promote the release of a dose of the substance contained in the container (refill) 7 causes the permanent magnet 10 to move closer and further away, causing it to cause the switch 11 on.

 [031] With each movement of the push button, key or lever 6, there is a corresponding activation of switch 1 1, which sends an electrical signal to the central control unit 3, which computes this signal as the completion of an operation to supply the substance contained in dispenser 2, and the relevant information is shown on display 18.

 [032] If the software 26 does not recognize the badge positioned next to the card reader 22 of the control panel 2, or if the recognition of the badge occurs, but it is determined that the use of the substance occurs in an unauthorized way or outside a specified standard (for example, in a number of times greater than that determined in a given period of time) the relay 21 is not activated and therefore the electromagnet 9 remains energized, thus preventing the button, key or lever 6 from being able to be moved.

 [033] The electromagnet 6 exerts sufficient force to prevent the button, key or actuation lever 6 from being moved in an unauthorized manner, such electromagnet 6 being able to exert up to 25 kg of force to fulfill this function.

[034] It should be emphasized that the model of dispenser 2 illustrated here must be taken in a non-limiting way, since it is a market item, to which are incorporated the magnetic locking means that includes the electromagnet 9, the metal plate 8, the permanent magnet 10 and the switch 1 1. In this sense, the present application for a Patent for Invention, regarding dispenser 2 and its container (refill) 7, is not limited to the model depicted.

Claims

 1. - "PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH USE CONTROL", the product dispensing equipment with use control (l) includes a dispenser (2) itself, which has a main structure (4) that incorporates, inferiorly, the set of actuation mechanism (5), which includes a button, key or actuation lever (6), in the main structure (4) of the dispenser (2) a refill container (7) is loaded loaded with the creamy substance to be released; characterized in that the product dispensing equipment with use control (1) associates a dispenser (2) with an electronic control unit (3); the main structure (4) of the dispenser (2) incorporates a metal plate (8) that is solidly assembled next to the button, key or operating lever (6), the structure also having an electromagnet (9) powered from the electronic control unit (3); the main structure (4) also has a permanent magnet (10), assembled so olidary and fixed in relation to the aforementioned main structure (4), said permanent magnet (10) acts as a positioning reference for a magnetic switch type "switch" (11); the dispenser (2) is connected to the control panel (3) via a data cable (12), which starts from the base region (13) of the main structure (4), which also includes a power cable electric (14) equipped, at its end (15), with a plug (16) at its end; 2. - "PRODUCT DISPENSER EQUIPMENT WITH CONTROL OF USE", according to claim number 1, characterized in that the control panel (3) is defined as a box (17), frontally taken by a display (18) and superiorly equipped with an antenna (19).  3. - "DISPENSER EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTS WITH USE CONTROL ”, according to claim number 1, characterized in that the control panel (3) includes a display (18), the main processor (20), a relay (21) that unlocks the dispenser (2) for that it be operated, a card reader (22), a radio communication block (23), to which is connected the antenna (19) used for registration and download communications, a memory block (24) and a source main power supply (25).  4. - "DISPENSER EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTS WITH USE CONTROL ”, according to claim number 1, characterized in that the product dispensing equipment with usage control (l) now treated operates based on software (26) that is housed both in the main processor (20), as well as in the memory block (24), the software (26) stores all the employee's information and sends the badge number and expiration date to each employee to the hardware; the software (26) sends the lock and release commands for the electromagnet (9).  5. - "DISPENSER EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTS WITH USE CONTROL ”, according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the software (26) receives the employee's registration data, identifying the employee through the card reader (22) by approaching the employee's badge by releasing it for use by the dispenser (2) and determining that the control panel (3) cuts off the power of the electromagnet (9) kept normally energized, thus making the even fail to attract the metal plate (8) mounted next to the button, key or lever (6), allowing the button, key or lever (6) to be pressed by the employee.  6. - "DISPENSER EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTS WITH USE CONTROL ”, according to claim number 5, characterized by the movement of the button, key or actuation lever (6) during the operation to promote the release of a dose of the substance contained in the refill container (7) causes the approach and removal of the permanent magnet (10), causing the switch (1 1) to be activated, sending an electrical signal to the electronic control unit (3) that computes this signal as the completion of an operation to supply the substance contained in the dispenser (2 ), and the relevant information is shown on the display (18).