IP Library Granted Patent US 10,348,122
Granted Patent B2
US 10,348,122 · App. 15/996,640 · Granted Jul 9, 2019

Powering a plurality of dispensers

Inventor: Jackson William Wegelin (Stow, OH)
Assignee: GOJO Industries, Inc.
H02J7/345H02J1/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,348,122
App. No.
15/996,640
Granted
Jul 9, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for providing power to a plurality of dispensers. For example, a supply coupler, such as an alternating current to direct current power converter, is coupled to an energy storage component and/or a load coupler of a power distribution apparatus. The supply coupler provides power over the load coupler to one or more dispensers for operation. The supply coupler provides power to the energy storage component for energy storage. Responsive to a load on the power distribution apparatus exceeding a supply current of the power provided by the supply coupler (e.g., multiple dispensers may attempt to perform concurrent dispense events), the energy storage component may discharge energy to provide additional power to one or more dispensers to facilitate concurrent dispense events. Because the power distribution apparatus may connect to multiple dispensers, a cord management device may be used for power cord management.

Claims (49)

1. A power distribution apparatus for providing power to a plurality of dispensers, comprising:

a supply coupler; and

an energy storage component coupled to the supply coupler, wherein:

the supply coupler supplies power to at least the energy storage component, the supplied power having a supply property; and

the energy storage component is configured to discharge energy when a load on the power distribution apparatus by at least one of a first dispenser or a second dispenser exceeds the supply property.

2. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , the energy storage component comprising a set of capacitors configured in series.

3. The power distribution apparatus of claim 2 , the energy storage component comprising a set of balancing resistors configured in parallel with the set of capacitors.

4. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supply property is a supply current.

5. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a first power cord connected to the first dispenser and a second power cord connected to the second dispenser, the first power cord and the second power cord having a first length.

6. The power distribution apparatus of claim 5 , the power distribution apparatus coupled to a third dispenser and a fourth dispenser.

7. The power distribution apparatus of claim 6 , the power distribution apparatus connected to the third dispenser via a third power cord and connected to the fourth dispenser via a fourth power cord, the third power cord and the fourth power cord having a second length different than the first length.

8. The power distribution apparatus of claim 6 , the energy storage component configured to discharge the energy when the load on the power distribution apparatus by at least one of the first dispenser, the second dispenser, the third dispenser, or the fourth dispenser exceeds the supply property.

9. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , the energy storage component configured to discharge the energy to facilitate a first dispense event of the first dispenser concurrently with a second dispense event of the second dispenser.

10. A dispenser installation kit, comprising:

a supply coupler configured to supply power to at least an energy storage component, the supplied power comprising a supply property;

a power distribution apparatus comprising:

the energy storage component configured to discharge energy, to facilitate a first dispense event of a first dispenser and a second dispense event of a second dispenser, when a load on the power distribution apparatus exceeds the supply property;

a power supply cord for coupling the supply coupler to the energy storage component; and

a cord management device for at least one of the power supply cord or one or more power cords associated with at least one of the first dispenser or the second dispenser.

11. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , the cord management device comprising at least one of:

a first cord reel for the power supply cord;

a second cord reel for the first power cord; or

a third cord reel for the second power cord.

12. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , the cord management device comprising at least one of:

a first cord wrap for the power supply cord;

a second cord wrap for the first power cord; or

a third cord wrap for the second power cord.

13. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , the power distribution apparatus comprising:

an enclosure housing the energy storage component; and

a cover for the enclosure.

14. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , the power distribution apparatus comprising:

a first pigtail power cord for coupling a third dispenser to the first power cord;

a second pigtail power cord; and

a power adapter comprising a cord with a y connector comprising a first connector configured to connect to the second pigtail power cord and a second connector configured to connect to a dispenser.

15. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , comprising:

a first pigtail power cord for coupling a third dispenser to the first power cord; and

a second pigtail power cord for coupling a fourth dispenser to the second power cord.

16. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , comprising:

a third power cord for coupling a third dispenser, through the second dispenser, to the power distribution apparatus according to a daisy chain configuration.

17. The dispenser installation kit of claim 15 , at least one of the first power cord, the second power cord, the first pigtail power cord, or the second pigtail power cord configured according to a detachable configuration.

18. The dispenser installation kit of claim 10 , comprising:

a third power cord for coupling the power distribution apparatus to a third dispenser; and

a fourth power cord for coupling the power distribution apparatus to a fourth dispenser, the first power cord and the second power cord having a first length, the third power cord and the fourth power cord having a second length different than the first length.

19. A method for providing power to one or more dispensers, comprising:

supplying power to at least a first dispenser, the power comprising a supply property;

supplying the power to an energy storage component for energy storage; and

responsive to a load by at least the first dispenser exceeding the supply property, discharging energy from the energy storage component to at least the first dispenser.

20. The method of claim 19 , the discharging energy comprising:

facilitating a first dispense event of the first dispenser and a second dispense event of a second dispenser.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL, RECORDED ON OCTOBER 27, 2023 AT REEL 065382 FRAME 0587 Recorded Apr 22, 2026
From: SILVER POINT FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: GOJO INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 075435/0852 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2026
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: GOJO INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 074903/0480 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2023
From: GOJO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: SILVER POINT FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 065382/0587 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2023
From: GOJO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 065369/0253 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2019
From: GOJO INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 051228/0667 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14990268 · Jan 7, 2016
Provisional Application 62100603 · Jan 7, 2015
Related Publication 20180278084A1 · Sep 27, 2018