Refill device for a dosing dispenser

Abstract

The invention relates to a refill device, primarily for dosing dispensers, for the provision and dosed withdrawal of liquid products, said refill device comprising: a single- or multi-part housing (1); a connection device (23) for connecting a storage tank (21) for a liquid product and for withdrawing the liquid product from said storage tank; an externally accessible adjustment chamber (20) for the storage tank (21), which adjustment chamber is provided in the housing (1), or a connection device provided on the housing (1) for connecting the housing (1) to the storage tank (21); a filling nozzle (6) for a dosing dispenser (7), which filling nozzle is arranged on the housing (1); and a filling pump (26), integrated in the housing (1) or attached to the housing (1), for conveying the liquid product from the connection device (23) to the filling nozzle (6). The filling pump (26) is designed as a peristaltic pump (27).

Description

[0001] title

[0002] Refill device for dosing dispenser

[0003] Description

[0004] The invention relates to a refill device for dosing dispensers, which are intended for the provision and dosed dispensing of liquid products, according to the preamble of claim 1. The liquid products are in particular cosmetic products with detergent substances or care products for body and hair care.

[0005] Such a refilling device comprises a single- or multi-part housing. Its interior contains an externally accessible storage space for a storage tank in which the liquid product is kept for refilling. Alternatively, the housing has a connecting device with which the housing can be connected to the storage tank. A refilling device of this type also comprises a connection device for connecting the storage tank and for removing the liquid product from it, a filling nozzle arranged on the housing for a dosing dispenser, and a filling pump integrated into or attached to the housing for conveying the liquid product from the connection device to the filling nozzle.

[0006] Dosing dispensers for the measured dispensing of detergents or body care products, in particular, have been around for a long time in various designs. They are used not only in private households, but also in hotels and in the restrooms of restaurants and similar publicly accessible establishments, where they are sometimes provided as wall mounts or freestanding. In hotel bathrooms and wellness areas, dosing dispensers are often used not only for liquid soap, but especially for shower oil, hair shampoo, and other care products such as lotions or similar. The liquid products contained therein can be dosed as needed and hygienically dispensed, eliminating the need for individually packaged and therefore unsustainable small containers of corresponding care products for one- or two-time use.

[0007] With regard to the sustainable use of resources, a major advantage of a dosing dispenser is the refillability of its container. However, refilling dosing dispensers can be time-consuming, especially in hotels where housekeeping staff look after a large number of usage locations. Normally, the dosing dispensers that need to be refilled are collected, refilled centrally, and then distributed to the usage locations, particularly hotel rooms. Alternatively, the dosing dispensers can be refilled on-site as needed. Traditionally, each dosing dispenser has to be opened for the actual refilling process - in the case of a pump dispenser, the pump cap is unscrewed from the bottle opening - after which the liquid product to be refilled is first dispensed from a storage tank into an intermediate container, and then the bottle or container is emptied from this intermediate container.The dispenser container must be refilled through the open container opening. This is time-consuming and cumbersome, occupies housekeeping staff, and is a correspondingly unpleasant chore. Furthermore, such a conventional refilling process requires improvement from a hygiene perspective, as the refilled liquid product does not remain in a closed system protected against contamination.

[0008] To avoid these problems, WO 2021 / 093972 A1 proposes a refill system comprising a number of specially designed pump dispensers and a refilling device. This system significantly simplifies the refilling process and, in particular, ensures that the refilled liquid product is largely protected against contamination during the refilling process. This refill device is therefore of the type mentioned above, and the basis for the present invention. According to this prior art, an electric motor-driven diaphragm pump is used as the filling pump for conveying the liquid product to be refilled from the storage tank into the dosing dispenser.

[0009] US 2018 / 0265345 A1 proposes a refill system for detergents comprising a plurality of wall-mounted dispensers and a portable storage tank for refilling these dispensers. Here, a storage tank is mounted on a refilling device, so that an electric motor-driven filling pump located in the refilling device can draw the liquid product from the storage tank and pump it into the containers of the dispensers via a hose line connected by an operator to the dispensers to be refilled. Accordingly, this can hardly be described as a closed system, since the connecting hose, which is usually more than one meter long, can easily become accidentally contaminated. Furthermore, the fill level of the dispenser to be filled can be difficult or impossible to determine during refilling.Overflow and the resulting contamination can result.

[0010] Based on this prior art, the object of the invention is to further improve a refilling device of the type mentioned at the outset with regard to its ease of handling and its hygiene properties.

[0011] This object is achieved by a refilling device having the features of the appended claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the refilling device according to the invention can be found in the subordinate claims.A refill device for dosing dispensers according to the invention, with a single-part or multi-part housing, with a connection device for connecting a storage tank for a liquid product and for removing the liquid product from the same, with an adjustment space for the storage tank provided in the housing and accessible from the outside or with a connecting device provided on the housing for connecting the housing to the storage tank, with a filler neck arranged on the housing on the dosing dispenser, and with a filling pump integrated in the housing or attached to the housing for conveying the liquid product from the connection device to the filler neck, is thus characterized in that the filling pump is designed as a peristaltic pump, the inlet of which is connected directly or via a suction line to the connection device and the outlet of which is connected directly or via a conveying line to the filler neck.

[0012] According to the invention, it has been recognized that the filling pumps used in the prior art for relevant refilling devices are not optimal for the liquid products typically to be refilled and, on the other hand, do not meet the highest desired hygiene requirements:

[0013] The pH values ​​of typical liquid products in dispensers: shampoo, shower gel, liquid soap, conditioner, and body lotion are typically between 3.5 and 6.5, which are acidic, so there is a risk that the materials of the filling pump will react with the liquid product. The viscosity range of typical liquid products is typically between 3,000 mPas and 10,000 mPas, for conditioner typically between 8,000 and 30,000 mPas, and for body lotion typically between 8,000 and 70,000 mPas, each measured at 20°C and atmospheric pressure using a Brookfield rheometer (shear rate: 5 s). -1). Liquid products with these properties can hardly be pumped with a diaphragm pump or a piston pump in such a way that, after the pump is stopped, a small amount of liquid product can be reliably prevented from flowing back into the storage tank. In addition, all pumps require maintenance; refilling devices of this type are generally not sent to the manufacturer for filling pump service. This can pose a hygiene problem with the filling pumps used in the state of the art, since the filling pumps, which may not be optimally maintained, will naturally come into intensive contact with the liquid product again afterwards.

[0014] The inventive proposal to design the filling pump as a hose pump, also known as a peristaltic pump, eliminates the weaknesses identified by the invention. This is because the liquid product is conveyed through the hose pump within a pump hose and thus never comes into contact with the motorized parts of the hose pump. During any maintenance of the hose pump, the pump hose can be easily and hygienically replaced without affecting the other parts of the hose pump. This eliminates the need for imperfect cleaning of the fluid-carrying parts of the filling pump.

[0015] A material can be selected for the pump hose that easily copes with the pH values ​​and viscosities typical of the liquid products used here; within the scope of the present invention, a silicone pump hose is preferred. The liquid products conveyed through this pump hose remain completely unaffected by the pump hose material.

[0016] A further advantage from a hygiene perspective with the peristaltic pump used according to the invention is that there are no dead spaces for the pumped liquid product. It is also possible to operate a peristaltic pump in such a way that no extraneous or outside air can reach the pumped liquid product. This ultimately enables food-grade handling of the liquid products, which is a major advantage in the cosmetics sector. A pump hose designed as a silicone hose plays a particularly important role in this, as it is resistant to the typical pH values ​​and the oils commonly found in cosmetics in accordance with food standards. Silicone is also diffusion-tight, so that no contaminants can diffuse into the liquid product.

[0017] Another major advantage of the peristaltic pump used as a filling pump according to the invention is the easy, stepless control of the pumping speed, for example, using a simple rotary knob or a pedal. Furthermore, to prevent dripping at the filling nozzle, a peristaltic pump can be briefly reversed after a stop, preventing external or outside air from entering the conveying system and reaching the liquid product.

[0018] It is particularly preferred within the scope of the present invention if the peristaltic pump used as a filling pump according to the invention is arranged in an externally accessible pump compartment in the housing. This allows the pump hose to be replaced easily and quickly as needed, or even, if necessary, the entire filling pump to be replaced. At the same time, the pump compartment can be closed with a transparent cover, so that a visual inspection of the hose line running from the connection device via the peristaltic pump to the filler neck, or at least the intake line, the pump hose, and the delivery line, is possible at any time. This naturally increases the operational reliability of the refilling device according to the invention.

[0019] If the housing of the refill device according to the invention is provided with an externally accessible storage space for the storage tank, it is preferred if this storage space has a drawer for inserting and pushing or pulling the storage tank into or out of the housing. Since storage tanks in the present area of ​​application expediently have a liquid product content of around 10 liters, they have a corresponding weight, which makes handling very difficult, especially when the storage tank is to be inserted into the storage space of the refill device. After pulling out the drawer, the storage tank can simply be placed on the drawer and moved together with it into the storage space in the housing. The storage tank can also be connected to the connection device of the refill device when the storage tank is standing on the extended drawer; this also significantly simplifies handling.

[0020] Whether with or without a drawer, the externally accessible storage compartment of a correspondingly designed refilling device according to the invention can be closed with a pivoting door. This is particularly advantageous when the liquid product stored in the storage tank is sufficient for a large number of refilling operations, so that the storage tank remains in the storage compartment of the refilling device housing for a correspondingly long time. The pivoting door then closes the storage compartment and can even be locked with a lock if necessary.

[0021] If the housing of the refilling device is provided with an externally accessible adjustment space for the storage tank, it is preferred if the connection device for connecting the storage tank is arranged within the adjustment space. It is preferably extendable from there, for example, by designing a suction line of the peristaltic pump with a sufficient length to allow the connection device to be pulled out of the adjustment space, thus ensuring easy insertion and removal of the connection device to and from the storage tank.

[0022] To prevent unintentional contamination of the liquid product being refilled and to prevent ambient air from reaching it, it is preferred within the scope of the present invention if the filler neck of the refilling device is equipped with a backflow preventer, in particular a check valve or a duckbill valve. The latter also supports clean operation, as it prevents dripping from the filler neck.

[0023] The filler neck of the refill device according to the invention is preferably arranged on a front side of the housing, wherein the front side has a projection with a front and a bottom in an upper region, and wherein the filler neck is positioned on the bottom of this projection in such a way that it dispenses the liquid product downwards. Dispensing of the liquid product is thus assisted by gravity, and any dripping liquid product can then fall downwards without touching the housing at any point and thus contaminating it, where it can be collected, for example, by a drip tray.

[0024] In this case, a first holder for a container of a dosing dispenser to be refilled can be attached to the front of the housing, wherein this first holder is intended in particular to hold the container at the filler neck during refilling or to specify a position in which the container must be held during refilling. At least one second holder can also be provided on the front of the housing, which serves to hold components of a dosing dispenser that must be removed from the container to be refilled for the refilling process. In the case of a pump dispenser as a dosing dispenser, this is a dosing pump, which must be removed from the bottle opening of the container together with a union nut (which is usually present), a dispensing device and a suction pipe in order to be able to refill the container.If a holder or even just a storage location is specified for such components of the dosing dispenser, these components will not be placed anywhere when refilling, which should be avoided from a hygiene perspective.

[0025] Operating elements for the filling pump can be arranged on the front of the preferably present projection of the housing. This enables intuitive operation of the refilling device. On the front of the housing, below the filler neck, a flat or linear light source is particularly preferably arranged, the vertical extent of which preferably corresponds at least to the height of a typical refillable container of a dosing dispenser, but preferably has at least one vertical extent that spans an upper region of a refillable container, which is sufficient to detect a fill level during the refilling process, shortly before the container is full, typically at least 8 to 10 cm below the container opening. This light source is intended to illuminate the container during the refilling process.Since most dosing dispenser containers are at least slightly translucent, this creates a translucent light that allows the increasing liquid level to be detected when refilling the container and allows the filling pump to be switched off in time before the container overflows. Since, with the volumes of typical dosing dispenser containers and the flow rates of peristaltic pumps, a container can easily be refilled within typically 10 seconds, such permanent visual monitoring of the fill level is extremely beneficial. At the same time, it eliminates the need for complex fill level sensors for an electronic display of the current fill level and / or an automatic shutdown of the filling pump.

[0026] The refilling device according to the invention can be supplemented with a number of storage tanks that collapse when the liquid product stored therein is removed. Accordingly, no outside air is drawn in when the storage tank is emptied, which is again highly advantageous from a hygiene perspective. Furthermore, emptied storage tanks can be transported with a very small volume for refilling or other recycling.

[0027] The refilling device according to the invention preferably includes a control for the filling device, wherein this control is designed to regulate the pumping performance of the peristaltic pump via user input, in particular by means of a rotary control that can be attached to the housing, for example, on the front of the projection on the front side of the housing, and can be provided with an integrated on / off function. The simplest implementation consists of a potentiometer mechanically connected to the rotary control, which controls the speed of the peristaltic pump. With the filling speeds of a few seconds already mentioned above, it is highly advantageous if the operator can "slow down" the filling process in time with the rotary control in order to be able to switch off the pump as precisely as possible when the refilling process is completed. The on / off function of the rotary control can, for example, be combined with a detent at its zero position.

[0028] Alternatively, or if necessary, in addition to the rotary control, a pedal can be provided for user input. Such a pedal can preferably be connected to the refilling device, particularly via cable, as required, and allow the filling speed to be controlled with one foot.

[0029] The control of the refilling device according to the invention is preferably designed such that the peristaltic pump briefly runs backward after stopping to prevent any dripping at the filler neck. The peristaltic pump has the great advantage that such a reverse pulse is easily possible and, secondly, that no liquid or external air is or needs to be sucked in through the filler neck.

[0030] Finally, it is preferred if the housing of the refilling device according to the invention is provided with a connection for a power cable for supplying power to the filling pump, as well as at least one additional connection for a power supply unit of another refilling device. This allows several refilling devices according to the invention, which are intended, for example, for different liquid products, to be placed next to each other and to be supplied with electrical power via often only one accessible socket.

[0031] In the following, an exemplary embodiment of a refill device for dosing dispensers designed according to the invention is described and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated merely by way of example; however, essential features of the invention may be contained in the drawings and the following description thereof.

[0032] They show:

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic, isometric view of an embodiment of a refilling device designed according to the invention, when refilling a dosing dispenser;

[0034] Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, with the refilling device open;

[0035] Figure 3 is a representation like Figure 2, with storage tank inserted;

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of the refilling device shown in Figures 1 to 3, with two housing walls removed to illustrate components that are not actually visible;

[0037] Figure 5 is a top view of the illustration in Figure 4.

[0038] Figure 1 is an isometric view obliquely from above of a refilling device designed according to the invention. The elements of this refilling device visible here are a housing 1 with a front side 2, in the upper area of ​​which there is a projection 3 with a front 4 and a bottom 5. A filler neck 6 is arranged on the bottom 5 of the projection 3, which serves for refilling a dosing dispenser 7, more precisely: for refilling a container 8 of a dosing dispenser 7.

[0039] On a drip tray 9, which is attached to the base of the front panel 2 of the housing 1, forms a counterpart of the projection 3, and serves primarily to collect liquid products spilled at or dripping from the filler neck 6, a shelf, which can also be designed as a holder, is formed for the components removed from the container 8 of the dosing dispenser 7 for the refilling process. These components are a dosing pump 10, which, as is known per se, is screwed into the container 8 of the dosing dispenser 7, a suction pipe 11 for the dosing pump 10, and a dispensing device 12 with which the dosing pump 10 is actuated. These three components form a uniformly manageable pump assembly, and due to the storage location specified on the drip tray, this assembly is stored on the drip tray 9 for the refilling process, in the orientation shown here, which ensures the greatest possible hygiene during refilling.

[0040] A flat light source 13 is mounted below the filler neck 6 on the front side 2 of the housing 1, the vertical extension of which corresponds approximately to the height of the refillable container 8 of the dosing dispenser 7. A pivoting door 14 with a handle bar 15 serves to open the front side 2 of the housing 1 to access or close a storage compartment (not visible here).

[0041] On the front 4 of the projection 3 of the housing 1 there is an on / off switch 16 and a rotary control 17. On the top of the housing 1 there is a maintenance flap 18, under which there is a filling pump (not visible here).

[0042] An operator wishing to refill the dosing dispenser 7 will first set the refilling device shown in Figure 1 to an operating state using the on / off switch 16, which can also be designed as a standby switch, and then unscrew the pump assembly of the dosing dispenser 7, consisting of the dosing pump 10, the suction pipe 11, and the dispensing device 12, from the container 8. The pump assembly 10, 11, 12 is then placed on the designated mark on the drip tray 9.

[0043] Switching on the refill device also activates the light source 13. To refill the container 8 of the dosing dispenser 7, the operator holds the container 8 below the filler neck 6. This places it directly in front of the light source 13. Since the container 8 is made of translucent material and the light source 13 is located directly behind the container 8 as seen by the operator and illuminates it due to its translucency, the operator can precisely determine the fill level of the liquid product in the container 8 using transmitted light and thus monitor how quickly the refilling process is progressing and when the container 8 has reached the desired fill level.

[0044] The operator can control the refilling process using the rotary control 17 or, optionally, a pedal (not shown). By overcoming an initial detent, the filling pump (not shown here) is activated, and by turning the rotary control 17, the filling pump's delivery speed can be controlled, allowing the operator to very intuitively initiate and execute the refilling process, monitor it using the transmitted light, decelerate it in a timely manner, and stop it at the desired fill level.

[0045] After the refilling process is complete, the pump assembly 10, 11, 12 is picked up again, screwed onto the container 8 of the dosing dispenser 7, and the dosing dispenser 7 is returned to its place of use. There is no risk of dripping at the filler neck 6 because, on the one hand, the filler neck 6 is provided with a duckbill valve 19 (Figure 2), and, on the other hand, the control of the filling pump is designed such that after the filler pump stops, which is initiated by turning back the regulator 17, a brief reverse movement of the filler pump occurs to reduce the pressure in a delivery line (not shown here) to the filler neck 6.

[0046] Figure 2 shows the refilling device from Figure 1 in the same view, but with the housing 1 open. The pivoting door 14 opens a space 20 inside the housing 1, which serves to accommodate a storage tank 21 (Figure 3).

[0047] In order to insert the storage tank 21 into the storage space 20, a drawer 22, which is designed here as a pull-out, is mounted in the housing 1. By means of this drawer 22, the storage tank 21 (Figure 3) can be very easily inserted into or removed from the storage space 20.

[0048] As Figure 2 also shows, a connection device 23 for connecting the storage tank 21 is arranged in the adjustment space 20, and it can be pulled out of the adjustment space 20 by means of a correspondingly long suction line 24 of the filling pump (which is not visible here) in order to be able to connect the storage tank 21 outside the adjustment space 20.

[0049] Finally, Figure 2 shows that the filling nozzle 6 is provided with a duckbill valve 19, which acts as a check valve and at the same time prevents dripping.

[0050] For the remaining features of the refill device, which can be seen in both Figure 2 and Figure 1, identical reference numerals are used as in Figure 1, so that reference can be made to the above description of Figure 1. How the storage tank 21 is placed in the drawer 22 and connected there, in order to then be retracted with the drawer 22 into the adjustment space 20 of the housing 1, is shown in Figure 3. Here, too, elements that are visible in both Figure 3 and Figure 2 or Figure 1 are provided with identical reference numerals, so that reference is made to the above description in this respect.

[0051] The storage tank 21 shown here, which is already inserted into the drawer 22 so that it can be moved into the storage space 20 together with the drawer, is a tank holding 10 liters of a liquid product with a connecting piece 25 attached to its top. As shown, the connecting device 23 attached to the suction line 24 is placed onto this connecting piece 25 in order to be able to remove the contents of the storage tank 21 by means of the filling pump (not visible here).

[0052] Figure 4 again shows the same view as the previous figures, but with housing walls omitted to reveal details inside the housing.

[0053] Thus, the storage compartment 20 with drawer 22 and storage tank 21 standing on it is visible first, even though the swing door 14 is closed. Those elements that are visible in both Figure 4 and the preceding figures are again provided with identical reference numerals, so reference is made to the preceding descriptions.

[0054] An upper cover surface of the housing 1 and the maintenance flap 18 (Figures 1 to 3) have been omitted in Figure 4 in order to make the components of the present embodiment of a refilling device according to the invention arranged underneath visible. The most important component here is likely the filling pump 26, which is designed according to the invention as a hose pump 27 or peristaltic pump. In Figure 5, a plan view of the refilling device from Figure 4, the hose pump 27 is more clearly visible in that an inlet 28 of the hose pump 27 with the suction line 24 attached thereto and an outlet 29 of the hose pump 27 with a delivery line 30 attached thereto can be seen. The suction line 24 leads from the inlet 28 of the hose pump 27 to the connection device 23 (cf. Figure 2), while the delivery line 30 connects the outlet 29 of the hose pump 27 to the filling nozzle 6.In the peristaltic pump 27, a pump hose 31, which is indicated only by dashed lines in Figure 5, runs from the inlet 28 to the outlet 29. A number of rollers or sliding shoes on a rotor (these components are not visible) move in a rotating housing 32 to move the liquid product drawn from the storage tank 21 forward in the pump hose 31, naturally without coming into direct contact with the liquid product, which is hermetically sealed from the environment in the pump hose 31. The operation of a peristaltic pump, as used according to the invention, is known in detail.

[0055] The liquid product is thus transported from the storage tank 21 directly into the filler neck 6 through a hose line formed by the suction line 24, the pump hose 31, and the delivery line 30, without coming into contact with any other components, meeting the highest hygienic requirements. At the same time, the peristaltic pump 27 and its pump hose 31 can be easily maintained or, if necessary, replaced through the maintenance flap 18 (Figures 1 to 3).

[0056] In addition to the filling pump 26, a compartment 33 for the electronics is provided in the housing 1. It houses a control unit 34 for the filling pump 26, a power supply unit 35, a power connection 36 with appropriate protection, and an additional connection 37 for supplying additional refilling devices with electrical power. Reference symbols:

[0057] 1 housing 20 adjustment space

[0058] 2 Front 21 Storage tank

[0059] 3 projection 22 drawer

[0060] 4 Front (of 3) 23 Connection device

[0061] 5 Bottom (of 3) 24 Intake pipe

[0062] 6 filling nozzles 25 connecting nozzles

[0063] 7 Dosing dispenser 26 Filling pump

[0064] 8 containers (of 7) 27 peristaltic pump

[0065] 9 Drip tray 28 Inlet

[0066] 10 Dosing pump (of 7) 29 Outlet

[0067] 11 Intake pipe (of 7) 30 Delivery line

[0068] 12 Dispensing device (of 7) 31 Pump hose

[0069] 13 Light source 32 Rotation housing

[0070] 14 swing doors 32 compartments (in 1)

[0071] 15 Handle bar 34 Control

[0072] 16 On-off switch 35 Power supply

[0073] 17 Rotary control 36 Mains connection

[0074] 18 Maintenance flap 37 Connection (further)

[0075] 19 Duckbill valve

Claims

Claims 1. Refill device, in particular for dosing dispensers for providing and dosing liquid products, preferably cosmetic products with detergent substances or care products for body and hair care, with a single-part or multi-part housing (1), with a connection device (23) for connecting a storage tank (21) for a liquid product and for removing the liquid product from the same, with an externally accessible adjustment space (20) for the storage tank (21) provided in the housing (1) or with a connecting device provided on the housing (1) for connecting the housing (1) to the storage tank (21), with a filler neck (6) arranged on the housing (1) for a dosing dispenser (7), and with a filling pump (26) integrated in the housing (1) or attached to the housing (1) for conveying the liquid product from the connection device (23) to the filler neck (6), characterized in thatthat the filling pump (26) is designed as a hose pump (27), the inlet (28) of which is connected directly or via a suction line (24) to the connection device (23) and the outlet (29) of which is connected directly or via a delivery line (30) to the filling nozzle (6).

2. Refilling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hose pump (27) is arranged in a pump compartment in the housing (1) which is accessible from the outside.

3. Refilling device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (1) of the refilling device is provided with an externally accessible adjustment space (20) for the storage tank (21) and that this has a drawer (22) for adjusting and pushing or pulling the storage tank (21) into or out of the housing (1).

4. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (1) of the refilling device is provided with an externally accessible adjustment space (20) for the storage tank (21) and that this can be closed with a pivoting door (14).

5. Refilling device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the connecting device (23) for connecting the storage tank (21) is arranged within the adjustment space (20) and is preferably designed to be extendable therefrom.

6. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the filling nozzle (6) is provided with a backflow preventer, in particular a check valve or a duckbill valve (19).

7. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the filling nozzle (6) is arranged on a front side (2) of the housing (1), wherein the front side (2) has a projection (3) with a front (4) and a bottom (5) and the filling nozzle (6) is located on the bottom (5) of the projection (3) in such a way that it dispenses the liquid product downwards.

8. Refilling device according to claim 7, characterized in that a first holder for a container (8) of a dosing dispenser (7) to be refilled is attached to the front side (2) of the housing (1), wherein the first holder is provided in particular to hold the container (8) on the filler neck (6) during refilling.

9. Refilling device according to claim 8, characterized in that a second holder for components of a dosing dispenser (7) is attached to the front side (2) of the housing (1), which components are to be removed from the container (8) to be refilled for the refilling process.

10. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that operating elements for the filling pump (26) are arranged on the front (4) of the projection (3).

11. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that on the front side (2), below the filling nozzle (6), a flat or linear light source (13) is arranged, which is intended to illuminate the container (8) during the refilling process.

12. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it also comprises a number of storage tanks (21) which collapse when the liquid product stored therein is removed.

13. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the refilling device contains a control (34) for the hose pump (27), said control (34) being designed such that it regulates the pumping power of the hose pump (27) via a user input.

14. Refilling device according to claim 13, characterized in that a rotary control (17) for user input is attached to the housing (1), wherein the rotary control (17) is provided in particular with an integrated on-off function, and / or that a pedal is provided for user input.

15. Refilling device according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that the control (34) is designed such that the hose pump (27) runs briefly backwards after it has been stopped in order to prevent dripping at the filler neck (6).

16. Refilling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that a mains connection (36) for a mains cable for supplying energy to the filling pump (26) and at least one additional connection (37) for a power supply of a further refilling device are attached to the housing (1).

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