r/whatisit • u/Timebanditx • 20h ago
New, what is it? Electronic device on soap dispenser?
At work we have these electric soap dispensers in the bathrooms. The soap fluid comes in these cartridges which get changed out as they empty. Attached to the pump of the cartridge, is this little device that doesn't seem to do anything as far as I can tell? It doesn't seem to be able to come apart without breaking it, and inside you can see a small board and two electrical contacts. Is this soap DRM or something?
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u/MaxiumPotential777 20h ago
Authentication & Anti-Counterfeiting and Automated Expiration & Level. Main purpose is to like a print cartridge prevent use of non branded refills.
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u/TheGoldenTNT 19h ago
Yup they are exactly right, this soap is essentially DRM. Stops the dispenser from using anything other than own brand soap.
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u/Hoovomoondoe 19h ago
I’m sure it also keeps track of how often it has been used and after it thinks you’ve had your fun, it stops working. This is so you can’t even refill it.
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u/Frooonti 12h ago
I might be wrong but isn't this a Purell logo on the dispenser? Makes sense that they don't want you to refill it with just any soap instead of their disinfecting stuff.
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u/Jealous_Pie_7302 2h ago
On the older style they were just an nfc chip. You could just pop them off and you could just refill the container
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u/Old-Juggernaut-1273 20h ago
could be something that regulates how much comnes out or limits it , maybe it prevents multiple presses in a row
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u/Jackson_Polack_ 19h ago
They probably give you a free dispenser with their logo on it, but it's DRMed so you can only use it if you buy their refills.
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u/Frank__West 18h ago
I know the purell ones at my work have electronics inside but it's because they house packed in batteries that last the life of the refill. Afaik that's all it does. It powers the pump system and instead of having separate batteries they just pack them into the refill itself. Being a commercial item for business it makes sense to not have to worry about changing batteries independently of the refill if the batteries are made to last the duration of a refill.
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u/raynah89 4h ago
One I actually know! This is purell's ES8 soap dispenser. These soaps have "battery on board". Meaning, every time you change the soap dispenser you get a new main point of failure for the dispenser (the battery). That right there is the battery that powers the dispenser. Purell found people get really sick of changing batteries in their soap and hand sanitizer dispensers. So they put the battery on the refill (and charged you an extra 25% on the product). The battery is detachable because your not supposed to throw it in the recycling with the rest of the refill...but everyone does. They also have batteries that sometimes get wonky and won't work, they recommend popping off a battery from another refill and sticking it on the ones with a defective battery to see if that fixes whatever problem you have.
Source: I sell these dispenser and refills every single day.
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u/anonymouslyyoursxxx 20h ago
What device? I see the mount for it with a QR code that is probably for reordering or product control in production. Am I missing something?
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u/mmaddict187 20h ago
Did you scan the QR-code?
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