Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 This invention relates to a manual liqui~ dispensing device
2 ~ ~or spraying liquid such as cleanser, cosmetic chemical or
3 ¦ the like in a simple structure by employing a valve having
4 both intake and exhaust functions of the liquid within a
cylinder bore and, more particularly, to a liquid dispensing
6 device of trigger operated type made of plastic material such
7 as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon or the like adapted
8 for an automatic assembling production at a minimum of number
9 of parts.
A manual liquid dispensing device is widely used,
11 because it can spray liquid through a nozzle hole or orifice
12 by manually squeezing a trigger to thereby compressing the
13 liquid. Since the sprayer of this type has a stainless
14 steel ball check valve disposed in an intake portion and
a free cylindrical valve disposed in a nozzle portion to
lS move in respect of the opening and colsing operation of
17 the check valve as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent
18 No. 3,6~5,739, it has a complicated structure to thereby
19 require sophisticated assembling steps. As the piston
reciprocately mounted into a cylinder bore of this sprayer
21 consists of a piston body interlocked to a trigger, a rubber
22 cap-shaped piston washer slidably contained withirl the
23 cylinder bore, and a returning coil spring, it necessitates
24 a complicated automatic assembling line due to numerous
number of components.
26 Accordingly it is an object of the present invention
~7 to provide a liquid dispensing device which can elimina-te
2~ all the disadvantages of the conventional trigger operated
29 liquid sprayer and can readily be automatically assembled
with a simple structure.
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Another object of the present invention is to provide
a liquid dispensing device which can prevent the container
therein from becoming negatiVe pressure at itS priming time
by inserting a cylindrical adapter having stepwise cylinder
bore diameters and a hole perforated at the side wall thereof
into the cylindex bore.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a liquid dispensing device which can prevent liquid
from flowing into the space formed between the cylinder bore
and bellows interposed between the adap~er and the piston
within the cylinder bore with a gap formed to communicate
with a liquid container by separating part of the adap-ter end
from the cylinder bore wall when the piston is reciprocately
mounted into the cylinder bore for smooth spraying operation.
Still another object of the invention is to provide
a liquid dispensing device which can eliminate the dirts and
105s of liquid such as perfume, cosmetic chemicals, cleanser,
bleaching agent or the like.
Thus, by one aspect of this invention there is
provided a manual liquid dispensing device having a trigger
interlocked to a piston reciprocatingly mounted within a
cylinder bore formed in a body thereof for spraying liquid
contained in a container from a nozzle hole via the pumping
action of the piston and the cylinder bore upon squeezing
operation of the trigger, comprising:
adapter means inserted into the cylinder bore ~or
pressurizing the liquid,
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air venting means provided at the outer periphery of
said adapter means for venting air from the cylinder bore
throuyh a hole perforated in the bore wall of said adapter
means and a hole perforated through the bottom of the inner
tubular portion of the body, and
valve means made of elastic material and attached to
the end of said adapter means for opening only an outle-t
of the liquid at pressurizing time and opening only an inlet
of the liquid at pressure reducing time and including an
annular thick body, first annular thin portion integrally
extended from the outer edge thereof axially in contac-t with
the inlet of the cylinder bore, and a second annular thin
portion integrally extended from the other inner edge thereof
in contact with the outlet in the vicinity of the end of said
adapter means.
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l The foregoing objects and other objects as well as
2 the characteristic features of the invention will become
3 more fully apparent and more readily understandable by the
4 following description and the appended claims when read
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
6 Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a manual liquid
7 dispensing device of a preferred embodiment of the present
8 invention used for spraying liquid;
9 Fig. 2 is a partically enlarged sectional view of
the valve in the liquid dispensing device shown in Fig. 1;
11 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a liquid
~2 dispensing device of another preferred embodiment of the
13 present invention;
14 Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the
valve in the liquid dispensing device at liquid intaking
16 time in Fig. 3;
17 Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view of
18 ¦ the valve in the device at liquid exhausting time in Fig. 3;
l9 ¦ Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a liquid
dispensing device of a further preferred embodiment of
21 the present invention;
22 Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged longitudinally sectional
~ view of the liquid dispPnsing device at operating time in
24 E`ig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a partically enlarged laterally sectional
26 view of the device taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig.;
27 and
28 Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of a liquid
29 dispensing device of still another preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
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Re:Eerring now to the drawings, particularly to
2 Figs. 1 and 2 showing one preferred embodiment o~ the liquid
3 dispensing device according to the present invention,
4 wherein like reference numerals designate the same parts in
the following views, the liquid dispensiny device is made
6 of plastic material except a valve and a returning coil spring.
7 The structural components of the liquid dispensing device
8 are molded by strong material such as polypropylene, nylon
9 or the like. The other components such as a cylinder adap-ter,
piston, bellows, and intake or suction pipe requiring flexibilit Y
11 or watertightness are molded by material such as polyethylene
12 (PE) or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA~.
13 The liquid dispensing device 10 comprises a body 11
14 having a pressurizing chamber or cylinder bore therein,
a shroud or shroud member 12 enclosing the body 11 to form
16 the entire liquid dispensing-device profile, a trigger or
17 ¦ manually operated element 14 vertically hung from a mounting
18 recess 13 formed at the end of the shroud 12, a reciprocately
19 movable piston 15 within a cylinder bore 25 by manually
squeezing the trigyer 1'l, an internally threaded cap or
21 closure 17 screwed on the externally threaded neck of a
22 container 16 and the cap 17.
~ The body 11 has a horizontal, vertical, and oblique
24 portions. The horizontal portion of the body 11 has an
outlet passage 19 :Eor flowing liquid to be sprayed, a spring
26 element 20 formed at the end of the passage 19, and a cap 21
27 formed with a nozzle hole or orifice 22 an~ coated on the
~8 spinner element 20. The vertical portion has inner and outer
29 tubular portions 23 and 24 integrally projected from the
body 11 to be engaged with the intake portion 18.
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l The oblique portion ha~ a cylinder bore 25 formed to engage
2 an adapter 26 therein. The adapter 26 has three stepwise
3 cylinder bore diameters as a pressurizing chamber as will
4 be described hereina~ter in greater detail.
The intake portion 18 has inner and outer tubular portions
6 27 and 28 for holding the outer tubular portion 24 of the
7 body 11 from inside and outside walls of the outer tubular
8 portion 24. An annular gap 29 is formed between the inner
9 tubular portion 23 of the body 11 and the inner tubular
portion 27 to vent the air at priming time.
ll The inner and outer tubular portions 27 and 28 are integrated
12 at the lower flange 30, which is held between the upper
13 edge of the cap 17 and a gasket 31 filled in the intake
14 portion 18. The cap 17 is internally threaded and is
lS screwed on a threaded neck 32 of the liquid container 16O
16 An intake or suction pipe 33 is inserted into the inner
17 tubular portion 23 of the body 11 to be dipped in the li~uid
18 in the container 16 to intake the liquid into the pressuri~ing
19 chamber of the adapter 26. A hole 34 is perforated at
the adapter 26 to communicate with a gap 35 formed on the
21 outer periphery of the adapter 26. In addition, a hole 36
22 is also perforated at the bottom of the inner tubular portion
~ 23 of the body 11 to communicate with the gap 35.
24 The trigger 14 is engaged at the upper lug 37 thereoE
~5 with the mounting recess 13 formed in the vicinity of the
26 end of the side plate 38 of the shroud 12 to be thus hung
27 down from the recess 13. The trigger 14 has a pivot 39
28 formed at the inside center thereof and engaged with a recess
29 40 formed at the end of the piston 15. The adapter 26 has
large-diameter, intermediate-diameter, and small-diameter
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bores 41, 42 and 43, and i~ inser-ted into the cylinder
2 bore 25. The outer sliding contact portion 44 of the
3 piston 15 is watertightly ~;lidably inserted telescopically
4 into the large-diameter bore 41 of -the adapter 26.
A coil spring ~6 is provided in compression between the
6 inside bottom of the piston 15 and the shoulder of the
7 small-diameter bore 43 of the adapter 26 to elastically
8 return the piston 15 outwardly. The piston 15 has an inner
9 stem 45 integrally axially projected from the inside bottom
thereof. This inner stem 45 of the piston l5 serves -to
11 adjust the volume of the pressuri7ing chamber and to
12 operate as a coil spring guide.
13 The hole 34 is perforated at substantially center
14 of the large~diameter bore 41 of the adapter 26 as described
above to prevent the bore 41 from becoming negative pressure,
16 and the gap 35 is provided at the outer periphery of the
17 adapter 26 at the inner position from the hole 34 for air
18 vent to communicate with a hole 36 perforated at the
19 bottom of the inner tubular portion 23 of the body 11,
A hole 47 is perforated at the intermediate-diameter bore
21 42 of the adapter 26 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. An outlet
22 hole 48 is perforated at the side wall of the small-diameter
23 bore 43 of the adapter 26 to communicate with the outlet
24 passage 19. A rubber valve 50 of Z shape in cross section
is coated on the side peripheral wall of the small-diameter
26 bore 43 of the adapter 26 as shown in enlarged manner in
27 ~ig. 2.
28 The valve 50 has an annular thick body 49, an annular
~9 thin portion 51 integrally extended from the outer edge
thereof axially, and another annular thin portion 52
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l integrally extended from the other inner edge thereof
2 axially. In the state that the valve 50 is coated on
3 the small-diameter bore 43 of the adapter 26, it closes
4 an inlet 53 communicating with the intake portion 18
of the container 16 via the annular thin portion 51
6 thereof and also closes the outlet hole 48 communicating
7 with the outlet passage 19 via the annular thin portion
8 52 thereof~ The end surface of the small-diameter bore
9 43 of the adapter 26 is brought in contact with the
inner bottom of the cylinder bore 25 to form an annular
ll chamber 25a between the adapter 26 and the inner peripheral
12 wall of the cylinder bore 25 with a stopper 25b attached
13 to the inner peripheral and bottom walls of the cylinder
14 bore 25 to be brought into contact with the annular thick
body 49 of the valve 50 to thereby control the position
16 of the valve 50 as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, since only
17 the valve 50 operates to intake and exhaus.t the llquid
18 in the same manner as will be described with reference
l9 to the following preEerred several embodiments of the
present invention to thereby eliminate the check valve
21 in the intake portion and the free valv~ in the nozzle
22 portion in order to reduce the number of parts for an
23 easy automatic.assembling operation.
24 The operation of the liquid dispensing device thus
~5 constructed according to the present invention is as follows:
26 When the trigger 14 is squeezed twice or three times to
27 spray the liquid from the liquid dispensing device, the
28 liquid in the con,tainer is intaken into the pressurizing
29 chamber of the liquid dispensir~g device to enable priming
of the device.
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l More particularly, when the trigger 1~ is squeezed in the
2 state sho~n in Fig. 1, the piston 15 is retracted into
3 the adapter 26 against the tension of the coil spring 46.
4 If the sliding contact portion 44 of the piston 15 passes
over the hole 3~ of the adapter 26, the atmospheric air
6 communicates through the annular gap 29, the hole 36,
7 and the hole 34 with the air in the container 16 to
prevent the container 16 from becoming negative pressure.
9 When the p7 ston 15 is further retracted into the adapter
26, the pressuriæing chamber is pressurized further to
ll thereby expand the annular thin portion 52 of the valve
12 50 so as to discharge the compressed air through the
13 outlet hole 48, the outlet passage 19, and the spinner
14 . element 20 externally from the nozzle hole 22. When the
tri~ger 14 is then released, the piston 15 is extended
16 from the adapter 26 by the tension of the coil spring 46
17 to thereby reduce the pressure in the cylinder bore 25
18 so as to close the annular thin portion 51 to thus intake
l9 the liquid in the container 16 through the intake pipe
33 and the inlet 53 into the adapter 26 as shown in Fig. 2
21 to fiIl the liquid in the adapter 26. The hole 34 is
22 closed by the sliding contact portion 44 o~ the piston 15
23 at the rear extending stroke of the piston 15 as shown
24 in Fig. 1.
~5 The liquid is filled within the adapter 26 by the
26 several operations of the trigger squeezing and releasing
27 actions of the liquid dispensing device. If the triyger
28 14 is further squeezed again, the liquid in the adapter 26
29 is pressurized to open the annular thin portion 52 of
the valve 50 to thereby spray the liquid through the
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1 outlet hole 48, the outlet passage 19, and the spinner
2 element 20 from the noæzle hole 22. The pressure in the
3 adapter 26 is reduced at the extending stroke of the
4 piston 15 upon release of the trigger 14 to ~hereby
open the annular thin portion 51 of the valve 50 so as to
6 intake and supply the liquid from the container 16, and
7 vice versa to close the annular thin portion 51 of the
8 valve 50 and to open the annular thin portion 52 at
9 the retracting stroke of the piston 15 into the adapter
26 upon squeezing of the trigger 14.
11 Figs. 3 through 5 show another preferred embodiment
12 of the liquid dispensing device employing the modified
13 valve at the end of the adapter according to the present
14 invention. The adapter 26 of this preferred embodiment
of the present inven~ion has large-diameter, intermediate-
16 diameter, and small-diameter bores 41, 42 and 43, a hole 3
17 perforated at the large-diameter bore 41 thereof to
18 prevent the bore 41 from becoming negative pressure,
19 gap 35 formed on the outer periphery thereoE, and a hole
47 perforated at the intermediate-diameter bore 42 thereof
21 in the same manner as the first preferred embodiment
~2 shown in Fig. 1.
~3 The bottom end of the small-diameter bore 43 oE the adapter
24 26 is removed, and modified valve 54 is instead dîsposed
at the bottom of the adapter 26. The valve 54 has, as
26 shown in expanded manner in Fig. 4, an annular thick
27 body 55 of trapezoidal cross section, an annular thin
28 portion 56 integrally extended from the outer edge thereof
29 ¦ axially, a radial coupler 57 integrally radially extended
at the other end thereof, and a semispherical portion 5~
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formed with a flat outside at one side and with curved
2 projection at the other at the center thereoE. This
3 semispherical portion 58 of the valve 54 has the size for
4 closirlg the opening 59 of the small-diameter bore 43 of
S the adapter 26 tcorresponding to the outlet o~ the pressurizing
6 chamber). The chamber 25a is formed at the bottom of
7 the adapter 26 to communicate with the outlet passage 19
8 with a stopper 60 attached to the inner peripheral and
9 bottom walls of the cylinder bore 25 to be brought into
contact with the annular thick body 55 of the valve 54
ll to thereby control the position of the valve 54.
12 In operation of the preferred embodiment of the
13 liquid dispensing device thus constructed according to the
14 present invention, when the piston 15 is not retracted
into the adapter 26 upon no squeezing of the trigger 14,
16 the inlet 53 is closed by the annular thick portion 56
17 of the valve 54, and the opening 59 is also closed by
18 the semispherical portion 58 of the valve 54. When the
19 trigger 14 is released to extend the piston 15 from the
adapter 26, the pressure in the pressurizing chamber is
~1 reduced to cause the semishpherical portion 58 of the
22 valve 54 to be closely brought into contact with the opening
23 59 and to attract the annular thin portion 56 inwardly
24 to thereby communicate the hole 47 with the inlet 53 so as
to intake the liquid from the container 16 through the
26 intake pipe 33 as shown in Fig. 4. When the trigger 14 is
27 squeezed to retract the piston 15 into the adapter 26,
2~ the pressurizing chamber is pressurized to bring the annular
29 thin portion 56 of the valve 54 into the bore wall to
close the inlet 53 and to deflect the radial coupler 57
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1 Outwardly so as to urge the semispherical portion 5
2 toward the chamber 25a to thereby open the opening 59
3 in order to feed the liquid in the pressurizing chamber
4 into the outlet passage 19 as shown in Fig. 5.
The liquid in the container 16 is in-taken into the
6 pressurizing chamber by the several operations of the
7 trigger squeezing and releasing actions of the liquid
8 dispensing device to spray the liquid through the outlet
9 passage 19 from the nozzle hole 22.
Figs. 6 through 8 show a further preferred embodiment
11 of the liquid dispensing de~ice employing modified piston
12 and adapter according to the present invention.
13 The piston 65 of this preferred embodiment of the present
14 invention has a connecting member 69 provided at one end at
the inside center of the trigger 14, a cap-shaped piston
16 body 66 integrally formed at the end of the connecting
17 member 69, and bellows 68 interposed between the piston
bod~ 66 and the adapter 67.
18
19 The connecting member 69 has thick planar shape and
two thin portions 70, 70 as bending joints formed at the
21 lower surface thereof so that the piston body 66 may
22 correctly telescope within the cylinder bore 25 upon squeezing
23 of the trigger 14. The piston body 66 has oblique suxfaces
24 and recesses f-ormed inside to bring the bellows 68 in close
contact therewith, and outer peripheral skirt portion 75
26 formed with recesses 76 for air vent as will be hereinafter
27 described in greater detail.
28 The adapter 67 has large-diameter, intermediate-
29 diameter, and small-diameter bores 71, 72 and 73. The
large-diameter bore 71 of the adapter 67 is substantially
10~924~)
1 half the length of the cylinder hore 25. The adapter 67
2 has an inner stem formed thereirl axially to engage the
3 bellows 68 a~ one end. A hole 47 is perforated at the
4 intermediate-diameter bore 72, and an outlet hole 48 is
perforated at the side wall of -the small~diameter bore 73
6 of the adapter 67. The valve 50 is constructed in the
7 same manner as that shown in Fig. 1.
8 Small step is formed on the inner surface of the
9 cylinder bore 25 of this preferred embodiment of the
liquid dispensing device as shown in Fig. 6. One or
11 several stripes of longitudinal ribs 80 are formed at
12 the small step of the cylinder bore 25. Outwardly projected
13 ¦ annular projection 74 is formed in the vicinity of the
14 end of the adapter 67. A plurality of internally projected
recesses 76 are formed on the skirt portion 75 of the
16 piston body 66. There are thus provided a gap 35
17 communicating with the hole 36 at the portion inside from
18 the projection 74 of the adapter 67.
l9 ¦ In operation of this preferred embodiment of the
liquid dispensing device thus constructed according to the
21 present invention, when the trigger 14 is squeezed, the
~2 piston body 66 is retracted through the connecting member
~ 69 into the cylinder bore 25 to thus contract the bellows
24 68. When the trigger 14 is released, the piston body 66
is extended to the original position by the returning
26 force of the bellows 68. If the trigger 14 is squeezed
27 and released several times for the priming of the liquid
28 dispensing device, the liquid in the container 16 is
29 filled into the pressurizing chamber. When the trigger 14
is further squeezed repeatedly, the annular thin portions
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l 51 and 52 of the valve 50 are opened and closed to spra~
2 the liquid from the nozzle hole 22 in the same manner
3 as the first preferred embodiment shown in ~igs. 1 and 2.
4 More particularly, when the piston 6S is retracted
into the cylinder bore 25 upon squeezing of the trigger 14,
6 the recesses 76 of the skirt portion 75 of the piston body
7 66 is brought into contact with the longitudinal ribs 80
8 of the cylinder bore 25, and the large-diameter bore 71
9 of the adapter 67 is protruded into the recesses 76 of
the piston body 66 as shown in Eigs. 7 and 8 with the
l1 result that an air passage is Eormed by the recesses 76
12 and the deflected large-diameter bore 71 to thereby
13 communicate the chamber 81 formed by the bellows 68, the
l~ skirt portion 75, and the large-diameter bore 71 with
the atmosphere, and the atmosphere is simultaneously
16 communicated with container 16 through the gap 35, the
17 hole 36, and the annular gap 29. This air passage thus
18 formed prevents the chamber 81 from becoming negative
l9 pressure. If this air passage is not fromed, the liquid
is intakèn into the chamber 81 upon pumping action to
21 thereby obstruct the ooerations of the piston 65 and the
22 bellows 68. In addition, if the liquid dispensing device
~ is accidentally fallen down during its transportation after
2~ the liquid is filled in the container 16 to cause the liquid
2S to be introduced into the chamber 81, it disables priming
26 of the liquid dispensing device and normal operation of
27 the device. If the liquid dispensing device is triggered
28 without notice of the accident, the liquid is leaked from
29 the device. However, since the air passage is formed in
the preferred embodiment of the liquid dispensing device
1 of the present invention as ~escribed ab~ve, i-t can eliminate
2 such difficulty.
3 Fig. 9 shows still another embodiment of the liquid
4 dispensing device employing the valve 54 shown in Figs. 3
through 5 in the preferred embodiMent shown in Figs. 6 through
6 8 according to the present invention. One or several
7 stripes of longitudinal ribs 80 are formed at the small
8 step of the cylinder bore 25 in the same manner as shown
9 in Fig. 6. When the piston 65 is retracted into the cylinder
bore 25 upon squeezing of the trigger 14, the skirt portion
11 75 of the piston body 66 is ridden on the ribs 80 to form
12 an air vent gap therebetween in the same manner as the
13 preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 6 through 8.
14 It should be understood from the foregoing description
that siIlce the liquid dispensing device of the present invention
16 is thus constructed and operated, it is advantageously
17 useful for a manually liquid spraying device of perfume,
18 cosmetic chemicals, cleanser, bleaching agent, etc.so as
1~ to effectively eliminate the dirts and loss of the liquid
but to conveniently spray the liquid.
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