Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
J 03 Rec'd PCT/P~O 1 9 AUG 1993
F~AP VAI trE ASSEM8LY FOR TRIaaER SPRAYE~
8ACKaROUND OF T~E INV~NTION
1. Fielt o~ the I~vention.
The present invention relates to a trigger operated
5 dispen~ing device for mounting to the top neck of a storage
container. Although such devices, known a~ trigger sprayers,
can be reused, often times they are dl~posed of.
The trigger sprayex includes a body, and a pumping
mechanism comprislng a trigger movably mounted to the body, a
10 piston releasably coupled to the trigger and a cylinder in the
body for recelving the plston for pumping 1uid and defining a
pumping chamber. The cylinder extends to a S~xed bac~ wall in
the body, whereby the space between the b~ck wal~ and the inner
end of the movable piston defines a variable volume pumping
15 chamber. The cylinder has a fluid inlet valve and a fluid
outlet valve as~oclated with the back wall;
The volume of the pumping chamber at the end of an
ejection stroke of the piston is made a~ small as possible by
maklng the inlet and out~let valves as first and second plastic
20 flap valves.
2. D-~criptlon o~ Th- Prior ~rt.
Example~ of previously proposed trigger sprayers having
flap type valves ant ~ome being non piston type trigger
sprayers whlch do not appear to have metal parts are disclosed
25 ln the follow~ng patentss
U.~. Patent No. Pa~e~tee
4,819,835 Tasaki
4,618,077 Corsette
4,241,852 Paul~ et al.
4,235,353 Capra et al.
- 4,225,061 Blake et al.
4,201,317 Aleff
4,}55,487 Blake
3,973,700 Schmidt et al.
8UMMARY OF ~ INV~NT~ON
The pre~ent invention relate~ to a pumping mechani~m for
a trigger operated fluid dispenslng device, e.g. trigger
40 sprayer, for pumping fluid from a Qtorage container into a
.
discharge end of the di~pensing device. The pumping mechanism
; -substitute s~eet-
:
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2 03 Rec'd PC~r,~ 1 9 AUG 1993
includes a chambex within the body of the trigger ~prayer, a
piston and two flap valves as~ociated with an internal back
wall of the chamber. The flap valves are normally closed and
pressure controlled to ensure a quick filling and emptying of
5 the collection chamber.
During the fluid intake stroke, a vacuum inside the
collection chamber opens an inlet flap valve and sucks fluid
rom the container via an inlet opening into the collection
chamber. During the fluid ejectlon stro~e the pre~sure inside
10 the collection chamber closes the fluid inlet flap valve and
forces open a fluid outlet flap valve associated with the
integral back wall to ~orce the fluid through an outlet opening
and a discharge passageway into the atmo~phere.
BllSl~F D~SCRSPTION OF THE DR~WIN~
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trigger ~prayer
constructed according to the teaching~ of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is an explodet per~pective view of the trigger
20 sprayer shown in FIG. 1 and shows a locking ring prior to its
detachment from a cylindrical base of the sprayer body~
FIG. 3 i~ a vertical ~ectional view of the trigger sprayer
in its at re~t position where a spring between a trtgger and
the ~p~ayer body biases the trigger and a piston rod coupled
25 thereto to the st outward position.
FIG. 4 is a vertical sectio~al view of the trigger ~prayer
s~mll~r to the view hown in FIG. 3 but showing the trigger
fully depre-~-d.
. . ,
DF8CR~Pr~ON OF T~F;PREF~R~D EM~ODIM~NT~8)
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is
illu~trated in, FIG. 1l a per~pect~ve ,riew of an all
synthetic/pla~tlc trigger sprayer 10 coupled to a bottle 12.
An exploded per~pective view of the parts of the trigger
~prayer 10 i9 shown in mor- detail in FIG. 2.
The triqger ~pray-r 10 include~ a body 14, a nose bushing
16 at a di~charge end 18 of the body 14, a nozzle tamper proof
pull away piec- ~20,~ a top portion 22 and a hand gripping
-~ubstitute sheet-
PC, . . 9 3 / 0 2 0 ~ 8
f~ ` ~3 Re~'d Pî,T/~.~ 1 9 AUG 1993
formation 24 extending rearwardly from the top portion 22 of
the body 14 and then downwardly to a cylindrical base 26 of the
body 14. The base 26 i9 held by a lockin~ ring 28 to a neek 30
of the bottle 12.
A trigger 32 having a front side 31 i8 pivetally mounted
to the body 14 by having two eylindrieal pin~ 34, molded on the
top end of two opposed side walls 36 of the trigger 32,
in~erted into two eorre~ponding holes 38 in the body 14 of the
trigger sprayer 10.
As ~hown in P~G. 2, a plastie spring assembly 40 is pla~ed
between the body 14 and the trigger 32 to urge the trigger 32
always baek into it~ home position. Coupled to the trigger 32
is a piston 42 having an outer piston rod 44 whieh eonneets
with the trigger 32 and an inner eylindrieal end 46 whieh is
15 reeeived in a eylindrieal opening 48 in the body 14 for the
pu~po~e of varying the volume in a pumping ehamber defined in
the opening 4~.
The trigger 32, the spring assembly 40, the piston 42 and
the eylindrieal opening 48 form and define primary eomponents
20 of a pumping meehani~m 4i.
A valve intake stem 50 is reeeived into the bottom of ~he
eylindrieal base 26 nd has a dip tube 52 releasably fixed
thereto and depending therefrom for in~ert~on into the bottle
lZ.
A safe and ehild re~i~tant sprayer/bottle eonneetio~ is
provided ant :ineludes loeking tabs 53 with lug reeeiving
: openinqs 54 formed in~ the eylindrieal side wall of the
cylindrical ba~e 26 a~nd loeking ~ugs on the bottle neek 30 and
loek~d in plaee by the loeking ring 28.
When th-:molded ~prayer body is removed from a mold, the
loeking ring 28, eonneeted to the eylindrieal base 26 of the
body 1~ by six link~, points, fillets or webs 57 whieh are
neeessary for molding the loeking ring 28 together with the
body 14, is broken;~away from the eylindrieal base 26 by
35 breaking the~fillet~s 57 and moved upwardly on the base 26~
: During assembly of the ~arts of the trigger sprayer 10, the
loeking~ring 28 ~is moved downwardly over the eylindrieal base
26.
sub~titute sheet-
T ? 9 3 ~ o 2 n 6 8
4 03 Rec'd PCTJ,-~O 1 9 AUG 199
A nozzle assembly 58 i8 provided and includes a rotatable
nozzle cap 60 having a forwardly extending cylindrical
extension 62. The nozzle cap 60 is mounted on the nose bushing
16 extending rom a cylindrical portion 64 of the body 14 and
5 includes an annular band 66 for holding the nozzle cap 60.
Three different po~itions of the nozzle cap 60, a 8~0P
po~ition, a 8PRAY po~ition, and a ~TREAM position are provided.
When the nozzle a~embly 58 i8 mounted to the body 14, a
mounting block 67 of the piece 20 i~ ~nap fittingly received
10 through an opening 68 in the top port~on 22. At the ~ame time,
foxk armR 69 o~ the piece 20 extend through notches 70 in the
top portion 22 ant/or notche~ 71 in the top wall of the cap 60
between one of two 1exible locking leg~ or prangs 72 and the
cylindrical portion 64 for securing the nozzle cap 60 in its
15 8~0P po~ition, thereby en~uring a tamper proof and child
resi~tant locking of the trigger sprayer nozzle aQsembly 58 to
the body 14.
The nozzle as~embly 58 i~ mounted on the discharge end 18
of trigger sprayer 10, a~ described above. The top portion.22
20 of the body 14 extends rearwardly to a rear end 73 of the hand
gripping formation 24 and then slants forwardly and downwardly
from the rear end 73 to the cylindrical base 26.
Tho ~ix contact illet~ or web~ 57 are uniformly
distributed around the lower end.of the cylindrical base 26 and
25 are initially integral with the locking ring 28. ~uring the
molding proce~s, the contact fillets or web~ 57 are broken and
the lockin.g ring 28 i~ moved upwardly relative to the
cyl~ndrical ba~e 26. Later, when the locking ring 28 is moved
downwardly on the base 26, an annular qroove 74 within the
30 lock~ng ring 28 ~nap-f~ittingly mates with an annular rib 75 on
t~e ba~e 26. The upper po~ition of the locking ring 28 is the
pre-application-to-a-bottle~position and the locking ring 28 is
held in this position by frictional engagement of the inner
wall of the locking ring 28 with the rib segment~ 76 provided
: 35 on the outer cylindrical wall of the cylindrical base 26. The
upper, partially annular rib segment~ 76 on the outer
cylindrical wal~l of the cylindrical ba~e 26 locate ~nd to some
extent limit upward movement of the locking ring 28.
-~ub~titute sheet-
a~ 3Re~ 3ï01290AqJ~1993
As shown in FIG. 3, molded within the cylindrical base 26
to a top wall 314 of the cylindrical base 26 is a ~mall
diameter seal ring 316. The seal ring 316 i~ designed to seal
against the inner diameter of the bottle neck 30. The ~eal
5 ring ~16 has a bevelled end 318 at its lower side to ~acilitate
in~ertion of the bottle neck 30 into the ba~e 26 and around the
seal ring 316.
Within the inner area of seal ring 316 i8 an opening 320,
having a shape according to the ~hape of the intake stem 50
10 which ~8 generally oval in cros~-section. $he intake stem 50
i9 press-fitted into the opening 320 until ridge~ 322 on the
intake stem S0 ~nap into mating mounting grooves on the inner
surface of the wall of the opening 320. In this way, an air
tight seal i~ provided. The diptube 52 1~ releasably fixed in
15 the center of the intake stem 50. The length of the diptube 52
depends on the ~ize of the bottle 12. However, it is
recommended that the diptube 52 should extend to the bottom of
tho bottle 12 but ~houldn~t touch it.
The cylindrical opening 48 i~ located inside the body 14
20 of the trigger sprayer 10. The pi~ton cylindrical end 46 fits
tightly into the cylindrical opening 48 to create a pumping
ch~mber 324 having a variable volume between a fixed back w~ll
326 of the cyl~ndrical opening 48 and a rearwardly facing wall
328 of the piston cylindrical end 46. The fixed wall 326 of
25 the pumping cha~ber 324~ha~ an inlet flap valve 330 ~ituated in
tho lower part thereof and an opening 332 in the upper pArt
thoroof. An orifice 334 thsough a wall of the intake ~tem 50
i~ located to mate or register with the inlet flap valve 330
and to establi~h an inlet passageway. The inlet pa~sageway is
30 provided by the hollow diptube 52, the intake stem 50 and the
orifice 334.
The opening 332 is located to mate or regi~ter with an
outl-t flap valvë 336 on the top sido of intake ~tem 50~ Iniet
flap valve 330 and outlet flap valve 336 control the fluid flow
35 into and out of pumping chamber 324.
The trigger 32 i9 pivotally mounted on the body 14 of the
trigger ~prayer 10 by in~erting the two laterally extending
pin~ 34 on the upp-r part of the trigger 32 into the two
~ -substitute sheet-
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6 ~3 R~ "rT/~-~ 1 9 AUG 1993
corresponding holes 38 in the body 14.
A~ shown in FIG. 4, the plastic ~pring as~embly 40 has a
flat tapered end 410 press-fitted into a recess 412 in the body
14 loeated underneath an inner end of the cylindr~cal portion
5 64 of the body 14. Another end 414 o~ the plastie spring
assembly 40 is placed in a trough-like ~pace 416 in the back
side of the trigger 32 against a baek wall 415. The plastic
spring a~sembly 40 is bent and remains under stress to urge the
trigger 32 always baek into its home position.
FIG. 4 shows the trigger sprayer 10 with the trigger 32
pres~ed in by the operator. The pressure in the pumping
ehamber 324 opens outlet flap valve 336 so that the fluid ean
leave pumping ehamber 324. At the ~ame time, the plastic
~pring as~embly~ 40 i9 bent and ~tres~ed even more, but it is
15 not stretehed above its Hook limit, and the oper~tor needs a
maximum foree to keep the t~igger 32 pre~sed in.
After the operator stops pressing trigger 32, the pla~tie
spring a~sembly 40 urges the trlgger 32 togethér with pi~ton 42
baek-into theLr home positions. While the piston 42 move~
20 baek, a vaeuum arises inside the pumplng ehamber 324. This
vaeuum open~ Lnlet flap valve 330 and ~ueks in fluid from the
bottle 12.
When the fluid is sue~ed out of the bottle 12, and beeause
..
the bottle 12 and the trigger sprayer 10 eonnection is aLr
25 tight, a vaeuum~arises within the bottle 12. To avold ~ vacuum
with~n the bottle 12, a;ventLng system is provided. The
vent~ng sy~t _ includ-s a~veqt hole 344 in the top wall 314 of
~he cylindrical~ba~e 26. This part of the top wall 314 defines
a wall area between the lower side of the eylindrieal opening
30 48 in~ide body 14 of trLgger sprayer 10 and a eylindrieal
eavi~y 346 within eylindrieal ba~e 26. When the trigger 32 is
fully pres~ed ~n, vent hole 344 is opened and a fluid
eonneetion'betwee~the linsLde of the ~ottle 12 and 'the
atmosphere i~ e~tablished 80 that air i~ able to get into the
35 bottle 12. Wh-n the~trigger 32 i8 not pressed in, e.g. when it
i~ in its hom~ posLtion,~the vent hole 344 i8 eovered by the
eylindrieal end 46~of~the piston 42 to elo~e the vent hole 344
thereby preventing fluid from coming out of the bo~tle 12.
~ -substitute sheet~
` ~ 1 3~ 7Q^, ,, ~ TIPT~ 1 9 AUG 1993
The pumping chamber 324 i3 de~igned so that, the "dead
volume", i e the minimum volume of the pumping chamber 324, iq
very ~mall, 1/20 to 1/4 the full volume of pumping chamber 324
~ ith a small dead volume, only a very little amount of the
S fluid or air i~ left in the pumping chamber 324, after the
trigger 32 i~ fully pressed in ~hi~ construction minimizes
the qize of compre~sible air space inside the pumping chamber
324 and allows the trigger spr~yer 10 to build higher
compression again~t the flap valve 330 during the p~iming of
10 the trigger sprayer 10 This minimized "dead volume" provides
for guicker priming o the trigger sprayer 10 and higher vacuum
and high compression during the intake and e~ection strokes
Another effect of the small "dead volume" i8 that the
pumping chamber 324 i~ filled up with fluid very quickly
15 therefore reducing the number o~ initial strokes required to
prime the trigger sprayer 10
An outer end 510 of the pi~ton rod 44 has a transversely
located cylinder 512 The cylinder 512 i8 locatet transver~ely
to the longitudinal ~xis of the piston rod 44 between legs 513
and has an axially extending V in cross ~ectlon slot 514 in the
5 middle thereof for receiving a pivot edge 516 at the vertex of
a V in-cros~-section outer end of a hook member 517 extending
between the sides 36 of the trigger 32 The hook member 517 i9
iart of a bearing formation 518 which i~ provided on the
backside of trigger 32 betw en the sides 36 and which has an
10 open~ng 519 thr,ough which the outer end~ 510 i~ received The
cyl~nder 512 engages in the bearing formation-518 of the
tr~gger 32 and the sides of the V shaped slot 514 act a~ ~or
for~) stops to limit the rotational freedom of the connected
part~
The arc ~ubtended by or the angle at the vertex of the "V"
of th- V shaped~-lot 514 is substantially greater than the arc
~ubtended by or th- angle at the vertex of the NVH of the V in-
cros~-section outer~end of the hook member 517 to permit the V-
shaped fulcrum end portion to rotate on the v-shaped pivot seat,
20 during movem nt of the trigqer from its home position to its
fully squeezed in position
The bearinq formation 518, in combination with the V
-substitute 3heet-
PT~ ~ I q~ n ~
shaped slot 514, establish a movable trigger 32 - pi3ton 42
connection with limited, but suf~icient, rotational freedom.
Thi~ enables the piston 42 to be moved within the pumping
chamber 324 while being pivotally connected to trigger 32 in a
5 simple and efficient manner.
The bearing formation 518 includes two rounded bearing
seating sur~ace~ 520 ad~acent the inner side of each ~ide 36 of
the trigger 32 and between one ~ide 36 of the trigger 32 and
the hook me~ber 517 at the top of the opening Sl9 and between
5 one ~ide 36 and a ~lot 521 on the bottom of the opening 519.
The cylindrical ends of the cylinder 512 seat and rotate on
these bearing ~urface~ 520.
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~, ~ . ,.
; ~ -substitute sheet-
