AU2010200305A1

AU2010200305A1 - A fluid dispensing device

Info

Publication number: AU2010200305A1
Application number: AU2010200305A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Allen Esling
Original assignee: DAVID ESLING
Current assignee: DAVID ESLING
Priority date: 2009-07-15
Filing date: 2010-01-28
Publication date: 2011-02-03

Description

1. AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 (Cth) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION APPLICANT DAVID ALLEN ESLING TITLE A FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE The invention is described in the following statement including the best method known to us: 2. A FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE 5 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to a fluid dispensing device. Embodiments find particular, but not exclusive, use as a spray bottle. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fluid dispensing devices such as "spray bottles" are used for a variety of purposes, including the metered dispensing of cleaning products, gardening products (such as weed killers, pest killers, fertilizers, etc.), and other fluids used in a variety of 15 domestic and commercial applications. A spray bottle typically includes a reservoir that contains the fluid to be dispensed and a nozzle (opening) through which the product is dispensed. The nozzle is generally in fluid communication with the reservoir via a pump mechanism. Many common spray bottles further include a dispensing tube which is attached to the pump 20 mechanism and descends into the reservoir. The pump mechanism is arranged to draw fluid out of the reservoir (through the tube) when the pump mechanism is activated. That is, fluid is drawn into the pump mechanism and is expelled through the nozzle. When the tube is not in contact with the fluid, the pump is unable to draw fluid. In turn, fluid cannot be dispensed through the nozzle. 25 In typical spray bottles, the dispensing tube descends into the reservoir in a manner such that the orientation of the tube is generally perpendicular to the floor or bottom of the reservoir. Moreover, the tube in located in a "middle" portion of the reservoir (i.e. at a location approximately equidistant from each of the walls of the reservoir). 30 When the spray bottle is only partially full of fluid and is tilted so that the nozzle faces towards a ground (substantially horizontal) surface, the fluid in the bottle settles in a front portion of the bottle (i.e. at a location adjacent the front wall of the reservoir), such that the tube is no longer in contact with the fluid. In such an orientation, the spray bottle ceases to operate effectively, as the tube may only draw fluid intermittently 35 (or not at all).

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a spray bottle reservoir, comprising a shaped formation disposed in the interior of the reservoir, the reservoir 5 having a front and a back, and the shaped formation being arranged to guide a dispensing tube in fluid communication with a spray nozzle to a location in a bottom region of a front side of the interior of the reservoir to facilitate drawing of fluid from the reservoir through the dispensing tube to the spray nozzle when the spray nozzle is fitted to the reservoir and the reservoir is held in a substantially upright orientation or is 10 moved through a range of motion from the upright orientation to an inclined in-use orientation with the front of the reservoir directed forwardly, and wherein the shaped formation is disposed within the interior of the reservoir in an elevated position relative to the floor of the reservoir. In another aspect of the invention there is provided a spray bottle, comprising: 15 a spray nozzle; a dispensing tube in fluid communication with the spray nozzle; and a reservoir with a front and a back, and a shaped formation disposed in the interior of the reservoir, the shaped formation being arranged to guide the dispensing tube to a location in a bottom region of a front side of the interior of the reservoir to 20 facilitate drawing of fluid from the reservoir through the dispensing tube to the spray nozzle when the reservoir is held in a substantially upright orientation or is moved through a range of motion from the upright orientation to an inclined in-use orientation with the front of the reservoir directed forwardly, and wherein the shaped formation is disposed within the interior of the reservoir in an elevated position relative to the floor 25 of the reservoir. In at least some embodiments the reservoir has a neck wherein the neck is profiled to form an indentation in the interior of the reservoir, and the indentation forms the shaped formation. The neck of the reservoir is generally integrally moulded with the reservoir and is profiled to form a palm rest when the neck is gripped by a user. The 30 front of the neck can also be profiled to provide one or more finger indentations in which the fingers of the user rest. Typically, the indentation of the neck is curved to direct the dispensing tube to the bottom region of the front side of the reservoir.

4. In one or more other embodiments, the shaped formation is provided by an internal wall in an upper region of the reservoir. Typically, the wall defines a through opening extending from one side of the reservoir to an opposite side of the reservoir. 5 Typically, the through opening is elongate and is inclined downwardly in a direction from the back to the front of the reservoir. The through opening can be disposed below, or adjacent to, a shoulder region of the reservoir for reception of one or more fingers of a user to facilitate carrying of the reservoir by the user, or be located in a lower region of the reservoir above the floor. 10 Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers, integers or steps. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has 15 been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application. 20 The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 25 Figures 1A and 1B are perspective views of a typical spray bottle of the prior art; Figures 2A and 2B are perspective views of a spray bottle embodied by the invention; 30 Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a reservoir of another spray bottle embodied by the invention; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of yet another spray bottle embodied by the invention; and 5. Figure 5 is a schematic side view of still another spray bottle embodied by the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE 5 INVENTION Figure 1A shows a typical spray bottle 10 of the prior art. The spray bottle 10 includes a reservoir 12 and a pump mechanism 16 with a spray nozzle 14. The pump mechanism 16 is attached to a dispensing tube 18 which descends into the reservoir 12 10 to draw fluid 'F' into the pump 16 and out of the spray nozzle 14 when a trigger or the like of the pump mechanism is depressed by a user. As can be seen in Fig. 1A, the dispenser tube 18 when placed in the reservoir of the spray bottle 10 generally descends into, and remains within, a middle portion 'C' of the reservoir 12. When the spray bottle is only partially full of liquid and is tilted so 15 that the spray nozzle 14 faces downward towards a ground surface, as shown in Fig. 1B, the fluid F settles toward the front of the reservoir such that the tube 18 is no longer in contact with the fluid F. As such, the spray bottle 10 ceases to operate effectively, as the tube 18 can only intermittently draw fluid into the pump mechanism. An embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 2A and 2B. In this 20 embodiment, the neck 24 of the reservoir 26 has a shaped profile (generally denoted by the numeral 20) which terminates in an indentation 22 at a portion of the bottle intermediate the neck 24 and the remaining lower portion of the reservoir 26. The indentation 22 constitutes a shaped portion/formation that acts as a lip which protrudes into, and partially extends across, the entrance to the lower portion 25 of the interior of the reservoir 28 in a manner such that the dispensing tube 18 of the pump mechanism is urged toward the front of the reservoir when the tube is inserted into the reservoir's neck 24. In other words, the internal surface of the indentation 22 (i.e. the internal surface being the surface which protrudes into the interior of the reservoir) is inclined at an 30 angle to the horizontal (the horizontal plane being defined relative to the position of the reservoir when it is in an upright position) such that the dispensing tube 18 may be inserted easily into the reservoir, whilst concurrently causing the lower end of the tube 18 to be deflected to locate in the bottom region of the front of the interior of the 6. reservoir immediately adjacent to the floor of the reservoir (generally indicated by the numeral 30), thereby allowing fluid contained in the reservoir in use to continue to enter the tube even when the reservoir is inclined in an in-use orientation (e.g., when a user sprays a ground surface). It will be understood that the dispensing tube may be formed 5 from a relatively soft plastic material such that the tube may be easily bent at an angle by contact with the indentation 22 so as to be directed to the front of the reservoir as shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B without the need to apply undue force. The external surface of the neck 24 is shaped such that an ergonomic palm rest is provided for a user of the bottle so that the user may comfortably hold the bottle 10 irrespective of whether the bottle is in an upright position or is inclined (i.e., when a user sprays a ground surface). That is, there is provided a rearwardly directed protrusion 32 which extends upwards along the neck portion of the bottle terminating at the point at which the pump mechanism is fitted to the neck, the indentation 22 working complimentarily with the protrusion 32 to provide the ergonomic palm rest. As also 15 shown, the front of the neck 24 of the reservoir is provided with a plurality of finger indentations 28 in which fingers of the user rest when the neck is gripped in use, the neck 24 thereby providing a "pistol grip" to enhance grip and comfort for the user. The embodiment described in Fig. 2A and 2B provides a number of advantages. Firstly, the protrusion 32 and indentation 22 can be incorporated into existing designs of 20 spray bottles with only minor amendments to the neck portion of the mould in which the bottle is formed. This negates the need to alter the fundamental shape of the bottle thereby allowing a manufacturer to incorporate the protrusion and indentation whilst retaining the fundamental aspects of a bottle's distinctive shape or design. Secondly, as the neck 24 is integrally moulded into the reservoir, it cannot be 25 dislodged, lost or easily broken, unless a user deliberately tampers with the bottle. Similarly, the protrusion and the indentation, both constituting part of the neck, are also integrally moulded and therefore cannot be dislodged, lost or easily broken. Thirdly, the protrusion is arranged to ensure that ingress of fluid into the reservoir is not compromised, which may be critical in high volume production where 30 bottles are filled quickly and automatically. It will also be understood that the angle, relative position, length and shape of the protrusion and/or indentation may be varied, whilst still embodying the inventive concept of the invention. For example, the location of the protrusion and/or indentation 7. may be varied depending on filling requirements, as may the overall shape of the bottle, or any other factors governing the design or use of the bottle. Similarly, the relative positioning of the protrusion and/or indentation may be varied. A further embodiment of a reservoir 34 of a spray bottle 35 embodied by the 5 invention is shown in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the reservoir is only provided with a rear shoulder 36 such that the width of the base of the neck 38 is increased compared to the spray bottle shown in Fig. 2A and 2B while still retaining a curved ergonomic palm rest for gripping of the neck. The increased width of the neck strengthens the reservoir against buckling under compressive forces that may be applied to the neck such as 10 when boxes of filled like spray bottles are stacked on top of each other during storage or transport. To further minimise the risk of the neck 24 or 38 buckling under the effect of such compressive forces, the neck and/or shoulder(s) of a reservoir of a spray bottle embodied by the invention can be provided with one or more ribs (e.g., localised elongate thickenings) or flutes (not shown) to strengthen that region of the reservoir. 15 Yet another embodiment of a spray bottle 40 of the invention is shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the neck 42 is orientated substantially upright and so does not provide an indentation (e.g., 22) projecting into the interior of the reservoir 44 as in the embodiment described above. Rather, an elongate through opening 46 inclined in a downward direction from the back 48 to the front 50 of the reservoir 44 is provided 20 adjacent to shoulders 52 of the reservoir. The opening 46 extends from one side of the reservoir to an opposite side of the reservoir for reception of one or more fingers of a user to facilitate carrying of the spray bottle by the user. The wall 54 of the reservoir defining the opening 46 thereby provides a downwardly sloping shaped formation projecting partway across the interior of the 25 reservoir. Hence, similarly to the above described embodiments, the dispenser tube 56 of the pump mechanism 58 is guided to the bottom region of the front of the interior of the reservoir by contact of the lower end 60 of the dispenser tube 56 with the sloping internal surface of the wall 54 when the pump mechanism 58 is being fitted to the reservoir 44. Manually operable pump mechanisms such as those of the type having a 30 finger actuated trigger are preferred. Typically, the pump mechanism of a spray bottle embodied by the invention is removably fitted to the reservoir by the inter-engagement of a female thread provided in the collar (e.g., 62) of the pump mechanism with a male thread on the rim of the 8. reservoir. However, the pump mechanism can be rotatably and/or non-releasably mounted to the reservoir in any conventionally known manner. As with the embodiment shown in Fig. 2A and 2B, the neck and/or shoulder region of the reservoir 44 of the spray bottle 40 shown in Fig. 4 can be ribbed or fluted 5 (e.g., longitudinally) to strengthen the reservoir against any downwardly directed compressive forces that may be applied to the reservoir. Alternatively, or as well, the thickness of the plastics material from which the reservoir is made can be increased to further reduce the risk of buckling/collapse of the neck under applied downwardly directed compressive force. 10 Yet another embodiment of a spray bottle embodied by the invention is shown in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the reservoir 64 of the spray bottle 66 is provided with a through opening 68 in the form of an elongate slit which is inclined downwardly at an angle in a direction from the back of the reservoir to the front of the reservoir. As in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the dispensing tube 70 is deflected by the wall 72 defining 15 the slit 68 when inserted into the interior of the reservoir so as to be guided to the bottom front comer of the reservoir. Positioning the slit 68 lower in the reservoir relative to the opening 46 of the spray bottle shown in Fig. 4 permits a filling probe to extend further into the reservoir for filling of the reservoir with fluid and may assist to reduce foam formation in detergent based fluids. As can also be seen, and as with the 20 opening 46 of the embodiment of Fig. 4, the slit 68 does not extend entirely across the width of the interior of the reservoir and is spaced from the floor 74 of the reservoir defining the lower boundary of the interior of the reservoir that is filled with fluid in use. Rather than an elongate through opening 46, the reservoir of a spray bottle of 25 the invention can be provided with an internal inclined wall in an elevated position relative to the floor of the reservoir and which functions in the same manner as the walls 54 and 72 of the embodiments shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 to guide the dispenser tube of the pump mechanism into position adjacent the bottom of the front of the interior of the reservoir. The inclined wall in at least some embodiments may, for 30 example, be continuous with the floor of the reservoir at a lower front end of the inclined wall. That is, the inclined wall may project rearwardly at an angle from the floor of the reservoir.

9. It will also be understood that the neck (e.g., of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2A and 2B or more generally, the entire reservoir of an embodiment of the invention) can be made from, or internally coated with, a substance with a low friction coefficient to reduce the probability of the dispenser tube snagging or catching on the shaped 5 formation (e.g., indentation 22, or wall 54 or 72) as the tube is inserted into the reservoir as the pump mechanism is being fitted to the reservoir. The substance can be a TeflonTM coating or any other coating deemed suitable. Hence, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific 10 embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

10. CLAIMS 1. A spray bottle reservoir, comprising a shaped formation disposed in the interior of the reservoir, the reservoir having a front and a back, and the shaped formation being 5 arranged to guide a dispensing tube in fluid communication with a spray nozzle to a location in a bottom region of a front side of the interior of the reservoir to facilitate drawing of fluid from the reservoir through the dispensing tube to the spray nozzle when the spray nozzle is fitted to the reservoir and the reservoir is held in a substantially upright orientation or is moved through a range of motion from the upright 10 orientation to an inclined in-use orientation with the front of the reservoir directed forwardly, and wherein the shaped formation is disposed within the interior of the reservoir in an elevated position relative to the floor of the reservoir. 2. A reservoir according to claim 1 having a neck wherein the neck is profiled to form an indentation in the interior of the reservoir, the indentation forming the shaped 15 formation. 3. A reservoir according to claim 2 wherein the indentation is curved to direct the dispensing tube to the bottom region of the front side of the reservoir. 4. A reservoir according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the neck is integrally moulded with the reservoir and is profiled to form a palm rest when the neck is gripped by a user. 20 5. A reservoir according to claim 4 wherein the front of the neck is profiled to provide one or more finger indentations in which the fingers of the user rest. 6. A reservoir according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the indentation of the neck is fabricated from, or coated with, a material that has a low friction co-efficient. 7. A reservoir according to claim 1 wherein the shaped formation is provided by an 25 internal wall of the reservoir. 8. A reservoir according to claim 7 wherein the wall defines a through opening extending from one side of the reservoir to an opposite side of the reservoir. 9. A reservoir according to claim 8 wherein through opening is elongate and is inclined downwardly in a direction from the back to the front of the reservoir. 30 10. A reservoir according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the through opening is disposed below, or adjacent to, a shoulder region of the reservoir for reception of one or more fingers of a user to facilitate carrying of the reservoir by the user.

11. A reservoir according to claim 10 formed from a plastics material. 11.

12. A spray bottle, comprising: a spray nozzle; a dispensing tube in fluid communication with the spray nozzle; and a reservoir with a front and a back, and a shaped formation disposed in the 5 interior of the reservoir, the shaped formation being arranged to guide the dispensing tube to a location in a bottom region of a front side of the interior of the reservoir to facilitate drawing of fluid from the reservoir through the dispensing tube to the spray nozzle when the reservoir is held in a substantially upright orientation or is moved through a range of motion from the upright orientation to an inclined in-use orientation 10 with the front of the reservoir directed forwardly, and wherein the shaped formation is disposed within the interior of the reservoir in an elevated position relative to the floor of the reservoir.

13. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein the spray nozzle is provided on a pump mechanism for being manually operated to spray the fluid from said nozzle. 15 14. A bottle according to claim 13 wherein the pump mechanism is of a type having a finger actuated trigger.

15. A bottle according to claim 14 wherein the pump mechanism is removably fitted to the reservoir.