CA2007727A1 - Spray caps - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
The disclosed spray caps have a trigger operated bellows acting as a pump chamber, and a nozzle that carries the valve body of a discharge check valve, in a construction that involves a remarkably small number of parts, nevertheless having all of the important operating characteristics of more complex and expensive spray caps.

Description

SPRAY CAPS
The present invention relates to what are co~nonly called "spray caps"~ A spray ~ap is attached to a con tainer of liquid to dispense bursts whan a manual actuator or "trigger" i~ operated.
S Spray caps have long been known that meet some or all o~ a range of requireme~ts. In one respect, a spray cap is to provide a spray discharge in one adjustment of its nozzle and to be positively shut off in another nozzle adjustment. As an additional alternative, the nozzle of some spray caps is adjustable to provide "stream" or "jet"
bursts of discharge in addition to the shut-off and "sprayl' choices.
Nozzles of spray caps that are adjustable to varied settings may be leaky; and a variety of relatively com-plicated forms of constxuction have been proposed aimedat preventing such leakage.
Still further, it has long been known that air should be admitted to the liquid supply container to replace the volume of liquid that i5 discharged progressively, to avoid developing vacuum in the container, such as would impair or disable the spray cap; and it has been proposed that the vent passage that avoids the vacuum should be shut when the spray cap i9 not in use (as during shipment) to avoid leak-age by way of said vent passage.
Spray caps meeting these requirements have been available but they tend to be complicated, and their cost in parts and the expense of assembly tend to be high.
The present invention provides spray caps that are distinctively novel in several respects. Their construc~
3a tion is vastly simpler, uses fewer parts and is easier to assem~le than available ~pray caps capable of meeting a~l of the foregoing requirements~
In one respect, a novel nozzle-and-check valve struc-ture is provided as one plastic molded part that cooperates with the outlet end of a discharge tube, providing shut-.

, .

:

~ Z7 o~f, spray and jet modes of operation. In another respect, a leak-preventing mount for the adjustable nozzle of a spray cap is provided, without resort to the complications of O-rings that are usually found in such spray caps.
Still further, one novel spray cap is provided in which the entire liquid-containing portion that ~upplies liquid to the discharge nozzle is a single part. A dip tube and a bellows which constitutes a pump chamber, and a discharge tube are all combined into a continuous-wall unitary component that replaces many parts hereto~ore found in any single spray cap meeting the same combined requirements, In another novel spray cap, the liquid-containing tube and the bellows constitute a continuous-wall one-piece component, and the dip tube is made as a separate part that iq joined to the one-piece component.
In that way, a standardized bellows-and-discharge-tube - component can be used with dip tubes of various lengths for use with various 5izes of supply containers.
The nature of the invention and its novel aspects will be best understood and appreciated by reviewing the following detailed description of two novel spray caps that are shown in the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a novel spray cap as an -25 illustrative embodiment of the invention in its various aspects;
FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective showing the com-ponents of the spray cap in Fig. 1, in their as-made conditions;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the spray cap of Fig. 1, the nozzle being tightened to provide a po~itive ~hut-off in that region and with the trigger in its extended at-rest or released position;
FIGURE 4~is a cross-section like Fig. 3 with the nozzle set for dischargi~ig liquid and the trigger stroke .~ . . . .

. .

' -3~ 7~7 noæzle set for discharging liquid and the trigger stroke being complete;
FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of the nozzle of the spray cap in Fig. 1, and FIGURE 6 is a perspectiv~ view, partly in cro~s-section, of the nozzle in its as-molded condition; and FIGURE 7 is a right-hand end view of the nozzle of Figs. 5 and 6 with its hinged cover removed.
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of ~he second spray cap embodying aspects o~ the invention in common with the spray cap of Figs. 1-7, Fig. 8 embody-ing ~urther aspect~ of the invention;
FIGURE 8A is a fragmentary detail of a portion of Fig. 8 in another relationship of two of the parts;
FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly in cross-section, of a ~omponent of the spray cap of Fig. 8;
FIGURE 10 is an enlarged perspectiue view, partly in cross-section,of the nozzle of the spray cap of Figs. 1-7;
FIGURE 11 is an exploded perspective view showing all of the parts of the spray cap of Fig. 8, the scale of the parts in Fig. 11 being reduced compared to Fig. 8, FIGURE 12 is an enlarged ~ragmentary cross-section of a portion of the ~pray cap of Fig. 8, the plane o~
Fig. 12 being perpendicular to the plane o~ Fig. 8;
FIGU~E 13 is a perspective view, partly in cross-section, of the structure ~hown in Fig. 12; and E`IGU~E 14 is a fragmentary cross-section of a component in Fig. 8.
The illustrative spray cap in Fig. 1 includeæ a threaded closure 19 for a bottle or other container o~
liquid to ~e dispensed and a dip tube 12 ~xtending down ward from closure 10. A main body 14 is mounted rotatably on closure lO, for example by means of a circular rib 16 ~Fig. 4) extending radially inward at the lower edge of main body 10. This rib is received in circular groove 18 ... . . . . . .

.: . . .
"' '' , ~ .

around closure 10. ~he spray cap further includes a inger-operated trigger or lever 20 hinged to body 14, and a nozzle 22 on body 14. Trlgger 20 and main body 14 in this spray cap are molded of a suitable plastic as a 5 single unit connected by a thinned portion or "iiving hinge'l 2~ of the molded unit. A leaf spring 26 (Figs. 1-4) is an integral portion of the molded plastic trigger, thus being a portion of the molded unit.
Further details of the spray cap are shown in Figs. 3 and 4O Dip tube 12 has a sliding and rotary fit in a tubular portion 28 of clo~ure 10; a venting passage 28a is formed by a groove ~xtending from end-to-end of portion 28 along it~ inner surface.
Component 30 is a single part that may be produced in an injection blow~molding machine. Unit 30 compri~ès dip tube 12, bellows 32 and discharge tube 34 extending in a straight line as shown in Fig. 2. As seen in Figs. 2-4, the cross~ection of the bellows is large compared with that of the dip tube 12 and the discharge tube 3~; there are passage~constricting transitions at the opposite ends of bellows 32, between the opposite ends of the bellows and the intake and discharge tubes 12 and 34, respectively.
Component 30 may be moldad of various materials, provided that bellows 32 is resilient ~not merely yielding). For example, component 30 may be made of selected grades of polyethylene, polypropylene, or pol~vinyl chlorideO Dip tube 12, bellows 32 and discharge tube 34 ~with its head or discharge end portion, detailed below) constitute the entire liquid container of this spray cap except for nozzle 22; it constitutes a continuous-wall passage for the liquid.
The lower end of the bellows 32 is a projecting conical wall 36 that ha~ a complementary fit in concave conical seat 38 at the upper end of tubular portion 28 o~
the closure 10. The juncture of dip tube 12 and conical .

.
~ ,.

-5~

wall 38 has formations for 1008ely retaining ball 40a.
The upper end of dip tube 12 internally provides a circular valve seat for ball 40a. That valve seat and ball 40a constitute the inlet or intake check valve 40.
In Figs. 2-4, the discharge ena of discharge tube 34 includes an integral resilient thinned sealing flange ~2 and a male thread 44. The outer diameter of flanye 42 in the form shown is at least as large as the outer diameter of male threads 44. Main body 14 has a transverse wall 46 in which there is a slot that opens downward; and dis-charge tube 34 is received transversely in that slot, so that the formation that provides flange 42 is disposed against the surface of wall 46. Nozzle 22 i screwed onto the male thread 44 of component 30. Nozzle 22 has an internal cylindrical surface 22a (Fig. 6) against which flange 42 forms a seal. Main body 1~ also includes two wall portions 14a and 14b which ~Figs. 3 and 4~ coact with discharge tube 34 for securely locating that tube, hold-ing the formation of flange 42 securely against wall 46.
These walls also establish the position of the upper end of bellows 32. In its extended condition represented in Fiy. 3, bellow~ 32 is ~lightly compressed so that its conical end portion 36 i~ biased against valve seat 38. ~ i Noz~le 22 is best shown in Figs. 5-7. Internal or female threads 48 of the nozzle cooperate with male threads 44 of component 30. Valve body 50 is an integral portion of nozzle 22. Valve body 50 is supported by three arms 52 that extend homogeneously from both body 50 and the side wall of nozzle 22. The opposite ends of 3~ each arm 52 are displaced arcuately ~r~m each other. The arms accommodate bodily movement of member 50 along the nozzle's axis. Nozzle 22 includes a front wall 56 that is connected to the body of the nozzle by an inteyral hinge 58. Front wall 56 has an annular edge formation that interlocks in a leak-proof manner with a complementary annular formation in the body of the nozzl~ when its front , .

2~

or end wall i5 snapped into place, the completed state of the nozzle being represented in Fig. 5. The nozzle is of molded plastic. The advantage of hinging wall 56 to the rest of the nozzle is that the hinge provides automatic alighment of the front wall with the space that is to receiver it. The ~ront wall can be molded as a separate part if preferred. Nozzle 22 including it~ integral portions 50, 52 and 56 may be made o~ suitably resilient grades of polyethy~ene, polyvinyl-chloride or polypropylene, for example.
When nozzle 22 is threaded onto the head or discharge end of discharge tube 34 to the extent represented in Fig. 4 (there being a small ciearance between nozzle 22 and wall 46) valve member 50 bears against the very end o~ ~ube 34. That end of tube 34 i9 shaped as a valve seat for valve member 50. Member 50 and its cooperating valve seat constitute a discharge check valve.
Arms 52 normally hold the discharge check valve closed in the adjustment of nozzle 22 as represented in Fig. 4. When liquid is forced into delivery tube 34 (see below) the liquid pressure lifts valve member 50 away ~ from its valve seat and shi~ts member 50 towara the inner ~urface of end wall 5~.
It may be considered that nozzle 22 is adjusted so 25 that there is only a small clearance between end wall 56 of the nozzle and the ~urface of valve body 50 facing that end wall. Arm~ 52 press body 50 against its val~e seat.
vperation of trigger 20 develops pressure that lifts body 50 against wall 56. Liquid passes the circumferal edge of 30 check valve bod~ 50 and travels radially inward along s}ots 59 in body 50, and leaves the nozzle by way of a small orifice 60 through ~ront wall 56. In this condition of the nozzle, a fine atomized spray results. This effect can b~ varied, a~ by ~haping the grooves to swirl the 35 liquid that enters the nozzle's orifice.

.

Nozzle 22 can be adjusted so that outlet or discharge check-valve body 50 bears against its valve seat at rest --as shown in Fig. 4 -- but with end wall 56 spaced away from body 50 far enough so that, when trigger 20 is operated 5 and liquid.pressure lifts body 50 away from its valve seat, a clearance space still remain~ between body 50 and end wall 56. In that adjustment the liquid that cros~es the circumferential edge of body 50 flows across the entire common area of body 50 and wall 56; and as a result, a jet 10 or stream of liquid leaves the orifice~
Nozzle 22 can be screwed onto threads 44 far enough so that end wall 56 of the nozzle drives valve member 50 firmly against its seat (Fig. 3~, providing a positive shut-off. This guards against leakage via the noæzle 15 without depending on resilient bias to hold the ~utlet check valve closed, as when the spray cap is mounted on a container filled with liquid, and the container with the spray cap in place is to be shipped.
It was mentioned above that trigger 20 is connected to the main body 14 of the spray cap by a living hinge 24.
Fig. 2 shows the condition of main body 14 and trigger 20 as that composite unit leaves a molding press. Trigger 20 projects to one side of main body 14. Integral leaf-spring portion 26 in Fig. 2 i8 flanked by two trigger arms 62 which have in-turned ~paced-apart buttons 62a. The longitudinal edges of the leaf sprLng are separated slightly from arms 62, allowing the leaf spring to become deflected in operation. Main body 14 contains a ~top 64 that is directed downward, extending from an upper mounting portion which is integral with opposite walls of main body 14. Stop member 64 is widest where it extends integrally from the oppoqite walls of main ~ody 14. Much of the downward~
extending part of stop member 64 i~ narrower, providing clear-ance ~paces between the walls of main body 14 and the opposite 35 -long edge~ o~ that part o~ the stop. Arms 62 of the trigger aFe received in those clearance ~paces.

.
, , The at-rest operative condition of main bod~ 14 and trigger 20 is represented in Fig. 3. Trigger 20 extends downward, below passage portion 34 and nozzle 22 and opposite to but spaced from the common axis of dip tube 12 and bellows S 32. Trigger 20 extends at a slight slant away from the lower portion of the spray cap. Integral leaf spring 26 o~ the trigger engages fixed stop 64 in the main body. The ends of spring 26 and stop 64, as shown in ~ig~ 2, have advantageously interlocking tongue-and-notch formations as assurance that 10 their alignment and cooperation will be maintained. Arms 62 of the trigger (Fig. 3~ are disposed at opposite sides of depending stop 64. Buttons 62a of the trigger are received under lifting shoulders 66 (Fig. 2) formed near the bottom of bellows 32 at the opposite sides of the bellow~ Arms 62 of 15 the trigger 20 sweep along opposite side edges of leaf pring 26 and along opposite side edges of stop 64 when the trigger is squeezed~ ending in the posi~ion represented in Fig. 4.
The parts shown in Fig. 2 are quickly and easily assembled to form the spray cap of Fig. 1. First ball~4Oa is 20 pressed into its detented position at the juncture of bellows 32 and dip tube 12. Then unit 30 is inserted into main body 14 in it~ position represented in Fig. 3. Component 30 is bent from its as~made condi*ion (Fig. 2) to its final condition (Figs. 1 and 4). Trigger 20 is swung i~to place 25 ~o that buttons 62a axe received in ~roove formations 66 at the bottom o~ the bellowsO Finally, the closure 10 is forced into assembly with main body 14, tubular portion 28 of the closure sliding along the dip tube in this step of assembl~.
The operation of the spray cap is now restated. With nozzle 22 in its adjustment represented in Fig~ 3, the nozzle is sealed against leakage~ Its end wall 56 forces body SO against the seat of the outlet or discharge check valve at the end of discharge tube 34. Vent passage 28a -~5 is ~ealed by the cooperation of complementar~t conical parts 36 and 38 of the bellows 32 and the closure 10.

.
.

, ~37~

g_ When nozzle 22 is unscrewed somewha~ to provide a small clearance between end wall 56 of the nozzle and the movable body 50 of the outlet check valve, body 50 at ~irst remains biased against the outlet valve ~eat formed by the very end of the outl~t tube 34. Squeezing trigger 20 from the position in Fig. 3 to tha~ in Fig. 4 develops pressure that closes intake valve 40 and shifts member 50 against end wall S6 o~ the nozzle. Liquid is forced across the circumferal edge of body 50 and along channels 59, becoming a fine spray as the discharge leaves orifice 60.
Yet a further adjustment of nozzle 22 holds body 50 of the outlet or discharge check valve against its valve seat while trigger 20 remains extended, but a larger clearance space is established between body 50 and end wall 56 such that, with ordinary squeeze effort applied to the trigger, body 50 does not reach end wall 56. The li~uid fills the clearance space between body 50 and wall 56 and leaves orifice 60 as a stream.
Each operation of the trigger produces a discharge burst, whether as a spray or as a stream. The extent that body 50 is lifted toward end wall 56 is adjusted by screw-ing the nozzle in or ou~; but the described modes of operation are realized by ~uitable design of arms 52 and choice of the material u~ed in molding the nozzle.
After each discharge operation, trigger 20 is released and, due to the bias of its integral leaf spring 26, it returns to its starting position. Bellows 32 is operated~by its resiliance to return to its extended position (Fig. 3). The outlet check valve ~becomes closed when the internal pressure drops. There-~ore the negative pressure that develops in bellows 32, as it starts to become extended, opens the inlet check valve ~0 and draws liquid up the dip tube to replace the discharged li~uid.

.

.. . .. . .

, ~' ` ' ' .,, ' , . . . ~
,, , , ~77~

. .
The composite dip tube 12, pump-chamber ~ellows 32 and discharge tube 34 cons~itute a joint-free unit of plastic. That unit, with nozzle 22 and it~ check-valve body 50, rPpresent virtually all of the spray-cap material that is exposed to the liquid to be dispensed. Icleally, ball 4Oa is of an inert matexial such as stainless steel.
Accordingly, all of the material that is exposed to the contained liquid is -- or can be -- made immune to attack by or ink~raction with common liquids to be dispensed.
Figs. 8-14 represent a s~cond form of spray cap embodying aspects of the invention in common with the spray cap of Figs. 1-7. The ~pray cap of Figs. 8-14 embodies further aspects of the invention. Components in Figs, 8-14 that are the same as, or a modification of, the components of Figs. 1~7 bear numerals in the ~lOOn series correspondin~ to the numerals in Fig~ 7. As is evident, much o the description and discussion of Figs.
1~7 applies to Figs. 8-14.
Threaded closure 110 is rotatably interlocked with body or housing 114 for securing the spray cap to a bottle or other container of a supply of liquid or equivalent material. A nozzle 122 abuts housing 114. Liquid passage means 130 could be of one piece, as in Figs. 1-7. However, aip tube 112 is a separate piece in Figs. 8 and 11, so that spray caps can be made uniformly without a dip tube, and dip tubes of assoxted lengths may be added, for accommodating various sizes of liquid supply containers.
All of liquid pasYage means 130, other than dip tube 112, is in the form of a single component 130a of plastic which may be produced in the form shown in Fig. 11 by injection blow~molding. One portion of component 130a is a resilienk self~extending bellows 132 and another portion is a basically tubular discharge-passage portion 134.
The~e portions in their as-molded condition are coaxial as shown in Fig. 11. In common with the spray cap of Figs~ 1-7, component 130a of Figs. 8 and 11 i~ a one-.. . , ::
:: : : . , . ~' -:, : . .
; ' ' ~, , ' ' .
., ~ ' .
, piece plastic molded component that is in one conig-uration as it is molded and it is bent into its ~inal configuration. It includes a transition 133 between bellows 132 and discharge passage portion 134. ~he transition between these parts accommodates bending, so that (see Fig. 8) discharge passage portion 13 extends roughly perpendicular to bellows 132.
At its upper end, dip tube 112 has a projecting bead 112a (Fig. 12) that is tightly received in a comple-mentary circular groove in the molded unit 130a. Thedip tube is forcibly inserted and becomes a unified part of the passage means 130. Making the dip tube as a separate component allows production of a single spray-cap to which dip tubes of various lengths may be added for use with various sizes of supply container.
At its lower end, unit 130a includes full-circle sealing ridge 136a which, in Fig. 8, forms a seal to conical valve seat 138. The lower end of unit 130a also has a continuous circular rib 136 that cooperates with a continuous circular shoulder13~a (Fig. 8) of valve seàt 138 when the parts are in the condition represented in Fig. 8. In that condition, parts 136 and 136a cooperate with valve seat 138 to form a so-called shipping seal, preventing escape of liquid from the liquid supply con-~5 tainer ~not shown) to the exterior. Parts 136 and 138 inthis condition serve additionally as a detent to lock the ridge 136 in sealing engagement wit~ valve seat 138. The material of which rib 136 and sealing ridge 136a are formed is ideally a resilient and deformable pla~tic, con-si3tent with the qualities of the entire unit 130a.
Fig. 8A shows rib 136 serving as a valve body thatseals against valve seat 138, to form a venting valve.
.
The lower end structure of unit 130a is forcibly lifted to change from the shipping condition of Fig. 8 to the con-dition of Fig. 8A, with the pray cap read~ ~or use. Vent-ing valve 136, 138 is c1os-d in ~ig. 8A, preventing liquid ., . -. , ., . , . , . :

' ~7~2~

from leaking past the valve seat. When the spray cap i~
being operated to dispense liquid, rlb 136 is li~ted away ~rom valve seat 138; th2 venting valve allows air to enter the container to replace the volume of the discharged liquid, thereby to prevent a vacuum from forming in the container~
Unit 130a has an integral intake check valve 140 (~igs. 8, 8A, 12 and 13). Thin and flexible roughly flat wall portions 140a converge upward and form a seal at the apex where they abut each other. There is no passage a~
this apex in the as-molded condition of component 130a.
A blade is used to cut through the molded material at the apex, thus forming a self-closing slit 140b. When pressure develops within the bellows, that pressure bears against the outer surfaces of walls 141a, insuring the closing of slit 140b. When bellows 132 is becoming extended ~after having been compressed), the reduced-pressure condition outside walls 140a draws the walls apart, opening slit 14Ob and opening the intake check valve.
Manual trigger 120 in Fig. 8 is molded as one piece with housing 114. The housing and trigger 120 are connected by the thin "living hinge`' 124 which is part of the mold~d piece. Trigger 120 has a forked arm 162 that bears buttons 162aO These buttons are received in diametrically opposite cavities 166 at the lower end o~
unit 130a (only one of these cavities being shown). When trigger 120 is squeezed, the lower end of the bellows is lifted, int~ke check valve 140 closes, and the liquid in bellows 132 is driven into discharge passage portion 134.
When trigger 120 is released, it is restored virtually to the p~sition shown in ~ig~ 8 by the self-extending resilient bellows 132. Tri~ger 120 allows the bellows to restore rib 136 into contaat with venting ; 35 valve seat 138.
. . : .

. . . . . .
:, ~ ' ,''.~' ' ' ' , , ~ , .
:, ' . ,: . .

~37~'27 Discharge passa~e portion 13~ includes smaller and larger diameter poxtions 134a and 134b, with a conical transition 134c between them. This transition constitutes th~ seat of a discharge check valve. Dis-charge passage portion 134 has opposit'e external projections 134d (one shown in Fig. 9) that are captive between pairs of ribs 114c in opposite ~ides of the housing. During assembly of the spray cap, discharge passage portion 134 is moved into khe position of Fig. 8 10 by first being directed through opening 114d (Fig. 14), placing projections 134d between paired ribs 114a in the housing, and shifting the bellows 132 upward until unit 130a reaches the assembled condition of Fig. &. In tha~
condition~ tube poxtion 134a is received,in a matching 15 openin~ in barrier 114b (Figs. 8 and 14) extending across the housing 114. Nozzle 122, whan assembled to the dis-charge passage portion 134b, cooperates with housing 114 so that discharge passage portion 134b in formation 114b cannot shift downward.
Nozzle 122 comprises a cup or cap having a roughly cylindxical side wall 122a, beiny4externally tapered in the form shown. An inside circular beaa 122c abuts and forms, a seal with anl~integral circular rib 134e on the, exterior of discharge passage portion 134b. ~he end 122d 25 of nozzle 122 bears~against abutments 134~ and 134g !
(Fig. 9) o~ passage portion 134, the nozzle being held against those abutments by the mu~ual cooperation of circular ribs or beads 122c and 134e. By rotating noz~le ' 122, an orifice 122e in the end of the nozzle (Figs. 8 30 and 10) can be positioned at abutment 134g to shut off any discharge of liquid. Ledge 134h between abutments 134f and 134g tFig. 9~ has only a small clearance from that end 122d o~ the noæzle. Accordingly, when aperture 122e of the nozzle is in position oppo~ite to lédge 134h, the di~charge is a spray; relatively high pressure is needed to discharge only a small amount of liquid.

.
. :'' . . , , , , .
: , ~:, ., . , . , :: ~
.. . . .
,, ,., , ~ , .

~7~2~

Finally, ledge 1341 o~ discharge portio~ 134 has a larger clearance from the end 122d of the nozzle. When aperture 1~2e is tur~ed to be opposite to ledge 134i, and trigger 120 is squeezed, the discharge is a jet stream.
A ceptral post 122f of nozzle 122 extend3 inward.
This post i~ conveniently made hollow; at its inner ~nd, three lea~ springs 152 that are integral portions of the nozzle, carry. an outlet check valve body 150. Three leaf springs are used here, being bowed outward at 90 intervals, as a con~iguration that can be molded readily.
Springs 152 bias outlet check-valve body 150 against valve seat 134c. When trigger 120 is squeezed and the liquid in the bellows develops substantial pre~sure, outlet check-valve body 150 is li~ted away from its seat and li~uid under pressure can flow into the nozzle. As shown in Fig. 8, there is ample separation between tube 134b (the end portion o~ unit 130a) and post 122~ of the nozzle to form a suitable passage to orifice 122e.
Longitudinal ribs (not shown) may be included to center post 122f in tube 134bo In common with the spray cap o~ Figs, 1-7, the~-spray cap of Figs. 8-1~ has a s~aight as..molded part 130a.
After be1ng assembled to housing 114, component 130a has a roughly right-angle bend at the transition ~rom bellows 132 to discharge passage portion 134. The bent transition is positioned by housing formations 114a and 114b so that the bellows is somewhat compressed when trigger 20 is extended and the vent valve. 136,-138 is closed. Trigger 120 i~ in a position below nozzle 122 and passage portion 134, and the trigger is spaced to the right of the axis of dip tube 112 and bellows 13~. There are transitions between the relatively large cross-section o~ the be.llows and the much smaller cross-sections o~ dip tube 112 and discharge passage portion 134 of the one-piece component 130a which ther~fore has tran~ition~ at the ends o the bellows in the injection blow-molded component 130a. In .

, ,' .

the spray caps of Figs. 1-7 and Figs. 8-14, the same closure, housing and nozzle can be used to provide a range of different amounts of liquid dispensed or each stroke of the trigger ~y making a variety of components 130a with various diameters of the bellows.
The lower end of injection blow~molded component 130a is shown in Fig. 11. (This Figure is somewhat simplified; it omits ~ome o~ the small shapes such as ridge 136 that are actually part of as-molded component 130a.) Conical wall 164 projects outward in its as-molded condition. When dip tube 112 i5 forced into place, conical wall 16~ becomes reversed and assumes its in-use condition, projecting upward into the pump chamber (Figs. 8 and 8A).
The as-molded condition of the housing component (Fig. 11~ has trigger 120 projecting outward and arm 162 projecting downward/ whereas triggex 120 and arm 162 have a very different relationship to housing 114 in their in-use condition (Fig. 8).

.

.
.
., ' .' , . .

Claims (12)

1. A manually operable spray cap, including a main body having a closure for mounting the spray cap on a liquid supply container and having a manually operable trigger; a nozzle having a discharge orifice; means for conveying liquid from the container through the closure to the nozzle; and intake and discharge check valves limiting the flow of liquid toward the nozzle; the liquid conveying means including a dip tube for drawing liquid from the supply container and a discharge tube extending to the nozzle and a resilient plastic component provid-ing a pump chamber that interconnects said tubes, said pump chamber including a lengthwise compressible self-extending bellows whose cross-section is substantially larger than that of said tubes, an intake transition between the dip tube and one end of the substantially larger bellows, and a discharge transition between the discharge tube and the substantially larger opposite end of the bellows; the discharge transition being fixed in said main body and the trigger being arranged to operate a portion of the pump chamber remote from the discharge transition for compressing the bellows.

2. A manually operable spray cap as in claim 1 wherein said discharge tube is a portion of said resil-ient plastic component that is aligned with the axis of said bellows as said component is manufactured but said discharge tube extending at a prominent angle to the axis of the bellows in the assembled condition of the spray cap.

3. A manually operable spray cap as in claim 1 wherein said intake check valve is an integral portion of said resilient plastic component, said intake check valve projecting from the intake transition into the pump chamber, said intake check valve having opposite walls that engage each other at a separable seal, the walls being drawn away from each other by the reduced pressure that develops in the pump chamber as the bellows becomes extended, thus opening the seal.

4. A manually operable spray cap as in claim 1 wherein said discharge tube is a portion of said resil-ient plastic component and is aligned with the axis of said bellows as said component is manufactured but said discharge tube extending at a prominent angle to the axis of the bellows in the assembled condition of the spray cap, wherein said intake check valve is an integral portion of said resilient plastic component, said intake check valve projecting from the intake transition into the pump chamber, said intake check valve having opposite walls that engage each other at a separable seal, the walls being drawn away from each other by the reduced pressure that develops in the pump chamber as the bellows becomes extended, thus opening the seal.

5. A manually operable spray cap as in claim 1 r 2, 3 or4, wherein said intake transition and said dip tube are joined by mutually complementary formations.

6. A spray cap as in any of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said nozzle is a portion of a second resilient plastic component, said second component additionally including a valve body of the discharge check valve and resilient supports for suspending said body of the dis-charge check valve opposite to a portion of said dis-charge tube that constitutes the seat of the discharge check valve.

7. A spray cap as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said nozzle and said discharge tube have flow-control means including cooperating threads for adjusting the nozzle along an axis and wherein the nozzle and the dis-charge tube have sealing means including a flange and a cylindrical surface that maintain sealing engagement with each other throughout a range of adjustment of the nozzle along the axis.

8. A spray cap as in any of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said nozzle is a portion of a second resilient plastic component, said second component additionally including a valve body of the discharge check valve and resilient supports for suspending said body of the dis-charge check valve opposite to a portion of said dis-charge tube that constitutes the seat of the discharge check valve, said nozzle being screw-threaded for adjust-ment toward and away from said valve seat and being arranged to force said valve body against said valve seat so as to securely prevent liquid from leaving the spray cap via said discharge tube by adjusting the nozzle.

9. A spray cap as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said nozzle is adjustable around an axis and said orifice i eccentric, and wherein said discharge tube has an arcuately distributed range of passage controlling portions that are selectively disposed opposite to the orifice as the nozzle is rotated about its axis.

10. A spray cap as in any of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said nozzle is a portion of a second resilient plastic component, said second component additionally including a valve body of the discharge check valve and resilient supports for suspending said body of the dis-charge check valve opposite to a portion of said discharge tube that constitutes the seat of the discharge check valve, said range of passage-controlling portions includ-ing a portion in blocking opposition to said orifice when the nozzle is in one of its adjustments for securely block-ing discharge of liquid via said discharqe tube.

11. A spray cap as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said closure includes a venting valve seat and wherein said trigger-operated portion of the pump chamber includes a venting valve element engaged with the venting valve seat when the bellows is self-extended, being disengaged from the venting valve seat when the bellows is compressed by the trigger.

12. A spray cap as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said trigger-operated portion of the pump chamber includes a shipping-seal element bearing against said venting valve seat when the bellows is extended beyond its normal self-extended condition, said spray cap further including releasable detent formations for holding the shipping seal element against the venting valve seat.