EP3793912B1 - Spray attachment for dispensing liquid substances in the form of a jet - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a spray attachment for jetting liquid substances according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

In the household, in trade and industry, but also in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, it is often necessary to spray liquid substances contained in a container, for example in a bottle or in a vial. According to the present invention, “liquid substances” are liquids whose viscosity is low enough to ensure uninterrupted continuous flow. For example, spray devices for liquids and creams are known from the prior art, which are applied with a spray pump via a spray valve. A fanned application of liquid substances is only possible to a limited extent with such spray valves. In addition, the spray valves have a tendency to clog over time, which can further impede fanning of the spray. Other known spray systems have a squeezable plastic container on whose container neck an attachment provided with passage openings arranged like a sieve is arranged. The attachment is usually a plastic injection molded part made using multi-component technology. The passage openings are formed in a kind of screen plate, which consists of silicone, for example. The attachment can also include a closure cap, which is connected to the attachment via an injection-moulded tab. By squeezing the plastic container together, the liquid substance stored inside the container is sprayed through the sieve-like through-openings.

A disadvantage of the known spray systems is their complex and expensive construction. The sieve-like through-openings of the attachment parts are often very different in terms of their diameter and therefore often do not allow a uniform spray jet during use. The spray jet is often fanned out unevenly. The document EP-2881334 discloses a spray attachment according to the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a spray attachment which is suitable for use in connection with liquid substances. The liquid substance should be able to be jetted out of a container through the spray attachment by squeezing the container wall.

The solution to these problems consists in a spray attachment for jet-like application of liquid substances, which has the features listed in patent claim 1. Further developments and/or advantageous embodiment variants of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent patent claims.

The invention proposes a spray attachment for jetting liquid substances. The spray attachment comprises a cap with an annular, peripheral, closed shell with a wall, on the inside or outside of which first fastening means are formed. The first fastening means are designed to engage in corresponding second fastening means, which can be provided on an outer wall or inner wall of a container neck. At one longitudinal end, the jacket is closed off by a cover surface that has a recess. A receiving part for receiving an insert part is arranged in the area of the recess. The receiving part has a conical receiving surface that is closed in the circumferential direction. An essentially correspondingly conical peripheral surface is formed on the insert part. The insert part has an axial extent that is equal to or smaller than an axial extent of the receiving part. The conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part delimit at least one passage channel for the liquid substance, through which the liquid substance can be discharged when the conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface are in contact with one another.

Because the at least one passage channel is delimited by the interacting conical surfaces of the receiving part and the insert part, there are significantly greater degrees of freedom for their design and manufacture than with the sieve-like inserts of the prior art. This is the same as that caused by the conical surfaces the passageway of a tube formed by the receiving part and the insert part and having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The at least one through-channel can also be produced with significantly greater uniformity in a mass production process, which has an advantageous effect on unit costs. With regard to the manufacturing process, it should be noted that the insert part can be manufactured separately from the rest of the closure in terms of space and time, so that these two parts have to be assembled into one another after injection molding is complete, or in a 2-component injection molding process, in which the complete spray attachment is already in is produced in one process step. The design according to the invention also makes it possible to produce the at least one through-channel with smaller diameters without having to resort to costly production methods such as laser drilling. The receiving part can be equipped with projections, for example, which lock behind the insert part during assembly and prevent the insert part from falling out in a form-fitting manner. The insert part, which can be manufactured as a single part, can be movable or fixed in the axial direction after assembly in the receiving part, which is generally formed in one piece on the top surface of the jacket. Movable in the axial direction means that the insert part can be moved relative to the receiving part from a first position, in which the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part are in contact, to a second position, in which the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the Insert part are spaced apart, is displaceable, and vice versa. Thus, a partial area of the at least one through-channel can be designed in the form of a groove on the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and/or the conical peripheral surface of the insert part. As a rule, this partial area will be U-shaped or V-shaped. The at least one through-channel can therefore be formed in that the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part rest against one another. Thus, the passage channel can be formed by the groove on the conical receiving surface or on the conical peripheral surface being covered by a planar area of the conical peripheral surface or the conical receiving surface, or by the groove on the conical receiving surface and the groove on the conical Circumferential surface overlap one another, passage channels can be formed which have a cross-section up to down to about 0.005 mm ² , forming a very fine jet. Such fine openings cannot be achieved with the spraying process, rather such small cross-sections would have to be drilled with a laser, for example. The cone of the conical peripheral surface of the insert part can be aligned in the assembled state such that its base faces the free end of the jacket, or in the case of a spray attachment mounted on a container, towards the contents stored in the container. If the insert part can be displaced along its central axis in the receiving part, the insert part can be shifted from the second position to the first position by squeezing the container, so that the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part rest against one another and the at least one Passage channel is formed. The squeezing can bring about an elastically reversible deformation of the container wall of the container, which can be carried out several times without damaging the container. By squeezing the container wall, the pressure in the container can increase and the stored content can press against the base of the conical peripheral surface of the insert part and move the insert part into the first position before the stored liquid substance at least partially fills the container in one through the at least one Passage channel formed beam leaves. Due to the design as a conical receiving surface of the receiving part and a conical peripheral surface of the insert part, an increase in the pressure inside the container also leads to an increase in the contact pressure of the conical receiving surface against the conical peripheral surface or vice versa. As a rule, the angles that form the conical receiving surface with the central axis of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface with the central axis of the insert part are the same, so that the conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface lie flat against each other and not just in linear contact. The two angles are usually designed in such a way that the conical peripheral surface and the conical receiving surface do not rest against one another in a self-locking manner. When sufficient liquid substance has been discharged from the container by squeezing the container, the discharge of the liquid substance can be interrupted by reducing the pressure on the container to zero. In addition, a restoring force of the container allows it to assume its original shape while generating a negative pressure. By generating the negative pressure, the insert part can be shifted from the first position to the second position be so that the cross section through which the ambient air can get into the container interior can be increased compared to the cross section of the passage channel. As a result, the container can return to its original shape before squeezing in a shorter period of time than if the ambient air had to get into the interior of the container solely through the cross section of the passage channel. More than one passage channel is usually formed in a spray head. In principle, the liquid substance can be discharged from the spray attachment in a convergent, parallel and divergent manner by appropriately aligning the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part and by appropriately designing the grooves. If more than one passage channel is present, the beams can essentially meet at one point in the case of convergent deployment, or they can cross without touching.

• Rille/n an der konischen Aufnahmefläche; konische Umfangsfläche glatt
• Rille/n an der konischen Umfangsfläche; konische Aufnahmefläche glatt
• Rille/n an der konischen Aufnahmefläche und Rille/n an der konischen Umfangsfläche.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one through-channel is formed by a groove which is formed on the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and/or on the conical peripheral surface of the insert part. This results in the following three variants for the formation of the passage channels:

• groove/s on the conical receiving surface; conical peripheral surface smooth
• groove/s on the conical peripheral surface; conical receiving surface smooth
• Groove/s on the conical receiving surface and groove/s on the conical peripheral surface.

The number of grooves on the conical receiving surface can deviate from the number of grooves on the peripheral surface. The groove/s on the conical receiving surface and the groove/s on the conical peripheral surface can be congruent, so that the cross-sectional area of the groove/s on the conical peripheral surface and the cross-sectional area of the groove/s on the conical receiving surface add up. The conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface can also be arranged in such a way that the respective groove(s) do not overlap. The total number of through-channels can thus be increased very easily. The cross-sectional area of the groove(s) is usually U-shaped or V-shaped for manufacturing reasons, but can have any shape, preferably without undercuts, so that no slides are required for demoulding from the injection mold.

An embodiment variant of the invention can provide that the at least one passage channel has a cross-sectional area of approximately 0.005 mm ² to approximately 3.5 mm ² . The larger cross-sectional areas can be created, for example, in that both the conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface are provided with the same number of grooves and the grooves are made to overlap one another.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the spray attachment, the receiving device and the insert part can have a circular cross section. The conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface can then be formed, for example, as truncated cone surfaces.

An exemplary embodiment of the spray attachment can provide that the insert part has first positioning means which interact with second positioning means on the receiving part. As a result, the insert part can be positioned precisely in the receiving device during assembly.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the spray attachment, the insert part is arranged such that it can be rotated relative to the conical receiving surface between 0.5° and 179.5°, preferably between 0.5° and 90° and particularly preferably between 5° and 60°. In this way, the user has the option, if necessary, of changing the cross-sectional width of the passage channels by rotating the insert part relative to the receiving part. This embodiment variant is particularly suitable for a spray attachment in which both the conical receiving surface on the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part are provided with grooves.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the spray attachment, the receiving part and the insert part are secured against twisting relative to one another. This ensures that, depending on the intended use, either the grooves on the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the grooves on the conical peripheral surface of the insert part overlap or do not overlap. Thus, it may be possible without changing the parts to cover two different uses. On the one hand, a spray attachment can be created that applies a lot of liquid substance with a few, but thick jets, and on the other hand, with a double number of jets, which are considerably thinner, but usually less liquid at the same pressure. The difference in liquid output at the same pressure can be due to the fact that, despite the cross-sectional area of the through-flow channels being the same overall, the proportion of laminar flow is higher in the spray attachment with more through-flow channels.

In one embodiment of the spray attachment, the insert part is held firmly in the receiving part along its central axis. This embodiment variant is particularly suitable for through-channels with a larger cross-sectional area, since enough air can pass through them to allow the container to return to its original position in a short time after squeezing.

In an alternative embodiment variant of the spray attachment, the insert part can be displaced along its central axis in the receiving part between a first position and a second position, and vice versa. In the second position, in which the insert part rests, for example, on the projections of the receiving part, the conical peripheral surface of the insert part is at a distance from the conical receiving surface of the receiving part. As a result, an annular gap for the entry of air is formed between the two conical surfaces. If the liquid substance is pressed against the insert for a spray jet, this is displaced in the direction of the conical receiving surface until the two conical surfaces abut against one another and thus delimit the passage channels. Provision can furthermore be made for the insert part to be prestressed into the second position by spring force. For this purpose, for example, resilient tabs can be arranged in the receiving part, which protrude from an underside of the top surface of the cap and press on a front surface of the insert part. The insert part can be displaceable by a predetermined amount along its axial extent in the receiving part. The dimension can be in the range from about 0.05 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably in the range from about 0.2 mm to about 3.0 mm.

The spray attachment can be designed in different variants with regard to the fanning out of the spray jet. For example, in one embodiment variant of the spray attachment, the passage channels delimited by the grooves in the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and/or in the conical peripheral surface of the insert part have a divergent course in the spraying direction. As a result, the spray jet of the liquid substance is fanned out as soon as it leaves the spray attachment.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, each central axis of at least two through-channels lies in a plane that is spanned by a surface line of the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and a central axis of the receiving part, or by a surface line of the conical peripheral surface of the insert part and a central axis of the insert part. In this case, the passage channels, or their center axes, can extend essentially along generatrices of the conical receiving surface of the receiving part or of generatrices of the conical peripheral surface of the insert part. Depending on the direction in which the conical peripheral surface increases or the conical receiving surface decreases, the at least two beams are divergent or convergent. When the at least two jets are discharged convergently from the spray head, they theoretically meet at a point that actually represents a mixing area, in order to unite there to form a common jet that essentially follows the central axis of the spray attachment. Surprisingly, this one combined common jet has been found to be turbulent. This energy from the turbulence can be used, for example, to foam cleaning agents. This mixing area for the individual discharged jets for the liquid substance can be at a distance of about 2 mm to about 1000 mm, preferably from about 4 mm to about 30 mm, from the insert part. Furthermore, the passage channels can be designed in such a way that their center axes in the respective plane enclose an angle to the respective surface lines. As a result, the passage channels, or the jets of liquid substance discharged through the passage channels, no longer follow the extension of the generating line. In this way, beams can be generated which, despite the advantages resulting from the interaction of the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and the conical peripheral surface of the insert part, are essentially parallel to each other follow the central axis of the receiving part or to the central axis of the insert part. In this way jets can ultimately be discharged from the spray attachment which are essentially parallel to the central axis of the spray attachment.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, each central axis of at least two through-channels intersects a plane at an angle. The center axes of the at least two through-channels extend essentially parallel to the conical receiving surface of the receiving part or essentially parallel to the conical peripheral surface of the insert part. Furthermore, the plane is spanned by a surface line of the conical receiving surface of the receiving part and a central axis of the receiving part or by a surface line of the conical peripheral surface of the insert part and a central axis of the insert part. Furthermore, the angle is greater than 0° and less than 90°, preferably greater than or equal to 5° and less than or equal to 45°. The grooves extend in the form of a conical spiral on the conical receiving surface and/or the conical peripheral surface. Here, the grooves can be left-handed and/or right-handed. Also, the angle at which the central axis of the passageway intersects the plane may vary along the passageway. This creates a doubly curved central axis. The angle information above preferably relates to the opening orifice of the passage channel through which the jet leaves the spray attachment. With such a configuration of the passage channels, the jets discharging the liquid substance can be convergently aligned without touching one another. As a rule, the passage channels will extend essentially parallel to one another. Of course, it is also possible to vary the cross-section of the grooves over their length in terms of shape and/or their surface area. In this way, a sufficient fanning out of the spray jet is achieved even with a convergent course of the passage channels.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the angles at which the central axes of the passage channels intersect the plane are the same. All through-channels are thus essentially parallel to one another.

In a further embodiment of the spray attachment, depending on the mounting method, the receiving part for the insert part or the insert part itself or both parts can protrude axially beyond the outer side of the top surface of the cap and form a socket-like extension. The socket-like extension can then be used, for example, to fix a closure in a sealed manner.

In a further embodiment variant of the spray attachment, a hinge joint, for example a film hinge, is formed on the cap and is connected to a cover part. A protruding closure cone is arranged on an inner surface of the lid part facing the top surface, which cone cooperates in a sealing manner with the socket-like extension on the top surface of the cap when it is closed.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the spray attachment can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a screw cap.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the spray attachment can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by a push-pull closure.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the spray attachment is preferably produced using a plastic injection molding process and/or a plastic pressing process. All plastics suitable for injection molding can be used as plastics.

One embodiment of the spray attachment provides that at least the cap with the jacket, including the top surface and receiving part, is made of a plastic from the group consisting of polyolefins, in particular polyethylene and polypropylene, HDPE, LDPE, their copolymers, recyclates from the polyolefins mentioned and mixtures of the mentioned Polyolefins and polyesters, in particular PET, PEF, PPF, PBT, whose copolymers, recyclates are made from the polyesters mentioned and mixtures of the polyesters mentioned. The plastics listed have been sufficiently tested for the injection molding process and their chemical and physical parameters are known.

In a further embodiment variant of the spray attachment, the casing together with the cover surface and receiving part and the insert part are made of the same plastic. This embodiment variant of the spray attachment has the advantage of particularly good dimensional accuracy, since the cap, in particular the receiving part, and the insert part have the same shrinkage. Of course, the plastics used can be different from one another.

A plastic container with a spray attachment according to the invention according to one of the described embodiment variants has a container body which can be squeezed together elastically and reversibly at least in certain areas. The liquid substance is sprayed by squeezing the container body by hand. If the pressing force of the hand decreases, air can enter the interior of the container through the passage channels and/or through an annular gap between the conical surfaces of the receiving part and the insert part, as a result of which the container body expands again due to its restoring force and assumes its original shape. The plastic container can be produced in a blow molding process, for example in an extrusion blow molding process or in a stretch blow molding process.

Fig. 1 bis Fig. 5

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 6 bis Fig. 10

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 11 bis Fig. 13

ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 14 bis Fig. 18

ein viertes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung; und

Fig. 19 bis Fig. 21

ein fünftes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

Further advantages and features result from the following description of exemplary embodiment variants of the invention with reference to the schematic drawings. They show in a schematic representation that is not true to scale in different views:

Figures 1 to 5

a first embodiment of the invention;

Figures 6 to 10

a second embodiment of the invention;

Figures 11 to 13

a third embodiment of the invention;

Figures 14 to 18

a fourth embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 19 to 21

a fifth embodiment of the invention.

In the schematic illustrations of the various exemplary embodiments, the same elements and components of the spray attachment have the same reference symbols.

In the pictures Figures 1 to 5 a first embodiment of a spray attachment and the associated components are shown. In the perspective view in 1 the spray attachment is provided with the reference number 1 in its entirety. It comprises a cap 2 with a substantially cylindrical shell 3. One longitudinal end of the shell 3 is closed with a top surface 4. A closure part 100 is articulated on the casing 3 of the spray attachment 1 via a hinge joint 101 . The hinge joint 101 can be a bistable joint or a film hinge, for example. The closure part 100 shown does not necessarily have to be connected to the jacket 3 of the cap 2 via a joint. In an alternative embodiment variant, it can also be designed as a separate removable part, for example. An outer side 41 of the top surface 4 is projected axially from a section of a receiving part 5 and forms a socket-like extension 51. The socket-like extension 51 serves to fix a sealing cone 103, which protrudes from an inner wall 102 of the closure part ( figure 5 ). As a result, the cover part 100 can be fixed to the cap 2 in a non-positive or positive manner. Next shows 1 that in the receiving part 5 an insert part 6 is held. The receiving part 5 and the insert part 6 delimit passage channels which are indicated with the reference number 7 and are described in more detail below.

2 shows a view from below into the cap 2 in the direction of an inner side 42 of the top surface 4. The casing 3 has first fastening means 32 on its inner wall 31. FIG. For example, the first fastening means 32, as in 2 is indicated, designed as threaded sections. It goes without saying that the first fastening means 32 can also be designed as threads, as projecting or recessed elements of a bayonet catch and the like. The first fasteners 32 are designed to engage second fasteners formed corresponding to the first fasteners 32 and on a container neck, for example on a bottleneck, can be arranged. in 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the second fastening means are designed as threads which are formed on the periphery of the container neck.

Out of 2 it can be seen that the top surface 4 is provided with a recess 44 . The recess 44 is bordered by a conical receiving surface 55 which is closed in the circumferential direction and which forms part of the receiving part 5 . The receiving part 5 receives the insert part 6 . As in 4 is shown, a conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 comes into contact with the conical receiving surface 55 on the receiving part 5. The receiving surface 55 on the receiving part 5 and the peripheral surface 65 on the insert part 6 have essentially the same taper. As shown, these are preferably truncated cone surfaces. The insert part 6 mounted in the receiving part 5 is held in the receiving part 5 so that it cannot move axially, for example. For example, a ring-like extension 52 is formed on the receiving part 5 for this purpose, which extends in the direction of the casing 3 of the cap 2 and has one or more inwardly directed projections 53 . When the insert part 6 is mounted in the receiving part 5, the projections 53 engage in an annular groove 62 on a flange 61, as in FIG 3 is evident. Instead of a ring-like extension 52, resilient tabs with inwardly directed projections can also be provided on the receiving part 5, for example. The insert part 6 has an axial extent that is the same as or smaller than an axial extent of the receiving part 5 . In the case of an insert part 6, the axial extension of which is smaller than that of the receiving part 5, the insert part 6 can also be held in the receiving part 5 so that it can move axially. For example, for this purpose the receiving part 5 has an extension or tabs with inwardly directed projections which engage behind the flange 61 of the insert part 6 . In the rest position, in which the insert part 6 rests, for example, on the projections of the receiving part 5 , the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 is at a distance from the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5 . As a result, an annular gap for the entry of air is formed between the two conical surfaces 55, 65. If liquid substance is pressed against the insert part 6 for a spray jet, this is displaced in the direction of the conical receiving surface 55 until the two conical surfaces 55, 65 abut one another and thus delimit the passage channels 7. It can be further provided that the insert 6 is biased by spring force in its rest position. For this purpose, for example, resilient tabs can be arranged in the receiving part 5, which protrude from an underside of the top surface 4 of the cap 2 and press on a front surface of the insert part 6. The axial mobility of the insert part 6 can be from about 0.05 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably from about 0.2 mm to about 3.0 mm.

3 shows a perspective view of the insert part 6. It has a hat-like shape. The conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 is provided with grooves 66 . In the mounted state of the insert part 6, the grooves 66 in cooperation with the receiving part 5 form the passageways 7 already mentioned. Positioning elements that interact with corresponding receptacles on the receiving part 5 can be formed on the flange 61 of the insert part 6 . As a result, the position of the insert part 6 in the receiving part 5 can be fixed in the circumferential direction. It can also be seen that the grooves 66 extend parallel to one another. Furthermore, the grooves 66 extend on the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6. It can also be seen that each central axis II of the grooves 66 intersects a plane E at an angle α, which in the present exemplary embodiment is approximately 15°, the plane E passing through a surface line M of the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 and a central axis II of the insert part 6 is spanned. The grooves 66 can have any shape in cross section, but are U-shaped in the present exemplary embodiment.

That in the pictures Figures 6 to 10 illustrated second embodiment of the spray attachment has in principle the same structure as the first embodiment according to Figures 1 to 5 . In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, however, the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 is designed to be unstructured or smooth ( 8 ). For this purpose, however, grooves 56 are formed in the conical receiving surface 55 ( 7 ). When the insert part 6 is installed, the grooves 56 in the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5 in cooperation with the insert part 6 form the Passage channels 7, which in turn are delimited by the conical receiving surface 55 on the receiving part 5 and the conical peripheral surface 65 on the insert part 6.

This in Figures 11 to 13 illustrated third embodiment of the spray attachment 1 represents a combination of the first and second embodiments. Show in particular 12 and 13 that both the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5 and the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 are provided with grooves 56 and 66, respectively. 11 shows the conditions with the insert part 6 mounted when the grooves 56, 66 have been brought to overlap with one another. The cross sections of the grooves 56 in the conical receiving surface 55 and of the grooves 66 in the conical peripheral surface 65 then add up. Then the numbers of the grooves in the conical receiving surface and the grooves in the conical peripheral surface add up. The number of grooves in the peripheral surface and in the receiving surface can differ from one another. Provision can also be made for the user to be able to rotate the insert part relative to the receiving part to a predetermined extent, depending on whether he is interested in a larger cross-section of the through-channels or a larger number of through-channels.

With the one in the pictures Figures 14 to 18 illustrated fourth embodiment of the spray attachment 1 shows in particular 15 that the receiving part 5 has a cone 57 that tapers in the direction of the free end of the jacket 3 . The cone 57 is held by webs 43 which bridge the recess 44 in the top surface 4 approximately radially. The cone 57 is preferably arranged approximately in the middle of the recess 44 . The cone 57 has an outer surface which forms the conical receiving surface 55 in this exemplary embodiment. This in 16 The insert part 6 shown is designed to be slightly modified compared to the insert parts described with reference to the first three exemplary embodiments. In particular, the modified insert 6 has an inner peripheral surface, which in turn is referred to as the peripheral surface 65 of the insert 6 . On a top 62 of the extending from the flange 61 portion of the insert part 6 radial recesses 63 are arranged, which at mounted insert part 6 record the radial webs 43 at the recess 44. These recesses 63 in connection with the radial webs 43 can also represent positioning means which also prevent a rotation of an insert part 6 that can be displaced along its central axis. The peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 designed as an inner peripheral surface has grooves 66 which, when the insert part 6 is mounted, form the passage channels 7 in connection with the receiving part 5 . The passage channels 7 are in turn delimited by the conical receiving surface 55 on the cone 57 and the correspondingly conical circumferential surface 65 on the inner circumference of the insert part 6 . While the peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 is provided with grooves 66 in the exemplary embodiment shown, it goes without saying that the grooves can also be arranged alternatively or additionally on the receiving surface 55 of the cone 57 analogous to the embodiment variants described with reference to exemplary embodiments 1 to 3. The same applies to the twistability of the insert part 6 in relation to the receiving part 5.

In the pictures Figures 19 to 21 a fifth exemplary embodiment of the spray attachment is shown, which in turn bears the reference number 1 . In contrast to the exemplary embodiments described above, in this variant of the spray attachment 1, the insert part 6 cannot be mounted in the receiving part 5 through the jacket 3 of the cap 2, but is placed on the receiving part 5 from the outside, which in the area of the recess 44 in the top surface 4 is arranged. As in 21 As can be seen, the receiving part 5 again has a conical receiving surface 55 . how figure 20 shows, the insert part 6 has a conical peripheral surface 65, which is formed as an inner peripheral surface. The conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert is provided with grooves 66 . Together with the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5, the grooves 66 form the passage channels 7 for a liquid substance. Again, instead of being located on the peripheral conical surface 65 of the insert part 6, the grooves can be arranged on the receiving conical surface 55 of the receiving part 5 or on both conical surfaces. This in turn results in the possibility, when the conical peripheral surface 65 and the conical receiving surface 55 lie against one another, of creating through-channels 7 with larger cross-sections or of increasing the number of through-channels 7 . In this case, it can be provided that even the user, if required, can choose either the one variant with larger cross sections of the passage channels 7 or the other variant with a larger number of passage channels 7 can choose.

What all described embodiment variants of the spray attachment 1 have in common is that the passage channels delimited by the conical receiving surface 55 and the conical peripheral surface 65 have a cross section in the range between approximately 0.05 mm ² and approximately 3.5 mm ² .

As can be seen from the illustrations in 3 , 7 , 12, 13 and 20 As can be seen, the grooves 56, 66 in the conical peripheral 65 or receiving surfaces 55 are arranged at an incline relative to the axial extension of the cap 2. In these embodiment variants, the passage channels 7 delimited by the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5 and by the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 have a convergent course in the spraying direction. This means that the individual jets of the applied liquid substance are first directed towards each other before the spray jet is fanned out. The inclined course of the grooves 56, 66 serves to ensure that the individual jets of liquid substance that are discharged do not touch one another. In this way, a sufficient fanning out of the spray jet is achieved even with a convergent course of the passage channels 7 .

In an alternative embodiment variant of the spray attachment with passage channels that extend along the generatrices M, these can also be aligned with one another in such a way that the individual spray jets form a focus-like mixing area outside of the spray attachment in the spray direction, in which the spray jets essentially converge combine in a spray jet. This variant can be of interest, for example, in the case of substances that are to be foamed when they are dispensed. The focus-like mixing area can be at a distance of about 2 mm to about 1000 mm, preferably about 4 mm to about 30 mm, from the insert part 6 .

The grooves in the (inner) peripheral surface 65 of the insert according to 16 show a divergent course in the direction of spraying. This removes the spray jet the liquid substance as soon as it leaves the spray attachment 1 from the central axis of the insert. A mutual contact of the individual beams is excluded.

The spray attachment according to the invention is designed for spraying liquid substances. According to the present invention, “liquid substances” are liquids whose viscosity is low enough to ensure uninterrupted continuous flow. The spray attachment is preferably manufactured using a plastic injection molding process and/or a plastic pressing process. All plastics suitable for injection molding and/or plastic pressing processes can be used as plastics. At least the cap with the jacket including the top surface and the receiving part can be made in one piece from a plastic from the group consisting of polyolefins, in particular polyethylene and polypropylene, HDPE, LDPE, their copolymers, recyclates from the polyolefins mentioned and mixtures of the polyolefins mentioned and from polyesters, in particular PET, PEF, PPF, PBT, their co-polymers, recyclates can be made from the polyesters mentioned and mixtures of the polyesters mentioned. The plastics listed have been sufficiently tested for the injection molding process and/or plastic compression molding process and their chemical and physical parameters are known.

In a further embodiment variant of the spray attachment, the casing together with the cover surface and receiving part and the insert part are made of the same plastic. This embodiment variant of the spray attachment has the advantage of particularly good dimensional accuracy, since the cap, in particular the receiving part, and the insert part have the same shrinkage.

A plastic container with a spray attachment 1 according to the invention according to one of the described embodiment variants has a container body which can be squeezed together elastically and reversibly at least in certain areas. The liquid substance is sprayed by squeezing the container body by hand. In this case, the displaceable insert part 6 is displaced from a second, open position into the first, closed position by the pressure within the container body, which is increased relative to the atmosphere, so that the conical peripheral surface 65 of the insert part 6 and the conical receiving surface 55 of the receiving part 5 lie against one another. The liquid substance is discharged from the container body through the passage channels 7 formed by the conical surfaces 55, 65 lying one on top of the other. If the pressing force of the hand decreases, the container body tends to return to its original shape due to its rigidity, resulting in a negative pressure in the container body compared to the atmosphere surrounding the container. This allows air to enter the interior of the container through the passage channels 7, as a result of which the container body expands again and assumes its original initial shape. In the case of a displaceable insert part 6, the negative pressure in the container body can cause this to be pulled back from the first position to the second position, so that an annular gap is formed between the conical surfaces 55, 65 of the receiving part 5 and the insert part 6, through which air can enter the Can reach container body and thus the provision of the container body can be executed faster. It should be noted that the displacement of the insert part from the first position into the second position can also be carried out with the aid of a spring. The plastic container can be produced in a blow molding process, for example in an extrusion blow molding process or in a stretch blow molding process.

The invention has been explained using specific exemplary embodiments, some of which are shown in the figures. The above description of the specific exemplary embodiments only serves to explain the invention and is not to be regarded as limiting. Rather, the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (22)

1. A spray attachment (1) for bringing out fluid substances in a jet-like manner, comprising a cap (2) with an annularly peripheral, closed skirt (3) with a wall, on whose inner side or outer side first fastening means (32) are integrally formed, said first fastening means being designed for engaging into corresponding second fastening means which can be provided on an outer wall or inner wall of a container neck, and with a cover surface (4) which closes off a longitudinal end of the skirt, comprises a recess (44) and is designed for receiving an insert part (6), characterised in that a receiving part (5) with a conical receiving surface (55) which is closed in the circumferential direction is arranged in the region of the recess, said receiving part (5) being designed for receiving a conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6) which essentially corresponds with the conical receiving surface (55) and is closed in the circumferential direction, wherein the conical receiving surface (55) on the receiving part (5) and the conical peripheral surface (65) on the insert part (6) delimit at least one through-channel (7) for the fluid substance when the conical receiving surface and the conical peripheral surface bear on one another, through which channel the fluid substance can be brought out.
2. A spray attachment (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one through-channel (7) is formed by a groove (66) which is formed on the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) and/or on the conical peripheral surface (64) of the insert part (6).
3. A spray attachment (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the at least one through-channel (7) has a cross-sectional area of about 0.005 mm² to about 3.5 mm².
4. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insert part (6) comprises first positioning means which interact with second positioning means on the receiving part (5).
5. A spray attachment (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insert part (6) is arranged in a rotatable manner with respect to the conical receiving surface (55), between 0.5° and 179.5°, preferably between 0.5° and 90° and particularly preferably between 5° and 60°.
6. A spray attachment (1) according to claim 1 to 4, characterised in that the receiving part (5) and the insert part (6) are rotationally fixed to one another.
7. A spray attachment (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insert part (6) along its middle axis is fixedly held in the receiving part (5).
8. A spray attachment according to claim 1 to 6, characterised in that the insert part (6) is displaceable in the receiving part (5) along its middle axis between a first position and a second position, and vice versa.
9. A spray attachment (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the insert part (6) is displaceable in the receiving part (5) along its middle axis by a predefined measure which lies in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably in the range of 0.2 mm to about 3.00 mm.
10. A spray attachment according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each middle axis of at least two through-channels (7) lies in a plane (E) which is spanned by a generatrix of the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) and a middle axis of the receiving part (5), or by a generatrix (M) of the conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6) and a middle axis of the insert part (6).
11. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that each middle axis of at least two through channels (7) intersects a plane at an angle, wherein the middle axes of the at least two through-channels (7) extend essentially parallel to the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) or essentially parallel to the conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6), wherein the plane is spanned by a generatrix of the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) and a middle axis of the receiving part (6) or by a generatrix of the conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6) and a middle axis of the insert part (6), wherein the angle is greater than 0° and smaller than 90°, preferably larger or equal to 5° and smaller or equal to 45°.
12. A spray attachment (7) according to claim 11, characterised in that the angles at which the middle axes of the through-channels (7) intersect the plane are equal.
13. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that generatrices of the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) or generatrices of the conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6) meet essentially at a point, wherein the point is located in the extension direction of the skirt from the cover surface.
14. A spray attachment (7) according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterised in that generatrices of the conical receiving surface (55) of the receiving part (5) or generatrices (M) of the conical peripheral surface (65) of the insert part (6) meet essentially at a point, wherein the point is located counter to the extension direction of the skirt (3) from the cover surface (4).
15. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insert part (6) is designed essentially as a truncated cone.
16. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receiving part (5) and/or the insert part (6) project axially beyond an outer side of the cover surface (4) of the cap (2) and form a pipe-stub-like continuation (51).
17. A spray attachment (1) according to claim 16, characterised in that a hinge joint (101) which is connected to the cover part (100) is integrally formed on the cap (4), said cover part (100) on an inner surface which faces the cover surface comprising a closure cone which projects away therefrom and sealingly interacts with the pipe-stub-like continuation (51).
18. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is manufactured in a plastic injection moulding method and/or a plastic compression moulding method.
19. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least the skirt (3) together with the cover surface (4) and receiving part (5) is manufactured as one piece of a plastic of the group consisting of polyolefins, in particular polyethylene and polypropylene, HDPE, LDPE, their copolymers, recyclates of the mentioned polyolefins and mixtures of the mentioned polyolefins and of polyesters, in particular PET, PEF, PPF, PBT, their copolymers, recyclates of the mentioned polyesters and mixtures of the mentioned polyesters.
20. A spray attachment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the skirt (3) together with the cover surface (4) and the receiving part (5) and the insert part (6) consist of the same plastic.
21. A plastic container (1) with the spray attachment according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the plastic container (1) comprises a container body which can be squeezed together in an elastically reversible manner at least in regions.
22. A plastic container (1) according to claim 21, characterised in that it is manufactured in a blow moulding method.

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