FR2520638A1 - Hand-held spray gun for spraying plants - has cylindrical filter in atomiser secured by cap nut with central tubular extension - Google Patents

Abstract

The hand-held spray for spraying plants includes a liquid atomising device. The atomiser has a cylindrical filter (5) with an end cap (5a) which has a central bore with a seal for the valve head (6a) actuated by the trigger (12). The filter is secured to the hand-grip (1) by a cap nut (2) which has a central tubular portion which forms a seat (6b) for the valve head. The other end of the cap nut has a screw thread (2a) for the attachment of the atomiser head. The filter end cap has a rigid tubular extension (10) for connecting to the flexible pipe (9).

Description

The present invention relates to a hand lance for spraying a

treatment fluid

Plant.

  For this application, hand lances are already known, each comprising, at the end of a flexible liquid supply pipe, a rigid handle, which is extended by a rigid tube,

  carrying a spray head at its end.

  Dwarf lances of this known type are not perfectly satisfactory from the point of view of

  possibilities they offer to orient the pulp head

  verification with respect to the axial direction of the lance,

  in particular of its rigid tube In an earlier construction

  In particular, the spray head is pivotally mounted about an axis making an angle of 90 degrees with the rigid tube of the lance; it is therefore possible to rotate the spray head t 8

  to the rigid lance tube, in principle at an angle

  taken between minus ninety degrees and plus ninety degrees; the embodiment is however such that the spray head cannot be brought in and then maintained, in a determined angular position, by

  compared to the rigid tube of the lance, only by two manipu-

  successive lations, one for loosening and the other for tightening a screw It is therefore practically impossible, or at least difficult and relatively long, to sweep through the spray head a large solid angle in front of the lance , assumed to be maintained, by

  its user, in a fixed direction.

  The present invention makes it possible to produce, for the indicated application, an improved hand lance, which does not have the various drawbacks of the lances & hand carried out so far, the enumeration, made above, of these various drawbacks, not being elsewhere

not exhaustive.

  The hand lance for spraying a

  plant treatment liquid according to the present invention

  tion is of the type indicated above, and it can be characterized in that the spray head is pivotally mounted about a first axis, making with the axis of the extension of the handle, an angle a 'less than 60 degrees, of - preferably an angle

  at 30 degrees In a ready-made embodiment

  -red, the support of the pivoting spray head is itself Ome mounted pivoting around a second axis, co Incident with that of the extension of the handle, and the assembly is dimensioned so that the mean direction of the jet is inclined at the same angle a on the first pivot axis of said head. In the case of the latter embodiment, the axis of the jet leaving the spray head forms an angle 2 a, for example 60 degrees, with the axis of the extension of the handle, so that, by pivoting the entire spray head around its first pivot axis inclined 30 degrees on the axis of the extension can be swept by said jet the surface of a c 8 ne of angle revolution at the top equal to 60 degrees; by also rotating the entire spray head around the second axis, that is to say the axis of the extension, it becomes possible to sweep the entire jet of a solid angle defined by a cone of revolution around the axis of extension and angle at the top equal to

4 to 120 degrees.

  According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the spray head comprises a nozzle -on which a rotary cap or a cap nut, crossed by at least one eccentric nozzle, is mounted rotating between at least two angular positions which are of preferably determined by stops or snaps, and in which said nozzle

  is respectively next to rooms or to

  different open pressures, arranged in said nozzle, and shaped so as to produce, in said angular positions of the cap or of the nut, jets of different shapes, for example in the form of a thread or of a brush, or else conical jets of

different conicities.

  As examples, we have described below and it-

  glossy schematically in the attached drawing several formats

  my production of the hand lance according to the present invention. Figures 1, 2, 4 and 7 show four different embodiments of the spray head of a hand lance according to the present invention, each

in section through an axial plane.

  Figures 3, 5 and 8 are front views of the

  tips of the spray heads illustrated respectively

  in Figures 2, 4 and 7, after removing the

rotating cap.

  Figures 6 and 9 are elevational views showing the bottoms of the rotary caps which are

  provided with the spray heads of FIGS. 4 and 7.

  FIG. 1 represents a particularly advantageous embodiment of the spray head of a hand lance according to the present invention. This spray head firstly comprises a tubular base, 17, having, in its right part (on the

  FIG. 1), a bore, into which the former can be engaged.

  hoop of the rigid tube, 3, of the hand lance, which is opposite to the handle (not shown) thereof A cap nut 18, threaded over the end of the tube 3, can be screwed onto a thread outside, 17 a, of the base 17, so that the tightening of the nut 18 ensures the immobilization of the base 17 on the end of the rigid tube 3 It should be noted that, by slightly loosening the nut 18, it is possible to pivot the base '17 of the spray head, and consequently all of the latter, about an axis, coinciding with the axis yy' of the rigid tube 3 of the lance to hand, the amplitude of this pivoting being able to have any value between O and 360 degrees The end of the base 17, opposite the rigid tube 3, is on the other hand arranged so as to form a sealed bearing for one end d 'a nozzle, 19, of the spraying t Ste, which said bearing makes it possible to manually rotate about another axis x-x'; in the embodiment considered, this axis xx 'makes equal angles, of the same value 8, a, inside 60 degrees, on the one hand with the axis yy' of the rigid tube 3, and on the other hand with the axis zz 'of the nozzle 19, this axis zz' coinciding with the mean direction of the jet of sprayed liquid, as will be specified later. In the illustrated embodiment, the opposite ends of the base 17 and of the end piece 19 are applied to each other by flat surfaces such as 20, located in a plane perpendicular to the axis x-x '; these two pieces, 17 and 19, are other

  part secured in rotation by commitment, for example-

  ple With gentle friction, with a hollow pin end, 17 b, from the base 17, in a corresponding bore, 19 a, of

  end piece 19, as well as by the engagement of a cylinder skirt

  drique, 19 b, from end piece 19, in an annular groove

  corresponding, 17 c, of the base 17; means of enclosure

  known quilting are provided to avoid separation of parts 17 and 19; on the other hand, an O-ring seal 21 is engaged between the end of the hollow pin 17 b of the base 17 and the skirt 19 b of the end piece 19 In the latter, a conduit 19 c is arranged in parallel At the axis z-z ', so as to open out, At one end, in the bore 19 a, at the level of the axis xx', and, & its other end 6, on the face of the nozzle 19 which faces outwards The side wall of the end piece 19 is provided with a thread 19 d onto which is screwed a cap nut 22, the bottom of which is pierced with a spray nozzle 22 a; an O-ring seal, 23, is engaged in an annular groove in the side wall of the end piece 19, in which groove said seal 23 is

  tightened by the inner wall of the cap nut 22.

  When the intake hood (not shown) of the hand lance according to the present invention is

  open, by user action on the g 9 chette cor-

  corresponding (not shown), the pressure treatment liquid is brought by the rigid tube 3 into an elbow bore 17 d, which is arranged in the base 17, so as to pass said liquid through the bore

  19 a from the nozzle 19, and from there into its conduit 19 c.

  This is independent of the position of the end piece 19 around its pivot axis x-x ', since the conduit 19 c opens into the bore 19 a at the level of said axis x-x', that is to say at a fixed point relative to the outlet of the bore 17 d If the cap nut 22 is not fully tightened, the pressurized liquid passes from the left end of the channel 19 c in the small interval existing between the bottom of said cap nut 22, on the one hand, and the corresponding face of the nozzle 19 on the other hand, said pressurized liquid then escaping

  of the spray head through the nozzle 22 a In modi-

  depending on the relative position of the cap nut 22 and the end piece 19, that is to say by weaving or unscrewing said cap nut 22, it is possible to vary the taper of the liquid jet leaving the at Juice

  22 a, for example between 0 and 90 degrees.

  On the other hand, when the user manually rotates the end piece 19 and the cap nut, 22, screwed onto it, around the axis x-x ', the axis z-z', which coincides with the mean direction of the jet, sweep a corner angle 8 c 2 a (60 degrees in the example

  illustrated), which is tangent to the axis y-y 'of the rigid tube, 3.

  By slightly loosening the nut 18, as already indicated, the user can also rotate the base 17 around the axis y-y ', so that the c 8 is not previously defined, while rolling in a way on the axis y-y ', generates a larger c 8, of axis y-y', and of angle at the top equal to A 4 x (120 degrees in the example illustrated) We thus understand that the nozzle 19 of the spraying head according to the present invention, or more precisely the mean direction zz ′ of the jet leaving the nozzle 22 a, can take positions different from that shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, for example the positions represented by dotted lines on the moult figure, and, more generally, all the

  possible positions corresponding to the internal solid angle

  ri * ur to a c 8 ne of axis y-y 'and of angle to the subject 4 a,

at most equal to 240 degrees.

  Figure 2 partially shows, in section through an axial plane, another embodiment of the spray head of a lance & hand according to the present

  invention 24 designates a generally cylindrical tip

  lindrique, and a cap, which can be made of molded material, in particular of molded synthetic material; Figure 3 is an elevational view of the face of

  the end piece 24 which, in FIG. 2, is shown applied

  quée against the inner front face, 25 a, of the cap 25 The latter is rotatably mounted on the front part, of larger section, of the cylindrical end piece 24; the two parts 24 and 25 are immobilized, one relative to the other, in the direction of their common axis z-z ', by the cooperation of re-entrant parts, 25 b, arranged at the rear of the skirt of the cap 25, and capable of forming, for example, a continuous annular bead, with a

  span 24 a, connecting the two parts of cross sections

  different sides of the cylindrical end piece 24 In the embodiment considered, the front wall

  of the rotary cap 25 is traversed by a uniform nozzle

  that, 25 b, which comprises at least one divergent frustoconical part, 25 b 1, at its mouth on the rear face a The axis of the nozzle, 25 b, is disposed at a predetermined distance d from the common axis zz 'As visible

  partially in Figure 3, four chambers or depres-

  sions are arranged in the face of the cylindrical end piece 24 which faces the rotary cap 25; these four rooms have been designated respectively by 24 c,

  24 d j, 24 d 2 and 24 d 3; they are all centered, 90 to-

  each other, on a m 8th circle, of radius d,

  and from the center located on the axis z-z 'Enclosure means

  quêtage are provided to ensure a temporary immobilization of the rotary cap 25 relative to the nozzle 24 in four angular positions at 90 degrees from each other, in each of which, therefore, the part 25 b 1 of the nozzle 25 b opens into the center of one of the four chambers 24 o and 24 d & to 24 d 34 The locking means provided can be very diverse; it may for example be a projection 25 c, molded on the re-entrant element 25 b of the rotary cap, and capable of cooperating with four grooves, 90 degrees from each other, also molded on the surface 24 a of the end piece 24 Any other latching device, for example ball and spring, can be used for the indicated purpose An O-ring seal, 26, is engaged in an annular groove 27 in the side wall of the end piece 24, so as to be clamped in said annular groove 26 by the inner wall of the skirt of the rotary cap 25. According to the present invention, the four chambers 24 c and 24 dî to 24 d 3 are supplied from a larger chamber, 28, arranged behind them, and supplied from the flexible hose for supplying treatment liquid (not shown in FIG. 2) The pressure treatment liquid passes from chamber 28 into the various chambers 24 c , 24 d 1 to 24 d 3 through conduits such as q eu 29 c and 29 d 2, the sections of which are different, as will be explained later In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber 24 c, substantially cylindrical, opens by its entire section opposite the front wall of the cap, so that when the rotary cap 25 occupies the angular position for which the nozzle 25 b is opposite said chamber 24 c, the pressure treatment liquid comes out of said nozzle 25 b in the form of a jet on the other hand, the other three chambers, 24 d 1 24 d 3, are each of annular shape, and their

  respective upper parts feed a depression

  central mission 24 eî, 24 e 2 or 24 e 3, via a number of substantially tangential conduits; these conduits, the numbers of four, are visible in Figure 3 o they have been designated in particular by 24 f 1 24 f 3 When the rotary cap 25 occupies, relative to the cylindrical nozzle 24, an angular position such that nozzle 25 b is, for example, at the depression 24 e 2 associated with the annular chamber 24 d 2, the pressurized liquid which is brought in substantially tangential directions into the depression 24 e 2 creates a vortex there, which engages in the frusto-conical part, 25 b 1 of the nozzle 25 b, so that it escapes from the latter, outside the cap 25, a conical jet whose conicity depends

  geometric characteristics of the general device

  vortex, 24 f 2-24 e 2-25 b 1-25 b By giving depressions such as 24 eî, 24 e 2 and their tangential supply conduits such as 24 f 1, 24 f 2 configurations, and in particular of different dimensions, it is possible to obtain the projection, through

  the only one has Jute 25 b, of three Jets of different conicities

  annuities, when the rotary cap 25 occupies respec-

  the angular positions for which its

  nozzle 25 b is located respectively at the depres-

  sions such as 24 eî, 24 e 2 - In addition, the supply conduits such as 29 c, 29 d 2 of the different chambers 24 c, 24 d 2 have cross sections, which, as already indicated, are different from each other, and

  adapted respectively to configurations and dimensions

  sions of the corresponding chambers, 24 c, 24 d 2, as well as those of the nozzle 25 b, so as to obtain, in each of the four angular positions previously

  defined by the rotary cap 25, jets presenting

only the m 8 me flow.

  The variant illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 differs essentially from that of Figures 2 and 3 in

  what is provided a single 24 d chamber for production-

  tion of a conical jet; the rotary cap 25 therefore has only two predetermined angular positions, in which its rotational movement is stopped 9, for example with snap-fastening, thanks to the cooperation of a t Ston 30, projecting from the internal face of said rotary cap 25 , with stops integral with the end piece 24 and not shown On the other hand, the two chambers 24 e and 24 d have cross sections of different shapes; in particular, the chamber 24 d is supplied over its entire section through the rear supply chamber 28,

  and it supplies the vacuum 24 e of the general device

  vortex tor by a single tangential slit 24 f.

  Also in this embodiment, the section of the channel 29 c which feeds the chamber 24 c is chosen so that the net jet produced when the nozzle 25 b is opposite said chamber 24 c, has substantially the same flow rate as the conical jet produced when said

  nozzle 25 b is located opposite depression 24 e.

  In the variant illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9, the rotary cap 25 also only includes

  two angular positions predetermined by the cooperation

  tion of the toton 30, integral with its inner face (FIG. 9), with stops 24 g 1 and 24 g 2, formed inside the end piece 24 This comprises, upstream of the supply chamber 28 , a single chamber, in which an eccentric cylindrical core, 24 h, integral with the end piece 24, delimits two parts of different radial widths, 24 c and 24 d, located on either side of said core 24 h; the vortex generator device, 25 e, is integral with the internal face of the rotary cap 25, with which it has for example come from molding concentrically to the nozzle 25 b, of U Sme as two tangential feed slots, f 1 and 25 f 2; the arrangement is such that the circular rib in which the two supply slots 25 f 1 and 25 f 2 are arranged comes to apply in an almost tight manner against the corresponding face of the core 24 h of the end piece 24 when the cap 25 is in place on said end piece 24 and that it occupies the appropriate angular position; in this case, it is the chamber 24 d which supplies the vortex generator 25 e through the two slots 25 fl, 25 f 2, and the nozzle 25 b produces a conical jet; when, on the contrary, the rotary cap 25 has been turned so as to bring the nozzle 25 b opposite the chamber 24 c, said nozzle 25 produces

  a jet in the form of a net, since the device generally

  25 e vortex tor is no longer supplied exclusively-

  ment by its tangential slots 25 f 1 and 25 f 2; of course, the assembly can be dimensioned so that the

  two produced Jets have substantially the same flow rate.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments previously described. It encompasses all their variants, some of which have already been indicated. The rigid tube 3, instead of constituting a

  part independent of the tubular handle (not shown

  of the lance & hand could be formed by a tubular extension of the latter, at the free end of which the spray head would be mounted As already indicated, the value of the angle a between the ares yy ' and xx ′ (FIG. 1) could be chosen to be greater than 45 degrees, and at most equal in particular to degrees; such embodiments would project the jet in a direction z-z 'doing; with the axis y-y ', an angle greater than 90 degrees and up to 120 degrees, which would allow, for example, the user to spray the liquid

  on the back of the leaves of the plants to be treated.

  In the case of the embodiment of the spray head which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the cap nut 22 could be replaced by a rotary cap. g

Claims (5)

REVENDIOCATIONS   1 Hand lance for spraying a plant treatment liquid, comprising, at the end of a flexible liquid supply pipe, a rigid handle, in the extension of which is mounted a spray head, lance characterized in that the head of   spraying comprises a nozzle (24) on which a cap   rotary screw or a cap nut (25), crossed by at least one eccentric nozzle (25 b), is mounted to rotate between at least two angular positions 1 which are preferably determined by stops or snaps (24 a-25 c ),   and in which said nozzle (25 b) is located   vement facing different chambers (24 c) or open depressions (24 e), arranged in said end piece (24), and shaped so as to produce, in said angular positions of the cap or nut (25) Jets of different shapes, for example in the form of a net or a brush, or even conical jets of different taper. 2 hand lance according to claim 1, characterized in that the nozzle (24) comprises means (29 c, 29 d) for   substantially equalize the flow rates of jets of different shapes   rents, these means (29 c, 29 d) preferably acting in   creating different pressure drops.   3 hand lance according to claim 2, characterized in that the different chambers (24 c) or depressions   open (24 e), arranged in the end piece (24), are supplied   tees respectively in treatment liquid through channels (29 c, 29 d) or orifices of different sections, adapted to substantially equalize the flow rates of the jets produced respectively by the different chambers (24 c) or depressions (24 th).   4 Hand lance according to any one of the claims   1 to 3, characterized in that at least one vortex generator device (24 e-24 f), in particular of the type known as a "propeller", is fitted on one of the faces opposite the the end piece (24) and the rotary cap (25) or the nut, respectively, in a position suitable for producing a conical jet when said rotary cap (25) or nut is in the corresponding angular position. Hand lance according to any one of the claims   cations 1 to 4, characterized in that the spray head   tion (17-19-22) is pivotally mounted around a first axis (x-x '), making with the axis of the extension (3) of the handle (1) an angle o C less than 60 degrees, preference an angle o C = 30 degrees.   6 Hand lance according to claim 5, character-   mock in that the support (17) of its pivoting spray head is itself pivotally mounted around a second axis (y-y ') coinciding with that of the extension (3) of the handle (1).   7 hand lance according to claim 6, character   that the spray head (17-19-22) is set   managed in such a way that the mean direction (z-z ') of the jet is inclined by the same angle o C on the first pivot axis (x-x ') of said head (17-19-22).