GB2053376A

GB2053376A - Double-acting Mechanical Atomizer of Fluids

Info

Publication number: GB2053376A
Application number: GB8019854A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Czech Academy of Sciences CAS
Current assignee: Czech Academy of Sciences CAS
Priority date: 1979-06-20
Filing date: 1980-06-18
Publication date: 1981-02-04
Also published as: IT8022868A0; PL225119A2; BE883907A; DE3023123A1; IT1131353B; FR2459081A1; JPS5644063A; SE8004517L

Abstract

An atomizer for fine spraying e.g. of cosmetics, insecticides, cleaning agents, and lacquers comprises a cylinder 1 adapted for attachment to the neck 23 of a container of fluid, an intake tube 4, an inlet valve 3 and a piston 8 slidably movable in the cylinder and operated by a piston rod 6 passing through the cylinder neck, wherein the piston is provided with a valve 10 connected with a main working space 5 below the piston and through a side channel 11 in the piston rod with a dispensing space 12 above the piston, space 12 being connected with the spraying nozzle 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Double-acting Mechanical Atomizer of Fluids The invention pertains to the double-acting mechanical atomizer of fluids. Atomizers with readily volatizing liquid propellants, usually with fluorinated hydrocarbons, are recently generally used for fine spraying of fluids, as cosmetics, insecticides, cleaning agents, lacquers, and the like. Applications of fluorinated hydrocarbons are retreating for ecological reasons, and other propellants begin to be used, as carbon dioxide, propane-butane, etc. In spite of this tendency, the remaining disadvantage of this type of atomizers is the necessary use of pressure containers, which are disposable after discharge and thus contribute to washing of raw materials. In addition, the containers may be hazardous if placed in fire or in the sun, if are damaged or in hands of children, etc.Therefore, efforts are made to employ mechanical atomizers where the intake of fluid is caused by under-pressure of air and spraying by the direct pressure of a piston to fluid.

Such atomizers operate discontinuously because mostly apply to a single-acting singlepiston devices (U.S. Pat, 3,379,381; 3,399,836).

Consequently, a discontinuous cloud of atomized fluid results which is difficult to direct. This is a serious defect in such applications, where certain surface need to be continuously covered by spray, as e.g. in the application of herbicides, laquers, cleaning agents, antistatics, etc.

The continuous, or almost continuous atomization is solved in various ways: for example, a reservoir for fluid with an elastic element, as a pressure-air cushion, rubber bag, bellows, auxiliary cylinder with a spring-furnished piston (U.S. Pat. 4,079,865, etc., may be connected to the single-acting devices. Also a construction of double-acting pumps can be used, both of double-cylinder and of so called differential ones (DT-PS 1,166,004).

Constructions with a storage element are often complicated and require a combined balance in the distribution of fluid supply into a storage space and a nozzle which is difficult to attain. Also the known double-acting pumps, where both acting spaces alternate in the suction and delivery of fluid, are relatively complicated and contain a large number of valves. The logical requirement on atomizers of fluid is that they should be simple, cheap, and, with respect to the consumption character of goods, producible from plastics.

The aim of the invention is to design such atomizer which would dispense on intake dose of fluid at twice in an almost continuous cloud without using any propellants, as compressed gases or evaporable liquids or complex storage elements.

The object of this invention is the doubleacting mechanical atomizer of fluids with a spraying nozzle, consisting of a cylinder adapted for attachment to the neck of a container of fluid and closed by a bottom, which bottom is connected with an intake tube and accommodates a valve which allows a fluid to flow from the intake tube into the cylinder, and further of a piston which is slidably movable in the cylinder and operated by a piston rod passing through the cylinder neck, wherein the piston is furnished with a valve which is in its lower part connected with a main working space of the cylinder, created between a cylinder bottom and a piston bottom, and which valve is in its upper part connected with a dispensing space created between a cylinder neck and the upper part of piston through a side channel in a piston rod, while the dispensing space is connected with the spraying nozzle.

The dispensing space is connected with the spraying nozzle through the channel in the piston rod, carrying the spraying nozzle at its end.

Another alternative arrangement according to the invention consists in the connection of the dispensing space with the spraying nozzle through a channel made in the wall of the cylinder. A compression spring is placed between the cylinder bottom and the piston bottom.

The described construction of the mechanical atomizer according to the invention gives a continuous cloud of atomized fluid. Still another advantage of the invention is the fact, that the atomizer consists of a small number of components and the minimum number of valves.

Most components may be manufactured of plastics a thus the economical production of atomizer can be attained. In addition to this, the atomizer can be constructed is such a way, that the empty containers of fluid can be replaced or refilled with new fluid and the mechanical atomizer can be used repeatedly.

Fig. 1 shows the cross-sectional view on the assembly of the mechanical atomizer; Fig. 2 is the cross-sectional view on an alternative of the atomizer, which provides venting of the container and sealing of the spraying nozzle during transportation of the atomizer. The body of cylinder 1 of the mechanical atomizer is closed in the lower part by the bottom 2 containing a valve seat which accommodates the proper suction valve 3. The intake tube 4 is fitted on the lower part of valve seat, reaches down to the bottom of the container 23 of fluid and ensures the steady inlet of fluid into the atomizer as long as it is completely emptied. Inside the cylinder 1 of the atomizer, it is placed the piston 8, which is rigidly connected with the piston rod 6, passing through the neck of cylinder 1 and furnished with the actuator 15, which is subjected to an external force.The valve seat with the delivery valve 10 is performed in the body of piston. The main working space 5 of the atomizer is created between the bottom 2 of cylinder 1 and the piston 8 and inside the working space is placed the spring 16 for the upward motion of piston 8.

During the downward motion of the piston 8, the annular dispensing space 12 is created in the upper part of cylinder, which is demarcated by the neck of cylinder 1, the piston 8 and the piston rod 6, which contains the side channel 11 connecting the dispensing space 12 and the working space 5 through the valve seat and the space of dispensing valve 9 with the channel 7 and 13 and with the spraying nozzle 14 placed in the actuator 15. The whole mechanical atomizer is joined by the cap neck 17 with the container 23 of atomized fluid and sealed against environment by the sealing cuff 22.

Fig. 2 shows another alternative arrangement of the spraying nozzle 14 which is placed in the cap neck 17, while the venting channel 19 is bored in the cylinder 1 and enables venting of the container 23 to prevent underpressure which could be formed in the container after pumping off the fluid. By-passing of the fluid from the working space 5, proceeds through the valve 10 in the piston 8 and piston rod 6 and through the side channel 11, into the annular dispensing space 12 and therefrom to the spraying nozzle 14 it proceeds via the channel 13 bored in the body of the main cylinder 1. This channel 13 allows the permanent communication of the spraying nozzle 14 with the dispensing space 12.After the atomizing was stopped, the piston 8 is in the upper position, the actuator 15 is sealed by means of the packing 20 against the cap neck 17, and the side channel 11 in the piston rod 6 is disconnected from the channel 13 of the spraying nozzle 14. In such way the tightness of the atomizer is secured in any of its positions during transportation, and the like.

To vent the container, where an underpressure would arise by pumping off the fluid and stop the action of atomizer, the channel 19 and the venting gap 18 are provided. This necessary connection of the container to outer atmosphere is disconnected at rest by the aforesaid packing 20 of the actuator 15 against the outside body 17. If traces of fluid penetrate above the neck of cylinder 5, they are practically instantaneously sucked off by the underpressure arising in the container, by means of the venting channel 19.

The performance according to Fig. 2 is only one of possible constructions and does not limit by any means further applications of the invention while its substance is preserved.

The function of the mechanical atomizer according to the invention is as follows: On pressing the actuator 15 of the piston rod 6, the piston 8 is moved downwards and the fluid, contained in the main working space 5 of cylinder 1, closes the valve seat in the bottom 2 of cylinder, and is forced by pressure into the dispensing space 12, fills the space 12 and, at the same time, flows through the connecting channels 7, 13 into the spraying nozzle 14, by action of which a continuous cloud of the fluid is formed. During the downward motion of the piston 8, the spring 16 placed in the working space 5 of cylinder 1 is compressed. If the pressure to the actuator 15 at the piston rod 6 is released, the spring 16 pushes the piston 8 and moves it backwards in the upward direction.

During the backward motion of piston, the valve 3 in the bottom 2 of cylinder opens and the resulting underpressure sucks the fluid of container 23 into the main working space 5 of cylinder. At the same time, the delivery valve in the piston is closed to prevent the fluid to flow from the dispensing space 12 to the working space 5, but, on the contrary, to direct the fluid through the connecting channels 7 and 13 into the spraying nozzle 14. Owing to the different volume of the working and dispensing spaces, the fluid sucked into the working space 5 is, during the downward motion of the piston 8 delivered into the dispensing space 12 on the one hand, and atomized by the nozzle 14 on the other, in the amounts corresponding to the volume difference of the working and dispensing spaces.

The atomizer according to this invention can be used for spraying of cosmetical fluids, water, lacquers, cleaning agents, herbicides, suspensions, and a great number of other fluids.

Claims

1. A double-acting mechanical atomizer of fluids with a spraying nozzle, consisting of a cylinder adapted for attachment to the neck of a container of fluid and closed by a bottom, an intake tube connected to the bottom, a valve in the bottom inserted in the flow of the fluid from the intake tube to the cylinder, and a piston slidably movable inside the cylinder and operated by a piston rod which passes through the neck of cylinder, wherein the piston is provided with a valve which is in its lower part connected with a main working space of the cylinder between the bottom of cylinder and the bottom piston and which valve is in its upper part connected through a side channel in the piston rod with a dispensing space between the neck of cylinder and the upper part of piston, while the dispensing space is connected with the spraying nozzle.

2. A double-acting mechanical atomizer according to Claim 1, wherein the dispensing space is connected with the spraying nozzle through a channel in the piston rod at the end of which the spraying nozzle is attached.

3. A double-acting mechanical atomizer according to Claim 1, wherein the dispensing space is connected with the spraying nozzle through a channel performed in the wall of the cylinder.

4. A double-acting mechanical atomizer according to the Claims 1 to 3, wherein a compression spring is placed between the bottom of cylinder and the bottom of piston.

5. A double-acting mechanical atomizer of fluids with a spraying nozzle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.