GB2140094A - Improvements in hand- operated sprayers - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-operated sprayer has a spray head (1) for mounting on a container (2) for liquid. The spray head (1) has a body (3) provided with an inlet (4) for pressurised liquid, a discharge nozzle (5) and a manually-operable valve (6) for controlling the discharge of pressurised fluid through the nozzle (5). The body (3) is formed as a one-piece plastics moulding including a handle (7) and an externally screw-threaded skirt (8). A hollow tube (15) for a pump (14) is also formed integrally with the body (3). The skirt (8) is screwed onto an internally screw-threaded neck (9) of the container (2). Sealing between the body (3) and the container (2) is provided by a sealing ring (11) housed in a radial groove (12) in the body (3), which engages with an inner radial face (13) on the neck (9). The valve (6) is operated by a member (35) which fits on the body (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in hand-operated sprayers This invention relates to hand-operated sprayers of the kind comprising a spray head for mounting on a container for liquid in which the spray head comprises a body provided with an inlet for pressurised liquid, a discharge nozzle, and a manually-operable valve for controlling the discharge through the nozzle of pressurised liquid from the inlet.

In the sprayer of G.B. 2 084 258A the nozzle is incorporated in a valve member which is mounted in a bore in the body and is provided at its inner end with a head for engagement with a seating surrounding the inlet, and the valve is movable through a limited distance with respect to the seating by means of a manually-operable member which is coupled to the valve member and upon which acts a spring for urging the head towards the seating.

In the specific construction of G.B. 2 084 258A the body and a handle comprise a onepiece moulding, and a hollow tube forming the body of a pump is detachably mounted in the body with the provision of seals. The body is formed by a downwardly depending internally screw-threaded annular skirt onto which is screwed an externally screw-threaded neck at the'upper end of a container. It is therefore difficult, and expensive, to form the body as a one-piece moulding due to the provision of the internally screw-threaded skirt, which also makes it impossible for the tube to be formed integrally with the body. Also a radial sealing ring is provided at the internal, inner, end of the skirt with which the end of the neck on the container engages sealingly.A relatively high turning force is required to rotate the spray head and the container with respect to each other in order to achieve an effective fluid tight seal between the neck and the spray head by compression of the sealing ring.

According to our invention in a sprayer of the kind set forth the body is formed as a onepiece moulding with a handle and an externally screw-threaded skirt for screw-threaded engagement with an internal screw-thread on the upper end of a container.

This arrangement facilitates the construction and tooling of the body. Further, a hollow tube for a pump can be formed integrally with the body, thereby enabling us to omit seals.

The body is provided with an annular sealing ring housed in a radial groove, and the container has an inner radial face for engagement with the sealing ring as the spray head and the container are screwed together. An effective fluid tight seal is achieved by deformation of the material of the sealing ring during the screwing action, and without the application of a considerable force normally required for applying an axial load to a seal.

The groove is preferably provided at the upper end of the external screw-thread on the skirt, and the radial face is provided at the upper end of the internal screw-thread. The radial face is preferably of substantial length.

.The body may be provided with stop means with which the container engages to define a fully-engaged position. The stop means preferably comprises a radial flange abcve the sealing ring, with which the upper end of the container engages.

A plunger for the pump is detachably retained in the body at the upper end of the tube by a detachable member through which the plunger works. A trigger for operating the valve is formed at one end of a manuallyoperable valve-operating member which fits on the body and is held in position by means of a roll or similar detachable pin.

A sprayer in accordance with our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sprayer; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the spray head.

The sprayer comprises a spray head 1 having a detachable screw-threaded engagement with a container 2 for liquid, the spray head comprising a body 3 provided with an inlet 4 for pressurised liquid, a discharge nozzle 5, and a manually-operable valve 6 for controlling discharge of pressurised fluid through the nozzle 5.

The body 3 is formed as a one-piece plastics moulding, including a handle 7, and a downwardly depending externally screwthreaded annular skirt 8. The skirt 8 is screwed into an internally threaded neck 9 at the upper end of the container 2. The body 3 has a radial groove 10 disposed at the upper end of the thread on the skirt 8, which houses an annular sealing ring 11 of resilient material for sealing engagement with an inner radial face 1 2 at the upper end of the threaded portion of the neck. The radial face 1 2 is of substantial length. The body 3 also has stop means in the form of a radial flange 1 3 disposed above the groove 10, with which the upper end of the neck engages.

The spray head 1 also incorporates a pump 14 for pressurising the container, the pump 1 4 comprising a hollow tube 1 5 depending downwardly from and integral with the body 3. The lower end of the tube 1 5 is provided with a one-way valve (not shown), and the upper end receives a plunger 1 6 which works in the bore of the tube 1 5 to force air into the container 2 through the one-way valve by reciprocation of a knob 1 7 at the free end of a rod 1 8 which carries the plunger.The plunger 1 6 is held in the tube 1 5 by means of a retaining member 1 9 through which the rod 1 8 works and which is provided with dia metrically spaced lugs 20, 21 which are detachably received in complementary notches 22 in the body 3.

The manually-operable valve 6 comprises a valve member in the form of a spool 23 which slides in a bore 24 in the body 3. The spool 23 carries an annular seal 25 at an intermediate point in its length, which seals against the wall of the bore 24. At its outer end the spool 23 incorporates the nozzle 5, and a cap 28 is screwed onto the outer end of the spool. A seal is provided between the cap 28 and the spool 23. At its inner end the spool 23 carries a head 26 for engagement with a seating 27 surrounding the inner end of the inlet 4 which is connected to the upper end of a dip-tube 29 which extends downwardly towards the base of the container 2.

The spool 23 is provided with a longitudinally extending passage 30 of which opposite ends terminate in radial passages 31 and 32 of which the passage 32 is disposed between the seal 25 and the head 26. The spool 23 projects from the bore 24 by a substantial distance and at diametrically opposed positions the projecting portion of the spool 23 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending ribs 33 which are each provided at an intermediate point in its length with a notch 34.

A manually-operable valve-operating member 35 comprises a push-slide which fits between spaced walls of the top of the body 3.

The slide 35 is of generally inverted U or channel in section and is provided in its top with an elongate slot 36 through which the rod 18 and a portion of the retaining member 1 9 project. At its forward end the slide 35 is provided with a pair of resiliently deformable lugs 37 which embrace the spool 23 and are releasably received in the notches 34. At its rear end the slide 35 is provided with an Lshaped slot 38, and a transverse roll-pin 39 passes through the body 3 and the slot 38.

The engagement of the lugs 37 in the notches 34, and the pin 39 in the slot 38 couple the slide 35 to the spool 23 against relative axial movement, and provide a releasable mounting for the slide 35 on the body 3. The pin 39 and slot 38 also provide a limited amount of relative movement of the slide 35 and the body 3 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the slide 35. The rear end of the slide 35 is closed by an inclined wall 40 which is received between spaced flanges 41 of the handle 7, by which the sprayer can be held.

The inner face of the wall 40 forms an abutment for one end of a compression spring 42 of which the inner end abuts against a shoulder 43 on the body 3, and the outer face of the wall 40 is formed with a series of ribs 44 for engagement by the thumb of the user.

The spring 42 acts through the slide 35 to hold the valve 6 in a closed position with the head 26 in engagement with the seating.

In operation by unscrewing the spray head 1 and withdrawing the tube 1 5 from the container 2, the container 2 can be filled to a predetermined level with liquid to be dispensed. The spray head 1 is then replaced on the container 2 and the skirt 8 is screwed back into the neck for a distance sufficient for a fluid-tight seal to be achieved between the sealing ring 11 and the radial face 1 2 of the neck 9. This is achieved when the free end of the neck 9 is screwed just past the sealing ring 11. However the neck is preferably screwed home until its free end engages with the radial flange 13, of which the outer peripheral edge is of a diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the free end of the neck.

After the free end of the neck has been screwed past the sealing ring 11 to achieve the fluid tight seal, the spray head 1 and the container 2 can be orientated into any desired relative anguiar position. This enables us to orientate the spray head 1 and the container 2 to bring complementary parts into superimposed alignment. For example, for aesthetic reasons, the neck and the flange 1 3 may be of non-circular outline, for example hexagonal or elliptical. In such a construction the spray head 1 and the container 2 can be relatively rotated to bring the neck and the flange 1 3 into a desired relationship. The substantial length of the radial face 1 2 ensures that the seal is maintained.

After the spray head 1 has been replaced as described, the container 2 is then pressurised by the pump 14 with reciprocation of the plunger pumping air into the container through the one-way valve at the base of the tube 1 5. Liquid can then be dispensed from the nozzle 5 in a fine spray by operation of the valve 6 by the slide 35. Movement of the slide 35 by the thumb against the loading in the spring 42 moves the head 26 away from the seating 27 so that pressurised fluid in the container 2 passes to the nozzle 5 through the dip tube 29, the inlet 4 and the passages 30, 31 and 32.

Normally an intermittent spray under the control of the slide 35 will be required. However, if a continuous spray is required, the slide 35 can be locked in an advanced position in which the valve 6 is open. This is achieved by manipulating the slide 35 into a position in which the roll-pin 39 is received at the lower end of the slot 38.

Since the pressurised contents of the container 2 always act on the head 26 over the area of the seating 27 in a direction to open the valve against the loading of the spring 42, careful selection of the strength of the spring 42 enables the valve 6 to act as a pressurerelief valve and prevent the container from being over-pressurised. Normally, therefore, the spring 42 will be of a strength which is substantially less than an equivalent pressure sufficient to cause the container 2 to fail.

Claims (10)

1. A hand-operated sprayer of the kind set forth, in which the body is formed as a onepiece moulding with a handle and an externally screw-threaded skirt for screw-threaded engagement with an internal screw-thread on the upper end of the container.

2. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in claim 1, in which a hollow tube for a pump is formed integrally with the body.

3. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the body is provided with an annular sealing ring housed in a radial groove, and the container has an inner radial face for engagement with the sealing ring.

4. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in claim 3 in which the groove is provided at the upper end of the external screw-thread on the skirt, and the radial face is provided at the upper end of the internal screw-thread.

5. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, in which the radial face is of substantial length.

6. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the body has stop means with which the container engages to define a fully-engaged position.

7. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in claim 6, in which the stop means comprises a radial flange with which the upper end of the container engages.

8. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7, in which a plunger for the pump is detachably retained in the body at the upper end of the tube by a detachable member through which the plunger works.

9. A hand-operated sprayer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a trigger for operating the valve is formed at one end of a manually-operable valve-operating member which fits on the body, and is held in position by means of a roll or similar detachable pin.

10. A hand-operated sprayer of the kind set forth substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.