IL43973A - Refillable sprayer and refill unit for use therein - Google Patents

Description

Refillable sprayer and refill unit for use therein KOOR ISTAI.3 LTD.

The inventor is: DR. REUBEN EASEL 0/ 41829 The present Invention relates to a r fillable sprayer, and also to a refill unit for use in such sprayer. ' Sprayers are commonly used for dispensing all types of liquids, such as hair preparations, paint, insecticides, and the like. The smaller type of sprayers usually include one-time containers which are disposed of once exhausted of the liquid. Such one-time containers not only produce a disposal problem, but also increase the price of such sprayers to a very considerable extent since the cost of producing the container may be many times the cost of the liquid material dispensed thereby.

Sprayers are known which may be refilled at a refilling station, but such refillable sprayers are usually provided only with respect to the large type sprayers; moreover they involve a considerable inconvenience in bringing them to the refilling stations.

An object o the present invention is to provide a refillable sprayer which may be used for small-type sprayers as well as for the large-type, and which may be conveniently refilled by the user himself without taking same to a refilling station.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refillable sprayer comprising a container, a flexible bag located in the container for containing a liquid and a propellent gas, a spray nozzle through which the liquid is propelled by the gas, a tube leading from the interior of the bag to the nozzle, the container including means for replacing the bag and/or refilling it with the liquid, and further including a gas-cartridge coupling for receiving a gas-cartridge to refill the container with the propellent gas, said gas-cartridge coupling including a one-way valve permitting the gas to flow from the cartridge into the con inner between its inner surface and the outer surface of the flexible bag, when coupled thereto, but not in the reverse direction.

According to an important feature of the Invention, one end of the tube is disposed within the flexible bag and extends substantially to the bottom thereof, and the opposite end of the tube projects through an opening in the bag and is bonded thereto around said opening, the bag and tube being insertable into the container and removable therefrom as a unit by attaching or removing the said projecting portion of the tube to or from a tube-socket carried by the container.

The invention also provides a refill unit for refilling the sprayer, comprising a flexible bag containing the liquid to be sprayed, and a tube having one end disposed within the bag and extending substantially to the bottom thereof, the opposite end of the tube passing through an opening in the bag and being bonded thereto around said opening.

It will be seen that a sprayer constructed in accordance with the foregoing features of the invention not only may be conveniently refilled of the liquid to be dispensed, but also may be conveniently recharged with the propellant gas by the use of the standard carbon-dioxide gas-cartridge commonly used for making carbonated water. The sprayer may thus be easily refilled by the user, thereby obviating the disposal problem of one-time use containers, and also substantially reducing the cost of using such a sprayer because of the elimination of the cost of manufacturing the container for each use.

Many other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with respect to several preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the drawings, wherein s Pig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a form of sprayer constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 illustrates the reflllable bag unit of the sprayer of Fig. 1? Fig. 3 Illustrates a further form of the sprayer, of the harness-type, constructed in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 4 Illustrates the use of the sprayer of Fig. 3.

The sprayer of Fig. 1 includes a flexible bag 50 withi a container 62. The container includes a removable head 64 carrying a spray nozzle 66 and a valve operated by a manual operator 68 for controlling the flow of liquid through the spray nozzle. Bead 64 of the container further carries a tube 70 through which the liquid passes from the interior of bag 50 through spray nozzle 66 when valve operator 68 is depressed.

Th© sprayer illustrated in Fig. 1 may be refuelled with th© liquid by merely attaching a new refill unit containing the liquid and the tube 70. Such a refill unit is illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that tube 70 extends substantially to th© bottom of the bag 50 containing the liquid to be dispensed, and the opposite end of the tube projects through an opening 72 in the upper end of the bag to form an external tube projection 74» Bag 50 is bonded to tube 70 around opening 72, so that the interior of the bag External projection 74 of tube 70 is also used for attaching the refill unit to the sprayer, this projection being inserted within a socket 76 {Fig. 1) formed at the lower end of the sprayer head 64.

The sprayer of Fig. 1 includes a transverse wall 80 at the bottom end of the container 62. This transverse wall carries a gas cartridge coupling 82 for recharging the container with the propellent gas. The gas cartridge coupling 2 may thus be of standard known construction. The gas discharged from the cartridge does not mix with the liqtid being dispensed, but rather passes into space 84 between the inner surface of container 62 and the outer surface of the liquid bag 50. The increased pressure in space 84 is thus used to collapse bag 50 and to prop®11 its contents through tube 70 and nozzle 66 upon depression of the valve operator 68.

A purging valve 86 is provided communicating with space 84 in order to be able to purge this space of the high pressure gas whenever it is desired to open the sprayer for purposes of refilling it.

The sprayer may be conveniently filled by the use of a refill unit containing the liquid and tube as shown in Fig. 2. In such a case, it is only necessary to unscrew head 64 from the upper end of container 62, pull out the exhausted unit from socket 76 carried by the head, and then reintroduce a new refill unit by inserting the projecting end 74 of tube 70 into socket 76. The head 64 now carrying the new refill unit may then be screwed back onto the upper end of container 62.

Before refilling the sprayer with a new refill liquid unit, the space 84 should first be purged of any high pressure A refiliable sprayer of the type illustrated in J Fig. 1 has a number of advantages over known sprayers. Thus, the fact that the propellent gas does not mix with the liquid being dispensed enables the device to be used in applications where the mixing may be undesired or deleterious. Also, the liquid does not wet the inner surfaces of the container, and therefore the same container may be used for different liquids, e.g. different colours of paint. Further, the sprayer of Fig. 1 is particularly adaptable for use with refill units such as Illustrated in Fig. 2 to enable convenient refilling with any desired liquid material as and when needed.

Fig. 3 illustrates a sprayer particularly for use in large portable units, such as for spraying crops with insecticides. The sprayer of Fig. 3 thus includes a shoulder harness 90 to enable it to be carried by the user. It further includes a flexible conduit 92 attached at one end 94 to the container and carrying at the opposite end of the nozzle 96 for directing the liquid within the container to any desired location. The construction of the sprayer, and particularly the means for refilling it with the liquid to be sprayed as well as for recharging it with the propellent gas, may be as shown in either of the earlier-described environments.

Many variations will be apparent. For example, the gas cartridge could be of the type which is sealed closed by a thin metal disc which is punctured upon coupling the cartridge to the sprayer, as such cartridges are also well known with respect to making carbonated beverages.

Claims (9)

1. A refiliable sprayer comprising a container, a ·** flexible bag located in the container for containing a liquid and a propellent gas, a spray nozzle through which the liquid is propelled by the gas, a tube leading from the interior of the bag to the nozzle, the container including means for replacing the bag and/or refilling it with the liquid, and further including a gas-cartridge coupling for receiving a gas-cartridge to refill the container with the propellent gas, said gas-cartridge coupling including a one-way valve permitting the gas to flow from the cartridge into the container between its inner surface and the outer surface of the flexible bag, when coupled thereto, but not in the reverse direction,

2. A refillable sprayer according to Claim 1, wherein the means for refilling the container includes a removable head carrying said nozzle.

3. A refillable sprayer according to Claim 2, wherein said removable head also carries the gas-cartridge coupling and Is threadedly attached to the container.

4. A refillable sprayer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one end of said tube is disposed within the flexible bag and extends substantially to the bottom thereof, and the opposite end of the tube projects through an opening in the bag and is bonded thereto around said opening, the bag and tube being insertable into the container and removable therefrom as a unit by attaching or removing the said projecting portion of the tube to or from a tube-socket carried by the container.

5. A retillable sprayer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said container includes a urging valve for purging the propellent gas from the space between the inner surface of the container and the outer surface of the flexible bag.

6. A refill unit for refilling the sprayer according to any one of th© preceding claims, comprising a flexible bag containing the liquid to be sprayed, and a tube having one end disposed within the bag and extending to substantially th© bottom thereof, the opposite end of the tube passing through an opening in the bag and being bonded thereto around said opening.

7. A refillable sprayer according to any one of Claims 1-5, including a harness for carrying the container, and a flexible conduit attached at one end to the container and at the opposite end to the nozzle, for directing the liquid to any desired location.

8. A refillable sprayer substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. A refill unit for a refillable sprayer substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.