MXPA00007680A - Aspiration-type sprayer - Google Patents

Abstract

A chemical aspiration sprayer head includes a carrier channel (30) having an inlet (12), an outlet (14) through which the carrier fluid exits, and an expansion chamber (32) in between the inlet and outlet, a chemical supply channel in flow communication with the expansion chamber of the carrier channel through an aspiration opening (49), and a bleed line (60) extending from the chemical supply channel between the aspiration opening and the liquid chemical, the bleed line connecting the chemical supply channel in flow communication to ambient air. A control valve assembly (20) is seated in the sprayer head to simultaneously engage the carrier channel and the bleed line and with the carrier channel open, selectively open and close the bleed line to selectively permit ambient air to be drawn into the chemical supply channel in response to the aspiration flow produced by the flow of carrier fluid.

Description

ASPIRATION TYPE SPRAYER TECHNICAL CAM PO The present invention relates generally to sprinklers and, more particularly, to sprinklers of the suction type for supplying chemicals in a carrier fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Suction-type sprinklers are commonly used to supply liquid-based chemicals, such as washing detergents, fertilizers or pesticides. The chemical, which is generally provided in a container in concentrated form, is diluted and activated by a carrier fluid. In a common arrangement, the carrier fluid is water, and the sprinkler is coupled to a garden hose. The water supply enters the sprayer through an inlet and flows through an expansion or mixing chamber and exits through an outlet. The expansion chamber is configured so that the water flow creates a pressure drop (Venturi effect), which extracts the chemical from the container to the expansion chamber, where it mixes with the water flow. The amount of chemical extracted into the water stream varies with the amount of pressure drop generated within the expansion chamber and by the size of the passage to the expansion chamber at through which the chemical is extracted. An example of an aspiration type sprinkler is shown in the U.S. patent. No. 5,213,265 (the '265 patent), issued to two of the inventors of the present invention, for a "Single Valve Aspiration Type Sprayer", and is incorporated herein by reference. The sprayer shown in the '265 patent operates by the principle described above, and includes a rotating valve that seats, and selectively opens and closes, both in the fluid passage and in a chemical suction passage. The suction passage connects the contents of the container with an expansion chamber. The '265' sprayer provides two modes of operation in "on" (where the valve is placed to open the carrier fluid passage and the chemical suction passage) and "off" (where the valve is placed) to close the carrier fluid passage and the chemical suction passage). This arrangement is absolutely suitable for the spraying of chemical products. However, it could be beneficial to provide a mode of operation wherein the carrier fluid can be sprayed without any (or only chemical trace amounts) mixed therewith. The patent of E.U.A. No. 5,007,588, issued to Chow et al., For an "Aspiration-Type Sprayer", shows another sprayer, which includes a nozzle that directs water to flow over a suction opening at the top of the spout. a passage, through which the contents of a contender connected can be extracted. A bleeding passage extends from the passage below the suction opening. The opening and closing of the bleeding passages, as by the operator placing his finger on it, allows the contents to be selectively extracted through the passage through the suction created by the flow of water over the suction opening. Although the sprayer described in the Chow et al patent may spray water without mixing the contents of the container, a separate mechanism is required to control the flow of water through the sprayer, complicating the operation of the sprayer. In addition, the user must continuously manually close the bleeding hole in order to aspirate the contents of the container. The patent of E.U.A. No. 3,191,869, issued to Gilmour, for "Spraying Device Having Restricted Orifice and Expansion Chamber Construction" (Sprayer Device Having a Restricted Orifice Construction and Expansion Chamber), describes another sprayer, which includes a valve mechanism for varying the amount of chemical extracted to a stream of water. A passage is formed in an upper portion of the sprinkler, connecting a mixing chamber with the environment. The passage is selectively restricted by a disk having a plurality of different openings of different size. The disc can be rotated to allow varying amounts of air to pass through the passageway and into the mixing chamber, thereby varying the amount of chemical that is drawn into the water stream. Although the sprayer described in the Gilmour patent allows a variable speed of aspiration, requires a separate valve to control the flow of water through the sprinkler, thus complicating the manufacture and operation of the sprinkler. Another method for varying the aspiration speed is described in the U.S. patent. No. 4,901,923, issued to McRoskey et al., For "Variable Dilution Ratio Hose-End Aspirator Sprayer" (Dilution Variable Ratio Hose End Aspiration Sprayer). In the sprayer of this patent, a passage between the container and the mixing chamber is selectively restricted by a disc, which has a plurality of apertures of different sizes. The disc can be rotated to vary the size of the hole, through which the chemical must pass to reach the mixing chamber. As with the Gilmour patent sprayer, however, a separate valve is required to control the flow of water through the sprayer. Thus, there is a need in the art for the aspiration type sprinkler, where a single control valve can control the flow of the carrier fluid and the aspiration of the chemical there. There is another need in the art for a sprinkler-type sprinkler, wherein a single control valve can control the flow of the carrier fluid and the mixing of varying amounts of the chemical into the carrier fluid. There is yet another need in the art for a sprayer suction type, which includes a mechanism for suction control for a user action whether continuous or manual.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to the following needs in the art by providing an aspiration type sprinkler wherein a bleeding line, extending from a chemical supply tube, and a carrier channel, both can be controlled through a single valve control. According to one aspect of the invention, a suction-type sprayer for use with a liquid chemical includes a sprayer head and a control valve assembly. The spray head includes, (i) a carrier channel having an inlet for receiving a pressurized carrier fluid, an outlet through which the carrier fluid exits, and an expansion chamber between the inlet and outlet, (ii) a chemical supply channel in fluid communication with the expansion chamber of the carrier channel through a suction opening, so that the flow of the carrier fluid through the channel produces a suction flow from the chemical supply channel towards the expansion chamber through the suction opening, the chemical supply channel having a free end for immersion in the liquid chemical, and (iii) a bleeding line extending from the chemical supply channel between the opening of aspiration and the liquid chemical, the Bleeding line connecting the chemical supply channel in fluid communication to the ambient air. The control valve assembly is seated in the spray head to simultaneously couple the carrier channel and the bleeding line, the control valve assembly can be moved relative to the spray head to (i) selectively open and close the carrier channel to selectively allow the carrier fluid to flow therethrough, and (ii) with the carrier channel open, selectively open and close the bleeding line to selectively allow ambient air to be drawn into the chemical supply channel in response to the suction flow produced by the flow of the carrier fluid. According to another aspect of the invention, the bleeding line is dimensioned such that, when the pressurized carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve assembly is positioned to open the carrier channel and the bleeding line, it is draws sufficient ambient air through the bleeding line into the chemical supply channel, so that nothing of liquid chemical is extracted by the flow of aspiration towards the expansion chamber. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the bleeding line is dimensioned so that, when the pressurized carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve assembly is positioned to open both the carrier channel and the bleeding line, the ambient air is extracted through the bleeding line towards the chemical supply channel at a sufficient flow rate to partially counter-balance the suction flow, so that the liquid chemical is drawn into the expansion chamber in smaller proportions than when the carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve is placed to open the carrier channel and close the bleeding line. In yet another aspect of the invention, the liquid chemical comprises two batches of liquid chemical, the chemical supply channel comprising: (i) a first chemical passage in fluid communication with the expansion chamber and having a free end for the submergence in one of the batches of liquid chemical, and (ii) a second passage of chemical in fluid communication with the expansion chamber and having one free end for submersion in the other of the liquid chemical batches, the bleeding line comprises a first passage of bleeding and a second passage of bleeding, each of the bleeding passages connecting a corresponding passage of the chemical passages in flow communication with the ambient air, and the control valve assembly, with the carrier channel open, selectively opens and closes each of the bleeding passages. These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to similar elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of an aspiration type sprinkler according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A is an elevation view of a sprinkler control valve illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 2B is an elevation view of the control valve shown in Figure 2A, turned 90 °. Figure 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Figure 2A. Figure 2D is a cross-sectional view along the line D-D in Figure 2B. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a sprinkler according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4A is a schematic view of a sprinkler according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4B is a perspective view of a sprinkler insert illustrated in Figure 4A. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a sprinkler according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5B is a perspective view of a sprinkler control valve illustrated in Figure 5A.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Figures 1 and 2A-2D show a preferred embodiment of a suction-type sprayer 1 of the present invention, two main components of which are a spray head 10 and a control valve 20. The spray head 10 can be connected to both source of chemical as a source of carrier fluid. Usually, the chemical source will be a C container with soap, fertilizer, pesticides, or the like, contained therein, and the source of carrier fluid will be a water hose. For purposes of illustration, this embodiment of the suction-type sprayer 1 will generally be described for use in a washing application wherein the carrier fluid is water and the chemical is a detergent or liquid surfactant. However, the sprayer can be easily adapted for use with other carrier fluids and chemicals. In general, the spray head 10 includes a carrier inlet 12 and an outlet 14. Between the inlet 12 and the outlet 14 is a carrier channel 30, which includes an expansion chamber 32. A chemical supply channel 50 depends of the expansion chamber 32, and has a free end for immersion in the chemical. A bleeding line 60 extends from the chemical supply channel 50. A hole 80 crosses both the carrier channel 30 and the bleeding line 60. The control valve 20 sits in the hole 80 of the head sprinkler 10. The valve 20 can be moved to selectively open and close the carrier channel 30 and the bleeding line 60. A vent 70 exposes the mouth of the container C out of the spray head 10. The spray head 10 is preferably formed from a polypropylene copolymer. This material is chosen because, compared to other plastics, such as the polypropylene homopolymer, polypropylene copolymer, it is soft and foldable, facilitating the assembly of the sprayer. However, almost any plastic, such as polyethylene, acetal or the like, may be suitable for these purposes. The carrier channel 30 includes an input chamber 31 at the inlet 12. A conventional threaded hose notch 19, with the accompanying hardware, is tightly fixed on the end of the spray head 10 for coupling with a water hose H The input chamber is tapered downstream and fed to an upstream carrier passage 34. the upstream carrier passage 34 is emptied on the upstream side of the hole 80, which generally has a cylindrical shape. In the hole 80 of the valve, approximately opposite the upstream carrier passage 34, there is an inlet 36 towards a downstream carrier passage 38. The downstream carrier passage 38 in turn is emptied into the expansion chamber 32. At the end stream below the expansion chamber 32 is the outlet 14 towards the spray head 10. The forced adjustment through from the outlet to the expansion chamber 32 is a conventional spray jet dosing hardware. Many commercially available metering jets can be used, and those skilled in the art will recognize that the selected hardware will help control the spray pattern and the suction speed of the sprayer 1. In the illustrated embodiment, by way of example, the The dosing jet includes a metering jet insert 40 and a metering jet cartridge 42. The insert 40 and the cartridge 42 are molded separately and fixed together to facilitate production. The insert and the cartridge are dimensioned to fit snugly within the expansion chamber 32, with the insert 40 upstream of the cartridge 42. The downstream carrier passage 38 is emptied into the dosing jet insert 40, which has a hole in it. cylindrical 44 therethrough with an enlarged upstream end, and a diameter of about 2.6 mm. The downstream end of the generally cylindrical outer surface of the insert 40 is tapered and rounded. The dosing jet cartridge 42 has a mouth sized to receive the downstream end of the jet insert 40. The insert 40 is emptied into a cylindrical chamber 46 at the upstream end of the cartridge 42. This chamber 46 has a diameter of about 5.6 mm Chamber 46 is reduced in diameter and then tapers at its downstream end to a cylindrical passage 48 having a diameter of approximately 3.0 mm. Slightly before the reduction in diameter in the chamber 46, a suction opening 49, with a diameter of about 0.5 mm, extends through the wall of the dosing jet cartridge 42. The suction opening 49 is formed through of the base of a depression in the outer surface of the cartridge 42. As mentioned, the chemical supply channel 50 depends on the expansion chamber 32. At the upper end of the chemical supply channel 50, there is a neck 54 , in the upper part of which is an opening 56 towards the expansion chamber 32. This opening 56 is considerably larger than and coincides with the suction opening 49 in the dosing jet. At the lower end of the channel 50 there is an immersion tube 52 for immersion in the chemical. In this modality, the neck 54 is integrally molded with the spray head 10, and the dip tube 52 is separately formed and forcibly adjusted in the neck 54. A conventional threaded container notch 18 is tightly fixed on a skirt 16, which It depends on the head, it allows the union to the container of chemical product. A ventilation 70 through the skirt 16 allows ambient air to enter the container, preventing the creation of a vacuum in the chamber, which could undermine the aspiration process. This ventilation 70 can alternatively be provided as an integral aspect of the container.

The bleeding line 60, which will be discussed in detail below, extends from the chemical supply channel 50 and the hole 80. An inlet 62 towards the bleeding line 60 is aligned longitudinally on the wall of the hole 80 with the entrance 36 to the downstream carrier passage 38. The control valve 20 of the illustrated embodiment is preferably also formed of a polypropylene copolymer, but may be formed of any of the alternative materials discussed above in relation to the spray head 10. control valve 20 has a generally cylindrical overall shape and is longitudinally segregated by a pair of O-shaped rings 23a, 23b, which are spread in circumferential grooves on the external surface of the control valve 20. The rings in the shape of Or preferably they are formed of rubber or the like, to provide an airtight seal inside the hole 80. During assembly , the valve 20 is inserted longitudinally into the hole 80 from the top until an upper flange 21 makes contact with a peripheral seat 81 in the upper part of the hole 80. the valve 20 is maintained in the appropriate longitudinal position in the hole 80 by a retainer 22, which is tightly fixed in another peripheral seat 82 in the bottom hole 80. Once seated, the control valve 20 can rotate freely on its longitudinal axis within a range of motion determined by the circumferential length of a groove 83 in the base of the upper peripheral seat 81. A projection 25 on the part below the upper flange 21 sits in the groove 83 and prevents the valve 20 from rotating beyond its turns. Of course, the valve 20 can be configured to move differently. For example, the valve 20 can be configured to rotate about an axis more or less parallel to the flow of the carrier fluid, opposite to the generally perpendicular rotation, or to slide longitudinally instead of rotating inside the hole 80. Any number of motion limiters Conventional valve can also be used. Two primary operational sections of the valve 20 are the carrier control section 26, between the O-shaped rings 23a, 23b, and the bleeding control section 28, below the O-shaped ring 23b. The control section of carrier 26 is sealed between the O-shaped rings 23a, 23b. A carrier duct 27 passes completely through the carrier control section 26. On one side of the carrier duct 27 is a retaining pad 29a. The holding pad 29a sits in a depression and, when the control valve 20 is in the hole 80, it fits tightly against the inside of the hole 80. The holding pad preferably is formed of a suitable silicon, rubber or plastic, which will deform slightly when compressed in the hole to provide an airtight seal. Thermoplastic elastomers ("TPE's"), such as Kraton ™ TPE, available from Shell Oil Company of Houston, Texas, have proven to be suitable. The retention pad has a surface external arched to facilitate a tight fit with the inside of the hole. A protrusion 24a at the bottom of the depression coincides with a receiving hole on the underside of the retaining pad 29a, preventing the holding pad 29a from sliding circumferentially with respect to the control valve 20. During operation, the control valve 20 is rotated to selectively place either the carrier duct 27 or the holding pad 29a in the path of the carrier channel 30. When the control valve 20 is positioned so that the carrier duct 27 of the control section carrier control 26 is aligned with the upstream and downstream carrier passages 34, 28 of the spray head 10, the carrier fluid can flow freely through the carrier channel 30. When the control valve 20 is positioned so that the retaining pad 29a of the carrier control section 26 is aligned with the inlet 36 toward the current carrier passage down 38, the flow of the carrier fluid is blocked. The bleeding control section 28 of the control valve 20 includes a pair of retaining pads 29b, 29c, which, like the retaining pad 29a of the carrier control section 26, are located in depressions on the surface of the control valve. These retaining pads 29b, 29c are also hermetically fixed against the interior of the bore 80 when the control valve 20 is in the bore. As with the pad retention 29a of the carrier control section, a protrusion 24b, 24c, respectively, at the bottom of each of the depressions, coincides with a receiving hole on the underside of each retention pad 29b, 29c to prevent the circumferential spill. The retaining pads 29b, 29c of the bleeding control section 28 are circumferentially spaced, with a recess 64 separating them. When the control valve 20 is positioned such that this gap 64 between the retaining pads 29b, 29c is aligned with the inlet 62 towards the bleeding line 60, the chemical supply channel 50 is in communication with the ambient air through the bleeding line 60. The effect of this will be discussed later. On the other hand, when either of the holding pads 29b, 29c of the bleeding control section 28 is aligned with the inlet 62 towards the bleeding line 60, the bleeding line 60 will be closed. Thus, any suction flow through the suction opening, caused by the Venturi effect of the flow of the carrier fluid in the expansion chamber 32, will in turn draw the chemical through the chemical supply channel 50 towards the chamber of expansion 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the control valve 20 has a rotation scale of approximately 90 °, representing three operational fixings. The holding pad 29a of the carrier control section 26 and one of the retaining pads 29b of the bleeding control section 28 are aligned longitudinally on the control valve 20, in order to be able to be coupled simultaneously (in the first operational fixation) with the inlets 36, 62 towards the downstream carrier passage 38 and the bleeding line 60, respectively. The mouth of the carrier duct 27 is elongated so that the other retention pad 29c and the recess 64 between the retention pads 29b, 29c of the bleeding control section 28 are longitudinally in line with part of the mouth of the carrier duct 27 In this manner, both the other retaining pad 29c and the recess 64 can be aligned with the bleeding line 60 when the carrier duct 27 is aligned with the carrier channel 30. In the second operational fixation, the carrier duct 27 is aligned with the carrier channel 30, and the recess 64 is aligned with the bleeding line inlet 62. In the third attachment, the carrier duct remains aligned with the carrier channel, but the other retention pad 29c of the bleeding control section It is aligned with the bleeding line input 62. Therefore, the three operational settings are: (i) the carrier channel 30 and the bleeding line 60 closed, (ii) the carrier channel 30 and the bleeding line 60 open, and (iii) the carrier channel 30 open and the bleeding line 60 closed. The bleeding line 60 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is tubular and with a diameter of approximately 2.6 cm. This is sufficiently long to allow enough air to flow through it to counteract the flow of suction through the suction opening 49, when the bleeding line 60 opens. That is, the removal of the chemical from the container through the immersion tube 52, the suction flow caused by the pressure drop in the expansion chamber 32 will simply cause the ambient air to flow to the neck 54 of the supply channel. 50 through the bleeding line 60. Since enough air can pass through the bleeding line 60, the pressure at the top of the chemical supply channel 50 will remain essentially equal to the pressure at the top of the chemical in the container, and no chemical product will flow through the chemical supply channel 50. In this way, when the bleeding line 60 is open, any water entering the spray head 10 at the inlet 12 will leave the head 10 at outlet 14 without extracting any chemical product therewith. By reducing the size of the bleeding line 60, it is possible to vary the effect observed previously. When the size of the bleeding line 60 is sufficiently reduced, the flow of ambient air to the chemical supply channel 50 through the bleeding line 60 can only be compensated for the suction flow through the suction opening 49. due to the carrier flow through the expansion chamber 32. in response to the "uncompensated" suction flow, the chemical will be extracted through the immersion tube 52. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the diameter of the the bleeding line 60 is reduced to approximately 0.5-1.0 mm in a constriction 66 integrally molded With this configuration, with the bleeding line 60 open, the chemical will be extracted through the dip tube 52 at a rate comparable to the air flow through the bleeding line 60. The illustrated constriction 66 is achieved by integrally molding a sharpness near the chemical supply channel 50, which narrows as the bleeding line 60 approaches the chemical supply channel 50. This is done to facilitate molding. However, the constriction can be located anywhere along the bleeding line 60, and can be formed by tapering the bleeding line 60 in the opposite direction or through any other form. Actually, the bleeding line 60 can have a small, uniform cross section. In any case, by slightly varying the size of the restricted bleeding line 60, the air / chemical ratio flowing through the neck 54 of the chemical supply channel 50 to the expansion chamber 32, can be controlled in a form generally independent of the magnitude of the Venturi effect caused by the carrier flow. In this way, the sprinkler can be configured such that a selected and reduced amount of the chemical is drawn into the expansion chamber 32 to mix with the carrier when the bleeding line 60 is opened. For example, the expansion chamber 32, including the dosing jet, of a hose end sprayer of one embodiment of the present invention can be selected for obtaining a desired ratio of water to soap in the order of about 40: 1 to about 80: 1, when the bleeding line 60 is closed. A restricted restriction line 60 can be used to create a "pre-wash" or "rinse" mode, wherein soap finger amounts (eg, in the order of 1 part soap to about 300-600 parts water) they are drawn into the water flow, when the bleeding line 60 opens. Variations in the soap / air mixture (when the restricted bleeding line 60 is open) will combine the variations in soap concentration that occur when the bleeding line 60 closes. For example, suppose that a sprayer according to the present invention sprays a mixture with a chemical / carrier ratio of 50: 1, with a variation of + 5: 1, when the bleeding line 60 is closed. If the bleeding line 60 is restricted, so that the sprinkler sprays a mixture with a chemical / carrier ratio of 500: 1 when the bleeding line 60 is open, it can be expected that the variation in the last mix is much greater than +5: 1, probably very close to +20: 1. This is due not only to the variable speed of suction, but also to the chemical / air mixture, which in turn will be sucked into the expansion bed 32. In another embodiment, a separately molded insert 58 can be provided. to create the desired reduction in the size of the bleeding line 60, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. This separately molded insert is fixed on the neck 54 of the chemical supply channel 50. the insert 58 is hollow, with an open top and bottom, and is configured to closely match the interior of the neck 54 of the chemical supply channel 50. A tapered hole 59 matches the opening of the bleeding line 60 to effectively restrict the opening of the bleeding line 60. The insert 58 can be formed of polypropylene, acetal, polyethylene or any other suitable material. Once the insert 58 is manufactured, it can simply be forcedly adjusted into the neck 54 of the chemical supply channel 50. the use of a separate insert 58 facilitates production, as compared to the production of a bleeding line 60 integrally molded of such small dimensions. The use of an insert, instead of trying to produce a bleeding line 60 of a sufficiently small size, it also allows for more precise fabrication, resulting in better control of mixing speeds. The inserts can be produced with varying sizes of the hole 59, increasing the flexibility to produce varying ratios of chemical / water with the same design of the spray head 10. A similar effect can be achieved by reducing the size of the gap 54 between the pads of retention 29b, 29c in the bleeding control section 28 of the valve 20. If the pads 29b, 29c are placed very close to one another, they will partially obstruct the inlet 62 towards the bleeding line 60 when the gap 64 between pads 29b, 29c is aligned with the input 62. In a similar manner, the control section 28 bleed valve 20 may be provided with three pads retention, instead of two, circumferentially disposed so that two gaps of different size between these pads can be aligned with the carrier duct 27. A large hollow, such as that shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B, can be provided between two of the retaining pads. When this large gap is aligned with the inlet to the bleeding line 60, sufficient air can flow through the bleeding line 60, so that no chemical is removed through the chemical supply channel 50. The other gap can be smaller so that, when aligned with the inlet to the bleeding line 60, it can partially continue to close the bleeding line 60, resulting in trace amounts of the chemical being extracted into the carrier stream in the manner discussed above . In yet another embodiment, shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the spray head 10 can be provided with a pair of supply channels 150a, 150b depending on the expansion chamber 32 for submersion in separate chambers containing the chemical. One of the chemical supply channels 150b is not visible in this view, since it is hidden behind the other. Two bleed lines 160a, 160b can be provided, one driving from each of the chemical supply channels 150a, 150b towards the hole 80 where the control valve 20 sits. The control valve 20 can be arranged to selectively close any bleeding line 160a or 160b, while opening the carrier channel 30, in which case the chemical is drawn into the carrier flow from one of the corresponding chambers of the container chambers. separated. In the illustrated arrangement, the bleeding lines 160a, 160b are configured so that the inlets to the bleeding lines are aligned and longitudinally spaced in the hole 80. the carrier control section 26 of the control valve 20 is essentially similar to that in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2A-2D. The bleeding control section 128 of the control valve 20, however, is longitudinally bifurcated to separate levels 128a, 128b for engagement with these separate bleeding lines 160a, 160b. Each of these levels 128a, 128b has two retaining pads 129a1, 12a2, and 129b1, 129b2, respectively. These pads hold, as the restraining pad 29a of the control section holder 26, are located in depressions on the surface of the control valve 20 and is sealed against the inside of the hole 80 when the control valve 20 is in hole 80. Again, a protrusion at the bottom of each depression coincides with a receiving hole on the underside of each retaining pad to prevent circumferential spillage. The holding pads of each level 128a, 128b of the bleeding control section 128 are circumferentially spaced, with a recess 164a, 164b, respectively, separating them. When the control valve 20 is positioned so that one of these holes 164a or 164b between the pads retainer is aligned with the entry to its corresponding line 160a or 160b bleeding, the supply channel corresponding chemical 150a or 150b is in communication with the ambient air through the bleeding line. On the other hand, when any of the retaining pads of a level 128a or 128b of the bleeding control section 128 is aligned with the inlet to its corresponding bleeding line 160a or 160b, that bleeding line will be closed. In this embodiment, like the first one, the control valve 20 has a rotation range of approximately 90 °. Nevertheless, the level of the additional bleeding line and the bleeding control section allow at least one additional operational mode. In this way, the sprayer 10 of this embodiment has four operational settings. The holding pad 29a of the carrier control section 26 and one of the retaining pads 129a1, 129b1, respectively, of each level 128a, 128b of the bleeding control section 128 are aligned longitudinally on the control valve 20, in order to be able to couple simultaneously (in the first operational fixation) with the inputs to the downstream carrier passage 38 and the bleeding lines 160a, 160b, respectively.

The mouth of the carrier duct 27 is elongated, so that other retention pads 129a2, 129b2 and recesses 164a, 164b between the retention pads of each level, respectively, of the bleeding control section 128, all are longitudinally in line with part of the mouth of the carrier duct 27. In this way, on each level of the bleeding control section 128, both the other holding pad 129a2 or 129b2 and the hollow 164a or 164b, respectively, can be aligned with the line of corresponding bleeding 60, when the carrier duct 27 is aligned with the carrier channel 30. The other retaining pads 129a2, 129b2 of the respective levels of the bleeding control section 28, however, are not longitudinally aligned with each other. In this way, when the carrier duct 27 is aligned with the carrier channel 30, representing the second attachment through the four operational fixings, either or none, but not both, of the retaining pads 129a2, 129b2 can be aligned with the entry of its respective bleeding line 160a, 160b. In the second operational fixation, each of the recesses 164a, 164b is aligned with the entrances to its respective indentation line 160a, 160b. In the third attachment, the other retaining pad 129a2 of the upper level 128a is aligned with its bleeding line 160a, while the recess 164b of the lower level remains aligned with its bleeding line 160b. In the fourth attachment, the other holding pad 129a2 of the upper level 128a is no longer aligned with its bleeding line 160a, but the other holding pad 129b2 of the lower level 128b is aligned with its bleeding line 160b. Therefore, the four operational fixations are: (i) carrier channel 30 and both closed bleed lines 160a, 160b, (ii) open carrier channel 30 and both open bleed lines 160a, 160b, (iii) carrier channel 30 and lower bleeding line 160b open, upper bleeding line 160a closed, and (iv) carrier channel 30 and upper bleeding line 160a, lower bleeding line 160b closed. As with the above embodiments, the valve 20 can be configured to move differently. For example, valve 20 may be configured to rotate on a different axis, or to slide longitudinally instead of rotating, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Separate chambers of the container can be provided with different chemicals or different concentrations of the same chemical. For example, a chamber may be provided with a cleaning agent in a concentration that is suitable for a spray wash. The other chamber may be provided with a rinsing agent in a concentration suitable for pre-washing and / or rinsing. The four operational fixings can then correspond to "off", "only water", "combined cleaning agent and water", and "combined rinsing and watering agent", respectively. Although the present invention has been described with respect to what which is currently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Otherwise, the invention is intended to cover several modifications and equivalent arrangements, some of which have been discussed above, included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the following claims is intended to be in accordance with the broadest reasonable interpretation in order to encompass such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY A sprayer of the present invention is particularly applicable to hose end sprinklers. The sprayer can be used together with fertilizers, pesticides, and the like, but is more suitable for use with soaps. The carrier fluid, in most cases tap water, can be used, without soap or only with trace amounts thereof, to soak and / or rinse the object to be washed. By simply turning the control valve, the sprayer can be turned off or it can be set to spray water or a mixture of soap and water.

Claims (15)

1. - An aspirator-type sprinkler for use with a liquid chemical, the sprinkler comprises: (a) a sprinkler head including, (i) a carrier channel having an inlet for receiving a pressurized carrier fluid, an outlet through which the carrier fluid exits, and an expansion chamber between the inlet and outlet, (ii) a chemical supply channel in fluid communication with the expansion chamber of the carrier channel through a suction opening, so that the flow of the carrier fluid through the channel produces a suction flow from the chemical supply channel to the expansion chamber through the suction opening, the chemical supply channel having a free end for submersion in the liquid chemical , and (iii) a bleeding line extending from the chemical supply channel between the suction opening and the liquid chemical, the bleeding line connecting the channel of chemical supply in fluid communication to ambient air; and (b) a control valve assembly seated in the spray head to simultaneously couple the carrier channel and the bleeding line, the control valve assembly can be moved relative to the spray head to (i) selectively open and close the carrier channel to selectively allow the carrier fluid to flow therethrough, and (i) with the carrier channel open, selectively opening and closing the bleeding line to selectively allow ambient air to be drawn into the chemical supply channel in response to the suction flow produced by the flow of the carrier fluid.

2. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the sprinkler head includes, formed therein, a hole that crosses the carrier channel and the bleeding line, and wherein the control valve assembly can be rotatably mounted inside the hole.

3. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the control valve assembly includes carrier channel closure means and bleeding line closure means formed therein and a carrier duct formed therethrough, the carrier channel closure means and the carrier duct being configured for selective coupling with the carrier channel to respectively close and open the carrier channel, and the bleeding line closing means being configured for selective coupling with the bleeding line to close the bleeding line.

4. The sprayer according to claim 3, wherein the control valve assembly is configured so that the bleeding line closure means can be selectively coupled and decoupled with the bleeding line when the carrier duct is coupled with the carrier channel in order to selectively open and close the bleeding line when the carrier channel it opens.

5. The sprinkler according to claim 3, wherein the sprinkler head has formed therein a hole that crosses the carrier channel and the bleeding line, and the control valve assembly is rotatably positioned within the hole, the control valve assembly being longitudinally divided into at least two sections, the sections including a carrier control section and the bleeding control section, the carrier control section and the bleeding control section being sealed one of the other, the carrier channel closure means and the carrier duct being located in the carrier control section, and the bleeding line closure means being located in the bleeding control section.

6. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the bleeding line is dimensioned such that, when pressurized carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve assembly is positioned to open both the carrier channel as the bleeding line, sufficient air is expelled through the bleeding line into the chemical supply channel, so that no liquid chemical is removed by the suction flow into the expansion chamber.

7. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the bleeding line is dimensioned so that, when the pressurized carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve assembly is placed to open both the channel carrier as the bleeding line, the ambient air is drawn through the bleeding line into the chemical supply channel at a sufficient flow rate to partially counter-balance the suction flow, so that the liquid chemical is extracted towards the expansion chamber in smaller proportions than when the fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve is positioned to open the carrier channel and close the bleeding line.

8. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the control valve assembly can be moved between a first position where the carrier channel is closed, so that no pressurized fluid flows through the carrier channel, a second position in which the carrier channel and the bleeding line are opened so that the pressurized fluid can flow through the carrier channel and the ambient air can flow through the bleeding line into the chemical supply channel, and a third position in which the carrier channel is open and the bleeding line is closed, so that the pressurized fluid can flow through the carrier channel and the ambient air can not flow through the bleeding line into the channel of flow. chemical supply.

9. The sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein the liquid chemical is contained in a container, to which the sprinkler head can be connected, and the sprinkler head also includes a vent, through which the ambient air can arrive to inside the container.

10. The sprayer according to claim 1, wherein: the liquid chemical comprises two batches of liquid chemical, the chemical supply channel comprises, (i) a first passage of chemical in flow communication with the expansion chamber and having a free end for submersion in one of the batches of liquid chemical, and (ii) a second passage of chemical in flow communication with the expansion chamber and having one free end for submersion in the other of the batches of the liquid chemist, the bleeding line comprises a first passage of bleeding and a second passage of bleeding, each of the bleeding passages connecting a corresponding passage of one of the chemical passages in flow communication with the ambient air, and the Control valve assembly, with the carrier channel open, selectively opens and closes each of the bleeding passages.

11. The sprinkler according to claim 10, wherein the control valve assembly includes carrier channel closure means, first bleeding passage closure means, and second bleeding passage closure means formed therein. and the carrier duct formed therethrough, the carrier channel closure means and the carrier duct being configured for selective engagement with the carrier channel for closing and opening, respectively, the carrier channel, the first means for closing the carrier channel. Bleeding passage being configured for selective engagement with the first bleeding passage to close the first bleeding passage, and second bleeding passage closure means being configured for selective engagement with the second bleeding passage to close the second passage. of bleeding.

12. The sprinkler according to claim 11, wherein the control valve assembly is configured so that, when the carrier duct is coupled with the carrier channel, the first bleeding passage closure means can be selectively coupled and uncoupled with the first bleeding passage and the second bleeding passage closure means selectively can be coupled and decoupled with the second bleeding passage in order to selectively open and close the first and second bleeding passages when the carrier channel is opened .

13. The sprinkler according to claim 11, wherein the sprinkler head has formed therein a hole that crosses the carrier channel and the first and second bleeding passages., and the control valve assembly is rotatably positioned within the bore, the control valve assembly being longitudinally divided into at least two sections, the sections including a carrier control section and a bleeding control section, the section of carrier control and the bleeding control section being sealed one from the other, the carrier channel closure means and the carrier duct being located in a carrier control section, and the first and second bleeding passage closure means being located in the bleeding control section.

14. The sprayer according to claim 10, wherein the first and second bleeding passages are dimensioned so that, when the pressurized carrier fluid is supplied to the inlet and the control valve assembly is placed to open both the carrier channel as one of the first and second bleeding passages, sufficient ambient air is extracted through one of the first and second passages of bleeding to one of the corresponding chemical passages, so that no liquid chemical is extracted through from one of the corresponding chemical passages through the suction flow to the expansion chamber.

15. The sprayer according to claim 10, wherein the control valve assembly can be moved between (i) a first position where the carrier channel is closed, so that no pressurized fluid flows through the channel carrier, (ii) a second position in which the carrier channel and both the first and the second bleed passages are open, so that the pressurized fluid can flow through the carrier channel and ambient air can flow through the channels. first and second bleeding passages to the first and second passages of chemical, (iii) a third position in which the carrier channel is open, the first bleeding passage is closed, and the second bleeding passage is open, so that the pressurized fluid can flow through the carrier channel, the ambient air can not flow through the first bleeding passage to the first chemical passage, and the ambient air can flow through the second passage of bleeding into the second chemical passage, and ( v) a fourth position in which the carrier channel is open, the first bleeding passage is open, and the second bleeding passage is closed, so that the pressurized fluid can flow through the carrier channel, the ambient air can flow through the first bleeding passage into the first chemical passage, and the ambient air can not flow through the second passage of bleeding into the second chemical passage.